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t0ph

January 23, 2009 5:08 PM

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Unbelievable. Their 'lets throw everything at the wall and see what sticks' philosophy is terrible.

Oh yeah, first.

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humphrmi

January 23, 2009 5:10 PM

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Consumerist: you must keep driving this home; the more you cover it, the more chances that other media outlets will cover it as well. People need to hear it often and from many sources: the Circuit City liquidation sale going on right now will not save you money.

6 replies

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gStein_*|bringing starpipe back|*

January 24, 2009 5:24 AM

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@humphrmi: so, i'm going shopping tomorrow.
does anyone know if Circuit City's liquidation sales prices are any good? i haven't seen anything either way

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anker

January 24, 2009 4:00 PM

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No they are not any good at all!

We stopped in last night shopping for a desktop for my daughters birthday. They were crazy busy, shelves were getting empty but no deals at all. 30% off of rocky horror picture show if that interests you was about the best I saw.

We stopped at abc warehouse too. Walked in to find no less than ten employees standing around watching tv, playing football in the aisle and the pretty cashier girl drinking pepsi and chatting away on her cell phone. Nice.

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whacktheyorkie

January 24, 2009 12:06 AM

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What is wrong with them trying to get as much money as they can? Why does everyone expect to get something at a bargain? You want it? You want to pay the price marked? If yes, buy it. If no, don't. They can mark everything in there up. If some fool goes and buys something and finds out he paid more than at store #2, that is his problem for not looking around.@humphrmi:

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January 23, 2009 5:26 PM

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@humphrmi: According to the story, that's not entirely true. While the prices are somehow higher than CC's own old prices, they are apparently still lower than Newegg (which in my experience has been one of the lowest price electronics retailers on the 'net) or any other seller right now.

Now this probably isn't true in all (or even most) cases, but it is here. Math is your friend!

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January 24, 2009 5:19 AM

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@supercereal: No tax at Newegg, though (at least in most states).

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cynical_bastard

January 23, 2009 5:21 PM

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@humphrmi: Force the liquidators to actually liquidate?

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January 23, 2009 5:14 PM

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I can understand the confusion over pricing things higher during a liquidation, but I can't understand why things being cheaper online is news (bold-worthy news nonetheless). Hasn't this been reasoned numerous times on this site? Lower overhead, fewer employees, and all that jazz?

4 replies

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January 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@supercereal: It's all evidence leading to the conclusion that the \"sale\" is a sham and should be avoided. \"These are ALL the different places where you can get a better price etc etc\"

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humphrmi

January 23, 2009 6:56 PM

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@TinkishDelight officially OVER the dc tourist infestation: and there's plenty of evidence that everyone on the web is beating Circuit City's liquidation prices. So, Newegg is more expensive than them. Yay, Newegg! The Internets are your friend.

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GMFish

January 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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@supercereal: \"I can't understand why things being cheaper online is news\"

You're right, it's not really fair to compare the prices of an online retailer to a brick and mortar retailer.

However, you really should be able to compare the prices of a brick and mortar retailer which is being liquidated and who offers no warranties to the prices of an online retailer.

There is simply no reason to buy from the higher priced liquidated retailer. And advantages of buying locally are simply eliminated by the liquidation.

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acknight

January 23, 2009 6:40 PM

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@GMFish: The store never really offered warranties themselves. All sales final in this sense does not and never has meant that the manufacturer's warranty goes down the tubes, you just have to actually contact the manufacturer about it. The only warranties sold by Circuit City were third party add-ons and the ability to return a lemon.

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BlackMage is doing the Time Warp agaaaaaaain!!!

January 23, 2009 5:28 PM

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While there is no dying people are idiots for finally shopping at CC in droves, online purchases of electronics is hardly the end-all.

Newegg can have ridiculous return policies on certain items. Case in point I just bought an LCD monitor from them. Unknown to me at the time, the item was quickly discontinued and slapped with a bullshit return policy of \"no refunds\". Go figure: the monitor has a dead pixel on it. Newegg won't process a return without anything less than EIGHT dead pixels. What is this? 1995?

