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Circuit City Files For Bankruptcy
WillDraven is just one of many who writes to tell us that Circuit City, the United States' 2nd largest consumer electronics retailer, has filed for bankruptcy under chapter 11. This news comes as no surprise as the company has been in financial trouble, recently announcing that it will be closing over one fifth of its stores and laying off 17% of its US employees in the process. "Larger rival Best Buy, which is based in Minneapolis, has said it might take over stores that distressed rivals close. Yet a flood of discounted merchandise from liquidating Circuit City stores could hurt Best Buy during this holiday shopping season, said Jefferies & Co analyst Dan Binder."
This news comes as no surprise as the company has been in financial trouble ...
"Financial trouble" doesn't begin to describe it, their stock's been below 25 cents for a few days now. I was debating on blowing 20 bucks and demanding the paper stock be sent to me so I could have fancy roll of toilet paper to put near the can when guests are over. It wouldn't be a horrible investment as I'm sure it'd have other uses too ... lighting cigars with it, using it as wrapping paper for Christmas, etc. A man's gotta increase his perceived wealth among his peers, you know.
My work here is dung.
... given the fact that they treat their customers like criminals. Besides which, my local electronics place usually beats them on price -- and there's always online shopping.
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
The entire loss was due to shoplifting, they should have been more suspicious of their customers. Hopefully there will be a crackdown now.
Nullius in verba
Circuit City bought all the Radio Shacks here, and changed their name to "La Source: by Circuit City" Do they all get closed too?
Didn't things start to fall apart when they tried to push that crazy DIVX rent-and-throw-away DVD format?
The CB App. What's your 20?
I might be crazy, but it was always so dark in their stores. Maybe that was to enhance the rest of the lighting.
It's called a target market. They were catering to the goth market that was alienated by positive, well lit, bright blue, khaki wearing Best Buy employees.
You didn't notice the nipple rings and dark eye shadow being "standard flare" for Circuit City's uniforms? What about their efforts to exclusively offer The Crow on Blu-Ray or the Circuit City brand razor blade impulse aisles?
My work here is dung.
Wow good link. I find this surprising in that I was always told that once you are in the parking lot, the security for the store wont do anything and call the police on you. The security weren't even allowed to leave the building in case of a grab 'n dash. I know a couple people who shoplifted frequently a few years ago and walmarts and targets, they were never caught, but they were also under the impression that security wont leave the building to snatch up a shoplifter.
"A claim for equality of material position can be met only by a government with totalitarian powers." Hayek
But I doubt it.
Their prices and selection always sucked in my experience, and it does not look like the liquidation will change that.
Experience teaches only the teachable. -AH
I'm not exactly optimistic about brick and mortar electronics shopping in the even grimmer world of hegemonic Best Buy(thank the FSM for a local Microcenter); but Circuit City really, really deserved it. Unimpressive prices, incompetent service, paranoid treatment of customers, that whole "Hey, let's fire our best salespeople and attempt to hire them back at insultingly low wages" incident... Reduced local competition isn't a good thing; but Circuit City was too sick to survive, or even deserve to survive.
Good riddance to a disgraceful company. Let's not forget how they fired all their highest-paid, most experienced employees and allowed them to re-apply for minimum wage positions. After they pulled that stunt I never spent another penny there, going way out of my way to go to Best Buy instead when I needed to purchase something from that sort of store and didn't have the time luxury of getting it from the internet. Don't misunderstand: Best Buy sucks too, but at least they're not Circuit City.
Oppressing an entire population is never cheap.
--Jeckler (/. Beta IS GARBAGE!)
No pity here either. Circuit City was so poor about stocking items listed in the weekly sale ads I got fed up and quit reading their ads all together and actually going to the store became a total waste of time.
Can you say Vista Failure? I can. So goes the M$ retail chain.
Seriously, what is your deal, dude? Yeah, I get it, you've somehow managed to join the GNAA & Goatse trolls in the ranks of annoyances on this site. You post 140 bytes or less sized comments and hijack threads. If you think this is appreciated by the community, why don't you take a look at your karma.
