That is very much the case with Shops at Chase. I think the trick is to buy something ~$250 so that even if the price is grossly inflated, it's still free or almost free for you. There might also be brands that strictly prohibit discounting from MSRP. I know Bose does that, but it's not currently on Shops at Chase. With those brands, it really would be $250 off (assuming Chase didn't up the MSRP).