This is not the first time I've been to Game, Makro or the likes for something on sale and they don't have stock. Usually they say there's a problem getting stock. You'd think they'd provision enough stock for every day of the sale. Although I've found them without stock on the first day. Which makes me wonder if it's just poor planning or done purposefully to make you buy something else or more expensive. Seems they deliberately understock.
A friend of mine managed to get one last weekend at the Eastgate store. I went to Alberton City later in the week and yup, sold out. The salesman then told me they're sold out because customers are buying them. What? Really? I was fully under the impression that they were being carted off in the night by elves.
I did learn something interesting. I called Game's head office and spoke to someone who deals with Game. If you send *120*7866# from your phone and follow the instructions you register for some or other Game Talk thing. If you then send in the barcode (which for the Seagate is 7636490037986) and your closest branch they will notify you of stock. You'll get a reference.
I'm not entirely confident in these kinds of systems since they promise things but never work.
Now here's the interesting part. According to him, if you have that ref and it was done during the sale they have to give you the product at the sale price.
Of course, I'm a little untrusting of these people. I posted a Hellopeter complaint and was contacted by the manager who wanted to give me a Verbatim 3tb instead. I trust Verbatim discs but not their drives. By the end of the conversation he promised me a Seagate at the same price when stock was in, which is all I really wanted anyway.
I've managed something similar twice at Hifi Corp when they didn't have a laser printer on sale and they gave me a better model for the same price.
It seems that making a public stink is about your only way to get sale products these days.
Yup, apparently no Game in Gauteng has the Seagate drives in stock. Bait marketing much? Makro has also had this Seagate 3/2 TB HDD bait in one or two brochures.
Is there anything consumers can do against Makro and Game's bait marketing, apart from voting with your wallet?
