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The Ulitimate Best Buy Extended Warranty Nightmare w/Pics & Video

redflagdeals.com — It's the real life encounters of PSP (Product Service Plan) at Best Buy. Only this time, this customer is not your average bear.

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  • Sphonix, on 10/12/2007, -2/+32Wow. Typical retail idiocy and poor quality technology. This guy's really getting screwed over by these people, nearly a month and still not corrected.
    • lordkenthegreat, on 10/12/2007, -7/+27How incompetent, you do not transport a TV with the screen facing down. Those Best Buy employees should go smack themselves.
    • MrBlackthorne, on 10/12/2007, -3/+14This is typical of Best Buy. My folks had almost this exact problem with a Samsung DLP. Their light engine blew. Took a couple months to get it squared away. During that time, the contracted repair guy (who was VERY unprofessional) insisted that he HAD to take the TV. He had it for weeks, never making any progress on the repair, making excuses left and right. They never saw that TV again.

      It took screaming and yelling at their local Best Buy store (and many visits) to get a refund. Yes, they actually got a monetary refund for a new TV (which they did not buy at Best Buy), but it took persistence and two months of patience. The only reason Best Buy gave them a refund rather than a new TV is that they no longer had a DLP in the store that would fit their entertainment center, but the newest Samsung 46" version (which they were not yet carrying) would.
    • Hickeroar, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11lord-

      It wasn't the best buy guys. Best buy outsourced the repair to a 3rd party who screwed up the TV. Now neither company will take responsibility.
    • nogami, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8Sounds like the guy should just take it to get it serviced at some place that he chooses, then take Best Buy to small claims court to force them to pay for it. If Best Buy doesn't like the way the service company works, they need to find a new one...

      He's certainly got enough documentation to prove they're acting in bad faith on the service contract.
    • Technopundit, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1Any manufacturer who invested in the technology needed to make these things truly reliable would be eaten alive by the competition.
    • claar, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Actually, it will be corrected it seems -- probably mostly thanks to this digg article. esoxlee just posted an hour ago that Best Buy has offered him any replacement of equal or lesser value, which is what he was asking for.

      http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4543970&postcount=267
    • LiquidPenguin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1@MrBlackthorne

      "He had it for weeks, never making any progress on the repair, making excuses left and right. They never saw that TV again."

      It was probably repaired and sold, not by BB, but by the repair guy himself.

      Not TV related, but same idea. A local repair shop here deals specifically in rebuilding and repairing old gaming tables, such as pool tables. The repair shop would pick up your pool table, then drop it off once repairs were completed. But many people using his "service" were finding that they were not getting their gaming table back for months, in one case, a year.

      Turns out, he was selling these pool tables in the local newspaper once he repaired them. The "delay" in repairs was a result of him ordering new, cheaper, tables from the manufacturer to replace the ones he sold. Essentially people would send in their pool tables for repair, they would be sold, then replaced with new shoddy ones from a manufacturer.
  • RonaldLewis, on 10/12/2007, -36/+326 diggs and front page. Cool.
    • Tuplex, on 10/12/2007, -1/+22Hey do you really think it's just the number of diggs that determines which articles make it to the front page? Could it be, that in addition to the number of diggs an article gets the time frame that the article gets those diggs has an effect? Maybe 26 diggs in 4 minutes is sufficient to push an article to the top, but 26 diggs over 4 days is not.
    • umrgregg, on 10/12/2007, -11/+2Actually, I dugg this article yesterday afternoon, so it's been cooking for a while.
  • ShuttleDisaster, on 10/12/2007, -2/+67"Thank you for your patients"

    wow
    • SpacemanSpiff, on 10/12/2007, -1/+31I don't know that's worse than this line from the end of his letter: "Unfortunately, 20/20 vision is hindsight."

      I believe the phrase he was going for is: Hindsight is 20/20.
    • ThePeteStanis, on 10/12/2007, -0/+16"Thank you for your patients," is a prediction for when this guy goes off the deep end at the BB store.
    • mateo60, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10"thank you for your patients."

      Is Best Buy now based in Nigeria? If so, it's ALL starting to make sense.
    • panique, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1"Unfortunately, having our heads up our asses is hindsight"
  • KeirGordon, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12I hope this gets enough diggs that some Best Buy exec's see it.
    • diggsIt, on 10/12/2007, -10/+10Like they don't know they're screwing people over. The day Best Buy goes under, can't come soon enough. They're what's wrong with Retail in America. They 'piss down your back and tell you that it's raining' (Josie Wales quote).
    • AdamFitz, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6So they can ignore it?
    • Chompy, on 10/12/2007, -9/+53"They're what's wrong with Retail in America."

      Yeah, damned American retail cong.. oh wait this happened in CANADA.
    • diggsIt, on 10/12/2007, -9/+3Yeah, the US Best Buy would never do this. READ THE STORY. The US Best Buy was involved. I wonder where in Canada, BB World Headquarters are?
    • CingleMolt, on 10/12/2007, -6/+13Hmmm... what continet is Canada on again?
    • mateo60, on 10/12/2007, -4/+15Someone tell Chompy that Canada is in North America.
    • kimos, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7I think it's worth noting that Best Buy is a big American company that muscled its way into Canada and purchased our largest country wide electronics chain, Future Shop.

      The options up here are pretty limited. We have Best Buy/Future Shop and a bunch of little guys, and all those smaller stores are disappearing pretty quickly. They just can't keep up. Even A&B Sound, which was their biggest competitor in my city for a long time, shut down all of their stores and has only remained in two provinces.

