Best Buy eliminates restocking fees

In what should serve as a reminder that humans are capable of truly amazing feats, Best Buy has announced they are eliminating re-stocking fees. Yes, that's right: Best Buy. No re-stock fee. And they're even refunding recently-paid re-stock fees.

It will be interesting to see who else will follow in Best Buy's footsteps. Could this lead to the end of re-stock fees as we know them? Stay tuned.

Best Buy Innovates... A Tiny Bit

One of the biggest frustrations of working at the Apple Store focused on iPod/iPhone cases. People would look at cases in their shiny packaging, and ask if they could open it up to try it. At the time, the policy was no since that would then be open merchandise. It was annoying for the customers, and led to unpleasant interactions at times for employees.

Best Buy of all people may have found a solution. If only it worked. Best Buy now offers the mobile "fitting room", allowing you to try cases on your iPhone before you buy. There's a large bowl of cases that a Best Buy employee can get if interested (check for a sign in the cell phone area of your local store for availability). Then, presumably, you would get to try these cases on your iPhone.

I tried out the service while looking for a case for the iPhone 3GS. There was one of those slick cases that doubles as a battery, and I asked if I could try it. They had it in the basket, but then the Best Buy employee warned, "That's the one we don't let people try because it's really snug." Hmm.. I came back with another, more pedestrian case, and tried again. "I don't have that case, but I have this one that's like it." "That case is hard, I think this one is soft," I replied. "Yeah, but it's not much softer than this one."

I was 0 for 2 in actually trying cases on the phone before purchasing. Maybe another retailer could implement this a little more elgantly...

Radio Shack, We're Pullin' for Ya

Ah, Radio Shack... The butt of many jokes through the years.. From your hyper-need to try to sell everyone batteries, to the now-gone tradition of asking for far too much personal information to sell those batteries. Yes, the technology world hasn't been kind. And of course, there's the age-old conundrum of how you've made it this far. The few times I've entered a Radio Shack in the last few years, I was the only person in the store, and buying less than $10 in merchandise.

But it's the nature of that merchandise that makes us pull for you. Where else can an electronics tinkerer go today and leave with a resistor or capacitor? Yes, the real magic of the store has been reduced to those slide out drawers in the back corner. I remember those Radio Shack golden years of Tandy computers (Tandy 1000 was my first computer ever), and of course, the R/C Car phase, followed now by the cell phone phase. I don't know how many people put Radio Shack on their shortlist of cell phone sellers, but all of that could be about to change.

As it was announced the iPhone would be coming to Best Buy in September, reports also hint that Radio Shack could be next.

Imagine, that quiet little strip mall stalwart could become one of only four authorized channels for the iPhone. Behold, the Radio Shack resurrection could be near. Then again, there's just as good of chance that those trays of resistors and hard-to-find electronics parts are just the kind of merchandise that would disappear to make room for the iPhone and its wall of accessories.

Apple and AT&T keep the spoils from the little guy

Quick, what do Apple resellers and AT&T independent dealers have in common? Answer: Neither can sell the hottest product from the company with whom they've pledged their allegiance.

For years, Apple resellers have watched the constant march of Apple-owned stores into their territories. To be honest, there were/are a lot of independents that couldn't match the experience and know-how of the Apple Store. At the same time, there are/were many dealers who've devoted years cultivating a user base, and giving excellent service. Some have survived. Some, like Boston's Tek Serve have watched Apple move in literally next door.

Next, you have AT&T. From day one, the iPhone has only been available from Apple Stores or AT&T-owned stores. This left many AT&T resellers in the dark, and probably with a bad taste in their mouthes. Imagine you're an independent business owners, allied with AT&T. Each day customers ask you about the iPhone. You don't have any to sell, and any positive remarks will result in a sale for someone else. This puts these owners in the awkward position of either painting the product in a negative light, in hopes of remaining in business, or to be honest with the customer regarding the features the iPhone, and risk losing their business.

The line from Apple and AT&T has been that they need to be cautious of unlocked phones being sold. Why one model of phone is the only one to rise to this level of concern by AT&T is questionable. Sure, it's in high demand, but it's still a tiny part of AT&T's overall phone sales. If unlocking was the real concern, why sell any phones through third parties at all?

Today comes word that Best Buy will sell the iPhone starting in September. The phone will be available in all Best Buy locations within AT&T service areas. You'll recall this is the same Best Buy that's on year three of rolling out Apple computers in less than half of their locations so far.

The bottom line is, Apple/AT&T want to control as much of the pipeline as possible, from the iTunes app store as the sole source of applications, to the shutout of resellers and independent dealers, while working with Best Buy, a company with no loyalties to either company: Rest assured that if Verizon had a phone far superior to the iPhone, Best Buy would try for that exclusive as well. Why not make the distribution as wide as possible? Both Apple resellers, and independent AT&T dealers should be able to carry the full product line. Imagine going car shopping, let's say for a Ford Mustang, and having your local dealer tell you that model is only available from a Ford-owned dealership. (which as I understand it, doesn't exist. Hmmm.) Of course given the economics of the car industry right now, it might not serve as the best example. Still, it seems if you can reward loyalty and expand your distribution points, that's the most logical thing to do.