Format War, blu-ray, edion, hd dvd, japan, top

Insanely Great: Japanese Electronic Store Letting Customers Trade HD DVD Players for Blu-ray

The Japanese electronics retailer Edion is deeply ashamed it sold its customers HD DVD gear. So ashamed they that they're allowing buyers to swap in Toshiba HD DVD boxes for Blu-ray players. A little more investigation reveals that the trade must occur during March, and consumers only need pay the price difference.

If a US retailer of the world would make such a move, they'd have me as a customer for life. But, I doubt any of the big stores here have the vision to put long term customer retention over its short term profits. I'm also sure that the margins on the more costly Blu-ray players are helping to float the difference. Best Buy, Walmarts, are you listening? [Edion via DigitalWorldTokyo via BoingBoingGadget]

Toshiba's HD-DVD-related business end of the Company's response As of February 20, 1920, Toshiba Corporation from the end of business on HD-DVD announcement regarding the Company As a response to this matter, following our decision. Recollections Our "buy peace of mind, much satisfied" under Philosophy, even after your purchase for optimum support to implementAims. This time, under these plans, the Company is Toshiba Corporation's HD-DVD-related business end Your response to the study results, we will, at the time of purchase was expected to be fully allowed unavailable There is a capacity to the Company as follows, we respond. The contents of the corresponding 1. HD DVD-compatible equipment sales for the next stop. 2. HD-DVD is about the media response, we will continue to maintain sales. 3. HD-DVD purchases enabled devices such as repair and warranty service, will continue And the preparation of a framework for the future. 4. HD-DVD response following our model of your purchase order, you like about your, We purchase頂けれyou have to over-the-counter products, and the difference between the purchase price you pay phones in the Blue Ray (Seo Knee-made, manufactured by Panasonic, Sharp-made) and exchange bon appétit. Eligible customers exchange ○ EDIONGURUPU each store ( "DEODEO Corporation" "Eyden" "electric green" "EDION" "electric石丸 Care "and" full 100 volts ") at the Review on February 22, 1920 between the candidate who purchase model Your example of the Blu-ray model corresponds to the desired exchange customers ○ applies to the exchange of models Toshiba recorder made "RD-A1" "RD-A300" "RD-A600" "RD-A301" Toshiba-made player "HD-XA1" "HD-XA2" "HD-XF2" ○ contents of the corresponding exchange As of March 1, 1920 from 1920 as of March 31, EDIONGURUPU storefront outlets, If you have a product subject頂けれyour preferred Blu-ray phones (Sony, Panasonic made the Si YAPU made), and HD DVD-compatible models and the difference between the purchase price be borne only by the exchange. . HD DVD-enabled devices to our customers for purchases beyond that, above the corresponding content of the future, a postcard, etc. Itineraries separately by bon appétit.

2:04 PM on Sat Feb 23 2008
By Brian Lam
25,131 views
34 comments

Comments

Spyrojoe at 02:19 PM on 02/23/08
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It's nice to know that not every retailer has their head in their ass, even if I'll never be able to give them any business.
Cameron Fredman at 02:19 PM on 02/23/08
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How to factor this into the WWII format wars youtube video...

+ Watch video
jbhitter24 at 02:21 PM on 02/23/08
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now what the hell are they going to do with all those hd-dvd players?
JustEaton at 02:21 PM on 02/23/08
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That's brilliant. I wonder if they'll include the PS3, since it's probably a "cheaper" system to exchange for. Probably not, but it'd be nice.
sdesposito at 02:21 PM on 02/23/08
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I don't even care so much about my HD DVD player, it's still a good upconverter. I'd like to see the studios do an HD DVD to Blu Ray swap. As it stands right now the only thing keeping me from buying a Blu Ray player is price. If I were able to swap my HD DVD for Blu Ray discs, I'd have a reason to bite the bullet and spend $400 on a player plus I'd keep buying more movies. For now I'm not buying anything (SD DVD, HD DVD or Blu Ray). Just my two cents.
Brian Lam at 02:27 PM on 02/23/08
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@jbhitter24: SMASH.
radikaled at 02:35 PM on 02/23/08
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There is no f**king way Best Buy is doing that.
quantumbits at 02:35 PM on 02/23/08
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That is freaking cool. In fact, that's the type of customer service that earns my loyalty.
discounteggroll at 03:04 PM on 02/23/08
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what's with the weird japanese fetish lately giz? I'm happy motherland is being represented, but its not like they've been doing anything out of the ordinarily-awesome lately
Gbirrueta at 03:08 PM on 02/23/08
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hmm once again the japanese rule!!
Dearhaw at 03:13 PM on 02/23/08
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@discounteggroll:

Giz has always had a fetish with Japan. It's land of gizmos, after all, innit?
daftrok at 03:18 PM on 02/23/08
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They'll recycle them hopefully
jcrockerman at 03:20 PM on 02/23/08
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I've always liked the Japenese...they know the way of the Samurai!
Poon at 03:33 PM on 02/23/08
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I heard that the store didn't want to do this but when Godzirra went to return his HD DVD player...well...
kisskisskiss at 03:38 PM on 02/23/08
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That BabelFished translation is hilarious. Seo-Knee for Sony? LOLZ A+
Serolf Divad at 03:45 PM on 02/23/08
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Not good enough. The chairman should commit seppoku to erase the shame of having sold all those HD-DVD players.