      I wish I could avoid Best Buy, but sometimes that's really hard...
  • linuxwarz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+18I had something like this happen to me with a laptop. I was promised a replacement unit if I could replicate the issue on the laptop, even when I had logs of the hardware failing. When I reproduced the issue, the BB GM turned around and refused to give me a replacement unit.
    • mateo60, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6I had the same thing happen. What I ended up doing was yelling loud enough and we made a deal. They give me a new laptop if I promise never to come back.
    • misterjangles, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1why do the store managers care that much? do they get penalized for accepting returns? obviously they must because otherwise why would any manager want to cause so much frustration for themselves- i'm sure it doesn't make their day any more pleasant. it reminds me of the similar incident that spiraled out of control for AOL when users tried to cancel on the phone - it turned out the phone reps got personally penalized for cancellations which is why they tried so aggressively to keep you.

      i suppose if the manager has absolutely no personal responsibility, they might accept any returns too liberally. but, it seems best buy needs to loosen the noose around the managers necks. hopefully the corporate office is paying attention.

    • shertzerj, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4misterjangles:

      When I worked at Circuit City, my managers would get a bonus based on how much % profit they were over 100%, compared to last year. A couple large returns at the end of the month could knock them from 105% to, say, 98%, and that would bump them to a lower bonus bracket or keep them from getting one at all.
  • mrbad101, on 10/12/2007, -69/+5Is this becoming the new norm, utilizing Digg's huge audience to give companies enough bad PR to replace 'xxxxxx' item?

    We all feel your pain with having this happen, I'm sure we can all relate, but let's not let Digg become overrun with this type of content, or very soon there won't be a Digg to cry to.
    • lnf69, on 10/12/2007, -1/+78I completely disagree with you. Maybe we can continue using digg as a way of protecting consumers and putting pressure on any commercial businesses that are scamming the public. Much like Best Buy, who make promises that they can't keep.
      A great use of Digg!!!
    • MannaPC, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Well, I don't see it so much as forcing to give the person a new item (which eventually I hope they do get it and most of they time they do get X item), but stories like this can help users decide who to and who not to buy from.

      I see BB getting investigated by the government in the near future... So hopefully this kind of stuff won't last too long... I feel sorry for the users.
    • mateo60, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4If you don't like the content, don't Digg it. The problem will solve itself eventually.
  • DeepDoo, on 10/12/2007, -28/+5I do not feel too sorry for people that get this kind of treatment from these types of stores. If you want good service after the sale, do not go to superbigwarehousestore just to save a couple of dollars. Go to the localguywithashop and spend a couple of extra dollars. He will not blow you off when you are in his shop and he will not blow you off if you have a problem later. If you ask him a question about the product, he will know the answer and not give you the I-work-for-next-to-nothing-and-I-am-not-qualified-to-answer-that look.
    • lnf69, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13Well, I get really pissed off when I hear stories of consumers being lied to.
    • JoeMerchant, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12LocalGuyWithAShop has had our MacPro in for service for over 60 days now, no progress yet.

      NotImpressedWithDisposableElectronicsDesign

      What you don't hear about are the thousands of cases daily where BigBoxRetail just takes the product back and hands out a new one. Most times it's not a problem for the store since they can charge back to the vendors.
    • DeepDoo, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9thats a lie, I read digg enough to know that macs dont ever break
      /sarcasm

      you should do what ever consumer has the right to do, take your money somewhere else.
      60 days is unacceptable for any reason.
      I used to work at a PC repair shop. 48 hours was the maximum turnaround for any reason and zero comebacks was the expectation.
    • Feanor, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4@DeepDoo

      I work at a repair shop authorized for Apple repairs, and when these things go over the 48-72 hour mark, it is usually because Apple has the part on backorder. There is no way to get an ETA from them either.
    • OhhWell, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1I don't know about where you live but around here, the local electronics shops remind me of the "Buy here, Pay here" car lots. I would rather go to a large retailer (Except Walmart) because I know that EVENTUALLY something will have to be done.
    • gravis86, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2@ JoeMerchant

      Why did you take an Apple computer to some no-name repair place? Take it to Apple. One of the things they are best known for is their service.
    • DeepDoo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1@feanor

      thanks for reason #342 for not to buy a mac :-)
  • slapded, on 10/12/2007, -23/+2my panasonic lcd 50 inch rear projection is on its 12,000th hour. still ticking. HD is beautiful
  • RealHyperX, on 10/12/2007, -7/+6If you live in Chicago land area, you can get ABT electronics. Their service is ROCK SOLID and prices better than BB.
    • Technopundit, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14Thanks. It's good to see that Abt's employees read digg. BTW, our family was screwed over by Abt's service department years ago. Nobody is bullet-proof.
  • noamchomskeet, on 10/12/2007, -4/+15This is why i don't shop at bestbuy anymore. Circuit city is a 100 times better and actually, any other big box store is better than bestbuy. Somewhere along the line, bestbuy forgot how to treat customers and only really enjoys selling thigns to "angel" shoppers, the type of people who buy things without cost in mind, and when it breaks, they just go and buy another one, without any complaints.

    On another note, there is nothing worse than giving someone a bestbuy gift card.
    • HappyMax, on 10/12/2007, -5/+7Circuit City is just as bad. As a matter fact I would say they are worse since you can't buy anything at a decent price without having to send in a mail-in rebate, and then you have to deal with the rebate people trying to rip you off.
    • MannaPC, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2Actually, when we tried to buy our first computer back in 99-00, Circuit City tried to screw us into buying an AMD computer... Thankfully my cousin was a certified computer technician by 7+ companies, and he told us to go somehwere else :P.

      But, aside from that, I have had no problem with them over the past few years. In fact, my mom bought a digital camera and we went to Office Depot and saw the newer and BETTER version for about an extra 20 dollars. we talked to OD, they held it for us while we returned the other to CT without a problem... Although, the people behind the desk were a bit dumbfounded =P.

