Best Buy Black Friday Ticket System, FAQ and Sample Ticket

[bigjimslade]

Hi everyone! I did this last year so I will do it again this year. Below is everything you ever wanted to know about how tickets work at Best Buy (BB) and a picture of a sample ticket so you will know what they look like.

 

FAQ:

 

What is a ticket at Best Buy?

 

A ticket is a paper that BB employees will pass about 2 hours before the store opens. The ticket holds the product for the ticket holder for the item on the ticket until 11am local time on Black Friday. BB does this to cut down on fights and riots in the store.

 

What are the tickets for?

 

No one really knows what BB will put on the ticket system for BF. In the past they have been for items that are in high demand but have limited stock for. In the past few years items included desktops, laptops, cameras (Digital and SLR Film), MP3 players, GPS, TVs (HD, Plasma, LCD, Tube), Printers, and sometimes household items like washer machines.

 

Is the ticket system company wide or just a local program?

 

The ticket system is a company wide system. The tickets come from BB HQ and are sent under strict security to the stores about 1 week before BF.

 

 

When do they pass out the tickets?

 

The tickets are passed out the morning of Black Friday about 2-3 hours before the store opens local time.

 

What happens when they pass out the tickets?

 

About 2 hours before they open the doors for black friday Best Buy employees will come out of the store and start at the front of the line. One BB worker will have a ticket for an item. He/she will start at the front of the line and go down the line saying "Who wants the $149.99 desktop?". He/she will give each person a ticket until the BB employee runs out. Once the tickets are gone for that item then that is it for that item. BB employee will do this until all of the ticketed items are gone or until they have reached the end of the line.

 

Once I have a ticket what happens next?

 

You wait......You wait until the store opens. The BB worker who gave you the ticket will explain to you where to go in the store to pick up your item. Most BB will close there customer service desk to make room for all check out lanes to be open so pay attention on where you are told to go to pick up your item.

 

Is there a limit on how many tickets I can get?

 

Most ticketed items are one per a person per an item. For example if you want 1 desktop and 1 digital camera then you will get two tickets. If you want 2 of the SAME item you wont be able to get it since there will be a limit of one per a person. Some stores will even go the extra mile of checking ID's so be ready to show your ID if asked.

 

Can I get out of line after I get my ticket?

 

My advice to you would be no. At the BB last year the manager told us and the 6 police officers in FULL tactical gear that if anyone leaves they lose there place in line and ticket.

 

What time should I get in line for a ticket?

 

It is hard to say since I don't know what you are wanting to get and where you live. Last year (BF 2008) people started to form lines at BB around 10pm Wednesday and by 12 noon Thanksgiving Day there were already 300 people in line. Most of the people in front of the lines wanted the laptops, desktops and TVs and they were college and high school students. It all depends on the weather as well. My advice....get there early.....Turkey is over rated!

 

Is there anything else I need to know?

 

Keep your eyes on this thread. I have sources at BB that will give me updated info if needed. Also remember that BB HQ gives local managers the power to customize the ticket system to fit there own store and community. This FAQ is only created as a guide only. If you have any more questions please post!

 

This FAQ will be updated throughout the BF season. Below is a sample ticket from BB.

 

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m207/davedfw/gottadeal/bbticketbf2005.jpg

[Tarmax4]

Does anyone have any suggestions of HOW EARLY to get to Best Buy Black Friday morning?? I've heard of people lining up starting Thanksgving morning. Not sure if that's a urban legend or not. I live in New York city. But I usually do BF in Jersey due to lgistics of parking and stores being in close proximity. So any Northeast residents' responses would be helpful. :)

[bigjimslade]

I am not in the northeast but I wanted to give some advice.

 

It it way too early to tell what time you should get in line. There are several factors that play into what time you should get into line. How good/bad the ad is, weather, the popularity of the item you want, store location.

 

In years past when the ad was good people including myself would line up Tuesday night. When the ad comes out there will be a thread that will pop up that I will give advice on when to get in line.

 

Have fun!

