It looks like a Best Buy in Marina, California was a little confused about what "floor model" meant and accidentally put a boxed 360 version of
Rock Band out for sale instead of setting it up as a demo unit -- and the eagle-eyed Tim Menz managed to spot the oversize box poking out of the Guitar Hero 3 display and "casually" purchase it. Apparently the UPC was already in the system but didn't raise any flags when it rang up for $169. Tim didn't bother with any of that silly rock music nonsense and skipped straight to selling out on eBay, but pulled the auction when EA called him and politely asked him to return the kit to the store. He hasn't done that yet, since it's a little unclear whether Tim got a full copy or just an in-store demo -- anyone out there know the answer?
Update: Tim got back to us and says it is in fact the demo, but he's put it back on eBay for all you desperate to rock.
Update 2: Tim just let us know that Best Buy is now offering him a full refund plus a $100 gift card -- looks like Big Blue wants their toys back.
[Thanks, Thomas]
posted November 1st 2007 6:52PM
Let EA games bid on it too. And we'll be rooting for them.
I have the high bid right now!
Oh hai! I can has groupies?
I think that he should either take what they offer him or sell it on eBay or wherever he wants to. If he starts to ask for things in exchange for the unit, and get too greedy, they may come after him for extortion. And, end up being taken to court, and/or losing his money. You never know with this big corporations. Sure he paid for it and technically is his. But, all these major corporation have the legal power to bend the truth and screw the little guy.
He bought it at BestBuy? Should be glad he didn't end up with a pile of rocks.
i lol'd at newgalactic
ITS ONLY THE DEMO ONE!! I set on the one at the best buy i work and it i thought it was the real deal, until it was only demo. 10 songs and no bass drum pedal.
Screw Best Buy!!!!! Welcome to our Capitalistic society.
Haha, I work in a Best Buy and I can tell you that that location is probably getting sued/fined for letting that go ahead of the official release date...
Let the Bestbuy empire collapse so only one group will save them! Google, they'll name it "Google Stores Beta" :P
On a side note...I demand more pics of the cat
actually the box it comes in says hold for mosaic which is a company that sets up displays for new releases and stuff..my store got it like 2 weeks ago and it still hasnt been set up..were waiting still..the reason that bestbuy wants it back so much is because they wont get any new releases before the release date from now on its a penalty from ea...i know because i work in a best buy
is it just that one best buy store that won't get new releases early or the whole chain??
its only that store...every other store is fine..the new release for the store that sold rockband will get the new releases on the day they release..and wont be given time to prepare
I'd ransom it back to EA in exchange for competent support and (if they must use copy-protection on their PC games,) copy-protection that doesn't keep paying customers from using legally licensed software.
You know EA is going to pay -whatever- for it, so everyone go bid and push the price up. Then, dude, you owe us all lunch.
After the complete lack of compassion and customer service I've suffered at Best Buy and have seen others suffer I would not give it back to Best Buy or at the very least, have them up the offer, since they definitely don't mind screwing over customers. I say give them a taste of their own corporate medicine.
How the fcku did EA get his phone number? That's what I wanna know.
In our store the rock band display/demo is a fully functional game. Unit does not operate off of any equipment or software that is different from the actual package. Most displays at Best Buy are products right off the shelf. What a grab this guy got!
If EA is going to fine/sue Best Buy, and/or keep them from getting any new releases, it seems like he could ask for a reasonable amount of cash for the system.
Best Buy screwed up, and now their a$$ is on the line. For Best Buy, there is no 'easy' way out of it. I think they'd be willing to pay an amount close to what EA would sue for, and their ability to get new releases from EA.
So if the penalty for selling this thing early is $10K, asking Best Buy for $9,999 back shouldn't be out of the question. Look at it this way, he's saving Best Buy $1. Just make sure this isn't extortion before carrying it out.
I also think that Best Buy would want to buy it from the auction, and not EA. I fail to see what EA has to lose here. A demo of their product got sold early, big whoop. Best Buy is the loser because of whatever contract they may have had with EA.
have there been any updates to this?
Of course he doesn't have to return it. I could ask you all to nicely to send me $20 each, it doesn't mean you have to do it.
Most likely Best Buy is offering the $100 gift card because they are going to have an issue with their distributor or EA for the mess up. They'll lose some kind of retail discount or such... and if I really wanted to make a big assumption, it could be for the entire chain and not just one store.
Sucks to be Best Buy! I can hear the store manager now... "Fired? But I just finished Management Training only 2 weeks ago!! AWWWWWWW... back to mom's basement!"
I would totally just sell it on eBay. If Best Buy or EA wants to purchase something I bought from them, they can go onto eBay and buy it.
If eBay, being another corporate shill, pulls the auction, just post it up somewhere else for sale and let people e-mail in bids.
Sell it back to them for $1000 dollars, oh and if bestbuy happen to be the one that gave out his phone number he should sue Bestbuy for giving out his personal information...lol strike rich dude!!
http://cgi.ebay.com/Rock-Band-Demo-Special-Edition-for-Xbox-360_W0QQitemZ190169441521QQihZ009QQcategoryZ62053QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
heres the link to the auction if anyones interested
I think you all may be missing a EA marketing trick...set up the thing for sale, it gets sold; the guy is very happy...you pretend to be outraged!!...and get millions in absolutely free publicity...really, it is a textbook guerrila marketing ploy...
it's not as if he can copy it and distribute it like software, so what does BB lose? What does EA lose? Zero. He paid retail, and this story just might get legs if it is massaged into the mainstream press...
Brilliant!
I wonder what happened to his second attempt at eBaying it? It was removed from eBay sometime near the end of the auction (it was there with about 3-4 hours left).
Oh, and the highest bid I saw before it got removed was $760.00 plus $40 Priority Mail shipping.
Never mind, found it. He relisted it after it got removed.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=62053&item=190170524106
Big Blue is IBM, not Best Buy.
Looks like he was able to sell it! $450 plus shipping!
Much better than the refund plus $100 gift card Best Buy was offering him...
http://cgi.ebay.com/Rock-Band-Demo-Special-Edition-for-Xbox-360_W0QQitemZ190170936580QQihZ009QQcategoryZ62053QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem