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Best Buy Refuses To Replace TV B/C You Followed Instructions

consumerist.com — Man bought a DLP in 2005 with a $400 Best Buy Performance Service Plan. The TV keeps blowing through expensive bulbs and rather than wait 2 weeks for a technician every time this happens, Best Buy provided a telephone number and told him to order and replace the bulbs himself. Now, because he followed followed their directions

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  • sneedo, on 08/07/2008, -2/+85scumbags
    • johnomaz, on 08/08/2008, -6/+21No, the tech that told him to do it himself was a moron, but he should have never touched the TV. If its under warranty, you do not touch it. In the letter FTA, it says that he couldnt' go without TV for 2 weeks. Big ***** deal. His inability to do something else other than watch TV just cost him over three grand. If the lamp blew a second time, he calls BestBuy and tells them to get their asses out faster. Call the next day, and the next and the next. Go down there, but to not only buy your own lamp, but install it was his own damn fault. And if he knew he had the lemon protection, then he should have reported it after the 3rd lamp, not the 6th or the 7th.

      And seriously, the guy could have also bought some cheap ass $100 TV to use a a backup waiting for BestBuy to repair his TV.
      • diecastbeatdown, on 08/08/2008, -3/+8agreed, not sure why you are being dug down. if it is under warranty don't touch it.
      • edwartica, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Wait, seven times though? Come on! If I buy something, I expect it to be reliable. If its not reliable then it needs to be replaced by the store.
        End of story.
    • alexidigg, on 08/08/2008, -2/+2it seriously makes my day to hate on best buy
    • SeaFour, on 08/08/2008, -0/+0Worst Buy tried to sell me a $33 printer cable that I got online for $3. I understand that they need to make a profit, but do they need to try and totally ***** their customers over in the process?
      • RobotCitizen, on 08/09/2008, -0/+1The markup on cables is a collective scam between the major retailers, whether it's BB, CC or even Walmart.

        Monoprice FTW.
  • bcuban, on 08/07/2008, -4/+61Best Buy's corporate policy is to make a buck even at the expense of the consumer. I try not to shop there unless I am buying a dvd or small item that can not be upsold. In the very rare instance where I make a major electronics purchase I research price and quality first so I do not have to listen to the salesperson try to sell me what I do not want. Best Buy corporate also never responds to complaints. Terrible organization.
    • ironeus, on 08/07/2008, -4/+8Agreed. I've had only bad experience with their customer service; they're really slacking in that aspect.
    • khail250, on 08/08/2008, -1/+20I am not too sure your first sentence makes sense.
      • DreKor, on 08/08/2008, -2/+10I think it makes perfect sense. Isn't that what all businesses do?
    • jshooter1377, on 08/08/2008, -3/+7"Best Buy's corporate policy is to make a buck even at the expense of the consumer." - bcuban

      Kinda like every other American business...


      Comp USA was probably the overall best electronic store. Its a shame they went downhill...
    • t0x2c, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Actually Best Buy's goal is to "be the best" which means have the top annual profits of any big box retailer. You can see this in how much of their money goes all the way down to the employee (with some of the highest hourly rates) and into making the stores nicer. The CEO isn't after 'rich at all costs', but rather just to shove revenue numbers in everyone else's face. Granted, he's rich, but he's way more competitive. You can tell if he's ever come into your store.
  • orlando69, on 08/07/2008, -3/+81I hate best buy. I have not shopped there since 1999 when they screwed me on a similar incident. I have actually got my own person boycott to spread through my company as I now know of close to 50 people that will not shop at Best Buy any more even if they are offering the product cheaper than they can get it else where. I hope to one day be the reason Best Buy goes out of business!
    • Akairenn, on 08/08/2008, -1/+52You have my sword.
    • Aeomyr, on 08/08/2008, -2/+50And my axe.
    • tehjarvis, on 08/08/2008, -11/+26And genital warts.
    • spartan002117, on 08/08/2008, -11/+13And my bow.
      By your're powers combined I am captain planet!
      • ho0ber, on 08/08/2008, -4/+26That's a new misspelling of your/you're to me! How do you pronounce that? YOUR-UR!
      • po43292, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2He's just trying to get both in there/yre/eir if one is wrong.
    • Dgen_X, on 08/08/2008, -0/+12Just don't forget, most retailers will match local prices.

      Other people want your business!
    • helleborus, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1> I have actually got my own person boycott to spread through my company

      Cool. What else can you get the people in your company to do/not do?
    • buckygrad, on 08/08/2008, -0/+0The "extended" warranty and Best Buy is anything but. It is like trying to file a claim at "Insuricare".
    • TheMidnight, on 08/08/2008, -1/+1You have my PhoneSaber.

      Oh wait, no you don't.
  • Y0tsuya, on 08/07/2008, -3/+8Yet people continue to shop at Best Buy. I have my own personal boycott again Fry's, but they're still making money hands over fist.
    • MalDON, on 08/08/2008, -1/+9Why do you hate frys? I go there, the sales guy try to upsale, but they give up if you tell them to cut the sales crap. Most of the time they laugh it off and admit the product they were pushing sucks ass. However, they have been pissing me off lately with their very heavy push of Sony products. I mean, it's almost an Apple store, but replaced with all overpriced Sony crap.

      /rant
      • Y0tsuya, on 08/08/2008, -0/+18That was about 8 yrs ago. They argued with and insulted me at the return line, even though I was well within my rights to return the item. I spent $15K there over 3 years, and they gave me lip when after I returned a few items totalling less than $500. It was obvious they didn't want me as a customer. I give all my money to newegg and Amazon now, and they treat me like a king compared to the douchebags at Fry's. And I also have this thing against cavity searches.
      • twiztidsinz, on 08/08/2008, -1/+10HA! Amazon.com blows worse than any Best Buy or Fry's.
        Just wait till you have an issue you need help with.
        Amazon's great while they have their fangs in your wallet, but the moment you need a problems sorted out forget it. They'll give you the run around, lie to you and flat out hang up on you.
      • cdahlkvist, on 08/08/2008, -3/+5Obviously you had an issue with Amazon over the purchase of "Grammar and Sentence Structure for Dummies".
      • mrsack, on 08/08/2008, -0/+6I bought a CD through Amazon one time, and it was "delivered" to my leasing office since I wasn't at my apartment at the time. The people at the office couldn't find the package, and when I called Amazon they immediately overnight shipped me the CD for free even though it wasn't their fault in any way. That was pretty awesome, but they could have been nice to me since that was the 1 month I had the trial of their Prime service :P

        My leasing office found the package a few months later, so I got 2 copies :D
      • cdahlkvist, on 08/09/2008, -0/+1Nothing beats two copies of Two Girls One Cup, huh?
    • t0x2c, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1These are the same people who actually buy DLP tvs.
  • Mier, on 08/08/2008, -2/+14one reason I got a Samsung DLP with the LED projector.
    • Turbojugend27, on 08/08/2008, -11/+1you enjoy having darkened edges and a bright center spot on your TV?
      • potisreallygood, on 08/08/2008, -0/+8you enjoy having darkened edges and a bright center spot on your TV?

