Still, there are some compelling reasons to buy the same electronic gizmos in-store that you can get online.
Say, for instance, holy crap, you just remembered it’s your wife’s birthday tomorrow, and Prime 2-day shipping isn’t going to cut it. As someone who has faced this situation multiple times and is still married to this day, I can attest that buying expensive electronics in a brick-and-mortar store is a viable option. The timetable thing is a big one, but here are some other reasons why you should do it: Thanks to price matching, you can get online pricing from a brick-and-mortar store, as long as you’re willing to put up with the customer service line.
Stores that Offer Price Matching for Online Sales
Just about every big-box retailer has a price matching policy. That is, if you can prove that you’ve found the same model online for a lower price, they’ll honor the online pricing. This includes the same store’s website (e.g., if it’s cheaper on BestBuy.com than it is in-store at Best Buy) or the online price from a competitor. Here’s a quick list of stores that have price matching policies and which websites they honor: Best Buy Price Match Guarantee Walmart Price Matching Policy Target Price Match Guarantee Staples Price Matching Policy Office Depot Price Matching Policy Pretty much any store will have some price matching policy. Just check their website or look for a big old sign by their customer service department to see which online competitors they price match.
How Price Matching Works
Each store is going to vary in the way they execute these deals, but generally speaking, here’s how it works:
You find a lower price for the same product and model online that’s offered in-store.You bring your phone with the website pulled up or a print out of the sale to the customer service desk and tell them you want to do a price match.The store associate verifies on their system that the listing is legit and matches the product you want to buy in-store.You get your discount and pay normally.
Contract cell phones, rebates, misprints, bundle offers, and pricing that comes with financing also do not count. Generally speaking, if you’re not purposefully trying to game the system, you should be able to get your online price matched. I’ve had instances where the store associate wasn’t 100% convinced, but they still grudgingly gave me the discount. I’ve also had the opposite experience: at Best Buy, they were practically thrilled to give me a $20 discount on a router. Your mileage will vary, but it’s definitely worth a shot. One last tip: If you bought something and found a lower price later, you can usually come back in or call the store and get the price honored retroactively if it’s within a certain number of days. Comment
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