Suggestions to make things more fair?

[angel-too]

What do you think can be done in the future? I'm reading so many posts about how people were 20 to 30 in line, then by 4 a.m., they were 100 in line by people holding spots. The voucher could work, but I think they wait too long. By four o'clock, people have already started eeking in front of the people who were there hours before.

I read somewhere that managers were stamping or numbering people, this could work if the mgrs could start to do it early enough. If you step in line late and the person in front of you and back of you have a hand stamp....................I would think the store would find this to work in their favor, I for one wouldn't want to have 20 pieces of merchandise only to have 500 people charging towards me!

Gone are the days when we were just trying to nab the hottest toy, we're now talking hundreds to thousands of dollars in savings on pc's, plasmas, etc!

There's Got To Be A Better Way!!!!!!!!!

[orangedaisy]

The vouchers and stamping could work IF there was someone constantly supervising. I know it sounds ridiculous to have to supervise a group of supposedly adult-like people, but as we all can see, it is absolutely necessary to keep things fair.

 

The store should designate 2-4 people to supervise the lines as soon as they start - maybe security guards? I hate to hear that the employees said there was nothing they could do about cutting, etc. but lets face it, they most likely are not trained to deal with large, unruly crowds. If the store wants the business and wants people to come back next year, then they should take the responsibility of supervising the line. Unfortunately, there seem to be way more idiots in the world than there are fair, intelligent people.

[grapico]

Our group at cc this year, lots of us see eachother every year and remember eachother from best buy/cc/compusas... would not let ANYBODY hold spots period in the first 50, each spot had to be represented physically by somebody in line, in the order they got there, but we of course let them leave to go use the bathroom etc. but the line never changed from 11pm-5am for the top 50. we made several people get out of line who attempted to let people in. I suggest you just do a little more standing up for yourself for whats fair, I know it might seem rude to do, but its not, its only fair and standing up for what is right, and the workers are not going to intervene themselves. Last year 2 hours prior to opening best buy roped it off and had several police officers, 0 police at circuit city this year.

[orangedaisy]

I suggest you just do a little more standing up for yourself for whats fair, I know it might seem rude to do, but its not, its only fair and standing up for what is right, and the workers are not going to intervene themselves.

Except when you are dealing with totally rude, irrational people.

[grapico]

Except when you are dealing with totally rude, irrational people.

the front 10 people here who got vouchers locked hands and blocked off all the people trying to rush the door long enough for the first people in line to get in, was pretty cool b/c it was all planned out lol. good that there weren't any irrational people here up front trying to get vouchers, all crazy maybe for being camped out since thursday, but rational, atleast once told how it works and why it is correct, and a little bit of raising hell.

[angel-too]

Thats great, but many across the country don't have this familiarity. I think the mgmt. needs to get ahold of the situation BEFORE it becomes unruley. Unfortunately, thats when the violence comes in, when people try to stand up for themselves. It's not rude, it's dangerous!! Do you really think if I voice my distain for someone letting in their Uncle Lou AND Aunt Betty, there gonna say, Yeah, its unfair to you, so we'll go to the back of the line??

[angel-too]

the front 10 people here who got vouchers locked hands and blocked off all the people trying to rush the door long enough for the first people in line to get in, was pretty cool b/c it was all planned out lol. good that there weren't any irrational people here up front trying to get vouchers, all crazy maybe for being camped out since thursday, but rational, atleast once told how it works and why it is correct, and a little bit of raising hell.

But not all places hand out vouchers, and in some cases when they did, it was too late, the front of the line had already swelled.

I saw so many trying to scam managers today, trying to cause a scene so the mgrs. would buckle. Didn't work, they didn't care if someone was upset, it was already chaos.

[abentley]

Our wal-mart is a 24 hr, and most anticipated items were in the back in electronics. They tried to "make" lines, but 300-400 people with carts snaking around isn't the answer either. Especially when there truly isn't enough room for 2 carts to even pass.A lot of people leave their cart to get to an item, other people are rummaging through the left cart considering it "fair game". I personally think single file lines maybe out front in the parking lot in front of a pallet of merchandise that is handed out my employees might work here. They could rope it off and supervise it to make the exit of the line take you right inside the store.

[angel-too]

Our Wal-mart had an L shaped line marked off with hundreds of their shopping carts that ran along side of the building. No one could try to cut in up front with all those carts in front of the ONE entrance. I just didn't like that if you didn't know where to go and was in line from the night before, someone who got there much later had the same chance.

