If Best Buy has a special offer with the purchase of a product, do you take that to mean all other retailers should honor their offer? Certainly not. It is common practice for Sony and other manufacturers to offer special deals but only if you buy directly from them. Don't forget that if Sony sells a product directly, it sells for the same price as it would at a retailer, however Sony does not have to pay a retailer a commission, therefore they can afford to add in a freebie once in a while. If they have to pay a retailer a commission, then Sony's profit is not as high.