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Best Buy’s Halo 3 Tax
Posted under Console Crimes, Rusty Ranchero by Rusty RancheroWith the release of “the most anticipated game of the year” right around the corner, retailers know that consoles and accessories will jet of the shelves. So what better way to join the celebration then by adding a Halo 3 dollar tax to many Xbox 360 accessories?
While other retailers are pricing the 360 add-ons at Xbox.com’s MSRP, Best Buy thinks adding three dollars to that is the perfect theme to tie-in the Halo Three launch. As many devotee gamers will pop-in to jump-in, why would they suspect they aren’t getting the best buy?
Now obviously, I’m only speculating the reasoning for the price increases, but the amount of flabbergastation flowing in my veins is very unsettling. I have been a loyal Best Buy customer for as long as I can remember with purchases including all three computers I’ve ever owned + my $1,700 fridge, just months ago. Even my vacuum cleaner! I have their credit card and am a member of the Best Buy Rewards program (since it first started with a $10 fee and when it was more rewarding before they changed it). So will I continue to shop at Best Buy? Only if their name lives up to it. And the way things look now, I best be shoppin’ elsewhere.
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wow, that sucks balls. Damn you Best Buy
I hate TAX.
gOnce I bought some Condoms for a 1.00. The cashier rang them up at a $1.13. I asked him, “Whats the 13 cents for?” He told me, “It’s for the TAX!” I replied, “Thats how you keep them on?!?”
They are adding $2.99…………..That is .01 short of $3.00
Best Buy always overcharges for accessories. That’s how they make their big profits.
That is a load of BS. Also if you hate tax don’t come to Califonia.
Yo, what kind of “Tax” is this? This is no tax, this is hijacking.
Real Tax will be applied over the prices mentioned above so you’ll have to add about another $1.67
Basically, yeah, it sucks.
best buy matches anyone else prices minus 10 percent of the diff so if no one else changes their price i think you’ll be fine
i dont see how adding 3 dollars to everything is a “theme” but ok
I have one of two theories, which I will be unable to clarify until tomorrow:
1.) The three dollar “Halo tax” is really compensation for there being free shipping.
2.) They’re douche bags.
I’ll let you know tomorrow what the deal is.
Those prices have always been the same. I work at Best Buy, and in the media dept… all of our accessories are usually a few bucks more than from microsoft.. and one guy hit the nail on the head..its all about making profit.. we dont make anything on the consoles themselves but maybe a few dollars.. after that, its all about the replacement plan and accessories..and trust me, if we dont get some of that stuff added on, the managers throw a fit.. douche bags.. but yes, we price match..but i’m glad you brought this to my attention.. i’ll now price match every single item because thats bullshit.. if you couldnt tell, i hate my job.. just like the good discount
HALO IS THE MOST OVERATED VIDEOGAME SERIES IN HISTORY!!!!!!
ALTHOUGH I THINK THAT, THAT TAX IS BULLSHIT!!!!!
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[...] (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price). This “Halo Tax”, as has been coined by XBLRadio, certainly would seem conspicuous considering that Halo 3, a game that is certain to move not only [...]
Wow. A lot of new commentary from some people. I like it.
BUT I don’t like this “tax” thing. I don’t really shop at Best Buy because there’s a huge Fry’s next door. I feel guilty coming out of that store empty handed.
They’re only hurting themselves in the long run. There’s too much competition to do something so ignorant.
If they really wanted to do a theme for the Halo 3 launch, they should have CUT the price 3$! They’d sell more units ’cause everyone would buy from them instead of somewhere else, and probably make more money overall. Nobody ever thinks about the long haul…
Best Buy never has the best buy; for all electronics needs I check for various deals at http://www.dealcatcher.com.
I HATE when I get Best Buy gift cards.
Though, I didnt mind paying the $120 for the legendary edition in halo 3, I would mind paying extra for accessories. Best Buy’s move to attempt to make a bigger profit trough this, shoppers like my self, would probably look for the best value. Do they offer something extra with this price? Such as extended warranty, etc? I would probably aim my purchasing at a store in which I would get the best value for my cash. Even if the difference is only $2.98!!!
Ill tell ya why Best Buy is charging more for 360 stuff and Halo related products:
To make money on a surge of demand. It’s something we call business.
Ever take a moment to think this could be a bestbuy.com only thing. Since bestbuy and bestbuy.com have always had a kind of weird relationship. When I was working there we weren’t allowed to match prices off bestbuy.com then later they changed that because I think a lot of ppl complained.
