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Best Buy Offers Bogus "3D Sync" Service
Token_Internet_Girl writes "Fewer than two weeks after Best Buy offered the first Full 3D HDTVs for sale in the US, its latest Sunday circular (3/21/10) promotes a Samsung 3D TV deal consisting of a 55" 3D TV, 3D capable Blu-ray player, 2 pairs of glasses, a Blu-ray movie and Geek Squad delivery and installation. The ad states the service includes TV and Blu-ray player set-up, connection to your wireless network and 'sync your 3D glasses for an amazing experience.' The package price lists the 'geek' services as a $150 value. The offer's only problem is that there is no such thing as syncing 3D glasses. They sync automatically." Here's Best Buy Corporate's response to this hilarity.
Erm, so you're saying that actually they're not doing anything wrong, because this is a legitimate service they're offering - i.e. charging $150 to tell people they need a clear view of the TV to use their glasses to... watch the TV. I'm pretty sure that people will already figure out they need to see the TV to watch it, 3D or not, is your post sponsored by BestBuy or are you hoping to cash in by offering a $99 service?
Syncronization doesn't simply mean making things have the same time. It also means to make things *happen* at the same time. In this case, I'd assumed their "syncing" service to be making sure your glasses are properly shuttering in "sync" with how the player is broadcasting. Something that should happen automatically, and apparently does. And since the glasses are tied to the TV, they're paired automatically as well. It's not a case of "incorrect verb," it's a case of "falsely reporting what the service offers."
They don't need to pair the glasses, they don't need to make sure the glasses are operating at the correct timings. It's a rip off.
Canada: The US's more awesome sibling.
3D TV = Laser disc. 10 years from now we'll see these things sitting in goodwill and laugh our asses off.
Best Buy is a multi-billion dollar corporation that can well afford copywriters. You can bet they don't make "poor choice(s) of words" when they're writing the fine print on their overpriced extended warranties.
To suggest that this was just a "whoopsie" is absurd. Funny that the "poor choice of words" costs the customer an additional $150. How often do you think they made a "poor choice of words" that was in favor of the customer. And believe me, if that ever happens, there's going to be one out-of-work employee.
Plus, this roll-out of the "3D" televisions is supposed to be one of the most anticipated product category introductions for them. Retailers like Best Buy are betting on a huge wave of "trade-ups" to 3D and they're counting on it saving their bottom line for years to come.
The notion that they'd make an "innocent" mistake that happens to mislead customers to pay an additional $150 stretches the imagination.
You are welcome on my lawn.
A 3D movie is intended to be an immersive experience. Not background entertainment. If you want to use it that way, just turn the 3D off.
I, for one, am sick of people treating movies this way. If you're not going to commit to the screening, then fuck the hell off, and don't disturb the people who are watching the movie.
... and then they built the supercollider.
There is clearly an intent to mislead. Using the term "sync" rather than "unpack it and make sure it works" is clearly intended to make it sound like something you can't do yourself because you're not a 3D TV geek. The idea is to inflate the perceived value of the unpacking and turning on service.
Go on, then, and when the police arrive tell them what lead to you calling. You'll be lucky if YOU aren't charged with wasting police time. "Officer, I entered these private premises to buy a product for them, but they attempted to sell me more than I was looking for. Rather than leaving the store, I called 911."
Sounds like a Social Adjustment Disorder...