Seriously, you belong on Digg or maybe even Twitter! (Imagine that.)
I hardly think a company that sells a cable for $129.99 when a functionally equivalent cable is available for $5.43 is concerned about the availability of discounted merchandise.
As anyone who tried to find a good deal when compusa went under, good deals will be few and far between. Oh, you'll see lots of 30-50% off stickers, but they'll be against the MSRP or some other jacked up price. They will never come out of this and the inventory is worth more to them as an asset for some liquidation company than if they sell at too much of a loss. And I question how much inventory they really have anyway. Last time I was in there the shelves were pretty bare and I imagine the stock room is by now too. This has been well over a year in coming.
Interesting.
I've longed since stopped going to either Best Buy or Circuit City, but I have to wonder why someone can't accept the annoyance in exchange for lower prices *. Fry's does the same thing, after all, but people here generally love Fry's so you don't see anyone complaining.
What you have here is not a violation of any rights, they weren't going to search purses and handbags (although some stores do - but they clearly post that they reserve the right). It's implied consent when you shop at a store like that, and if you don't like it, don't go back.
I admit the part about the cop arresting him for doing nothing wrong is a bit perplexing, but I'm sure the outcome will be a positive one. To think, that guy could have avoided all the hassle, all the wasted time and money, just buy opening the plastic Circuit City bag and showing the receipt.
People keep demanding lower prices, they're going to have to put up with crap like this to get them.
* Yes, I read where you said the local place beats them on prices. Then why do people shop there? There must be some compelling reasons.
Stupid sexy Flanders.
Unfortunately, they didn't take into account the fact that after spending 99% of their disposable income on black eyeliner, goths have very little money left for consumer electronics.
But didn't anyone feel sad because of their memories of formatting those Windows 3.1 machines they had on display in Circuit City back in the early 90's?
That and putting something "cute" on the marquee screen saver.
Maybe I indirectly lead to their demise some odd 20 years later after making the one person who could have saved the company quit in frustration because of those damn brats.
"I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
-Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
The receipt check they do is bogus anyway. They don't actually check anything on the receipt. Basically, they look to see you have a receipt. They never look in the bag to see what you have, and they certainly never match what's in the bag to what's on the receipt. After they do a receipt check, quiz them on what you bought. They will never be able to tell you. Never!
AIG is FAR bigger than Circuit City and tightly intertwined into the economy of the country. Nothing will change with CC going out of business except their employees losing jobs. AIG going out of business would mean huge collateral damage to the entire financial industry, which would then affect every other industry.
I'm not saying I'm for the bailout. But AIG has a massive impact where CC does not.
Developers: We can use your help.
Best Buy has the same policy. After a confrontation with one of their rent-a-cops, I no longer shop there.
Tom Swiss | the infamous tms | my blog
You cannot wash away blood with blood
Have a look at Best Buy and how Best Buy continues to have a better, more attractive retail space. On the other hand, Circuit City got more and more confused and worse and worse. I used to like to go to Circuit City and Comp USA but both those stores screwed up their floor plans so much that I lost interest in them. On the other hand, I was in Best Buy and it just amazed me, how nice it was.
This is my sig.
Seriously - I attempted this once with a different company and was not able to get the paper shares because they lacked a 'transfer agent' at that point. Make sure they can deliver.
Probably just a matter of area of country, but I always took Best Buy as a more successful Circuit City knockoff. We had a Circuit City around here for close to 15 years before I saw a Best Buy. I still remember their old ads on TV with the giant red electrical plug coming down out of the sky to "plug in" and form the front of their building.
And honestly, I'm sad to see them go. They always had at least as good of inventory and prices as Best Buy, but never the "rebate hell" issues Best Buy initially had (I know they've fixed this now but it was a big turn off early on that still influences me), and less pushy sales staff.
Not sure about the lighting conditions you mention though. The two of them here were always very brightly lighted.
