Apple cutting off Best Buy?

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[H]ard|OCP - Has Apple Cut Off Best Buy for Withholding iPad 2s?

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westward

I feel like nobody buys a MAC at Best Buy. They just stand there and play with them.

The deal is, Apple gets the kiosk to show their products, and Best Buy gets extra potential customers to the store.

RobertKaucher

westward wrote: »

I feel like nobody buys a MAC at Best Buy. They just stand there and play with them.

The deal is, Apple gets the kiosk to show their products, and Best Buy gets extra potential customers to the store.

At the BBY I worked at we sold a ton of Apple computer products and iPads. We even did installs and service on the ones the users would fubar.

westward

RobertKaucher wrote: »

At the BBY I worked at we sold a ton of Apple computer products and iPads. We even did installs and service on the ones the users would fubar.

That's a surprise! Do you know what the profit margin was for the store? Did they actually make much money off a mackbook pro or imac?

RobertKaucher

No, they made almost no money off of any sort of computer sale. It's why a USB cable is $25.00. They get you in so they can sell you software and services.

SteveLord

I bet they've done the same with video game consoles as well.

Devilsbane

Does it really surprise you that Best Buy doesn't want to deplete their inventory in one day? Everyone does it.

I was working at a retailer a couple years ago, and we were instructed to tell people on the day after thanksgiving that we were sold out of a certain item after we sold so many. However, we had just received some in that day for the next week's sale. If they were all sold on black friday, not only would they have not made as much money but they would have upset people the whole next week.

mattlee09

Devilsbane wrote: »

Does it really surprise you that Best Buy doesn't want to deplete their inventory in one day? Everyone does it.

I was working at a retailer a couple years ago, and we were instructed to tell people on the day after thanksgiving that we were sold out of a certain item after we sold so many. However, we had just received some in that day for the next week's sale. If they were all sold on black friday, not only would they have not made as much money but they would have upset people the whole next week.

I worked at a retailer who would do the same thing (but it's one thing to not have any for the first day of the ad, so the first person to the store wanting that item knows your BS'ing) and another thing entirely that Best Buy had some kind of "quota" to only sell 'x' amount of iPads per day.

I called a 100 mile radius of iPad-carrying stores for 2 hrs, and was unable to locate one. Regardless, if I would have went any farther than that, by the time I would have gotten there it would have been gone.

Ordering online and waiting 3-4 weeks just seemed unacceptable (especially 2 weeks after official launch).

And Steve - I think many manufacturers/retailers loose money on consoles upfront to get the developer royalties and etc. later on. Sony was losing almost $300 per PS3 according to iSuppli's hardware costs at one time.

Anywhoo, the whole iPad 2 availability thing seems fubar'ed regardless of Best Buys practices or not. The longer I can't find one on the shelf at my local Wal-Mart, the closer and closer I get to just not purchasing. I had money saved up at launch, but have since spent it on furthering my CCNA/CCNP lab

Psoasman

RobertKaucher wrote: »

No, they made almost no money off of any sort of computer sale. It's why a USB cable is $25.00. They get you in so they can sell you software and services.

Awesome services like syncing your 3D glasses and the new computer tune-up

vCole

phoeneous wrote: »

And 6-foot hdmi cables that cost $700! Seriously, wtf?

That cable is $700 everywhere....it's a Magnolia product too (which is their high quality Home Theater)

tpatt100

I love the smart a$$ reviews for it lol. I bought some three dollar hdmi cables from Amazon and they work great but there was a new hdmi standard for 3D and my cables would not work. I had to splurge on some ten dollar cables.

rsutton

Blue Jeans Cable -- Quality Cables at Reasonable Prices

Only place I've ever bought HDMI cables. Retail HDMI prices are retarded.

vCole

HDMI Cable, Home Theater Accessories, HDMI Products, Cables, Adapters, Video/Audio Switch, Networking, USB, Firewire, Printer Toner, and more! for all my cables.

Zartanasaurus

phoeneous wrote: »

And 6-foot hdmi cables that cost $700! Seriously, wtf?

Not a bad deal really. Sure you won't be able to afford to buy the TV to go with it, but that's a small price to pay for no jitter.

SteveLord

Not a bad deal??? Can I interest you in a timeshare?

Zartanasaurus

SteveLord wrote: »

Not a bad deal??? Can I interest you in a timeshare?

Will there be AudioQuest cables there?

alan2308

phoeneous wrote: »

And 6-foot hdmi cables that cost $700! Seriously, wtf?

Why not? People still buy Monster cables and $1000 rolls of speaker wire.

Forsaken_GA

westward wrote: »

I feel like nobody buys a MAC at Best Buy. They just stand there and play with them.

The deal is, Apple gets the kiosk to show their products, and Best Buy gets extra potential customers to the store.

Eh, I bought my ipad (original) from best buy. The irony of that in light of this story is that they were the only ones who had them in stock. I tried every retailer (including all three apple stores) within a 50 mile radius, and only when I got down to the end of the list, did I find a best buy that had them in stock.

Of course, when I actually got to the store, they told me they didn't have 'em. So I used one of their ipads to pull it up on bestbuy.com and showed them the website said they did in fact have it in stock! Poor sales guy had to go and actually open a box to sell me one! The horror.

I also purchased MacBook's for my parents last year for Chistmas, and those were bought at Best Buy. I was about to purchase an Airport Extreme from them today, but I noticed Microcenter had it for 10 bucks cheaper, and were less than a mile away, so I went there instead.

I've always had mixed dealings with Best Buy, and whether or not I purchase for them ends up being a convenience issue. I have to drive at least 15 miles to get to an Apple store, and while they have better customer service, I can think of at least 5 Best Buys on the way to that Apple Store.

SteveLord

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

So I used one of their ipads to pull it up on bestbuy.com and showed them the website said they did in fact have it in stock!

In their defense...this means squat.

exampasser

phoeneous wrote: »

And 6-foot hdmi cables that cost $700! Seriously, wtf?

I"ll sell you my 20-foot hdmi cable for only $2000! (joke). Seriously though, I can't belive people still fall for the retail cable prices scam, I get them for like $5 on Amazon.

CNET also did an article about hdmi cables and that cheap is the way to go:
CNET Quick Guide: HDMI and HDMI cables - CNET Reviews

mattlee09

As to the OP and topic:

Looks like the whole thing is a convoluted Best-Buy scheme after all...

Best Buy Not in Trouble with Apple? Holding iPad 2 Stock for 'Upcoming Promotion' - Mac Rumors

I don't agree with the title - It doesn't seem like they "aren't in trouble" just because Tim Cook says he has no knowledge of them doing it at the time of his email. lol.

RobertKaucher

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

I've always had mixed dealings with Best Buy, and whether or not I purchase for them ends up being a convenience issue. I have to drive at least 15 miles to get to an Apple store, and while they have better customer service, I can think of at least 5 Best Buys on the way to that Apple Store.

I cannot imagine another motive to shop at a retailer now-a-days. It might be a different story if the employees stuck around for longer than 9 months there could be a reason for loyalty.

The BBY I worked at has a large number of "lifers" and I know the language and how the pricing works, so I tend to like to shop there as I get to see my friends and chat them up about the deals they have. But I'd buy it at WalMart if I could get it cheaper...

TheShadow

Cranes??? I don't think Apples are that heavy and I left the big iron behind a long long time ago.