Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Et Tu, Best Buy?

Man, okay, Best Buy and I have the most extreme love-hate relationship going on. I mean, in general, it's just a store, right? Every other store has the exact same merchandise, why this fixation? I could say it's the bright colors, the nice layout, the friendly people, and the sheer amount of electronics available.

But those are all lies of varying degrees. The reason Best Buy owns me is because they are ridiculously cheap on items that have just been released. My Friday trip saved me $21 bucks over going to, say, Target instead, because everything I bought was a new release. And so, I will always go there, despite the occasional completely clueless salesperson, or the fact that they charged me an extra dollar on the Nickel Creek CD over the sticker price. It's just too good to pass up, overall.

Oh, but now we've hit another block. So after my public whinging about potentially picking up a Nintendo DS on Monday, I did some soul searching and decided it was a much better idea to, y'know, not and instead put the money towards things that further my life, like food and electricity. This was a mature decision and lasted all of 20 hours.

Because I found out that Best Buy dropped the price on their DS's by $20 bucks. And nothing speeds up my rationalization process like a price cut on something I really want. So I gave in last night and ran to the store to pick up what would rightfully be mine, all tiny and video game like.

Only, I get to the store and they are all out. Sadness reigns supreme and once again I curse Best Buy and all their blue-shirted minions for getting my hopes up. I finally drag an associate away from their new gaming setup (They have, like a living room set up in the middle of the video game section. It apparently exists so that the blue-shirts can beat small children at Halo, or whatever that game is where you shoot people) to find out when they're supposed to get more in.

I will recreate the entire conversation here for maximum effect.

Jason: Hi. So you're out of these Nintendo DS's, huh?

Blue-Shirt: Yeah, we had a bunch earlier. (pause) But they sold really fast. (pause) Once we lowered the price.

Jason: Oh, yeah right. So when do you think you'll be getting more in?

Blue-Shirt: (scratches head) Well, probably not for a while. (pause) They aren't very popular.

Jason: (boggles) But...you're sold out. And you just said that you sold a bunch of them. Quickly.

Blue-Shirt: Yeah, but they aren't popular. (pause) So it might be a while. (pause) Before we get more. (pause) Of the system.

Jason: So even though you lowered the price and they sold out, you still don't think of them as popular? Even though people are looking for them, and want to buy them?

Blue-Shirt: Well yeah. (pause) Because they aren't popular.

Jason: (defeated by his implacable logic) I....I....okay.

So yeah. I think I'll make the trip out to Best Buy - North Campus after work on Thursday to see if they have any, because 20 bucks is 20 bucks. But somehow I think it makes a lot more sense just to go to the Target 28 feet from my apartment and get one there. I know they've got them, I have seen them with my own eyes.

...See what you have done, Best Buy? I'm actively considering paying full price for an electronic device! For shame!

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