Buy Buy Baby Bogus Price Matching Policy

[tinwhistle]

The new Buy Buy Baby store in NYC has a misleading sign by their front door saying in effect "We will not be undersold!" The sign states in so many words that they will match any lower price that you find. I tried to take them up on that offer, and learned that it is bulls**t!

Here's the gruesome tale -- I liked a Graco bassinet that I saw at their store for about $100. Having seen their sign, I went home, comparison shopped on the web, and found the same bassinet for about $90 on one site, and the same bassinet with a discontinued fabric for about $84 on another web site. DH and I returned to Buy Buy Baby with our web site printouts in hand, but encountered a saleslady who argued strenously (and stupidly) that it must be a different model number. When we showed her it was the same exact model number, she referred us to the Customer Service desk. We then stood in line at Customer Service, where a woman said "Sure, we'll honor that price, just wave to one of us here at Customer Service when you get to the register. When we did that, a male employee (a manager?) came over from Customer Service and told us that they would not honor the lower price, arguing that Buy Buy Baby only matches prices from their "competitors" and does not view web sites as their "competitors." (Although Buy Buy Baby has a web site, as we pointed out, and although Buy Buy Baby's sign says nothing about applying only to prices from "competitors" or says anything else that would otherwise exclude web sites from the policy.)

We walked out without buying and bought the bassinet for $84 from the web site instead, proving that the web site is indeed a "competitor" of Buy Buy Baby!

I'm just annoyed that they wasted my time with their misleading sign and weasely policy. Hoping to help others avoid wasting their time.

[August Mom]

Just an FYI, the USA Baby in Powell, Ohio has a similar price-matching policy. This USA Baby will only match prices of local brick and mortar stores for identical merchandise, including fabric and finish choices. No Internet price-matching. (I do not know if this is true for all USA Baby stores).

[LD92599]

I also tried to price match something @ BBB with an online printout and was told the same thing...and walked out empty handed.

I also think that the return policy @ BRU is much better than that of BBB.

Laura
mom to William...3.5.2003

[anna lisa]

J&R Music World, Best Buy and PC Richards and other electronic stores in NY are exactly the same way. I discovered this at christmastime.

They don't consider "internet companies" competition.

They better wake up and realize that they are!

[malie]

The truth is that most companies that offer a price match will not match internet prices. And the one I know that does (which isn't baby related it's Lowe's Home Improvement) will only match non liquidators and retail prices for the exact same item (so in theory a different pattern would be different) AND they will only match a price after shipping is taken into account (so they are guaranteeing that the total price is lower not the before shipping price)

[lvp49]

Re: Your Buy Buy Baby experience. I have discovered that the most effective way to deal with situations like that, where the sign says one thing, and the employees, (or some of them anyway - even better for you that someone IN the store actually confirmed the policy) is to argue incessantly, and basically refuse to leave until they give me what I am entitled to. Does it take time, yes, Do people stare, yes, but it WORKS!! I don't make a huge scene, I don't want them to call the cops!!. I just point out their policy, and don't give up. Thats what they count on. That you will give up. My husband has walked away from me in stores when this happens, but he is always pleased when I get the refund.

They don't want their other customers who are online, making purchases, to witness these arguments that reveal their misleading ads and inflexible (nonpublished) policies.