I'll admit though that I rarely bought anything there anymore. Prices and selection are better online, so Circuit City was relegated to impulse purchases and things that I really wanted/needed right now with no wait (ie, my mouse died about a year ago and all my old spares were PS/2 only - my new KVM is limited to USB. It was worth it to me to buy a replacement locally rather than wait 3-5 days to get a new one in).
"People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
Laws are different in different states. Just before CompUSA closed, I had a manager and security guard refuse to let me leave the building until I showed them my receipt. After some arguing, I gave in, then laughed in derision at the manager, saying this draconian policy is why CompUSA was losing business. Seems like Circuit City followed suit.
Searching my bag - whether it is a bag I came in with, on my brand new (once my purchase is completed at the register) Joe's Discount Electronics' bag - is indeed a violation of my rights. I don't surrender my rights because you put up a sign.
If specific and articulable facts lead you to a reasonable suspicion that I have been involved in a crime, they can hold me and call the cops. Store personnel have no right to search my person or my effects, and they do not gain such by posting a sign. All they can do if I don't comply with their store policy is ask me to leave and not come back - which, when treated like a criminal, is exactly what I want to do anyway.
Tom Swiss | the infamous tms | my blog
You cannot wash away blood with blood
Problem is they kept pushing a card game on everyone...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gother_Than_Thou
for more info about it.
Plus the emo kids were all committing suicide in the aisles when they found they could not buy copies of panic at the disco.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
What you have here is not a violation of any rights, they weren't going to search purses and handbags (although some stores do - but they clearly post that they reserve the right)
I don't think putting up a sign gives them the right to go through my things. At best they could ask me to leave if I refused to let them go through my bags. Of course this is a moot point unless they are going through the bags before you enter the store, because by the time they asked you to leave you would already be on your way out the door anyway.
It's implied consent when you shop at a store like that, and if you don't like it, don't go back.
I'm sorry but it's not. If I put up a sign on my front door that says "all female guests waive the right to refuse to have sex with me" does that mean I can rape with impunity? All they can do is ask you to leave -- but unless they are enforcing this policy when you enter the store (as opposed to when you exit) it's kind of like closing the barn doors after the horses have already escaped.
To think, that guy could have avoided all the hassle, all the wasted time and money, just buy opening the plastic Circuit City bag and showing the receipt.
He probably could have. Some people are willing to give up their rights to avoid a little hassle. I'm not one of them.
Yes, I read where you said the local place beats them on prices. Then why do people shop there? There must be some compelling reasons.
Because Circuit City is on the flashy commercial strip and the local place is tucked away in an old part of town that most people aren't familiar with?
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
One thing that people don't realize is that when retailers declare bankruptcy, their gift cards are worthless. You're considered an unsecured creditor, which puts you in the back of the line among all other creditors. If there's anything left, you might get pennies on the dollar for what the card is worth--a few years down the road. Some companies plead their cases with the courts to allow gift card holders to use them--after all, if those people lose their card values, they won't be shopping at the now-bankrupt company, especially when the company needs those customers most...
At least Consumers Union is trying to petition the FTC to force companies to honor outstanding cards... But I can only see this happening if a retailer chooses to reorganize--forget it if they're liquidating.
So, the best advice is to use up your gift cards NOW , before the retailer goes under. Given that Linens & Things, Lilian Vernon, Sharper Image, and now Circuit City all went bankrupt in 2008, this problem will get worse FAST.
I'm curious to know if this is a problem limited to U.S. retailers... Is this an issue in Europe, Japan, etc.?
Windows 3.1x calc: 3.11 - 3.10 = 0.00
If you paid $600 for your computer, it might've had an enter key on the keyboard ...
I'm not familiar on Ohio law, but in many places it's illegal to not have some form of ID when over 18.
Too bad, because if you had bothered to become familiar with Ohio law before opening your mouth you would have discovered that Ohio law specifically says that you aren't required to hand over ID:
"Nothing in this section authorizes a law enforcement officer to arrest a person for not providing any information beyond that person's name, address, or date of birth or for refusing to describe the offense observed."
And BTW, just where in the United States is it illegal not to have ID on you?
