Shady Black Friday sale practice?

[PatMcDuck]

OK, I did my black friday shopping Thanksgiving night, from my couch, I admit it. I bought a GPS from Target, on sale for $97. It said when I bought it, might not come until Jan 6th. It was a wide range listed, like Dec 12-Jan 6. I thought this was a little weird, but I ordered so early, Thanksgiving DAY, I did not worry too much, I figured I would be out front of the pack. Took the risk.

I was on Target's website, and they STILL are selling this item, and will ship it right out, if you pay the regular price of approx. $249. I thought this was shady/ I was ok waiting for a backordered item, or waiting because they are really slow shippers, but apparently they DO have plenty of these Tom Toms in their warehouse and they can ship them out quickly. They just don't want to send ME mine, because I paid such a low price. I never really heard of this sort of thing before, has anyone here? If I had realized this was what was going on, I may have bought one somewhere else, now those black friday prices are gone of course.

I know the site warned me, I just feel so naive for not understanding what was really going on.

 

[Bren's Mom]

That stinks. And I would call Target corporate on it. I really would.

 

[Golf4food]

That stinks. And I would call Target corporate on it. I really would.

Ditto, and if they don't ship yours ASAP I'd also contact your state Better Business Bureau, etc.

 

[bootleg89]

Is the model number exactly the same?
A lot of black friday items are very similar to the original product with a slight, unnoticable difference. They make a small change in the quality of the product in order to be able to offer it at a reduced price. But the decrease in quality is so small that we, the consumer don't even notice the difference.
When this happens they usually change the model number of the product slightly, sometimes by a single letter or number. Double check that it is infact the same item.
Either way that seems like an extremely long wait. I would call and make sure they do infact have the item in stock and that their not planning to cancel your order in the near future.
My brother bought some items on the website from target on Thanksgiving as well and has already received them. Not the GPS specifically but other items.

 

[Lewisc]

Let me see if I understand the OP. She ordered online, in order to avoid long lines at the store. She was told the item wouldn't arrive until 12/10-1/6. It's only 12/4.

It's possible it was a different SKU for black Friday. Possibly the same item but with different packaging.

It's also possible some kind of low cost shipping is being used. Sometimes bargain shipping only goes out once a week, is trucked to a point near the consumer then another shipping method (US Mail) is used to ship the item the last 50-100 miles. Slower but slightly less expensive.

Not sure why the OP is complaining. She paid a low price, and was "promised" slow shipping. Makes sense a customer who's willing to pay more will get faster shipping.

 

[3boymthr]

OP - I feel your pain. I'm having the same thing happen to me with Sears. I went online at 4 AM on BF - as soon as the sale price was available -and ordered the iHome ipod dock and alarm clock that they had on sale at $29.99 a 50% discount. I picked in store pickup and my order was supposed to be ready in two hours. Well here we are a week later and I still haven't gotten a pickup authorization, but the item is listed as in-stock and available for immediate pickup if I pay full price. I paid cash via my debit card and they've taken the money out of my account but I've got no item . I'm going to call this PM and complain. If I don't get satifaction I'm going to threaten to report them to the local TV channel's fraud investigator for deceptive advertising and see what happens then (My dad did this once with Chevy's corporate offices and his issue was resolved in 15 minutes). I will call too if they don't solve my issue. I want my ipod dock at the price they advertised and that I ordered it at, not the current price.

 

[wmharley]

did you actually go through the motions of paying full price and seeing the shipping date in the checkout area, or just assuming when under the ADD IT TO CART it says available to ship now?

 

[Blue.Fairy2]

Let me see if I understand the OP. She ordered online, in order to avoid long lines at the store. She was told the item wouldn't arrive until 12/10-1/6. It's only 12/4.

It's possible it was a different SKU for black Friday. Possibly the same item but with different packaging.

It's also possible some kind of low cost shipping is being used. Sometimes bargain shipping only goes out once a week, is trucked to a point near the consumer then another shipping method (US Mail) is used to ship the item the last 50-100 miles. Slower but slightly less expensive.

Not sure why the OP is complaining. She paid a low price, and was "promised" slow shipping. Makes sense a customer who's willing to pay more will get faster shipping.

She is complaining because it seems they have the item in stock and it is shipping right away and hers has not shipped, pretty simple to understand in my book. Even if the item is a little different Target should be able to make delivery on a item sold on BF knowing these items are being purchased for christmas presents by Christmas, JMHO.

I would think no matter how low the cost of shipping was, that ordering on Thanksgiving Nov. 26, unless it is going by the way of Siberia, then it should be able to make it to her before Christmas!

 

[Lewisc]

She is complaining because it seems they have the item in stock and it is shipping right away and hers has not shipped, pretty simple to understand in my book. Even if the item is a little different Target should be able to make delivery on a item sold on BF knowing these items are being purchased for christmas presents by Christmas, JMHO.

I would think no matter how low the cost of shipping was, that ordering on Thanksgiving Nov. 26, unless it is going by the way of Siberia, then it should be able to make it to her before Christmas!

