Bestbuy's monopoly on electronics in canada

[dalekphalm]

Just now, Enderman said:

I get almost everything from amazon or ncix or memory express...

And "scummy" is the reality of all marketing and advertising, the point is to sell and make money.

If you are upset about it working on you then you might need to do a bit more research and learn to objectively search for products rather than impulse buying based on looking at the price tag.

It also seems like you still haven't figured out how taxes work, since you're so surprised about $120 turning into $150.

If I could "Agree" and "Funny" this post at the same time I would.

 

Taxes in Canada are not magical or surprising or complicated. And, while some places in the US have very low (or no) sales tax, ours is still pretty damn cheap. @gtx1060=value, just be glad you don't live in the UK or EU, where prices are jacked up 20% or more because of VAT. The only difference is the list price includes the VAT, whereas in Canada, taxes are added ontop of the price.

[dalekphalm]

1 minute ago, Jon1764 said:

Target got rekt I think last year, we also have Walmart, they seem to be doing fine.

@M.Yurizaki indeed we had Target (They bought out Zellers, which was our Canadian equivalent of Wal-Mart) but because of dumbass business practices, and a shoddy supply chain, they went bankrupt and bailed on Canada after only a few years of active service.

Wal-Mart is still here and strong, but they have little computer electronics. They sell a few laptops and the occasional OEM pre-built. They have some monitors and printers and stuff, but basically no components (I've never seen a GPU for sale at Wal-Mart before).

 

And we have CostCo too.

[aisle9]

45 minutes ago, Jon1764 said:

liberal return policy

 

Have you ever tried to return something at Best Buy? Sure, the receipt says they'll take it back...if you show them your ID, answer the Spanish Inquisition acceptably, pay the 15% restocking fee that may or may not have been listed and/or buy a more expensive model. Seriously, I don't consider a policy of "take it back, but only if they solve the Shrine of the Silver Monkey in the process" to be liberal at all.

 

Micro Center, for example, has lower prices virtually across the board, and their return policy consists largely of verifying that the product is actually there and not physically damaged, then giving you your money back. Fry's is roughly the same, although they physically open every returned item, even if it was sealed, and eat a 5-20% markdown as a result purely to ensure that you're not returning a box of rocks while their GTX 1080 purrs away inside your rig. Still, again, as long as it's present and not obviously wrecked, they'll take it right back. No ID, no interrogation, no "I'll waive this restocking fee that we didn't tell you about if you buy a different one of these that costs more."

43 minutes ago, SCHISCHKA said:

im not familiar with either of these companies as i do not live in north america but isnt newegg like ebay where they have multiple sellers?

Newegg is very much like Amazon in the way they operate. In fact, I'd argue that they're becoming more of an alternative Amazon and less of a tech marketplace all the time. That's not a bad thing.

[dalekphalm]

14 minutes ago, aisle9 said:

Have you ever tried to return something at Best Buy? Sure, the receipt says they'll take it back...if you show them your ID, answer the Spanish Inquisition acceptably, pay the 15% restocking fee that may or may not have been listed and/or buy a more expensive model. Seriously, I don't consider a policy of "take it back, but only if they solve the Shrine of the Silver Monkey in the process" to be liberal at all.

 

Micro Center, for example, has lower prices virtually across the board, and their return policy consists largely of verifying that the product is actually there and not physically damaged, then giving you your money back. Fry's is roughly the same, although they physically open every returned item, even if it was sealed, and eat a 5-20% markdown as a result purely to ensure that you're not returning a box of rocks while their GTX 1080 purrs away inside your rig. Still, again, as long as it's present and not obviously wrecked, they'll take it right back. No ID, no interrogation, no "I'll waive this restocking fee that we didn't tell you about if you buy a different one of these that costs more."

Newegg is very much like Amazon in the way they operate. In fact, I'd argue that they're becoming more of an alternative Amazon and less of a tech marketplace all the time. That's not a bad thing.

