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HiEllie

January 16, 2009 4:06 PM

@Gene Gemperline:
I believe that would be R.I.H... rot in hell.

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Ben Duffy

January 16, 2009 4:07 PM

So what happens to the gift cards then? Are they still redeemable?

8 replies

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MisterE87

January 17, 2009 3:04 AM

@Ben Duffy: And also, what about extended warranties? I paid a lot for mine on my new HP TouchSmart!

January 17, 2009 11:14 PM

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JustinAche

@MisterE87: They are through a third party...check your warranty paperwork.

On a warranty note, bought something from CompUSA, got the extended warranty (yes, I know, bad for a consumerist reader, but, I'm going to beat the hell out of this thing anyway), and it took like 6 weeks for the warranty to be mailed to me...crazy

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MyopicRaiderfan

January 16, 2009 7:30 PM

@Ben Duffy:

My wife just used the remaining balance on gift card and did any exchanges today without issue.

This occurred in Colorado Springs @12:30 mst.

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Anonymous

January 16, 2009 6:38 PM

@Ben Duffy: @Ben Duffy:

According to CNN The company said it will redeem its gift cards through the liquidation sale, but the cards will have no value once the stores are closed.

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snowburnt

January 16, 2009 5:01 PM

@Ben Duffy: frame them and re-gift them as a piece of corporate failure memorabilia.

I have an LCD from Enron that still works beautifully that I got for about 30% of it's value. They really spared no expense there. Plus it has a high quality plastic bar code label on it.

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econobiker

January 16, 2009 6:09 PM

@snowburnt: I always wanted an ex-Enron Aeron (big $$$) office chair... sigh.

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cunninglinguine

January 16, 2009 4:47 PM

@Ben Duffy: You should have given the gift card you got for Christmas back to whatever thoughtless, mean-hearted jerk gave it to you in the first place.

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Franklin Comes Alive!

January 16, 2009 4:33 PM

@Ben Duffy:

Shoulda used those up a long time ago. My guess is they are now worth zilch.

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Zclyh3

January 16, 2009 4:10 PM

The REAL question is why people still have gift card balances with Circuit City. I would have used it up in a heartbeat when they filed for bankruptcy.

1 replies

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cecilsaxon

January 16, 2009 7:07 PM

@Zclyh3:

LOL gift cards- wait you were serious?

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Rippleeffect

January 16, 2009 4:10 PM

This is really sad though. This was the only competition in the area to Best Buy. CC actually gave me the best deal on an ipod nano for my wife this christmas. Walmart had the worst deal. I am sad to see them go.

2 replies

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MSUHitman

January 16, 2009 6:41 PM

@Rippleeffect: Yes this exactly. Now deals on all electronics will be slim and none since there are now only two retailers with national weekly sales, Target and Best Buy.

What I wouldn't give to have Fry's in St. Louis. Now Best Buy, and to a lesser extent Wal-Mart and Target, have a monopoly on electronics here.

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blash

@Rippleeffect: Same. CC would often have really good video game deals every few weeks, knocking something down up to $20 even, just order online and deal with minimal RL hassle with employees. RIP CC :(

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gaya2081

January 16, 2009 4:10 PM

There goes my fiance's job

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GothGirl

January 16, 2009 4:11 PM

RIP CC, what a waste. I hope someone else comes along to compete with Best Buy.

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captainfrizo

January 16, 2009 4:12 PM

My brother is now out of a job.

2 replies

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ttech10

January 16, 2009 4:28 PM

@captainfrizo: @G_Money21:

Why? If CC is closed then BB wouldn't lose any customers to Wal-Mart, but rather gain some from CC. It's not like people who used to shop at BB will randomly decide to go to Wal-Mart since CC closed.

I think it will be a good transition for CC customers to go from there to Wal-Mart, each place has the same worker intelligence level and services (ie: not helping, not being too knowledgeable in anything) and they don't even say things like \"I'll basically say whatever to sell the item\" to other employees right out in the open.

Some people will say that BB is just as bad, but at least they don't talk about their sales tactics out on the sales floor (at least not that I know of).

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artieb

January 16, 2009 4:17 PM

@captainfrizo: My dad took over the supervisor position for the camera section in September. He ran a good ship until the management decided that he was actually thinking while doing his job, and demoted him back to a clerk position. He too will lose his job. Circuit City did it to themselves, especially when they fired all the smart people in their stores and replaced them with low cost drones.

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John B Scavullo

January 16, 2009 4:13 PM

cc used to be so great, great place to work, feel bad for the people that will loose their jobs, hope for severance of some kind.

2 replies

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kcvaliant

January 16, 2009 9:41 PM

There is no severance pay, if they do give out a severance they will get sued from the last batch of laid off workers not getting it..

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Evil_Otto

January 16, 2009 6:34 PM

@John B Scavullo: LOL ROFL. Severance pay? Does the phrase 'Not in a million bazillion years' mean anything to you?

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hegemonyhog

January 16, 2009 4:13 PM

What happens with store credit cards? Do they just go away?

5 replies

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hegemonyhog

January 16, 2009 4:43 PM

@Secret Agent Man:

I don't have a balance, I just have a card with a high limit that I'd rather not see go away for creditworthiness purposes. You know, when banks actually lend money again, around about the same time that I'm driving my rocket car to America's new favorite sport, Space Hockey.

