Best Buy Offers $50 Gift Cards for HD DVD Customers
by Pravin on March 19th, 2008 in news.
HD DVD owners have demonstrated to retailers that they’re interested in HD home theater, which implies they may have purchases coming up, such as a Blu-ray player or other equipment. It makes sense to reach out to this base, and build up as much good will and brand loyalty as possible, especially when we’re on the verge of receiving a few hundred dollars in our economic stimulus checks.
Best Buy has jumped on the “hold on to your HD DVD customers” bandwagon by starting a gift card program worth over $10 Million for their customers who purchased HD DVD players before February 23, 2008. Walk in and show that you made such a purchase, and you’re eligible to receive a $50 gift card for every HD DVD player you bought from them. If Best Buy has some information about your purchase already in their system, then they’ll mail these cards out automatically. This includes customers who:
- Bought their HD DVD players from BestBuy.com
- Purchased Performance Service Plans (the extended warranty)
- Bought through the Best Buy Reward Zone
Those customers can expect to get their cards by May 1. You can also call (888) BEST BUY to receive a gift card if your proof purchase is a credit card transaction or Best Buy receipt.
Barry Judge, Best Buy’s chief marketing officer says,
“The beauty of this offer is that it doesn’t require our customers to give up their HD-DVD player. We know that many people who purchased these players have HD-DVD movies that they would like to continue to watch. We’re telling our customers they can keep their players to play these movies as well as their older DVDs and use the $50 to treat themselves to anything else in our stores.”
It’s nice to hear such positive remarks about HD DVD players and owners. Many of us are hanging on to our players because they still work on the many movies we already have and we can still get a lot of use out of them, whether and when we switch to Blu-ray or not. We can also use them to upscale regular DVDs.
Best Buy is also allowing HD DVD players into their trade-in program, where you can get an estimate of the trade-in value of your player and movies, and get an additional gift card if you send those materials in. This aspect of the program applies regardless of where the player and movies were purchased.
In the end, you could easily take your $300 (or higher) tax refund check, and combine it with $50 or more in Best Buy Gift Certificates and have some nice toys for the summer.
Best Buy is also an interesting place to visit nowadays becuase they have a 30% off sale on their HD DVD movies, and if you’re lucky (meaning the manager or cashier cooperate), you can get them to price-match their own web site’s prices on the movies and get many titles for just over $10.
More information about the gift cards:
UPDATE: This offer applies to the Xbox 360 HD DVD drive as well. Click on the Best Buy link above for more details on the offer.
March 19th, 2008 at 6:23 am
I just heard this on the radio as well. Very nice of best buy to do this, IMO. And here I thought I had a good deal with 2 HD-DVD players, 17 free movies, all for $280. $230 sounds even better (1 was purchased at BB).
Thanks for the heads up Pravin.
March 19th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Nice, but I will not be returning my hd units. I have close to 300 hd discs and I plan to enjoy them for a very long time. Besides the deals mentioned here by Pravin, do not forget that there are good deals on Ebay. Also, do not forget about the international releases on hd; some of the titles released in other countries but not here in the USA are just amazing; check www.xploitedcinema.com or http://www.releaselists.com/HDDVDInternational.html as well as the different international sites for Amazon (mostly amazon.co.uk and amazon.de); you will find great titles to own on these pages. I would also like to mention the buy 2 get 1 free offer at www.wb.com, with free shipping (next day air via UPS!) on orders of $50 or more; their whole hd library is there, including upcoming releases. I know, I know, for many WB is the devil him/herself, but let me just point out the classy way they are exiting the hd dvd world: they have NOT cancelled any of their future releases on HD, as opposed to Paramount and Universal (Bee Movie, Sweeney Todd, There Will Be Blood… anyone!?). So keep enjoying your hd players and discs, they are simple awesome. Thank you, Pravin, for an excellent website; we all know it has been tough, but you have done an amazing job at keeping this side informative, interesting, welcoming and fair.
March 19th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
First of all, thank you for this news Pravin.
@ George Munoz (or to whoever can answer it): Thanks for the links. I do have a question or two. I do own an A35 and an XBOX 360 HD DVD add-on that I am keeping. These international HD DVDs, will they play in the A35 and XBox HD DVD? IF so, I would love to get some.
March 19th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Those imports work just fine on your A35 and 360 player. In fact, there are quite a few reviews of imported HD DVD discs at www.highdefdigest.com, and you can read for yourself about how any of these discs turned out.
March 19th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Thanks Pravin! I should’ve checked the sites first as it mentioned region all (duh on my part). Awesome, I’ll definitely check these sites later on and do my own HD DVD shopping.
March 20th, 2008 at 5:47 am
@ Labomba: Hi, hd dvd’s are region free so imports are just like the discs you buy in the US. The only title I have read has playability problems is “Enemy at the Gates”, so avoid that one. I have many imports and they all play fine, look and sound impressively. Be wise, compare prices before purchasing; I found a different of $10-$15 with the same title in different sites. Enjoy your hd dvd’s.