That's very strange. I've literally never had an issue with the Best Buy return policy. As long as you've got a receipt, and the item is either defective, or in "like new" condition with all packaging, there should be no problem.

 

If the item is defective, it doesn't need the packaging though. Only if you're returning it for non-defective reasons.

 

Is this an American thing? You mention Micro Center. Best Buy Canada has one of the best return policies in retail (Save maybe Wal-Mart, who will take practically anything back, even without a receipt).

[Mooshi]

It's a retail trick. You have a product that has a specific MSRP, then a retailer inflates that price before "discounting"  a huge "sale"  which is roughly the original MSRP. 

 

There are legitimate savings sometimes, but let's not pretend retailers care about your best interest 100% of the time. 

[aisle9]

6 minutes ago, Jon1764 said:

 

Same here, I have NEVER had a problem with the Best Buy return policy, sure they ask for ID, but to me that is normal.

It's not. Very few retailers demand ID for all returns. Think about it: why should they need to swipe your ID and capture the information from it in order to accept a return on an item that you have the original packaging and receipt for?

 

That's high on the list of reasons I despise Best Buy and shop there only when no alternative exists for me (and where I live, that happens more than I care to admit), but I've found various Best Buys across the country to have more of a "let's make it so difficult that they walk away instead of returning it" mentality than one of actually helping you out.

[79wjd]

32 minutes ago, aisle9 said:

Have you ever tried to return something at Best Buy? Sure, the receipt says they'll take it back...if you show them your ID, answer the Spanish Inquisition acceptably, pay the 15% restocking fee that may or may not have been listed and/or buy a more expensive model. Seriously, I don't consider a policy of "take it back, but only if they solve the Shrine of the Silver Monkey in the process" to be liberal at all.

Best Buy got rid of the restocking fee years ago (at least in the US), and if anything I find it very easy to return to most Best Buys (even without a receipt/proof of purchase you can return stuff if you're a bit persistent). 

3 minutes ago, aisle9 said:

It's not. Very few retailers demand ID for all returns. Think about it: why should they need to swipe your ID and capture the information from it in order to accept a return on an item that you have the original packaging and receipt for?

 

That's high on the list of reasons I despise Best Buy and shop there only when no alternative exists for me (and where I live, that happens more than I care to admit), but I've found various Best Buys across the country to have more of a "let's make it so difficult that they walk away instead of returning it" mentality than one of actually helping you out.

A lot of retailers (again, at least in the US) ask for an ID for a return (especially if you don't have a receipt). 

[elkenrod]

5 hours ago, aisle9 said:

It's not. Very few retailers demand ID for all returns. Think about it: why should they need to swipe your ID and capture the information from it in order to accept a return on an item that you have the original packaging and receipt for?

 

Just some clarification.  MANY retailers require ID, or at least some personal information for returns.  Especially CASH returns.  The reason is simple.... Employee theft and Fraud. 

 

To address the original post however, there are as many inflated prices at Best Buy, as there are steals.  It varies by product.  If you want and HDMI cable... or the latest LG monitor, you probably will find that prices are higher at Best Buy than most places. 

 

But if you are looking at older product, open box, or any thing that's very large.... you can find EXCELLENT deals at Best Buy.  The reason being is that shelf space costs money.  The longer something is on the sales floor without selling, the more money the retailer loses.

 

The idea is that it all evens out for them.  The average Joe buys a 2015 model TV at a great discount, but then the sales person convinces them to buy an overpriced hdmi cable.  And because they skipped lunch, they grab an overpriced candy bar.  That's even before we start talking about the protection plan and credit card.

[Guest]

7 hours ago, Enderman said:

1) literally every sale lists "X percent off" the MSRP, and it pretty much is never sold at MSRP, always under it.

 

pascal GPU launch? 

[gtx1060=value]

11 hours ago, Enderman said:

I get almost everything from amazon or ncix or memory express...

And "scummy" is the reality of all marketing and advertising, the point is to sell and make money.