[Guest all2tired]

I know the managers or store owners don't want to get there any earlier than they have to but once they arrive, they should give the vouchers to teh ppl already there but then again that wouldn't be fair either because those ppl could then go sit in their warm cars or whatever while everybody freezes thinking they still have a shot at getting a ticket or voucher. I guess no matter what you do there is nothing that's going to make everybody happy

[mugs]

I liked what someone mentioned in another thread - a walmart that had chairs set out for all of the spots in line that would get vouchers. Then you couldn't cut in line without physically removing a person from their chair.

[Candy]

I would like to see possibly a restricted area where sought after items are to be waited on....and ONE per customer..and even though it works for me also..if you leave line..you lose out. If I want 2 items..such as the laptop..then I have to have 2 people waiting..it really isnt fair for one person to hold line for 5-6 people. PLUS they should advertise the approx. amount of each item available and make sure they have reviewed everything on blitz with the employees.

[angel-too]

I know the managers or store owners don't want to get there any earlier than they have to but once they arrive, they should give the vouchers to teh ppl already there but then again that wouldn't be fair either because those ppl could then go sit in their warm cars or whatever while everybody freezes thinking they still have a shot at getting a ticket or voucher. I guess no matter what you do there is nothing that's going to make everybody happy

They could put a sign up telling everyone "________ soldout". Then everyone could go back to their warm cars. For the non super stores, there has to be a way. The no voucher/free for all is just a disaster waiting to happen.

[kmbrly]

The Boca Raton PD supervised our Circuit City line for a while. Seems someone was getting a little rowdy towards the front of the line.

 

 

I stood in line for 5 hours for a disk cleaner (FAR), computer speakers (4.99 AR), and a bag of M&M's (99 cents, no rebate).

[89MustangGX]

At the CC I was at the early people wrote down a list with people's names on it well in advance. Then when management came out to hand out vouchers, we gave them the list and vouched for people saying who they were. All of us early people got what we wanted.

[medicineman]

I dunno, maybe have enough of the items to last through the day and give out rainchecks when you run out and then call the customer when it comes in?

 

If the store has crazy deals and limited supply insanity will ensue. About the best you can do is have staff placed along the line and make sure tickets and vouchers are handed out in an orderly fashion. Stores that have far less than demand are just asking for problems.

[KhakiBoy]

A guy in one of the lines I was in had a good idea. Requiring multiple tickets to get an item. So like at 2:00 they come out and hand out ticket 1 for the item. 20 minutes later or so they come through and hand out ticket 2. They do this several times, at random time intervals. If you're in the car getting warm while someone holds your spot, then you miss getting the ticket. Then when it comes time to buy the item you have to have all the tickets in order to get it. If you missed one, you're SOL.

[KhakiBoy]

Here's my own idea. Not just to prevent people cutting in line and stuff, but also reduce the agony of having to spend so much time sitting out in the cold. We all know the tickets they hand out at like the deli department (now serving # x). They can have an employee with one of those machines at the front door. You go up to him and get a ticket with a number on. Then you can go back to your car, go home, get something to eat, whatever. Then like an hour before the store opens people can just line up by ticket number. When you enter the store they take your ticket.

[phatferd]

A guy in one of the lines I was in had a good idea. Requiring multiple tickets to get an item. So like at 2:00 they come out and hand out ticket 1 for the item. 20 minutes later or so they come through and hand out ticket 2. They do this several times, at random time intervals. If you're in the car getting warm while someone holds your spot, then you miss getting the ticket. Then when it comes time to buy the item you have to have all the tickets in order to get it. If you missed one, you're SOL.

 

That's not totally fair. Especially after Thanksgiving. I got in line at 8:45 pm and was 15th. Around 3am, I had to use the restroom so my cousin held my spot as I went to a gas station for 10 minutes. I was in line for a total of 8 hours and 15 at the gas station/car on the way to the station.

 

People should be allowed to relieve themselves.

[youngjhawk]

A Sears in Omaha was pretty organized. They had a cage with all of their "hot" items contained inside with a few employees. People waited in line, took their ads up and said what items they wanted. They were allowed 1 of each item requested per customer. No chaos, no fighting, no injuries, happy customers. I was extremely impressed with their organization, especially after experiencing extreme chaos and violence at Wal-Mart before the trip to Sears. Two opposite extremes, two different results. Sears should be applauded.

