We put a couple of claims made in recent commercials under the microscope to see if they stand up to scrutiny.
>> Best Buy. The story you see on that Best Buy commercial is true: Employee Rachel Munoz of McAllen, Texas, really did use her customer service skills and Best Buy’s price-match guarantee to persuade a customer calling from Wal-Mart to switch stores.
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The fine print: Best Buy’s in-store matching guarantee applies only to offers from local competitors. Be ready to prove your case with an actual clipping of a current local advertisement. For a price-matching refund on an item you’ve already purchased, bring your receipt to customer service along with the ad. There are restrictions on clearance items, rebate offers and pricing errors.
Best Buy also has a separate online policy. BestBuy.com will match the price of the exact item offered by any of its own stores in your area (prices vary by location). Call 888-237-8289 and let the operator know where you found a lower price.
Tough times for retailers mean that diligent shoppers can pick their price at Wal-Mart and Target, too. Wal-Mart has a similar in-store price-matching policy, and Target began its “low price promise” policy in July.
>> Priceline. As the Priceline Negotiator on the company’s popular commercials, William Shatner chides, cajoles and even kidnaps travelers to get them to “name their own price” for travel deals on Priceline.com. What users don’t get to do is name specifics — that is, if they want Priceline-style savings.
The site does let you book specific travel plans, but its raison d’etre is the auction-style booking option, which can cut up to 50 percent off regular hotel rates and 40 percent off airfare and car rental rates. With hotels, for example, you choose your length of stay, preferred neighborhood and a guaranteed minimum star class, then you make an offer. Priceline doesn’t reveal your hotel until after you pay. This blind booking can be especially risky when visiting unfamiliar areas, particularly overseas.
Those who prefer not to gamble can choose from more than 85,000 properties on Hotels.com and still save big with special offers, including last-minute deals. For flights, Kayak.com fetches the best fares, scouring more than 400 online sources. Bing.com/travel searches just one-fourth that many, but it does predict whether fares will rise or fall in the next seven days and advises you either to buy tickets now or to wait for a drop in price.
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