I've made MY decision - the next time I need electronics, it's Circuit City for me

[Richardo]

...and I think I'll show 'em my receipt too, if they ask. :thumbsup:

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

1. I Like Circuit City. I Get Electronics From Them All The Time. They Have Some Of The Best Retail

prices comparatively and a good return policy.

[Bjornsdotter]

2. They have an excellent

...return policy. I've returned open sound and video cards that just didn't work on my computer and they took them back with no problems.

Cheers

[tyedyeto]

7. 12 years ago their return policy sucked

I drove to the nearest (one 70 miles away) and purchased an HP computer from them. Got home, set it up and it stayed in sleep mode. After numerous lengthy phone calls with HP, I took the defective merchandise back to the store within 7 days. I was then charged an open box fee of $100 for each item. $300 was deducted from my refund. BTW, I would have accepted the same model in exchange but they didn't have another one in stock and I would have still been charged the open box fee for the returned items.

Needless to say, I have not entered one of their stores in 12 years.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

8. Geez. It's Been 12 Years. Time To Move On Maybe? LOL

I was kind of basing my comments on like, ya know, the here and now and stuff, since I tend to live in the present. Sorry to hear you had trouble there 12 years ago, but that doesn't really have much relevance on how their policies are today or why I think it's a good place to get electronics.

[bellasgrams]

39. I bought a Kodak camara

at C C and in about 30 days it stopped working. I took it back thinking they would make it right. I've bought 2 TV's, a Computer, monitor and printer, many smaller items. Never a problem. Then I bought this $130 camara took it back and they refused to replace it telling me to just 'pitch it'. I asked for the mgr and some young girl comes out and says you'll just have to 'pitch it', warranty is only 30 days. I didn't make it in right away thinking I had a year warr. Wrong. Well I pitched it alright, as hard as I could on the counter. They were stunned. I bet they never tell anyone to 'just pitch it' again. By the way I could have purchased it online cheaper and gotten the year warr. from Kodak.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

40. Wait... Your Warranty Was Up And You're Blaming Them?

"I didn't make it in right away thinking I had a year warr"

I fail to see how that's their fault.

[Clintonista2]

82. They offer extended warranty's on pretty much everything they sell

You can't blame THEM because YOUR warranty wore out.

[AlCzervik]

9. sometimes all it takes is one bad experience to swear you off a store.

[LynneSin]

53. Your first mistake was buying an HP computer

I coulda told you that one

[IdaBriggs]

58. They made life hell for me over a washer/dryer delivery situation.

That was nearly a decade ago, and I've NEVER shopped there since.

[Kahuna]

111. I returned a monitor a year ago and was charged restock fee.

They suck.

[Moochy]

27. Cool! DU allows for random user-created ads!

I like Irish Steel-cut Oatmeal, it is good for you and is easy to make.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

33. Why Yes. Ain't It Grand?

[blondeatlast]

42. I make mine in the rice cooker. Perfect every time... nt

[terip64]

3. I haven't been following this latest Circuit City issue, too many other things, but

is this the same circuit city that fired employees that had been with the company for a long time to replace them with lower paid new employees?

I won't be shopping there. It's Costco for me, always.

[krispos42]

20. I think they rehired the same employees at lower wages

After they fired them. Destroyed their seniority, I guess.

[Stephanie]

38. Correct - they fired senior employees because their wages were too high >

http://www.apwu.org/news/webart/2007/webart-0739-circuitcityboycott-070515.htm

APWU Board Calls for Boycott of Circuit City

APWU Web News Article #39-07, May 15, 2007

The National Executive Board of the APWU has voted unanimously to support a boycott of Circuit City stores, due to the retailer’s despicable treatment of its employees.

The NEB vote was in response to the company’s dismissal of 3,400 workers, comprising 8.5 percent of its workforce. The firings, announced in late March, “had nothing to do with performance but were part of a larger effort to improve the bottom line” according to an article in The Washington Post.

In a cost-cutting measure, the 600-store chain fired its highest-paid, most senior non-managerial workers, saying that the dismissed employees were earning more than it wanted to pay. The company, based in Richmond, VA, announced that it planned to fill most of the positions, and invited the laid-off workers to re-apply for their old jobs — at substantially lower pay — in 10 weeks.