      The associates also seems nice... Well, most of them. They don't hound you as much anymore. plus, there VD prices are going down.
    • OhhWell, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Actually, Circuit City is just as bad if not worse. They didn't used to be but things went downhill a few years back.I don't know if it's the area I live in or not but if you bought say an Emachine Computer at Circuit City and wished to have it serviced within the 1st year (Regardless if you only had manufacturer's warranty or the extended service plan), you have to either send it to the manufacturer yourself or bring it across the street to Best Buy to have it serviced! That right there is amazing to me.
    • LetsGoHawks, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4I did tech support for the Circuit City extended warranty plan for PC's for about 13 months at the Hoffman Estates, IL site. (which is closed now, I believe most of the calls go to India, some to Dallas TX)

      First of all, never ever EVER believe the salesman. Read the contract yourself. If they can't provide you with a copy of that contract BEFORE you pay for it (and I don't mean the little pamphlet, I mean the actual contract) don't buy it. I spoke to 5 people a day who had been lied by the guy selling the contract.

      If you have an extended warranty on pretty much anything from anywhere and you regret the purchase you can probably cancel the remainder of the contract and get a pro-rated refund.

      I've heard at least a dozen stories similar to this one. Mostly with laptops. Laptop gets shipped to the depot for repair, the service is shoddy or the depot damages the laptop, customer gets it back with new problems (like broken screens), and the customer ends up getting screwed because nobody would take responsibility. Usually, they had to file a small claims suit to get satisfaction.

      So it's not just Best Buy.

      It was always fun when a monitor got replaced under warranty. The customer expected a new monitor of the same make, model & color. WRONG!! All that mattered was the size and dot-pitch. You had a high end Sony with a black case and we gave you a refurbished Acer with a dirty beige case? TOO BAD!!

      On the other hand, there are a lot of store managers out there that would do the right thing and provide customers with a brand new replacement off the shelf when they got screwed by the extended warranty.
      Also, there were a lot of happy customers that got good service with no problems.

      I just tell people not to buy any extended warranty. It's not worth it.
    • MAJORstrasser, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Oh, who the ***** are you kidding. CC does all they can to screw their customers, too. Didn't you ever see the story about them offering to install backwards compatibility software on Xbox 360's for $28.99?

      http://digg.com/gaming_news/Circuit_City_is_Ripping_off_Xbox_360_owners
  • BradC, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11"Your case is priority for me, thank you for your patients."

    I don't think I would rely on the competence of a "Senior Customer Support Consultant" who can't figure out when to use the word "patience." Sucks for this guy.
  • brbubba, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7After their first refusal to replace the TV for damage they caused I would have just taken them to small claims court, gotten my money and bought a new TV from an alternate retailor. Why this guy is still dicking around with these idiots is beyond me.
    • ryannerd, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9You are very likely an American. He is Canadian.

      Americans have their courts decide nearly everything for them. I am surprised that a court order has not come down telling Americans what color shirt they can wear on Tuesdays.

      I actually agree with you. This guy should take BB to small claims court. But the reason he is still "dicking around" with BB is likely because of the attitude Canadians have toward solving problems in court, as opposed to what Americans would typically do. Also depending on how good the court system is, this guy may actually get this resolved FASTER using his current tactics rather than having to wait in a queue for a hearing and for a judge to decide what should be done.
    • kimos, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1@ryannerd: "You are very likely an American. He is Canadian. Americans have their courts decide nearly everything for them."

      That is extremely insightful... It's just not the way things are done up here. If you've got a problem with someone, you try to solve it yourself. Treat others how you'd like to be treated right? Nobody likes to be taken to court.

      Everyone sues everyone else for everything in the states, often as a first reaction. America scares me.
  • logicalnoise, on 10/12/2007, -2/+18You are not alone BEHOLD!
    www.bestbuysux.org

    Thousands of stories from both employees and customers.
    • algorythm, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1awesome site. tons of entertainment! I will never shop at worst buy..
  • ethanpeirce, on 10/12/2007, -20/+3Best buy sucks, although the video just looked like he didn't know how to connect a PC to the TV. I once stole a laptop from bestbuy.
    • WarMace, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9The randomness here is hilarious, i chuckled.
  • FieldAnonymouse, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Ich. Terrible service, I have to agree. Though, it's not like that for everything everywhere. I had a Kodak Easy share that I threw onto the ground (not on purpose). Brought it to BB under the PSP and they shuffled it off to Kodak for repair, no questions asked even though it had obviously been dropped (repeatedly). Still, I hope this gets resolved. I'd say skip BB and move right on up to the Better Business Bureau, but I don't know if there is something like that in Canada.
  • mgenovese, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13I submitted a link to this digg story via BestBuy's contact form on their website. Just said "I would take a look at this, and forward to your management", and I pasted the link to this comment page on digg.

    http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=cat12104&type=page

    Maybe if enough of us did that, they'd know how many people are reading the author's story and sympathizing. I sure would think twice about buying something at BestBuy, and would never ever get a replacement plan.
    • arjunt, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Would it make sense to write to their public relations department giving links to the story and how it got dug :)

      Media Inquiries
      Best Buy Public Relations Department
      NewsCenter@bestbuy.com
      Phone: 612-292-NEWS (6397)
      After Hours Pager: 612-618-6703
    • redneckracin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0yeah man i did this too. Unleash the digg effect on these guys
  • EmmEff, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6This is typical of virtually any retail store these days. Their minimum wage earning management doesn't care about the customer after they've paid their $$$. It's Best Buy right now, but nothing stopping any other big retail operation from being equally as guilty of the same thing.

