Circuit City Ripped Me Off!!!

[donaldtutter]

i went to cc on black friday for the laptop for $199 with AOL signup. we got there at 11:30 pm om a freezing thanksgiving night and were 15th and 16th in line. cc was supposed to have at least 15 per store so i was convinced to stay and try our luck. they were opening at 5 am so at 4:30 they started to give out vouchers for high demand items. at this point other people were crowding the front of the line and cc employees would not or could not do anything about it. we were able to get a voucher as cc ended up having 28 laptops( we got # 24) but others who had waited in line for 5 hours got nothing while people who waited 2 minutes got a voucher. If you think this is bad it now becomes an utter nightmare. we got in the line to get a laptop at 5:03. at about 6:30 the line had not moved at all. cc employee explained they were having trouble with signing people up fot AOL. At 7:30 they said they were going to charge your credit card the amount of the Aol rebate ($250.00) and you would return later in the day for a credit. At 8:00 the line still had not moved so the completely incompetent manager gave people coffee. we stood in line for 6 hours before our transaction was completed.we were signed up for AOL and were told to return later for credit. when i returned it took another 1.5 hours to remove initial charges and rebuy the items. they charged ,credited recharged and recredited my credit card several times before telling me it was all set.when i got home i was looking through a pile of about 40 receipts when i saw that they had signed me up for 2 Aol accounts. they also charged me at least twice more for my purchases than they credited. i called and spoke to the manager and he said he would look into it and told me several more lies. i also called cc and someone is supposed to get back to me by tuesday. I called AOL and they confirmed that i now have two accounts with them and to cancel one of them will cost me $320.00 and they will not cancel it at no cost because it was a one year contract and that it is my responsibility to pay it.
I have been robbed by cc of about $600.00 with it seems little chance of any recovery. I have spoken with several people from cc with each of them telling me different lies and taking no responsibility. i urge everyone to never shop there again.

 

[Poohs Pal]

I'm not a fan of circuit city myself. Susan

 

[mantaz]

I am glad I decided not to wait on the laptop. I hate to hear that this happened to you, but if I were you, I would be on the phone with my credit card comp and get them to stop the transactions that are wrong. That way you will be ahead of the game. I hope you get it all worked out real soon as with this being the holiday season!!

Good luck
Angela

 

[OceanAnnie]

I'd go to the BBB for both companies. I'd speak to a supervisor at both places first and let them know that's what you plan to do if no action is taken. Then follow through.

Then I'd call the charge card operators. Cancel both the Circuit City purchase and the AOL and let them deal with the whole shebang.

I'd find out from a supervisor at the charge card hotline the particulars on returning whatever you purchased from Circuit City. And go from there.

That's off the top of my head.

 

[bicker]

I read the advertisement and as soon as I started reading "only 15 per store" "only 10 per store" I knew it was going to be a zoo. If a sale is structured to bring about animal-like behavior, then I wouldn't be surprised when the sale evokes animal-like behavior. I don't blame Circuit City or the manager. It isn't their fault that customers flock to these farsical episodes and that some of them behave poorly. It is up to us, though, to recognize and acknowledge these sales for what they are, and vote with our wallets -- staying away from them, and choosing to do business when retailers are ready to work with us as people, instead of creatures.

(Can you tell I really don't like this kind of sale?)

 

[Free4Life11]

But once she had the ticket, it SHOULDN'T have been such a hassle. You know I'm starting to think that home office isn't telling stores about the sales or giving them procedures. I don't see what's so difficult. Have the customer sign up for one year of AOL service through the Circuit City computer or whatever they use to get their affiliate money. Then ring up the cost of the laptop.

I'm not a fan of Circuit City. Their online shipping is the slowest of any I've come across. And if you ever have to return something have fun waiting in line.

 

[bicker]

That makes it seem well worth-it to pay extra for a retailer that treats its customers better, right?

 

[maxiesmom]

It sounds to me like their computer system was not set up to handle the amount of busniess the company was generating. Totally not your fault. We should all use this as a reminder to be aware of what the heck we are agreeing to when we sign our credit card receipts. I hope Circuit City does right by you. Here is lots of pixie-dust!

Also it becomes harder and harder to treat people like people when so many choose to act like animals. It is becoming to frightening to even think of shopping on Black Friday, and I work in retail!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

That makes it seem well worth-it to pay extra for a retailer that treats its customers better, right?