        I have a samsung 6187s, LED. The picture is amazing. No problems whatsoever. It has received praise from pioneer elite plasma owners. It only uses 250 watts plus no bulbs/burn in. Compare that to a 61" plasma that uses 800 watts and cost 4x as much. It takes up as much space as a flat panel and the bezel is thinner than the one on my 13 inch laptop. As far as the bright center spot and darkened edges I have never seen anything like that on my tv and it has been calibrated via avio.
      • Tomchei, on 08/08/2008, -0/+3I think Samsungs DLPs are the best (next to IMAXs DLPs)
      • crashingechelon, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1I have the same Samsung 61" LED DLP tv and the picture is clear and sharp. The screen is bright and evenly lit through out the whole screen. I have no darkened edges and no bright center spot. Where ever you saw that it must have been a busted or lemon TV like the poor guy in the article.
      • Lockean, on 08/08/2008, -4/+1Samsung's are nice but when everyone was doing true 1080P Samsung was still running 540P with a pivoting projector. They are still generations behind Mitsubishi.
        Plasma - Pioneer($$$$$) or Panasonic($$)
        LCD - Samsung (same TV as Sony with different badging, a la Bluray alliance)
        DLP - Mistubishi
        LCD Projo - you're a dumbass
      • Mier, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2Not really, no. I don't have those problems you describe.

        Did you enjoy paying 2k more for the same size set to get a 1% better picture if you can tell the difference at all?
      • shadeOfGrey, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1@potisreallygood "It takes up as much space as a flat panel"
        It looks to be over 14" deep. That's a lot deeper than my flat panel. (not that it necessarily matters depending on your setup.)
      • potisreallygood, on 08/09/2008, -0/+1@shadeofgrey

        true, however any flat panel that is set up with a stand will be >15". It depends on your setup, i have my tv sitting on a wood stand that houses my components so depth isn't really a concern, but if i had an old school projection tv or a crt I wouldn't be able to put the center channel in front of the tv and it really looks slim, the 14" is in a bulge at the back most of the tv is very slim. Mounting the DLP on the wall wouldn't be out of the question, especially if you angled it so the bulge ran flat and set it up high. Also, a 60" plasma weighs 180lbs. The DLP weighs 75lbs. For the price, its a great tv and the newer models are even better.
  • vinibinini, on 08/08/2008, -11/+2I don't care
    If the Best Buys wanna be douches about it be my guest, but at least own up to your mistakes. This, the Assasin's Creed Incident, I'm starting to think that a bonus disc with a dvd isn't enough incentive to keep coming back
    FUTURESHOP FTW
    I put my iPod through the washing Machine and they couldn't find a replacement so they gave me a full refund, like two years after i bought it (thank god for extended plan coverage)
    • godinster, on 08/08/2008, -0/+10You do know FS is owned by BestBuy... right?

      And that's also really odd, iPods and actually nothing else are covered under normal or their Product Service Plan for water damage.
      • spikes, on 08/08/2008, -2/+3FS wasn't always owned by BestBuy, and many of the things that kept FS what it is still remain, and still differentiate it from BestBuy. Granted the gap has been closing and I'm sure its only a matter of time before its identical policies. Oddly when paying for big items with cash, I have better luck beating prices down at FS than I ever did at BestBuy.
      • Jacare, on 08/08/2008, -2/+1i thought FS owned bestbuy...please correct me im wrong
      • spikes, on 08/08/2008, -1/+3FS used to be a Canadian owned and operated company before getting bought out by American owned BestBuy.
  • MAGZine, on 08/08/2008, -1/+13So they advise customers to 'void' their warranty, and they damage their customers cars, 'eh?
    • KungFuJ35u5, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Ciricuit City does as well. Welcome to retail by bulk (and consequentially customer service by the same method). Any retailer experiences issues that range from overhead with policies to bureaucratic monsters who write policy and know they will never have to take any confrontation from the customer for it. As far as they're concerned, they are in a triopoly of whatever overpriced product they have, and if that customer needs that product the same day, they are stuck buying from one of the three. Best Buy and Circuit City both have pretty good odds for making a profit by their catch-all end-all policies which serve the company, not the customer. This is why I'm patient for shipping and wait for e-tailers (anything from ebay to newegg have saved me thousands of dollars).
  • Shaman760, on 08/08/2008, -1/+26I am actually in the market for a new 32" LCD TV and because of this kind of *****, I won't even drive past a Best Buy.
    Thanks for reaffirming the horror stories for me.
    • AbelVoicu, on 08/08/2008, -0/+8This is off-topic but as a word of warning, don't go for the cheap brands like Vizio. They may be of great value, but after the 1 year warranty expires, you're screwed. My 32'' started having image retention problems a week after the warranty expired and now a year later, anything with bright colors will get stuck on the screen for at least 5 hours.
      • Shaman760, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Can anyone recommend a decent box with quality/price congruency? Thanks....
      • ICSU, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1shaman,
        Pioneer, Sony and Samsung.
        go for 100 Hz and full HD
      • RUFuKinCrazy, on 08/08/2008, -0/+6definitely Samsung, possibly Pioneer, but no way on any of Sony's overpriced crap.
      • itsallinaname, on 08/08/2008, -1/+0Sony doesn't make overpriced "crap". Alot of money goes into advertising, which would be part of the reason they are much higher than others, but that's besides the point. They make great tvs and that's all there is to say about that.
      • Gohan5052, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1I bought the vizio vx37l from craigs list about 6 months ago perfect condition for 500 and i love it.
    • B1663r, on 08/08/2008, -1/+4Just buy it from Amazon.
    • johnomaz, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1I agree with AbelVoicu. If the price just seems to good to be true, it probably is. you get what you pay for. Cough up a few extra bucks and get a decent brand. Also, check stuff like cnet.com and whatnot for reviews.
    • Kumaku, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2I don't know, my Visio is still pretty solid. And the Visio's they have set up in the walmart electronics area--where i work-- have been there since they've gotten them, and the display models are on 24/7 the only time they are turned off is when we clean them about 1-3 times a week.

      The thing about visio though, yeah, you do get what you pay for. But if they don't crap out within the 90-day money back guarantee from walmart, then you shouldn't have much trouble with them.
  • eyepatch100, on 08/08/2008, -3/+51Not to mention, Best Buy prices are significantly, inexplicably marked up.
    • MtheoryX, on 08/08/2008, -14/+5First, look up "inexplicably" in a dictionary, just to make sure you know what it means.

