I know Walmart is evil and all but if you needed one of these gizmos...

[NNN0LHI]

...would you purchase it here:

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/PureAV-Home-Theater-Battery-Backup-with-AVR-Technology-AP3080010-/sem/rpsm/oid/124137/catOid/-12893/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do?c=0&BV_SessionID=@@@@0516337565.1137792622@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccecaddgkkifgglcfngcfkmdffhdfki.0

Or would you purchase it here:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3756917&cat=4483&type=19&dept=3944&path=0%3A3944%3A3964%3A132959%3A4483

?

[stop_the_madness]

1. Walmart

[LaPera]

118. Ebay has two, one for $273.00 and another for $277.99 Don't shop Walmart!

http://search.ebay.com/Belkin-Theater-Battery-Backup_W0QQfkrZ1QQfromZR8

Both, you can "Buy It Now". New, & no tax.

[Stephanie]

2. I would go to Circuit City with the ad - they will match the price

I would try Best Buy and Amazon and J&R. I would keep shopping until I found it someplace I could stomach.

[NNN0LHI]

11. I tried the price match at Circuit City and they told me to take a hike nt

[jayfish]

Then You Should Have Spoken With A Manager.

Not only are they to match the price but they give you an extra 10% of the difference. You could have gotten the unit for 267.

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/lookLearn.do?cat=-13318&edOid=105471&c=2

"Take a hike" is not an acceptable response.

Jay

[NNN0LHI]

41. I was talking to the manager at the time and his exact words were...

..."no, we cannot price match that item." I said OK.

Now they did price match the best price I could find on the internet for a TV I just bought from them which I thought was amazing. Free delivery too.

Don

[jayfish]

46. That's Crazy Talk.

Did they say it was because it was an internet ad? Did your local Wal-Mart have the item in stock. I would have stood there until they did the match. If you want to have a little fun with it, file a compliant with your states Attorney General. If your local WM has the item in stock you have a valid complaint and the AG will act. You might get some "customer appreciation gifts out of the deal. :evilgrin:

Jay

[NNN0LHI]

79. He didn't go into any detail or reasons and I was in no mood for argument

I dropped it. As far as following up with the states Attorney General everything is written to the stores advantage as far as I can tell. Plus I don't want no hassle. I just want to watch TV.

:bounce:

Don

[jayfish]

140. I Hear Ya. -NT-

Jay

[stop_the_madness]

12. They can't

They are different manufacturers. they will only price match if it's the same exact thing.

[NNN0LHI]

14. It is the exact same manufacturer and model n/t

[stop_the_madness]

34. my bad

I didn't look hard enough onw said Pure and the other said Belkin Pure

[kath]

120. Try J&R or one of the other mail order places - we found out years ago tha

photographic equipment, video, etc could be bought much cheaper by checking out the ads in the Sunday NYT and calling these places for a price quote. (long before the days of the internets, but I'd bet the same is true today - and most of 'em likely have websites now as well.)

[Maddy McCall]

3. The latter, with no guilt.

[Stephanie]

4. Here, I already found it for $399, on my first try >

http://www.jr.com/OMBasketDetail.process?RestartFlow=t&OMAction=AddToBasket&OMLineMerchantId=1&OMProductId=4040009

[Maddy McCall]

20. Walmart's is $100 less than your find. To some people...

that's a world of difference.

[Stephanie]

28. did you see the part where I said "on my first try"

That was the first site I searched. I think if he keeps looking he can beat the walmart price.

[Maddy McCall]

37. Sure you can beat the price, but what about returns policy?

Someone below already found one for 219, but if it arrives fucked up, you can't return it.

That's no bargain.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

75. I just have a feeling that the people to whom it makes a world of

difference shouldn't be in the market for a battery backup for their home theater systems.

[NuttyFluffers]

114. *snort* stop it! you and your evil logic!

you're just one of them fancy pants, pajama wearin, latte drinkin, librul intellektuls. :sarcasm:
$100 difference is crucial for families who *need* to spend $200+ on a UPS for their home theater system...:sarcasm:
:rofl:

[crispini]

132. Bwahahahahahaha!

:spray:

[phylny]

143. Heh. You made me chuckle. Good one! n/t

[medeak]

5. I would go to here

(never walmart)

froogle is the best

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=PureAV%E2%84%A2+Home+Theater+Battery+Backup+with+AVR+Technology++&hl=en&btnG=Search+Froogle&lmode=unknown

[Stephanie]

16. oh that's cool!

never saw that before

[saracat]

6. I would use the Walmart price to force another seller with price matching

to sell it to me at the Walmart price. Many stores will price match. Some even give you plus 10% . If it is available nowhere else for that price, I would cave and get it all Walmart, but I would try not too! Good luck!

[thinkingwoman]

7. walmart, no question...

circuit city has the worst customer service I have ever encountered. I wouldn't shop in one of their stores if it was the last gizmo seller on Earth.

[DebJ]

21. Oh, but Circuit City's commercials : Where service is state of the

art...yep, their service sucks. But I'd not buy at Walmart anyway.

[thinkingwoman]

33. I usually go to Best Buy myself

They run sales fairly regularly and their service and selection are better than Walmart.

[orleans]

142. i see it's time for you to go buy "Walmart: the high cost of low prices"

dvd at a barnes & noble http://www.buyblue.org/node/326/view/summary

it might be rather eye-opening for you and anyone else who shops at walmart

when someone is buying something for a home entertainment system $100 isn't gonna make or break them.

and the price paid in the long run--the price to all of us--isn't worth it.

dems usually have more of a "social conscience" than repukes.

but...if people can live with the guilt of knowing that for ten dollars more or one hundred dollars more they are supporting a monopoly that wipes small business out along with the jobs they offer, increases your taxes because you pay for their employees medicaid that they are forced to apply for because they can't afford insurance and "full time" working at walmart is around thirty hours a week, and helped to be a part of what appears to be extremely close to child labor violations in a china walmart factory, whose employees make 30 cents a day (or whatever--i'm in the ballpark i know), live in filthy dorms and are made to pay utilities and rent for their impoverished living quarters--well, if you can live with the fact that you support such horrible conditions then good for you--or anyone.

