Price match savings: Retailers put to test

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Several retailers now tell customers they will honor lower prices seen in other business' ads, but it's not always that easy. The ABC7 I-Team put the price-matching offers to the test.

After a disappointing Black Friday, retailers need your money more than ever. Many of them are willing to price match or even negotiate to save you anywhere from 5 to 20 percent. The I-Team found it can work, but other times there are rules and fine print that stop the deal.

See an ad for the same giant TV or cozy coat at a lower price? You may be able to get the store you're shopping at to match it!

"Do a quick search on your phone and say, 'Hey, I would love to buy this right now but if not that's fine. I will buy it now on my phone for $100 less. Do you want to just give me that price?'" said Brad Wilson, of Brad's Deals.

Target, Best Buy, Nordstrom and Macy's have some type of price matching policy. The I-Team tested some of them with the help of Brad Wilson from Chicago-based deal website, "Brads Deals."

"We are going to try to price match a Samsung Galaxy tablet that is on Amazon right now for $139.99," Wilson said.

So will Target drop their price for us from $199.99 to $139.99?

After showing the Amazon link to a store clerk, he sent us to customer service and after five minutes, they honored the price - a savings of $60 by doing homework and asking a few questions.

At Best Buy, it was a speedy "yes" when we asked if they would come down $5 on an iPod Nano, to match Target's ad.

"They were very emphatic and I even asked, 'Can I come in tomorrow, are there any catches with this?' They said, 'Any day of the year,'" Wilson said.

What about clothing? We visited and called Nordstrom to try to get the high end retailer to come down on the price of a North Face jacket.

ABC7's Jason Knowles says: "But you guys will match that $74.25 price? ...Great!"

Over the phone, a representative lowered the price of this women's North Face raincoat by $25 to match a sale we found on Cabela's website, but they would not match a lower price on a men's North Face seen on Amazon. That's because the one we found for $7 bucks less was being sold and shipped by another vendor. Nordstrom's policy says it will only match an Amazon price if the item is shipped and directly sold by Amazon.

And more bad luck, when the I-Team presented Target's ad for buy two, get one free on all video games, Best Buy wouldn't match it.

Best Buy said, "The policy is very broad and covers nearly everything in our stores, but does not include bundle offers and a buy two, get one free promotion is a bundle offer."

"If it is a bundle, or buy one get one or buy 2 get one, or something like that, it might be a little harder just systematically to push that through," Wilson said.

And back at Target, they wouldn't match Walmart 's lower advertised price for a Galaxy S5 and a Note 4. A store clerk told us that's because Target Mobile is a separate entity from Target. Target's spokesperson also said: "Contract cell phone plans and devices are excluded from the items we price match."

If you don't want the hassle of finding other listed prices, retail experts say you can try to negotiate. But be realistic; ask for a 5 or 10 percent discount.

"They need to unload their inventory the power is shifting to the consumer and the consumer is able to negotiate," said Joe Marrapodi, of Greentoe.

Marrapodi created an app called "Greentoe." Working with 65 retailers, it's much like Priceline where you can name a price you're willing to pay. It's another tool to help you save.

"The people that work at these stores, the managers - they are everyday people, too. They are doing the same thing- they want to save money," said Marrapodi.

Another strategy: keep an eye on prices after you buy. Stores like Nordstrom will allow you to go back and adjust the price, if you see a lower one in an ad.

If you want to try to price match or negotiate, you should know each store's policy. They are all online, and the policies from the stores mentioned in this story are listed below.

Also, remember that if you don't get the answer you want from the first employee, ask someone else, or a manager. This is still new for many stores, so not all of the clerks may be familiar with it.

Target's policy:

The important things to know about Target is you have 7 days to price match and they'll match anything from Target.com, Amazon.com, Walmart.com, BestBuy.com, ToysRUs.com, BabiesRUs.com or in a competitor's local printed ad.

Best Buy's policy:

Basically, they match w/ Amazon.com, Bhphotovideo.com, Crutchfield.com, Dell.com, HP.com, Newegg.com, and TigerDirect.com.

Also, Best Buy doesn't price match on Black Friday doorbusters. I talked to their corporate communications dept. and they said it's because they already have the best deals.

Nordstrom

Nordstrom's official policy says they'll price match in-store and online items, but you must submit your request via phone (888) 282 6060. It's not as consumer friendly as being able to do it in-store

Designer goods that were purchased on sale are excluded; cosmetics also excluded

There's no official policy on their website, but some Nordstrom managers may price match on certain items. This obviously varies by location and item.

Macy's

Macy's does not price match in store.

They will price match online if you find the exact same item for a lower price within 14 days of purchase. Basically, they treat their brick and mortar stores as a separate entity from their online store.

Bloomingdale's

Bloomingdales has no official price matching policy

Like Nordstrom, some Bloomingdale's managers may price match certain items - this will vary from store to store

****A general tip at stores that don't have official policies: Politely inform the store (preferably a manager) that you've seen your item at a lower price elsewhere. Provide proof if possible - a print ad or a webpage on your smartphone will do. Even if they don't price match, there's a good chance they have a coupon handy that they'll let you use.