Just looking fee... Brilliant or Bust

[CONeal]

I actually like the idea behind this.  Would put a damper of internet companies using Best Buy's retail space in an effort to sell goods at a cheaper price.

 

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/store-charges-customers-5-just-234300072.html

[Sportgamma]

As of the first of February, this store will be charging people a $5 fee per person for “just looking.”

The $5 fee will be deducted when goods are purchased.

 

How can it be deducted from goods purchased if they are just looking?

[Parsad]

That's so stupid.  That company is going to lose more business.  Cheers!

[nkp007]

So punish people for looking? LOL. I don't think this is even constitutional.

 

How do you enforce this? Take deposits when people enter? Goodbye traffic.

[Otsog]

Who do they have DJing?

[CONeal]

That's so stupid.  That company is going to lose more business.  Cheers!

 

They are losing business anyways (and will eventually go out of business) being the showroom for every online company anyways.

[rkbabang]

I had to laugh at this: 

 

There has been high volume of people who use this store as a reference and then purchase goods elsewhere. These people are unaware our prices are almost the same as the other stores plus we have products simply not available anywhere else.

 

If that were true the problem wouldn't exist.  Why would people buy elsewhere if they were already in your store and your prices were just as good?  And how could people possibly buy elsewhere if the product isn't available anywhere else?

 

I wouldn't pay someone $5 just to enter a store, unless I already knew what I wanted and was sure I wanted to buy it there.  In other words, they will no longer have any customers at all in the store who are "just looking".  Idiots!

[fareastwarriors]

Oh well. plenty of bad decisions out there. capitalism will take care of it.

[value-is-what-you-get]

It s a dumb approach.  Costco basically charges a just looking fee because you cant get in unless you pay it.  It s just charged annually instead.

[rkbabang]

It s a dumb approach.  Costco basically charges a just looking fee because you cant get in unless you pay it.  It s just charged annually instead.

 

Not really the same as charging a membership fee.  Once you pay your Costco fee you can walk in and browse around everyday (or multiple times per day) if you want at no extra charge.  And I'm not sure, but I think you can go in and walk around Costco anytime you want, you just need to be a member to buy something.  I've never been in a Costco, but BJ's wholesale club in my area works this way.  You can go in and look around anytime, they only check for your membership card at the register before you checkout.  They want you to look around so that you will see what you could get if you were a member.  This store is the exact opposite.  If you do not already know what is in there, you'd have to pay just to find out.

 

[fareastwarriors]

It s a dumb approach.  Costco basically charges a just looking fee because you cant get in unless you pay it.  It s just charged annually instead.

 

I follow random group of  people in all the time.  8)

 

[madmarv]

I had to laugh at this: 

 

There has been high volume of people who use this store as a reference and then purchase goods elsewhere. These people are unaware our prices are almost the same as the other stores plus we have products simply not available anywhere else.

 

If that were true the problem wouldn't exist.  Why would people buy elsewhere if they were already in your store and your prices were just as good?  And how could people possibly buy elsewhere if the product isn't available anywhere else?

 

I wouldn't pay someone $5 just to enter a store, unless I already knew what I wanted and was sure I wanted to buy it there.  In other words, they will no longer have any customers at all in the store who are "just looking".  Idiots!

 

You're forgetting sales tax.  It may turn out to the consumer's advantage to check it out at the store and order online if they can avoid sales tax and still cover the showroom fee.

 

 

[luck]

that's pretty nuts. 

 

amazon on average seems to have a 33 to 50 percent discount on many items i'm finding at barnes and noble and best buy.  this was a great reminder for me to increase my showroom shopping.

 

also, i try not to buy anything online (outside of amazon) without first looking for a coupon code.  i usually find i can save around 10 to 20% if i just look for a code for about a minute, but forget to do this.