"STUPIDITY HAS A CERTAIN CHARM--IGNORANCE DOES NOT" frank zappa.
now you know. and now ignorance of the situation is no excuse.

enjoy the movie. it's something that will really get you thinking.

[depakid]

8. How about doing a 5 second google search

and buying it here:

http://www.provantage.com/belkin-ap30800-10~7BELD02T.htm

$219.00 ;-)

[RobertSeattle]

19. You beat me to it

I've used Provantage without no complaints.

[Maddy McCall]

23. Have to take into consideration...are those refurbished? What kind of...

warranty?

[NNN0LHI]

24. I have been there already

I don't like giving my credit card number out to someone I never heard of before. I have had a bad experience before.

Don

[Maddy McCall]

27. Just saw that that business doesn't accept returns for any reason.

Not a bargain if you can't return an item that doesn't work or quits working.

[TahitiNut]

55. Yep. I'd buy it online for $219 if I wanted it. Fer sure.

It's asinine to do otherwise, imho.

[illflem]

9. I would look further

there are some retail outlets that promise to meet anyone else's prices.
Check on amazon.com

[Starlight]

10. While I can't imagine "needing" one of those...

there's absolutely no way I'd shop at Walmart. Period. :nuke:

[NNN0LHI]

56. Many of the newer TVs have cooling fans in them that stay on even...

...after they are shut off until they cool down so the heat doesn't screw them up. My electricity is very poor here where I live in the country. Little wind and the lights are blinking on and off. Got to keep a generator here to keep things running we lose power so much. Therefore I need the UPS to extend the life of my TV.

Don

[Stephanie]

13. here's more >

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/ref=br_ss_hs/002-3895125-7410415?platform=gurupa&url=index%3Dblended&field-keywords=PureAV%99+Home+Theater+Battery+Backup+with+AVR+Technology+%28AP3080010%29&Go.x=10&Go.y=7&Go=Go

[sinkingfeeling]

15. Ebay.....

http://search.ebay.com/home-theater-backup_W0QQfkrZ1QQfnuZ1

[Ladyhawk]

71. I hardly ever buy anything on eBay and I've been screwed over there.

It's best to buy from an actual store, even if the store is online.

[SmokingJacket]

93. I have over two hundred postive transactions.

No negative! You just have to be careful, and make sure you only buy from people who have really good feedback. Those people will give you good service because they don't want to screw up their feedback. I really have never been screwed --- once almost, but then the guy sent the thing.

[Ladyhawk]

119. The guy who screwed me had good feedback. Go figure.

:shrug:

He misrepresented a product as new and eligible for a five-year warranty. When I sent in the warranty, the company called and told me I'd been sold a used product. They're looking for him and if they find him, it isn't going to be pretty. Luckily, the company was good enough to give me the warranty anyway. Thumbs up for the company at least!

[tsuki]

17. Something is not equal. n/t

[RobertSeattle]

18. Found it at Provantage for $219 + Shipping

http://www.provantage.com/belkin-ap30800-10~7BELD02T.htm

Might be a special order though.

[Lusted4]

66. LOL

[hfojvt]

22. $600 or $300

Wasn't circuit city on a list of Fox sponsors or something? It was either them or Best Buy.

I am not sure anyone "needs" :spank: such a gizmo but it is kinda tempting since I have all too many 2 second power outages that are a pain in the tuckus.

Then again, I am a former small business owner, and small town aficionado who defends Wal-mart from extreme attacks :hide: I'll take Wal-mart for $300 please Alex.

[lectrobyte]

25. Those look like two different products to me. WalMart is fairly

notorious for having models specifically built to their specs, so that no one can match the price since no one else carries that model. Not all electronic items are created equally.

[NNN0LHI]

54. Look closer. They are identical n/t

[Silverhair]

135. If the model number is the same, the product is the same. NT

[ET Awful]

26. Neither, I'd buy an APC brand UPS designed for computers

for around $150 at a local shop.

[NuttyFluffers]

115. now we're thinking! this was my thought, too!

my inner nerd, it helps me at times. :D

[tkmorris]

29. I'd say something has been proven in this thread

Though it might not be what was originally intended........

[Maddy McCall]

36. What? That at least one of us is a single parent who doesn't have ...

the income to "stand on principle?"

:shrug:

[Stephanie]

39. you are really projecting -

the item has been found at other stores at a lower price - nobody is saying that the price is irrelevant and he should pay more. Nobody has discussed his economic status, nor yours.

[Maddy McCall]

43. Thanks for the psychoanalysis, mam.

I'm sure that you aren't ignorant of the fact that Walmart always brings up crazily fierce battles at DU.

The OP asked, "What would you do?" I told him what, and why.

[tkmorris]

47. That was not the discussion

At issue was the purchase of one big ticket item, and it was shown conclusively that it is NOT neccessary to purchase it at Walmart in order to get the lowest price. I feel kind of sorry for Don because the item he chose to make the point is exactly the wrong sort of thing to do it with, being rather a luxury item and one of the sort that is easy to get a competing retailer to match the price on or to shop for online.

Now for basic staples etc of the sort that a single mother (or father, there are some ya know) might need Walmart might arguably be a neccessary evil. At least a case could be made. You just can't make the case using a battery backup for a home AV system.