Most of the laid-off employees averaged between $10 and $11 an hour; some of the dismissed full-timers, however, earned as much as $40,000 annually. Inexperienced new hires can expect to be paid about $8 an hour, industry watchers said.

An employee at the San Diego Circuit City who earned $18.72 per hour was fired because the company wage cap for the computer department was $15.50, the Post reported; an employee who earned $11.59 per hour at the Asheville, NC store was one of 11 workers to be discharged there.

The fired employees were instructed to leave immediately after being notified they were being let go. They were granted severance pay, averaging $2,912 per person.

Shortly after the firings were announced, APWU’s Philadelphia BMC Local became one of the first labor organizations to endorse a Circuit City boycott. Local President Vince Tarducci announced that a motion calling for a boycott of the retail chain passed unanimously at the local’s April 12 general membership meeting.

The dismissals may be backfiring. The Washington Post reported on May 2 that the electronics retailer expects to post a first-quarter loss in June, and industry analysts are blaming the job cuts. Circuit City has gotten rid of some of its most experienced salesclerks and is losing business to competitors with more knowledgeable employees, they said.

http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/03/29/a-modest-proposal-circuit-city-ceo-could-be-re-hired-at-a-lower/

A modest proposal: Circuit City CEO could be re-hired at a lower salary...?
Posted Mar 29th 2007 3:45PM by Julie Tilsner
Filed under: Competitive strategy, Circuit City Stores (CC)

Pity the hapless retail worker. On your feet all day for a paltry hourly wage and likely no benefits to speak of. Unless there's a commission tied to what you sell, chances are good you're pulling in well under $10 an hour. And try living on $10 an hour these days. Most retailer workers I chat up mention they have two, sometimes three jobs, just to make ends meet.

So it's particularly galling to read how Circuit City Stores, Inc. (NYSE:CC). is treating its workers. Firing the ones who make the "most" (and let's be clear here, these people aren't making anything near a professional wage), firing them, and offering to re-hire them at a lower "market rate" wage.

But here's an idea. According to Forbes, Circuit City's chairman and CEO Philip J. Schoonover, pulls in some $2. 17 million last year. That's a lotta bread, from where I'm sitting. Even more if you're a retail clerk making $7 an hour (and not sitting). What if, in the name of improved bottom lines, the board of directors fires Schoonover, then rehires him at a lower, salary. Say, $980K a year, plus benefits and stock options. He'll probably still be able to make his house payments, drive a Mercedes, and send his kids to Brown or Yale. Don't ya think?

[driver8]

61. Same here. That is the reason I don't shop at Circuit City.

Fuck them. If that is how they treat their employees, they will not get my money.

[TwilightGardener]

4. Way better than Best Buy--I refuse to shop there--bunch of rude bastards.

[mondo joe]

5. My nearest Best Buy is always playing "Christian Rock" too. But I don't like either

store.

[AlCzervik]

13. Best buy is awful, i needed to buy a cable, i researched it at home, brought

in the spec page and not a one of them could help me with it "I don't know what is it", even the store manager and i brought the print out with me.

[TwilightGardener]

26. Yep--my husband and I stood forever in the TV department, ready

to drop some cash on a particular model, and not a soul willing to help us make the puchase--my husband even went to the front desk, they paged someone, we waited...and then we finally took our money and business elsewhere. That wasn't the first time we experienced poor service there, just the final straw.

[taught_me_patience]

49. I had the exact same experience at Best Buy

Waiting in front of the TV section with cash in hand and ready to buy. Nobody approached me to help. I left and bought the same TV at Frys. Circuit City is nearly always the cheapest electronic store.

[ananda]

47. I like Best Buy.

I've never had a problem with Best Buy.

In fact, their techs have always helped me.

I just bought a Netgear router there, and the
clerk was so helpful explaining what it could
do and some of the wifi things it would do.

I didn't take him up on his offer to send a tech
to set it up for me, though.. the simple setup
would be $89 and the fancier one $159.

Instead, I called Netgear's customer service
and their tech walked me through the setup
for free.. and it works great.

Now all I have to do is turn on my laptop in
another room and I have instant internet access..
and fast.