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rekoil

January 16, 2009 6:36 PM

@hegemonyhog: Anecdotal evidence says that they will sell the account to another retailer - when Montgomery Ward went out of business, I wound up with a Wal-Mart store credit card issued in my name as a \"replacement\".

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Anonymous

January 16, 2009 9:55 PM

@rekoil: That is generally correct. You will likely get a credit card reissued in either a generic visa or mastercard with the existing balance intact, or a retail card for whomever bids the highest for the customer base (watch it be Best Buy...)

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Brain.wav

January 16, 2009 5:34 PM

@hegemonyhog: Well-played, sir.
/golf-clap

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acknight

January 16, 2009 4:30 PM

@hegemonyhog: Their \"Circuit City Rewards\" card is actually operated through Chase, I believe.

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Notsewfast

January 16, 2009 4:23 PM

@hegemonyhog:
Sadly, no. If there is still a balance, that debt has a value and CC will want to sell it. Your card will be picked up by someone else. Same balance, you'll just get bills from another company

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G_Money21

January 16, 2009 4:14 PM

Best Buy is next. People that MUST buy in a store (ie elderly, non computer savy, conspiricy theorists who fear identy theft) will now be purchasing their electronics from walmart which bully's the OEM's into steep discout bulk purchases (not neccessarily a bad thing). Everyone else buys online, where there is no overhead passing along the savings to the consumer.

6 replies

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Navi Thach

January 17, 2009 8:26 AM

@G_Money21:
I sure as HELL want to see Best Buy go under. I HATE them with a BURNING passion. Thank GOD for Fry's in the Bay Area, and Newegg+Costco for everything else.

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Notsewfast

January 16, 2009 4:29 PM

@G_Money21:
I don't agree. There are plenty of people that still see Best Buy as the place to buy 'good' electronics. The 35-55 crowd that wants to feel like they are buying the cutting edge still go to best buy.

I won't argue that Wal-Mart (or I guess *walmart) is a major force in electronics retail, it still has the image of being a discounter, and while thats fine when you want a good deal on a ratchet set, a $2,000 HDTV is another thing entirely. Reality or perception, Best Buy has the cache of being a more premium brand.

Plus, fewer competitors in a market is always good for business, look for Best Buy to benefit from this news.

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redskull

January 16, 2009 5:00 PM

@Secret Agent Man: Not to mention the fact that Walmart's electronics section is about 1/50th the size of Best Buy's. That's how it is around here anyway.

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prag

January 16, 2009 4:27 PM

@G_Money21:

Perhaps. I don't see much difference between BB and the electronics/media sections of Walmart and Target for most things. At least at Target I can shop for other things while I'm there. The loss of CC may, on the other hand, give the remaining players a bit of a boost. I hope so. The domino effect of so many job losses will beget more liquidations if things don't stabilize.

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West Coast Secessionist

January 16, 2009 5:52 PM

@prag: Re: Walmart and Target vs Best Buy.

The difference between BB and WM or Target is simple: WM and Target primarily sell Chinese no-name brands plus a few low-end (in quality and features) models from one or maybe two respectable (Japanese or South Korean) brands such as Sony, Panasonic, or Samsung.

BB on the other hand has plenty of these cheapo devices but also carries every respectable brand as well. Slightly-fictional example (because I'm not at a store right now) :

Walmart or Target: Vizio, Panaphonics, Sony
BB: Vizio, Sorny, Panaphonics, Sony, Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba, LG, Samsung

*+1 Internet points to you if you are familiar with Panaphonics and Sorny.

January 17, 2009 12:31 AM

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joellevand

@West Coast Secessionist: Thank you for the internet points. I understand they're as good as gold in Ogdenville.

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Andalucian Chic

January 16, 2009 6:56 PM

@West Coast Secessionist: Well, all I can say is that Magnetbox is a great brand, but I decided to go with the Carnivale (accent on the e) TV instead.

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Derp

January 16, 2009 6:41 PM

@West Coast Secessionist:

Not only THOSE brands, but the top of the line, \"Radiation King\" ;) Ah, The Simpsons.

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Segador

January 16, 2009 4:19 PM

@G_Money21: I'm not elderly, I beta-tested Compuserve, and I don't fear ID theft. I simply prefer to be able to actually see and touch a product when I buy it. I do make purchases online, but sometimes I don't want to deal with the B.S. of shippig and delivery issues. I want to walk in with cash and walk out with a product.

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catnapped

January 16, 2009 4:14 PM

@Gene Gemperline: No, it's still fitting, albeit spelled out as \"Rest in Pieces\"

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Jeangenie

January 16, 2009 4:15 PM

Many borderline businesses will fail because of the recession, and a few good businesses but companies like Circuit City will fail along with them--able to blame the recession when it really is poor management.

Now if Sears/KMart closes?

As a Virginian, I am sad to lose one of our large corporations, but CC was not a good company--made too many short-sighted and anti-consumer decisions. They actually make Best Buy look good by comparison.

As an aside, what about CarMax? That actually seems like a well-run sub-business.

3 replies

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kcvaliant

January 16, 2009 9:43 PM

Agree, CC was one of the most corrupt companies in the US.. Wish someone would look at their books..

But don't worry, all the corporate leaders will get fat going away bonuses.. I mean, were sorry checks, that way the judge does not decline them..

