Is the Circuit City death watch on?

Top Stocks ^ | April 9, 2008 | Kim Peterson

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Walk into the Circuit City in my town, and you'll suddenly get a strange sensation. Look around...you're the only person there. Wait, someone must work here. Hello? Anyone? Then head over to Best Buy, which is packed with customers and ringing up sales.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

This is what they get for their crooked rebates.

[mnehring]

.. Guess this means we have some good going out of business sales coming up?

[bill1952]

I dunno, but they are being squeezed between etailers and WalMart

[Lester Moore]

Analysts say one of the worst decisions executives made was to fire 3,400 of the most experienced workers are replace them with lower-paid ones,

Meanwhile back at the corporate office ranch, the execs got their bonuses.

[Delphster]

Have not bought anything at one in 4 years after they did not honor their extended warranty on a broken switch on TV. It was Best Buys gain. Better Business Bureau was not able to help but indicated I was not alone of customers that they did not honor their warranties.

[mnehring]

Never buy extended warranties, they are always rip offs.

[donaldo]

A pox on both their houses. I went into a Best Buy recently and was assaulted by the loudest audio systems in existence. They even advertise their sound equipment irresponsibly. They sell these gigantic speakers exhorting their customers to wake up the neighbors and destroy the windows of other cars. Typical animal behavior of the cRAPPER mentality. I don’t give a shit what they listen to, I just don’t want to hear it from a mile away, let alone feel it. I’ll be very glad when they get a class action law suit.

[Humble Servant]

I will never darken the door of Best Buy again as long as I live. I am not the only one I know who has systematically received the poorest, cheapest, most customer-hostile treatment imaginable (and a step beyond that) from them. Ever try returning a defective TV there? I did. The service company had kept me waiting for 8 weeks, only to plug my set in and have it blow up because they had replaced the wrong part. I took it back to BB; they wanted two more shots at the apple. I told them to screw. The worst thing was the attitude of this High School kid; and when I asked to see the manager, he said he was the manger. Never again. I tell all my friends, and I hear the same stories back from them.

[KarlInOhio]

They can't decide how they want to sell stuff. They use to be the obnoxious commissioned sales location stuffed with salesmen hungry for a sale. However, when I just want to buy a DVD I don't want someone latching onto me like a used car salesman. They they fired anyone who knew anything on the sales floor so you are more likely to see a tumbleweed blow by than an employee, even at their middle of each department checkout counters. Best Buy has a happy medium of attentive, but not annoyingly commissioned, sales staff.

The last couple significant purchases I made at Circuit City I did over the web and just picked up the item at the front desk. Other than that I just will pick up some of their loss leader sales DVDs.

[Responsibility2nd]

Whenever I buy a big ticket electronic item I alway shop CC and BB.

I really want to fairly compare the prices.

I disregard the dumpy looking CC store. I ignore the unhelpful CC staff. I’ve only come to buy the best at the best price.

And Best Buy always wins.

Only a matter of time before Circus City circles the drain.

[Harvey105]

Not doubting you, but my experience was the exact opposite. I don’t shop there much but they were always helpful and accommodating even with returns and price adjustments. And at BB, I always felt like I needed to keep my hand on my wallet.

[familyop]

We need more Fry’s stores.

[Petronski]

MicroCenter FTW!

[deuteronlmy232]

The worst thing was the attitude of this High School kid; and when I asked to see the manager, he said he was the manger.

Doesn't that drive you nuts, the kid isn't old enough to drive and they make him a department manager. Motto seems to be, if you don't know the answer, make one up.

[Harvey105]

That’s a pretty broad brush.

No, not everyone experiences a product failure, but I have and have promptly received a refund of the purchase price. It has paid off for me on phone systems and multi function printers.

[Jemian]

Haven’t gone to a Circuit City in years. I gave it up when I went in one and saw that only black people were being waited upon. I waited and waited, perhaps 15 - 20 minutes as I wanted to look and read and compare. But then, as I was being passed over ... and over ... and over, I decided to pass them over... and OUT!

[mnehring]

gave it up when I went in one and saw that only black people were being waited upon

Were they in line ahead of everyone else?

[snarks_when_bored]

If Best Buy puts Circuit City out of business, that will be a damned shame. A few weeks ago, I priced an external disk drive at a Best Buy and at a Circuit City, the stores being just two blocks apart. Astonishingly, the drive at Best Buy was selling for $80 more than the identical drive at Circuit City. Best Buy sucks rocks.

[papasmurf]

Never buy extended warranties, they are always rip offs.

I don't believe that to be true. Most Extended Warranties and Service Contracts are, IMO, good products and represent a good value. Like most everything nowadays, the few muck it up for the many. I've never had a breakdown covered in the Contract not be paid for.

Read the fine print, understand the costs and the risks, then decide.

[PeterFinn]

Circuit City never struck me as a decent place from the get-go some 20 years ago. I take my business to Best Buy, Costco, or a local place called Paradyme when I need to replace my TV or stereo.