If you are upset about it working on you then you might need to do a bit more research and learn to objectively search for products rather than impulse buying based on looking at the price tag.

It also seems like you still haven't figured out how taxes work, since you're so surprised about $120 turning into $150.

not really surprised, but the canadian taxes are ridiculous, in total, on top of income and sales taxes, i really keep around 50 percent of what i make which is complete bull

[dalekphalm]

7 minutes ago, gtx1060=value said:

not really surprised, but the canadian taxes are ridiculous, in total, on top of income and sales taxes, i really keep around 50 percent of what i make which is complete bull

http://www.taxtips.ca/taxrates/on.htm

 

You must make over $150K then...

 

According to this, the Median income in Ontario is ~$50K

http://careers.workopolis.com/advice/how-much-money-are-we-earning-the-average-canadian-wages-right-now/

 

Someone earning that amount will have a combined total tax rate of 29.65% - nowhere near 50%.

 

And HST in Ontario is 13% - that's not a lot, man. I gladly pay the Ontario tax rates, because we get really great things in return - Pretty decent healthcare and education. Roads that are for the most part, pretty well maintained, etc.

[gtx1060=value]

25 minutes ago, dalekphalm said:

http://www.taxtips.ca/taxrates/on.htm

 

You must make over $150K then...

 

According to this, the Median income in Ontario is ~$50K

http://careers.workopolis.com/advice/how-much-money-are-we-earning-the-average-canadian-wages-right-now/

 

Someone earning that amount will have a combined total tax rate of 29.65% - nowhere near 50%.

 

And HST in Ontario is 13% - that's not a lot, man. I gladly pay the Ontario tax rates, because we get really great things in return - Pretty decent healthcare and education. Roads that are for the most part, pretty well maintained, etc.

Yes, we get a lot for the taxes that we pay - but i still end up paying another 150 dollars a month for insurance from my company which should really be covered under OHIP - not to mention the land taxes that we have to pay every single year, which rise at the same rate that housing prices rise, 

[Enderman]

5 hours ago, fpo said:

pascal GPU launch? 

I said "sale".

Stores did not put GTX1080 on sale when they launched, that would be stupid.

 

40 minutes ago, gtx1060=value said:

not really surprised, but the canadian taxes are ridiculous, in total, on top of income and sales taxes, i really keep around 50 percent of what i make which is complete bull

That's called income tax. That's different from sales tax.

If you think it's bull then move somewhere else.

[MEC-777]

12 hours ago, gtx1060=value said:

-rant snip-

Ummm, haven't you heard of Canada Computers, NCIX, or Memory Express? 

 

That monitor is $129 right now at Canada Computers: http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=1103&item_id=097505

 

CC is the first place I usually look for any electronics or PC components, as well as NCIX because they are local and usually have the same or better pricing than any online stores (for Canadian prices).  

[dalekphalm]

11 minutes ago, gtx1060=value said:

Yes, we get a lot for the taxes that we pay - but i still end up paying another 150 dollars a month for insurance from my company which should really be covered under OHIP - not to mention the land taxes that we have to pay every single year, which rise at the same rate that housing prices rise, 

If you have a problem with insurance that your employer is offering, find a different employer. While I agree that OHIP could be expanded to cover a lot of the things private insurance does (Prescriptions, dental, and vision in particular), you know what that would cause? Higher taxes.

 

If your employer doesn't want to pay the full amount for your insurance, that's on you and them - that has NOTHING to do with Canadian taxes. I, for example, pay $4.25 per pay cheque (So on average, $10 per month) for my employer provided insurance, which is kickass insurance (It would literally cost hundreds per month for me to buy this insurance privately), so I can't complain there.

 

And lastly, land (property) taxes are municipal, and vary depending on where you live. Your profile says GTA (Toronto and surrounding area), so yeah, no shit your land taxes are expensive. Don't like that? Move to a rural community or to one of the more western cities down the 401. You think that's any different anywhere else? Sure - go see what the land tax rates are in NYC or Vancouver. Big city = big land tax rates.

