This is about a camera bag. I have a new Canon Digital Rebel XSi. These cameras have only been available a few months.
On August 29th I stopped at the Best Buy in Eagan, MN. On one shelf was a Lowepro camera bag package consisting of a camera bag, lens protector and spare battery. There was one box saying "XTi" (the model that preceeded mine) and one box right next to it that said "XSi". There was one price sticker on the shelf that said "Closeout Canon Rebel Bags" (or something like that) at $47.99. I couldn't believe that they would have a bag for a new model on closeout already, and thought it a store mistake, so just left.
I then went to the Best Buy in Inver Grove Heights. Same situation - two boxes next to each other, one price sticker. I even asked one of the three salesman who kept hovering around me if the price was correct for the XSi package. He assured me it was, and further stated that it "was a really good price because the normal price was $99.99".
I brought the XSi box up to the cashier, who rang it up at $99.99. I told him that was a mistake, so he called for a price check. The person who responded finally came back to me with the two different boxes and proceeded to explain to me that only the XTi package was on clearance, because the XSi was taking the place of the XTi. I knew this was untrue (Canon is going to keep making the XTi) and told him so. I then said that there was only the one price sticker on the shelf, and that the salesperson in the department had verified the $47.99 price.
He said there was nothing he could do about it, and the price was 99.99. So I left.
Just to make sure, on August 30th I went to the Best Buy in Apple Valley, MN. Same situation as the other two. Two boxes sitting side by side and only one price tag, for the clearance price, on the shelf.
If it were just the one store, I would attribute it to a store error. But the fact that three different stores in different areas had the same misleading price stickers, leads me to believe that this is a classic Bait and Switch on a corporate level!
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