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working class Zer0

January 16, 2009 9:34 PM

@Jeangenie: your exactly right with \"blaming the recession when it is really poor management\" comment. I see it in a lot of companies these days including my own. I may not have the all important \"college education\" needed to be considered for a position like that but I know incomptence when I see it and bullshit when I hear it.

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Anonymous

January 16, 2009 8:42 PM

@Jeangenie: I agree. I sure there are pretty good Circuit City's elsewhere- however, some particularly in VA made Best Buy look so much better. I wasn't well respected as a costumer in CC. The environment wasn't as friendly as Best Buy's. =(

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ekthesy

January 16, 2009 4:15 PM

Circuit City just built a brand new store in NJ and was advertising the fact that they were hiring.

January 17, 2009 11:01 PM

4 replies

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Brian Deuel

@ekthesy:

To quote Chris Rock: \"Grand Opening! Grand Closing!\"

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Charlotte Rae's Web

January 16, 2009 4:53 PM

@ekthesy: They opened one here about 18 months ago and were hiring not long ago.

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docrice

January 16, 2009 5:36 PM

@ouiserboudreaux: New store in Central PA opened 1/4 mile from the old store just to have something newer and bigger - that was in May. Glad I got out when I did...it's been a steep downhill ride since then...

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ezacharyk

January 16, 2009 4:37 PM

@ekthesy: Here in Oklahoma, they opened a store a year ago and it was on the chopping block with the first wave of liquidation.

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Michael Weida

This sucks. I was hoping that after filing for Ch 11, they'd be able to re-emerge a stronger, albeit smaller, company. Now who's going to compete with Best Buy?

1 replies

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f3rg

January 16, 2009 5:20 PM

@Michael Weida: Newegg and Amazon will compete, as they have been for the last few years.

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nighttrain2007

Wonder if they will keep their web presence as CompUSA did. Bye bye CC. I think I'll miss the Divx players and overpriced extended warranties the most...no not really

(Former CC employee many years ago)

2 replies

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Midknyte

January 16, 2009 4:43 PM

@nighttrain2007: The only thing left of the old CompUSA is the name. It's a completely new animal now.

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January 16, 2009 10:04 PM

@nighttrain2007:

Circuitcity.com is closing as early as today, will definitely be closed by Sunday.

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OMG! Bacon!

I never liked CC. I NEVER bought anything from them over $25....and on average probably $50-100 a year MAX. Their prices were always higher than BB (which is almost always more than online). Totally unacceptable. RIP CC, we hope your failure will inspire existing companies to suck less.

1 replies

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cottiescot

January 16, 2009 5:46 PM

@phoenix27: @nighttrain2007: The only thing left is the name CompUSA. Tiger Direct bought the name and has been using it on their site. There is still some brick and motar stores in Rockford, just not in the Chicago area.

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DraconWolfX

January 16, 2009 4:17 PM

I actually LIKED my local CC. Their prices weren't that awful and the people that worked there were pretty cool. I've purchased a few things there and enjoyed going in to browse since the staff was so much better than BB and less hassling. I'm disappointed to see them go.

5 replies

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TVGenius

January 16, 2009 7:13 PM

@DraconWolfX: I'm really sad to see them close here. Our store, which opened about two years ago, was great. I never had any problems there, and got great deals on lots of stuff there. Then again, being that our store was nice and new, it was more pleasant to be in than most CCs I've seen in other places. It's actually nicer, and bigger than our Best Buy across the street (we have the smallest BB in existence, under 20,000 sqft).

I too might run down and see what's on sale before prices go up, as I have my eyes on a couple things, and they have more selection than our mini-Best Buy. I'll swing by again when they hit 70% and see what's left. I hit a Phoenix store on the last day it was open and it looked like a cross between an old Circuit City and the fall of the Soviet Union.

If anything, perhaps had they kept their older stores as a more pleasant experience it would have helped them.

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Tmoney02

January 16, 2009 7:07 PM

@DraconWolfX: I am sad to seem them go as well. While I didn't prefer CC, it provided competition and another chance at an occasional good deal. I am not sure, no matter how crappy they were, we should be celebrating their demise when it us that will be hurt in the end.

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HogwartsAlum

January 16, 2009 5:35 PM

@DraconWolfX:

Me too. I'm going ot miss them.

This article someone sent me said the sale would begin Saturday and run til March 31. I'm tempted to run down there tonight and buy something before the liquidators jack everything up too much.

[money.cnn.com]

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Charlotte Rae's Web

January 16, 2009 4:52 PM

@DraconWolfX: Same thing here. Ours was right down the street and with that 24 mins online ordering thing, it was a breeze to shop online and run into grab something, hassle free and quick.

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acknight

January 16, 2009 4:33 PM

@DraconWolfX: Yep. I'm also going to miss the ability to comparison shop between them and Best Buy, which were one level apart from each other in my local mall.

And I almost always bought at Circuit City, as our store here was usually cheaper and less of a pain to shop at - if either store was cheap enough to bother to buy in store at in the first place.

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redskull

I didn't like to shop at CC, mainly because I could never find anything I was looking for. Even so, this is not a good thing. Not only are people losing jobs, but that's one less place to shop in my city. If this keeps up I'll be saving plenty on gas every week because there just won't be anyplace to go.