      Second, it is able to be explained...in fact, you just explained it. It's called "mark up" and its result is that a retail store makes a profit.

      That this particular retailer aims to make a very large profit is not odd at all. They set their price, and people buy the product. Not all people, mind you, but enough people do and that's why Best Buy is not closing stores, and is instead making lots of profit. Nothing strange going on here.

      Now, if you want to attack their business plan head on, fine. You can compare their business model to the other places (mostly internet based distributers) who have very small profit margins, and thus lead you to believe that Best Buy's markup is larger. But, that's not really the point here, is it?

      So, you either don't know what the world means, or you have no idea how retail works. Either way, Google would have been your friend here.
      • marktastic, on 08/08/2008, -0/+5Or he was exaggerating
      • eyepatch100, on 08/08/2008, -0/+3So what you're saying is, Best buy marks up prices in order to turn a profit? As in take in more money than they spend? Never thought of it that way...
      • Sidzilla, on 08/08/2008, -1/+2First, when on a rant about your intellectual superiority, using the word 'world' instead of 'word', i.e. 'you don't know what that world means' is too damn funny. Second, we understood that he meant inexplicably in the terms of Best Buy marking up things beyond a reasonable profit. Inexplicably can also infer that the stated reasons make no sense at all. Because they can is one of those reasons. Perhaps you should Google 'douchebag' before your next comment?
      • laserdog, on 08/08/2008, -0/+4Those were the most necessary 5 paragraphs, evar...

        You are like a pissy dictionary.
  • carl25, on 08/08/2008, -5/+1wow, that's terrible

    i bought a lcd tv from futureshop and i paid for the 5 year warranty, got half off because of employee discount. But this just seems overboard. Hope i or anyone else has to deal with this *****
  • toytoyota, on 08/08/2008, -4/+20In case you didn't know already, don't buy anything from Best Buy. I'm not saying that to sound retarded and "protest" a store and try and make a statement, no. This is good advice for your own well being. I've seen these guys refuse an 85 year old man trying to return his laser printer because he didn't have the right credit card with his receipt. They have by far the worst return policy in the business. On some things they have an 85 percent mark-up, and just to show you how much they rip off consumers their employees (at least the shop I know) gives around a 50 percent employee discount. So save yourself a headache and if you can, buy the same thing at Sears or Walmart (both excellent return policies).
    • Turbojugend27, on 08/08/2008, -6/+0yeah I think I'll go buy a digiview TV. They must be excellent. Oh Noes!!! Companies make money, NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
    • gl77, on 08/08/2008, -4/+5in response to the 85 year old man......you kind of need the same credit card you purchased with if you want to return something and do not want a store gift card.
    • aladrin, on 08/08/2008, -2/+14"I've seen these guys refuse an 85 year old man trying to return his laser printer because he didn't have the right credit card with his receipt."

      That's the same policy that -every- store has. If they didn't, you can't imagine the fraud some people will come up with for that scenario.
    • TheMajikMan, on 08/08/2008, -2/+6gl77 is right. It is illegal to give any sort of refund on a credit card purchase other than a credit to that card. If you do that, it is like giving a free cash advance, and the credit card companies don't like that.

      Also, I can speak from experience and say that their employee discount is not strictly 50%, but varies widely depending on what you are buying. Also their mark-up on some some stuff actually reaches in the 1000% range while other stuff is 0-5%.
      • haikuFU, on 08/08/2008, -0/+0Not true. I buy stuff on my Amex at Costco all the time, and if I return something, they always offer me cash.
    • toytoyota, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2I should've mentioned - they wouldn't give him store credit either. They sent him home with the box. I remember this because I felt bad watching an old guy carry a huge printer out the store.
      • LilRabbitFooFoo, on 08/11/2008, -1/+3Tell the forgetful geezer to go home and bring in his CORRECT credit card. Ahem.
    • bearcat8543, on 08/08/2008, -1/+1TheMajikMan is right about gl77 being right. you need the credit card.
      • SeaFour, on 08/08/2008, -0/+0bearcat8543 is right about TheMajikMan being right about gl77 being right. you need the card.
    • stubadub, on 08/08/2008, -0/+7FYI, the employee discount is 5% over cost. For things like PCs there is almost no discount. For accessories and the like it is often more than 50% off.
    • jbmcb, on 08/08/2008, -0/+5The markups are huge on accessories, and much less so on big ticket items.

      If you want to screw with best buy, buy something from them on deep discount. You can even pull that scam where you ask for the extended warranty to get the salesperson to knock some more off the price (extended warranties are pure profit) then decline it at checkout. And don't buy ANYTHING else. Get your cables and batteries online, from newegg or cyberguys or wherever. Best Buy will end up selling at a loss.
    • clsslc, on 08/08/2008, -1/+2How do you know he was 85? Is that just a guess to win readers' sympathy?
    • tomtheman5, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Re: gl77

      No, you don't need the original credit card with you. You never need the original credit card these days. Try to return something at the Gap --- they have all that info on their systems already. When you return something, they won't even take your credit card...they just refund it to the original credit card used.

      For a company that sells technology, Best Buy is really behind the times here.
    • clsslc, on 08/08/2008, -0/+185-year-old man? Was it John McCain?
  • dcollins, on 08/08/2008, -2/+5Everyone has heard the horror stories of best buy. If they still buy there and get screwed, I have little sympathy for them.
  • Cameljock, on 08/08/2008, -8/+8So basically, the article tells us not to buy an obscure Toshiba DLP that they wont reveal.
    • saisumimen, on 08/08/2008, -0/+3No, that's not the point.

      Due to the fact that other products may have similar problems like the Toshiba DLP (and you won't know which until you get it), the point is to let everyone know how Best Buy will try to handle your problem so that you can a.) don't shop there altogether or b.) if you have to shop there, be wary of what they tell you to do; they might trick you to into violating your own warranty.
    • exec721, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Actually, the shipping info from the bulb indicates that it's a Toshiba 52HM84. I don' t believe they are sellings these anymore though, for good reason.
  • tito13kfm, on 08/08/2008, -2/+19Bought the PSP (Performance Service Plan) on a laptop I purchased at best buy in 2001. Had it serviced 3 separate occasions. (Hard drive started clicking, fan stopped working, battery wouldn't take a charge). On the third repair the service tech noticed it was my third repair and immediately asked me if I wanted to do a buyback. Long story short, I got a new laptop, a ram upgrade for it, and all the data transfered to the new one for no additional cost. The warranty seemed ridiculously overpriced when I bought it, but it payed for itself many times over.

