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Best Buy Apologizes For 360 Bundles

Posted by Zonk on from the better-late-than-never dept.

drScott2 writes "During the launch of the Xbox 360, some Best Buy stores created bundles of Xbox 360s and accessories, and would not sell the Xbox by itself. Thus, if you wanted to buy an Xbox 360 you had to buy the accessories too. The president of Best Buy has officially offered an apology. From the Brian Dunn's letter: 'I'm writing to apologize. While all of us at Best Buy were thrilled to be part of the recent launch of Microsoft's Xbox 360 video game system - one of the most anticipated events in the history of electronic gaming - the launch did not go as we had hoped.'"

6 of 102 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Amends? by Knara · · Score: 3, Insightful
    If you're not keeping your receipts where they can be easily found after you make 100$+ purchases, you're a moron.

    Of course, you're also a moron if you paid through the nose just to be one of the first people to get an Xbox 360.

    I have little pity for people who got "hurt" by this. If you were able to control your consumerism just a little bit, it wouldn't have been an issue.

  2. bs by steelmaverick · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Its all BS. They're probably gonna do it again anyway.

    When you think about it, M$ probably sells it to BB at $375, and BB sells it at $400. IIRC, EBgames gets XBOX 1's at $138 and sells them for $150.
    They're just looking for some extra cash. And once they have it, they'll say sorry, and do it again. I'm really sick of bundles. Why should i be forced to buy things i dont want anyway? Like those EU retailers forcing consumers to buy PSP Giga Packs with 2 crappy games, for a total of $400 USD.

    --
    Proudly posting without RTFA.
    1. Re:bs by the_humeister · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Not to be crass, but no one is forcing you to buy anything. You don't like the bundle, don't get it. Personally, I'm waiting until at least Halo 3 and possibly longer.

  3. Re:It's So Easy by the+eric+conspiracy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    IANAL, but isn't this sort of bundling actually illegal? I.E. you must buy unrelated item A to get B?\\

  4. BS by RzUpAnmsCwrds · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I waited outside Best Buy for 5 hours on Black Friday (for the $380 laptop and $150 PC/monitor). Quantities of unbundled items were very limited (the minimum specified in the advertisement) and the employees were trying to sell extremely overpriced "bundles" to drive up the price.

    Best Buy is all about upselling - from extended warranties to cables to services, their whole strategy to increase margin is to bundle overpriced junk with anything you buy.

    Best Buy is fine as long as you remember one thing - don't believe their lies.

  5. Who will know about it? by LoverOfJoy · · Score: 3, Insightful
    How is this apology being advertised? Will many of the disenfranchised people even know about it?

    On the other hand, it might not matter if they can get a much better "refund" by selling the accessories on ebay.