Best Buy 'reward zone:' gimmick or the real deal?
Depends on what you're buying.
For those unfamiliar with the Best Buy "reward zone" membership plan, here's the deal. You pay $10 for a year-long membership and get a card in the mail. You show the sales clerk the card each time you buy something and earn points.
If you spend $150, you get a $5 voucher in the mail you redeem toward purchases. You spend $300, you get $10, etc.
I've got one because I bought a laptop and Xbox.
I received about $35 in reward zone credit in the mail, so I saved $25 using the card.
Bottom line? If you're buying big ticket items such as a computer, get one. But if you don't spend more than $300 a year at Best Buy, it ain't worth it.
But why all this hassle to save money?
This brings to mind dialogue from the movie Spinal Tap, where director Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) asks guitarist Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) why the amps' volume knobs go to 11.
"Why don't you just make 10 louder and make 10 be the top number, and make that a little louder?"
Or, put another way, why doesn't Best Buy make its prices a little better and make that the top deal so all customers, not just select reward zone members, get the top deal?
These go to 11.
Comments (3)
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It's the trend. Grocery stores started using those silly card that you have to scan everytime you buy groceries inorder to get the sale price. I asked the same question , why the hassle of the card, just lower the price and save the ladies from digging through a canyon of a purse, while holding up the line forever, just so she can save a couple of cents. I have one of the varmits on my car keys but if I happen to run in and leave the wife in the car, I leave my keys. Some will scan their card for you and some won't leaving you to pay the full price or hold up the line forever while you go to the car to get the tag. Me, I make em suffer and go back to the card if they won't scan their card for me. Management hates that.
I don't shop at Best Buy, service is lousy and most of the folks working there have so little knowledge of the product it is pitiful. Shopped at several including the ones in G'boro and the Asheville, NC, and Greenville SC Best Buy. Same story every where I have been . Was hoping they might just be different as sometime they do have some decent buys.
Posted on June 17, 2005 9:31 PM
In May of this year we relocated to the Houston area. After the close of our new house we needed to buy two refrigerators. After shopping around it seemed that Best Buy had the ones we wanted in stock and with the promis of their Reward Zone rewards, they would have the best price. We purchased the appliances two months ago and still no rewards.
We've tried calling their 1-800-EAT-CRAP number just to get the run around. We tried going to the store, but they told us they have no control over the Reward Zone promotions. Since they do not want to honor their own promotion, I am going to try to return the units. It is disappointing that a company like this would use such deceptive and fraudulant business practices. I will not spend another dime at Best Buy. I would ask those that consider shopping there to think twice about it. If the price is good WITHOUT the Non-Reward Zone promise, then buy it at there.
Reginald
Missouri City, Texas
U.S.A.
Posted on July 18, 2005 8:24 PM
Best Buy reward Zone is setup to make it hard to get the certs. If you have expired certs they will not reissue and they have many policies that are anti consumer. The best way to reach the rz program is to dial direct at 1-866-793-9663 This will skip the crap at 1-888-besbuy. Tell them the store told you they would reissue and they will honor that. Tell them you never recieved them and they will honor that. Tell them the store was given the coupon and forgot to scan it and they will fix that. Good luck.
Posted on October 18, 2005 8:27 AM