    Moral of the story. Always document repairs & take it to one of their authorized repair centers. I didn't have to wait 2 weeks for any of the repairs. The longest was the fan because they actually had to disassemble the laptop, 5 days.
    • aladrin, on 08/08/2008, -8/+4So you bought a lemon, and an overpriced warranty, and you are thanking them for it?? They should have replaced it on the third repair -anyhow-.
      • bitbytebit, on 08/08/2008, -0/+7umm they did

        On the third repair the service tech noticed it was my third repair and immediately asked me if I wanted to do a buyback.
    • catfish182, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2but they did replace it on the third repair and he did not have to ask for it.
      He put up with thier crap but he got a new laptop out of it.

      Or a refurb its hard to tell now a days.
    • TheSpook, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2Hmmm, they must have changed their lemon policy since 2001. I believe now you get the replacement AFTER the third repair (which means when you bring it in for the forth).
    • kgreen69er, on 08/08/2008, -0/+10I have a 52HM83, just like the gentleman in the article, and it works great. I had to replace my bulb once in 4 years. I bought it at Best Buy. One night, I went jogging and got home and 9pm. Tried to turn on my TV and all it did was click. I knew exactly what was wrong and called the PSP number. A serviceman was at my house at 11am the next morning, replaced my bulb, and was gone in 5 minutes! We all hear a ton of ***** talk about stores like this and very rarely get to hear the good stories, so I figured I'd share mine.
  • bweltondav, on 08/08/2008, -1/+64Alright so I work in Bestbuy's home theater department (seriously please don't kill me).

    I went into the job thinking I would be working for the enemy but I have found this largely to be not the case. While a lot of the corporate policy is ***** and geeksquad's computer division is pretty worthless (they're seriously the shadiest people working in our store), almost everyone working on the floor is genuinely not out to get you--regardless of what you may think. There's no commission on anything and we don't get anything special for selling monster cables or anyting like that.

    What I see going on here is a bunch of mixed up corporate dicks too lazy to work outside of the pre-written policy.

    Yeah, bestbuy is gonna cost more than newegg--what do you expect, when newegg doesn't have to keep a whole bunch of stores open and employees a tiny fraction of what bestbuy does. BB isn't meant for people like us; it's meant for grannies and rednecks who don't know anything about electronics and need someone to help them out.

    But yeah, this particular situation is pretty *****. All the same, I bet this exposure will get the customer some compensation.
    • brstilson, on 08/08/2008, -2/+9You may not get commission or anything "special" for selling monster cables, but your boss does. His bonuses are based on your performance. Also, Best Buy has a policy called "performance-based scheduling." If you don't sell, your hours are cut.
    • SilverWyrm, on 08/08/2008, -1/+5I've found that the Geek Squad really varies from store to store. I've seen stores where the agents are completely worthless, and just as many stores where they legitimately know their stuff and do their best to serve the customer as best they can.
      It's really hard to make a generalization about such a large group of employees.
    • n3demonic, on 08/08/2008, -1/+2Maybe yours doesn't but the one near Landmark Center in Boston is. I came in looking for a S-video to component RCA cable so I can hook up a laptop to a computer. The first guy I talked to was pretty nice and helpful but this other guy working their decided to harp on me for how ***** it would look if I didn't have a high definition tv. I had an idea where this was going so I threw my hands up in disgust and walked out. Never going back again.
      • j0hn, on 08/08/2008, -1/+3Well, it's true.. Why would you want to hook up a laptop at such a low resolution? I did this once, and I could barely read anything off of the TV. You sound like the typical paranoid shopper who thinks everyone is out there to get them.
      • Fmunkey, on 08/08/2008, -0/+3To watch videos....
      • laserdog, on 08/08/2008, -0/+3At the end of the day n3demonic just wanted to buy something, not get in an argument about it.

        Right or not, the quality of the employees at a Best Buy is so spotty that it's just not sane to take them at their word since you can't know if they're one of the competent ones or not.
      • n3demonic, on 08/09/2008, -0/+1j0hn, you're right. You can barely read anything but I've done it numerous times to watch videos and it suffices.
    • TheSpook, on 08/08/2008, -0/+12I worked at a Best Buy computer dept for a few months about 6 years ago. There were no commissions, but I got hassled pretty badly whenever I was unable to convince a customer to buy accessories or complimentary products. There were a few times where I was belittled for not doing so - I remember one time where a customer simply refused any sort of upselling. One of the senior queers came over and asked me if I sold anything with that machine. I told him that the customer only wanted the machine. He said something like, "Geez, you didn't even sell him a surge protector. Those things sell themselves!" Whatever.

      My experience at Best Buy was pretty much like Peter Gibbons on Office Space:

      "I have eight different bosses right now... Eight, Bob. So that means that when I make a mistake, I have eight different people coming by to tell me about it. That's my only real motivation is not to be hassled; that, and the fear of losing my job. But you know, Bob, that will only make someone work just hard enough not to get fired."

      The discount was pretty sweet, but you end up spending your whole paycheck on it anyway. And the place was filled with ambitious ladder-climbers that would stab you in the back in a moment.
      • bweltondav, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2I think this is a situation where it varies from store to store. Our general manager is a very cool and reasonable guy who will of course encourage upselling (he wouldn't have the job otherwise) but appears to be far more concerned that the customers are getting taken care of and not bled out. This trickles down to the supervisor level--yeah I occasionally get hassled about not selling enough installs but it's nothing on the level of Office Space douchebaggery. When the guy who's doing the hiring is reasonable, he will hire like-minded people.

    • 808ethan, on 08/09/2008, -0/+1I live in Hawaii where Newegg charges me $35 to ship a $10 usb cable. What suggestions do you have for me? I'm a geek, not some ignorant redneck but I really feel trapped with no choice but to go to Best Buy.
      • TheSpook, on 08/11/2008, -0/+1You live in Hawaii. It gets to 10 degrees below zero or worse here in the winter, and we have no ocean.
  • shivaaa, on 08/08/2008, -1/+10amazon has the best price, no tax, free shipping.

    Best Buy didn't honor the service plan they sold me for a vacuum cleaner when the motor died. they didn't honor the service plan I had for a 300 CD disk changer. why buy a service plan?
    • chanop, on 08/08/2008, -1/+1NY sales tax applies to ALL online orders
    • welliwonder, on 08/08/2008, -1/+2300 cd changer?!?! :x
      • MtheoryX, on 08/08/2008, -0/+3Yes, or, as we affectionally refer to it nowadays: the pre-"external hard drive with digital files" era.
    • britblogger, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2I buy pretty much all of my electronic and camera equipment through Amazon, and I have to say that they have the best returns policy of any merchant I've ever used. and most items come with free delivery, but your tax free comment is inaccurate.
      • crashingechelon, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1His tax free comment isn't inaccurate, just understated. Like the Exclusive U2 box set I'm going to order, it's tax free and comes with free shipping. Amazon doesn't charge sales tax on a majority of the products.
    • crashingechelon, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1I never buy a service plan unless I really see it fit to. I'd rather just deal with the company directly. Like when my 360 red ringed just 1 quick phone call to Microsoft and about 2 weeks later I had my new system. Sure I had to wait, but I didn't have to put up with any crap like this.
      • slartybardfast, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1"I never buy a service plan unless I really see it fit to. "

        I never buy anything unless I really see it fit to.
    • MtheoryX, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1To be fair, you're comparing two completely different business models.