Sue

[Horse with no Name]

107. My last experience with Best Buy was...well, my last

They had a car stereo advertised. The special was that it came with speakers.
The sign said so.
The paper said so.
I drove 75 miles to purchase this item.
The salesman argued with me over it. I asked for the manager, not much better.
When I simply insisted that they honor it, voila! Seems that they had NEITHER item in stock.:eyes:
I should have gone higher, I should have contacted the District Manager...but you know, I just don't shop there anymore.
Whether they know it or not, they lost me as a customer forever.

[AZBlue]

109. Best Buys near me are filled with 16 year olds who are only concerned with

last night's party and couldn't care less about the customers.

Besides, Circuit City has better prices.

[Bluebear]

6. Receipts aside. They fired *3400* people only to hire lower-paid ones. You sure you want to shop 'em

"The company has completed a wage management initiative that will result in the separation of approximately 3,400 store Associates. The separations, which are occurring today, focused on Associates who were paid well above the market-based salary range for their role. New Associates will be hired for these positions and compensated at the current market range for the job."

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/196627/how_circuit_city_rewards_its_employees.html

" :thumbsup: " ?

[terip64]

10. Thank you Bluebear, for doing my research for me. What would I do without DU?? n/t

[Bluebear]

12. I will not spend one red cent at a place like that.

And I am betting you won't either. :hug:

[terip64]

14. Absolutely not! And it was fun telling them so!!

:toast:

[Crabby Appleton]

36. Me either! nt

[redqueen]

23. Yup, that's why I won't shop there. n/t

[Bill McBlueState]

37. a "wage management initiative"

Jesus F. Christ. I swear, someone should write a book called "2084" in which a corporate cabal overthrows Big Brother and institutes their own version of Newspeak.

[uppityperson]

41. Exactly, why support business that do this type crap?

How about looking at a bigger picture rather than just reacting to 1 person's issue with a store and with the police? Thanks Bluebear for posting this, was my first inclination to find and post too.

[RufusTFirefly]

52. I wish they'd use slave labor. All I care about are LOW PRICES!!

Yeah, baby, yeah!!

:sarcasm:

[cascadiance]

54. Don't forget the DIVX/DVD format battles that they spawned on us some years back too...

Now of course DIVX is something totally different.

But in those days, Circuit City was trying to sell us a competing format to the DVD format that would have forced spyware devices and pay-per-view viewing of discs of movies that they were trying to get Hollywood to support instead of DVDs. Some of the companies were trying to push this at first too and keeping their content off of DVD and making a mess. I boycotted them then too until they dropped that nonsense. Now with the latest sets of "layoffs" that they've been doing, I'm pretty much done with them for good!

http://www.oreillynet.com/onjava/blog/2002/04/the_lesson_of_dvd_vs_divx.html

[Romulox]

11. Didn't CC just fire all it's salespeople

And replace them with cheap substitutes?

Hooray for progressive support of labor!

[Javaman]

16. Yes, they did. They fired all their full timers to only hire them back

at lower part time wages. nice of them huh? they are dead to me.

[libnnc]

31. I used to work with a guy who worked for CC

He told me some real horror stories. He worked as an inventory manager and he attended a meeting once at company headquarters (forget where) but that top management were so anal, they actually had rules about who could walk where...only top brass were allowed to walk on the carpeted areas in the office...it's been a while but that story stuck with me.

He worked his ass off for them and they treated him like total crap.

[IndianaJones]

15. I go because they replaced their idiotic sales force...

with a much more knowledgeable one.

[Bluebear]

17. You are SUCH a little troll.

:rofl:

You troublemaker hehehe.

[IndianaJones]

19. Before the new sales people, I never would've known that I needed the $200 Monster cables...

and the 10 year replacement plan.

[Bluebear]

25. You're absolutely right.

Isn't it sad that they have to hawk, hawk, hawk those things to make a decent hourly?

:shaking head:

[IndianaJones]

28. I love it. Forget the fact that they can't tell me the native resolution

of the tv I'm looking at. I can protect my investment and enjoy the best picture imaginable, all for only twice the price of the original merchandise alone. Gotta appreciate when the store is looking out for me like that. Kudos and JD Power for CC.

