[The News Bot]

Leading US retail chain Best Buy has followed the lead set by rival Circuit City, and has begun to compensate its customers who backed HD DVD. It will send owners of players on its database a 50 dollar gift voucher; the giveaway applies to any of its patrons who purchased an HD DVD player [...]
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[The Saint]

It would do the industry a great deal of good if Toshiba, Play and the other UK retailers made a similar gesture over here.

[tigermad]

Originally Posted by The Saint

It would do the industry a great deal of good if Toshiba, Play and the other UK retailers made a similar gesture over here.

But people knew the risk they were taking when they bought the units......

[Helicon]

I agree with Tigermad - when two formats are battling it out, chances are, one will lose. The majority know that before they buy one or the other.

And even if they did the same compensation scheme in this country, HD-DVD owners would only be moaning they're only getting £25 back......

What they're doing in the US is just a publicity stunt to pull in more business.

[The Saint]

I don't disagree with you guys. No firm needs to do this. But as you say Helicon the firms that do can buy themselves some good goodwill and publicity very cheaply. The americans know the value of that to their businesses - Uk firms don't think that far ahead.

[southak]

You are right there - one things the americans can teach us is about good customer service.

[Helicon]

Originally Posted by The Saint

The americans know the value of that to their businesses - Uk firms don't think that far ahead.

But then there's the stores that didn't jump on the HD bandwagon to make a quick buck from there 'customers' - the intelligent ones stood back and waited for the outcome of the format war and recommended their customers not to buy anything. You can't get much further ahead than that.

[Stuart Wright]

Originally Posted by tigermad

But people knew the risk they were taking when they bought the units......

That's far from the truth. A lot of people are clueless and just buy what looks nice in the shop. You can't blame them for that. They just haven't discovered us, yet.

[tigermad]

Originally Posted by Stuart Wright

That's far from the truth. A lot of people are clueless and just buy what looks nice in the shop. You can't blame them for that. They just haven't discovered us, yet.

So people spend hundreds of pounds without doing any research at all? More fool them

[Crustyloafer]

Originally Posted by tigermad

So people spend hundreds of pounds without doing any research at all? More fool them

I agree totally.

[Helicon]

As i've said, decent dealers would've told people to hang fire. If the majority shop at Dixons/Currys or even Richer, that's their problem. And you can't say that people shop their because it's in their price bracket as there are specialist stores who keep the same products for similar money. It's a 'stick with what you know' mentality that keeps the likes of Dixons going, and then these people moan about extended warranties being shoved down their throats and being treated badly - personally, i have no sympathy for them. If people actually cared about what they buy, and had a twinge of desire for any sort of quality of sound/picture, they should shop somewhere that doesn't concentrate on extended warranties/price beats/freebies.

Let's not forget that it's stores like this who're responsible for the world invasion of abysmal £20 DVD players, abysmal (but nice looking) £199 5.1 systems with the sound pressure level of a wet fart, and last but not least, the decline of the plasma industry due to doubly abysmal looking LCD TV's. I lift my nose in disgust in their general direction......

Thank you, and goodnight.

[Ian J]

What a load of sanctimonious claptrap.

I bought my HD DVD player from a UK retailer with a reputation for service unsurpassed by any American company. When I bought it were they expected to refuse to sell it to me on the basis that the format might be redundant shortly.

The offer of a rebate from the American discount chain is nothing more than a clever marketing excercise and nothing more should be read into it than that.

[Helicon]

Originally Posted by Ian J

I bought my HD DVD player from a UK retailer with a reputation for service unsurpassed by any American company. When I bought it were they expected to refuse to sell it to me on the basis that the format might be redundant shortly.

As i said, some retailers stayed away from the format war altogether until things became clear. I/we have no irate customers, and no customers we feel guilty about selling to and feel we have to 'make it up to them'.

The offer of a rebate from the American discount chain is nothing more than a clever marketing excercise and nothing more should be read into it than that.

Exactly as i stated.

[Ian J]

I must admit that I find it very unusual that an AV dealer wouldn't stock any high definition players as that means that any demos wouldn't be using the optimum sound or visual sources.