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Anonymous

This is their comeuppance for laying off over 3000 of their long time employee higher paid employees to be replaced by lower paid workers.Then they had the nerve to offer some of those employees a chance to reapply for jobs at a drastically reduced rate of pay. Karma is indeed a bitch.

Unfortunately, those involved in making that decision will probably (If not already) find jobs high up in the industry. After that decision however, I have never set foot in Circuit City, and no matter how low their liquidation prices are (probably not any lower than you could find online), I would never buy anything from the store again. So, good riddance.

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Xerloq

New TV MSRP = $1999
Gordon Bros. Price = $3999
Sale Price 50% Off = $2000

Yay, bargains!

3 replies

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prag

January 16, 2009 4:32 PM

@Xerloq:

I wonder if the high number of liquidations occurring so close together will end up educating consumers to these tricks. I was at a liquidation sale before xmas and the consensus among the shoppers there was that there were very few really good deals to be had. How many times does one need to see that before they give up and stop showing up? It would be somewhat heartwarming if Gordons ended up getting burned over their tactics. They are about as endearing as a pack of vultures.

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cabjf

January 16, 2009 4:39 PM

@prag: Aren't all liquidators just personified vultures to begin with?

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Segador

January 16, 2009 4:20 PM

@Xerloq:Lol. I can't wait to see the signs.

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auto_exec

So does this mean that people with extended warranties on things like 60\" HDTVs are screwed? :(

4 replies

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KCChiefsFan

January 16, 2009 8:19 PM

@auto_exec:

I'm in the same boat. My TV broke about two weeks ago, and monday of this week, a repairman came out and told me that it couldn't be fixed, and that they'd have to submit the paperwork to the warranty company for approval (a replacement approval). Cut to today, and I call CC warranty, and they tell me that the paperwork had been submitted, but that nothing had been done on their end about it. I now realize that my chances of getting a new TV from CC are slim, and that my best hope is a check from the warranty people (which they don't seem legally obligated to deliver) or a refurb from them (which is completely unacceptable). If only circuit city could have lasted another week or two...

To answer your question, the warranty company is absolutely still liable under the terms of the warranty, but that doesn't mean that you won't have to jump through multiple hoops (such as not being able to return the broken TV to a store for an exchange, etc).

I hated CC as much as the next person (possibly more) but not even I could have predicted that my TV would drop 2 years into a 5 year warranty, and that CC would no longer exist. This is a bittersweet day for a lot of CC warranty holders, I guarantee you.

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acknight

January 16, 2009 4:23 PM

@auto_exec: Most extended warranties are provided through a third party, so check your paperwork. It's unlikely that the warranty is actually through Circuit City itself.

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cynical_bastard

January 16, 2009 4:22 PM

@auto_exec: Most of the warranties are underwritten by other companies, like GE Zurich or the likes...

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gaya2081

January 16, 2009 4:22 PM

@auto_exec: No they are insured through a third party

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HiEllie

January 16, 2009 4:19 PM

Dang, now that i've got the CC EECB down and got a great email and phone list for them, I'm gonna have to be treated badly by a DIFFERENT company? You've gotta be kidding me!

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corinthos

January 16, 2009 4:20 PM

I liked my circuit city more than my local best buy. Circuit City always has great video games on clearance. I never bought anything at regular price from them though. I'll miss getting their ad that I usually just price matched elsewhere.

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Eldritch

January 16, 2009 4:20 PM

I never bought from CC. There's one right next to a BB here and the CC was always very dirty, unorganized and you felt really skeezy just going into it. Plus, the people who worked there were incredibly unhelpful. At least BB was CLEAN.

Seriously, CC would have stuff like mud and leaves all over the store, dirty boxes, things covered in dust, broken display models...

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John Joslyn

January 16, 2009 4:21 PM

i'm out of the job now, as well as my brother.

as much as i enjoy reading the consumerist, i can't think of a more insensitive headline. 35,000 people just lost a job.

4 replies

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Trai_Dep

January 16, 2009 6:29 PM

@John Joslyn: My understanding is that Bernie Madoff's firm also had to lay off its employees...

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spoco

January 16, 2009 4:29 PM

@John Joslyn: Not sure \"Circuit City Will Completely Liquidate\" is that insensitive of a headline. That's the fact. They didn't even tag it \"Circuit City Death Watch.\"

An insensitive headline would be \"Circuit City Finally Descnends Into Hell\"

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nighttrain2007

January 16, 2009 4:27 PM

@John Joslyn:

On the bright side, for you and your brother, that allows you to seek employment elsewhere, perhaps an even better position than you have currently. And there are jobs out there. If the blurb does not apply to you, why should it bother you?

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BlazerUnit

January 16, 2009 4:43 PM

@nighttrain2007: Somehow I don't think your 'bright side' is going to help John pay his bills. Just sayin'.

And just where are these 'jobs' that you speak of?

[www.troymessenger.com]

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nighttrain2007

January 16, 2009 6:00 PM

@BlazerUnit:

So are you suggesting that no one is hiring? The entire employment market locked up without notice? Nothing can be done about the situation at hand except to stand up and start looking. There are jobs out there and if you're willing to put forth the effort it may be an even better job.

You're right though, maybe I should just join the whine and moan crowd and look forward to the next government fix. At no point in my life, thank God, have I ever been without a job for more than two months. Some jobs I didn't like, some weren't the best paying, but there is always a job opportunity to do something

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Tmoney02

January 16, 2009 7:03 PM

@nighttrain2007: So are you suggesting that no one is hiring?