[kokakolia]

Eh!?

 

Canadian prices are still close to American prices online. I will add that sites like Newegg, PCpartpicker and NCIX don't always offer the best deals. You really have to be smart and check unexpected places like Staples.ca and other lesser known online stores. 

[Sniperfox47]

Just want to point out, monopoly doesn't mean "one of many potential distributors that you're able to buy a good from, who just happens to be the first one most people think of".

[kokakolia]

2 hours ago, Sniperfox47 said:

Just want to point out, monopoly doesn't mean "one of many potential distributors that you're able to buy a good from, who just happens to be the first one most people think of".

I couldn't agree with that more. I mean, sites like Newegg and NCIX leverage that so much by charging an extra $10 over MSRP on some popular products, like newly launched graphics cards. 

[NumLock21]

The advantages of buying your things from BestBuy is, you can go back and return or exchange it when the product is defective or you want something else within the allowed time limit that's written on the receipt and with the original packaging and all contents. The other thing is you get to see the product you want physically before buying. 

The worst people are those that will start flipping out their phones and look for the lowest price they can find at some random site just to do price match. Man if you want to do price match, then shop at home.

[gtx1060=value]

7 hours ago, dalekphalm said:

If you have a problem with insurance that your employer is offering, find a different employer. While I agree that OHIP could be expanded to cover a lot of the things private insurance does (Prescriptions, dental, and vision in particular), you know what that would cause? Higher taxes.

 

If your employer doesn't want to pay the full amount for your insurance, that's on you and them - that has NOTHING to do with Canadian taxes. I, for example, pay $4.25 per pay cheque (So on average, $10 per month) for my employer provided insurance, which is kickass insurance (It would literally cost hundreds per month for me to buy this insurance privately), so I can't complain there.

 

And lastly, land (property) taxes are municipal, and vary depending on where you live. Your profile says GTA (Toronto and surrounding area), so yeah, no shit your land taxes are expensive. Don't like that? Move to a rural community or to one of the more western cities down the 401. You think that's any different anywhere else? Sure - go see what the land tax rates are in NYC or Vancouver. Big city = big land tax rates.

how the hell do you only pay 10 dollars per month for employer covered insurance? I'm with industrial alliance and the bill is really big even just for one person on a half decent plan

[Velvet Revolver]

I like that they speak fluent english and I do not have to strain my ears to understand what they are saying, I like to not have to do any work to hear what people are saying. Lately I will be happy to pay extra for that service, I joke about that with the transit system and fast food joints but those are the sad facts.

 

@M.Yurizaki - Target failed in Canada and Walmart is always doing well because they can bully suppliers down on price and pay their employee's poorly and leave fucking shit to stock in the aisle during business hours. I joke about the cart mover guy running over my foot and giving him a slice of my settlement. Rona is Canadian owned, while Lowes and HomeDepot are American owned. Canadian Tire has a conglomerate of companies including Marks Work Warehouse, Canadian Tire financial, Canadian Tire gas which is Imperial Oil products, Forzani and Partsource. They have pretty loose return policies. Heck I returned used rotors to CrappyTire that were suppose to be new rotors and they were accepted, someone ripped them off pretty good and it sure was not me.

 

Walmart stores took out their computer kiosks and downgraded that section hugely. But their return policy is very loose, I have heard of people returning products they dont even sell, could be a lie I do not know. I find with Walmart their jeans from Levi's Signature series is golden, their T-shirts are alright but they dont seem to last long without the cotton balling up.

 

Costco is a cool store, I have boughten electronics from them in the past. I saw a documentary show on them and they claim their profit margins are very low. They want you to come in for the one item you want and walk out with 1000 products you dont need. Their food is good but everything is over sized, good for a family. I dated a woman that was the head of Costco's flower department that they outsourced. That was a quickie forget what her issues were. I've been tempted to buy computers and laptops from Costco. I am sure their return policies are loose.

