IP Democracy: Shame on WalMart for Its Laptop Bait and Switch

Blogging has been slow these past few days because Mitch and I were in our respective Thanksgiving slow-down modes. But given that most of the news of the past week focused on Black Friday and its attendant windfall for consumer electronics makers, I thought I’d share my own Black Friday experience.

While visiting my family in Stuart, Florida, I did something I’ve never done before — arise before dawn to scoop up some Black Friday specials. In particular, I wanted the unbelievably low-priced HP Pavilion laptop WalMart was hawking for $389 per unit, a steal that first caught my attention via Engadget one month ago.

We arrived at WalMart shortly before the doors opened at 5 a.m., with about 100 people ahead of us in line. Upon arriving at the Electronics department at 5:03 a.m., I was informed that all the laptops had been sold, all fifteen alotted to the store that is. When I pointed out that at least twelve of these prizes were still stacked on the floor behind the counter, the salesman told me that they had “already been sold.” Why would anyone who was lucky enough to receive one of the easily carried laptops leave them behind the electronics counter?

Shame on WalMart for heavily marketing the low-priced laptops via widespread print and TV promotions only to stock this store, and I suspect all other stores, with enough of the product to last less than three minutes after opening. Shame on WalMart for making me rise at the inconceivable hour of 4 a.m. and making me step foot in a store that I rarely patronize.

I’d love to hear from any other folks about their experiences in trying to buy the HP Pavilion laptop from WalMart on Black Friday. Please drop me a line.

Posted by Cynthia Brumfield on November 27, 2005 1:59 PM to IP Democracy