Update: Target $99 DS a typo, but they may still honor it

by Ross Miller on Nov 25th 2005 3:30PM

Today is the supposed start date of the Target sales catalog, which erroneously (yet delectably) listed the Nintendo DS price at $99. Many of you have given us stories about Target both honoring and distancing itself from the price (one reader even got Circuit City to match the price - rock on!). Pixelantes Anonymous e-mailed Target Guest Relations for the official word. In their reply, it claims Target will honor the advertised price ($99), but cautions that the catalog's prices are effective only until December 12th.

So there you have it; if you want a cheap Nintendo DS, now is the perfect time to pick it up (thank you, Gods of typographical errors who usually scorn us). The letter says to bring a copy of the catalog (you should be able to use a screen capture of the online catalog - just go here and type in "DS" in the left-most search box) and remember to call (800) 440-0680 if the Target managers need any further verification. Enjoy!

Here is the original letter:

Thanks for your e-mail about The Nintenedo Dual Screen in the 2005 Holiday Catalog. The ad is a misprint, as the price in the system should be $129.99. However, Target is honoring the ad price of $99.99 if you are able to bring in a copy of the catalog. If you have any trouble at the store, have them call us at (800) 440-0680 and we will be able to assist you then. Keep in mind the catalog price expires on December 12th, 2005.

We always welcome your questions, so if we can assist you in the future, please contact our Target Guest Relations team at (800) 440-0680. You can also speak with a team member at the Guest Services Desk at your local Target store, or visit us on Target.com. Either way, we�re here to help!

Thanks for shopping with us. I hope we�ll see you again soon at Target.

[Thanks to everyone who helped us with this!]

Source

Tags: DS

Reader Comments (94)

I went to the Target in Carrollton, Tx today with a printout of the Target catalog. Explained to them that I had called(hadn't, but close enough) and told them Guest Relations said they will honor it. Talked with the manager, manager wouldn't do it cause it's not December yet, but that if they do drop the price then I can price match it in 14 days.

I'll be calling Guest Relations tomorrow to see what they can do and then go to my local Target in Austin, Tx to see what they will do.

I did the same thing Jerel did and bought three DS for 89.99 a piece. Christmas is officially done :)

My local Targets were sold out so I showed Best Buy customer service a printout of the catalog page and they matched the price no problem! Got two DS's ready to go under the christmas tree! Thanks for the heads up!

If anyone can describe where to go within the target website or the kiosks to show how to see it, then it would be a piece of cake for almost everyone. I haven't been able to find it directly on the website unless I use the link provided within this story. Thats when the customer service gave me a world of hell asking if I went through a "special" link or not. Anyone have any suggestions on how to do this by just going to target.com and starting off from there?

Picked mine up here in Jacksonville, FL for 99 but ended up with two stuck pixels on the top screen and one on the bottom. bah!

Well, I tried again today...this time at Wal-Mart. They would have matched the price no problem, but when they called Target they denied once again knowing anything about it. I would say that I am about ready to give up, but I am bound and determined now more than ever!

Here's how to get to the page from Target.com ...

On the Target.com home page, click the "WEEKLY AD" button in the upper right. This will bring you to a page full of promo stuff, including the "HOLIDAY DECEMBER CATALOG" - which is where you need to go. Once there, do a search for 'nintendo' or 'ds' and you're all set!

Holy crap. I just got a DS for $77 NEW.

http://douglas.min.net/lolcheapds.jpg

Just got home with some DS's. :) I tried Circuit City first. They would have matched it no problem if I could have shown them the catalog on their computers. They didn't have flash installed and wouldn't let me install it so it wouldn't display. :( So I headed over to Best Buy, showed them the print out, and they did it no problem. Happy Holidays!

I just got back from Target with one of my daughters Christmas presents :) I had no problem getting them to honor the deal. I was polite, patient, and calm. I told them they could check the website themselves from the kiosk if they had a question about my printout. They said there was no need and gave it to me at $99.99........one gift down many more to go :)

So I called Guest Relations this morning and told them I had bought the DS a couple days ago and that I saw the catalog showed $99. Got put on hold for a little, guy came back and let me know that they are honoring it and that I just needed to bring my receipt and a print out of the screen. Then he offered to call the store that I was going to and talk to them and let them know what was going on.

Went into the store, showed them the print out and spoke with the guy the Guest relations guy talked to and got it for $99.

So I think the way to truly make this work is purchase the DS(if you haven't already), call Guest Relations, get them to call the store(or even better one that you hadn't been to yet) then go in with the print out and receipt and get them to fix it.

