Internet retailer Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) is following Best Buy Inc.'s (NYSE: BBY) lead and is now supplying $50 gift certificates to those customers who purchased a now-obsolete HD DVD player on the e-tailer's website prior to February 23. Customers who bought an HD DVD player before that date have until April 9, 2009 to contact Amazon.com and claim their $50 credits (limit of 10).It's good that Amazon.com is finally doing this -- but why did it take so long? The pioneering e-tailer didn't lead the charge on this one, and left that task to brick-and-mortar retailer Best Buy. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) followed shortly behind and then a month later, Amazon.com joins the fray? Generally, Amazon.com is the leading trendsetter -- but not this time.
So, Amazon.com is giving previous HD DVD unit customers a $50 credit on anything else available for sale while pitching some great offers on the format winner Blu-ray format (always have to work an upsell in there). It would be great if every retailer who sold HD DVD players would follow along Best Buy's lead and provide $50 credits to customers as a future business retention tool, but that probably won't happen. The lack of that action, though, shows just who is in tune with customers and who could care less.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-14-2008 @ 8:01AM
irish24x7 said...
"It's good that Amazon.com is finally doing this -- but why did it take so long?"
Huh?? Why does Amazon or any other company have to do anything? This is another case of people looking to make someone else (and it's Amazon, it all comes back to you and me folks) to underwrite their bad decisions. What happened to people doing their research, making a choice and if it's a bad one chalk it up to experience and living with it. Maybe I can get a refund for my 8-Track player?
4-14-2008 @ 9:59AM
lizjcnyc said...
"The lack of that action, though, shows just who is in tune with customers and who could care less."
It's great that the big companies can do this. But to say that the others "could care less" shows just who is NOT in tune with today's economic environment. We are in a recession, heading for...I won't say it, but you know what. Look around. Companis are going out of business left and right. Not everyone can afford to do this.
4-14-2008 @ 12:49PM
BT said...
I am in full agreement with irish. If I were a shareholder, I would be very upset that Amazon is doing this. They did not force people to buy these players. Any knowledgeable person would know that one of these formats was going to fail. That is the reason I didn't buy.
4-14-2008 @ 1:51PM
Wendy said...
I want to know who decided that blueray "won" the format war - I dont know anyone that has blueray. Its a little presumptious of them to tell us what we will be able to buy.
I think they should follow Gores lead and ask for a re-count.
4-14-2008 @ 3:54PM
Dan said...
This is great! I have a blu-ray player but what a great idea to help out those that landed on the wrong side of the coin. Buying either format before there was a winner was a natural gamble but this act of kindness will definitely help boost customer approval of Amazon. Good for them!
4-18-2008 @ 1:08PM
Charlie Brockwell said...
I contacted Amazon and they indicated that there are no current plans for any type of refund or credit on the hd dvd units sold.