 

NCIX - I looked at them and their prices seem to be all over the map. I hate their web layout, its very hard to filter and navigate.

 

Memoryexpress is my go to store.

 

London Drugs - I dont patron their establishments at all.

 

Shoppers Drug Mart - Electronics HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

A&B Sound was cool but they no longer exist.

 

Staples website has way more then you would think. Literally they sell everything. Construction tools, Automotive tools, toilet paper, food, drinks, bicycles, beds, sheets, clothing, eyeware. I talked with the manager today in store and if I had the receipt and packaging for the pens I bought I could have got a refund because the Bic pens were absolute shit. Waste of $5 for 4 pens.

[AshleyAshes]

Let me get this straight, as a consumer you make no effort to shop around and find the best price possible, and you want to blame Best Buy for your failure?  No, this is on you, learn to be a better consumer instead of blaming others.  I mean, if you weren't browsing flyers and such for the best prices, you were doing Black Friday wrong.  RedFlagDeals.com is a Canadian community that is all about getting prices.  It literally ran a special sub forum for people to share and discuss black Friday and cyber Monday deals and it does so every year.  You can use search engines like shopbot.ca to find the best deals (This does not cover all possible Canadian online etailers)

 

Learn to shop and stop shifting the blame.

 

Also, have you considered using BestBuy's price protection policy?  On paper they exclude Black Friday but in practice they usually don't.  You could show them Newegg's price and get refunded the difference.  I bought a 65" UHD TV at Best Buy three weeks before Black Friday and then went in on the morning of Black Friday and got $200+tax refunded to my Visa cause that TV went $200 cheaper.

[AshleyAshes]

2 hours ago, gtx1060=value said:

how the hell do you only pay 10 dollars per month for employer covered insurance? I'm with industrial alliance and the bill is really big even just for one person on a half decent plan

My employer doesn't even charge me anything for it's supplementary benefits they offer.  (I mean I have to pay for 20% of my dental costs or prescriptions when I pay for those services, but there's nothing on my paycheque for the actual plan).

 

I think that your supplementary benefits package just sucks and that you didn't understand that other people had better...

[gtx1060=value]

56 minutes ago, AshleyAshes said:

Let me get this straight, as a consumer you make no effort to shop around and find the best price possible, and you want to blame Best Buy for your failure?  No, this is on you, learn to be a better consumer instead of blaming others.  I mean, if you weren't browsing flyers and such for the best prices, you were doing Black Friday wrong.  RedFlagDeals.com is a Canadian community that is all about getting prices.  It literally ran a special sub forum for people to share and discuss black Friday and cyber Monday deals and it does so every year.  You can use search engines like shopbot.ca to find the best deals (This does not cover all possible Canadian online etailers)

 

Learn to shop and stop shifting the blame.

 

Also, have you considered using BestBuy's price protection policy?  On paper they exclude Black Friday but in practice they usually don't.  You could show them Newegg's price and get refunded the difference.  I bought a 65" UHD TV at Best Buy three weeks before Black Friday and then went in on the morning of Black Friday and got $200+tax refunded to my Visa cause that TV went $200 cheaper.

im not saying that other stores had a cheaper price, 120 was the cheapest i found, but i was questioning about bestbuy's use of MSRP pricing and how it priced it's promos. Also, i was talking about how average canadians would just go to bestbuy for electronics, and how it was eliminating competition like futureshop

[gtx1060=value]

31 minutes ago, AshleyAshes said:

My employer doesn't even charge me anything for it's supplementary benefits they offer.  (I mean I have to pay for 20% of my dental costs or prescriptions when I pay for those services, but there's nothing on my paycheque for the actual plan).

 

I think that your supplementary benefits package just sucks and that you didn't understand that other people had better...

The company i work for pays more, i might've gone a little overkill by including the cancer and advanced dental treatment, but you never know