I logged on to frys.com (outpost.com, whatever) the other day to get some RAM for my laptop. They had SODIMMS for 50.99. I figure, sweet, I'm in Burbank, I'll just swing by at lunch and pick them up so I don't have to wait for shipping.

First I call the store, and get put on hold for an inordinate amount of time... so I figure screw it, it's friday, they're always slammed because of the ad - and proceed to drive there and stand in line.

When I get there, get past the white suited beggar at the door, get to the line, wait for five minutes, then finally talk to the commission fiend at the computer... the same sticks of RAM are going for 78.99.

I told him they were 50.99 on the website, and he told me that "Fry's doesn't pricematch itself." He hands me the printout receipt for the electronics cage wheich I take with me as I walk to the front door, crumple it up and drop it on the greeter's desk on the way out.

I grab some cheap and tasty Del Taco drivethru, return to work, and order two sticks of RAM online for a little more than the price of one at the store.

I received them on Tuesday even though I got the cheapest shipping option available. The cheap shipping option with frys.com is DHL.

That's my story.

My wife and I stopped by one night to pick up a new digital camera. The web site had it for $249, in store it was $299. The manager refused to price match. I went home ordered it on the web for in store pick up and then went to the same store to piick up the camera out of their inventory. What a stupid wast of gas and paper.

FYI: Walmart's products are *allegedly* made with low quality, highly toxic material by slaves in foreign countries.

@yg17:

They probably figure that people like me and apparently Meg Marco by her "I don't know why you'd need to" comment don't know that there even are varying prices. I'm not really a Wal Mart shopper and enter hell only when I would put together gift packages comparing the selection of wrapping paper and whatnot to Target and Papyrus.

Petco also doesn't match their website prices and it's a major difference on every single item. I always wait until they have free shipping specials (like now) and rack up.

It's not just the rich parts of town. The WM in my town is higher priced than the WM in a town 20 minutes away. I guarantee I'm not living in an affluent suburb. The WM 20 minutes away just has more competition where as in my town there's no other store like it to compete, so it has no reason to have lower prices.

This is a non-story, which seems to be poping up more and more here.

I think a majority of stores refuse to price match their website prices as well as web prices in general... so that isnt anything shocking.

As for price matching themselves... most stores have varying prices for each market, be that multiple markets in the same state or different states or whatever. Living near a state border, I notice different prices at a lot of retilers and never really questioned the practice.

Lol, I have to chuckle about the thought of someone price shopping different Wal Marts. Maybe trying to find the best deal on those high quality flip-flops we've been hearing about???

Why won't stores honor web site pricing? Because their websites have less overhead costs and the prices are national as opposed to some sales which are by region or whatever. Also of course the fact that shipping costs extra.

Sounds like Best Buy all over again!

Why wont they honor the website price?

But between-store prices seems strange. I thought they basically had a uniform price for every item across the corporation. I am surprised to hear that a store would have a separate price from another.

My wife and I have confirmed the prices are lower in our neighborhood than they are downtown.

to give props to the source: www.behindthecounter.com which is one of my fav blogs!

Yikes.

This was also a good experience for me. I've mapped out which Wal-Marts are higher than others. HINT: Shop at the ones in the poorer parts of town.