I'm on your side Maddy, let's all relax ok?

[Maddy McCall]

48. If I wanted that item and could get it for half the price at walmart...

I'd buy it at walmart with no guilt.

For basic staples, I shop at Kroger.

[Silverhair]

136. Kroger in my area is about 25% higher on groceries than WM.

We have checked the prices and not just on advertised stuff either.

For some things (Toilet paper, soap, laundry soap, some foods) we use a dollar store as they are cheaper still.

[TahitiNut]

59. That'd an AWFULLY STRANGE PURCHASE for a limited income single parent.

Spending $200-$300 to keep power on to Home Theater components for 40 minutes during a pwer interruption? That sure doesn't sound like "limited income" to me. :shrug:

[JanMichael]

111. Bingo! Ding ding ding-a-lings maybe.

Or shitty financial planners:-)

[Beaverhausen]

30. Anywhere but WalMart

sorry, but they are really, really evil. really

http://walmartwatch.com/

[Bridget Burke]

31. None of the above....

Not that I've any immediate need for a Home Theater Battery Backup with AVR Technology...

First, these are two different brands. I'd find out which one was better. Maybe there's a 3rd that's the best!

Next, I'd shop online for the best deal.

[lectrobyte]

32. None of the above. I'd shop on the web, newegg or firstcall etc.

WalMart and Circuit City both kind of suck in their own way.

[zoeb]

35. With the DOW dropping 200 points today, I could easily

become a Wal-mart shopper...or I may be one after retiring if my savings continues to get hit like today.

[NNN0LHI]

67. Wal-mart shopper? Things get much worse and I will be a Wal-mart greeter

Stock market has me worried as hell.

Don

[zoeb]

82. I want first shift~!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[DanCa]

38. A couple of thoughts about walmart.

One, you can look at it as supporting the employess who vote Dem. And you can look it at supportng people whose only choice to work thier or starve. Or you can just use the money that you save at walmart and use it to give to democratic causes. Just food for thought.

[karlrschneider]

40. You can buy a 500 watt UPS at tigerdirect.com for less than $100

I don't think those 'home theater' systems are anywhere near as susceptible as the ads imply either.

[Dogmudgeon]

42. Wal-Mart, without the guilt

The "Wal-Mart is Evil" thing is getting downright stupid. "Leftists" who think that there's any such thing as a "good" retail employer are seriously deluded. The low-profit-margin nature of retail makes the whole industry a nasty, low-paying place for any employee to be, even the "suits". And most of the owner/operators I've met hate the system, too.

The whole idea of consumer boycotts is to bring precise pressure against its targets for well-defined aims. The vague notion that we should single out Wal-Mart is an ineffective way to change bad business practices. As activists, we should seriously consider a long-term, well-developed strategy for changing the nature of retail business in this country. That would be far more effective than using Wal-Mart -- or any other single business -- as an object for our disdain.

Less guilt and more, better-directed, action. Give it some thought.

--p!

[TallahasseeGrannie]

88. Well said and well thought out. Thanks

[Solon]

100. Wal-Mart is the largest one in the business...

Also, there are some good companies in the business(Costco), and I hate to break it to you, but Wal-Mart, with over 50 billion in profits the last year, isn't exactly hurting from a business with "low profitability" margins. I could tell you stories about the store that would make your head spin, for example, lawn chairs at the store I worked in retailed at $19.96 and cost the store, wholesale, $1.97 or so. That's a profit margin of what, 1000% or so? Besides which, if you think that not all items have that high of a profit margin, you are right. Wal-Mart sold around 250 billion dollars worth of product last year, give or take a billion or so, and made 50 billion in profit, a profit margin of about 20% or so. Given that, I don't think they would hurt that much if they actually lost just 2% of that profit to pay for health care for their employees.

[JanMichael]

112. Once again you hit the nail on the head. It's a special exploiter.

It's the "One".

It's the wage depressing, sprawl inducing, healthcare cheating, union busting, benefit killing, worst of the litter.

Snuff it out.

[Silverhair]

137. You are a welcome voice of reason. NT

[SoCalDem]

44. Print out walmart's ad, take it to circuit city

lots of stores have a "find it cheaper somewhere else/..." policy..

I once got $200 refunded on the purchase of a computer.. Bought it one place, found an ad for the same one cheaper, and the store i bought it from gave me the money back :)

[Lab2112]

45. Why would one only use a single retailer to compare against Wal-Mart?

It always pays to do comparison shopping -- just make sure you don't limit yourself to just one other retailer. A five-minute search yielded this additional result:

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=10389018

Even with the additional shipping charge, it still comes out cheaper than Wal-Mart, and your conscience would be clear.

A more careful search might yield a similar price to Buy.com's, maybe even without the shipping charge.

Good luck!

LAB

[NNN0LHI]

51. Got to log in to read their return policy? What is that?

Never heard of such stuff. I know why I don't purchase anything from buy.com now.

Don

[Lab2112]

57. Log in to read a return policy?

I'm not sure why you would experience such a thing on buy.com. A simple click through their Help section rendered this:

https://secure.buy.com/corp/support/returns/default.asp?what=returns

I don't see anything unreasonable about their returns policy, but perhaps it doesn't suit you. That's cool.

As for not buying anything on buy.com, that's cool, too. I only used buy.com as an example of a retailer _other_ than Circuit City, which was your sole point of comparison to Wal-Mart. Others here have already found other alternatives, one of which is even more cost-effective than the Buy.com solution, and have even suggested even more affordable solutions using other products with similar functions. I will again suggest that it can pay off to keep looking, and not to simply use a single other retailer for comparison against Wal-Mart. That's it! :)

LAB

[NNN0LHI]

62. I read down to the "Deal of the Day (DoD)" limitation on returns...

...and my eyes fell out of my head. :)

Think I am going to stick to the 90 days no questions asked kind of return policies but I appreciate your input in this thread.