Depending on your skill set and/or location - yes absolutly, no one is hiring - especially if your looking for a better position than CC clerk like you cheerily suggest.

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dragonfire81

January 16, 2009 6:21 PM

@nighttrain2007: I think the insensitive part was the singing of \"hey hey hey goodbye\" in the article text.

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ameyer

January 16, 2009 8:53 PM

@dragonfire81: I have to agree.

As my great grandfather was the business partner of the guy who founded Circuit City, I'm sad to see them go.

With their high prices, anti-consumer BS (DIVX: [en.wikipedia.org] ), poor management (fire your best employees), and the older stores that had the ambiance of a torture chamber, I'm not surprised, though.

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Martin65

January 16, 2009 4:21 PM

So, let's see....
Crazy Eddy, Uncle Steve's, The Wiz....many others. These big electronic chains have a rather similar arc, don't they? Yet, somehow (how?) Radio Shack and PC Richards (in the NY area) seem to keep plugging along.

I have to admit, I don't remember if or when I bought in a CC. I was shocked by the high prices, but I guess that's the cost of if you need it NOW purchasing.

Any time competition is reduced, it's bad for consumers, even if you didn't like CC, they were a foil to BB and to a lesser extent, Wal-Mart.

Sad days for workers.

1 replies

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Triborough

January 16, 2009 5:12 PM

@Martin65: Actually Crazy Eddie was basically a massive securities scam by the end.

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chauncy that billups

January 16, 2009 4:24 PM

Hey, why don't we bail them out? I mean, every other poorly run company in the country (ahem...GMCHRYSLERFORDBOACITI) is getting paid for their terrible business practices. Why no love for CC?

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Brunette Bookworm

January 16, 2009 4:25 PM

Hmm, well, they weren't the most organized of stores but at the local one the employees were nice when I went there. It's sad people will lose their jobs and more empty store will sit there.

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Scuba Steve

January 16, 2009 4:25 PM

Yes, but only because those are a complete waste of money.

/I kid.

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Sunny Yeung

January 16, 2009 4:27 PM

And we all know to not even bother looking at their stores for specials as there won't be any to be had. Thanks, Consumerist!

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Anonymous

January 16, 2009 4:29 PM

Very sad to see them go -- every time I've been looking for electronics in a big box store over the past year, all the CC's have been far more helpful than Best Buy. Just two weeks ago we were shopping for a new TV. They discounted a 46\" Samsung LCD below Best Buy's sale price, even though the local Best Buy didn't have it in stock.

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logicalnoise

January 16, 2009 4:31 PM

hmmm maybe Fry's will finally expand on their one store within 50 miles now. Yeah fry's ahs problems too but it's probably the geekiest(they have display models for their motehrboards!) and most competitive electronics store out there.

2 replies

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acknight

January 16, 2009 4:34 PM

@logicalnoise: Lucky. My nearest Fry's (which I wish wasn't the case!) is about a 12 hour drive from my house (metro Indianapolis... I live in upstate NY...)

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MrEvil

January 17, 2009 8:07 PM

@acknight: I'm with you too, nearest Fry's to me is Dallas or Arlington. I live in the Texas Panhandle.

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Paul Hibbard

January 16, 2009 4:32 PM

woooohooooo now I get to pay triple for that TV I've always wanted!!!

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chrisjames

January 16, 2009 4:34 PM

Now for the pleasing dénouement. Too bad this book had four more chapters than it needed.

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grebby

January 16, 2009 4:37 PM

What happens to extended warranties?

1 replies

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Charlotte Rae's Web

January 16, 2009 4:56 PM

@grebby: CC doesn't handle those so no worries.

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ezacharyk

January 16, 2009 4:41 PM

Well, maybe we will se Fry's expand and come to Oklahoma. But we also have Ultimate Electronics. Its been a while since I've been inside one. Not sure if they sell computer components though.

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Videorr

January 16, 2009 4:41 PM

And when I passed one of ours yesterday, they had signs saying Ask Us About Our 36 Month credit or something like that. Sad.

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geoffhazel

January 16, 2009 4:48 PM

So much for my Firedog \"we'll take that radio OUT of your car for free\" promise.

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Corporate_guy

January 16, 2009 4:53 PM

Best thing you can do is a consumer is avoid Circuit City. If the liquidator losses money, next time their will be a much greater chance that they won't be willing to out bid someone willing to buy the stores and reorganize. That is the worst part about this. Is that there were buyers interested in keeping the store open, but the liquidator out bid them.

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Vulphaestus

January 16, 2009 4:53 PM

You know, I've been a lurker here for 2 years. I've worked for Circuit City around the same time period, and through every negative Circuit City article gave me the strength to do better for my customers/guests. I researched nearly every day to make sure I was telling them what they needed (aka not bullshiting them with false promises). This resulted in my \"promotion\" to the Home Entertainment, where they kicked me out and back to Computers because I would tell customers that:

\"Sir, the Monster HDMI Cable is extremely overrated. This $30 HDMI Cable, although will do the same trick, is still overrated. Monoprice.com is the best place to look at accessories for it.\"

They respected me and got the $30 cable instead as they wanted to connect their boxes now. Oh well. Consumerist inspired me to trust every customer that walked through that door with the respect and trust that everyone deserves.

