I call SHENANIGANS!!! Best Buy "secret" employee website.

Seems like the big box store, Best Buy, isn't practicing on the 'up and up'. They've got an "internal" website which has different price quotes than the "real" Best Buy website. It goes like this (via Consumerist):

Have you ever found a deal at Best Buy's website only to travel to the store and find that the "sale" is over? Did the Best Buy employee show you "proof" on their "website"? It now seems that there are really TWO websites, and they're identical except for the prices. Here's the deal:

• You walk into a Best Buy to purchase a sale item you saw on their site.

• The employee tells you that the item is no longer on sale, and shows you what looks to be Best Buy's website, but it's really a secret intranet that Best Buy's corporate office denies exists. The price on the website shows that the sale is over.

• You cry and leave, then at home you see that the sale isn't over at all. What happened?

Moral of the story? Bring a printout of BestBuy.com and also ask for the secret intranet price to be quoted to you. Sometimes it's more, but sometimes it's less.

Read more: Consumerist: Best Buy's Secret "Employee Only" In-Store Website Shows Different Prices Than Public Website

Attention shoppers: Costco is changing their return policy

If you don't know by now, Costco has a great, liberal return policy. Basically, anything you buy there can be returned within 5 years, NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
Like if you buy a plant there, and it dies because you didn't water it, YOU CAN RETURN IT, simple. It worked great with electronics. Buy a new TV or computer, and in 3 years, you can return it for an updated one. NO PROBLEM, right?

Well, Costco's got hip to your game. They're changing their return policy. According to Hot Deals Club:
Costco changed their return policy for all electronics purchases. Under the new policy, all electronics purchases as of 2007 can be returned "no questions asked" for up to 3 months after purchase, and up to 6 months for defective merchandise. This is a huge change to their policy, where all non-computer electronics returns were accepted for up to 3 years (sometimes 5 years) after purchase with the original receipt. The new policy is for all electronics, including televisions, stereos, GPSs, cameras, projectors, MP3 Players, and phones.
Costco stores will still accept returns for all electronics purchased within the last 3 years, but only for a few more weeks until customers are notified about the new policy. The product being returned must include the original receipt, all manuals, cables, and everything which came in the original box. The original product box itself is not required for most electronics purchases.
If you still have the original receipt from an electronics purchase made within the last 3 years, you may want to consider returning it soon before the new policy formally takes affect. For example, if you purchased an upconvert DVD player 2 years ago for $120, a 32" LCD HDTV 2 years ago for $900, a 37" LCD HDTV Garmin Nuvi 350 GPS a year ago for $800, you can return it today for a complete refund which can be used toward anything including a brand new HDTV or GPS. HDTVs have dropped in price by half over the past 2 years, and GPSs have dropped in half over the last year. Getting a full refund for a past purchase and upgrading to a new model is definitely a hot deal.

Hot damn!



********UPDATE:
I just read this as I got home today from work:

Costco Electronics Return Policy NOT Changing:
In response to our recent article about Costco's return policy on Electronics changing, we were contacted by a member at Costco Corporate who told us this was a rumor and is untrue. Costco Corporate is aware store managers have documents detailing a change in the Costco return policy, and are relaying this false information to their employees and customers. Their return policy continues be an unlimited return policy on all electronics purchases, including HDTVs, GPSs, stereos, projectors, cameras, MP3 players, and phones. While they have no limit on how long they will accept returns with the original receipt, some stores may give difficulty with electronics returns greater than 3 years old.

This is from the same site that I read the first story from so you can go to Hot Deals and check it out yourself...
I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Shh, I've been shopping online.

Damn, I'm totally hooked again. Last night, I spent a couple hours looking at the EMS site for some fleece and outerwear. Tried to do an online order and then pick up the items in the store only to find out that they were sold out. Damn sale.
Also I've been hounding for a new notebook that I can take to school with me. I'm looking for a sub-notebook with a great battery life and weighs less than 4 pounds. I came across Dynamism and realized that they're way too expensive, but totally sweet. There's the Panasonic R5, that has a 10.4" screen, weighs 2.2 pounds and has an 11 hour battery life. Friggin' Sweet!!!
And then afterwards, I ran into Koyono and their rain overcoats. I want one. I totally want to get rid of my Kenneth Cole overcoat and update to a newer one with a better cut. I looked at the BlackCoat AirGo and the BlackCoat Classic. I can't decide. Perhaps you can help me out? Drop me a comment here and let me know what you think.

Free DVD rentals at REDBOX?

Yeah, I don't know about you, but I've never seen one of these REDBOX DVD Rental thingys around. But nevertheless, the deal's out there that you can go and hack it and get free 24 hour rentals. Sweet!
Supposedly, all you have to do is enter a code and you get a free rental for 1 day. If you try it and it works out for you, drop me a comment here.
REDBOX Codes

Frucall: shopping comparison while your out shopping.

Ok, now's the season to go out and try and find some bargains. But what happens when you're out in the mall or Century 21 and aren't sure whether or not your getting a bargain right then and there or are better off waiting and getting it online?
Well, Frucall to the rescue.
Dial a number, enter in the UPC barcode, and it'll read back to you a search of various internet prices for your product. That way, you'll know if you're getting a deal or not.
Now, the site says that you gotta sign up and stuff, but I think it's only for more types of services above and beyond the price comparison stuff.
I tried it but it didn't find a price for my 60 piece Eclipse gum pack. Sure it's not scientific or even valid but it's a shot. But I'll definitely add this to my phone list so I can try it out when I'm shopping this black Friday.
Your mileage may vary.
Frucall: Online Comparison Shopping on Your Phone