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
I worked at CC from 2000-2002 as a commissioned salesman. CC differentiated themselves by being the only national electronics chain with a loyal, knowledgeable, community-oriented staff. We're not talking 17 y/o high school juniors, but middle-aged sharks who at least knew what they were selling. This worked and stores were in the black, but the 2001-2003 economic conditions caused the clueless management to shift the blame on the sales force and divert to the hourly model. Since then, the store became a cheap knock-off of Best Buy with no value added to the customer. It was only a matter of time before this happened. They were too late to the online game, and were wiped out by the Neweggs and the Amazons. RIP another pointless store that takes pride in making people borrow money they can't afford to pay back. Who's next?
Just before CompUSA closed, I had a manager and security guard refuse to let me leave the building until I showed them my receipt
That's the point where I would have pulled out my cell phone, called 911 and told the dispatcher that I was being held against my will.
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
Too likely to get into trouble. A simpler solution is to do exactly what the manager is asking for: show them the receipt. But at the Returns desk.
You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
It depends on the state, but in Colorado, an employee can detain someone if the theft detection alarm goes off.
From the Colorado Revised Statutes, 18-4-407.
If I have nothing to hide, don't search me
The CC in Manchester, NH is really hard to get to, right in the middle of probably the busiest street in the city with numerous stop lights in each direction. It sometimes can take a good 15-20 minutes to get from the highway to CC when the traffic is bad. I almost never see the parking lot with more then 15 or so cars in it, most of those are probably employee cars. The employees are always standing around because there is nothing to do either.
Meanwhile BestBuy is down the street at the local mall, but right next to a highway exit, making it much easier to get in/out. It is always busy and surprisingly there is usually someone available to help you (although I never ask for help, as I know where to go).
To me, it doesn't surprise me that this is happening. In fact, I was shocked that the store here wasn't part of that 1/5th of stores closing announcement.
I haven't given them any business in many years. Each time I've been tempted to shop there, I keep having terrible experiences that drive me away again.
The most recent example was 6 years ago. I had recently purchased a house and wanted a home theater system. I decided to try Circuit City again, and after browsing around for a while (and fending off the sales droids that were harassing me) I wound up with $1000 worth of merchandise in my cart. The audio sales droid, apparently wishing to get a commission for doing nothing, asked to check me out at his register in the back of the store. Things were going along OK, until he got to the infamous Circuit City extended warranty push. After he started that, I cut into his monologue and told him, in no uncertain terms, that I wasn't interested in the extended warranty. He began to protest, and I reaffirmed that he should stop talking about that and move on. He said fine, but he had to tell me about the warranties that came with my equipment. I told him to go ahead, and he began describing the stock warranty information for the selected equipment. He then segued back into the extended warranty pitch! So, I simply turned around and left the store. I stopped briefly to tell the manager what happened, and that I had just abandoned $1000 sale because his people didn't know when to shut up. So, I walked across the street to another electronics retailer, and got a similar setup for $200 less! That was just the most recent example, I had quite a few others related to service on a VCR, and other problems with sales people.
The biggest surprises for me related to this story were that they hadn't gone out of business before, and that they were the #2 electronics retailer!
You're expecting me to become familiar with Ohio law?
Only if you intend to make statements about it, i.e: "He did something wrong when he refused to show ID to the police officer". If you don't intend to make statements about Ohio law then I guess you don't really need to become familiar with it.
I'd try to find a resource for where it's illegal to not carry ID on you, but any Google search for it is flooded by voter ID requirements.
So in other words you are talking out of your ass and have no proof to back up your claims? Well, at least you were right about one thing: "And I have a feeling I'll get modded troll for this post."
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
I once visited the Creation Museum and got some ID on me. Fortunately it scrubs off.
I would be surprised if you can find a state in the united states which requires you to carry ID over 18.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_and_identify_statutes
"Who is the Journal of Quantum Physics going to believe?" --Stephen Hawking
I really havn't visited Circuit City since they stopped paying the employees commissions. When I used to enter a Circuit City, an employee would FIND ME, and try to sell me something. Many employees were actually well-informed, because they had to justify their attempts to upsell people who came in just looking for "a computer." This made purchases much easier than any other store with apathetic employees.
