51 replies to this topic

[cpres]

Has anyone had this experience? It takes on average 2-3 hours to check out of this place and maybe even more. Okay yes I know the average time at any store is around that but CC is the worse. Why you ask well here goes... 1) Receipts, receipts and more receipts. If you buy 5 items and each has a rebate you need to wait until they print out 6 f'n receipts. No not the tiny little ones we need the 2 feet long ones that take forever to print out. 2) Horrible employees. Yeah those who have no clue how to check out. A normal check out may take 2-3 minutes (I will even go as high as 5-6 on BF) but you got these newbies who can't add or figure anything out who take 15 minutes and hold up the line. 3) Horrible organization. You have Best Buy who is smart...1 line that feeds into 6 others and you go to the next available line. Also special lines for cameras, etc, etc and nobody else is allowed in. CC just the opposite...20 lines never moving and you get lucky on the pick. Of course you can go in anyline not just the special ones. Any other thoughts? Yeah I will still go but is it worth all of that trouble...and they keep you there forever and you miss out on other deals.

[luvable116]

You know what, we had a horrible experience with this same problem last year at CC. I left my SIL in line and went over to BB 3 different times and purchased something. I really wanted to go for the 299.99 laptop but am so afraid I am going to spend all night in line only to miss out on all the other great deals at other stores because I will be at CC all morning. Still debating...keeping my fingers crossed for Walmart to have a great deal on a laptop to at least come close to this one...

[Klownicle]

I had the same problem last year while in customer service at least.

[Hank Monk]

CC regularly pulls the "...out of stock..." and "...must be a misprint price...." fib. It happened to me today for the last time. I don't care if they say they have $ 100 bills on sale for a dime, they cannot be trusted to honor their promotions. AND... two years ago, I was 6th from the door an hour before BF opening. One hour later, I was # 27. NO crowd control and will eventually be an ugly scene. Not worth it.

[EminemObieD12]

the line thing is true... the cc i went to last year had 2 cashiers.... thats ridiculous, lucky for me i was first to the counter since all i got was a tv and a memory card... and its 100% true about the lines, they really have no control, last year i was about 100th in line which isnt bad for the 52" i wanted but there were a couple hundred ppl right b4 opening and then about another 50 show up minutes b4 the doors open and then they dont get in line they stand across from the door and soon as it opens they rush it making everyone else rush which is a disaster... i went from 100th or so to one of the first in just trying to fight to not get crushed

[dmmiller]

We went to CC last year, and were in line for literally hours. It was awful. I would only go back when/if they were giving stuff away. LOL Sucks, cuz when you get out of there, every other store you go to has already been ransacked and your left with nothing in the way of doorbusters. Hopefully they got new registers and got this worked out.

[needanewcamera]

I've only gone to CC as my 3rd or 4th stop around 7:30 ish in the am. The secret to checking out is the guy back in the auto/stereo installation corner. He has a cash register and will try to hide on BF, but i always use that register and only spend a couple of minutes there. The main problem i have is they have limited stock and it is hard to get the doorbusters. I have only found movies and cds on BF which if you go to WM you can price match

[kselzer]

i had a great experience there 2 years ago. i showed up about 3:30 and was fairly close (around 50th person or so). I just wanted a tv - nothing too big demand or anything. They had the line under control and they even set up a table with coffee, cider, and donuts. They then came down the line pouring drinks and offering donuts to all the people in line. it was very nice - no other place i've been to has done this. then before opening they passed out the tickets down the line. i guess it's just a store-by-store or manager-by-manager type situation...

[steph1]

I was in line for 2 hrs last year too. I won't be going there either.

[Gurnee Al]

Agree 100%. If I go there, it will be late in the morning. It is insane there on BF. No organization at all.

[jmckito]

Has anyone had this experience?

It takes on average 2-3 hours to check out of this place and maybe even more.

Okay yes I know the average time at any store is around that but CC is the worse. Why you ask well here goes...

1) Receipts, receipts and more receipts. If you buy 5 items and each has a rebate you need to wait until they print out 6 f'n receipts. No not the tiny little ones we need the 2 feet long ones that take forever to print out.
2) Horrible employees. Yeah those who have no clue how to check out. A normal check out may take 2-3 minutes (I will even go as high as 5-6 on BF) but you got these newbies who can't add or figure anything out who take 15 minutes and hold up the line.
3) Horrible organization. You have Best Buy who is smart...1 line that feeds into 6 others and you go to the next available line. Also special lines for cameras, etc, etc and nobody else is allowed in. CC just the opposite...20 lines never moving and you get lucky on the pick. Of course you can go in anyline not just the special ones.

Any other thoughts? Yeah I will still go but is it worth all of that trouble...and they keep you there forever and you miss out on other deals.

I think thats a stretch.

[Ferg1221]

I think thats a stretch.

Not really. This place is the worst!

[jimwinters]

I had the same problem last year while in customer service at least.

yeah, i know what you mean. some of them almost seem like they are not coffee people... and badly needs some.

