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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 815
Location: Colorado | It's unfortunate that another 30,000 people will be looking for work that will be difficult to come by. But such will be life in the tough economic days ahead.
For those who have considered going to CC for supposed deals on big-ticket items, shop around before you go there.
I was there today and looked at two different TVs that I had been pricing. A week ago these items (Sony 40" 1080p LCD and Panasonic 40" 1080p plasma) were $999 (regular non-sale price). Today they were each $1299 minus 10%. Some deal.
Sidebar: I picked up "Open Season" on Blu-Ray for the kids (which was supposed to be 40% off per the sales ad in Sunday's paper). The cashier pulled out her calculator and then it hit me. CC wasn't going to honor the prices in the ad. Shame on me for not picking up on that one sooner, but nothing in the store or anything else I had heard led me to believe otherwise. So I asked her if this movie was $17.99 or 20% off the original price and she said 20% off the original price. I then politely informed her that I wouldn't be buying the movie, she apologized, and I walked out.
I understand that it's business and CC wants to realize as much margin as they can on the more expensive electronics. More power to them. But buyer beware. |
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | This is where/when having a 'preferred' sales person, that you've dealt with before, really helps.
I need to see if 'Groucho' is still working at CC. I've dealt with him for over 19 years at three different retailers. He knows his sh*t and I know him. Got some fantastic deals through him...
Ummmm, I wonder where he'll wind up next. Tough times... |
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | "Circuit City" has no control over the sales whatsoever. The courts and creditors have hired "liquidation" companies now run the show. You're gonna be dealing with firms whose sole purpose in life is to maximize revenue. When Good Guys and Tower Records liquidated out here in the West, a lot of folks thought they'd be getting a good deal but in reality they were asking about 20% OVER street price for the mechandise. Like Big Harp sez, do your homework but from my experience you're not going to get any deals. Don't get caught up in the frenzy like you're gonna get a good price. It's all about the hype at this stage. |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7222
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | " Don't get caught up in the frenzy like you're gonna get a good price."
And while on the topic.. or off the topic.. I've noticed more and more that while eBay in general can have the best prices and many many items, when looking at NEW IN BOX, there is a good chance you can get it cheaper elsewhere, or EVEN FROM THE SAME VENDOR.
This scenario has played out often for me. I have seen a widget that I wanted, and just happened to need to ask a question, so I called the store before buying. On several occasions, when I asked if I could just buy the item over the phone, it turned out the price was less. Likely because they didn't have to deal with eBay fees.
Anyway, don't want to send this down another ebay discussion, but absolutely SHOP AROUND for anything. Just because it's "ON SALE" or even a "LIQUIDATION SALE" does not mean it's any cheaper, and often, especially when it's going out of biz as mentioned above... it's actually marked up a bit to get every penny they can.
Can't say I blame them.
Too bad about Circuit City, but frankly most of the ones I have been too were too close to a Target, Best Buy, Costco, WALMART, OFFICE DEPOT, etc etc.. to compete in price. I have been to CC often, but I can't say I recall actually purchasing anything there. At every location I can think of at the moment there was at least a Best Buy within sight. |
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Joined:
February 2008
Posts: 747
| About 6 months ago I went to CC because I needed an attenuator - no one there knew what that was.
Fortunately I have pretty much all that I need in life although last week I had to buy a new volt meter to chase an electrical problem in my truck because the meter I've been using for the last 30 years stopped working; I got a new digital meter for $8 regular $40 - it'll probably work OK for a year or so. |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Yeah Joe... Your old meter wast Designed to last 30 years.
Your new meter is Designed to break in a year or so... :D
Please excuse my cynicism. :cool:
[Oh, and Miles... I know of a CC in the same mall as a Target. If all you want is a Chinese TV, Target will most likely be cheaper... Guess that's why CC is closing.] |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 815
Location: Colorado | Being somewhat of a home-theater buff, I think Best Buy adding the Magnolia section in their stores may have added to CCs demise. I think Best Buy has a much better overall selection and stock on hand than most Circuit Cities. I buy most of my home-theater equipment at another local store and have been for 20 years.
As Miles said earlier, location of these stores does play into their sales volume, too. Our CC is across the street from Target, one block from a Best Buy, two blocks from Home Depot, three blocks from Sam's Club, and one block from Ultimate Electronics (where I buy much of my home theater stuff).
Ebay and other internet businesses certainly didn't help CCs cause either. But when I'm doing internet shopping for higher-end electronics I have to be even more careful. I like the Sony ES (Elevated Standard) components. I like Pioneer and Harman Kardon, too. But the Sony ES stuff has a 5-year parts and labor warranty. Some of these internet retailers and sellers are not authorized sellers which reduces this 5-year warranty down to as little as 90 days or 1 year (maximum). I did buy our Sony 777ES receiver via the internet over 8 years ago (from NJ) and it was pretty easy to find out the warranty of the unit mostly because I was able to speak with a human over the phone. |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Don't forget that about a year ago CC fired all of their most experienced, high senority, higher pay sales staff. |
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Joined:
October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | Originally posted by Todd G.:
Our CC is across the street from Target, one block from a Best Buy, two blocks from Home Depot, three blocks from Sam's Club, and one block from Ultimate Electronics... we don't have a CC, Best Buy, Target, Sam's Club or large electronics retailer here. got our first Home Depot about two years ago. there is a Costco on Kona side about 2 1/2 hours from me. i hear that Target will be opening over there in late 2009. the internet is our best option for now. |
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Joined:
May 2008
Posts: 194
Location: Las Vegas, NV | Originally posted by lanaki:
we don't have a CC, Best Buy, Target, Sam's Club or large electronics retailer here. got our first Home Depot about two years ago. there is a Costco on Kona side about 2 1/2 hours from me. i hear that Target will be opening over there in late 2009. the internet is our best option for now. Hey, that's what you get for living in paradise...
I was working at Silo (western US, one of CC competitors back in the day) when they went bankrupt. Liquidators came in and did the same thing that CC is doing now. The discounts will get larger as time goes on, but there will also be less to choose from. The liquidators did one thing wrong back then, IMO. They kept all of the assistant managers around to help run things. When the liquidators weren't around, the assistant managers were walking merchandise out the back door in large numbers. Hey, they were also the ones doing the inventories. They all felt like they were owed something, so in their minds, this was some kind of retribution. |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 1478
Location: Michigan | If you do buy any big ticket items from C.C. HDTV PLASMA TV's or such dont buy an extended warranty on anything for that will go out the door when they get into bankrupcy court and only the manufacturers warranty will be valid.
C.C. in my opinion sucks anyway.I got my screwing from them August 2008 and it didnt get fixed until October 2008.They need to go away.GWB |
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Visited my local CC yesterday. Shelves and walls half bare. Deals? Noper. Everything had "10% OFF ORIGINAL PRICE" except the music disks. They were 20% off.
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OT--RIP Circuit City