The last time I stepped into one of their stores, the employees didn't give me so much as a glance. I've known for quite some time that the company was doomed, and tossing the commission structure was the first sign of the end.
Man is the animal that laughs.
And occasionally whores for Karma.
...I'll bet its owners now wish they had accepted the extended warranty.
Tired of FB/Google censorship? Visit UNCENSORED!
It wasn't just the commission based sales force. My friend worked in the stock room for several years, and was making a pretty decent wage, and was up for a promotion within a month (his current supervisor was stepping down).
He was one of those victims of the "we raised your pay too much so now we're gonna fire you."
He wasn't even allowed to re-apply because "he was too qualified."
Firing my friend in that manner lost them a lot of business. I also boycotted Circuit City when that happened. As did all of my other friends, and our families. All in all, that added up to about 50 people.
I suspect that this situation was not unique, and was undoubtedly the killing blow through the heart of the weakened CC.
The first place I ever saw that checked receipts on exit was the Price Club (later bought out by CostCo). Initially they took it pretty seriously. On one of our first trips there they noticed we had been overcharged for something and got us a refund!
a,e,i,o,u and sometimes w and y (at be if of up cwm by)
No, he's upset that they fired all of their best and most experienced employee's.
It wasn't just top sellers. It effected everybody.
And why the hell would you fire your top sellers anyway? How retarded is that?!?!?!
When you fire your top sellers and your most knowledgeable employee's what does that leave you with?
It wasn't exactly a brilliant move. I'm sure it saved them money in the short run but 2 years later they're bankrupt and closing most of their stores.
Wrong. Whether or not they check the reciepts was a store-by-store policy.
I worked at CC for a little extra holiday cash once. The store was one of the biggest sellers on the east coast. You can bet your ass that every customer's receipt and contents of their bag was checked on their way out. On black friday. Our store took loss prevention VERY seriously.
I personally stopped about $1,500 of merch from leaving the store, and I only did the door checks ~4 hours a week (Filling in for people on lunch breaks, etc). In retrospect, I wish I hadn't. Bastards are reaping what they sowed.
Its great if you can get Chuck from the Nerd Herd to work on your PC, but otherwise the store is full of spies, spooks, and narcs.
I'm a recovering former CC employee. I worked there for about 6 months. In that time I went from trainee, to top seller on the floor, to PC tech, to lead at the tech bench. That should actually sum up their biggest problem...turnover. I saw 3 salespeople, 2 techs, and 1 manager, all quality people, leave in the time I was there. I considered these people to be quality for 3 reasons: They had a good understanding of the product, they took the time to understand the customers needs, and they cared more about getting the customer the products they *needed* than the products being pushed in the latest circular. Those people left for the same reasons I did. The position was always really nothing more than a placeholder while getting the job they really wanted. And they got tired of the pressure from above to offer useless "protection plans" and other BS pseudo-warranties. Oh yeah...and the employee discount sucked on anything that wasn't already rediculously overpriced. Everytime I saw someone buy a $20 network cable I died a little inside.
-=Bang Bang=-
You won't succeed, as it's not legally required in any US state. Police officers can demand your name, and in some cases your address and destination. But they can't demand that in the form of state issued id. They may in some states detain you for up to 2 hours to confirm that what you've told them, and you might be able to go about your business faster if you hand over id, but you are NOT required to do so.
They can definitely demand a driver's license if they are stopping you while you are driving.
"Who is the Journal of Quantum Physics going to believe?" --Stephen Hawking
I completely agree that the stunt with laying off the highest paid employees was bullshit. But then in your next sentence you say you drive out of your way to go to Worst Buy (Best Buy). At this point can't you realize that the retail outlet and the misinformed sales staff are not needed and buy things through Amazon or Newegg.com?