      Amazon also doesn't have a physical location, much less thousands of them, to go in and look at an actual product before you purchase it.

      It also doesn't have actual retail workers there who can help you out. (Not that any given Best Buy has very many actual knowledgeable works, but there are usually a few)

      I'm not saying I like Best Buy, but let's at least be reasonable here.
    • TheSpook, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1I've had decent luck with the service plans, but it may vary by location. I've gotten a new vacuum, two laptops, and a new mainboard for a different laptop that went bad. I have a list of complaints about Best Buy, but the service plans are not one of them (except when they are pushy with them - if I want one, I'll buy it. If I don't, I won't.)
  • tomdabomb, on 08/08/2008, -19/+1BEAT the internationalists at their own game.......become debt free and learn the secrets of the rich from the very best!

    becomericher.info
  • brainscab, on 08/08/2008, -3/+7Turn off the fun
  • welliwonder, on 08/08/2008, -1/+8best buy sucks
  • khail250, on 08/08/2008, -9/+4to the "best buy sucks" comments, and RIAA sucks, and all the other hate, why not say something like, try pricewatch, or plant a tree. why is there so much hate :( besides its Friday, smoke a J and relax
  • Mothh, on 08/08/2008, -3/+18While I feel bad for the guy, it's partially his fault. The Best Buy warranty (I have one and it saved me over $1000) clearly states in plain english exactly what to do and what not to do if a product fails. Even if a technichian told me otherwise, I would doublecheck with someone at the store first.

    I don't agree with The Consumerist suggesting to never purchase an extended warranty. For some electronics it doesn't make sense but for TV's that cost over $500, I would never leave the store without one.
    • aladrin, on 08/08/2008, -2/+5It's his fault the store told him wrong? "Best Buy provided a telephone number" ... That -is- checking with someone at the store. You shouldn't have to go around asking multiple people if you're being lied to. (And if you do that, they'll think you're a dick. Trust me.)
      • sysop073, on 08/08/2008, -0/+5You're quoting the summary, the first-hand account says the technician provided him with the telephone number
      • dpcamp, on 08/08/2008, -0/+4Best Buy didn't provide him the number, the idiot tech did. The tech shouldn't have done that, but at the same time the guy should have used common sense and questioned whether or not him working on the TV would void the warranty.

        It sucks that he can't take his TV back but i mean if you brought your car to the dealership, and the tech tells you that you can buy some part that keeps busting on your car and fixing it yourself.
      • MtheoryX, on 08/08/2008, -0/+3Hypothetical:

        You are signing a contract with a client to provide exactly x services for y money. You both have lawyers present explaining the terms and conditions of the contract in plain English.

        Two weeks later, client says he wants you to do x + 2 services for y + 2 money. No contract adjustment; the client just verbally asks for more and says they'll be paying you more money.

        A week after x + 2 services are rendered by you, client only pays you y money.

        Tough *****, you signed the contract, and it's your fault that you aren't getting y + 2 money. It's not the client's fault; your verbal agreement wasn't in the contract.

        That said, there's no question this guy's situation is *****. But let's be at least fair and honest and acknowledge that the guy clearly broke his contractual agreement (or, rather, that Best Buy did NOT break theirs).
      • akruble, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1theory, you DO have recourse if you both come up with a new oral contract.

        "An oral contract is just as valid as a written agreement." (http://dictionary.law.com/definition.asp?selected= ...
    • HerbSolo, on 08/08/2008, -1/+3"I don't agree with The Consumerist suggesting to never purchase an extended warranty."

      RTFA! - It said: "we remind you not to purchase "extended warranties" or "protection plans" from retailers. Get a credit card with extended warranty protection instead!"
      • AmazingSteve, on 08/08/2008, -1/+0The only people that buy into the extended warranty are the kind that I like to play Poker with. Not too bright, and easy to part from their money.
      • Kas70, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Not everyone has a credit card or has the credit to get a decent one; and some choose to not purchase that way. Some people save their money and purchase when they have enough, the old fashioned way. A store warranty may be the only option for these people.
      • Mothh, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2IRTFA! Not all credit cards offer extended warranty protection. And even if they do, I'm willing to bet it's not as easy to use as a store bought warranty. Either way I disagree with the blanket statement that store bought warranties are not worth buying.
      • Achaean, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1most credit cards only extend the manufacturer's warranty. the guy, umar, from the article was replacing bulbs in a dlp tv. The bulbs are considered "consumable" by the manufacturer and not covered under their warranty, therefore the credit card's extension of said warranty would not have done umar any good.

        As stated by Mothh in the posts above, there are many electronics where purchasing an extended warranty is just plain retarded, but on many high priced electronics (i.e. tvs, computers, etc) extended warranties might actually do some good. The point i'm trying to make is KNOW the product you're trying to purchase, know its faults. KNOW the warranties from manufacturers and retailers you might be purchasing from. Knowing these two things, you should be set to make a smart purchase. I find that most people who bitch and complain about electronics and whatever warranty they did or did not purchase, only bitch because they didnt really know what they were really buying.
      • HerbSolo, on 08/09/2008, -0/+1@Achaean
        He didn't want the bulbs to be replaced under warranty, but the TV, that was consuming bulbs like mad. - He has spent 2/3ds the price of the TV for Bulbs in 3 years, so the store-bought warranty didn't do him any good either.
        And it wasn't the point of the Article, they are refusing to replace his (obviously broken) TV, because he replaced the bulbs himself. I might sound like a broken record, but it's all in the article, try reading it.
  • WoollyMittens, on 08/08/2008, -2/+4If lying is more profitable than the telling the truth and the corporation knows it can get away with it, they will always screw you.
  • scabbers, on 08/08/2008, -1/+6Stay away from the bulb, Carol-Anne.
    • MtheoryX, on 08/08/2008, -2/+1* the light

      Fixed
      • Sidzilla, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1SWOOSH.

        the sound of scabbers' joke going over MtheoryX's head. (It's called paraphrasing, and is sometimes used for humorous purposes. Google is YOUR friend, too!)
      • Lyk4n, on 08/08/2008, -1/+1Your anus could crush a tin can..
  • Turbojugend27, on 08/08/2008, -1/+5you all seem to think it is a big corporate thing. I lived in a small town with maybe 60,000 people last year, it had a Futureshop and 2 small electonic stores. One of the small stores's policies was we are not a rental shop, once it leaves our store call the manufacture for any problems.
  • sisko2k5, on 08/08/2008, -2/+1typical
  • sindex, on 08/08/2008, -2/+9I've shopped at best buy for nearly a decade in Columbia, SC and never once has anything remotely close to this happened to me. I purchased a TV which I decided a week later I didn't like and they swapped it out with no hassle. I bought a hard drive on sale 2 weeks ago which didn't work and they they kindly gave me cash back, no questions asked. I've never had anyone hassle me, push me into a purchase, or even suggest for a moment that Monster Cables are in any way "better" than any other cables. Maybe it's because I'm not an idiot, or maybe my store just randomly happens to be staffed with people who aren't idiots, but I've *never* seen or heard of anything like this crap I read monthly from other people. Seems like less of a massive corporate conspiracy and more like a "your best buy sucks balls."