While I am not a fan of BF electronics sales (I think the bait items are nothing but junk anyway--unless it is a well known brand name that is--which rarely if ever it is)...the OP has a valid complaint. He/she should not be liable for the extra charges and it needs to be fixed at CC's expense. I would definitely dispute it with the credit card company--b/c if I'm not mistaken.....aren't most e-mail accounts now set up per household. Everyone I know has ONE account with multiple e-mail addresses, so it shouldn't be a hard case to prove. And the stack of 40 receipts with the void/charge/doovers would be excellent evidence of an incompetent employee who didn't know what they were doing.

Regardless of the circumstances of the errors--he/she is not responsible for them just b/c they chose to go shopping on BF. That would be like saying it was someone's fault for getting into an accident caused by someone else b/c they chose to drive during the holidays.

Personally I like Circuit City. Best Buy is what I cannot stand. They should not be set up with grocery store like cash registers for checkouts that take a gazillion years to complete. They need an express lane for items that dont' require a sales pitch for a service contract so that it doesn't take an hour to purchase a DVD (and this is during non-peak shopping hours ).

BTW--where exactly would you purchase your electronics items if not at a regular electronics store such as CC and Best Buy? In our area--we really have nothing else, so I'm not sure where extra money could by better service if the option is nonexistant.

 

[jennifer293]

I would demand that Circuit City eat the cost of that second AOL account...not your fault it was totally thiers and you should not have to pay for it. If you cannot get anything squared away at the circuit city you made the purchase at I would go HIGHER until it all gets credited back!!!

 

[Free4Life11]

Best Buy is what I cannot stand. They should not be set up with grocery store like cash registers for checkouts that take a gazillion years to complete. They need an express lane for items that dont' require a sales pitch for a service contract so that it doesn't take an hour to purchase a DVD (and this is during non-peak shopping hours ).

Oh I forgot about this one! Best Buy is just awful. Checkout seems to take forever. Last time I went they asked if I wanted a subscription to Entertainment Weekly and I'd get a whopping four free issues...

 

[RobynK]

Go staight up the ladder to the district manager. Call the store and ask for the DM phone number-they must give it to you with no questions asked. Take your plight as high as needed!

 

[nbodyhome]

Personally, I can't stand Circuit City. We bought a TV from them (a nice one) and they were supposed to send us a $100.00 gift card. This was over a year ago, and at this point, they haven't sent us the gift card (and emailing them has been fruitless). I won't even go into their store - except once, to get the TV fixed after it was broken. They did exchange it out without an issue.

 

[4formickey]

I'm so glad that I order my laptop from dell online. The stories from people that stood in line for hours for a laptop is just sicking when they could not even get the item that they wanted.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

thats we we niver buy anything with a rebate or something like sign up for this get that
it always gets messed up and hurts us DH wont do it

 

[Jsme]

Go back with your receipt and demand a refund from the manger. IF that does not work go over his head until they get it right!

 

[MUFFYCAT]

No way should you be liable,without a doubt go back and raise a stink!

I don't like CC either. on the ther hand I've had nothing but good experiebces from BestBuy. I was on a line friday morning that I felt for sure was going to be 2 hours long. Some people saw it and left their items(that's how I got the flat panel TV and portable DVD player). The line was only 30 minutes long. They were offering drinks and candy to all. They also had juice outside for all those who were there before 5:00.

 

[nowellsl]

I thought about going for this laptop but when I read you have to sign up for AOL I wasn't even tempted! AOL stinks!!!!! Besides, by the time you pay $199 for the computer and pay for AOL for a year you could get a basic Dell for the same or even less!

 

[Feralpeg]

IMHO BF has gotten totally out of control. I don't know why people are shocked when these things happen to them. We've all heard the horror stores from previous years. Things are certainly not going to get better. The stores see it as a way to lure people into their stores. Very few will leave happy with the advertized "cool/cheap" items. You couldn't pay me to go into one of those situations.

 

[doodle]

I want to say how sorry I am this happened to you! It is not your fault. I would challenge the charges on your credit card and raise a STINK with CC. Take it up with the people you worked with on BF and with corporate. The squeaky wheel gets service! Remember you are standing up for yourself and all of us as consumers! Hang in there!!!!