    In turn, what do consumers do? They keep buying from Best Buy and others because they have good prices... HELLO!?!?!

    Time to take a stance as consumers. Stop buying from companies who don't care about their customers!
    • mythicflux, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1"This is typical of virtually any retail store these days. Their minimum wage earning management doesn't care about the customer after they've paid their $$$"

      Actually, BBY pays its management very well, having worked at a Best Buy I can tell you of the number of times that a supervisor was promoted to manager and immediately had a new car or was planning for that house. One of my managers at one point was stuck between trying to figure out exactly what BMW he wanted to get.

      And this is the problem with BBY, the managers are all money hungry corrupt SOB's who make good money but who get even more if they manage to get there numbers high enough.
  • stevo111111, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8I used to shop at Best Buy all the time until one purchase went terribly, terribly wrong (seriously, every conceivable poor business practice was...er, practiced by them during this one transaction). I'll never be a customer of their's again, and I now take every opportunity I can to warn people off. Their employees are not empowered to find a fair solution, and they're paid so little that most of their employees simply do not CARE to find a fair solution (and it's hard to blame them really).

    Best Buy is all about the bottom line and damage control. Their business practices are almost criminal.

    Don't shop at Best Buy!
    • Kanna, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1"and they're paid so little that most of their employees simply do not CARE to find a fair solution"

      As an ex-BB employee, I agree with that completely. I was surfing 4chan on my shifts because that's what my $7/hour was worth (by the way, minimum wage here is $6.10).
  • Anth, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2I have that exact same TV (HL-R6168W) and have the same light engine problem he has. I had a company come and look at it the first friday in December and they still havent called me back to come and fix it. I bought it through TV Authority and its being serviced through their extended warranty comapny Warrantech. Ugh, horrible service. Its been almost two months now and they still havent come to fix it.
  • daigakuinsei, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Ah the extended warranty. Best buy tried to sell me one when I bought a video game there last week.

    You heard that right ... an extended warranty on a VIDEO GAME.

    It was all I could do not to laugh in the girl's face.
    • profOblivion, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Actually, EB did that to me a couple times. They didn't call it an extended warranty, though. Basically it meant that if my disc ever got scratched up to the point that it didn't work I could exchange it. It was only 3 bucks, but c'mon. Just take care of your damn discs.
    • drmangrum, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10They tried to sell me a $8service plan on $15 logitech microphone. I looked at the sales person like they were an idiot and they just said "Yeah, i know. I have to ask no matter how dumb the deal is." Priceless.
    • mythicflux, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0"You heard that right ... an extended warranty on a VIDEO GAME."

      Keep in mind that the vast majority of shoppers at Best Buy are not you. Not to sound too harsh but the simple fact is that a lot of Best Buys shoppers are soccer moms whose 8-10 year old kid scratched that $60 Xbox 360 video game. The extended warranty allows Best Buy to send a replacement disc so the customer doesn't comeback screaming 3 months after they bought it demanding a new free copy because they've spend so much money in the past.
    • bigstinky, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I always get the 2 dollar warranty when I purchase games from shops like EB. I have a 4 year old son. He likes shiny things. Needless to say, there have been many returns, and every single time, the warranty was honored without incident with a brand new game.

      This works really well with controllers too as I seem to go through a PS2 controller in 4 mos. Buy extended warranty for 5 bucks, destroy controller, get new one, buy new warranty for 5 bucks, repeat ad-infinitum.

      I will not however pay 600 bucks for an extended TV (or higher end electronics) deal. If my set lasts for more than the 1 year it's already covered by the manufacturers warranty, chances are, it's not a lemon.
  • fishinabarrel, on 10/12/2007, -2/+73You will all like this story. A friend had a laptop that had a defective battery and the extended warranty. Best Buy said naaah, it works fine. He said fix it. They said no. He left and returned with a full sized tour bus and parked it in front of the yellow concrete barriers, partially blocking the entrance. Best Buy was not happy. They threatened to tow the bus. He said go ahead. Turns out that the only way to tow a tour bus of that size is via a special tow truck in Tenessee, about 7 hours away. They called the police. The police couldn't do anything either. They then replaced his laptop and he drove away.

    So you see, Best Buy will work with you.
    • adam1mc, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Great story dude
    • solarix, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4That is Brilliant. LOL
    • mateo60, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3I used to drive a tour bus. It takes a special tow truck, but its nothing all that special. The same type of tow truck that semi's use. As much as I want to believe that story, I have a hard time buying it.
    • ILikeDucks, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Um... the police couldn't do anything? How about write him a ticket for unlawful parking?
    • Fhionnlaoch, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4@ILikeDucks

      The government can only issue tickets for traffic violations on public property.
    • converge, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3pics or it didn't happen.
  • justncase80, on 10/12/2007, -22/+1I bet this is fake. This guy sounds like he probably made it all up or has some psychological issues and might actually think this is all true... I'd like to see some actual documentation proving some of this before accepting it as truth.
  • maxstr, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7As much as I hate how people use the internet as a podium to voice their sob stories, I find myself being drawn to reading them. However, I have noticed that reading these stories does not make me want to boycott Best Buy, so I'm not sure whether posting these stories is effective in any anti-Best Buy movement.