What many people also don't realize is Newegg will NEVER comp return shipping for an item. Never. They'll pay to ship a replacement back to you, but everything leaving your possession is on your dime. There is no reason for this, other than to cut costs. If they're trying to combat buyer's remorse, they already do as such by implementing restocking fees, even on returned, defective items!

This is the reason for brick & mortar stores, people. I have had enough of dealing with Newegg and playing Russian Roulette each time I click that \"Place Order\" button. In the last six months, I have had a DOA motherboard and defective monitor. Both I have lost money on. If I had bought these at a B&M store (as I did for both of their replacements), I would have only been out the cost of gas for a 20 min round-trip.

Newegg, and every other online retailer, has to make large strides in their return policies in order for me to consider paying over $20 for anything electronic online in the near future.

4 replies

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Anonymous

January 23, 2009 9:03 PM

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@BlackMage is doing the Time Warp agaaaaaaain!!!: Actually, you're wrong. I have had Newegg Comp me several times for returns, and they also have covered rebates that weren't paid and have credited me when their own shipping has been slow. You must be on their S list

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January 23, 2009 6:13 PM

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@BlackMage is doing the Time Warp agaaaaaaain!!!: No, but Amazon sells a great deal of the same electronics for similar prices as Newegg, and is fabulous with returns. You simply print a mailing label and drop it off. And even get the replacement before you send back the return.

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January 23, 2009 5:53 PM

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@BlackMage is doing the Time Warp agaaaaaaain!!!: Returning something at a B&M store is not \"free\". There's the issue of how much your time is worth and any transportation costs in getting you and your item to/from the B&M store. Also don't forget the lovely experience of dealing with the customer (dis)service representatives the big box stores hire. Or that there'll be one rep, 15 people in line.

Unless it's a refrigerator or similar item that you'd have to ship by freight instead of by traditional shipper, it's much cheaper for me to just fill out the RMA online, slap a FedEx sticker / postage meter label on the box and call it done. How much is your time really worth?

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BlackMage is doing the Time Warp agaaaaaaain!!!

January 23, 2009 5:59 PM

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I just recently returned an LCD TV at Radioshack, of all places. Few questions asked, and after a brief check of the box's contents, I had my refund. Tax & all. I even bought an upconverting DVD player while I was there.

The cost to ship that 32\" TV, with insurance, would have been much greater than the gas I used driving a few blocks, and the value of my \"time\".

When a small item like a cell phone costs $8 to ship, AND I have to worry about it reaching its destination, AND when gas is so cheap, you're damn right I'm going to drive to a store.

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January 23, 2009 6:43 PM

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@BlackMage is doing the Time Warp agaaaaaaain!!!: Obviously we both earn different salaries. My time is very valuable to me both in monetary and non-monetary ways.

Just ran the dimensions for a 32\" TV box through our mail room. $24 to ship. That's certainly less than taking 30 mins out of my day (you quoted 20 mins round-trip to the store, I'm assuming it'll take ~10 mins to get out of the car, exchange TV, get TV back in car).

and yes, tax. None of that if you're buying from the right places online. I really resent that 1% of the sales tax in this county goes to the NFL team and their stadium. Nothing like corporate welfare. So tax here's 7%. As long as that TV's more than $342 ($342*.07=$24), I'm still ahead of the game even with a return.

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January 24, 2009 9:27 AM

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Which company is doing the shipping? Even a ground shipment to your next door neighbor is going to cost you around $35 - $40 assuming you have an account with reasonably high volume and a daily pickup.

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Anonymous

January 23, 2009 5:29 PM

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If you pay attention, most of the prices inside Circuit City are higher than they were before. Compared to other brick and mortar stores they had very competitive pries on big ticket items prior to going out of business. The thing they got everyone on was the accessories like cables and surge protectors. Now everything is higher because teh liquidators know that the general public is not very smart and will buy just about anything if it \"seems\" like they are getting a deal. Why do you think they have going out of business signs up everywhere? Its not because they are proud of it...

Anyone who makes a purchase without doing their own homework deserves to pay more. Had they shopped around before maybe Circuit City wouldn't be in the situation it is in and 35000 people would still be working.