March 20th, 2008 at 6:33 am
@ George Munoz: Thanks for the advice.
March 20th, 2008 at 6:47 am
Has any one ever purchased from those two web sites that George Munoz posted, just wondering if they are trusted site to purchase with a credit card. Thanks
March 20th, 2008 at 7:11 am
@rob - www.xploitedcinema.com is a well-known importer and I’ve heard their name come up often when people talk about purchasing import discs, especially over the last few months. The other site George mentioned is actually not selling anything directly, but just providing a list of releases. The third site George mentioned is Warner Brothers.
March 20th, 2008 at 8:05 am
My apologies if this was answered in the initial article, But is this deal extended to people who purchased the HD DVD add-on for the Xbox360? Thank you.
March 20th, 2008 at 8:07 am
It wasn’t mentioned in my posting, but the Best Buy site indicates that the Xbox add-on qualifies for this offer.
March 20th, 2008 at 9:53 am
@rob - No problem with the Amazon sites; amazon.de has a fixed shipping charge of 14 euros for as many movies as you order. Xploited is a great site with a great selection of titles; they have same day shipping and their s&s charges are truly low, and they are very friendly. Never had a problem ordering from any of these sites. I hope this helps. And as always, compare prices before purchasing.
March 20th, 2008 at 10:08 am
thanks Pravin and George for both of your help.
March 20th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Quick question I know this is off topic but has any one seen or own terminator 2 in hd either the UK or French because there is allot of talk about the difference in quality in both. Some say the UK is bad and French is better and some say French bad UK better. I would like to purchase one of these so just looking for an opinion.
Thanks
March 20th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
@ rob - Rob, do not buy either one; check this out instead:
http://www.amazon.de/Terminator-Tag-Abrechnung-Ultimate-Steelbook/dp/B0012YSZGE/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1206048731&sr=8-1
This one is the one to get. However, and if you cannot wait, I have the 2-disc French release and quality wise is pretty great; but the director’s cut of the film has forced French subtitles, so to me it is not worth it. The English version is only the director’s cut, so you do not get the theatrical experience. In the end is up to you, but I would wait for the new edition to come out.
March 20th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Best Buy seems to be going all out now. I was in my local store and saw that all HDDVD ttiles are now marked down 30%. Needless to say it is a great time to flesh out the collection.
March 21st, 2008 at 12:35 pm
I just went in to Best Buy’s website mentioned above about the resale value. I looked at the resale value for the A35 is only for $101 and that is with excellent condition with two movies, etc. The Xbox 360 HD DVD player has only a resale valute of $24 being in excellent condition and with one movie. IMO, this is not worth it at all. I suggest to HD DVD owners to keep their hardware. It’s nice, its great and plus, you will enjoy it for years and years to come.
March 24th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Not bad. Considering if you bought an HD DVD player during the holiday season, you probably spent around 100 to 150 bucks on it. Minus 50 from that makes your picking the losing side a less of a blow.
March 24th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
I just read on G4tv.com that HD DVD is out selling Blu-ray, doesn’t look like to many people are returning anything. And it’s cool that best buy, unlike circuit city, isn’t making you return anything. HD DVD out selling Blu, just goes to show that the war wasn’t won by the consumer. But by Sony’s money……
March 24th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
P.S.
I know that sales are up because of price drops, but still nice to see those numbers and laugh.
March 25th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
OMG! I just got home from Best Buy located here in West Los Angeles, CA (corner of Sawtelle Blvd. and Pico Blvd. for those of you who lives in the area) to check their new movie releases. For a couple of weeks BB has been selling their HD DVD movies for 30% off. Just for today only, they have an additional 20% off aside from the 30% (total of 50%). After about an hour being in the store just looking at the HD DVD movies to buy for half off, one of the lady senior staff employee has approached me and said that just for tonight, all single HD DVD movies are now down to $9.99 each. Season set HD DVD movies and combo packs are still 50% off. I told myself, “Wow”! I went and left the store buying eleven HD DVD movies. I asked the same lady employee on how long will this last and she told me only for tonight as tonight is their last night to sell HD DVD movies and whatever is left will go back to the truck. I asked her if this is happening to all Best Buy stores and she replied that she is only aware of a couple, theirs and another BB store in the Culver City area which is only 3 miles away.
The movies that I got are:
The Fast and the Furious
Superman Returns
The Bourne Supremacy
The Bourne Ultimatum
Pride & Prejudice
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
Zodiac
The Heartbreak Kid
The Brave One
I Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
The Invasion
I took a picture of their posting for the 30% with an additional 20% off and I will take a picture of my receipt if someone would like to see proof. They still have tons of movies in HD DVD and it is really like a little boy in a candy store. I strongly suggest to check your local Best Buy to see if they are having the same deal or find out when is their last day to sell HD DVD movies. I’ll come back and check on the store again tomorrow to see if what she told me is true by not selling them anymore.
Anyways, that’s my story for the day. Good luck for those of you who are in the hunt and hope you find the same or better deal. And please, do share with us if you know any other deals from other BBs or other stores in regards to HD DVD movies and/or players.