[Bluebear]

29. You also get to hear about what a slammin' TV it is from someone whose voice is still changing.

[IndianaJones]

34. I get the feeling you are not serious and are possibly mocking me.

I'm heading to CC after work to get some replacement Monster cables. The sales guy told me they expire after a year.

[Bluebear]

35. That's because you didn't take out the 1,2, or 3 year plan on them. Like i did.

:hi:

PS in all seriousness, when they try to sell me those extended plans and try to scare me about what can go wrong, i say "maybe I shouldn't buy this, if they break so much..."

[wicket]

44. Muahahahahahaha!

:rofl:

[SidDithers]

22. THAT was a funny post...

:rofl:

Very nice :)

Sid

[terrya]

18. I've had great success with Circuit City

Reasonable prices, a staff that knows what they're talking about and friendly as well.

And I will show them my receipt if asked. :thumbsup:

[redqueen]

21. You are very naughty!

:spank:

[Richardo]

48. .

:hi:

[Junkdrawer]

24. I use TigerDirect....at least they apologized...

http://consumerist.com/consumer/civil-rights/tigerdirect-unlawfully-restrains-and-verbally-abuses-customer-for-not-submitting-to-receipt+showing-demands-292688.php

[The Vinyl Ripper]

30. Good for you..

You can get better deals on the intertubes though..

I like Geeks.com, bought quite a bit from them.

http://www.geeks.com/

Cheers..

[Avalux]

32. Nah. Buy stuff online at newegg.com

I'll gladly give them a rec - my hd lcd tv was a bargain; no shipping fee, arrived fast and in one piece. I've also purchased cameras, pc parts, and just this morning, an awesome little MP3 player:



MEIZU 2.4" Black 8 GB MP3 Player

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16855625005

[Chovexani]

80. Newegg is awesome

I got a 1GB stick of RAM and a 320 GB LaCie external HD for my intel iMac from Newegg back in March, and both work like a charm. They've got great prices and their turnaround time is phenomenal.

I second the rec.

[blondeatlast]

43. You civil-liberties sacrificer, you!

:spank:

[iamthebandfanman]

45. lol

yeah, shopping at and obeying the owners of a private property! how dare you!

btw, they are really do rip people off there. so does best buy.


i highly suggest internet shopping for electronics/computer parts.

[tabasco]

56. OBEY!

Because you lose your rights when you enter private property where you were invited. SUBMIT to the Property Owner!

Land of the Free and Home of the Brave!

LMAO. Land of the cowardly serfs.

[iamthebandfanman]

81. hey

nobodys forcing you to shop at one of the places where it is routine practice. heck has been for years !
like i say
buy over the internet! save money AND time!

[Richardo]

46. I'm a milquetoast pawn of the fascist establishment, alright.

:hi:

[tabasco]

62. No, just a fool who disparages citizens who fight for their rights.

I find it curious why you posted this.

The end result of people not standing up for their rights is indeed serfdom and/or fascism.

We should applaud this citizen's action, not disparage them.

In an attempt to mock them, you expose yourself.

[Richardo]

63. The guy is a provocateur - NONE of it would have happened without his tireless efforts

Much ado about nothing.

On edit: He DID get a blog entry out of it, and a lot of righteous support from strangers at DU. So: Mission Accomplished for our 'citizen', I guess.

[tabasco]

65. That's what they said when some colonists threw tea in the harbor.

Just a bunch of rabble rousers.

[Richardo]

66. HAHAHAHAHAHA

Oh, you're serious.

[HEyHEY]

69. Why do you hate America?

[Richardo]

71. I'm not too crazy about Canada either.

:hi:

[HEyHEY]

75. Nazi!

[iamthebandfanman]

83. i agree completely with you

funniest thing ive ever seen on DU by far.


He was an asshole for ignoring the employee. it really wasnt that big of a deal. sounds to me someone just decided, hey... i think ill be a complete ass today ... and an arrogant one at that. he coulda avoided everything that happened afterwards if he had just dont as, im sure, he was POLITELY asked to do. but ohhhh no!
not that it excuses that cops actions...
but you know, sometimes when you act like an asshole you get screwed by a dick(thecop).

