credit card scam email
The Connecticut Attorney General has announced a lawsuit against Best Buy in regards to a secret internal website that is identical to their public website except for the prices. Consumerist has received reports of this website being used to attempt to trick our readers as recently as March 19, 2007.
Customers coming into the store looking for prices they saw at home on the public website were told that the sale had ended and were shown a separate internal website that reflected different in-store prices. The customers were led to believe that they were looking at the same website they accessed at home. From the AP:
"Best Buy gave consumers the worst deal -- a bait-and-switch-plus scheme luring consumers into stores with promised online discounts, only to charge higher in-store prices," Blumenthal said....
Jerry Farrell Jr., Connecticut's consumer protection commissioner, said the lawsuit should be a warning to companies to be more transparent in their business practices.
"There certainly was an element of deception here," Farrell said. We've been following this story for several months, and have to confess to being very pleased with the Connecticut Attorney General for taking this seriously. —MEGHANN MARCO
Kevin purchased two DVD and CDR spindles using CompUSA's "In-Store Pick-Up" option; when he got to the store, the price doubled. Kevin had already handed over his credit card information and had a printed receipt. Why did the price double?
CompUSA's "In-Store Pick-Up" is a scam. Here's how it works:
- You find a great deal on CompUSA's website.
- You order the great deal and select "In-Store Pick-Up."
- You give your credit card information
- You get a printable order receipt that says "Printable Order Receipt"
- You go to the store and present your "receipt."
- The cashier fetches your item and rings it up for a price significantly higher price than what you "paid" online.
- You are told that you did not pay online, and that your "receipt" is just a reservation.
CompUSA's website cautions, "Keep in mind, you are making a reservation at the store - not placing an order. We will not charge your credit card until you come to the store and purchase it." Their FAQ also has some insightful answers. Why do you not charge my credit card until I show up In-Store?
Flexibility. You don't have to use the card you reserved with - If you want to pay cash, check or another card, you can. If you change your mind, you don't have to deal with the hassle of messy refund credits. Also, you're free to add to or change your order once you're at the store. It's quick and easy.They don't charge your credit card because they intend to charge you a significantly higher price once you get to the store. Why ask for my credit card if you're not going to use it?
It's like making a hotel reservation - it's simply to secure your reservation so we can take it off the selling floor in the store.This would make sense, except that CompUSA doesn't take the item "off the selling floor." The cashier fetches the item.
Kevin's email, below.On the 18th I went to compusa.com. I didn't get redirected from some deal site where they had linked to an obvious pricing mistake. I just went there because they're local and usually have good prices. I needed blank DVD+Rs and CD-Rs and so I picked out two, spindles. Apparently there was an instant rebate for $10 on the CD-Rs and $27 on DVD+Rs. "Cool!", I thought, "I saved some money." I typed in my credit card, filled out the mailing address and checked if they were in stock at any local stores. Surprise, they were in stock at the local store and I could pick them up in 15 minutes. Well, I could have, except that, this particular store closes at 8pm. Anyways, I printed my receipt which read a total of $35.70(attached). It actually says "Printable Order Receipt" on the receipt. That's because it's a receipt, ofcourse it says it's a receipt, right? 3 days later I finally get the time to get to compusa.
After standing at the pickup line with no one in sig