Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical $4.99 (AR) at Best Buy B&M in Frisco, TX

Acme

Member
Nov 29, 2000
163
0
0
Just got back from the Best Buy in Frisco, TX, and bought a basic Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical. The sign on the mouse display said it was $14.97, but the box I took to the counter rang up as $29.99. Further inspection showed that the one on the shelf was SKU D66-00021, but the display was D66-00001. Since there were none of the dislpay model on the shelf and the mice are practically identical (it's obvious that one must have been intended to replace the other), they happily agreed that it should be $14.99 (I didn't quibble over the $.02).

Here's the kicker, the box I picked up off the shelf had a valid $10 Rebate sticker on it. That makes the total price $4.99+tax after rebate.

They have a few left on the shelf so hurry if you need one. YMMV if they decide to change the display price, although the two mice are really so close to being identical that I can't see how they could want one to be twice as much as the other. It seems to me like the $29.99 must have been the mistake, unless they were using the rebate sticker as a markdown (making it $19.99 AR). I could see them dropping the "old" model by $5.00 to clear them out so they could put the new ones out, but not $15.00. Then again, retail's a funny business, so I dunno.

Acme
 

bannstr

Junior Member
Mar 13, 2002
19
0
0
Thanks acme!

At Tue 19Mar2002 5:15pm CST, the shelve price was still $14.97 at the BadBuy in Frisco, TX. I got the last one on the shelf, also with a valid $10 Rebate sticker on it. They might have more stored somewhere, but I did not ask.

/flame ON

Short story: I got it. Long story: I will continue to take all of my regular purchases to CompUSA, CircuitCity, OfficeDepot, or OfficeMax (or even our one Fry's on the "other side of town") due to BadBuy's general corporate training policy to cheat their customers.

[another "BadBuy irritates another customer" story follows]
I get to the register at 5:19pm with two checkouts open but with no lines. The "after work" rush was just starting. The high school kid scanned it, I informed him of the shelve price, and after some debate, he rings up their shelf price +$0.02 (I also did not quibble over the $.02). And yes, he does ramble a bit about the ~$5 Product Replacement Plan. Then the kicker follows. He informs me that I do not deserve the $10 rebate, and starts to remove the rebate sticker from the product! I asked why, but he can not answer intelligently. I said "Fine. If you are going to cheat me, then cancel out the transaction. I will buy it from Office Depot across the street." Then the snot nosed kid refused to cancel out the transaction. By this time, both checkout lines were 4-5 people deep (I just barely beat the "after work" crowd), and the shift checkout manager comes over. The manager seemed to listen only briefly to the kid, seemed astonished at the kiddy-babble about rebates qualifications, told the kid to complete the transaction, and to leave the rebate sticker on the product. The transaction is completed and I leave. However, I do not necessarily feel the manager had this customer's best interest in mind, but more so had the waiting queue of customer's best interest in mind. Whatever.

Seems whatever "training" BadBuy (haha! Microsoft spell checker keeps trying to change they name to 'bedbugs'. Takes one to know one, I suppose.) is giving their checkout kiddies is to maximize profits at the expense of being anti-customer.

To bad most of these kiddies are more interested in cowering under BadBuy corporate tactics in an attempt to keep their minimum wage jobs than in being moral persons. When they do grow up, they will no doubt be grossly ashamed at both their employers unethical and illegal business dealings as well as their willing compliance as kowtowing employees. The "I was only following orders" defense still holds as much legal and moral creditability as it did 46 years ago in Nuremberg.

/flame OFF
 

Acme

Member
Nov 29, 2000
163
0
0
Yeah, the guy tried the "we need to peel off the rebate stickers" junk with me too. So I peeled off the stickers, stuck them on a brochure that was on the checkout counter, and dropped the brochure in the bag when he got done ringing me up. It was as though Obi-Wan had waved his hand and said, "These are not the droids you're looking for" or something. Whatever. :)

Acme
 

bannstr

Junior Member
Mar 13, 2002
19
0
0
LOL!
Silly Acme, Trix are for kids! (reference to the Trix cereal commercials)

Oh wait! BadBuy predominately hires kids, since naive kids can be easily manipulated by "sell more PRPs or we will dock your pay" tricks.

---
Lesson learned: Take off rebate stickers before approaching checkout.
 

bannstr

Junior Member
Mar 13, 2002
19
0
0
Update:
BB B&M in Plano, TX had BOTH shelf tags displayed. None of the older product in stock, but plenty of the newer product on Plano's shelves.

FYI:
According to Best Buy, Microsoft's warranty is 50% longer on the older product than on the newer product, 3 years verses 2 years. It seems that even MS knows their product quality has declined...
 

Acme

Member
Nov 29, 2000
163
0
0
Only a 2 year warranty??!?!?

[sarcasm]

Dang, it makes me wish I'd bought that $4.50 replacement plan for my $4.99 mouse now...

[/sarcasm]

Acme
 

bannstr

Junior Member
Mar 13, 2002
19
0
0
I just checked bestbuy.com. Seems either BB B&M or BB.com does not have correct info. BB.com claims:

Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical
Model: D66-00021
Warranty Term ? Parts: 1 year

whereas BB B&M claims it is 2 years.

Just for comparison, BB.com also claims:

Logitech Optical Wheel Mouse
Model: 930495-0403
Warranty Term ? Parts: 5 years limited

Also, straight from the horses' mouths:

http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouse/wmo_info.asp
no published warranty info and no links to any published warranty info

http://www.logitech.com/cf/products/productfeatures.cfm/2821
5-year warranty

So in my book, MS stuff should cost at least 80% less than LT stuff.

Since this product's end-cost is $5 (assuming MS actually honors this rebate [MS did not honor its AoE rebates]), that is slightly less than the breakeven point for choosing MS over LT. Of course this is the first (and most likely the last) MS transaction that even approached that breakeven point. We shall see...