A story about Best Buy

[idofabric]

This is such a great thread!
I also have had BB issues... I have returned 2 open box laptops in the last 2 1/2 years.. .the last one was in Oct when I was told it was a memory problem and they had to send it out, it went out and came back with more problems. So I took it back the next day, By now it is Nov. and I was told it would be back in 7 to 10 days.. .Well since it was due back the day after Thanksgiving, and we all know how that day is for shopping and service, I called them on the Tues. before. They had no idea where my laptop was, what was being done with it or how to find out. Asked to speak to the manager. Did so, and he put in a "Corporate "request for info and statius on the laptop and it would take 3 days, max to get an answer,as is BB policy...
Well I though, today is Tues, Thur is Thanksgiving, Fri is Black FRi hell, and it will be mon or tues when I hear back, so I waited...
No call from BB.
Called them, they said " A manager will get back to you by noon tomorrow with info." At 12:15 pm I called them, and no one had any idea still where or when my laptop would be back. Went into the store. Told them I didn't care who they called, BBs President, the President of Toshiba, or GOD, but I wanted some answers NOW and would not leave till they got me some!
So they called a special number. And we found out that BB had shipped it out to repair. So now it is the first week of DECEMBER, and a "little" problem is big. I asked if I would have it by Christmas or even befor the New Year. Sure I was told by one manager as the CService girl behind him shook her head NO...
I wait...
Called every day or 2 and went in every 2 to 3 days. I now know all the managers.
Finally a week before Christmas they tell me that Toshiba still has the Motherboard backordered and they have no idea when it will be in... I am peeved. I start talking in a quiet voice, and tell them fine give me a new laptop or loan me one! They don't "loan" but they did sell me one for $100 to tide me over, but would not let me buy the warrenty... and offered to rebuy it when I got me old Toshiba back, which they said would be "Any day, real soon..."
Finally I went in and complained so much and cried and stayed in line and told EVERYONE in the store my story that they sold me an openbox for a few hundred less then marked. I keep the $100 one also...
Well in late Jan/early Feb I get a call to come in and pick up my Toshiba. So I tell them that they had refunded me for it and they argue that NO they have it and to come and get it... I go in and the SAME manager that sold the $100 laptop and the replacement and he insisted that the laptop was mine. I almost walked out with it, but he had been a lot of help and I was afraid he or some other peon would get fired. So I had him recheck and sure enought I was right. So I offered to buy it back since they had rebuilt the entire thing and he said, sure for $500.. , well, no thaks. He then said to come back in 3 days and he would see if we could get it for less since they really screwed everthing up. When back in 2 days and HE had sold it - for $350! I would have paid that at the time. But at that point it wasn't worht compaining I thought, but DH did and we ended up with a 3rd laptop, a Toshiba Tablet for about $500 with the 3 yr supper waranty.
So a thousand + $s out and 3 laptops latter.. .the $100 one broke... and since it also has a 1 year warrenty we will be going back...

Now I realize this does sound like I got great deals, and we did not do to bad. BB is a little over priced and when we did our homework and shopped around we didn't over spend or undre spend for what we got. So thats fine.
However, 2 of the 3 laptops now have problems and since I did get the warrenty on the tablet and the other was cheap I am gonna make them stand by it!

I did take names and numbers , the date and time each and every time I talked to some one or when in to BB and made sure they knew it. They did give me a coprorate number to call, but it was usless, one of the "if you know you party press # and if not lisen to the options". Never did get a human... if that is what BB employs...

And FYI BB has 2 different warrentys. One is %50 more expensive then the other, but if you drop your laptop or it stolen or what ever it is replaced with the same $ value you paid... so if you get a laptop for $1500 and 2 1/2 years latter it dies you can get that much in credit for a new one. AFTER it has been out for repair 3 times... no matter how long it takes them! The other is much cheaper but if you so much as breath on it wrong they do nothing...

Live and learn!

 

[gdulaney]

I've had the exact opposite experience at my local Best Buy. My husband & I love them!!!! When the store mgr was recently promoted, we were worried about the direction the new mgr would take the store...the former mgr reassured us that one of the current dept mgrs was being promoted and that she was still reachable if we needed her.

From Black Friday to every day customer service, this store delivers. Here are just two examples:

(1) Black Friday -- I present a competitor's ad with a Kitchen Aid stand mixer and asked if they will honor it (yes they price match)...the mgr looks at the ad and I can see him calculating the different (almost a 50% difference) and he says "Yes". They also honored several BrandsMart prices, which were substantially lower.

(2) I go in to return a hand-held microcassette recorder with NO receipt. Now the store policy is pretty clear cut...but the microcassette recorder is in very good condition, except the little door won't open. I explain what happened and that I would like to exchange it, but I don't have a receipt. The customer service manager is standing behind the customer svc rep. She is clearly confused...what should she do?!? She looks at the mgr who says, "What do you think you should do?" She replies, well, store policy is xyz...but it's broken and she's telling me that she's a really good customer. The manager then says, "So, what do you think you should do? Remember, I want you to be able to make these decisions." She looks at the mgr says, well, it's less than $30 and I think we should make an exception." The mgr smiled and said "I agree. Do it." This is the dept mgr that just got promoted to store mgr!

I think it's a culture of empowerment...some mgrs (stores) have it and some don't. The customer svc rep could have just said no....but her mgr (who I'm sure was empowered by the store mgr) wanted her to think and evaluate each situation based on the facts (cost, risk, policy, etc). I know this is a really (really) long post, but I wanted to let ya'll know that some BB stores are really great.

Ginny

 

[nbodyhome]

I won't buy serious items (large ticket items) at Best Buy - and that would include pretty much anything over a DVD in value, and I don't generally buy those from them either.