[tabasco]

84. Someone has to stand up for our rights.

It's obvious it won't be cowards like you.

It's easy to stand by and snigger as a citizen is deprived of his rights.

Beware, foolish one - - one day it could be you.

[Richardo]

90. It won't be me. I show my receipt and I don't provoke police officers

I'm golden.

[HEyHEY]

68. For every comparison to a noble cause there is one to a moronic cause

[tabasco]

85. Is it moronic to stand up for your personal liberty?

I can't believe how compliant and cowardly many have become.

They stand by and snigger at a citizen who stands up for his liberty rights.

Unbelievable. It used to mean something to be an American.

[HEyHEY]

100. DO you really think Thomas Jefferson would have gotten arrested for the same reason?

If I was in a PUBLIC place, I'd be offended. This is nothing more than insulting, not a breach of rights.

[LynneSin]

50. I think you're just being a causehead

:hide:

[merh]

51. And I just love the salad at Olive Garden

and the Chicken Marsala and mushrooms is yummy. :9

[LynneSin]

55. I love the endless salad and breadsticks at Olive Garden

But don't tell anyone else I lose my street creds here at DU

[MrCoffee]

93. Hospitaliano, baby.

[Deja Q]

57. You'd trust their 'experts' on even basic computing questions?

I wouldn't.

I've no qualms showing them my receipt either, even though it's a stupid practice when they hire security people and have about 100 cameras in each store.

[Richardo]

67. No. This thread is merely a provocation - much like yesterday's 'outrage'

;-)

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

59. Why not just go to Walmart?

:shrug:

[sendero]

60. I am lucky...

... I live in an area that has Fry's Electronics stores. Not only do they stock EVERYTHING from resistors to washing machines, their prices are always great and their return policy also.

In fact, I bought a washer and dryer there a few month ago after Sears sold me some and couldn't deliver when they said they would.

The salesman took me aside and told me that the washer and dryer I bought were going on sale the next week, and if I brought in my receipt they would refund me the difference between what I paid and the sale price. Hey, $100 is $100.

They do check receipts and bags at the door, I don't care, they keep prices down by keeping employee theft down.

[Maat]

105. Mylem, the manager of the San Marcos, Ca. Fry's, is my hero.

Best Buy sold me a laptop, stating that it could upgrade to XP-Pro; it couldn't. They charged me a take-back fee, and would only issue a store credit for the software. I haven't shopped there since.

Fry's also sold me a laptop and tried to install XP Pro. That didn't work. The difference is that Fry's took it back - no take-back/restock fee, and Manager just said, "Go get her one that HAS XP-Pro (required by work), and sell it to her for a great price." I got a GREAT laptop with two processors (I don't know the details, but Mr. Maat, the Techie-Webmaster-Chemical-Engineer, was VERY happy).

Fry's is just great!

[Fox Mulder]

64. I'm never going to shop there again.

[byronius]

70. Big Republican Donor, FYI.

BuyBlue.org has them listed in the book.

[CabalPowered]

72. Save yourself some money, Go NewEgg

No papers required.

[rateyes]

73. I've made my decision...the first time a cop arrests me...

after I've shown him a store receipt proving I haven't stolen a thing, thus negating any need he has to see identification that I am not under any obligation to provide...I'll be suing a cop.

And, the next time I buy electronics, it won't be from a store who fires senior employees and rehires them at lower wages.

Right to work laws suck, and so do unethical employers.

[bear425]

74. If you're really into showing your receipt, shop Costco.

They ask to see it, too. AND they're a blue company.

[awoke_in_2003]

98. did you read the paperwork

when you signed up? It is clearly stated that they check receipts.

[bear425]

99. Where did you get the sense that I have a problem with it?

But, thanks for reading the fine print for me.
edit: My point was that if one is asked to show a receipt, at least its better to shop BLUE.

[awoke_in_2003]

102. Just re-read my post

it does seem snarky, didn't mean it to be. I do agree about Costco. Had to pry my wifes Sam's Club card out of her hand, but now she prefers Costco.

[bear425]

110. Cool. I think Costco is a great company. Not only to shop at, but

to work for. It's employee benefits and wages are second to none in this industry. Plus, like I said, it is a blue company. I've been boycotting Walmart and, by extension, Sam's Club since forever. Good for you getting her to switch!

