Price Protected
I made $18 yesterday from electronics store Best Buy. Like many retailers, Best Buy offers price matching or price protection. If you buy something and the price goes down with a certain timeframe, often 30 days, you can go to the store and be credited the difference.
You could return the items and buy it at the new, lower price. But price protection skips that hassle and just gives you the difference.
I bought three seasons of the TV series, The Shield, to watch while the writers are on strike and so few programs are new. The price had come down from $50 for a season to $25. Then I saw in the Sunday newspaper flier that they were down to $20. So, I got $15 back there.
I also bought a financial calculator, determined to teach myself how to use it, which I did last weekend. Sure enough the calculator was $3 cheaper this week.
I had to go by Best Buy anyway, so I stopped in and claimed my $18.
You can use the online site PriceProtectr.com to help track your purchases at various retailers. PriceProtectr will send you an e-mail if the price drops and you’re due a refund.
To learn more, see my Spending Smart newspaper column from Jan. 6.