[grapico]

this is how i would do it if i were store director of cc or best buy, hand out tickets in line for the first 150 people about 3-4 hours prior to opening, if you arent there, sorry no ticket. post a sign on the window letting people know this is going to happen(if they can do it for xbox 360 being out, they can do some kind of warning for this) (later let them in at 5 minute intervals, 25 people at a time, starting 30 minutes prior to opening to give them time to get all they want) , vouchers handed out in orderly fashion asking each person by # what big ticket item they want, if somebody cut, doesnt matter, they won't have the #. rope it off for sure and have somebody make a line, call local police to tell them you will need help to do security, we used to do this at restaurants for same type crowds for events and they always gladly showed up, they are probably sitting around doing nothing somewhere else and would enjoy "doing" something that time of night to monitor any unruly people or line breaking, I don't see how all these stores don't have police.

guess thats it.

[saturnboy01]

Get there sooner!

[KhakiBoy]

That's not totally fair. Especially after Thanksgiving. I got in line at 8:45 pm and was 15th. Around 3am, I had to use the restroom so my cousin held my spot as I went to a gas station for 10 minutes. I was in line for a total of 8 hours and 15 at the gas station/car on the way to the station.

 

People should be allowed to relieve themselves.

Yea, that's the only down side I saw to his idea. Can't expect someone to camp out all night and not go to the bathroom. I was only in line 2 hours and I was getting to the point where I had to go!

[yogiyb]

Our BB had plainclothes officers handling the people who showed up at 5am and tried to just walk in the store. That was a huge problem last year b/c it was just the BB employees trying to control the line.

[Dust N Bones]

A guy in one of the lines I was in had a good idea. Requiring multiple tickets to get an item. So like at 2:00 they come out and hand out ticket 1 for the item. 20 minutes later or so they come through and hand out ticket 2. They do this several times, at random time intervals. If you're in the car getting warm while someone holds your spot, then you miss getting the ticket. Then when it comes time to buy the item you have to have all the tickets in order to get it. If you missed one, you're SOL.

That's actually a great idea but could use a little tweaking. See Below.

 

That's not totally fair. Especially after Thanksgiving. I got in line at 8:45 pm and was 15th. Around 3am, I had to use the restroom so my cousin held my spot as I went to a gas station for 10 minutes. I was in line for a total of 8 hours and 15 at the gas station/car on the way to the station.

 

People should be allowed to relieve themselves.

Easy solution to that is the stores can make it clear that they will hand the tickets out every hour on the hour. So starting at Midnight, 1:00 AM, 2:00 AM etc. then if you have to relieve yourself or warm up you know when it's safe to go. This may even work by handing them out every 2 hours instead of every hour.

[me2]

Lottery. Hand out tickets and draw names for the chance to purchase a laptop. You have to be present to win. It would end camping out, fights and all the rest of it because there would be no point. I think it's only a matter of time until advertising a sale and then stocking only 15 laptops is outlawed anyway. I think the stores should be required to have a reasonable stock on hand, or else give rain checks. Of course if that happened you wouldn't see these $350 laptops, because the stores count on attracting 600 people at 5 a.m. but they only figure on losing money on a lousy 15 laptops.

[KhakiBoy]

The problem with doing it at a set time, say every hour on the hour, is that people will still go to their cars then just come back out and jump in line where there friend is when it's time for the ticket.

[venerdinero]

I'm glad to see this discussion underway as I've thought changes have been needed for at least the last two years. I see many good ideas above and I'm sure we can make some useful suggestions to retailers for next year.

 

One problem that can't be fixed with rules is people. I don't just mean the unruly, the nasty, the thieves, etc. I mean the people who read an ad that says something like at least or minimum of 15 per store and somehow expect to get that item when they are 500th in line. Worse yet are the people who believe themselves entitled to these items, even if they are 1000th in line or even if they show up at noon. Be realistic people. Getting one of these doorbuster crazy deals involves some effort and a lot of luck.

[saturnboy01]

Lottery. Hand out tickets and draw names for the chance to purchase a laptop. You have to be present to win. It would end camping out, fights and all the rest of it because there would be no point. I think it's only a matter of time until advertising a sale and then stocking only 15 laptops is outlawed anyway. I think the stores should be required to have a reasonable stock on hand, or else give rain checks. Of course if that happened you wouldn't see these $350 laptops, because the stores count on attracting 600 people at 5 a.m. but they only figure on losing money on a lousy 15 laptops.

I feel you would STILL have people camp out.

 

Are they going to lottery the WHOLE store? People are not just there for big items they are they for other things too and those people I feel would still camp out with or without a lottery system.

[saturnboy01]

I would love to see BF (ALL stores) open at 12:01AM on BF and stay open for 24hours.