They can't really argue with Guest Relations once you've purchased the item.

I just got back from Target with one of my daughters Christmas presents Smiley I had no problem getting them to honor the deal. I was polite, patient, and calm. I told them they could check the website themselves from the kiosk if they had a question about my printout. They said there was no need and gave it to me at $99.99........one gift down many more to go Smiley

Edit: I just got back from Circuit City where they price matched the DS with no questions asked, I just showed them my Target reciept. Now I have one silver and one electric blue DS.........my wife is gonna kick my @$$ Smiley

Worked like a charm. The only trick was finding a Target with them in stock. Either they are choking the supply lines till the 13th of December, or Black Friday wiped them out. Aside from the standard funny look from the person on the floor, I didn't get much guff, the manager was very accomodating.

All I brought was a print out of a screen-grab of the Target catalog and a print out of this blog post. Nerds... go forth, and stick it to the MAN!

I am happy to say that I was also able to achieve the goal of acquiring said DS at $99. The Target I went to was out of them in the case, but the electronics clerk whipped out a blue one from behind the magic curtain. Senior-level dude got involved and called the target.com number even after I gave him the number off this site. They said they hadn't heard of it (No Duh).

Anyway, I say that's not the number and bring this page up on my XV-6600 (pocket pc phone) and he says, "Oh, you've got something in writing. That's good enought for me."

Dude earned my instant respect and undying gratitude.

http://img479.imageshack.us/img479/2148/saveingmoneyh4tw.jpg

above is my recipt; successful transaction.

process; alright i found this website from a friend. i called target (near my house) up and asked them about the mistake and they didnt give me the time of day to explain or even buy the DS @ 99 bills...

i called up that guest relations and complained that the manager was a jerk and did not honor it. GET THAT CLAIM NUMBER!!!

you give up some info to target Reps. (lie) name number address email. alright so now i have the print-out, a claim number of the problem, and the email message... i marched right inside and got a new DS system to play with... OWND that target manager!!!!

t('.'t)

hey a friend of mine picked two up for 99 at target this morning once he showed them a copy of the catalog, though the manager gave him attitude. as of now, the catalog price has changed to $129! the probably fixed it from all the ads. so i dunno how much longer people can do this for!

i picked one up on saturday. they let me get it for $99
thanx to all u who helped

Ya, thanks to the OP for this deal. I got my $99 DS today. Now all I need is mariokart, wifi adapter and marioDS =P Total time took about 20 mins and most was spent with the manager on hold w/guest relations. Nobody had heard about it at the store I was at. Good luck, the people I dealt with were very friendly.

FYI the online "gather round" catalog has now been corrected to read $129.99. Corporate must be taking a beating on this. Gods bless the internet!

Myself and a friend went down to target, but they were out. Luckily, the best buy had like 400 of them. They priced matched the 99 dollars no questions. I had with me two screenshots of the 99 dollar price listed on the online catalog, as well as a printout of the print ad.

I was able to get one too. The sales girl said I was the second person to get it at that price. She just called the manager and he ok'd it over the phone. I was in and out in 5 minutes.

So after reading the mixed reports of success above, and noting that the price in the online ad was now $130 I went to my local target (Somerville MA) with a printout of the $99 ad, expecting a fight!

I went to an assistant and said "I wanted to but a nintendo ds" and he said "One of the $99 ones?". It was literally as easy as that - I did not even mention the ad! He called a supervisor over who asked to see a copy of the ad and then just rang it through.

I think it would be helpful if people mention which Target branch they got lucky with, as it seems to vary from branch to branch.

I got the catalog in the mail monday and it had the $99 price. I went to Circuit City last night and again today and got the DS for $96 and a free ATV game on both systems that I bought!!!!!

Got a $10 off $100 purchase card (wheel of wonder contest) last night but left it at home today, I'm sure it would work as well because they didnt blink an eye either time when making the price match. You would have to add something to bring it over $100.

Get to circuit city by Saturday!

I was denied the $99.99 price at the Target in West Seattle, even after I had the store manager call the number (she said "she couldn't authorize" the discount. psht.). Has anyone else in Seattle had any luck?

OK. The online catalog now shows the $129.99 price for the DS but I printed out the .png file someone posted in the comments, which shows the $99.99 price. What are my chances of getting the DS at $99? And should I print out the Joystiq article as well to take along?

Undrhil

I used that same exact .png file and got it at target for $99. And this was even after they changed the price online. If it doesn't work at target, try Price matching it at best buy circuit city, walmart, sears, etc. Worth a shot.

