6 replies to this topic

[IceQueen]

So apparently they just announced on NBC Channel 2 here in Buffalo that they're going to have "teams" of people who are going to be in line nationwide for doorbusters at the biggest stores (Best Buy, Walmart, etc), armed with U-Haul trucks and the like.  They will be camping out "shoulder to shoulder" as they said with other shoppers, purchase all the doorbuster ticket items, bring them back to WNY, then resell them through wgrz.com and offers.com (I believe that's the site they partnered up with). 

 

I don't know that that's fair!  These people are basically being hired to stand in line and then take the items out of your areas to bring them here.  Then people can purchase the items online. 

 

The news website is wgrz.com.  I don't know that they have everything the guy just said online yet, but thought I'd share this. 

 

Thoughts?  Frankly, I hate it.  Not for us, because they're not camping out HERE, but there are people who get there plenty early fair and square that now might not get their item because a news crew is buying ticketed items. 

 

Edit to add - Mods, I don't know where this kind of thread/post goes, so feel free to move.  Thanks.

Edited by IceQueen, Nov 4, 2013 - 3:24 am.

[tinkrbel]

I don't like it, but it's guaranteed not everyone standing in line for days wants the item for themselves. Quite frankly if you're unemployed its a great way to make money if the discount is steep enough.

 

I don't necessarily agree with that or a business doing it but I don't believe there's any fine print about not using items for resale anywhere, I could be wrong though

[mcwalker]

I would be curious to see the actual report, which I don't see on the wgrz web site.  That said, I am skeptical of this report because the economics don't work.  While an individual can certainly sell a few doorbusters and pick up some extra cash, the discounts aren't generally large enough to cover the real costs of reselling, renting u-hauls, paying people's time to collect and process the items, etc.  Plus the fact that after making the investment, they might come up with few items due to limits imposed at the stores.  Also the idea that an NBC affiliate station would resell items from its retail advertising clients (the stores) through its own web site??  The report sounds fishy.

[bigjimslade]

Wow.  IF this is true I would say this is very wrong. 

 

I will do some research and talk about this on my webcast.

[len_mullen]

I think they will be disappointed.  It's been a while since a discount was worth waiting on line for.  To wait, haul, and resell is a losing proposition.

[jaymacfla]

Perhaps this ties in with the restrictions placed upon us that actually camp. I thought the time limit imposed had fit in perfectly,  with the notion that they didn't want the potential of having a two week camp out due to the launch of the XBOX ONE. Could some sinister Billionaire be trying to muck up the holidays? Stay tuned folks, it is going to be interesting, if not prankish!

[jaymacfla]

http://www.wgrz.com/...of-Black-Friday

 

Okay guys, it looks like the guy doing the shopping is me! I am absolutely stunned that I had not found this video sooner.