Meanwhile, in the US I'm sure Best Buy is offering sweet bonuses to store employees who can con consumers into buying up the last remaining stock.
scully33 at 04:33 PM on 02/23/08
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FYI Circuit City IS offering this service to their customers, we exchanged ours yesterday.
Biggy at 04:53 PM on 02/23/08
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Sony would be really smart if they'd do such thing! this way they clear the market from HD-DVD's and make people hooked to Blu-ray! for example:

With every Blu-ray player, and instead of giving out 5 free Blu-ray movies they should say something like:

"Now, HD-DVD owners buy the xxx Blu-ray player and exchange your HD-DVD movies with a Blu-ray movie included in this offer"

So, instead of only giving out 5 movies they take from HD-DVD buyers the movies that they have, this way people forget about HD-DVD lose, enjoy Blu-ray and also feel rewarded, also Sony would pay less on offers, meaning that instead of giving out 5 Blu-ray movies they can give out as much the HD-DVD owner would give them from his or her HD-DVD movie collection, and most people have 1 to 5 movies and sometimes 10.
Theophilus P. Wildebeeste at 05:33 PM on 02/23/08
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contents of the corresponding exchange As of March 1, 1920 from 1920 as of March 31,
So the format war was over ~80 years before it began.
Gotta love those robot translators.
Biggy at 05:35 PM on 02/23/08
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@Theophilus P. Wildebeeste: lol! Seriously, why are all dates showing the year 1920?!!
Biggy at 06:05 PM on 02/23/08
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@Theophilus P. Wildebeeste: lol! Sersiosly, why are all dates showing the year 1920?!!
agahnim at 07:04 PM on 02/23/08
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@Biggy:

The machine translation translated the Japanese dates wrong. It's Heisei 20, which is 2008.
blacksamurai87 at 07:22 PM on 02/23/08
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@Serolf Divad: lol @ "seppoku". Makes me think you're trying to tickle him or something.

Seppuku*, AKA Harakiri, for anyone out there who cares.

But Japan is seriously the most perfect country out there. I'm getting sick of America for the sole reason being our selfish lifestyles. You'll never find these stories about American companies. If Best Buy, for example, were to do this, the chairmen responsible would deserve to be on the front page of every business and technology magazine in circulation.
jamar0303 at 07:42 PM on 02/23/08
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Ahh, classic example of Japanese customer service. It's why I don't buy electronic stuff in the States anymore.
rentahero1 at 07:51 PM on 02/23/08
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You wanna know why it says 1920? Because it probably said 20th year of the Heisei era, starting in 1989 (hence 2008 = Heisei 20) and the auto-translator botched it. But I'm kinda too lazy to look at the original and check ;)
citizen.lambda at 07:19 AM on 02/24/08
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@blacksamurai87: Yes, he'd get all of 5 minutes of glory on consumerist and such, and at the same time be flamed both by economic publications and shareholders alike. From what I gather, the logic that drives the japanese economy and way of life means that taking decisions like this will more likely be rewarded rather than punished.
ittekimasu at 04:47 PM on 02/24/08
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ah what kindness to offer them a second chance.
Brian Lam at 03:16 AM on 02/25/08
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@discounteggroll: What are you talking about? This store is doing something exceptionally cool, and the nationality of the chain is secondary. Also, yes, fetish.
JordyO at 09:26 AM on 02/25/08
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I keep hoping someone will do this over here (so I can ditch my HD-DVD player) but I really don't see it happening.
mrAnderson at 10:26 AM on 02/25/08
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It's called Best Buy 4-year Replacement Plan. Take your "broken" HD-DVD player in, walk out with new blu-ray player.
Worf at 12:22 PM on 02/25/08
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So which Blu-Ray player has good upscaling support? Them HD-DVD players have pretty damn good upscalers for $150 these days...
TVGenius at 12:50 PM on 02/25/08
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Wonder if Costco's taking HD DVD returns still. If they are, they're idiots, and deserve the screwing they'll get.
imsochris at 01:47 PM on 02/25/08
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This is great and all. But do any of you honestly expect any retailer to do this? Especially in the U.S.? If you do, I pity you.

So you bought your HD DVD player and now you've taken it in the ass. Sounds like the price you pay for being an early adopter, or making a bad decision to pass on Blu-Ray. Fools.
kp126 at 05:47 PM on 02/25/08
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@TVGenius: Why are they idiots. they wont change their return policy just because HD-DVD is no longer around. We are talking about Costco Wholesale not BestBuy.

In short yes they are still accepting returns on HD-DVD and HD-DVD players do not fall under 90 day electronics return policy so just keep em until your done with them.

Straight from the source

kp