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Just when we thought the Black Friday rumors were not going any further in terms of Blockbuster-ish frenzy, Circuit City Stores, Inc. (NYSE:CC) will have a reported $99 laptop computer available on Black Friday. Actually, the system will be $299 after rebates -- possibly matching an offer by competitor Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) but priced above a rumored $199 laptop from Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT). The Circuit City laptop, however, will be just $99 after a customer signs up with Internet phone provider Vonage.Circuit City's featured notebook will be a rather bland but functional Compaq system that features a Celeron processor from Intel rather than processors from Advanced Micro Devices, and it will also come with an optical drive that burns both DVDs and CDs -- not just CDs like the rumored Wal-Mart laptop (and that's a huge upgrade). The circuit City laptop will also come with 512MB of memory, a 15.4-inch screen and a 60GB hard drive.
Is Circuit City poised to have the "official" lowest Black Friday holiday price on a new laptop computer? The retailer currently sells the Compaq notebook for $499 as of today, and says that the computer ordinarily lists for $680. In order to get to the $299 price, Circuit City gives consumers a $280 instant rebate at the store and a coupon for a $100 mail-in rebate ($680-$380=$299). Sign up for Vonage in two weeks and get another $200 off. Where will you shop?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-15-2006 @ 8:54PM
David said...
I will shop at Wal-Mart because the price that's on the item is the price I pay at the register (plus sales tax). I absolutely HATE Circuit City's and Best Buy's advertising. I don't even look at their flyers that come in the Sunday paper anymore because I know that the price in BIG NUMBERS will be followed by a paragraph of fine print in parentheses listing all the hoops you have to jump through just to get that price. If an item can be sold for that price, JUST SELL THE ITEM AT THAT PRICE! Customers who fill out rebate forms should demand an extra 5 or 10% off as a "clerical fee" for filling out all that paperwork (but demand it from Corporate Headquarters - see next sentence). As a retail worker, I can only offer my sympathies to all the Best Buy and Circuit City salespeople who've been yelled at over the years because of people coming in to buy an item at the BIG NUMBER price only to find out...oops, you won't get that price until 6 months from now when your rebate check comes in. You should've brought an extra hundred with you. Sorry for making your kids cry.
11-15-2006 @ 10:52PM
francisco said...
no one can compete with the deals at wal-mart, something that most do not know is that at wal-mart there are many more items that are not being advertised. go to wal-mart and buy most presents on that day there is something for everyone.
11-21-2006 @ 3:55PM
Teri said...
I have received our Black Friday ad for Wal-Mart. There is no sign of a $199 laptop. I guess Wal-Mart doesn't think Okies use laptops.
11-21-2006 @ 4:41PM
Bobbi said...
To Teri: You already got your Black Friday ad? Where in Oklahoma do you live? I'm in Sapulpa and the Black Friday ad for that Wal-Mart is in the paper on Thanksgiving day....