This is going to be a classic “how-not-to”

A while ago I read about Best Buy’s secret intranet site, a look-a-like site of bestbuy.com, but with different prices to mislead customers. I really didn’t believe it; why would a big company like Best Buy do something so stupid?

I filed that story away in my mind. A little while later my friend was buying an iPod from Best Buy, because he had seen a discount on their Web site. When he wanted to buy it in-store the sales representative showed my friend the “Web site” and lo and behold, there was no discount.

He checked out and only on the way back I remembered the story. Spending much more time than the $5 discount was worth; we went home, printed the screen from bestbuy.com and returned to the store. Now, we got our discount. And mysteriously, now the in-store computer did show the discount.

So, I’m wondering how widespread this practice was, or even still is; Chicago and Connecticut are pretty far apart. I have not seen, read or heard a corporate apology yet, on the contrary, Best Buy first denied the allegations and now maintains that it was not their intention to mislead costumers. But that apology might soon come, as today the Connecticut attorney general announced a law suit against Best Buy.

But the bigger question really is, how can a company be that stupid?