It's been a good 2 years

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APFPilot

January 16, 2009 5:02 PM

Circuit City was one of my first jobs, I enjoyed working there but left when they were forcing me to push the warranty on every sale no matter what. It was a shame when they fired all of the people who were good and knew the product and cared about the customers because they made too much..... They have no one to blame but themselves.

1 replies

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cynical_bastard

January 16, 2009 5:25 PM

@APFPilot: Every store forces their employees to push the warranty...

But yeah, they totally did this to themselves.

I bought a LCD about 2 weeks ago. I walked into CC just because I had to check EVERY store around to be sure. Not a single person acknowledged me. Managers and associates walked right past me while I eyeballed a big ol' LCD...

Every other store tried to get me to buy something. Best Buy tried the hardest actually, but online still beat them.

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Anonymous

January 16, 2009 5:04 PM

I have a TV I bought from CC and I also bought an extended warranty from them. Q. Is that warranty still usable? If not, is there anyway to get the money back or at least file a claim? I paid about $200 for that warranty.

And I know I should not have bought one but I had to THROW AWAY my $4k 62\" Samsung DLP before that due to not having an extended warranty. So I was in a bit of \"once bitten twice shy\" mode. I knew CC was a turd but did not think it will liquidate.

1 replies

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January 16, 2009 10:30 PM

@ZafinaFlorus:

Warranties are owned through a 3rd party called Assurant Solutions. It is still usable, but you have to call Assurant for any service, Circuit City stores can no longer do any service-related things.

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Saboth

January 16, 2009 5:10 PM

Between CC and BB, I think CC was the lesser of 2 evils. Now BB has doubled their power.

CC: Pushy salesmen that didn't know what they were talking about, but bothered you anyhow.
BB: Salesmen that don't want or care to help you, and don't know what they are talking about even if you flag one down.

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cmac

January 16, 2009 5:20 PM

I don't shop at CC but was hoping other people would...at least at the one near my house. It's a new condo/retail development that is doing miserably. Occupancy is low and sinking. They have now lost two of thier major anchor stores: LNT and CC.

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Corporate-Shill

January 16, 2009 5:23 PM

And news from the interweb....

Due to the lack competition Newegg has announced a modest 10% price increase on all electronic items previously sold by CC.

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Sparkstalker

January 16, 2009 5:23 PM

My sympathies to all those that lost their job...especially those of you here in Richmond. Between CC, Genworth, and LandAmerica the job market isn't looking too rosy for y'all. I hope you all find something to keep you afloat.

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f3rg

January 16, 2009 5:25 PM

I'll never forget the days when I--a mere kid--was able to school under-trained CC employees in the auto electronics department, on what quasi-parametric equalizers are. In fact, I should probably run over to the store right now and get into that highly entertaining conversation one last time.

1 replies

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cynical_bastard

January 16, 2009 5:26 PM

@f3rg: Since they dont have to worry about job security anymore, you might just get popped in the eye!

Just sayin....

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cromartie

January 16, 2009 5:34 PM

Couldn't have happened to a nicer company.

Let's see which of the regionals step up. I'm betting, once again, hh gregg

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newfenoix

January 16, 2009 5:37 PM

This is what happens when you mis-manage a company.
In this day and age, if you don't provide top notch customer service you can forget it.

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therealhomerjay

January 16, 2009 5:38 PM

Whatever the bad decisions by the leadership may have been--and I long ago stopped caring for CC as a customer--I don't believe in dancing on the grave of a business.

Were there bad apples? Of course. Too many of them, probably. But how many folks were there trying to do their best and are now out of a job in this horrible economy? Maybe it's the college kid stocking shelves to pay his way to an education, or the accountant at headquarters trying to feed a family and keep their house. Sure, we can blame the CEO, but that doesn't mean I take satisfaction in those folks being screwed over.

What's more, there's lost tax revenue that's much needed by schools or municipalities. The big stores are harder to re-lease now, and empty buildings don't help much to pay for textbooks or keeping the little league field maintained to the extent an open store does.

It's easy to hate the 'big company,' but lots of people with no part in this situation are being screwed by it. They may not be alone, but that doesn't mean they don't deserve consideration.

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January 16, 2009 5:38 PM

So again...why is everybody happy they are going under? 30,000 more people unemployed, less competition in the market... all so you can gloat and say \"ha ha you suck\" ? That makes no sense. This is the worst case scenario.

3 replies

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Tmoney02

January 16, 2009 7:09 PM

@downwithmonstercable: I posted this on another thread but it seems to fit here better:

I am sad to seem them go as well. While I didn't prefer CC, it provided competition and another chance at an occasional good deal. I don't think, no matter how crappy they were, we should be celebrating their demise when it us that will be hurt in the end.

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January 16, 2009 7:26 PM

@MrsLopsided, Tmoney02: Glad to see you guys agree...I may not have loved CC, but I certainly wouldn't take such an immature stance as to wish them bankruptcy. I hate Wal-mart more than anything but I wouldn't want them to go under just because I think they're a bad company. They still provide jobs. I just hate some of the attitude this blog has on certain issues. If someone can logically explain how CC going under is in fact an awesome thing, please let me know because I just don't get it.

