What other stores do this?

[Mighty Girl]

I'm not positive, but I think HH Gregg.

I've always held the opinion though that if you found a better price elsewhere, go and buy it there.

[opscaddy]

Circuit City and Best Buy both price match, as does Abt electronics (is that anywhere else, or just my area?). Not sure exactly about BB, but Circuit City has the Price Match Plus thing, too - 110% of the difference (if BB has a $100 for $90, you would get it for $89). Bed Bath and Beyond price matches Linens and Things as well as taking their coupons, which I always thought was weird. I'm sure a lot of other places do, as well - for the electronics stores, hot items usually need to be called to confirm stock, but bed bath and beyond doesn't care. I think that's a margin thing, personally! CC also has 30-days post-purchase matching - if their price drops within 30 days (excluding Black Friday), you can go in and have the diff refunded to you. Schweet.

[lordlundar]

Best Buy does price match if the info is provided at time of purchase. It's refunded 110% of the difference if the lower price is discovered after the purchase.

[Quitbuggingmeandgoaway]

I worked at OfficeMax, and at the time we price-matched in a way such that 115% of the difference would be refunded if the item (exact same) was found at a direct competitor (Staples, Office Depot) and just the difference if it were found elsewhere (Best Buy, etc). Regardless, the item HAD to be in stock at the other store.

Calling other places to verify item was in stock was a real PITA, as they have those automated systems that take like 2 minutes before you reach a live person (esp. sucks when waiting in line).

Half of the time when calling the competitor:
* Item not in stock
* Kept getting the run-around and being on hold for 10 minutes.
* Feeling guilty when being asked if I wanted one set aside and saying no, because I was their competition calling
* Item not exact

Sure as hell, the ASSistant Manager, D., would just have me change the price regardless after that ordeal, esp. when the custie threatened to walk out if they weren't given the difference.

hehe, during my last week, some regular SC came up with a cordless phone, priced i think at like $69.99 and goes "Best Buy has it for $64.99" with a grin. I just told him to go to Best Buy. He stormed out.

[Jack T. Chance]

Also it has to be the EXACT same item which isnt a problem with electronics stuff but when it comes to mattresses and such...

I'm glad you mentioned mattresses, as I currently work in a mattress store!

The problem with mattresses is that at any big chain (such as the chain I work for), the manufacturers are making the mattresses exclusively for that chain. What that means is that if you see a Simmons Beautyrest you like at Mattress Discounters and it's called the Courtney, you will NOT find a Courtney at Mattress Warehouse or Mattress Giant, etc. You may well find a "comparable" model at a similar price point, but not the exact same mattress, as that mattress you liked is being made exclusively for Mattress Discounters. The one the competitor sells may have a couple differences, usually in the quilting layers.

And then you'll also find a "house brand" that's made just for that mattress store chain and sold nowhere else... kind of like buying an Insignia TV or DVD player at Best Buy.

Despite this fact, the company I work for DOES guarantee that we will meet or beat a competitor's price on the same or "comparable" mattress set, within 30 days of purchase. We require written proof in the form of either A) a current ad from the competitor, or B) a written invoice showing the make, model, and price including sales tax. We will also offer a price adjustment due to our own sale prices going lower, within that same 30 day period (if the customer calls and asks us to, natch! ). ALL of the following are EXCLUDED from the price guarantee:

• Internet sales
• Closeouts
• Special purchases
• Exchanges
• Floor samples
• Warranties
• Discontinued merchandise
• One-of-a-kind items

So, you can see how limited and specific price guarantees can get in the furniture industry! The hardest part on our end is making sure the customer's comparing apples to apples, because so many of them come in trying to compare apples to oranges!

[AFpheonix]

I'm not sure if Target pharmacies price match, I do know that Freddy's does. We, however, do not, and there's always poopfaces that come in whining that Costco has it for whatever pittance, and all I can do is offer to give them their hardcopy back...

We've been getting a lot of people asking if we're going to be selling $4 scripts, too. Um, no that would be WalMART, and currently that's only in FLORIDA, not OREGON. Assmunch.

[Raerlynn]

This always gets a chuckle...

[Primer]

We've been getting a lot of people asking if we're going to be selling $4 scripts, too. Um, no that would be WalMART, and currently that's only in FLORIDA, not OREGON. Assmunch.