:hi:

Don

[GrantDem]

49. Well .....

I have not shopped at Wal-Mart for six years and have yet to find a need to enter the store. To answer your question I would buy that item here:

http://www.pcsuperdeals.com/Productview.asp?SessionID={C8075332-BCF8-42DC-A071-AF8948E1A8F8}&ProductID=40c1f01e-842c-41cc-9860-c53a0f322615

[notadmblnd]

50. I think I'd buy it here

http://www.betterbuyelectronics.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=177294

[f-bush]

52. Wal mart is the sign of

all that is wqrong with America, that and the fundies and bushbots!

[rurallib]

53. See if Costco has it first. (n/t)

[fortyfeetunder]

129. I second that! Go to Costco or Costco.com

Costco.... :loveya:

[Bombero1956]

134. I agree

look at Costco first, they have a very generous return policy. If it shits the bed you're golden. I returned an LCD TV after 11 months and Costco refunded me the entire purchase price plus tax. Try and do that anywhere else.

[Bill McBlueState]

58. interesting question

(disclosure: I seem to be one of those "leftists" disparaged upthread.)

Anyway, I wish there were more accessible research as to how low Wal-Mart's prices really are in relation to other stores. This is kind of an odd case because it's a luxury item; it would be interesting to see how Wal-Mart's prices look on, say, toothpaste.

If a.) I really, really did *need* one of those gizmos and b.) Circuit City and Wal-Mart were the only options, I'd definitely buy from Wal-Mart to avoid spending an extra $300. Despite my concerns about Wal-Mart's business practices, I'll buy something there if all the other options are for whatever reason unsatisfactory.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

65. I'm in agreement

And I do buy many items at WalMart for one reason: price. Here's an example. Our coffee at Publix is 12 bucks and 6 at WalMart. As a teacher, I can't afford to ignore that. Now, if Publix were a local Ma and Pa I might buy the coffee there now and then but Publix is also a huge conglomerate.

I don't want to be put in the position to defend WalMart, because frankly I don't know all the details of their "evil ways." I know they hire a lot of half time to avoid benefits. Well, so does our local hospital AND our school district. I know they put Ma and Pa businesses out of business because they price lower, but that is free trade. I would suggest some kind of monopoly break up like AT and T if I had even remotely an idea what I was talking about.

I guess the bottom line is I am not progressive enough to throw away probably two to three hundred dollars a month on a principle that not a damned person will even notice. Not on a teacher salary. I buy by price. Period. I would buy the cheaper item from Satan, himself.

[Beaverhausen]

68. Here is a great site to learn more about Walmart

http://www.ufcw.org/issues_and_actions/walmart_workers_campaign_info/facts_and_figures/index.cfm

and I highly suggest seeing the WalMart movie if you can.
http://www.walmartmovie.com/

Fortunately where I live there are lots of choices other than WalMart. I know for some people there is no choice, but I will never set foot in one of their stores.

[Solon]

86. I'll give you a good summary as to why Wal-Mart is bad for us...

First, low prices come at a high cost, the most direct, for me, was being screwed out of OT pay, equalling thousands of dollars(class action in progress). Second, as you mentioned the elimination of local stores through lower prices, let me tell you HOW Wal-Mart actually does it, I worked there after all.

It has nothing to do with free trade, and everything to do with breaking the law but its almost impossible to prove. All right, first step is Wal-Mart moving into a town, simple enough with bribes, after all. Then Wal-Mart does competition shopping, looking for what other stores are selling, then they go back to their store and beats the price, even at a loss, in other words below market value. They then put said items on endcaps and in the middle of aisles. At the same time they pressure manufactures to shave sometimes just cents off these items wholesale price, so the Wal-Mart could turn a profit in the years ahead. Wal-Mart has thousands of stores, and they will view at as worth it if it takes a decade before ONE of those stores turns a profit but eliminates all competition in the town their in. Soon enough, Wal-Mart has a local monopoly, and when that happens, they then hike the prices back up to standardized market prices, and because of the pressure put on manufactures, actually increased profitablity dramatically, for ALL their stores.

This can violate one or both of two laws that are on the books in the United States. The first is a practice called dumping, Wal-Mart lost a decision by the FTC for dumping violations, which is importing products(in this case TVs) at below market value, and saturating the market. The other is predatory pricing, which is a monopoly abuse in which Wal-Mart will operate a store at a loss for the sole purpose of eliminating competition.

Not to mention that Wal-Mart only has about 10 to 30% of items that are on average actually less than competition, usually high marketability items at that, but at lower quality. This even includes same brand names as other stores, but that the difference between these "same" items can be quite dramatic. The quality of parts is actually less, even if same brand and model, and they will usually last till the warrenty is out, then fail sooner than items at other stores. Not to mention that Wal-Mart had to change its slogan because of this practice, it used to be "Always the Lowest Price, Always", the FTC told them this was false advertising, and they changed it to "Always Low Prices, Always". Different meanings there, don't you think?

Not to mention the self-censorship of Wal-Mart, which is actually quite laughable if you think about it. For example, Wal-Mart sells "Radio Edited" CDs of popular music, not the original recordings. The thing about it is that you don't save money for these lesser quality recordings, they are usually at the same price. I know of no-one who would think of buying CDs at Wal-Mart, its simply insane to do so, even classics are censored in many cases, local CD and LP shops are better alternatives.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

87. Very informative response

and I believe they should be prosecuted for the illegal things you mention.

Mostly I get groceries there. I shop online for most household things like sheets, dishes, etc. I use itunes for music.