 

Does anyone have any suggestions of HOW EARLY to get to Best Buy Black Friday morning?? I've heard of people lining up starting Thanksgving morning. Not sure if that's a urban legend or not. I live in New York city. But I usually do BF in Jersey due to lgistics of parking and stores being in close proximity. So any Northeast residents' responses would be helpful. :)

[jaymacfla]

Where did you get the info for the ticketing system? I used to have it, but they seem to now hide the info better.

[bigjimslade]

All in my head. I have been shopping at BB for years and created this info a few years ago and have updated it each year.

 

Last year BB had a webpage set up with the ticket info and I think they will do the same this year. It is too early for it to be up now.

 

 

Update: Just did a simple Google search for BB black friday ticket and found last years site.

 

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/null/null/pcmcat136300050023.c?id=pcmcat136300050023

[pooh92]

The best time to get there is the evening before Thanksgiving. Iv been going to Best Buy camping out for 5 years now. Me along with 3 other families come out and look forward to seeing each other each yr as we are always the first 4 families to arrive. Its a family tradition for me and my kids who love the outing as well as the newspaper and media attention we get for being first in line each year. The ticket system is accurate, however make sure your local Best Buy has a plan, 2 years ago there was a mishap where they gave out tickets and placed items on the floor, so customers with tickets didnt get there products. It was a disaster to say the least.

[barc]

The ticket system is accurate, however make sure your local Best Buy has a plan, 2 years ago there was a mishap where they gave out tickets and placed items on the floor, so customers with tickets didnt get there products. It was a disaster to say the least.

I would think the store ate the cost of the mishap. I've had problems twice at BB where the store's staff screwed up and cost me getting something after being one of the first 20 people in line. Went to the manager both times and told them what happened and both times the manager gave me a similar item at a similar price (first time a desktop PC and second time a laptop). He sold me the items at their regular sale prices and then made up the difference in BB gift cards (basically he made up the difference by giving me free BB merchandise). If you get hosed, complain! The managers are too busy to sort through problems and will throw gift cards at you just to get you out of the store.

[TazErase]

I live in the NE. In NYC if you are not online at Best Buy by Wednesday night usually you will not get the best deals. Outside of NYC it is usually easier but Best Buys located in malls however often have "Mall Rules" and will not allow people to stay if they arrive too early and will threaten them with arrest for trespassing. If the Best Buy you wish to go to is in a mall you may want to contact the mall, HOWEVER, don't expect them to go completely by what they say as far as when they allow people to line up. I have tried that approach and was told no sooner than 3am Friday, yet I am always there long before that and would get none of the sale items. If you are close to the store I would recommend drive past every few hours starting early Thursday, and possibly even late Wednesday night. In most cases the first few to arrive trickle in but during the day, especially after they finish their Thanksgiving dinners,they fill the lines up REALLY FAST. To get the good deals at Best Buy DO NOT expect to arrive in the evening Thursday especially if you want any of the limited items. The first items to go are always the cheap laptops and then some of the higher end laptops. To get them expect to arrive no later than 10am Thursday, although that depends exactly which store you intend to go to. The further from any major cities the better.

[TazErase]

Jaymacfla... for the most part the ticketing info is based on knowledge of past practices. 3 years ago Best Buy used to allow as many laptops as you wanted, but only 1 of each deal. Now they have started limiting it per ITEM TYPE, for example if you want the ticket for the $500 laptop, you can't get the ticket for the $400 laptop as well. Personally I think it is better that way for the people that arrive a little later since I often saw a family of 5 leaving with 3 laptops each and selling most of them for a profit and the people on line for 20hrs don't get any of the sale laptops. I just hope they have good deals this year, last year was so bad it was the first time in about 10 years I didn't even step foot in Best Buy.

[jaymacfla]

Jaymacfla... for the most part the ticketing info is based on knowledge of past practices. 3 years ago Best Buy used to allow as many laptops as you wanted, but only 1 of each deal. Now they have started limiting it per ITEM TYPE, for example if you want the ticket for the $500 laptop, you can't get the ticket for the $400 laptop as well. Personally I think it is better that way for the people that arrive a little later since I often saw a family of 5 leaving with 3 laptops each and selling most of them for a profit and the people on line for 20hrs don't get any of the sale laptops. I just hope they have good deals this year, last year was so bad it was the first time in about 10 years I didn't even step foot in Best Buy.