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MrsLopsided

January 16, 2009 6:04 PM

@downwithmonstercable: It's a bad day when any retailer goes under. Electronic megastores are particularly vulnerable as they can't compete on price with online retailers... and for some reason even their online stores can't compete with NewEgg et al. Looking at floor space allocations it seems that the retail electronics industry is surviving on big screen HD TV sales. What happens when that gets saturated? Radio Shack could have gone the megastore route but stayed profitable with small mall stores. I still don't understand how they do it.

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ReasonableGuy

January 16, 2009 5:52 PM

I'm surprised that CC didn't ask Uncle Sam for a bailout. I guess they don't have Congress in their pocket like the Big 3.

Thankfully this awful company will become extinct. Good riddance.

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econobiker

January 16, 2009 6:15 PM

Incredible that Circuit City went down before Sears...

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Psychosocial

January 16, 2009 6:17 PM

Bye bye Circuit City. Tell Zayre's I said \"hello\".

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Anthony Rinaldi

January 16, 2009 6:26 PM

Gordon Brothers? No thanks, I'll shop at a pawn shop. They tend to be more honest.

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Anonymous

January 16, 2009 6:40 PM

As soon as I saw this announcement about Circuit City closing it's doors for good, and especially after reading all the comments that their gift cards would now be worth NADA...I raced to my gift card file and found an old $50 one that I'd forgotten to use. I went online to Circuit City's website, fully expecting to see an announcement about them no longer being accepted.So I was stunned when:1. Not only was I able to use it in full! That's right- all $50!2. I got free shipping on my order by spending more than $24!This was just a few minutes ago: 10:30 am PST, on Friday January 16, 2009!!

Just thought the Consumerist and all it's readers would like to know so if you have any of your own CC giftcards sitting around, use 'em while you still can!!
Keep up the great work, Consumerist!

Wendy in Half Moon Bay, CA

1 replies

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January 16, 2009 10:28 PM

@YumaKosovar:

As far as I was told, gift cards will be able to be used while the store is open, but once we close, they're worth nothing.

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cordeliapotter

January 16, 2009 6:43 PM

Uh oh, I've got to return some stuff from Xmas. Only $20, but still that's $20 I want. My guess is that they're not accepting returns now, right?

1 replies

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January 16, 2009 10:28 PM

@cordeliapotter:

I was told purchases before today are subject to normal return policy. So depending on what the stuff was, its under the normal return policy. (14 days from purchase or 30 days from purchase) Anything bought from *tomorrow* on is unable to be returned for any reason. Anything bought *today* has 14 days to be returned no matter what the item was.

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jp7570

January 16, 2009 6:46 PM

The news will report this and no doubt talk about the 30,000 additional jobs lost to the faltering economy. But make no mistake, Circuit City is completely responsible for its own demise.

When they first entered our market, they seemed to be credible and commpetent. But after some frustrating shopping experiences with them and the endless bad stories about CC on Consumerist, you can see how CC would have eventually failed anyway.

There's an old saying - a rising tide lifts all ships. When the economy was good, CC could just \"get by\". But as Warren Buffet says \"when the tide goes out, you can see who was swimming naked\". As a company, CC deserves everything that is happening to them. And many of the 30,000 poor souls that are caught up in this problem are victims as well.

5 replies

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January 16, 2009 7:30 PM

@jp7570: I slightly disagree. Yes they had missteps. But really, do you think the majority of consumers had a bad experience at CC? When you surround yourself with horror stories, then that's all you hear. People don't write into Consumerist to lavish love on a company because they had a good experience in NEARLY the same amount as those who have a bad experience. That's how it is in life. Your boss won't compliment you nearly as much as they say you could be doing better (in general). I think blaming CC's demise on customers having bad experiences is bogus. For every one bad story, there are hundreds of satisfactory ones.

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jp7570

January 16, 2009 9:48 PM

@downwithmonstercable:

No doubt, there were many people that shopped CC and had a reasonably good experience. And, of course, not everyone that shopped at CC reads Consumerist (although many do). I can only speak to my own experience - whenever I went into a CC (in my region or elsewhere) it was always understaffed, and had very few customers on the sales floor. But these days, CC (as well as Best Buy) must also compete for discretionary income with WalMart, Amazon.com, and others.

If CC's problems were more about style than substance, then they did very little to combat their negative image. In fact, CC's senior management had that rare ability to make wrong decisions that would be fodder for the media - remember firing senior knowledgable sales staff in favor of lower-cost, less knowledgable hourly help?

There are very few absolutes in life. For every horror story about CC published here, there were surely some satisfied customers. But in the end, while poor publicity may have accelerated their demise, CC seemed unable to stop the slide.

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cecilsaxon

January 16, 2009 8:18 PM

@downwithmonstercable:

Sorry, I was referring to DIVX, Failure to modernize stores, Loss of Highly qualified employees and VERY BAD Sr. Management Vs. the \"Bad Economy\" Bug-a-Boo

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January 16, 2009 8:33 PM

@cecilsaxon: WTF was DIVX anyway? Was it like what TIVO ended up being? I remember back in the day seeing commercials for it, then suddenly they stopped. Now we have a DIVX codec on computers... I dunno.

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January 16, 2009 8:32 PM

@cecilsaxon: Gotcha. I'm on board with all that.

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cecilsaxon

January 16, 2009 7:17 PM

@jp7570:

Ye hit the Olde Nail on the noggin there jp.

Is there a scarlet letter for bad corporate execs?

There were a lot of employees and consumers they failed. Public scorn is warranted.