    Of course the Geek Squad is still pretty useless.
    • aladrin, on 08/08/2008, -0/+4Your store "just randomly happens to be staffed with people who aren't idiots". Of the several Best Buys I've been to, only 1 has provided anything close to customer service at all. That store is actually a very, very good store... But the other ones are such rotting cesspits that I still hate Best Buy as a whole.

      For instance: I went through a period where I bought a new, better TV every 6 months... 3 TVs that way. The first 2, I went to Best Buy and looked around and couldn't get any help, so I left and bought at Circuit City. The third, I went to Best Buy and the guy working in that section actually told me to get out of his way. I've not shopped there since.
  • VSKBadCRC, on 08/08/2008, -3/+11I'm going to say this, and probably get dugg down for it, but I think a little clarification is in order...

    Best Buy's service plans cover repairs, and in some cases replacement of consumable parts, like the bulbs in the TVs. Some products don't even cover the replacement of consumable parts - ie, iPod headphones aren't covered by the service plan - that doesn't mean you can't contact Apple who'd probably gladly replace the faulty part at no cost to you, it happens.

    However, the replacement of a television bulb does not count as a repair because it's simply replacing a consumable part, which isn't a repair in the eyes of their service plans. It's a part that will fail through use of the television. Expecting this to be replaced as part of your warranty is not unlike buying a vehicle and expecting them to warrant your oil and spark plugs - these aren't repairs, they are simply maintenance. It just doesn't work that way.

    As far as how to approach this, he really has two options. He either needs to contact Best Buy corporate, and work his way up the chain of command and explain his situation, in full. Best Buy corporate doesn't usually have the last say in store operations - so he's largely at the mercy of the management staff, but a single call from corporate to mediate the situation between the customer and the management staff can go a long way.

    As a possible alternative, he could simply bring the television to the store, and explain the situation in detail to management. I know these situations can be frustrating, but it's important beyond belief to keep your cool. Yelling, making threats, etc. will not work in your favor, it'll only make you seem irrational, and will most likely cause further problems.

    Once the situation is explained, explain to the management staff that this television needs to be serviced, at the service center. Request that they send it out and test as much of this machine as they can, look for any problems that could be causing this. Tell the manager that this has been on on-going issue, and that you will not accept a NO FAULT FOUND ruling on the situation, as this is an intermittent, but easily duplicated problem.

    Secondly, request that a member of the store's management personally give you ongoing updates on the situation on the television, and request that an Escalation Form be submitted regarding this television, explaining the situation in further detail (The service notes are limited, an Escalation Form is a way of submitting much greater detail, and also brings it to the attention of the service center management) and ask that you get regular updates from the store manager on the situation as it develops.

    However, don't stop at this point. Contact the manufacturer, and explain your situation with them, and see if there is a fault with the television - specifically if this unit was recalled for this problem, or if any internal parts were recalled, and report your findings to the store manager and ask that any relevant information be forwarded via an Escalation Form to the service center for review.

    Just remember, Best Buy uses their own service centers for big-box items (Televisions, fridges, etc) - they're not tied into the manufacturer's repair facilities. So don't contact one or the other to find out what the other one knows or doesn't know, they simply don't cross communicate.

    Remember that on situations like these that a quick fix or quick diagnosis is simply not an option - because you'll find yourself stuck in a situation were repairs are constantly needed because a proper thorough diagnosis was not able to be performed. You do have to keep your cool though, swearing, yelling, becoming irate, making unreasonable requests of the service center or management will only work against you. However, be firm, remember that there is a reason this is happening, and that given enough time it will be resolved, one way or another.
    • TheVirus, on 08/08/2008, -3/+2Not even spreeder will help me read all of that.
      • bitbytebit, on 08/08/2008, -1/+3if you are serious - what has happened to the kids today?

        why do long posts elicit things like tl'dr, or my eyes!, or things like that.

        seriously what the F
    • smoger, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1i mostly agree, but i think his problem is even more transparent than the fact that the bulbs are consumable - he just never reported the replacements as they blew out. if he went through 6 in 2.5yrs.. he should have no problem going through 2 more -and reporting them - in the next year and a half. Assuming he reports the next 2 blown out bulbs, he will have met the 3 service calls requirement
    • HerbSolo, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2If you read the article (and it's shorter than your comment, so I'm not asking that much), you'll notice, he didn't want BestBuy to buy him new Bulbs. He paid for them, all 7 of them. With 275 Bucks each this makes 1925 Dollars he spent for Bulbs in the last 3 years. (The TV incl. service-plan cost him 3300$)
      You brought up a sparkplug analogy, which is rather silly because a) he didn't want the bulbs to be replaced for free and b) a sparkplug doesn't cost 275$. Anyway, along the lines of your analogy: You buy a car, and for some reason after 3 years you spent 2 thirds of the car's price on sparkplugs. Now you want your car to be replaced or repaired, because this seems to be an abnormal sparkplug-wastage. Now guess what: You're turned down, because you changed the plugs yourself.
    • senator32, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2Well put!
    • abajaj2280, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2You seem like you have a lot of experience in this...
  • potisreallygood, on 08/08/2008, -5/+2Should of got the LED from Samsung. Plus, 90% of the items sold at best buy come with a 1-2 year manufacturers warranty.
  • Sakk, on 08/08/2008, -6/+3So this is like having a cable guy come out, offer to hook you up with "free" cable, you take it, then blame the cable company when you get busted? I think most semi-intelligent people would understand that whatever a technician tells you is not always the company policy. As far as going without TV for 1-2 weeks, which apparently is somehow against the morals of the complainer, hello... McFly... suck it up and follow the guidelines that are clearly laid out for you and you won't have any issues. Or i guess you can do whatever you want to do and then make a bunch of posts all over the intertubes and hope people take sympathy with you. Have at it, it's your life.
    • aladrin, on 08/08/2008, -0/+3Like it or not, the people that work at Best Buy represent that company. While they are on the clock, anything they say is exactly like the company said it. There is no difference.
    • Sakk, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1I can't speak for this instance, but typically vendors like this contract out service to third parties. They are not Best Buy employees, nor do they represent themselves as Best Buy employees, unless they have some type of branded service department. Typically it will be Uncle Bill's TV Repair service that comes out to your house and fixes whatever and gets paid by BB. If it is my case, I stand by my comments, in the case you describe, a branded employee, actual employee or not, I would have to agree with you.
    • catfish182, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1if a person is out on any type of a call that person is a representative of the company he/she works for. When i worked for Ameritech what ever i said to the client was law and customers would call and say "your tech said this".
  • Fhwqhgads, on 08/08/2008, -8/+3Keep shopping at Best Buy. Highschool losers depend on the paycheques your money pays for.
    • welliwonder, on 08/08/2008, -2/+2checks* ;-)
    • smoger, on 08/08/2008, -0/+12thats good advice actually.

