Best Buy Mobile Employees Chime in Here!

[ggong5150]

So I went to pick up an Inspire off contract at a Best Buy and was told they wouldn't price match any phones. I told them ATT had it for $200 less and I purchased one in San Luis Obispo for $399 and they price matched it and the associate would not do it. Also tried to buy the Atrix on a price match and couldn't do it. Is there a policy not to price match phones??

 

[Ryan Roland]

I'm not a bestbuy employee but why do you need to go to bestbuy to get it for 399.99 if you can buy it from att.com for that price? same for the atrix.

 

[ggong5150]

Had $200 in gift cards I wanted to use, that's the only reason.

 

[samven582]

The bestbuy mobile in Commack Ny also refused to sell me one at $399.

 

[haccord]

I talked to a salesman at a Best Buy here in Vegas about that. He said that they are not allowed to sell the phones for the same price that the at&t corporate stores are selling them for. Something about that they want the new activations and not out of contract sales. So I said OK and took my money to the at&t store to get my Inspire.

 

[clintrojan]

It is because when you buy a phone via Best Buy, Let's Talk, etc... You are then under two contracts. One for the carrier and one for the 3rd party provider.

That is why if you buy a phone in a upgrade for a main line with Let's Talk, you cannot use the phone on any other lines for so many months. If you switch the sim, then you are charged a ETF from Let's Talk.

That is why they want you under contract. Not for the At&t contract, but the Best Buy Mobile contract.

Anyone know if this is also true for Amazon? They are the only company I could think of where this might be different.

 

[homescrub]

Are you confused between pricing of a Contractual phone vs. Off Contract phone?

For $99, you get the phone on a 2 year contract. For $449.99, its off contract price. You bet these retailers won't price match the phone for an on contract price. That's just stupid logic.

 

[ggong5150]

It is because when you buy a phone via Best Buy, Let's Talk, etc... You are then under two contracts. One for the carrier and one for the 3rd party provider.

That is why if you buy a phone in a upgrade for a main line with Let's Talk, you cannot use the phone on any other lines for so many months. If you switch the sim, then you are charged a ETF from Let's Talk.

That is why they want you under contract. Not for the At&t contract, but the Best Buy Mobile contract.

Anyone know if this is also true for Amazon? They are the only company I could think of where this might be different.

Doesn't make sense? I bought the iPhone 4 on release day from Best Buy and a month later switched my SIM to a android phone and gave my gf the iPhone 4. They are selling at regular retail, so if you are buying off contract then obviously they get the phones from ATT for less than the retail price and add a markup of $200? How can ATT sell the Inspire for $200 less than BB.
The funny thing is I did buy the Inspire on release at a BB in SoCal and they did the price match for me with no issues. I returned it to get the Atrix and they wouldn't do a price match for the Atrix!

 

[homescrub]

Because the Atrix is an exclusive release in which what you are doing is an upgrade from a downgraded phone, and they don't retail at the same price. That's like buying a Honda, but returning it to get some market value to get a BMW. You'd be laughed at.

 

[ggong5150]

Because the Atrix is an exclusive release in which what you are doing is an upgrade from a downgraded phone, and they don't retail at the same price. That's like buying a Honda, but returning it to get some market value to get a BMW. You'd be laughed at.

The Atrix was $100 more at BB off contract than ATT. Why would there be 2 different prices? Even BB had the Inspire at the same retail price as the Atrix at $599, figure that one out.

 

[homescrub]

They probably sell the phone unlocked at a higher price. I never shop there, which is why I would rather buy phone from a local Radio Shack.