I wonder how many Circuit Cities are not basically next door to Best Buy. This seems to be the strategy of expansion Circuit City used. Best Buy has a store, circuit city builds across the street. I guess this is good if one can compete on this basis, but really. How many appliances and stereos does a city really need? And might a better strategy for Circuit City be services a part of the City not served by Best Buy?
Perhaps surprisingly, this is a good strategy. Often both stores next to each other actually do better than they would have without the competition next door.
On the one hand, yes, they obviously are losing customers to the 'neighbor', but on the other hand far more people drive and come from much further away to shop there. On balance, though, it tends to work out to be a net win. The total extra traffic overshadows what they lose to the competition, and both do better.
Its the same reason many major cities have 'auto-malls' or all the wedding dress shops are on the same street, etc. Consumers head over to do all their comparison shopping in one localized area, preferring that to driving halfway across town to comparison shop, and then potentially having to drive back again if they decide to buy what they saw at the first place.
Electronics are the same. Put a best buy up, and it will do well... put a circuit city up next to it, and you have electronics store mecca that will attract buyers from much further away.
"AIG is, quite simply, too big and intertwined with the American financial system to be allowed to fail. Period"
What that statement really means is that AIG is, quite simply too big to be allowed to exist. It should be broken up into many smaller entities - each with their own *separate* management and board of directors so that one or more components can fail without devastating consequences to the overall economy.
You either believe in rational thought or you don't
Oh, come on. Reductio ad absurdum is a valid argument and on the Internet references to rape or Nazis are pretty much de rigeur.
Anyhow it made me laugh.
echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
Actually, about half of a store's shrinkage (losses) is due to employee theft, while only about a third is due to shoplifters. And retail stores on average lost 1.57% of their inventories in 2006. So I'm not sure where you get this "one in ten customers is a shoplifter" idea.
No existe.
I'm Goth. Just to shine light on a few things:
Futhermore, I know people who cut themselves. They're emotionally unstable, and this is nothing to joke about.
If you knew anything about Slashdot
tgd (2822) ...
Bryansix (761547)
*scratches head*
And BTW, just where in the United States is it illegal not to have ID on you?
Apperantly every time you step into a car after staggering out of a bar... freaking fascist pigs...
(I joke of course)
Main How To Ruin A Retail Company
A prime case study on how to ruin a retail company:
Without well motivated sales-persons any specialized retailer can only lose.
Here the shareholders lost too. No tears for them. Why did they not stop the disastrous management plans?
Only long term Circuit City CEO Philip Schoonover, who was only fired six weeks ago, made a fortune by ruining the company. He got more than twice per year of what successful retail chain CEO's got. From the second link:
"Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act." -- George Orwell
What sort of Nazi made up that rule?
Seriously, Don't take anything I say seriously.
That actually just happened to me (well, someone right in front of me in line) at a Sam's club yesterday. The people had a cart full of items, the person checking the receipt noticed that there was an extra item on the receipt that wasn't in their cart, and they got sent right to customer service for a refund. It was pretty impressive.
*That* was likely the killing blow, not any overt boycott.
Actually the killing blow was probably the economic crisis and the realization on the part of the American consumer that borrowing against your home to finance a plasma screen TV isn't usually a sound financial decision.
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
then it's their duty to take one home to make the inventory come out right.
Tough job, but I guess someone has to do it ;)
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
I knew that they were not long for the world when I realized that they'd hopped onto the "premium cables" bandwagon. I haven't set foot in a Circuit City since I went in casually looking for a set of RCA cables, and found that the bastards didn't even *carry* a set priced at less than $30. Not only that, but the employees were utterly obnoxious when I pointed out how stupid this was.
I ended up getting them at Radio Shack for about $3. Any company that relies upon its customers to be absolute idiots SHOULD go out of business.
You can keep arguing from here to hell freezes over, but it wont make it true.
By reading this response you owe me 1 million dollars. You had the right to not read it, but read it voluntary and now owe me a million dollars.
I really haven't visited Circuit City since they stopped paying the employees commissions. When I used to enter a Circuit City, an employee would FIND ME, and try to sell me something.