[Kimp67]

last year was the worst for me at CC, but it's still one of my favorite stores,,,,knock-on-wood I've never had a problem there

[snmcpa]

Waited in line for 4 hours to pay for a laptop last year. NO STRETCH!!!!!! Actually left after the inital 5 am start because we were told by a sales person that the laptop we were after was not available (not one that they passed out tickets on). My niece went back a couple of hours later and found they did have them, had them pull one for me and then we still waited 4 hours. Between the rebate receipts and heaven help us, the people who had to call the parents or spouse to ask if they should go for the special deals (free printer ,etc) was unbelievable. I actually went to CC Sunday and asked if they were ready for Friday--there response---our systems are so slow it will be horrible!

[jon1nba]

I Never even walked in the Door at my CC they still had a line to get into the store at 8:am

[chyea dann]

my thoughts on Circuit City Black Friday: absolutely terrible. i decided this year that i was going to camp out and be one of the first people in line. the wait was rather enjoyable, i made some friends and everyone was excited for the deals. then the horror began. before i get 'bashed' for whatever reason, let it be known that i am Korean-American, of Asian background. My two friends and I were the second group in line. We waited over ten hours for the laptops. When the sales reps came out, they began to give out vouchers. One gentleman approached us, and gave us only 1 voucher. This was questionable. I asked him why only one voucher was given. He replied simply, "Only one voucher per household is allowed." I told him that we were not related, and that we were all looking for the $300 laptop. He did not listen to me. As I looked at the group of five men after me, he gave each person a laptop voucher. Immediately I brought another sales rep to clear some things up, and the other sales rep came back. He then proceeded to give each of us a voucher, however, he told us word-for-word that 'we could not get the same brand laptop.' I looked at the group of five men again, and they all received the vouchers for the compaq. I could not believe something like this could happen at Circuit City. It can not be fully excused by lack of preparation or knowledge. This was a mild case of racial profiling. Furthermore, once we get into the store, I had to wait forty minutes for TV in-stock verifciation after I purchased a Sharp Aquos. There was no line at the register either. My one friend waited in line for thirty minutes for a digital camera, only to be told that they were sold out once she got to the front. Then a couple of my other friends all waited to be checked out at an average time of one hour and twenty minutes. Simply put, though some of the deals had great discounts, customer personnel was downright pathetic and appalling. Even though the lines are longer, I'd rather wait in line at Best Buy next year. You live and you learn, that's what I got from my experience at Circuit City.

[shizim]

I Never even walked in the Door at my CC they still had a line to get into the store at 8:am

There was a line at my Saugus, MA Circuit City too. I had to get it in though and then wait 1.5-2 hrs to check out for a computer.

[DLM]

I didn't camp out for any deals. Went there about 7am went to the back to look for the car stereo/speakers for my daugther. Guy came right up to us and asked us what we were looking for. I asked if they had anymore of the MIO gps as the display was empty. He went right to the back and got all the items. Went to a line (suggested by a friend also there at the time). It took about 40 minutes or so, which was long considering the # of people in the line. The checker was so slow - no sense of urgency at all. Now wishing I would have asked for the Zune - I probably could have gotten that too. Rumor has it you had to ask for items at check out and they would check stock and then you could buy it?! All in all an ok trip - not bad, not great.

[BellaVita]

CC is awful. NEVER AGIAN. My father was in and out of Best Buy and we were still in the same place in line.

[jennie_bebe]

You are SOOOO right...I wish I would have listened to you earlier. Now I know for next year!!!

[bpr]

I was in and out of CC (got my laptop) in less than three minutes...oh, wait,..... that was online;).

[mattrabadue]

We went in to get 2 items in the ad. We were in line for an hour and a half. We will never go back to cc for anything on any day.

[purplepenguin]

At 11:30AM there still was aline of 50 people waiting to get in. They were only letting a certain number of people in at a time. Got in and waited 40 minutes to check out. Bought 2 of one thing with a mail in rebate, I was told you could by up to five of the same things per rebate, it only prionted out one, the guy told me come back tomorrow we are having problems with rebates printing! Now I have to go back today!

[or10n]

It's almost as though the employees at my CC (Buford, GA) came in to work not realizing that it was BF. There appeared no be no plan, at least not one that had been thought out by someone with a full set of frontal lobes. I got there at 12:30 am and got my voucher around 4:30 am; they opened the store at 5:00 am, and it was after 9:00 am before I was able to leave with my computer. There was a period of about 45 minutes at one point during which the voucher-redemption line didn't move at all. Several of us had numerous conversations with the employees and managers, some of whom apologized (with varying degrees of apparent sincerity), others of whom openly expressed their lack of concern, and all of whom seemed completely mystified as (1) how to make the line move and (2) why those of us in the non-moving line were so dissatisfied. They had one guy working the register for the voucher-redemption line, and, in some cases, he took 20-30 minutes and more ringing up particular transactions. Meanwhile, there were persistently several 3-4 member groups of employees standing around throughout the store bellyaching about their jobs and lamenting the plights of those that had to come in to work later in the day. All of that for a so-so deal on a computer! By way of comparison, I showed up at Walmart at a quarter to 5:00 am that same morning (after I had gotten my voucher from CC), walked straight to the electronics department, stood beside the register (where they had all the door-buster electronics stacked up and ready for distribution), selected my computer, swiped my card, and - no exaggeration - was back in my car, on I-85, heading back to CC by a quarter past 5:00 am. The employees at Walmart seemed more friendly and knowledgeable, too. Imagine that - customer service and efficiency/organization that reeks so badly that Walmart's begins looking good by comparison - that's CC (and I haven't even mentioned the part about how, as late as 6:30 am, CC still had a line that was 30 minutes long just to get into the store b/c they would only allow the next person in line to go in after somebody else had come out - and lest they say it was just because of the volume of people, I'll point out that the BB across the street had at least as many people, if not more, and there was no line to get into the store).