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January 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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Be patient my friends...the word is out, we know what they are trying to pull here! All we have to do is wait till the 11th hour and then we can make our attack...they won't have a choice by then, they can't close shop with all all that merchandise...soon, our day is coming soon...(BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA)

2 replies

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January 23, 2009 10:57 PM

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@gravion17: Gravion17, by then all the idjits will have bought all the decent stuff. There will be nothing left worth buying when they finally get down to the 70% off level where the prices would actually be an incentive to buy something you didn't need just 'cuz the price was good.

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Anonymous

January 24, 2009 9:03 PM

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@theycallmetak: @theycallmetak: @geoffhazel:

actually...they can close with all the merchandise. They'll just RTV it, and the companies might make a little money back on the deal. Not as much as actually selling it, mind you, but something is better than nothing.

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January 23, 2009 5:31 PM

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Come on guys...how come nobody has taken a slam against the guy for spending $309 on a protection plan!?!?

4 replies

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mrearly2

January 25, 2009 1:07 AM

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@swissdietcoke: Indeed. Talk about a smart shopper! (smirks)

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mbz32190

January 23, 2009 6:13 PM

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@swissdietcoke: I think that's a little insane for a protection plan. I mean, for a litle over $300 more, I could buy a 2nd laptop. I'd rather take the risk and not buy a warranty which would probably never get used.

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Squot

January 23, 2009 5:41 PM

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@swissdietcoke: The only thing worth spending for a protection plan on is a laptop.

Seeing as how it is a laptop, I'm not particularly faulting them, although now I'll extend the warranty straight with the manufacturer.

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January 23, 2009 6:11 PM

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@Squot: Well, it certainly is not worth spending for a protection plan on anything from a store that is closing its doors. Even a laptop.

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January 23, 2009 5:38 PM

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With so many liquidation sales lately it was only a matter of time before consumers caught on to the scam. Fool me once.....

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January 23, 2009 5:43 PM

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What? A problem with an online retailer and a return??? And a B&M store having a better return policy? Not possible!

It's why when I buy a large item, I'll go to BB, just in case. I've purchased 5 TVs in the past 5 years. Only one was from an online retailer, and luckily I've had no problems. And the ones I bought at B&M? Open box with a full warrenty, and cheaper than online. Most of the open box stuff was more or less new, as well.

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jsbeagle

January 23, 2009 5:46 PM

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Protection plans are just like the lottery....

A tax on being stupid.

1 replies

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warf0x0r

January 23, 2009 6:09 PM

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@jsbeagle: I know I was like... is that what I think it is on that receipt?!?

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raptorrapture

January 23, 2009 6:00 PM

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Most of the news video seemed like an ad for Best Buy and Walmart.

1 replies

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mbz32190

January 23, 2009 6:14 PM

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@raptorrapture: Well who else are they going to compare to? There are no other major electronics chains (that are price competitive--although there are a few smeller independent chains) in the Philly area, where this story is from.

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January 23, 2009 6:09 PM

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No, I'm glad to hear about another report. It's nice to see this kind of a story becoming mainstream news.

It seems that this liquidation is so outrageous it's in danger of becoming the botch job that ruins liquidations for years to come. Once the public becomes educated and has a more realistic perception of these phony liquidation sales, the liquidators will have no choice but to change their strategy.

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Rashied Amini

January 23, 2009 6:26 PM

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I dropped by a CC two nights ago to see how it was for myself. Short of a few signs marking 10-30% off their seemingly inflated prices, there wasn't much on sale.

I asked the receipt checker on the way out when they were closing the store for good-she said around March.

This is one slow death.

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January 23, 2009 6:27 PM

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Exactly this. Amazon rules.

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January 23, 2009 6:29 PM

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I went to CC on Tuesday and used the Amazon application on my iPhone to check prices. When the discounts at CC reach 30%, they will be a good deal. Until then, let the other guy pay too much.

I'm happy to pay more to get service or to get something immediately. For instance, go to Nordstrom or to an Apple store and you'll get great service. But you're not going to get much help from Circuit City staff during their liquidation. At least that's what I saw.