I did see the rules from last year, and the store that I went to made up their own rules. It has always been one item per customer and i do not see them changing that scenario(corporate). I made the mistake of not checking with them beforehand. that will not happen again!

[jaymacfla]

here is their current policy on the Best Buy Online ordering system, so one can discern that the interpretation problem stems from this element:

 

 

Order Limitations/Limited Quantities

 

Best Buy may, at its own discretion, limit or cancel quantities purchased per person, per household or per order. Best Buy also reserves the right to reject any order you place with us. These restrictions may include orders placed by the same Best Buy Web site account, the same credit card, and orders that use the same billing and/or shipping address. In the event we make a change to an order, we will attempt to notify you by contacting the e-mail and/or billing address provided at the time the order was made. Best Buy reserves the right to limit or prohibit sales to dealers.

[tinkrbel]

Best Buy continues to be on my s@$! list after there debacle today. I only step foot in there when I think it's worth my while knowing the lack of service I will get. I sincerely hope ANYONE else has a decent spec laptop on sale this BF.

[jaymacfla]

Unfortunately, their customer service is in shambles. Just look on their Community website, and you will see a plethora of unanswered complaints, and you can also follow some web complaints against them with the BBB. If they would hire me as a consultant, i would do a real good job as the hatchet man, getting rid of undesirable employees and establishing true customer relations experts who walk the floor, not ride a counter.

[TazErase]

I did see the rules from last year, and the store that I went to made up their own rules. It has always been one item per customer and i do not see them changing that scenario(corporate). I made the mistake of not checking with them beforehand. that will not happen again!

For many years the BB i went to would allow 1 of each ticket per customer, including multiple laptops as long as it wasn't the same doorbuster. About 3 years ago they changed it to 1 TYPE of each, if you get laptop A you can not get laptop B unless you have another person with you, and they often put a limit on how old the person they give the ticket to has to be.

[jaymacfla]

I am still in conversation with Best Buy. What you have described is a nightmare worse than mine. They still maintain that you were supposed to get what Big jim had posted from last years policy. They did say that it is too early to know what the new policy is, but most of the moderators do not anticipate a change.

[jaymacfla]

For many years the BB i went to would allow 1 of each ticket per customer, including multiple laptops as long as it wasn't the same doorbuster. About 3 years ago they changed it to 1 TYPE of each, if you get laptop A you can not get laptop B unless you have another person with you, and they often put a limit on how old the person they give the ticket to has to be.

Here is one of the positive responses from their Ethics office:

 

 

 

I work with Kathleen in the Ethics Office and she asked me to follow up with you on this matter. I’ve spoken with a few people here about your experience. It’s my understanding that the Black Friday company policy, is one ticket per item per customer. As Kathleen suggested, I would still like to forward your question/concern to the Customer Care department for a much better response/action than we are able to give. Is that okay?

 

Regards,

Suzan

 

 

 

Suzan McGinnis

Sr. Manager Ethics & Compliance

 

This policy is now printed on their advertisements, so their should be no more monkey business! This solution took a year to come by! Very happy, but will still talk to the new manager, who was calling me at the behest of the Ethics office!

[TazErase]

Here is one of the positive responses from their Ethics office:

 

 

 

I work with Kathleen in the Ethics Office and she asked me to follow up with you on this matter. I’ve spoken with a few people here about your experience. It’s my understanding that the Black Friday company policy, is one ticket per item per customer. As Kathleen suggested, I would still like to forward your question/concern to the Customer Care department for a much better response/action than we are able to give. Is that okay?

 

Regards,

Suzan

 

 

 

Suzan McGinnis

Sr. Manager Ethics & Compliance

 

This policy is now printed on their advertisements, so their should be no more monkey business! This solution took a year to come by! Very happy, but will still talk to the new manager, who was calling me at the behest of the Ethics office!

Thank you very much. I'm going to look for the policy on it and should they give me a problem I'll take down the managers name. Hopefully they do something about it unlike Walmart.

[TazErase]

Just checked the ad and although I had to magnify the small print, it says 1 ticket per item per customer.