    Personally I use Best Buy to walk around and look at all the toys I want, but I'd never expect 5-star customer service from any chain retailer who has a razor-thin margin of profits and depends on mass sales rather than individual sales. As a consumer I understand that Best Buy is not a high-end, uber expensive niche market store that relies on word of mouth and customer relations. Best Buy is a discount clearinghouse, so remember you get what you pay for.
    • lnf69, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7I'd agree with you if BB and stores like them didn't make promises that they never intend to keep. Don't try selling services that will not be honored.
    • republick, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Hell no best buy is a overpriced consumer mill. Everything in best buy is more expensive than anywhere else.
      Your probly paying 15-30% more when you shop at best buy.
    • Feanor, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9USB cable at BB - $30

      USB cable at Local Retailer - $6.99

      Saving $23 - Priceless.
    • Technopundit, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Best solution (for the consumer): Shop around, wait for sales, and buy only obvious "loss leaders" where the store isn't making a thing. Stick with name brands, where possible. Never buy a new product within the first two model-years after it appears on the market (this includes cars).

      Never buy anything with a display larger than six inches diagonal via mail order. Have large-panel displays and appliances professionally delivered and installed. Anticipate delivery, spend time with the unit, and if the product is not fully satisfactory within two days of installation, immediately return it for a full refund. Do not have it repaired. Be certain full refunds in such cases are guaranteed in writing in the sales contract.

      Do not expect repairs to be performed satisfactorily by third party vendors. Most home electronics, especially miniaturized items or exotic display panels are not, in a practical sense, serviceable. They must be replaced.
  • Gregd, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Is anyone else losing empathy for anyone that shops at BB and gets screwed? I mean it's not like every person that's ever been screwed by BB hasn't posted something on the internet already. I'd like to feel for this guy and I do kind of, but he bought his ***** at BB. That's almost like asking for it...
  • acosta814, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I used to work for Best Buy in Jersey when the truck would come in and the HD tv's were stacked to high we would just drop the tv, that's why people have so many problems with their hd tv's we were always getting returns bulb blew up, color wheel out of whack, all types of *****. I hated working every minute at best buy. I saw time and time again the management ***** over customers................now I buy all of my stuff online with my Amex and it doubles manufacturer's warranty................b and h photo video rock, best customer service great prices.
  • ziggystardust, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Best Buy is nothing but trouble. A clerk tried to convince me once that I should buy a lower end receiver for the same price as a sold-out high end one because they were both Sony. "It is the same thing, you see? Sony!" Jack ass. I went to another store and found a WAY better price as is usually the case. So I stopped shopping, and getting ripped off, at Best Buy.
    • marinist, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I remember some clerk at BB insisting the dvd player didn't include a cable, and I should buy some gold-plated job for $60. I could smell the commission in the air, and passed on his suggestion. I have no reason to shop BB when I can get better info in a 5 min web search, and then find the product cheaper/easier online. These stores need to get a clue.
    • import, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Best Buy employees don't get commission.
    • marinist, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1@import:
      Really? Then I stand corrected; that was my only explanation for the clerk's insistence.
    • Mister326, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3@import-
      They may not get commission like Circuit City, but there are always SPIFs, and last time I checked, salespeople at Best Buy did get those.
    • ncboxer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0When I worked at Best Buy we got near minimum wage- $6.50 and no sales incentive for selling PSPs. Maybe that has changed because it has been about 8 years since I worked there. What they did was drill into us to sell, sell, sell the PSPs. We got no training sessions on the products (worked in computer section), just training sessions on how to overcome customers objections not to buy the PSP. I git pissed off and left the company after an incident where I spent 30 minutes selling a computer to a customer, and the customer didn't want the PSP. I tried multiple times as required, the section manager tried multiple times as required, etc. The customer wouldn't budge. Finally the manager told me to tell the customer we had no more in stock even though we had 5 overhead. So I felt like a dumbass because I sold a computer to a customer that as far as they knew, the store didn't even had. Not to mention that it was mean to lie to the customer. That was the end for me.

      I still shop in Best Buy occasionally. I go into it knowing beforehand that I will get poor service, and most salespeople will be clueless (or more often just not around). The advantage to buying in a store for big purchases versus online is that it is easier to return to a store than pay for shipping back online.
  • Shivetya, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I had problems with a Panasonic widescreen I bought from BestBuys about 4 years ago. First one delivered had the screen pushed in, the second one had a cracked case, and the third deliver was the first TV all over again.

    Well the fourth attempt was fine. I had so many issues I went to the store to complain, I ended up getting a free extended warranty plus $100 off a dvd player, which at the time was a big discount.
    • sanza, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2A free extended warranty? That's rich. Let's pray you never have to use it because I'm sure no good can come of it.

      At least you got the DVD player at a discount price.

      I refuse to purchase at BB anymore after my 2 ordeals with digital camera's. I had an extended warranty and they refused to honor it just 9 months later after they had my camera for over a month and told me it couldn't be repaired. (it was a lens cover that wouldn't open half the time!). After 3 calm and peaceful trips I fixed the problem by making a scene in front of everyone in the store on the 4th visit and they finally replaced it with a new one. I still wonder what happened to the older couple with a computer that wouldn't boot. BB was trying to sell them Norton Anti-Virus to fix their problem.

      BB is akin to the devil.
  • mjrjr, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3"Worst" Buy had pissed me off more times that I can remember with their horrible customer service. I really think they believe that all of there customers are stupid....and when face with a customer that has more knowledge of the problems than they do they start straight lying to your face to dissuade you. I'm a Software Engineer and my brother an Electrical Engineer. Between the two of us, we have managed to prove them wrong on enough occasions that we are recognized as "trouble makers" as soon as we come in the store.

    They need to be held to the flames.
  • trunk8, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I ***** hate best buy. Every time I go in that place, no matter what store I go to, the employees are completely worthless and unhelpful. If my town had any sort of alternative, I'd never shop at best buy again. Most of the time, I will drive 20-30 minutes out of the way just to shop somewhere else. And I wouldn't wipe my ass with their product replacement plan, you don't pay that kind of money to get shafted like this guy did.