[Solon]

91. We don't have Supercenters near us...

Thank the Gods, we have 4 regional/local union grocery stores for that purpose. They compete enough as it is, we don't need a Supercenter here, the closest is about an hour away, and no savings, from what I heard of them.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

96. I am an obsessive price checker and coupon clipper

we have Albertson's, Publix, Winn Dixie. I can save $50 a week at the SuperCenter. But I am here to tell you it is not a scintillating experience... bright lights, cement floors, walking for hours.

Give me Fresh Market anytime: baroque music, low lights...and three times what you'll pay anywhere else, unfortunately.

[Solon]

102. We had a saying when I worked at Wal-Mart...

Basically it was this, "Mall workers shop at Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart workers shop at goodwill." This tells you how bad the workers at Wal-Mart have it, when they can't even afford housewares WITH the 10% discount that they are given.

[kath]

123. Do you have any discount grocers or "warehouse" type grocery stores?

I save a *ton* by shopping at such places - at *least* 35% cheaper than Albertson's, some items less than half of Albertson's price. SuperTarget actually beats my discount grocery store on some items. About the only things I ever buy at Albertsons or Homeland are their "2 for 1" specials (and even then, sometimes 2 for 1 is *still* more expensive than my discount grocery store!). Even if it's a bit of a drive to a discount store, doing it once a month and stocking up on non-perishables can save quite a bit.
When we became a one-income household I started keeping a price-comparison notebook, and it was a real eye-opener. Grannie,it sounds like you probably do this already, but for those who don't, it doesn't take much time to write down the prices of things you frequently buy for a few weeks or months, comparing different stores. Then, you'll know whether a "sale" is a good deal or not. Buy lots at the low price - store extras under the bed, in the garage or a closet, etc.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

144. When I get a big paycheck

I will hit Sam's. That's our only wholesale club. (obviously not much help in making a statement to Walmart!) But I sure can get good prices there. Canned goods are half price. You have to buy huge pieces of meat, but you can cut them up and freeze them.

I actually also uses Schwans a lot. Now that is more expensive BUT it keeps me out of the store and some of their frozen fish, ice cream, etc. are really better in quality than the groceries. They freeze them very well and pack them well and then deliver them. But I just have a few special things I get there, like salmon, mahi mahi. I can't get them frozen and my freezer doesn't freeze them well enough.

We used to have some Ma/Pa groceries, but no more.

[Bill McBlueState]

133. you know this, but it's not about being progressive

You should say "I am not wasteful enough to throw away probably two to three hundred dollars a month..."

Think about it -- over the past year, what has really put the pressure on Wal-Mart? Not absolute shopping boycotts by individuals. What's making a difference is organized efforts by unions and progressive state legislators. Those of us who see a need to shop at Wal-Mart from time to time could consider sending a portion of the money we save to the UFCW or our favorite state legislator's re-election campaign.

[The Whiskey Priest]

60. Lord my world would end if my home theater was disabled for a hour.....

Of course while I kick back in my recliner in front of my home theater, some kids in a third world country are working to build that gizmo for a daily wage that will buy a piece of bread. But, what the hell they should have been born in the USofA.

Of course the price of the gizmo for a home theater and including the home theater is beyond the means of most walmart employees. Again that is their bad luck, they should have won the maternity ward lottery.

Screw the worker, I got my home theater and the gizmo........

[NNN0LHI]

64. Correction. Disabled permanently

The idea of this is not to use to watch TV with no electricity. It is used to prevent burning up equipment. Gives enough time to cool down when the power goes out.

And let me know when you give that vow of poverty. I would like to watch.

Don

[The Whiskey Priest]

74. You have caught me out on two point..

First, if television and/or movies were permanently and
forever disabled I would find my life little changed. I find
them to be as was said, “A vast wasteland...”  Some years back
it came to me that larger receivers did not increase the
quality of the product being transmitted. The same can be said
for movies, in my opinion and just my opinion.”  As for sports
programs which I once enjoyed, I find that the quality has
also deteriorated….paying someone a bazillion dollars who is
hitting 213. is little over the top, or, paying some Left
Guard 1.4 million that is playing for a cellar dwelling ball
club doesn’t make a lot of sense, especially when that 1.4 is
figured into the set of 4-ply that I buy for my car.  

To get into the quality of today’s movies is unproductive, for
they reflect the norm and mores of society….Bruce Willis
offing a bunch of bad shots is what the public wants. 

Now, more importantly, the vow of poverty which is something
that I struggle with on a daily basis; whether to give the guy
on the street corner that looks like he hasn’t eaten for
awhile my last twenty, or to pop in for a latte at Starbucks. 
Isn’t that the question of the ages, me or them?   I am sorry
to say, that most of the time me wins.  But, lord knows I am
trying to see that they win more often. 

If I find the way I will give you a call….if there is nothing
on TV then maybe we can talk, or do something about them
winning more often.  

[NNN0LHI]

77. Science stuff is my thing to watch

The Space Shuttle taking off in HD is supposed to be
phenomenal. HD cameras flying with different flocks of birds
as they migrate is a sight to see. Undersea, volcanoes,
wildlife, etc. is my thing.

Thanks for being so truthful too. That is difficult thing for
many people to do. I admire your honesty.

Good luck and see you later.

Don

[SmokingJacket]

61. EBAY!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Belkin-PureAV-Home-Theater-Battery-Backup-AP30800-10_W0QQitemZ5856972206QQcategoryZ32830QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[fujiyama]

63. Here's a list of authorized dealers:

http://www.belkin.com/resellers/resell_us.asp

I ran through them all and I found out that Provantage has it for $219. Granted, there's shipping but it's still cheaper.

