Best Buy Black Friday

If an electronics store sends you an email advertising a $2200 television as being on-sale for $999, should you actually be able to buy the television at the $999 price? TINA.org twitter follower @JohnJohnson777 thought so, after Best Buy sent him an email advertising a Sony TV at a steep discount. But John found that the TV was not available in stores near him in Texas, and he found that he couldn’t buy the TV off Best Buy’s website either. He alerted us to his complaint over Twitter:

@TruthinAd False Advertising? @BestBuy Sony TV Ad $999 on 7/26 & 27- Not Avail Online, Nor In Texas Stores; Now $1499 http://t.co/QJ0iRiCzS0

— JohnJohn (@JohnJohnson777) July 28, 2013

@BestBuySupport ^Bill; @TruthinAd Ordered TV Online, Which Covers The US, At $999, But It Would Not Accept Order. pic.twitter.com/9g7NeOfFpI

— JohnJohn (@JohnJohnson777) July 28, 2013

@BestBuySupport ^Bill; @TruthinAd Went To Store, Checked Availability, (I Saw Inventory), Not Available Anywhere! http://t.co/QJ0iRiCzS0

— JohnJohn (@JohnJohnson777) July 28, 2013

@BestBuySupport ^Bill; @TruthinAd On 7/27 Called I-888#; Rep Stated, “If You Are Calling About 60” TV, It Won’t Be Avail Til Nx Wk At $2200!

— JohnJohn (@JohnJohnson777) July 28, 2013

Best Buy responded:

@JohnJohnson777 Our ads reflect the entire US. I’m sorry the item is not available in your area. ^Bill

— Best Buy Support (@BestBuySupport) July 28, 2013

Look out for bait-and-switch ads like this, which advertise an item at one price before trying to get you to buy it at another price. For more on bait and switch, click here.