[aclug-L] Re: Sales and lack of stock and non-rain check! Was:Re: Re: If you had a Win98se Question what forum/blog would you go to?

[Nate Bargmann <n0nb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

* DAVID CARMICHAEL <dec2955@xxxxxxxxxx> [2006 Jan 02 03:23 -0600]:
> System has 512mb [the motherboards max] installed.
> When trying to print the system resources say 65%

Recalling my experience with DOS based Windows of years back, this is
about max utilization.  I suspect Win 98 isn't much better in this
regard.

> Newspaper did not get delivered to my house till 11am
> Sunday am.. Wife saw the "$199.00" CompUSA system. We
> check both the phone stock and online stock status and
> the item is listed as in stock.. so just to make sure
> before we drove I called the store directly and was
> told that the store was not connected to the stocking
> system and they only had five of the systems which
> were sold out when the store opened at 9am... But
> called back and spoke to a different clerk a few hours
> later and was told "...the manager would only allow us
> to sell five on sale but have 15 in stock...which is
> why the stock status is stating the item is in
> stock..." While the addvert says "Limited to stock on
> hand" is this leagl?? 

Who knows.  How do you "prove" they are acting illegally or prove that
they indeed had more than five units in their store?  Without
documented proof, anything else is hearsay and thus not admissable in a
court of law.  You will find it very difficult to collect the proof you
need since you'd have to be able to access their storage area and
inventory control system, neither of which you'd likely get permission
to access. 

What you've encountered is a "loss leader" which is gimmick to get
people into the store in the hopes that once there, the people won't
want to leave empty handed.  Often people can be easily convinced to
buy the better (profitable) item.

It may well be that the store only considers items on the floor as "in
stock" while those in the back room are still considered to be
"warehoused".  If so, they are under no obligation to sell any more
than the five on the floor per their own definition of "Limited to
stock on hand".  Again, it's their business and they can set the rules
any way they want.  After all, they did admit that they sold some units
at the advertised price, right?  Looks legal to me. 

My advice is to look for an honest good deal elsewhere and not fret
about sales gimmicks.

- Nate >>

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