I also noticed that buy.com has it. I've dealt with both and you can't go wrong with either. I haven't checked the brick and mortars but in that case, I would guess that Wal Mart is cheapest. I personally will only buy from Wal Mart if I absolutely must. So far, I haven't been in such a situation.

BTW, let me know how that thing works. I was looking to buy a power conditioner myself (but something a lot cheaper). Make sure to buy the thing from an authorized dealer though.

[cascadiance]

99. Buy.com is cheaper too...

Check here and click for the price... ($249)

http://www.buy.com/retail/Product.asp?sku=10389018&SearchEngine=google&Type=google&Keyword=10389018&Category=Comp&dcaid=16009

But above the retailer, note on the Wal-Mart page that this was made in China. I'd first try to find some other product that was made in the U.S. or someplace a little more palatable than China anyway.

http://www.cafepress.com/chinamart/

[fujiyama]

126. I absolutely agree

If the return policy meant that much, I'd call the etaileer and make sure what it is. Provantage seems to have no returns, which I agree is stupid. But rreturns are always valid if the item is defective. But I would definetely call buy.com and verify their policy.

As I said, I dealt with both and had good experiences. They both shipped quickly and I received the product in perfect condition. I understand why someone wouldn't want to give their card numbeer to someone they didn't know, but these are well established etailers and have good reviews from resellerratings.com (A greeat site to check the reliability of etailers).

Either way, I have no reason to shop at Wal Mart. We havee several other grocery stores nearby and regarding eleectronics and other goods, I shop online...But as I said, with electronics, it's always smart to buy from an authorized dealer, because if the thing dies, the warranty won't mean aanyting.

[earth mom]

69. Try this:

http://dealcatcher.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=5069898/fd=1

or cairo.com

HTH :)

[Ladyhawk]

70. I wish I were rich enough to "need" one of those.

:P

Jesus, I can't even afford cable, so "other." I wouldn't buy it anywhere because I don't have a home theater.

My Achilles' Heel = computer hardware. If I were going to spend that much, it would be on a computer upgrade and I wouldn't get it through Circuit City or Wal-Mart.

[NNN0LHI]

72. My computer is real junk. 300 Megahertz. Widows 98. I got it in early 1998

Its still good enough for DUing, but not much more. I just realized it is going on 9 years old. </knock on wood> Thats not too bad. Got my moneys worth out of it.

Don

[Ladyhawk]

73. Yeah, we each have our "Achilles' Heel."

I simply can't afford "retail therapy" right now. I even had to stop myself from buying a trio of books from Amazon the other day, total: $33. I love books and reading, but the local library sucks. :( :( :( I'm re-re-re-reading books in my personal library.

I stopped going into computer and electronics stores because I can't afford to be tempted. I'd love to have a home theatre with HDTV and a plasma TV and if I could afford them, I would have them, probably. :shrug: Electronic goodies like nice televisions and such DO tempt me, but not as much as computer hardware. I have to stay away from both, but especially away from computer hardware. As a result, I almost never go shopping. :(

[TallahasseeGrannie]

90. You know, we ought to form a DU lendng library

and mail books to each other. Is it still cheaper to mail a book? Like if you spend 2 bucks mailing it, and you GET one for free, it's a good deal.

[Ladyhawk]

116. I've been wondering if there was something like Netflix for books.

I've been wanting to start reading classics I missed. I would also love to check out some nice illustrated paleontological tomes that I can't afford to buy. :shrug:

I suppose I could try the library again, but someone intimately connected with a very bad past experience works there. There's a part of me that wants to run away screaming whenever I see her or anyone connected to that experience. Unfortunately, this is a small town and it's impossible to be anonymous.

[fujiyama]

127. Regarding books

Here's a great book price comparison:

fetchbook.info - I doubt I've found a cheaper price on books. It gives hits for new and used books. I used it through college for textbooks. Amazon is a nice site, but it rarely has the cheapest prices.

For DVDs I'd probably use froogle. Hell froogle would work fine for books as weell...Also for DVDs you can try www.bestbookbuys.com

I'll admit, I am quite cheap which is why I lovee the internet and comparison shopping.

[The Whiskey Priest]

76. Thoreau said something to the effect

We never own anything, it owns us. Take the hypothetical home theater, if you owned it and you need the gizmo…then you would be faced with the dilemma of entering into a financial transaction with a firm that you might consider odious. Things control our lives, we do not control the things we bring into our lives.

While it might build character to deny the impulse to trade with the devil, it is better to forego that that would place in you the need of that choice.

Simplicity is a way.

[flamin lib]

78. So many of you are missing the point.

You are paying the price difference anyway. Walmart employees use medicaid and the emergency room for health care and that hits your wallet. Walmart and the "go China" syndrome kills jobs here and that kills tax revenues which hits you in your wallet. Walmart kills local businesses and that hurts the local economy which hits you in the wallet.

Stupid shortsighted thinking. Join the sheeple and watch out for the black and white dog--he bites your back legs if you get out of line.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

92. But right now

this minute I have $150 to feed four adults and two infants for a week. I'm looking for the best prices. The things you mention (the health care issues, etc.) are certainly true. But that doesn't help me tomorrow at the store.

And yet you are right. It's a conundrum for sure.