    I'm proud to say that none of my major purchases have been at Best Buy, I'll stick with retailers like Costco that actually give a ***** about their customers - they gave me a full refund for my Xbox 360 when it broke 8 months after I bought it, with no questions asked. THAT'S customer service.
  • pyman, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I would have gotten completely blind-sided by this myself.
    This guy went to great lengths. I hope he gets a new one.
  • kloda, on 10/12/2007, -0/+18Two years ago, we bought a laptop. The Geek Squad guys were insistent on selling us Norton AntiVirus because it wasn't installed and they just couldn't let a computer go out of the store unprotected. I said it was installed and that yes, it would expire after a short amount of time but why pay twice for the same thing. They still insisted it was not installed and said I could buy it and if it wasn't installed, to just return it without issue. The guy then pulled a copy from under their counter and put it in the box. The problem was, the container for the CD was unsealed. I protested that we should get another one because of the EULA but he insisted there wouldn't be an issue. Of course, NAV was installed and when I took it back, they refused to take it because the seal was broken. And this was the same guy we spoke to earlier in the day. After much protesting and my question what else was unsealed behind the counter amongst threats to contact the SPA, I was given a refund.

    At the beginning of last December, my brother and I bought a Compaq desktop system and we were in something of a hurry. The Geek Squad guy said that it was store policy for them to take the computer out of the box and set it up for us. If we refused to have this done, we could not return the computer for refund. I told him that as part of my work, I've set up hundreds of computers and would rather do it myself so I know how things went. Besides, given the incident above, we didn't want them taking any CDs from the box. I demanded to see the written store policy on this. He said he would get the manager. Another sales rep came up and started telling us once again that this was BB store/corporate policy and again, I asked to see the printed statement for this given that right above his head was a big poster telling me I could return the computer within 14 days. He finally told me it wasn't store policy but something they liked to do. "So, you lied to me." was my response. He started hemming and hawing.

    My father was looking for a printer and called me to ask about one model, saying the BB sales rep said this particular model was THE best one they sold. Uh, no, Dad, let me show you what to buy..."

    I have no problem with offering that service to people. It's a good idea but I support computers for a living. I know what I'm doing and didn't want to hang around the store for 30 minutes more. Plus, the two employees flat out lied to me. That to me is inexcusable. I'll buy CDs, DVDs and games from BB but come TV, computer or other big ticket item purchase time, forget it. I'll buy the TV from a local company that stands behind the the products they sell.
    • adam1mc, on 10/12/2007, -8/+0Haha.. Norton Sucks. Use Webroot SpySweeper. I think it was the month of November.... SpySweeper was Best Buy's #3 most selling item behind bottles of Coke and Diet Coke.
    • 00Dan, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Haven't done it in a while, but I used to enjoy correcting the sales people in the electronics and computer section while they were lying to their customers. :)
    • PABeachBum, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5You are about the 3rd person who has experienced problems with BB, and STILL WENT BACK TO THEM. WTF People? Do you like getting screwed?

      You saw the software was unsealed, and you knew they were pulling the wool over your eyes. Why didn't you walk the ***** out right there?

      Sorry, but once a retailer or business gives me the slightest bit of BS, I drop the sale. My parents taught me that. I saw them stand up and walk away from high end car deals, because right before the papers are to be signed, the dealership tries to pull something. They can't screw you until you give them your money or sign on the line, so what the hell are you proceeding for when you know its not kosher?
  • ManHammer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Stop shopping at best buy now, tell all your friends and family ......
  • Mister326, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Its not just Best Buy... these Extended Warranties (call it what they will- PSP, ServicePlus, Extended Service Plan, at the end of the day, they are all still Extended Warranties) are sold to customers as a way to increase profit. In order to sell them, you need to be able to sell them at a price point attractive to consumers, while high enough to be able to turn a profit after you're done contracting out the service (to the lowest bidder, of course). You are not walking into a Ford dealership, buying a new Ford and the Ford extended warranty- you are buying 3rd-party coverage- the seller of the TV contracts out with the lowest bidder, who will almost never be the manufacturer of the equipment. Its sad but true- you get what you pay for. Caveat Emptor- let the buyer beware. If you're going to buy the TV because of price at any retail store, don't add the store's extended warranty. Most manufacturers of high-end equipment will sell you factory service. Sure, you'll pay a bit more, but you saved all the money on the TV. If you still can't afford it, buy a smaller TV.

    P.S.- Circuit City, in my experience, is worse than Best Buy- they are on commission, but won't haggle (do you want the sale or not?), their selection is even more limited, they are closing stores, et cetera, et cetera.

    • ntmaster, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Circuit City got rid of their commissioned sales force in 2003.

      http://www.cio.com/archive/070105/circuit.html

      http://www.answers.com/topic/circuit-city
    • HappyMax, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Then why do they try so hard to push those $100 Monster cables?
    • Technopundit, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Because the mark-up on those Monster Cables is incredible. And they're not worth the money, either.
    • adam1mc, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0And because Monster Cables are the *****! They push those because they truly are better than the other crap that they sell.
    • zdiggler, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Dealer pricing on Monster Cables are cheap. If you talk to the Monster guy. His business model is like conspiracy to rip off consumers by large sum for profits!!!! I hate the way he do business I don't care how sick he is. May be thats the Krama that came early for him. good for him!!
  • CyberSlacker2k7, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Been there done that with Best Buy... I HATE Best Buy.. I refuse to shop there.
  • adam1mc, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4DUDE!!! I can completely feel you. Did you see my post on Digg just a few days ago?
    digg.com/tech_news/Yet_just_another_Best_Buy_scam

    Best Buy ***** me as well on my 61" HDTV purchase. After writing lots of letters, posting blogs and posting to Digg.com I managed to get resolution to my problem.