Also maybe it isn’t “free shipping” after all maybe they tack on the $3 as shipping. Who knows, but bestbuy has always been the best in retail prices that I have found. Best prices anywhere? Far from it I have always found better deals online but you don’t get to pick it up that day.
I agree with Litigator - Fry’s (and probably any other source) is a lot cheaper than Best Buy, whose name is such a misnomer.
Thats f****ed up man. Best Buy is rippin us off.
Can’t you just price match? In Canada at Best Buy and Futureshop (which is owned by Best Buy now), you can price match and they will give you an extra 10% off too.
Best Buy used to have good prices, but now they are rarely, if ever, the lowest physical store around, and never the lowest online price. They’ve had jerk moves like this for years now.
Remember when the 360 launched? Thousands stood in line for days to get a system and were turned away if they didn’t buy a “package deal”?
Then there was the ‘fake in-store website’ that had higher prices than the real web page, so the employees could show the customer how wrong they were and have to buy it for the higher price.
They are totally taking advantage of the Halo hype and the store’s ‘big name’ to rape $3 extra per item from unwitting buyers. Yeah, they’ll price match, if you go to the trouble, but F#(% them to make me have to do it.
@Theda, yeah, you call it ‘business’, I call it “price gouging”.
Shenanigans. I declare them.
@Stonyman
It is in store, too. I was there just a few days ago.
As for price matching, I have never heard of them taking an extra 10%. But maybe they do.
-Rust.
Not surprised really, three dollars doesn’t sound like much, but when added up, it’s a hell of a lot of money
Answering from the bottom up:
@Rusty Ranchero
The way the price matching works: Match any local competitor on identical product, online prices only if they have a local store that will honor the online price. If you already purchased it and within the return period (30 days on most stuff) you find it cheaper at a competitor or it goes on sale, they refund you the difference plus 10% of that difference (maybe as a way of compensating for a theoretical return trip?).
@BDazzler
As far as the lowest prices go, they price match. I think lazy people should pay more. Same for unwitting customers. I think of it as a natural selection kind of thing.
If you just want the lowest prices without any effort, go to Wal-Mart. Good luck getting someone that knows what the heck they’re talking about.
@Jak Morris
Please use your inside voice. We are right here, no need to shout.
I wish I had a Fry’s near by. For me, it’s a small day trip with friends.
I work at Best Buy by the way, though not for much longer. I’m going to go make some real money :).
How pathetic do you have to be to make a 3 dollar tax because it’s halo 3. There’s only one ecuse, to make more money off of microsoft’s top selling franchise. There’s no excuse for this, and i will really consider trying to find new palces to shop other than best buy.
TRACKBACK : Buyer Beware: Best Buy Charging More For Accessories
[...] I checked this out myself and it is indeed true. Best Buy is the only one I can find that is charging ~$3 more for accessories than MSRP. How do they think they can get away with this? The internet can be your friend or foe and I would expect a huge backlash as this gets around the web. Best Buy’s Halo 3 Tax [...]
Thank god I work at Best Buy and get an awesome discount on accessories.
thats nothing try buying and HDMI cable; the employee price is about 5$ you pay over 100$
@sneakymo7o So, you’re saying that because of ‘your’ excellent training at Best Buy’s expense, I should be charged more money or more time (finding a sale paper from the competitor, showing it to someone or driving back to the store because I found it cheaper somewhere else)? Best Buy can shove their 10%. My time is worth more than that.
What kind of information can an expertly trained Best Buy employee give me about a $15 wireless 360 controller rechargeable battery? I know… the exact same product is only $10 at Wal-Mart or Target? I bet the Wal-Mart employee doesn’t know it’s $15 at Best Buy. I’m OK with that. I doubt those prices are in a Wal-Mart sale paper. What do I have to do to get the price matching, take the Best Buy employee to Wal-Mart and show them the rack?
You didn’t even address the 360 launch or the fake internal website. I didn’t even bring up the ‘Geek Squad’ mayhem. Best Buy was a place I loved to shop, but now it’s a place I avoid. I used to avoid Circuit City, but they killed the commissions, and are running great specials that don’t require foot work and every Sunday paper insert to get. I understand you love the employee discounts you get, but it sucks for the rest of us.
Good luck in your big money. You’ll need it if you continue to shop at Best Buy after you terminate your employment.
Wow, I cant believe people are complaining about this — that is very unamerican you know. This type of thing is the whole reason we have a free market — Best Buy has every right to attempt to charge whatever prices they want! However I think it may bite them in the butt because this is so widely known at this point — and people will laready know to purchase things elsewhere. Too bad.