[NuttyFluffers]

121. but using a luxury item doesn't prove the point.

a plain ol' surge protector protects your electronics, and those things are dirt cheap now. people just chuck those things all over the place they are all over. just note how many businesses chuck excess surge protectors, let alone have sales on excess work supplies.

if you had to worry about $150 to feed four adults and 2 infants for a week you're a damn fool to spend $300 or $600 for a need that can be covered by a $10 surge protector. what critical data are you going to lose from a home theater? are you doing software programming worth beaucoup $ on your... DVD player? no, i really don't think so. and a doubly blind fool if you still feel you need a UPS and get this one when a simple $150/$200 computer UPS will do just fine. if you could possibly ever *need* this product (whose main selling point is pretty much aesthetics for your home entertainment center) you are *so* not in the market of coupon clippers and worrying about a measely $150, you are likely in business w/ beaucoup $ flying around or living a life with a lot of disposable income.

there's zero conundrum here. a smart shopper wouldn't buy this. a bargain shopper wouldn't buy this. a budget shopper has no business buying this. the whole thing comes down to people crafting an impossible situation to coach out a particular answer. someone who can't use a credit card, refuses to do internet purchases, won't do auction purchases, crucially need a very specific return policy, lives on a tight budget -- yet needs a luxury item that even sensible people in that luxury market wouldn't buy, ... on and on and on. please, it just looks sad. this argument using this item is undefensable. time to let it go.

i honestly don't care how people spend their money. if they wanna create castles in the sky justifying blowing money at wal*mart for this, or lighting their money on fire, i reall don't care. just don't expect me to agree with it, or feel that i can be cornered into giving up my boycott and buying as they say. there's better options out there, that's been already proven. it only takes a lot of excuses and twisting of logic to return to the comforting conclusion of *needing* wal*mart -- fine, go, have fun, spend as you wish, don't expect me or others to be convinced that we have no other choice, though.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

148. Oh

you are still on the OP. I had gotten off it.

There is no way I would buy a luxury item like that, whether at WalMart or BestBuy. I'll wait til one shows up at Goodwill.

I have moved on to just generally whether to shop in WalMart or not, and my point is that I don't have the luxury to make a political statement with the little money I have. That's all.

Wish I did. Some day.

Until then, I'll just stick my tongue out at the greeter and hope that they get hit with every legal remedy for monopolies, labor law, etc.


And I agree..this particular item, while illustrative, is not a good example. Maybe a baby item of something like that.

Plus you are right, I have about ten extra surge protectors right now. It's a pretty useless item in my life. Groceries, not so useless.

[NuttyFluffers]

149. :) sorry, i used 2nd person rather egregiously

it's hard for me to separate that it can be confusing at times for english speakers to get the difference in 2nd person. my little rant was not really directed at any one person, per se, but it was easiest to explain the situation in that mode.

i know that sometimes our environs don't give us much a choice. some places i've visited were so rural that wal-mart was the only thing that connected them to the outside world, it seems. i take it for granted the choice i have living in a metro area. our poor people here actually do have a choice instead of wal-mart, if they really want, because of the amount of amenities provided by the metro area. heck, you can just use a check card at the library to do internet purchases (wouldn't really recommend it, but it can be done if you are savvy), so even college kids w/o a PC and on a strict budget can still make 'net purchases here. that and there's a lot of inexpensive places to shop in a metro area if one really wants to look. heck, lots of the wal-marts where i live are pretty mass transit unfriendly. so in fact, the people with really tight budgets and can't afford a car, only bus, won't be worrying about the luxury to get to wal-mart; they gotta shop at the nearest grocery on their bus route to and from work.

but i do understand that rural life is different. sometimes you are given nothing but 1 choice or starve. very much like many abusive lone indian trading post stores. they got a closed market, there's no other alternative, they can charge what they like. so, those who don't live in the concentration camp/reservation of rural wal-mart towns, we do battle against this beast to make sure that one day you are free. there's really no other way, it's us metro/suburbs fight to help enslaved rural camps -- because real competition has effectually been erased and the economic ground salted in those hamlets.

[politicat]

80. Online from the best retailer that Froogle kicks out.

But it's an UPS. You can get an equivalent product (1500 V, 865 watts, all the other things meeting or exceeding) for $200 bucks at CompUseless from APC. Sure, the APC one isn't in a pretty silver housing, but that's what spray paint is for. The APC one has a better warranty, too.

Any battery back up is going to give power massaging/voltage regulation. Any electrical engineer worth his salt will tell you that.

[Sparkman]

81. Microcenter.com (1500VA UPS for $200!!) many other models 3yr waranty

They have showrooms in calif/ILL/CO/Kansas/Vir/Ohio/Penn/NY/Minn/Georgia

problem solved...medium size computer retailer.
you're welcome.

[Pastiche423]

83. If the only place (or cheapest place)

to buy this gizmo is at wally world, I don't NEED it.

It's funny that I read this thread now - just after I printed out a bumper sticker that reads:

WAL * MART
Killing Local
Businesses...
One Main Street
at a Time

[TallahasseeGrannie]

94. Your town still has a main street?

Ours has been dead for 20 years since the mall moved in.

[Deja Q]

84. Neither. Battery backup for home entertainment is beyond dumb.

Computer, yes.

Freakin' dvd player, no.

But if I wanted to, walmart. The same argument is used for why nobody will go to Sam Goody when that Best Buy store across the street has it for $7 less...

[jmowreader]

89. This is apparently for huge televisions with fans

What's going to sound like a stupid question: if you were an electrical engineer designing a $1500 television that would melt if its fan went off before the TV was completely cold, wouldn't you hook a rechargeable battery to the fan?

[NNN0LHI]

109. Such an electrical engineer would be fired immediately

The companies do not want these things to last a long time. They want to sell you another one in a few years. Its called planned obsolescence.

Don

[sam sarrha]

85. i bought a returned lemon HP Pavilion later found out it had someone Else's

name in the registration of the XP program..so someone returned it cause it didn't work and they resold it to me, it is a piece of crap and has been a pain in the ass since i bought it.

i dont see any difference between the two.. except Wally World has a better return policy

[PWRinNY]

95. I will not go to walmart for ANY cheap price

If I can't afford the more expensive thing from elsewhere, I'll go without before I'll go to Walmart. A cheaper price now can't justify the harm done to our country and our economy in the long run. It's not ever worth it, not for anything.