Target promised a delivery date as late as 1/6. I wouldn't purchase a Christmas gift under those terms. I wouldn't be complaining days before the earliest delivery date that was quoted.

I don't know if the OP can cancel her order. Newegg is selling the GPS (maybe without the case) for $129.

 

[rparmfamily]

I've actually had the same thing happend to me via Amazon and a Thomas train roundhouse for my son. It also made me mad and frustrated me but Amazon did nothing, except give me faster shipping, but they didn't actually ship the item any sooner.

There is the high possibility the item at that price was like a close-out deal, change in packaging,etc and they are waiting for final shipment from the manufacturer, whereas perhaps the more expensive ones are the newer model/packaging,etc?

 

[C.Ann]

Target?? Do something underhanded or even remotely "seem" suspicious?? IMPOSSIBLE !!



Hope it arrives on time.. So far everything I've ordered on line last week (mostly on Amazon) has been arriving on a daily basis..

 

[PatMcDuck]

OH my, I am so glad I asked this question. You people are very smart!

I ordered this: Items not yet shipped:
Estimated delivery: Dec 16, 2009 to Jan 6, 2010
TomTom Navigation System - Black (XL340S / 1EM0.05202)

What they are selling NOW, (for $229?) is TomTom Navigation System- Black (XL340 / 1EM0.5201). I cannot find out what the difference is, I am not too concerned. It will get her where she needs to go.

She gets her license Jan 25, so she CAN wait until Jan 6. Yes, I have my fingers crossed it gets here before the 25th, but whatever happens, happens.

Sorry I did not notice the slight model difference, they are pretty close. Carry on, friends, you made my day!

 

[My2BabiesLexis&Dill]

I hope you get yours. I ordered one also and needless to say my order vanished. There is no record on my end nor thier end. Also a friend ordered one for 97.00 from Target and PAID the shipping charges and it has been shipped. But she ordered 2 more later on with the free shipping and they won't be delivered til 1/6 or something like that. Go figure.

 

[luvmy3]

OP - I feel your pain. I'm having the same thing happen to me with Sears. I went online at 4 AM on BF - as soon as the sale price was available -and ordered the iHome ipod dock and alarm clock that they had on sale at $29.99 a 50% discount. I picked in store pickup and my order was supposed to be ready in two hours. Well here we are a week later and I still haven't gotten a pickup authorization, but the item is listed as in-stock and available for immediate pickup if I pay full price. I paid cash via my debit card and they've taken the money out of my account but I've got no item . I'm going to call this PM and complain. If I don't get satifaction I'm going to threaten to report them to the local TV channel's fraud investigator for deceptive advertising and see what happens then (My dad did this once with Chevy's corporate offices and his issue was resolved in 15 minutes). I will call too if they don't solve my issue. I want my ipod dock at the price they advertised and that I ordered it at, not the current price.

You haven't called them before today? The only time I didn't get a notice that my order was ready for pick-up, it turned out it was OOS.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I hope you get yours. I ordered one also and needless to say my order vanished. There is no record on my end nor thier end. Also a friend ordered one for 97.00 from Target and PAID the shipping charges and it has been shipped. But she ordered 2 more later on with the free shipping and they won't be delivered til 1/6 or something like that. Go figure.

When I log onto the Target site, and go into my history, it shows the GPS order. When I ordered it on Thanksgiving, my earliest possible ship date was earlier, l think, but it still extended to Jan 6, I remember that. I printed the order page, and I have an email that the order was received as well. Mine was offered as free shipping. I hope I do get it, even if it is late.

 

[rainy~daze]

it is a different model, you ordered 340s, they now have 340---not the same, not as good from what I read on another site. It doesn't have text to speech, or lane guidance, something that makes it not as good. Wait for the one you ordered, better deal.
I ordered it, then was glad it would take so long, I ended up canceling and getting DH something else entirely, but for me that worked well.

OH my, I am so glad I asked this question. You people are very smart!

I ordered this: Items not yet shipped:
Estimated delivery: Dec 16, 2009 to Jan 6, 2010
TomTom Navigation System - Black (XL340S / 1EM0.05202)

What they are selling NOW, (for $229?) is TomTom Navigation System- Black (XL340 / 1EM0.5201). I cannot find out what the difference is, I am not too concerned. It will get her where she needs to go.

She gets her license Jan 25, so she CAN wait until Jan 6. Yes, I have my fingers crossed it gets here before the 25th, but whatever happens, happens.

Sorry I did not notice the slight model difference, they are pretty close. Carry on, friends, you made my day!

 

[PatMcDuck]

Last post on this, Latest update from Target:


Dear Target.com Guest,

Last week, you ordered the TomTom XL 340S. Unfortunately we are no longer able
to obtain inventory of this item from the manufacturer. However, we were able
to secure a limited supply of a nearly identical item, the TomTom XL 335S. This
is the same unit you ordered with the exception that it does not include maps of
Mexico. We are honoring the $97 sale price.

We are substituting this new item in place of the original item on your order.
If you approve of this substitution, no action is required and we will fulfill
the order.