Rusty, if the ‘Halo Tax’ bothers you… don’t go to Shopko, their Hijacking is even worse. Shopko adds 5 dollars to everything accessory wise. I remember trying to find Wii controllers: Remote, Nunchuk, and Classic. You would go to Shopko and see a few controllers, and despite the fact that it was 5 dollars more, people would pay.. because of the rarity. For this BestBuy situation, as many have already stated, we’ll just shop somewhere else since the accessories aren’t hard to get. Heck, Wal-Mart even sells the accessories for .01-.14 cents less than MSRP!!! Child labor for the win!
Close to the same vein, but not completely… You know those Nyko Intercoolers for the back of the 360? Normally, they will sell for 19.99. Well, they brought out a new version. No difference, it’s just black, and the price is 24.99. Best Buy isn’t the only one trying to pick up a sweet like extra bit o cash for product.
Oh, and for the Best Buy prices not being a ‘Best Buy’, well, I get my haircut at Dollar Cuts… for 10 Dollars. Unfortunately, a name can be very deceiving nowadays.
Disclaimer: Silent Cypher, nor XBLradio.com support child labor.
Hmmm. Edit. Silent Cypher, nor XBLradio.com Condone Child Labor*
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[...] in the GamePro article, I have to say that I agree. You know, like I did the first time when XBLRadio originally broke this [...]
Jak Morris is a bag of douche!
You probably suck too much at Halo, or you’re blind, British, or retarded.
The point is moot, because Best Buy has awesome rebates, service, shipping, and reward zone discount.
Sucks to be the guys that don’t have their parents pay for their stuff.
Bottom line, like a couple of other people already said - the price increase had nothing to do with Halo, so zero points awarded for doing research before blogging and digging the crap out of something. More importantly, just price-match the hell out of Best Buy.
And here’s the obligatory “I worked there” piece. Well…I worked there, and believe me, they track EVERYTHING, from the profits to the amount of price adjustments. So, if an overwhelming amount of people price-match, they WILL do something, because it’ll just make them look like morons if they don’t, which scares any big ass retailer (especially one with a computer repair service).
Or hey, I could be completely wrong and OMGZ, it’s for teh Halo tackses!!1!
This aggrivates me! Halo is my favorite game! It’s why I live! And Now Best Buy is *Blam!* taking advantage of it? Damn It Best Buy!
@extide
Spreading the word about a company ripping people off is unamerican? I own two small businesses, so I know all about capitalism.
All I tried to do is help gamers realize that they can save money. Is saving money unamerican? Is giving an opinion unamerican?
That’s the problem with people today, they don’t think before they talk, and THAT’s unfortunatly NOT deemed unamerican. And that’s the way the big corps like it. The dummer we are, the eaiser it is to sell us something we don’t need. Then we defend them for it.
Labeling 4TehW.
-Rust.
TRACKBACK
[...] in the GamePro article, I have to say that I agree. You know, like I did the first time when XBLRadio originally broke this [...]
I agree with ya rusty, there is nothing wrong with wanting to help the gamers out there save money. I’ve been duped many times before by stuff like this, not realizing the price has gone up, and buying it anyway because i “need it”. we are all guilty for it, and if we defend the people who do this to us, what kind of people are we then.
why would they think of doing this
lets kill them
lets kill them all
TRACKBACK
[...] “Halo 3 Tax” at major gaming retailer, Best Buy. In fact, XBLA Radio recently stirred the soup by commenting that the prices for some of Microsoft’s first party Xbox 360 periphs are hiked up at BestBuy.com [...]
Rusty’s article got mentioned on Gamespot’s The Hotspot podcast. Good job Rusty.
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[...] XBLRadio alleges that nationwide electronics retailer Best Buy is tacking a $3 “tax” to Xbox 360 accessories, in anticipation of the release of Halo 3 on September 25. [...]
That’s crap, a halo 3 tax. I can’t believe Microsoft is the less of the two evils here by charging for less. That’s why I don’t like Best Buy, they go straight after the big spenders and are charging people way to much for anything anymore.
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Taxation Without Representation: Best Buy Institutes Halo 3 Tax
[...] is so rich you could bake a cake outta it. Classy move Best Buy, way to fuck the little guy. Best Buy’s Halo 3 Tax [XBL [...]
They have a right to add 2.99 to what ever they sell, it’s called capitalism. Besides, why don’t you just go to Target or something?
This sucks, I”m usually a Best Buy fan, because I truly hate even walking into Circuit City, but this is something I can’t stand behind for Best Buy!
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