Oh, they stopped doing that? I quit going to Circuit City years ago because nobody would let me browse and shop in peace. Sometimes I don't know what I want yet. And I don't want suggestions, I want to look around the store uninterrupted.
Employee commission is a horrible idea. It encourages pushy salesmen (salesman should NEVER "find you". They should be easy to find. They should also never offer suggestions when they see you buying something. If you *ask* for a suggestion, then they should feel free to give them). It also justifies lower salaries to the store employees since they are expected to make most of their money on commission. The knowledgeable employees will just try to steer you toward the more expensive product they can sell, regardless of whether or not they know about a better one. The less knowledgeable will pretend to know their shit and take advantage of the non-geeks who can't tell the difference anyway.
They have the right to refuse service to anyone, therefore they have the right to say you can't buy anything if you don't voluntarily submit to search.
So could they say they have the right to punch you in the stomach too before you leave? Would that be legal in your mind?
Posting a sign does not convey any rights, nor does it restrict them.
Everywhere. At least under the current administration.
I really havn't visited Circuit City since they stopped paying the employees commissions. When I used to enter a Circuit City, an employee would FIND ME, and try to sell me something.
Which is exactly why I don't shop at commissioned stores when I can help it. I prefer to educate myself from an impartial source rather than have propaganda thrown at me. Those sellers were motivated enough to negotiate ridiculous deals on things like TVs, but that's only relevant to me once every ten years.
"I zero-index my hamsters" - Willtor (147206)
Of course, if the cops show and decide that you're just being an asshat, you could be in trouble for abusing the emergency line...
How is calling the emergency line when being held against your will "abuse"? If you are attempting to leave a location and another person is preventing you from doing so then that person is committing a crime.
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
Am I the only one having trouble parsing this? (Who mentioned Linux?)
It kinda sounds like you'd put up with offensive service for the privilege of walking into a physical store to make your purchase. It's not exactly clear why. "New Egg and Amazon and Ebay"... the first two are online stores, and the third is the online equivalent of a flea market, with all the caveat emptor issues of same. I'm also having a hard time understanding the "pliers and screwdriver" comment. Buying stuff at an outlet store doesn't necessarily improve the chances of getting what you paid for -- Much of the time, all you can really tell is that there's something heavy in the box. And you *do* know about the reshrink machine in the back, right?
I know, return policy -- but Amazon has that too (I've used it once, when what I bought was not what I received).
"Less than competent service is traded for freedom in the market"... I'd like to reply to that, but I haven't a clue what you meant.
Back in the old days, there used to be this thing called catalog sales. Sears and Montgomery Wards and so forth. Back in the day, catalog sales primarily existed so that people in outlying areas could still buy stuff even when the nearest physical store was a day's travel away. In this day of strip-mall saturation, we forget that our grandparents (great-grandparents in your case) had to rely on mail order if they didn't live in the city. Given a choice of brick-and-mortar or mail-order, there are several advantages of going to the store -- immediate gratification, and being able to touch and feel before making the purchase. But with electronic items, they're often just boxes that have very rigidly defined specs, or they're some common item (ipod touch, for instance) that you can see almost anywhere. Even then, the brick-and-mortar store has immediate gratification going for it but bad service can quickly negate that. If the widget is difficult to buy in a real store, there's less reason to go there. Apple (to continue with the example above) understands this, and the Apple outlets are pleasant places to shop. Circuit City did not understand this, and they're bankrupt. I guess (if I'm reading your response right) your complaint is that this gives you fewer physical stores in which to shop. This is true. But it begs the question, why would you want to go there in the first place?
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
(ie, my mouse died about a year ago and all my old spares were PS/2 only - my new KVM is limited to USB. It was worth it to me to buy a replacement locally rather than wait 3-5 days to get a new one in)
AKA, "What good is a Newegg, Mr Morden, if you have no mouse!"
If you want a vision of the future, imagine a youtube comments section scrolling - forever.
They can indeed decline to serve me. But in this case, they've already done so! The transaction is done. I've already bought the thing.
Tom Swiss | the infamous tms | my blog
You cannot wash away blood with blood