I just saw a sign about that on the Wally World in my neck of the woods. I did not stop to read the fine print, as I was there on a different mission ($398 laptop) but I'm sure there will be lots of suckiness forthcoming.

OT--yeah, I know that's cheap for a laptop. It's for work, so I don't need all the bells and whistles...just need it to be portable, and to do basic word processing.

[lordlundar]

This always gets a chuckle...

Saved the image.

[AFpheonix]

I just saw a sign about that on the Wally World in my neck of the woods. I did not stop to read the fine print, as I was there on a different mission ($398 laptop) but I'm sure there will be lots of suckiness forthcoming.
.

My bad, it's in OR and 13 other states now.

What they don't tell you about those prescriptions is that it's only $4 for a months' supply. For some of the really cheap medicines like hydrochlorothiazide, or vitamins with fluoride, our price ends up being about that, too, and we'll let you buy 3 months worth at a time.
Also, the 291 drugs on the list have multiple strengths, so it's not 291 unique drugs. Using HZTZ as an example again, there's 3 strengths of that out just by itself, and it's in combination with multifarious other blood pressure meds.
Mostly I think its an attempt to regain some market share they lost when Medicare Part D came out, and a lot of seniors that were going to them because of cost chose to go to some of the smaller pharmacies like mine that have amenities like drive thrus.

[Jack T. Chance]

Price Match... DENIED!

Yesterday, I had an opportunity to follow my written price guarantee policy to the letter, and thus refused a price match. A guy came in with a card from Mattress Discounters, on which was a price quote of 50% off on a particular Simmons Beautyrest mattress. Now, for me as a salesperson, and for my company, 50% off on any deal is a bad, bad thing. Nobody makes any money when we slash the price that low. So, I asked the guy one question: "Why are they selling that mattress for such a low price?". His response: "It's discontinued." BINGO! Exactly the word I needed to hear, as we don't price match on discontinued items!

He may now buy from them, but in my opinion, and in my company's opinion, it's better for the other guy to take that 50% hit than for us to take it! Another nail in the coffin for Mattress Discounters (a company that has filed for bankruptcy protection recently, for the 4th time in their company's 28-year history! )

[NightAngel]

Thankfully, we no longer price match.

They had to bring in the ad and we had to cut out and staple it to a copy of the receipt. We also had to call the other store to verify it was in stock and still on sale, etc.

I really hated that.

Now, people tell me, "Wal-Mart has it for $2.00 less."
I say, "Yes, and you can waste about that much money in gas driving to Wal-Mart. Then you can fight your way to the back of the store, then back to the registers and then stand in line for 20 minutes to get that discount if you like. Or, you can think of that $2.00 more we charge as a convienience fee for not having to go through all that. It's up to you."

9 out of 10 times they realize the wisdom in my words and go ahead and buy the item.

[Rapscallion]

for the 4th time in their company's 28-year history! )

Amateurs - one of our suppliers went into receivership twice this year so far...

Rapscallion

[wagegoth]

Now, people tell me, "Wal-Mart has it for $2.00 less."
I say, "Yes, and you can waste about that much money in gas driving to Wal-Mart. Then you can fight your way to the back of the store, then back to the registers and then stand in line for 20 minutes to get that discount if you like. Or, you can think of that $2.00 more we charge as a convienience fee for not having to go through all that. It's up to you."

Exactly my attitude. My time is valuable. Gas is expensive. So sometimes I'll pay more for something. That's my choice.

When I worked at Nordstrom, they price matched. Probably still do. And they took the customer's word for it. Since they didn't carry electronics or housewares or much more than clothes this wasn't as big a deal.

However, there were still customers who could not understand why we would not match the price of a JC Penney store-brand robe. I wanted to snatch their credit cards away as they were obviously too stupid to be shopping.

[Retail Associate]

Meijer price matches but they don't broadcast it. The SC has to have the entire ad from the competitor which shows the dates of the sale and the Meijer cashier must keep that ad in their drawer.

You'd be surprised how many SC's get all bent out of shape when they find out they have to give up their ad.

Another thing Meijer does, if you buy an item that goes on sale within 30 days of your purchase, you can bring your receipt back and get the difference. They also don't broadcast this.