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jp7570

January 16, 2009 9:56 PM

@cecilsaxon:

The unfortunate victims are the employees at the corporate HQ, and the support and sales staff. Many of these folks are hourly workers and did not participate in the litany of bad decision that lead to CC's downfall.

Undoubtedly there are (were) CC workers that felt a dedication to their jobs and are devastated by this news. On the other hand, CC's downslide has been going on for 2 years or more, so you have to hope that some savvy employees saw the handwriting on the wall and got out when they could.

Surely someone must have a website that profiles bad executives and CEO's that go like locusts from company to company, creating destruction in their wake?

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January 16, 2009 7:14 PM

Sigh. Yeah I also lost my job today. Very sad. :(

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RogueSophist

January 16, 2009 7:16 PM

@G_Money21: Wait, only \"conspiricy theorists\" [sic] fear identity theft? Excellent. I, sir, would love for you to make a purchase from my new, awesome unencrypted, shady, and generally unreliable e-commerce site. The deals are incredible! Come on down!

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Trencher93

January 16, 2009 7:18 PM

I don't get that CC needs to stay alive to compete with BB. Consumer electronics are ultra-low margin goods, and retailers with bricks and mortars eating into that margin are dying.

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Ben King

January 16, 2009 7:35 PM

@BlazerUnit: They may not be awesome jobs, but there are jobs. Especially if you're a high-pressure salesman like the goons at CC always seemed to hire, you're good as gold.

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Andrew Komarow

January 16, 2009 7:49 PM

can i buy stock in gordon brother?

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festivusfreeforallguy

January 16, 2009 7:56 PM

This is sad for a number of reasons. First, this didn't need to happen. Some tweaks to customer service probably would have made things go a lot smoother for the company. They always seemed to be right next to a Best Buy, and I always went into CC instead.
Second, yet more people laid off.
Third and final......Best Buy will no doubt benefit from this.
I always had pretty good dealings with CC. Good selection, almost always had items in stock, and I loved the order on line and pick up deal. I never went back after they fired the experienced folks though, could never forgive them for that. Hope that move goes into the history books as a \"how not to start the decline of your company\" warning.

1 replies

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cecilsaxon

January 16, 2009 8:20 PM

@festivusfreeforallguy:

That is the deal- Bad Mgt rolls downhill. My local Store was honestly pretty good and insulated from economic concerns due to a large Military base near by.

You can't run from CEOs that burn money like it was going out of style.

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festivusfreeforallguy

January 16, 2009 7:58 PM

P.S....my CC was in Newington, CT. Now I'll have no excuse for getting a great milkshake at the Friendly's right next store. Dern.

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ZukeZuke

January 16, 2009 8:02 PM

This sucks.

As others have said, my local CC was the only competition to the local Best Buy. Best Buy's service noticeably increased after the CC went in.

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pschroeter

January 16, 2009 8:17 PM

The few times I tried to buy anything there, and I mean tried since no one ever came up to help me, makes say they deserved to die. Is Best Buy actually any better?

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Scoobatz

January 16, 2009 8:31 PM

I was glad to see that Yahoo is running a story today about being cautious when buying from Circuit City now, and not to expect a good deal because liquidation does not always equal good deals. I'm amazed at how many people don't know this.

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shepd

January 16, 2009 9:03 PM

What does this mean for Canada's \"The Source by Circuit City\"?

I smell an Intertan buyout. Radio Shack employees might be dumb, but management wasn't.

1 replies

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January 16, 2009 9:55 PM

@shepd:
The FAQ at work says the Canadian stores are unaffected.

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Anonymous

January 17, 2009 1:12 AM

I made two attempts over the years to shop in a Circuit City. The selection was poor, and my fairly basic technical questions were met with blank stares (and that was before they fired all of their \"experienced staff\", which has been a much cited reason for their demise).

If you have a Fry's electronics in your town, go there. Their people have the bad habit of treating you like an intellectual inferior, but at least they know what they are talking about, and they have everything in stock.

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gwmoore4

January 17, 2009 4:09 AM

The surprising thing is it took this long. I stopped shopping Circuit City six years ago. I would find something in the circular, go to the store and think I had picked up the right item only to have the price come up much higher at he check out. Seems the item I picked up wasn't quite the right model advertised even after I had been helped by an employee and the right model wasn't available. Then there were the rebate rip off for which CC became infamous. Why is it so hard to treat customers right?

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Munchtime

January 17, 2009 5:05 AM

Nobody beats the Wiz, including Circuit City

1 replies

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barco

January 17, 2009 6:21 PM

@Munchtime: Remember though, Best Buy DID beat the Wiz.. When BB moved into the NYC area (maybe only 7 years ago?) the Wiz was down & out in a year.

I won't miss CC. There are still plenty of places to buy electronics for those that don't want to shop online. Hopefully CC going under will give Fry's more room to expand though.. In the NYC area, there is even an ex-Incredible Universe store sitting empty right next to the Elizabeth, NJ Ikea.. Perfect for Fry's, seeing that many of their locations were ex-IU stores.

January 17, 2009 10:47 PM

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Mom2Talavera

RIP Circuit City.

The people that worked at my Circuit City were always polite and courteous....Not to mention Circuit City always had better deals then Best Buy.

I may be left with a Best buy store but that doesn't mean I'll step foot inside. People that work there are pushy douche bags.