TMCnet News
Great Xbox-tations(Spokesman-Review, The (Spokane, WA) (KRT)) Nov. 23--More than 50 people spent Monday night outside in freezing temperatures at the Spokane Valley Best Buy, waiting for the store's 9 a.m. opening and a chance to buy Microsoft's new gaming system, the Xbox 360. Tossing back Red Bull and downing Krispy Kreme doughnuts, they snuggled around propane heaters and giddily monitored laptops to see the prices the Xbox was attracting in online auctions. Many of the people in line at Best Buy were hoping to turn a profit by selling their new gaming systems on eBay. But despite the party atmosphere, some people were dismayed by what they felt was misleading advertising. Best Buy's Sunday newspaper ads listed the Xbox 360 starting at $299.99 for the basic system, but customers arriving at the store Tuesday morning were informed they'd only be able to buy the Xbox as part of a package deal starting at $569.93. Paper signs posted on the store's exterior said "Correction Notice," and explained that the game systems would be sold "only as a packaged promotion." "The real story here is the bait and switch. It may not be illegal, but it's highly unethical," said Randy Mears, who arrived at 8 p.m. Monday with his wife, Fely, and slept outside the store in sleeping bags with dozens of others. The couple planned to keep one of their game systems and sell the other on eBay. One premium game system, including the hard drive, wireless controller and other accessories, went for $2,300 Tuesday morning through the online auction house. But Mears didn't have to wait that long. While he stood in line Tuesday morning, a man drove up with a handful of cash and offered to buy vouchers from people in line. The vouchers gave holders the right to buy the gaming system, and Mears sold his ticket for $260 in cash, he said. Paula Baldwin, a corporate spokeswoman for Best Buy, said the company is "aware of allegations that certain stores have engaged in separate promotional activities." Based on a reporter's description, she said, "It sounds like this may have been a separate promotional activity. We will investigate it seriously and take appropriate action." The manager at the Spokane Valley store referred questions to the corporate office. Other Best Buy stores in the region also apparently sold at least some systems at the package price. Kristin Alexander, a spokeswoman for the Washington attorney general's office, said she could not speak specifically about the actions of a particular company. However, she said, the legal definition of "bait and switch" is "advertising a product at one price then not offering it at that price." She said the practice is "unfair, deceptive and illegal." The higher prices didn't seem to be stopping people in line from buying the coveted gaming system when Best Buy's doors opened at 9 a.m. All that was left of the 60-person line outside were food wrappers, a couple of tents and a propane heater. The mass of people entered the store through double rows of cheering Best Buy employees, clad in blue T-shirts. They were ushered to the back of the store where the Xbox 360 was displayed beneath a rainbow of red balloons Similar scenes took place across the Inland Northwest as stores including Fred Meyer, Circuit City, Target and Wal-Mart sold what is shaping up to be the hottest must-have item of the holiday shopping season. Brandon Dayton, of Otis Orchards, was too late when he showed up at Best Buy at midnight, but he decided to stay because he'd already cased the other stores in Coeur d'Alene and Spokane carrying the game system and decided this was his best bet. Dayton said the Fred Meyer stores he had visited already had more people in line than units for sale. Dusty Wetzler of Spokane Valley said his mother had already bought one at Target when it opened at 7 a.m. At Circuit City, across the street from Best Buy, some of the people waiting in line for a 10 a.m. opening received vouchers for the store's limited supply before 8 a.m. The rest went away empty-handed. Store managers and spokespeople for Fred Meyer and Circuit City stores said they offered the Xbox for $299.99 for the base system and $399.99 for a system which included a hard drive and wireless controller. "They started lining up around 9:30 last night," said Matt Bond, operations manager for Circuit City on North Division. The store had 14 game systems and 22 people who waited in line overnight. One customer who bought a system was promptly offered $1,000 for it, Bond said. "People were offering our associates $50 to stand in line for them overnight. It was crazy." Anthony Garcia and his girlfriend, Shelly Riley, showed up at Best Buy at 5 p.m. Monday. They ended up buying one gaming system for themselves and one to sell on eBay. By the time Garcia finished purchasing his "Professional Package," with warranty and taxes, he'd spent $912. Still, the 20-year-old Kaiser Aluminum worker, on a day off, was smiling. His plans for the rest of the day were: "Go home, take a nap, then play some Xbox," he said. "It's the new thing out. You gotta have it." |