I'm a toys r us kid.

 

Dude, did you even *read* my post? I'd respect your opinion if it were an informed, reasonable one, but you just keep pulling yourself further down.

I'm now comparing the MSRP listed on the official Hasbro's Transformers site with the actual prices I saw in person on TF product at my local TRU on Saturday night:

Hasbro.com -- Legends of Cybertron: $3.99 MSRP
Toys R Us -- identical

Hasbro.com -- Alternators Ricochet: $19.99 MSRP
TRU -- the same

Hasbro.com -- Cybertron Dark Crumplezone: $19.99 MSRP
TRU -- da same

Hasbro.com -- Star Wars Transformers (take your pick) $14.99 MSRP
TRU -- ditto

Hasbro.com -- Cybertron Galvatron: $39.99 MSRP
TRU -- no difference

Hasbro.com -- Cybertron Primus: $49.99 MSRP
Toys R Us -- ready for this? The exact same price!

Now, please, explain to us all how can you can legitimately call that price gouging?

Also, you are still overlooking the fact that it wasn't "poor employees or management" that was the problem in your situation. It was bad communication. Instead of storming out of the store saying "NO SALE" and coming across like a jerk, you should have calmly asked to speak to the manager in person.

Allow me to share a lesson in dealing with retail management: never accept second-hand info. Always ask to talk to the manager, and they have to oblige. And even if you have to wait 5 minutes or longer for that manager to arrive in order to get -- like in your case -- a discount of $13+ dollars, believe me... it's well worth the wait.

Trust me on this. I know from first-hand experience that this approach works--both as a customer, and from about 15 years experience working in retail as well.

By the way, I agree with you that KB Toys is generally overpriced, sometimes in excess of $2-10 over MSRP for some TF toys. And I also agree that TRU is indeed guilty of overpricing with some products--case and point, their prices on Hasbro's Commemorative Series TF were out of control. Even on clearance, they were still overpriced.

But you have to consider, like I stated earlier, that both TRU and KB Toys are *specialty retailers* and have more overhead cost involved. KB Toys is especially guilty of overpriced product, which is why I usually opt to shop at WMT and Target for TFs instead. But when you consider that they are primarily in mall locations and have to pay a higher lease, along with other expenses that other retailers don't have, it kinda makes sense why they price the way they do. Mall prices are generally higher than retail for these same reasons. And at upscale malls, customers often don't mind as much paying higher prices if they don't wish to shop at WMT or Target.

However, KB regularly has some great bargains, especially their outlet stores. When those stores run BOGO and other discount sales, I've gotten some really great deals on TFs, like these:

- Universe Constructicons for $1.99 each
- Alts for between $8 and $15
- Commemorative Series Sideswipe for $13.88, and got a second one for 50% off that.
- Dark Unicron for $25

I've gotten some great clearance deals at TRU too, and when they've run sales like the "buy two, get one free" TF sale, I actually got 2 free because I bought a two-packer in the deal.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is don't hate TRU for having sloppy communication. If something like that happens again, simply ask to speak to a manager. And I mean it really is as simple as that. There's a TRU I frequent where the mgr has given me some deep discounts on TFs when the packages were either damaged during shipping and receiving or even on the sales floor by a careless customer. Best deal to date has been Cybertron Megatron for $19.99 because the package looked like it had been dropped from the riser. No damage to the toy though, and the mgr gave me a 50% discount. I take most of my TFs out of the box anyway.

It seems to me another factor in higher prices might possibly be the area you're shopping in. In California and NY, I've seen prices TF fans paid for new toys at the same name stores I bought from that were anywhere from $2-$5 more than I paid for the same toys. It's not from price gouging, but because the cost of living is higher in some areas and it causes higher product prices as a result.