If you want to vent your spleen about the treatment you received...use Facebook & Twitter. If you want to find the ad you could try the Wayback Machine...FYI I've never used this.

https://archive.org/web/

Can't help with question, but can certainly suggest a title for future reference.

How about: 'Google-Best Buy Fraud! Retrieve G. Ad??'

Thanks, azinoh I'll try your link. You might try a kinder, gentler approach to questions from posters. I certainly didn't want to upset you with my question.

Jane

Chas025, thanks for the tip. Couldn't figure out a clear title.

Jane

I don't much care if you post your rant here...knock yourself out. Just remember that it doesn't do any good. On The Other Hand, it's well known that corporations monitor what gets posted about them on social media. You just might find a sympathetic ear there and ...who knows???....maybe some satisfaction too.

Jane, I think what's at work in your situation is a small misunderstanding, not an intentional misrepresentation.

Google's machines (and those of other search sites too) are in constant motion finding information on websites and aggregating content it finds. Sometimes it finds content on discontinued webpages. Sometimes it finds content from less than reliable sources. The user needs to go to the underlying sources to understand what's being presented.

When you do a search, you should always ignore the summaries presented. Instead, CAREFULLY click on the findings (giving preference to known and legit sites and ignoring less familiar names) to be sure the information you read is coming directly from the horse's mouth. Your description suggests you acted simply from what was shown in the Google summary, not by clicking through to the Best Buy website. I would give Google summaries a "0" for reliability in too many cases. They try to do their best but they have mountains and mountains of information to try to sift through and aggregate in a meaningful way (all done by computers) and their findings aren't always current or accurate. Your experience may be an example of what I'm describing.

My wife will sometimes show me something she's found from a search. I'll ask "What's the source of that". She'll say "It's on Google". And I say, "No it's not, it's just repeating something it found. Click on it to see the source". She'll do that and often what she finds is different from what the summary said. Or, it's a sketchy or unreliable source that may not be credible.

Be careful that what you act on is real information. Good luck.

My understanding is, a business advertises at a source, be it a newspaper, flyer, tv, radio. If they make a mistake they must sell the item at the given price. This problem has happened for many years especially when newspaper was the main 'search engine.'

My Google search let to a page which was similar to Fudds description. It was a list of stores carrying the item with the prices. Best Buys was at the top.

I did click on the ad and it brought me to a page which had the large Best Buy orange logo at the top. It showed the item with the description. I clicked on 'order online' and it brought up another page which said, 'pick up in store only.'

So I decided to make the trip to the store which is where the problem began.

The first manager I dealt with spent at least 10 mins on the computer trying to figure out the ad. He stated, at one point that he thought it might be a old promotional ad which they ran a while ago.

The ad, with the logo and info was on its own page, not part of a summary or list. It contained the store info, map to the store, etc.

I think it was an ad Best Buy ran and never pulled until I showed up.

I feel they could have handled it better. I already bought the Fitbit elsewhere. I would like to show their mistake to higher ups, to make sure they are careful about what is showing up online. I also did not like the treatment of their managers. They were rude and insulting. Basically challenging me to complain.

So I'd like to complain! They had no problem pulling the ad as I walked out of the store. They could have done that months ago.

I'm annoyed on principal. That's all. Not a rant, just holding people to their responsibility and ethics.

Jane

Wow, you shop at a better Best Buy than I do. That manager deserves a raise!

I didn't rant at all. I sat on a stool by the customer service quietly for almost an hour as they spent time typing on their computers. I read the news on my phone and never looked at them.

Thanks, Elmer. Your post shows how different stores handle this things differently. Your managers were very nice. Mine, not so.

Jane

Yeah, sounds like luck was with me and not with you. I'm not sure I would have been as patient as you were, nor for so long.