Warning Best Buy and Netzero

[LoraJ]

Last month I bought a printer through Best Buy and got the Managers Special. The manager's special included some photo paper, 3 year service plan and 1 month free Netzero. Usually, at least in my experience, when a store makes an offer like that for an internet service, they just give you a CD with a code.

Well, without me knowing what was going on, the Best Buy guy signed me up for netzero using my credit card. I was wondering why he asked me to pick a user name. I thought it was for my service plan. Then when I realized what he did I was like No way, take that off right now. And he wouldn't. He said I would have to call them to cancel, it would be easy.

Well it was not easy. I was on hold forever every day and they kept saying it was due to the hurricane. I finally gave up, and forgot about it. of course then I got charged because when I remembered again it was too late.

So, I just want to warn you all, if you see one of these manager specials at Best Buy, avoid them like the plague.

 

[bicker]

This is becoming very common. Your contact information is becoming very valuable -- a validated address, telephone number, or email address, obtained either on sign-up, or, perhaps in your case, on termination of service. "Having been a customer," grants the company the right, in many states, to send you solicitations, even if you've signed-up for a "No-Call" list.

So, that value that companies get from obtaining your contact information and the right to send you solicitations is what many companies will use to balance offering you a lower price on the things they're offering for sale. As you pointed out, buyers should be aware. You've got a choice: Lower price but loss of privacy, versus higher price but privacy left intact.

 

[LoraJ]

Update:

I spoke with the manager of the Best Buy today and she was very nice and said that when I told the sales guy I didn't want Netzero, he should have voided it out immediately. She was very appologetic. She said she will reimburse me.

What a difference in customer service between Best Buy and Netzero. netzero - mean and nasty. Best Buy - friendly and wants to make me happy.

So if anyone at best Buy tries to pull this stunt with you, demand they void it out. If they don't, get a manager. I wonder if the sales guy gets a commision for each Netzero member he signed up.

 

[Laurajean1014]

Best Buys stink! We've pledged to not shop there. We go to Costco and other places to buy our stuff.

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Free4Life11]

It's really sneaky.

I am going to change my credit card number soon due to problems like this. If they don't have your card number, how can they charge you?

 

[Sleepy]

Update:
What a difference in customer service between Best Buy and Netzero. netzero - mean and nasty. Best Buy - friendly and wants to make me happy.

Best Buy wants to make you happy because they know if they do, you will keep coming back. Your purchases can add up to alot over several months.

NetZero......well, quite honestly, they don't care if they make you happy or not. They already have you. They have your credit card number too. Continual stall tactics to keep from cancelling your service means they make more money. In the end.....NetZero keeps your business by doing the opposite of Best Buy in customer service.

 

[Equidae]

Something similar happend to me at Best Buy, but their promotion was with Entertainment Weekly. I bought a CD and they told me I could get x amount of issues for free. I was skeptical and said I didn't really want it since I don't read EW. The casher was rather pushy about it though. I asked how I would be able to cancel it if I did get it and she told me not to worry, they would send me something in the mail. Whatever, go ahead I told her. The EWs started coming and I would maybe flip though them before giving them to someone else. After a while I noticed they just kept coming. The straw that broke the camel's back is that I noticed a CHARGE on my credit card for a subscription to EW! I didn't authorize that! I called them up and told them to take me off and she told me she would and that they would stop coming. Nope, they just kept coming. Yeah, don't take the free magazines at Best Buy. It's a headache and who knew cancelling a subscription would be this hard?!

 

[bicker]

Best Buy - friendly and wants to make me happy.

Best Buys stink!

Hehe... well that clears it up!

Seriously, that just goes to show that as often as not service quality is a matter of things we don't anticipate or expect, such as how well the specific buyer and specific seller get along with each other, what the buyer's friend experienced, what the seller's wife did to him that day, etc.

 

[4greatboys]

I had that happen before but with "free" magazines. they give your cc info to the other party so they can then start charging you.

 

[Papa Deuce]

All I know is that I REALLY, REALLY DO NOT WANT a free subscription to any magazines!

 

[Papa Deuce]

Update:

I spoke with the manager of the Best Buy today and she was very nice and said that when I told the sales guy I didn't want Netzero, he should have voided it out immediately. She was very appologetic. She said she will reimburse me.

What a difference in customer service between Best Buy and Netzero. netzero - mean and nasty. Best Buy - friendly and wants to make me happy.

So if anyone at best Buy tries to pull this stunt with you, demand they void it out. If they don't, get a manager. I wonder if the sales guy gets a commision for each Netzero member he signed up.

Woman at BB told me "no", but said she has a quota to meet.

 

[crazelion]

Woman at BB told me "no", but said she has a quota to meet.

Papa Deuce is right Best Buy push all there employees to sale magizes, warrenty, and other stuff. They want your credit card information and phone numbers. They have quota to meet for sales. Best Buy employees does not work on commission.

I worked there last Christmas and I won't go back this Christmas because I hate tried sale people stuff they do not won't.

 

[bicker]

I cannot imagine how a B&M place like Best Buy can possibly be profitable, since online source can almost always beat-the-pants off them on price, and they don't provide service commensurate with the additional money they charge, and even that extra money cannot cover their extra overhead. I think they must be aiming directly at folks who are truly fearful about making purchases online (not to say that there aren't other folks who actually do make purchases there) and are paying for the extras in significant numbers to cover the B&M's extra overhead.

 

[LoraJ]

Well, stores like Best Buy do have some advantages over buying online. Especially when buying a TV. You can just pick the one you want and take it home with you there and then. You don't have to pay shipping. So although you may be able to save money buying it at an online store, you may not get the service.


I bought some furniture online once and it arrived damaged. It was such a pain to return it to get a new one.

I've bought computers online and had problems with them. I bought a laptop at Best Buy and I know that if there is a problem, I can take it right to the store and get it fixed. Don't have to worry about sending it in the mail somewhere.

Right now I am building a new computer. I bought the case at a computer show, but I am buying the parts online. Having a lot of problems because these stores show the items in stock, but once I go through checkout, I get emails stating that they are backordered. One place even charged me $400 for a backordered item AFTER I cancelled it and now I have to wait a week for the money to be refunded.

So, even though I do buy a lot of stuff online, I see Best Buy as more of a convenience factor.

 

[diznygirl]

I don't trust Best Buy. Their "Geek Squad" doesn't want to fix your computer - they want you to buy a new one! And they charge you so much for a service call, that you will think "Well, a few more bucks and I can get a brand new machine." I got this straight from a "geek's" mouth! They end up taking advantage of people who aren't very knowlegeable. Now I read all this other stuff. Nope, not setting foot in another one.

 

[bicker]

Some of that, though, could be the "nature of the beast" -- the service provider's cost-of-service associated with staffing and selling the service of fixing computers is so high that in many cases it actually comes close to the cost of a new computer. The production of new computers is a very controlled and predictable process, where economies of scale and process optimization and be applied to keep costs low, whereas the "breaking" of computers that result in the need for the provision of the service of fixing the computers is so variable and uncontrolled that there is comparatively very limited opportunity to make it efficient. Also, the fixing of computers has external complexities that the production of new computers doesn't have: Having to safeguard existing data, for example.