[treestar]

76. No one says you're a wimp for doing that

You don't have to be in favor of it or not support the guy who refused or make fun of him or of anyone who points out the issue.
The guy's rich, he's got some time on his hands and he helped bring this out.

Why do people feel they must defend the practice to be able to shop there?

The guy made a good point. When you show they the receipt, you are doing them a favor. You are volunteering to help them with their shoplifting problems. You are being nice to them. That is the point. It reminds you that you don't have to do it. A reminder needed in this nation of people trained just to obey.

The security guard and the police officer did not get that and they needed to learn that lesson.

[IronLionZion]

77. Buy.com (NOT BEST BUY), Amazon, and Newegg for me

I only use CC if it's something I need them to install for me like a car stereo...or if I need something ASAP and can't wait for it to be shipped. I worked as a contractor at Best Buy's corporate office and I don't even like their store. It's a wonderful place to work but electronics are cheaper just about anywhere else.

[K8-EEE]

78. They "baited" me once and I'll never go back....!!

OK this was like 16 years ago -- however I went in there to get a refrigerator I had been pricing at several different places, they offered it $100 cheaper so I go in there, after the sale is ALMOST completed and they tell me I have to buy all the inside parts separately, like the CRISPER DRAWERS AND THE SHELVES AND STUFF!!! If I did so it would be MORE expensive than the competitors. I was so pissed!

[rateyes]

79. I hope you reported that

illegal practice.

[mondo joe]

86. The god damn crisper drawers?

I hope you got all Samuel L Jackson on them.

[WildEyedLiberal]

87. I wouldn't have even cared about that thread without all the hysterical overreactions

I'm convinced that some idiot could piss on a picture of Bush's face in public and be called a "hero" fighting for our "rights," and his inevitable arrest would be simply evidence of the "fascist police state" and "the first step towards the Holocaust." He'd also be compared to the Founding Fathers, Gandhi, Rosa Parks, and Jesus.

I wish I were joking.

[tabasco]

88. Do you support all tortfeasors or just the corporate ones?

At the very least, Circuit City is liable for tortious conduct.

Do you support those found liable of wrongful death, as well as those who commit false imprisonment? Do you make fun at victims of thalidimide birth defects? Do you take the corporate side on every issue, or just false imprisonment? I mean, it's just a person's personal liberty at stake. No biggie, right?

It really makes me sick to see the cowards laugh at a citizen who was wronged, and had the audacity to stand up for his rights.

Circuit City will be sued and will lose. I'm sure that will break your little heart.

[Richardo]

89. I support anything that pisses off those who provoke confrontation then whine about it

...like infantile attention whores.

[Name removed]

95. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Telly Savalas]

103. Like pointing out the irony

of someone whining about about Circuit City's security policy being a violation of civil liberties while having the picture of a fucking slave owner as their avatar?

[Fading Captain]

108. Wow.

Look in the mirror much?

[cui bono]

91. So you agree with their policy to fire long term employees so that they can

hire new, cheaper labor?

[Richardo]

92. No. Why?

:shrug:

[cui bono]

94. That's what they do. So by shopping there you are supporting that.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=1748993

[MrCoffee]

96. quick, look up

the intent of the OP is somewhere up there.

[cui bono]

97. You mean here?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1754121&mesg_id=1758068

Childish.

[WinkyDink]

101. All the laid-off older employees thank you!

[Oldenuff]

104. I think I'll pass on Circuit City

Loss prevention should not equal treating their customers like they are potential thieves.It's amazing to me that people leaving a checkstand will be dutiful and obediant little shoppers,and show their reciepts when the security point is less than 15ft away.Hell,if that security dude was paying attention,he could see your reciept being put in the bag with your purchases.

More importantly to me is,that you are monitered by camera the entire time you are in the store,and then treated like you might be a potential shoplifter on your exit.

If you are happy with being suspected of being a criminal when shopping at CC,then have at it.But the last time I was in there,I swore I would never go back.

Screw Circuit City.

[gauguin57]

106. IIRC, they're BIG Repug contributors. I stopped shopping there after consulting Buy Blue.

Just sayin'