    Best Buy has turned into a ***** company that only cares about lining the pockets of their executives and share holders. They don't give a damn about their customers or any of the problems that people encounter with their poorly trained and completely disenchanted employees. 'Best Buy' should be renamed to "Best place 2B *****". I hate this place and highly recommend that any one looking to purchase high end electronics to use a reputable source like newegg.com or Circuit City

    If I were you I'd file complaints with the Better Business Bureau on both BestBuy and xxxxxx.ltd. I would also contact the Attorney General in your area and file complaints with him as well. Make sure you bark up the right tree and you'll get the resolution you seek.

    See my photos from My BestBuyScam here > h t t p : / / s119.photobucket.com/albums/o121/BestBuyBlog/ (remove the spaces from the beginning of the URL)


    And Remember BEST BUY BLOWS
    • Ibanezfoo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I think you got it... shareholders. The company I work for used to be a nice company with good customer service and treated their employees well. We went public and now its tough to keep customers because service has gone down the toilet and everyone is disgruntled and are finding new jobs.... even the people that have worked here since before I was born. But hey, the CEO got a new yaught, the presidents and vice presidents all are cruising around in Porches and AWG Mercedes.... the rest of us got ***** on.
  • SkyFox, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I shop at Best Buy all the time and have done so for many years without issue. I've bought the PSP for a couple of devices like my wife's PDA, which needed some service, but generally I stay away from the PSP since they are such money makers for the reseller. One of the issues that deserves attention is the poor quality of the Samsung product. I made a vow more than 5 years ago to never buy another Samsung product - EVER. I had 4 DVD players fail within the first 30 days and for the first 2 Samsung was quite nice, but buy the 3rd one they treated me like a criminal. The actually accused me of breaking the DVD player on purpose! I wrote several letters to the service department and to the President of Samsung USA without answer. They just suck. I feel very bad for the dude in the story - it's a lot of money, time and effort to spend on a dream TV only to have the situation turn in to a nightmare.
    • imran7, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Actually that is a very good point. Instead of spending 500 on the psp, why not spend that money and buy a better quality product. A TV that fails within a year is not good quality. I purchased a CRT tv back in '97 it was SONY, cost 1000 CAD back then but is still working fine. No need for PSP
  • nosajman, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Shame on you Best Buy!
  • ejhdigdug, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2I've had a very similar problem at Best Buy with a laptop I bought from them. It took them 8 weeks, but they eventually replaced it. That was 8 weeks without a computer. Problem I have right now is the laptop they replaced it with is now starting to have the same problems. I wouldn't have gotten a new laptop from Best Buy if it wasn't for the fact that they were giving it to me for free.
    • drmangrum, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3They didn't give it to you for free. You paid for one that broke.
  • claco, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I spent 3 months in laptop hell about 4 years ago. Their "replacement" of the motherboard for a faulty power connector was to re-solder it...twice and lie about doing so and then screw up the sound in the process. It was a true hassle, but in the end, I did get full credit and a brand new Toshiba laptop out of the deal. By that time, I ended up with a more powerful laptop even.

    I'd never buy computer stuff from them, well I never really did (the laptop was the wifes). I even got my plasma from Amazon rather than deal with BB/HHGreg and their bloated prices. Although BB is good for one thing: to see the tv in person before I give my $ to someone else. :-)
    • Technopundit, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1You can't fix most laptop problems, anyway. Profit margins are razor thin. You got unlucky, and will probably wind up with a new unit one way or another, even if you have to pay for it yourself.
    • brutalentropy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I dunno if I'd agree with you technopundit...

      I work for a laptop repair center, and we repair about a thousand laptops a month.

      Depends on what the problem is, but *most* things can be fixed for a price point much lower than a new unit (assuming you have a decent laptop to begin with, and not some bottom of the barrel averatec or something)
  • stealthboy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+31) Service plans are never worth it in the long run. Of course some people will pipe in with their story about how it saved them money, but you also have people that have won the lottery. A few success stories doesn't mean they are financially smart.

    2) I use the same policy with BB as I do with ebay: Never buy anything worth more than $20. Problem solved.

  • arsenalnra, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0 I agree with you all that best buy has some pretty shady practices, how do I know this. I WORK THERE. However, most of the time it is not the employees fault. I myself and most of my fellow employees try to do everything we can to help the customer but are usually stopped by the management staff. As far as PSP and PRP goes, they are not warranties, they are service and or replacement plans but they do have limits. You can't imagine how many people physically damage their products and then expect us to replace or fix it for them. Do I buy the PSP or PRP, yeah I do, but after working in the geek squad and seeing how many things go wrong with products I figure it's not a bad idea.
  • Technopundit, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3The real problem is that we've pushed the technology and configuration of home electronics to the point where many of these exotic displays are not fit for home use. Too fragile, and almost impossible to replace most components. Sub-assemblies cost nearly as much as the entire unit. Transportation and setup logistics are a nightmare. User expectations are way too high.

    Ya spends your money; ya takes your chances.

    Good luck with that.
    • sanza, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I have to disagree. If something can't be made and shipped so that you can have a working product at your home then it shouldn't be manufactured.

      Perhaps it was simply a bad choice of words on your part but when the user just wants a working product I don't see where "User expectations are way too high."

      I do agree that these items although large ARE delicate and must be handled appropriately. If we must pay more for this special handling then so be it. Manufacturers and discount outlets (Best Buy) shouldn't drive prices lower if the cost of said reduction is literally years off of the products lifespan.




