Best Buy, Microsoft get racketeering appeal rejected

For those keeping an eye on the summer's funnest (only?) court case involving Microsoft and the big box retailer the world loves to hate, here's the latest. Today, the Supreme Court "rejected an appeal by Microsoft and a unit of Best Buy in a lawsuit alleging the two companies fraudulently signed up customers for Microsoft's online service," which means that the appeals court's ruling may now stand. Unfortunately, further details and consequences of the decision were not yet disclosed, but it's fairly safe to assume that the two won't soon be engaging in any similar activities.

[blade417 @ Oct 15th 2007 12:33PM]

owned

[brian peppers @ Oct 15th 2007 12:42PM]

I've come to the point where the only time I shop at Best Buy is when I KNOW they are losing money. More like Shitbuy.

[Josh @ Oct 15th 2007 1:21PM]

I work for the GS part time while I'm in school (it's better than fast food) and I just never actually install any of that crap or sign people up without their knowledge... In fact... I've often pointed people to Newegg or other stores if they have better deals. The most recent one was BB telling us to install Google toolbar on all new computers. I'll pass.

[Boynamedsue @ Oct 15th 2007 12:44PM]

i can believe it. When i worked at best buy they made us push the MSN service so hard.

Get this. Our managers offered us a free CD off our racks (our choice) for every MSN thing we sold.

I worked in the fucking warehouse and I got like five. With that in mind i can see how a rep could easily throw the service on some old ladies computer purchase hoping she'd never notice.

[Chris @ Oct 15th 2007 6:58PM]

I went to bestbuy to purchase Sony Vaio laptop in 2003. It was quite high-end machine, $2000 + $300 (or $350) for Performance Service Plan. Plus, I was going to buy 15inch Sony LCD monitor for about more than $300.
Since I was spending close to $3000 w/o even bugging anyone w/ questions (I went into the store and just ask for the laptop and monitor), I thought they would be happy to sell several expensive stuffs.
Nope, they won't sell it to me unless I sign up for the stupid 6 months free trial AOL dial up service. and I already told them about 3 times that I have Road Runner Broadband service which gives me around 5mbps at that time (it's 7mbps now). I don't need any stinking dial up. I don't even have a landline. The guy kept pushing me for a AOL service for about 5 minutes.(reason: it's free, just call at the end of the 6 months to cancel.)
I kept saying NO. And the Best Buy guy was pissed (at least that was my impression), and left me alone for more than 10 minutes. (I already completed all the paperwork to purchase the laptop.)
After about 10 minutes, I torn apart the paperwork and left the store, promised to myself that I won't go BestBuy ever.

I see why he was trying so hard to have me sign up for the AOL. For the stupid free CD...

[Matthew Hilario @ Oct 15th 2007 12:54PM]

would you like to supersize that?

[Ratchet the Lombax @ Oct 15th 2007 12:57PM]

I've never had a problem with Bestbuy, it's really the only place I get my electronics. I don't buy a lot a tech stuff but it beats shopping at Circuit City since they don't seem to have the stuff I'm looking for. I've never bought a computer from them so I don't know about their sales policies on them, but otherwise they seem OK to me.

[steve smith @ Oct 15th 2007 12:58PM]

stop knocking Microsoft, they are beautiful and perfect, and this world would be a better place if they controlled everything, and Windows was the only OS available. The Zune will rule.

[tim @ Oct 15th 2007 1:14PM]

Funnest is not a word!!!

[wolf @ Oct 15th 2007 2:53PM]

actually, it is.

[tim @ Oct 15th 2007 2:57PM]

No, it's not.

[wolf @ Oct 15th 2007 5:56PM]

Funner, adj: an informal or nonstandard comparative form of fun
Example: basketball is funner than football, and soccer is the funnest game of all
Usage: also funnest (adj.)

not listed as "slang," btw.

[fischju @ Oct 15th 2007 1:21PM]

They will keep doing whatever they hell they want - it's the American way

[Shane @ Oct 15th 2007 1:39PM]

I remember that crap...Best Buy wasn't the only one...

Radio Shack was pulling the same thing. $400 rebate if you sign up for MSN! I signed up, never used it, never paid for it, got the rebate and then disputed that I had ever signed up. The store that I had purchased from went out of business so I essentially got the $400 rebate for free! :-)

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 15th 2007 2:02PM]

Hehe, Radio Shack and their crazy schemes.

Makes me glad I was one of those kids who would format the HDs on their display PCs back in the day. :p

[John M @ Oct 15th 2007 2:00PM]

Reminds me of thier practices with the difference in website prices and in store intranet prices...Best buy is a scam. PERIOD.

[leon @ Oct 15th 2007 2:28PM]

Lame, so lame. I haven't bought anything from best buy in a long time, and now that I've seen this bullshit, I doubt I ever will.

[wolf @ Oct 15th 2007 2:58PM]

reminds me of when they had that annoying practice of making the MSN rebate part of the price in the Sunday circulars. almost every price they listed was useless, because it was actually like $200 more. and they didn't even do the logical thing and limit it to computers... you'd see "Whirlpool Dishwasher $99.00* ...after $200 MSN rebate." i read the circulars so I don't have to do basic math, or think...

[wolf @ Oct 15th 2007 3:24PM]

uh, sorry genius, it is. you might want to update your Websters. cause it may not have been at the birth of the English language, but like many words that have been added with each edition, it is now.

[James @ Oct 15th 2007 5:59PM]

Only time I even walk into a BB now is when CC is out of stock on something that's in their ad. Most times when I ask for the pricematch, they just glance at the ad, say "OK", and key in the discount.

I hope they lose money on those sales ;-)

[keith waddington @ Oct 16th 2007 4:00AM]

Microsoft and illegal business practices? Never.

LOL

keep smiling

waddo