1 replies

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Argy

January 23, 2009 6:53 PM

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@gglockner: The employees don't care; they're losing their jobs. Last weekend, my mom and I waited in a line of customers so we could purchase a DVD (unrelated to liquidation). Once the person in front of us in line finished, we approached the register, only to have the employee turn his back on us. We waited a few minutes in case he just had to do a quick price check or something, but then another employee came over, and they started chatting, so we left the DVD on the counter and walked out of the store. Mom says she'll just buy the DVD on Amazon now.

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Anonymous

January 23, 2009 8:24 PM

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Did I read that receipt correctly and they bought a Protection Plan for $309 for an Laptop that cost $799, from a company that's going bankrupt???

1 replies

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Changed my name to \"I like potatoes\"

January 23, 2009 10:53 PM

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@ToddPatroclus:
All warranties sold as Circuit City warranties are still good: [files.shareholder.com]

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oneTee

January 23, 2009 8:34 PM

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i don't understand what the big deal...this is how liquidations ALWAYS work. everything goes back to retail price...then they start with 10% off...after a couple of weeks, they go to deeper discounts. each phase, the discount gets better as they try to clear out more and more inventory. this is how it has always worked, so why is there such outcry about THIS particular liquidation?

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Timeus

January 26, 2009 2:34 AM

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@oneTee: Most e-bloggers are excessively cruel towards electronics retailers.

I find it particularly funny how people get irate with them trying to make money, pointing out markup on things like cables and surge protectors as if it's a social injustice. Heaven forbid a company try to pull a profit...

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Peter Stork

January 24, 2009 2:05 AM

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@oneTee: I'd say it's the size of the liquidation. More people are flocking to CC than Comp or Linens n' Things, and there's a greater desire to get the word out to people. That and the massive amount of hate for CC.

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Anonymous

January 23, 2009 8:57 PM

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Liquidations sales are a scam. OneTee, the big deal is that liquidation companies imply that they are selling products for less than what the store they are liquidating had been selling them for. No store I know of actually uses the MSRP as anything but a tool to say that they're having a sale.

It's a bunch of scam artists, and there must be new, strict laws that prevent them from raising the prices above what the actual store was actually selling them for. I.E. If a prodcut was $700 at Circuit City before liquidation, they must base their sale prices off of that price, not the MSRP.

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cf27

January 23, 2009 9:50 PM

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It looks to me like that sign says \"Regular price . . . $929.99\" That is a lie. The regular price was $799. That sounds like false advertising.

1 replies

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January 24, 2009 8:09 PM

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@cf27: Except that they can argue that the MSRP is in fact $929.99.

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January 23, 2009 10:04 PM

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OK people. CC no longer exists (in a business sense, other than to pay its employees). It is now 'owned' by Hilco Merchant Resources and Gordon Brothers Retail Partners. They are controlling what prices you are seeing, not CC. CC has no assets to call their own.

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Anonymous

January 23, 2009 10:35 PM

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as a worker at CC, this is exactly what you get! our prices were the best compared to any other b&m store. now that we went out of buisness because none of you bought our merchandise when it was at a fair price. now everyone is snatching up the good product at B.S. prices.

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Anonymous

January 23, 2009 10:50 PM

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The reason behind this is as a retailer you get kick backs from the manufactures for putting that item on sale and in your ad, so circuit city takes some off and sony takes some off, thats why the are cheaper when on sale. This liquidation company does not get that money that sony was giving to cc when they sell it so they just lose money, now granted it is a liquidation sale so you would think they would be at least cheaper than anybody else.

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January 23, 2009 11:49 PM

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I am not tired of hearing these stories. I am shaking my head at the IDIOTS who are still walking into Circuit City during this liquidation expecting to find deals after all the reports on TV and elsewhere. Forget that it is well documented that these sales are run by companies in the business of making big profits. How many does it take (Linens N Things, Mervyn's, etc.) before the public realizes it needs to avoid these. Geez!

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CSUSam

January 25, 2009 7:43 AM

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@PLATTWORX: THANK YOU! I have been telling people to shop elsewhere if they are the least bit nice to me. Newegg, Amazon, the small used computer place down the street Like New PCs. Anywhere but here! Most listen, but some, for some reason, don't believe me. If they are that ill-informed, they can do whatever they please I guess...

