Saturday, December 8, 2012

Is This Real?

A customer ordered an iPad from one of the biggest consumer electronics store in the world.  That store is Best Buy.  When the parcel was delivered, she was shocked to find she received 5 iPads.
 
She called Best Buy and she was told to keep all 5 of them.  This is Best Buy’s response to her:
 
" We, here at Best Buy, acknowledge that we obviously made a mistake, but in the spirit of the holidays, we encourage you to keep the additional iPads and give them to people in need – friends, family, a local school or charity.”
 
This news was reported by many news organizations. Lot of thoughts come to my mind.
 
Are they really this nice to their customers?
 
Is this a marketing ploy?
 
Cheap advertising?
 
Feel good story to perk up the holiday shopping season?
 
How can she register the extra 4 iPads without a sales receipt?
 
If they really made a mistake, what happened to the clerk who made the mistake?
 
Did the other 4 customers get empty boxes?
 
And finally, why this is not happening to me?  I could give the extra 4 iPads to the 4 blogging friends I adore.  Who are those 4?  You will know when I receive 4 iPads (for free) and ship them to you.
Posted by at

33 comments:

  1. SandhyaDecember 8, 2012 at 11:55 PM

    Haha! Am I there in the list, SG?!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AparnaDecember 9, 2012 at 1:42 AM

    Lucky lady...buy 1 get 4 free!!! I hope I am one of the four when you get this lucky!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Priya AroraDecember 9, 2012 at 2:15 AM

    Hehe...lucky girl... wish I get this lucky, U l surely be in my list, SG :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. SGDecember 9, 2012 at 9:30 AM

    Thanks for your comments Sandhya. You could be.

    ReplyDelete
  5. SGDecember 9, 2012 at 9:30 AM

    Thanks for your comments Aparna. Well, I think you could be one of the four.

    ReplyDelete
  6. SGDecember 9, 2012 at 9:31 AM

    Thanks for your comments Priyaa. Thank you sooo much for including me in your list. I feel very happy and honored.

    ReplyDelete
  7. ZephyrDecember 9, 2012 at 5:28 PM

    It could be all of the reasons you have listed. But I loved your question about 'why not me?' I know I have only begun visiting your blog, but I do hope I am there in your list when you get those free ipads :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. SGDecember 9, 2012 at 6:12 PM

    Thanks for your comments Zephyr. You do not have to be my long time reader for me to adore you. You could also be on the list. A few people I adore do not even read my posts or have stopped reading my posts.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Destination InfinityDecember 9, 2012 at 6:29 PM

    I prefer a full-fledged laptop to an iPad/tablet. I think journalists/related people might stand a better chance of getting such 'free' offers by mistake!

    Destination Infinity

    ReplyDelete
  10. SGDecember 9, 2012 at 6:42 PM

    Thanks for your comments Rajesh. When I order one full fledged laptop and I receive 5 by mistake, I will certainly send you one as a gift. You are one of the four in my laptop category.

    ReplyDelete
  11. RenuDecember 9, 2012 at 9:15 PM

    I dont enjoy anything which i dont deserve..

    ReplyDelete
  12. sulagna December 10, 2012 at 2:36 AM

    eesshhh !!! aisa really ho jaye toh wow ho jaye

    ReplyDelete
  13. Rahul BhatiaDecember 10, 2012 at 3:08 AM

    Ha Ha!! The last sentence says it all! Hope Santa brings you luck!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. SGDecember 10, 2012 at 8:17 AM

    Thanks for your comments Renu.

    ReplyDelete
  15. SGDecember 10, 2012 at 8:17 AM

    Thanks for your comments Sulagna. You are absolutely correct.

    ReplyDelete
  16. SGDecember 10, 2012 at 8:18 AM

    Thanks for your comments Rahul. I hope so too.

    ReplyDelete
  17. rudraprayagaDecember 10, 2012 at 10:23 AM

    very interesting as usual.this is how one should learn marketing tricks.

    ReplyDelete
  18. SGDecember 10, 2012 at 10:58 AM

    Thanks for your comments Sarala. You think this is a marketing trick? May be you are correct.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Privy TriflesDecember 10, 2012 at 9:03 PM

    :(

    Even I could do with one i Pad !!

    That lady must be damn lucky to have recieved not one but 4 I pads!!! I dont know whether it was a trick or something intentional but their stance made the entire difference. someone somewhere must have covered for the cost of the other 4 as they asked to keep them!!

    Truly admirable :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. SGDecember 10, 2012 at 9:15 PM

    Thanks for your comments Me. If they have really lost 4 iPads, their insurance company will take of that. Then, in turn, you and I will be paying higher price in future.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Privy TriflesDecember 11, 2012 at 3:53 AM

    Precisely my point..and that is exactly what is making me wonder why would they ask that lady to keep it in the first place rather than asking her to return and apologise for their mistake. That would have been cheaper to send a nice letter to her with some discount as a compensation!

    ReplyDelete
  22. SGDecember 11, 2012 at 6:48 AM

    Thanks for your comments Me. I agree with you.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Meera SundararajanDecember 13, 2012 at 8:25 AM

    Sounds interesting but probably not very pleasant for the person who made that mistake.. ! But sounds like cool advertising.

    ReplyDelete
  24. JayashreeDecember 13, 2012 at 10:29 PM

    Wow...why don't people ever make that kind of mistake around me? I sure hope I will be on your list, SG....

    ReplyDelete
  25. SGDecember 14, 2012 at 8:25 PM

    Thanks for your comments Meera. I think this is a pre-planned advertisement gimmick.

    ReplyDelete
  26. SGDecember 14, 2012 at 8:27 PM

    Thanks for your comments Jayashree. I am also asking the same question. Why don't they make that kind of mistake around Jayashree. Since we know each other for a long time, I know I will be on your list.

    ReplyDelete
  27. ChitraDecember 15, 2012 at 3:09 AM

    Is that a gimmick just to boost up sales. Will any company commit such mistakes? I doubt.

    Ok add me to list of people when you receive extra ipads :))
    Long time SG...tc

    ReplyDelete
  28. JeevanDecember 16, 2012 at 5:02 AM

    I think about the 4 empty boxes. Wish you could be the next, may be because I could be the one... who knows. lol

    ReplyDelete
  29. VetirmagalDecember 20, 2012 at 1:13 AM

    Lucky lady..

    If this has happened in India, I would have asked,who is that lady, which is that company, did she really kept back those extra ones...this sure is a fake show..

    Since it is in USA, and I want to be in your list, for sharing, I wish you luck.

    ReplyDelete
  30. SGDecember 20, 2012 at 7:27 PM

    Thanks for your comments Chitra. I think this is a gimmick.

    ReplyDelete
  31. SGDecember 20, 2012 at 7:28 PM

    Thanks for your commens Jeevan. I wish I coould be the next one.

    ReplyDelete
  32. SGDecember 20, 2012 at 7:28 PM

    Thanks for your comments Pattu. And, thanks for your best wishes.

    ReplyDelete
  33. ekta khetanDecember 23, 2012 at 12:46 AM

    Thats a wow news...Wish I got atleast one by mistake without even paying for it...BTW whats the cost of ipad in USA and does that work in India? My uncle is coming on 26th..Can I ask him to get one?

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)