[SammyWinstonJack]

97. Walmart products are of low quality. You'd probably be better off

paying the higher price at Circuit City, rather then having to return the Walmart POS, directly after purchasing it.

[LynneSin]

101. The parts are identical (Belkin ID numbers match)

but doesn't matter - I think most of us would have purchased it online elsewhere:

http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=5069898/fd=1

I don't recognize those cheaper stores but I figured what the hell. However, I could also pay the extra $70 and go with Amazon, which I trust!

[SammyWinstonJack]

103. Probably a better idea, Amazon that is. nt

[LynneSin]

98. No, I'd buy it for actually LESS from one of these online stores

http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=5069898/fd=1

However, if for some reason you dropped me off at a strip mall with only $300 and told me I had only Wal-Mart or Circuit City to buy this item well I would just quit your gameshow right there because I really don't need this item anyways!

[kohodog]

104. If Wallmart is evil don't patronize them...just don't.

I won't go through their doors or click on their web site. I don't know if they're evil, but they are immoral and moving this country in the wrong direction.

[LynneSin]

105. THERE IS NO AMOUNT OF MONEY OUT THERE THAT COULD HAVE ME SHOP....

AT WAL-MART

I'm capitalizing this because that's how damn important all of this is to me. Obviously most people found the item you listed much cheaper through online stores.

But seriously, there is absolutely positively NO AMOUNT OF MONEY that I could feasibly save that would convince me that I should buy something from Wal-Mart. Hell I could find out they are giving the item I needed away for FREE and I still wouldn't go there. I mean, I would rather buy the same product from George W. Bush himself from the back of his car where he claims it 'Fell off the Truck' before I go to Wal-Mart.

Because I pay for Wal-Mart employees. My tax dollars are used to help cover the needs that many Wal-Mart employees need in order to survive including healthcare.

So there is no way you could stump me. Hell you could say only through Wal-Mart I could go see Led Zeppelin live in concert and then hang out with the band afterwards and after thinking about that one for 10 whole minutes I'd still say "NO!!"

Seriously!!

[NNN0LHI]

106. Led Zeppelin? I guess you are pretty serious about this n/t

[LynneSin]

108. Oh hell yeah

but then again even though LZ sold me out with those damn Cadillac commericials I still sleep easily tonight knowing that it'll be highly unlikely for this to ever actually happen and therefore I could make such a claim.

But even still - I wouldn't buy that gizmo that I really don't need since I just have a TV that could easily be replaced for much less than the Circuit City cost. But if I felt I needed it (and no judgement to those who do) I would buy it online!

[high density]

107. I'd buy a computer UPS for a fraction of the cost...

from somebody like Newegg.

[JanMichael]

110. Nobody, I mean NOBODY, "needs" a home theatre!

Jesus there are people picking through garbage cans for food for fucks sake!

God almighty crass consumerism pisses me off...

[fujiyama]

130. True it's not an essential item

but beyond food, clothing, and shelter, little is. Although, I suppose education and healthcare can be indluded as well. But that's why there are wants. Why can't we all just drive Geo Metros? Because some of us want better.

There is nothing wrong with enjoying our lives. To some people that means travelling, to others it means buying electronic toys... Liberals need not take a vow of poverty. And while excess consumerism can be frustrating, consumerism is what drives the economy.

All that said, I have stepped foot into Wal Mart twice in my life and both times I bought nothing. I just despise the store.

[Obamanaut]

113. If an item is manufactured in China, and two different retailers

sell that item - is one less evil than the other?

[fujiyama]

131. In all honesty though

there is little that is completely manufactured in the US anymore.

But it does make a difference though where you buy the item. The store does make a profit so it's a question of which store someone wishes to support.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

117. Walmart. My Wife And I Get Most Non-Food (and some food) Items There, For

just that reason.

[LaPera]

122. Again, ebay has two, one for $273.00 and another for $277.99

Don't shop Walmart!

http://search.ebay.com/Belkin-Theater-Battery-Backup_W0...

Both, you can "Buy It Now". New, & no tax.

[LaPera]

124. I'm sorry, maybe this was just a test or an example? Still...

...it goes to show there are always options other than shopping at Wal-Mart.

:bounce:

[NNN0LHI]

125. Its good to see how the huge discrepancies in prices highlight ...

...the mark-up that is applied to this stuff by retailers before they sell it to us. Its mind boggling.

Don

[ScreamingMeemie]

128. The good part is, no one really needs this gizmo.

:hi:

[Silverhair]

138. By that standard of "need", we should all wear black Mao suits.

After all, you really don't "need" TV, or radio, or any food that is not a staple, or more than one pair of utilitarian shoes.

I shall define what I need, thank you very much.

[NNN0LHI]

139. I could probably learn to live without internet access in a pinch too n/t

[ScreamingMeemie]

146. I could certainly learn to live without access to certain DUers.

:hi:

[ScreamingMeemie]

145. I guess I would say You are not welcome sir or ma'am. And you

are exactly right in your comments. Need has been redefined of late. I'm no purist, but what people think they "need" really makes me want to vomit sometimes. My 16 year old daughter thinking she "needs" an MP3 player is expected because of youth. A grown adult whining over not being able to keep up with the "latest" techno trends is pure idiocy.

[skids]

141. Frankly, either place that's overpriced jipware

I have my home theater system on a conventional PC UPS and the "broadband surge protection" you can get on a $20 power strip. Works fine. Cost like $70.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

147. It's an overpriced battery back up at both places. Get an APC

battery back up at Costco for $100 that will keep you up and running for just as long.