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January 24, 2009 12:12 AM

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All promotional pricing was ended as of last Sunday. In the cases where the sale discount was more than the current liquidation discount, you will see a higher price now.

It really isn't that hard to understand.

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January 24, 2009 1:51 AM

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I do think its ultimately the consumer's responsibility in any situation to control their buying and think about their purchase. For those that don't do this, especially in today's economy, they will likely only learn by being had at this point. For all those who have tried to educate consumers you know this, some people just don't learn!

For as many years as liquidation sales have been going on, you would think a shopper would at least figure out that the stuff they are buying isn't necessarily a good deal. You don't even have to be an ultra-savvy shopper to figure that one out, and I admit that I didn't know every trick of the liquidators several years ago but I always recognized when a product at a liquidation sale was not a good deal, even before reading Consumerist. As far as I know its been done the same way for a long time.

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Anonymous

January 24, 2009 4:51 PM

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I work at a liquidating Circuit City. No, the deals are NOT good. But we still have more traffic. For example, SD cards were almost always on sale. Really good sales. Now people are paying almost twice as much for them, and for the experience of being helped by employees that are bitter about losing their jobs. Good move. We've had more traffic than we did during the holiday season. Thanks, America, for paying twice as much to see me lose my job 2 months before I graduate from college.

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Jane Harmon

January 24, 2009 9:35 PM

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I went in and looked at a camera I want and it was $100 more than online. Hey CC ~ call me when you really want to sell your crap!

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January 24, 2009 10:17 PM

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GUYS! You are looking at this sale as if Circuit City was running it! They have NOTHING to do with pricing or anything else anymore.

The liquidation company is trying to maximize their return on a poor investment. No more, no less. They ARE counting on people to not recognize the fallacy of the sale, which is true.

But just because the sign still says CC, your past (well deserved)ire at them is now misplaced. This happened last year when COMPUSA went under, too.

Complain to, and about, the liquidators!

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January 24, 2009 10:36 PM

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quest1962 is 100% right.

Consumers need to understand this is NOT CC anymore. It is a liquidation company who has bought the inventory and is operating out of the CC location.

Why consumers STILL think these are \"everything must go at any price\" sales escapes me.

I don't care about people wandering into a CC looking to see if there is a bargain to be had. Heck, I have walked in to liquidation sales just for fun (and always left empty handed). It's the fools who are waiting in line to buy or walking out with bags of merchandise they THINK they got a deal on that is nuts.

I guess after all the media coverage of this if someone walks into a CC stores and is ripped off, they deserve it.

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Daniel Parmelee

January 24, 2009 11:40 PM

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I lucked out today with a set of moderately-priced Polk Audio component car speakers. They were about $15 less than the gray-market ones on eBay, and I'll be covered by Polk's warranty since CC is an authorized retailer.

But walking around made me snicker...the GPS units seemed to be the biggest rip-off of all.

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Nancy Chou

January 26, 2009 12:27 AM

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Whether or not you get a good deal at the Circuit City liquidations really depends on what you buy. The most popular items (like PCs, TVs, video games) are horrible deals, but a lot of the peripherals (not including memory cards) are okay, later in the sale.

I picked up a Kensington laptop power adapter for about $30, when the lowest prices on amazon are $50 used or $80 new. I got a piano keyboard bench for $20 that goes for $28 new on amazon (and more than that, for used, but only because of shipping). A laptop cable lock ran me $15 at the sale, compared to the $27 lowest price new or used on amazon.

My point is, the liquidation sale is just like anything else: research first. You can't just categorically say it's all bad.

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Melissa Huber

January 26, 2009 1:12 PM

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My husband went into our CC recently to look for any good deals. He found an Acer 22\" flat screen monitor which was identical to the one we had just bought for my computer at Best Buy 2 months ago for $159.99. There was no pricetag on the monitor, so he took it up to a clerk to find out how much they wanted for it. They wanted....*drum roll* $206.00!! Needless to say my husband promptly put it right back and walked out of the store. CC may be trying to liquidate their assets, but they don't seem to be desperate enough yet to even price their merchandise competitively.

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January 26, 2009 2:18 PM

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but you guys forget something....if CC is going out of business, why would they try to salvage their name? This is about paying off creditors and getting out ASAP-

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