      when i can do my own research, id *rather* buy from a store that's staffed with low cost labor. I could go to a place like Tweeter and they'd know *as much* as me about what I'm buying, and for that useless difference I'd be paying MUCH more for what I bought.

      plus, any high school kid who actually gets off their ass and works is not a loser.
    • dpcamp, on 08/08/2008, -0/+3come on fhwqgads, i see you over there tryin to play like.. U NO ME
    • TheSpook, on 08/08/2008, -0/+5Yeah, there's nothing admirable about getting a job while in high school.

      Work ethic be damned!
  • jeremyduffy, on 08/08/2008, -1/+2If you live in a state with "single party" recording rules (where it's legal to secretly record any phone conversation that you're a participant in), then call their service again, pretend to be a new customer and see if you can get them to repeat the same bad advice. I won a lawsuit with this method once.
    • welliwonder, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1I believe that would be Nevada.
    • ggypsy, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2Actually, if Best Buy's phone system is like most phone systems, you don't need to be in a single party state. You know how most corporate phone systems say, "for quality and training purposes, this call may be recorded"? That notice goes both ways.
      • jeremyduffy, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1I've heard otherwise. Can you post a link to something like a law or opinion by a trusted source like the EFF? I would love it if that were true.
      • SamuelHenderson, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1That may be true, but not every call to Best Buy *is* recorded so I'm guessing that if push came to shove and Best Buy was asked to provide proof they would simply claim that the particular conversation in question was never recorded.
  • Obamaisourhope, on 08/08/2008, -5/+1Best Buy is great..
  • rtphokie, on 08/08/2008, -1/+5Best Buy has 1 record of 1 service call for an item they dont consider worthy of honoring the extended warranty. Then this guy buys a bunch of bulbs, presumably out of his own pocket, and wants it replaced? What did he expect Best Buy to say.

    His only option is small claims court as the article suggests.
  • ravensncrows, on 08/08/2008, -4/+2those assholes sold me a $20 warranty for a pair of headphones (and i bought it because i go through headphones and mp3s like tacos) and when they broke a week later, i took it back and they wouldnt replace it, because apparently the warranty doesn't cover it because it a useless piece of paper, when i read it the ***** this was identical to the manufacturers warranty
    ***** douchebags left me feeling like a tool for the rest of the week
    • smoger, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2seriously... unless you were buying $500+ Bose headphones(i'm assuming not, if they broke in a week), how could you be dumb enough to buy a service plan on such a low priced item?

      Last time someone in a store even insinuated a plan on a low priced item I laughed in his face.

  • justcool007, on 08/08/2008, -1/+2DLP TV's are great except for thier draw back for having to replace the lamp units.
    I have a old Toshiba 62 in DLP TV and i have only changed the bulb once in 3.5 - 4 years
    I believe either this person used the TV all the time, let it on. or there actually was a problem with the TV.
    You can not fully tell with this article it doesnt say much or anything that i recall about his usage.
    My lamp Units are $215 shipped and i always have one on hand.
    Good TV's in the fact that they never wear out. Bad in that you gotta replace the lamp...
    Oh and i buy big stuff from HHGREG. You can haggle them down in price and they have excelent warranties.
    Everything else i buy online usually.
    • ChildeRoland420, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Do you think maybe he's handling the bulbs with his bare hands when he installs them? This could surely reduce the life.
    • pe5t1lence, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2It sounded to me like he was turning off his power strip before the bulb had a chance to cool down.
    • onlyclave, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2You can't handle the bulb in a DLP projector accidentally when it is encased in an installation assembly. It's a cassette that slides right into the chassis so you really have to try hard to get your fingers onto the bulb element.

      Turning off the fan before the bulb cools is another myth of DLP projectors.

      What is most likely happening is this guy needs some kind of power conditioning. I'll bet $100 that is you measure the power on the outlet he's using he will show a voltage potential on the neutral line which should be zero. When bulbs fail that often in that period of time, that is the problem.

      Bulb replacements typically don't go towards a 'lemon policy' on extended warranties. In some cases bulbs aren't even covered outside of the 90 day original manufacturers warranty.
  • smoger, on 08/08/2008, -0/+9i think the problem here is clear - he just never reported the issues he was having. did he expect this parts warehouse to be chronicling the frequency with which he bought bulbs? all he needs to do is follow best buy's ACTUAL instructions and report the next 2 bulb failures when they occur(which after going through 6 in 2.5 yrs is all but guaranteed) and he'll have his 3 service calls in.

    Why did he wait until #6 anyway? Always take the Consumerist with a grain of salt..
    • bitbytebit, on 08/08/2008, -0/+7exactly .. about 95% of customer complaints of this type are caused by the customer.

      Of course its also a known fact that 76% of statistics quoted on the inet are made up.
  • honesttussey, on 08/08/2008, -4/+1BREAKING: Best Buy customer services sucks ass!! They will screw you out of money!

    i.e. don't be surprised when they screw you over. Alternative: stop shopping there.
    • veriix, on 08/08/2008, -0/+4How the ***** is that an alternative? Do you even know what alternative means?
  • duniyadnd, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Woah, I'll have to disagree with the extended warranty bit, I actually replaced my 360 once it got fried over a year later. And this was with Best Buy.
  • coldplasma, on 08/08/2008, -1/+2So, instead of going out and spending $400 on a TV that doesn't need repairing every 2 weeks, he perpetuates the problem by buying a further 7 bulbs that cost $275+?

    Best buy are pretty sleazy, but this guy isn't exactly a bright one either.
    • veriix, on 08/08/2008, -0/+3Everyone who read and understood the article step forward....not so fast coldplasma.
  • RegalBegal, on 08/08/2008, -0/+10Another "why me" post over at the consumerist. Yawn.

    What he should have done is gotten the whole ***** thing replaced the first time. At least document when he had to replace the bulb.