I just called Guest Relations, and they said they are not honoring that price. They said it was a mistake and they fixed it.

Heh. Turns out the least of my concerns was whether or not they would honor the price. They were sold out. And, while I was standing around checking out they DVD selection, they had about three people call in and ask if they had any Nintendo DS(s) in stock. I just laughed. I called and checked with Best Buy to see if they would price match the ad and they said they would, so I drove over to Best Buy, picked up a nice blue DS from off the shelf, walked up to the check-out and paid $99+tax, etc. The clerk asked if she could keep the page I had brought with me and I said sure. I figured they would keep it anyway.

Undrhil

Yep, Target so no to match that price because of typo and said only if I have the catalog. Printout is not good enough.

But, price matched at Circuit City and got it for $97 after tax.

Trav: They didn't fix it fully. If you go to the catalog and head over to page 56, it's still $99.99

You know, this really irritates me, because I see other people getting the ATV game with their DSes when they go pricematch at Circuit City, (Like I did) but I failed, because the guy at the Customer Service desk was a hardass.

Maybe I should go back and get it adjusted, when that guy's not on shift?

If you live in the Seattle area, don't bother trying either the Target or the Best Buy at Northgate. The Target has signs up at the Customer Service counter saying they won't honor the printout. When I went to the Best Buy down below, they wouldn't give me the deal either.

Anyone from SoCal try this at Circuit City or Best buy? If so which stores/cities?

I'm in SoCal and went to the Circuit City in Long Beach and my friend went to the one in Lakewood and they both price matched without a hassle, but you need a printout that says in-store only. If you don't already have one, the online price has been changed and you can't get it anymore.

It's weird because I got the 110% price match (so $97 after tax) but my friend only got a straight match ($108 after tax).

It's a fake. I called Target today and they said that this was a fake. You guys are screwed!

Just found out (today) that this had been a typo. I got my DS at CC a couple days after the ad was announced, knowing that, yeah, I was using a December brochure in November.

The guy at the register said "uhhhh... hold on, I gotta check. Hey Steve, we pricematch on this?" Steve said "what are they charging?" "$99.99" "What do we sell it for?" "$129.99" "OK, but call Target first to see if they have it in stock. We only pricematch if they have it in stock."

This is where a little assertiveness and some social engineering come into play:

Me, with Steve still standing there: "Huh? I've bought tons of things here and price-matched them all. TV, digital camera, laptop. And I've never had to call another store"

Steve: "Oh, really? OK. Give it to him."

And for the record, I really have pricematched all that stuff and never had anyone call.

I love the DS (though I have a dead pixel on the touch screen). Trauma Center is awesome.

-p-

I attempted to get it at Target in Burbank, CA, but with no luck. Today, I was able to pick up a DS for $99 at Best Buy. SWEET!

I went to the Target on Alpine Ave. in Walker, MI to get them to pricematch and they wouldn't budge, despite showing them the page from their online catalog. I gave them the number to call so they could get verification and apparently no one at the corporate office knew nothing about it. The employee then tried to say that there had been a misprint in the actual catalog and that I needed to have that to show them, which I find to be completely ludicrous.

I did what I was told, which was to print out the web page I saw it on and gave them the phone #. My mom decided to call them herself and now I have to come up with the original email with the name of the representative that said that Target would honor the price and everything. If anyone wants to help me out, send the info to creeperkamikaze@gmail.com

can anybody post up a high quality scan of the page? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE? for your fellow joystiquians who get payed on fridays?

http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/629/targetad8dr.png

holy crap, best buy pricematched for me!

How's it going? I'm here in Vegas and went to the Target Greatland in the Summerlin area. I had a printout of the ad from the .PNG file that "heat" conveniently posted above, and printed on the back of the page was a copy of the letter from Target about the typo. I handed the page to a guy that seemed like he was still in high-school. He looked at the front and read the back, and relayed that to a manager on his walkie talkie. A few seconds later he said that it would be no problem and dug out a blue one from the back of the case. He asked to keep the letter and charged me the $99.

I returned the blue one I purchased last month for my little brother from Toys R Us. Thankfully I hadn't opened it yet. Printing the letter on the back helps, because everything they need is right there on paper. Obviously, if you are planning on doing it at this tiem, you might want to delete the "Keep in mind the catalog price expires on December 12th, 2005" part. Hopefully this helps someone. Keep trying and good luck.

Previous 50 Comments

Update: Target $99 DS a typo, but they may still honor it

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