I also refuse to buy extended warranties unless in extreme circumstances - and I'd certainly never buy one that is the current value either. It is amazing how quickly merchandise can go down in value - our large-screen TV (which had a 1 or 2 year manufacturers warranty) went bad after less than 1 year, and we saw our same TV for $1499 instead of the $1999 we had paid. I think they were getting rid of that model, actually. In 3 years, I can't imagine the current value would be much at all, maybe a bit more than the extended warranty costs?

 

[puggymom]

Not as bad as some of these horror stories...

Had a new t.v. delivered. It was a bitter cold winter day. Before I sign off on the delivery I wanted to turn it on and make sure it was o.k.

Delivery guy says, I can't turn it on until it reaches room temp. It can cause damage. O.K. but then I am not signing off that it was delivered in good condition. I told the guy either wait until it was room temp or leave without my signature.

I may have blonde hair, but do not mistake me for being stupid.

 

[keerymom]

My entire family refuses to do any further business with Best Buy as well. My father is not what you would describe as computer savy, but he does his email, pays bills, researches, shops, etc... without a problem. He believes, because it is how he ordered his computer, that he only has a regular D drive and he would now like a CD burner as well. He unplugs the entire tower and brings it with him to Best Buy. He shows them what he has and describes what he'd like the CD burner for. He buys what they recommend and he pays them $50 to install it as well. Make a long story a bit shorter, he brings it home and I go over to take a look. Well, guess what.... his D drive was also a CD burner and he didn't realize it. They've now installed another one without even mentioning to him that he had one. He was very honest with them when he went in that he didn't know a lot about computers, so they totally took advantage of him. I then took his tower directly to the store and asked them why he thought someone with limited computer skills, who told them exactly what he wanted a CD burner for, would want 2 CD burners. They of course were without any decent answer for why they were so dishonest. In the end they agreed to remove the second CD burner, but they were keeping the $50 installation fee. I tell eveyone I know that is looking for electronics that story in the hopes that they won't do business there as well.

 

[LisaNJ25]

Here's something for all your troubles

Best Buys not having a good day

LOLOLOLOLOL Thant was priceless

 

[sammielynn]

Another that will not shop at Best Buy. They are just tacky.

 

[musicdude]

I really think it is hit or miss with best buy. I have had really good experiences in some stores and absolutely horrible experiences in others. We found the one near our house is not as customer oriented as others so if want something we shop a different store. I think if your educated on their policys and on the item you want to purchase you can do really well. I love the fact that they match prices and sell open boxed items at a discount price. I always ask for a manager on any open box item and say this is what I'm willing to pay. If they really want to make a sale they neg. with me. I bought a kitchen aid dishwasher retail of about $750 for $249. it has never had any problems and I never buy the extended warranty. Just my two cents!!!!

 

[Luv'sTink]

I do not shop at Best Buy and dont buy me anything there either, thank you!

Long story short, I bought a computer for my Dad, he didn't want it (never opened it) so I took it back to get a refund and THEY opened the box to make sure I didn't and then tried to tell me it was opened now so I couldn't have refund. HA HA HA they were wrong! When I asked them why they were opening it at first they just ignored me and I asked 3 times and then had to literally YELL to get their attention.

 

[pk1959]

Around here it's hard to find anybody who DOESN'T have a BB horror story! We certainly have one with an extended warranty that we purchased for a laptop. About the only thing that BB is worth in my opinion is to take their sale ad to a competitors store and have them price match. That way you get the good price on an item but also get decent customer service and a store that stands behind what they sell.

 

[seashoreCM]

>>> What good is a gift card if I am never going to shop there any more?

Every time you fail to use compensation a store or an airline, etc. gives you, that is one more customer screwing the store or airline, etc. gets away with. There are published surveys that say that a large percentage of gift certificates, gift cards, etc. are never used, so selling the gift card on eBay runs the risk the store will not ultimate experience the card's usage.

>>> Collection agency

A collection agency is obligated to send you upon your request proof of the debt they are trying to collect. This includes regurgitating the kilowatt hour usage if it is an electric bill, signed charge slips if it is a credit card issue, etc.

>>> Livid

It is actually better to put things in writing (and keep a copy of everything). It is perfectly OK to leave the store after only a short or incomplete quiet argument and come back later with prepared stuff in writing to start the same argument from scratch (bite the apple twice).

>>> They opened the box

It's going to be a he said she said issue if they really press the issue but keep in mind that if you lose a credit card dispute you can still use small claims court. I dare say that even if they bump thge case to superior court you can still go in by ylurself (pro se) and the judge won't call it frivolous. Meanwhile they as a corporation must bring an attorney and that expense may induce them to settle out of court.

 

[Figment2]

I, too, have a Best Buy horror story - but it is repair story. I will never ever use their repair service again. It took over a month to repair my item (even with repeated phone calls to the repair company & Best Buy) and because it "took so long" and the ticket was dated more than a month, they almost threw out my item when it did get back to the store. I was lucky that the repair company promised to have it back to the store by a certain day and I was at Best Buy on the promised day to pick it up. Good thing, Best Buy never called but they did send me a letter saying they were going to throw my item out since I neglected to pick it up for over a month. Not true - it was at the repair company for over a month. Because the letter was sent certified mail and I couldn't get to the post office for a couple of days, I would have lost my item. When I called, all I got was attitude and it was all my fault.

Won't go back there again.

Cyn

 

[mamalle]

wow good for you. we had one heck of a problem with their in store service dept. I kept names and notes of everything. I send a HUGE letter to the main corp store and.... never heard back from them.

 

[MinnieMe2]

Same kinds of things happened to us at Circuit City -- I'll never go there again!

The thread about Best Buy Not Having a Good Day is great! Shared it with a lot of my friends......