    It's like the more money a consumerist user spends, the more helpless they are when it comes to common sense *****.
  • Residents, on 08/08/2008, -1/+3I used to work for best buy. They brain wash you into thinking that THEY are taking care of business correctly. That technician would have told the man to call the 800 number to get quicker service because he would have been told by his superiors that every call would be documented and it would apply to the service plan as it normally would if he made a service call to the store. The employee would have been deceived into thinking that the customer was well taken care of. Then the corporate crap starts with the customer. Screw Best Buy, they "eliminated" my position in the company saying they were "Cutting full time positions" 10 days before I was due for a raise. Hmmmm I wonder why they picked my position?
  • mogebier, on 08/08/2008, -1/+5I have never had a major problem with Best Buy that has not been fixed to my satisfaction. I got my first computer waaaay back and it broke 3 times and they replaced it without a problem.
    I shop there all the time.
    You can get any store to do what you want if you are assertive and calm. I am 100% sure that all you people that have had a problem with BB they wouldn't fix is because you took in the product and freaked out. Like this guy, he says they wouldn't give him a refund. Proof?? How did he approach them?? Did he GO to a store, or just use the phone?? You aren't going to get a refund over the phone.
    This guy was a moron. After the 1st bulb, he should have called them again for the 2nd time, then again when the 3rd one, then they would have HAD to honor their warranty and replace the TV. Don't EVER believe what a tech tells you. LOOK AT THE PRINTED WARRANTY. The guy was just being lazy and didn't want to live without his precious "reality" shows.
    It's like your car warranty. When it says you have to change the oil EVERY 3000 miles, you can believe that if you change one at 4000 and something goes wrong that has to do with the oil, you are screwed.

    • Sharky35, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1You are joking about the oil thing. right?
  • stubadub, on 08/08/2008, -1/+1Best Buy's return policy is ridiculously strict. I remember going in the day the new Fionna Apple cd came out. My wife bought the regular version, not realizing there was the dualdisc version with more music for only a couple of dollars extra. I took in the cd, still in the plastic wrap, with the best buy sticker on the front of the case. You'd think considering that they'd let me pay the extra to exchange it for the more expensive version, but instead they treated me like I was some sort of scam artist. I got a stern lecture from the manager that had to come over to approve the exchange

    Months later I bought a dvd for $20 before realizing it also came in a set of four different discs for $60. I went back in with my receipt the same day to buy the more expensive version only to discover I had been flagged as someone who could not make returns any longer. It took even longer to get the manager's approval.
    • mpl11388, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Best Buy has a policy not to return products without the origional reciept. Check it out. The only way they will flag you is if you return things without your reciept more than 3 times. Consider yourself lucky that they've done this for you so many times.
    • execute, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2So, are you still seeding those DVD rips?
  • SilverWyrm, on 08/08/2008, -2/+2I'd like to point out that the actual number of people getting "screwed over" is extremely low in comparison to the number of people who shop there on a daily basis, and more-often than not it's something the customer did and little to no fault of the store.
    I personally have only ever had one problem, and it was resolved. I had bought a laptop, it died a couple of days later. Took it in and the only thing they had in stock was a different brand. I specifically asked if there would be a restocking fee should I deem that I didn't like it, I was told no. I got it home and lo and behold it was a piece of ***** (damn you Gateway). So I took it back and they wanted to charge me the restocking fee.
    I paid it but called their corporate offices. I got a refund check in the mail shortly thereafter.
  • dejanigma, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2man its just like that time i bought that box of bricks that was supposed to be a hard drive...
  • hdrkid, on 08/08/2008, -4/+2Dont from worst buy. You get a product it is defective - as usual. Next day you return it and the sales clerk say "I'm extremely sorry, but we don't allow returns on this item." I want my money back! "WELL, im so sorry, but you see we have t-too m-many returns, so we don't allow returns......"

    GET ME THE MANAGER!!!

    A tall balding man appears. "OK, there's a 15% restocking fee and -"
    NO! I bought this piece of junk yesterday and I want my money NOW!
    "I'm sorry sir, but we are not even supposed to take this item back, I am doing this as a favor to you..."

    Don't do me any favors, just give me my money back and here take your POS product back!" It is junk like the rest of this $%#@^ store!!!"

    The line was getting long and I walked out with my money. Learn your lesson. Worst buy is a terrible place.

    In contrast this year I returned a digital camera and a laptop to Office Depot with no trouble at all. Both of these products were fine. The camera took a strange battery and the laptop was too heavy.
    • justbloggin, on 08/08/2008, -0/+3How much ***** are you returning? No wonder stores are getting tough.
  • britblogger, on 08/08/2008, -1/+1whilst I feel really bad for the guy, I can't help but question why after dropping over three grand on a faulty television, he wouldn't just go back to the store and ask for a refund or an exhange - dead bulbs or not, the tv was blatantly not performing to its expected specifications - I would have returned the product immediately.

    any store's policy is not really worth that much in a court of law either - a store's policy is just that, *their* policy, and does not supercede consumer law:

    "Under the Sale and Supply of Goods to Consumers Regulations 2002, any fault that arises during the first 6 months will be presumed to have existed at the time of delivery. It is therefore up to the retailer to prove otherwise."

    there are many articles online that suggest that the consumer is protected in many cases, and that store policy really a guideline, nothing more.

    he was well within his rights to just return the faulty tv and demand a refund or an exchange.

    shame.
  • saulmora, on 08/08/2008, -1/+2I sounds like the repair guy was being pretty considerate of the guy and his situation. I mean, we all hate to have a busted TV sitting in the house for 2 weeks waiting for a repair guy to come and do a simple light bulb change. So, while we can't fault the repair guy for being considerate, in the end, it seems that is what ultimately caused the whole situation. However, since the dude had to call an 800 number to change the bulb, I don't see how THAT isn't notifying Best Buy of a defective product...
    • jfpersona1, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1I thought I was behind the curve on number of TVs and our family has three.

      I guess I was wrong and EVERYONE just has one TV and when it goes out they have to just sit there and watch the wall.
  • fredrockbluff, on 08/08/2008, -1/+1this sounds like a legitimate lawsuit to me.
  • crashingechelon, on 08/08/2008, -2/+1Me and a friend of mine always have to wonder about these things. We've been shopping at all the best buys around town for years and have never run into any issue with doing a return or making a purchase. We just have to wonder if the Best Buy's that are always featured on digg have such a horrible management system or employees that work there that give the store their bad name! Recently in February I was able to buy the Rock Band bundle for $107 for the Xbox 360 at Best Buy. Thanks to their willingness to match prices with competitors and reward zone discounts. They let me price match and use further discounts to knock $65 off of the price. Also they have let me return a product after the 30-day return period with no problems.

    I do not see them as the end all store to do shopping at, cause I have noticed that they over price on their products, namely video game accessories. Just about every single on in the store they charge $3-6 more than anyone one else.
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