    • adam1mc, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Well then better stick with your trusty 8-Track and VHS players too. That good tube on the floor still has a few hours left and the clicker is still working better than ever. Maybe instead of using these new fangled blogs and email, our user should just stick to the typewriter for sending letters via postal mail for all his complaints.

      Don't be a tool! Get out of the past. Of course all our ***** is fragile and high tech. That's the point. If these stores are unable to handle the transition from crap to fragile.. then maybe they should get out of the business.
  • Takfam, on 10/12/2007, -4/+0Is it just me or is Best Buy adopting the Microsoft business practice of "We are sorry to hear your complaint. Blow it out your ass."?

    Meh, I'll buy from Fry's. Their products haven't failed on me yet, I've heard no horror stories regarding their warranties and as long as you have a receipt, the managers will take back anything. The front employees can be total morons, but the managers have brains and use them.
  • Josh00Si, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Had similar issues with Best buy several years ago. Purchase a Pioneer radio for my car. After about 6 months of use the rubber button covers started to tear away. Took it in to Best Buy and they said it had to be sent out to be repaired. After about a month of hearing nothing, went back in and they said it should be about 2 or 3 week longer. Part were back ordered or some other BS excuse. So I waited my 3 weeks and went back in. They claimed they still didn't get the parts. I finally spoke to the store GM and was able to get a replacement, same radio only the newer model. They even installed it for free. Two, maybe 3 moths later I get a letter in the mail from Best Buy. It turns out they got my radio back from repair and I could pick it up. Went in, picked it up, paid -0- for the repair and got a almost brand new $400 Pioneer car stereo to go along with the one Best Buy already replaced. Gotta love screwing Best Buy.
  • northwitch, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I'm a newbie - forgive me if i post something off -- these stories give me nightmares - i currently have an hdmi input problem on the Samsung 40 LCD (I otherwise love) and have avoided calling service the past few weeks, instead switching to Svideo input for the time being, in fear that they will want to cart it away and destroy it
    seriously procrastinating on this - purchased at futureshop - not sure which is worse
  • joncotes, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2This is enraging. I hear so many stories about how badly Best Buy treats their customers, yet they claim that one of their strong points is customer service. Make sense?
    • stealthboy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1This is because all companies use only unsubstantiated statements in marketing. I shudder every time I hear things like:

      - "We're the best cell phone provider in the country". Oh really? How can you prove that?
      - "Best car in its class". Right. Based on what?
      - "Number one in customer satisfaction". According to whom? Did you ask all your customers?

      I cannot stand the way all companies throw these kind of statements around... like we're just supposed to believe them. Give me statements I can verify. Oh, you say you're the best in the world? Ok, I'll give you business because you said that. Then again, people are stupid enough to believe anything.
  • inaniloquent, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Are the employees who are deceitful being held accountable when their higher-ups are informed of their misdeeds? I SINCERELY hope for Best Buy's sake that they are not allowing these scheming little weasels to retain their positions. The corporation almost seems to want to blemish its once good (if not great) reputation.

    I implore all of you to stand your ground with these monster companies if/when they try to screw you over. They are condescending and underhanded, and this idiocy needs more than a slap on the wrists.

    Diggers, help this guy get his new television, for Digg's sake!
    • mythicflux, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1"Are the employees who are deceitful being held accountable when their higher-ups are informed of their misdeeds? I SINCERELY hope for Best Buy's sake that they are not allowing these scheming little weasels to retain their positions."

      As someone who worked at Best Buy/Geek Squad for 2.5 years (just left 3 weeks ago) I can resoundingly answer the first question: FSCK NO!

      The problem is that that high ups ARE the most deceitful, dishonest people at Best Buy. I've seen manager who were buddy buddy with someone one day completely screw over their best employees the next day. I have seen completely unqualified salesmen go from from part time computer associates to in home Double Agents (the highest paid position in the store behind a manager) in the span of a couple of months (and about 4 promotions) because as the managers put it "they sold Geek Squad"

      I have seen these same associates, who fail to complete a diagnostic of a computer, make some completely wrong analysis of what is defective ( a bad mainboard when the only problem is a defective HDD) and then completely fail to check if the customer has a PSP. The customer gets called and informed that they need to buy a new computer when they have the PSP and it actually covers the defect at no cost to them.

      These same people of course upon getting promoted are fed a line by the managers about being in a leadership role. These people then go around to the actually knowledgable employees and try to help them improve their skills (which of course are always sales related).

      And you would think that BBY HR would actually address this, but they seem to prefer to have the employees address any issues with the GM who always backs up the managers in store. And the cycle begins again with the next promotion.

      To sum it up, this is how my supervisor at BBY informed me that you get promoted:

      "You get promoted by doing the job of the person above you. If you are a full time employee you do the job of the Senior Tech, if you are the Senior you do the job of the Supervisor and if your are the Supervisor you do the job of the Managers."

      The statement above is why I quit BBY after being passed over for promotion 6 times by people who were added to Geek Squad because they could sell and all the while my management team kept expecting me to be responsible for more and more of the tech related operations of the bench.
  • cybermage, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Sounds a LOT like my experiences with "John Eye Big Sandy Superstore" and a Whirlpool Duet Washer. I finally got a replacement after sending all my records in e-mail to the corporate headquarters and explaining that in 4 days if I didn't have a replacement I was filing in small claims court - I even gave the name of the judge. My blog about it (might need to read it backwards): http://www.maro.net/whirlpool/
  • bfurtado, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Yes, please digg and help this guy out. We did it with that camera incident last year.
  • 1310nm, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Yet another reason I NEVER shop at Best Buy unless I have GCs to spend.
    • algorythm, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1You must be some of the few. $43 million in unused gift cards says allot about a company.
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