I'm sick of bad mouthing these big stores, but since I once worked for one I know what I'm talking about. I can't say enough bad stuff about them so I might as well go on...
Circuit City sales people make commision, so unless you look like a million bucks they won't talk to you. Those guys make a lot of money and they make it any way they can. They're not stupid, but they'll lie to you and decieve you in any way possible. The Good Guys is a similar type of chain and they do the same thing. I only walk into those stores when I know exactly what I'm talking about and what I need. I have yet to see an employee tell me the truth. I don't make purchases at their stores due to this and only price compare.
To be honest nowadays I only buy online because of the lack of good retailers. There is no point in paying more for the same thing when you aren't going to get any service anyways. Besides that, buy out of state and save on sales tax.
At Frys and Best Buy they just don't get any training. They have no clue what is going on. To make matters worse they never have enough employees and the turnover is very high. The odds of you coming back to a store and seeing the same people are very low. It's not their fault at all, but the customer suffers greatly from their lack of knowledge. If you're lucky you'll get a smart employee to help you which is great since they don't make a commission, but this is rare.
Since this is a computer forum I'll suggest this: Buy your hardware online or at a small local dealer. Local dealers are great and will give you service that is worth every penny. If you don't need any service though just order from pricewatch.
As far as software goes, only buy what you know you won't return at one of those places, or do what I do and buy from your local wholesale warehouse. Costco for example sells some of the newest software titles and has a open return policy. This is great if you just want to try a game out and aren't sure if you'll like it.
When it comes to stuff like home entertainment systems though you really are out of luck as far as I can tell. Just make sure you go to several places and read up on the brands and models you're interested in. Don't buy something just because the sales person says it's great. Circuit City for example will always tell you that the TV you're looking at is great. Best Buy is probably better when it comes to home entertainment, but they don't carry some of the higher end models that circuit city does.
<font color=red>We are going to have peace even if we have to fight for it. - Eisenhower</font color=red>
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