[dmx10101]

It's almost as though the employees at my CC (Buford, GA) came in to work not realizing that it was BF. There appeared no be no plan, at least not one that had been thought out by someone with a full set of frontal lobes. I got there at 12:30 am and got my voucher around 4:30 am; they opened the store at 5:00 am, and it was after 9:00 am before I was able to leave with my computer. There was a period of about 45 minutes at one point during which the voucher-redemption line didn't move at all. Several of us had numerous conversations with the employees and managers, some of whom apologized (with varying degrees of apparent sincerity), others of whom openly expressed their lack of concern, and all of whom seemed completely mystified as (1) how to make the line move and (2) why those of us in the non-moving line were so dissatisfied. They had one guy working the register for the voucher-redemption line, and, in some cases, he took 20-30 minutes and more ringing up particular transactions. Meanwhile, there were persistently several 3-4 member groups of employees standing around throughout the store bellyaching about their jobs and lamenting the plights of those that had to come in to work later in the day. All of that for a so-so deal on a computer! By way of comparison, I showed up at Walmart at a quarter to 5:00 am that same morning (after I had gotten my voucher from CC), walked straight to the electronics department, stood beside the register (where they had all the door-buster electronics stacked up and ready for distribution), selected my computer, swiped my card, and - no exaggeration - was back in my car, on I-85, heading back to CC by a quarter past 5:00 am. The employees at Walmart seemed more friendly and knowledgeable, too. Imagine that - customer service and efficiency/organization that reeks so badly that Walmart's begins looking good by comparison - that's CC (and I haven't even mentioned the part about how, as late as 6:30 am, CC still had a line that was 30 minutes long just to get into the store b/c they would only allow the next person in line to go in after somebody else had come out - and lest they say it was just because of the volume of people, I'll point out that the BB across the street had at least as many people, if not more, and there was no line to get into the store).

I was at the same Circuit City yesterday. I got there a few minutes after 4am and the line was to the back of the building. So they opened, I grabbed my stuff (all non-voucher items) and headed for the checkout. The checkout line wasn't that long, but it took my like 40 minutes to checkout because they had only two registers open up front! Their excuse was the other ones weren't working and had to be fixed...hello..shouldn't that been done before BF?? Anyways I got what I wanted so I can't complain too much. When I left which was after 6am there was still a long line to get into the store that stretched halfway up the side of the building.

[bpr]

I've been stuck in BB before. I had to wait to get my items at various stations throughout the store. You had to fight through the crowd to get to each one. Then had to locate your non-ticket items going back into the middle of the mob. Even with all their registers I had to wait another 30 minutes. Slightly off subject: When I've gone to tent sales at my local NEX, they bring out several extra registers and set them up outside. I know most CC only have 2 registers in the front. They should at least be prepared and setup some temps for the sale.

[redgssports]

I am done with CC we got there at approx 530am and were standing in line for 2 hours. At one point there was one customer at the register for 45 minutes arguing over a price match. The pre-pubesent "manager" did nothing to move the line at all like take this guy aside and fix the problem (that is why price matching on BF is BS.) Then we mentioned it o a floor worker and he told us in is most snotty little way, "If you don't like it, go to Best Buy." Well that set off about 5 already frazzled, under rested, over caffinated women. That boy got reemed by them and then by the manager. Then it still took over an hour to get out of there. Well now CC and WM are off my list.

[kubla77]

I absolutely agree. Circuit City is THE worst on BF. They seriously need to learn from Best Buy. We went to BB at opening and got out in 45 minutes. We went to CC at 6, and it took 2 hours and 45 minutes! and all we got were a few blank CDs and flash drives! We looked at items for about 5 minutes and were in line for two hours! Best Buy has ONE line for check-out. It works very smoothly, it is VERY clear where that line starts and ends. One BB employee actually holds a balloon to show you where the end of the line is, and my BB blocks off the line with merchandise so people cannot jump in and out of line. CC has multiple lines with no clear end to the line. One line I stood in moved 4 people in an hour because they had one register and the girl at the register was manually entering the UPC codes! It doesn't help that my CC has a 250 customer limit so when we got there at 6, we had to wait in line for 40 minutes and when we left at 8:45 a.m., there was STILL a line!