Ultimate Electronics

Closed.

Before I get into my diatribe about why I won’t shop at Ultimate Electronics ever again, I would like to point out that they did a decent job of customer service – the only reason I gave them two stars instead of one. I bought a TV from them in mid-​December and due to my dissatisfaction, they upgraded me to a higher end TV. But that was the only good thing about my experience with them.
My main beef with this chain is their policy of paying salespeople on commission. The best thing that ever happened to Best Buy was their discontinuation of such a policy. If you don’t walk into an Ultimate with the impression to buy, the people in the store immediately turn off. They are not rude, per se, but you get a distinct feeling that they just want to get rid of you so they can sell to someone who does intend to buy something.
When I traded in my defective TV for the upgraded one, I had to do it at the Woodbury store. The salesperson behind the desk (a sales manager, I might add) gave the air of not even wanting to deal with me. He didn’t appear to appreciate that an exchange was being done at his store from another store. I can understand that that probably affects his bottom line, but he could at least be cordial rather than have an air of disgust. He wasn’t even that pleasant to the salesperson at the Roseville store when he had to call to get confirmation about the exchange.
Every once in a while, Ultimate has a good deal, but most of their electronics are overpriced to begin with. I pity the fools that don’t price check before buying from them. A basic comparison shop will reveal their inflated prices. It’s amazing to me that they are still in business.

How does a store like this stay in business!?! Every time I shop there I am met by a cocky salesperson that is bent on telling me that what I want to buy is absolutely horrible and I need to spend more money to get anything of value. So if I walk into the store and said I want to buy Stereo A for $ 100, they will say I need Stereo B for $ 250 because Stereo A is the worst product ever conceived by humans. So then why do they sell Stereo A!?! I tell them I only need something simple and can’t spend any more than $ 150. «FOR SHAME,» they scold me as if no one has ever attempted to not buy the most expensive thing in the store. Now I feel embarrassed to buy Stereo A even though it’s what I really want. But I push on to buy it anyway. The salesperson looks at me as if I’m an idiot caveman that couldn’t even begin to fathom the sacred knowledge of stereos they possess. As I’m walking to the checkout counter with my ridiculed piece of junk Stereo A, the salesperson hounds me one last time that I’d be a fool not to buy a $ 20 power strip. Why in the hell would anyone need a $ 20 power strip for a $ 100 stereo? Holding in my anger, I very calmly bring the Stereo A back to it’s shelf and leave the store without buying anything. Are you happy, Ultimate Electronics!?! I walked into the store wanting to give you $ 100 of my money but you couldn’t help from shaming me and haggling me. Now you get nothing and I’ll never come back. This store definitely does not look out for it’s customers and is only looking at their bottom line (which I’m happy to report is now in the red).