Help me settle something...

[droht]

A co-worker of mine (Jim) was complaining about a purchase he made. The online vendor offers to price match any price from an authorized retailer. Jim is ready to purchase an item from this retailer for $130. It comes with a free gift, that has an msrp of $40. Before buying Jim does a search and finds the same item for $100 at another authorized retailer. He notifies the vendor who does the price match. They confirm it is a valid price and match it, but they pull the free gift from the order. Jim is not happy. He vents at work. I tell him he is wrong. We discuss it (argue). But by the end of the day he has me on his side.

The vendor was not offering both items at a special price, they were offering to sell one item and including a free gift with purchase. So it seems they should price match and not disclude the free gift. My sense of fairness says that we all know the free gift is not really free, and that is how I reacted originally. It is a matter of what feels right vs what is technically right. Jim's point all along is that a purchase is a technical thing, and the rules should be followed.

This doesn't matter one bit to anyone at this point, but I'm curious to hear what you all think. I'm not used to having someone convince me I am wrong, so I'm thinking maybe someone will convince me that I was right in the first place. :)

[django1]

I don't have the exact wording but it certainly seems misleading. To me it sounds like "not only do we give you the best price but we include a gift". And then they either give you the best price or a gift... It would bug me too.

[m-fine]

wording on the website is absolutely critical to the argument.

[droht]

Here is the link to the product. I didn't post it originally because I didn't want to slam these guys. I've heard good things about them in the past.

LINK

[rygher3]

The following would make me weary of receiving the free gift when a price match is done:

Sorry, additional discount coupons cannot be applied to the purchase of Samson, Hartke, or Zoom products.

While it specifically doesn't state price matches don't get the free gift in there, I wouldn't be surprised when they didn't sent it. I would be frustrated in a way though and can see how he is upset. Specifically, is there some price point inbetween at which they would have matched and still given the free gift?

Sorry your coworker had to go through this trouble!

[droht]

The following would make me weary of receiving the free gift when a price match is done:

Sorry, additional discount coupons cannot be applied to the purchase of Samson, Hartke, or Zoom products.

While it specifically doesn't state price matches don't get the free gift in there, I wouldn't be surprised when they didn't sent it. I would be frustrated in a way though and can see how he is upset. Specifically, is there some price point inbetween at which they would have matched and still given the free gift?

Sorry your coworker had to go through this trouble!

That's the funny part; he didn't even care about the Mopads. This became way more about "what is right" than about a few dollars or a "free gift". Mostly a way for a few of us to avoid working.

The funnier thing is I kind of started everything. I'm the go to guy for audio questions at work. I recommended Samson as a decent and cheap active monitor, and told him to check out Sam Ash and Sweetwater.

[dvenardos]

According to the fine print it looks like he could have taken receipt and then "found" the price and they would have been obligated to meet it, so I say he still gets the free gift...

Should you discover this within 60 days of purchasing the item from us, let us know and we will refund you the difference*.

[craigsub]

Jim is correct in his assessment. Once the word "free" was applied to the receiving of the Mopads, Sam Ash took any value from the Mopads as adding to the cost of the purchase.

Customers do have some responsibility in issues - for example, if a promise is made, don't expect to come back a year later and demand something.

But, in this case, Jim made his demand at the time of the sale, and Sam Ash said it was free.

[django1]

I'm not used to having someone convince me I am wrong :)

And yet, aren't you a marrried man? ;)

[droht]

And yet, aren't you a marrried man? ;)

The difference between being convinced I am wrong and simply giving up is as vast as the Canadian prairie.

[droht]

Jim is correct in his assessment. Once the word "free" was applied to the receiving of the Mopads, Sam Ash took any value from the Mopads as adding to the cost of the purchase.

Customers do have some responsibility in issues - for example, if a promise is made, don't expect to come back a year later and demand something.

But, in this case, Jim made his demand at the time of the sale, and Sam Ash said it was free.

Yeah, your second sentence above sure sounds like a slam dunk Craig.

As an aside, the speakers in question here are cheap and ugly. Not sure on sound quality, but they do offer lots of connectivity options. It seems like a powered version of WAF-1s could attract a lot of buyers. Most of the active options are either only aesthetically fit for a studio, or else lack the connectivity to be truly versatile in a home setting.

Dropping a pair of WAF-1s anywhere in your house and connecting to mp3 player, TV, laptop or whatever would be very cool and simple. Whole house wireless system is better I suppose, but way more expensive and less simple for many folks.