I bought my EP35 HD DVD player in December when they first came out here. Within a couple of weeks a hundred pounds had been cut from the price and once Toshiba made their annnouncement the price dropped a little more.

Obviously I felt a bit sore but it was hardly the retailer's fault as they had as much or little idea of what was coming as I did.

This whole thread is really "no news" as if Best Buy and Circuit City hadn't come up with this marketing ploy they would have probably sent their customers a 50 dollar Easter voucher instead and missed out on all of the PR

[koonl]

Without the retailers selling either player, the decision would have been made by the industry, so they had to stock players to the public so they can contribute to the decision. However, if the retailer had provided enough marketing material to explain the war to the customer prior to purchase, and if the customer had decided to buy a format that did lose, then that's their loss as they were warned. However, compensation to the customer should only be made if the retailer had not advised the customer enough that their spanking new player may soon become a doorstop. I would have sympathy to the customer then.

Unlike the console gaming industry, there is no multi-format choice, and I don't blame customers who are not aware of the format war - I blame the industry as a whole.

[jegan111]

Originally Posted by tigermad

So people spend hundreds of pounds without doing any research at all? More fool them

Yes. In two words "Christmas Present"

My wife happened to see me looking at HD-DVD stuff and as she was struggling to think of a gift for Christmas decided to surprise me with an HD-DVD add-on for my 360. I was delighted, but was also to kind to tell her the truth about its future, or should that be lack of it....

[rikki2ks]

Obviously I felt a bit sore but it was hardly the retailer's fault as they had as much or little idea of what was coming as I did.+

Who could ever have seen that coming eh??

[NewMan]

Ok, call me cynical, but this isn't so much a "goodwill" gesture as a marketing tactic - and a very good one.

As you may be aware, the majority of US citizens are about to (or already have) receive money from the government to try to increase public spending in the face of a depressing economy.

As a large electrical retailer, how better to bring people to the stores than this "goodwill" gesture. They come for the $50 voucher, and then spend the rest of their $600 or whatever while they're there. People who haven't been "burnt" recently are likely to spend the money anyway, whereas those who "lost out" to HD-DVD might have been a bit wary otherwise - this is simply a good way to get them to spend their money and feel good about it.

[mekes82]

Loss leader, just all about getting the customers back through the doors. They are probably hoping that the voucher will be used against one of the brand new blu ray players on their shelves.

[Pacha]

Originally Posted by Ian J

Obviously I felt a bit sore but it was hardly the retailer's fault as they had as much or little idea of what was coming as I did.

Yes i agree. I felt a bit 'sore' as i'd bought a Tosh EP35 just in time for xmas. I was pretty shocked when the format war sorted itself out just weeks later. I FULLY knew it would, but just didn't expect it so quick. HOWEVER, i was happy with my deal before xmas, £260 for the player incl 7 'free' discs, as it meant my actual outlay for the player itself was pretty small. Therefore not much risk really. It chokes a bit that the player is now selling for about £100-£120 with 2 discs. But we all know this equipment reduces in price anyway, even if it is current!
In the meantime, i'm enjoying searching for hd dvd bargains to ensure i use the machine (Play's 3 for £20 offer has cost me a fortune!!). And my PS3 sorts me out for the future anyway!!
Before i got the HD dvd i did have the PS3 and i thought Blu-ray was great, but i've got quite fond of the HD DVD pretty quickly because the format is very impressive with all the features that actually work. It's a shame really that it's going to die but that's a fact of AV life for competing formats! (Still think there's no difference in actual picture quality between the 2 formats anyway)

[Helicon]

Why is everyone just repeating what i said in post #4?!

[BISHI]

Marketing tactic !!!! I bet most late adopters of HD fell for the genius marketing tactic of 7 free HD movies -- 7x £20 + £140 worth of movies FREE with a £120 discounted 'upscaling player' with 'added' HD DVD compatibility. Come on Chaps, $50 rebate is the cost of 1 recent HD title, many people her got 7 titles ! I only got 3 being an early adopter but I love my hdxe1 and am not at all bitter.

[toycollector]

If nobody buys, nobody wins.
Some where along the line, their has to be a sucker!