Best Buy Reward Zone-- Rip-off or good thing...?

**Shwicaz** · 03-18-2005, 07:17 AM

So I go to Best Buy yesterday (only like my 2nd time at one of these places)

I purchase a DVD. The guy at the register asks me if I have a Best Buy Reward Zone card. I tell him no, and I don't have time to fill one out now, can I just take it home w/ me and then if I decide I want to be a 'card carrying Best Buy Guy' then I would bring it back in at a later date.

He says 'it's a card you put in your wallet. All I have to do is scan the card, and enter your information, and when I buy a certain amount of product, I will recieve a gift certificate for so much money off of this or that.

I say fine, he scans the card and enters the information. Then he tallies up my order. I bought a 14.95 DVD, plus, enrolled in the reward zone program. What the cashier failed to tell me was that it cost 10 dollars to get into the 'rewards zone'. So, I am paying ten bucks just so I can get a 5 dollars off your next order coupon when I spend 150 bucks. I am paying them 10 bucks for them to send me a coupon for 5 dollars, basically.

I get the thing home and I put it in my wallet. I was looking at the card today, and I start reading all the fine print on the back of the card, which tells me that the 'rewards zone' membership is only good for a year. After that, it expires, and I have to buy a new card if I want to continue, which will give me another year.

This is just stupid bullshit that I can't believe I listened to them. (That'll teach me to shop while stoned)

**mkecub** · 03-18-2005, 07:21 AM

I guess it depends on how much money you spend at Best Buy. My brother is in it and he gets those $5 coupons at least once a month. But I wouldn't buy enough crap to make it worth it. I would recommend signing up for it if you knew that you were going to make a large appliance purchase.

**bartleby** · 03-18-2005, 07:22 AM

They've changed the rates since I last worked it out, but basically, you get something like 5% credit for every purchase you make. So you would need to spend something like $200 at Best Buy over a year's time for it to pay for itself.

Also, there are times when you get bonus points and discounts for certain items.

**TIP** · 03-18-2005, 07:22 AM

I like it...but I go to BB quite a bit.

T

**bstie1198** · 03-18-2005, 07:22 AM

Originally Posted by Shwicaz

So I go to Best Buy yesterday (only like my 2nd time at one of these places)

I purchase a DVD. The guy at the register asks me if I have a Best Buy Reward Zone card. I tell him no, and I don't have time to fill one out now, can I just take it home w/ me and then if I decide I want to be a 'card carrying Best Buy Guy' then I would bring it back in at a later date.

He says 'it's a card you put in your wallet. All I have to do is scan the card, and enter your information, and when I buy a certain amount of product, I will recieve a gift certificate for so much money off of this or that.

I say fine, he scans the card and enters the information. Then he tallies up my order. I bought a 14.95 DVD, plus, enrolled in the reward zone program. What the cashier failed to tell me was that it cost 10 dollars to get into the 'rewards zone'. So, I am paying ten bucks just so I can get a 5 dollars off your next order coupon when I spend 150 bucks. I am paying them 10 bucks for them to send me a coupon for 5 dollars, basically.

I get the thing home and I put it in my wallet. I was looking at the card today, and I start reading all the fine print on the back of the card, which tells me that the 'rewards zone' membership is only good for a year. After that, it expires, and I have to buy a new card if I want to continue, which will give me another year.

This is just stupid bullshit that I can't believe I listened to them. (That'll teach me to shop while stoned)

It all depends on how much you shop at best buy. (By the way, it used to be $5 back for every $125 you spent.) I joined a year and a half ago, and my first year, I got about $70 or $80 back. I was spending about $60 to $80 a week on dvds, and I also bought a $300 entertainment package, a digital camera, a printer, some ink, some video games, etc, etc. If you don't plan on spending at least $400 or so at the store in a year (they have douple reward points on certain items from time to time), you're not getting anything out of it, but if you buy a lot, it's worth your time...

**Simps** · 03-18-2005, 07:24 AM

I use it, but I spend a LOT of money (plus my dad paid for the original memebership, so I've got 100+% profit). I've gotten like $130 in gift certificiates (sometimes they have double or triple points offers, and I also give my card to friends when they buy shit). I love it.

**Shwicaz** · 03-18-2005, 07:24 AM

yeah, see, I don't really ever shop there. It has been there for 4 years, and this is literally, my 2nd time in there.

I get all my books from the library, I get DVD's from the library, I don't listen to music, really, and when I do find something I like, it is normally about 10 years after every one else like it

ops: so I can find them at used CD stores.

I rarely buy anything, actually. Weird, now that I think of it.

**Brian Defferding** · 03-18-2005, 07:26 AM

As a former Best Buy employee, I fucking hate that place.

The Reward Zone thing only is worth it if you buy something huge or if you already go to Best Buy regularly to shop every week. Otherwise, forget it. The supervisors and managers constantly are breathing down the pee-on's necks to get as many of them out as possible because they want returning customers to make more revenue. I HATED it when I got crap from the supervisors for not "selling enough" Reward Zone cards - um fuck you. If they don't want it, they don't want it, I'm not going to be an asshole to them and ruin their shopping experience.