Warning: long consumer complaint follows. If you are not interested in my sob story, please close browser. 🙂
In December 2005, I bought a Toshiba laptop pc from BestBuy. I also paid an extra $99 for the extended 2-year warranty.
Big Mistake!
First of all the pc I got was a bad unit. It’s now in the shop for it’s fifth repair in less than one and a half years. I don’t blame BestBuy for that. They simply buy from Toshiba. I don’t even think it’s a bad model. My wife and a good friend have exactly the same pc and neither have any problems. It’s just a “lemon”.
What I do blame BestBuy for is their complete lack of caring for the customer, particularly after the customer has spent extra money for special care.
The first time the pc had to go in was for a faulty power jack. It couldn’t hold a charge. It was fixed in-store while I waited.
I was pretty happy at that point, until the same problem surfaced again a while later. This time they shipped it out and I had to wait a couple of weeks for them to fix it. When it came back, they said they aligned the case.
Seemed ok for a while, but within a few weeks, the problem was back again. Again, out for a two-week repair. This time they actually replaced the power jack, and I haven’t had that problem since. But the fact that it took them three service calls, and four weeks in the shop just replace a power jack that probably should have been replaced the first time is not a good sign.
That last repair was in December 2006. Things were running fine up until a few weeks ago, when the screen just went black and the computer just refused to boot up after that. So I took it back in for repair number four.
Now, my warranty clearly states that if they have to repair the pc three times, the next time it is brought in, they will replace it. It’s their “No-Lemon” policy. I brought this up and was told that the first time did not actually count. A pc must be sent OUT for repairs in order for it to count as an actual repair. So, per their rules, this was actually the third time. I argue with the guy in the store, but he could really care less. Just shrugs and repeats himself with a hey-I-just-work-here attitude. I can see that even if this guy was willing to help, he’d have no power to do anything anyway. So I send my pc out for two-to-three week repair number four.
Finally, my pc comes back. I go in to get it. Seems they decided the problem was the motherboard, and replaced that. I boot up the computer right there in the store, all looks good. I sign the form and go home. When I get home, I start using the computer and after a minute or so, it freezes. Hmmm… Reboot, same thing. Repeated reboots. Sometimes won’t boot at all. Sometimes starts to boot and reports a hardware conflict. Sometimes I’m really lucky and it will run for up to two or three minutes before totally locking up.
Weeee! Back to BestBuy for repair number FIVE!! They have to give me a replacement now. It’s been OUT for service three times. Surely they won’t find any more loopholes. Surely the guy behind the counter will at least feel a little pity for me.
Unbelievably, they find another loophole. For a repair to count, they actually need to replace some hardware! The second repair (where they spent two weeks carefully aligning the cover) does not count because it was just labor! Again, I try to argue with the guy. I’m not sure why, but it just seems like I shouldn’t go down without a fight. In the end, they are going to send my pc out for yet ANOTHER two to three week repair. But, as compensation, they are going to keep it in the store running three days worth of diagnostics on it before sending it out, so it’s really two and a half to three and a half weeks. Somehow, I think I’m supposed to feel thankful for this.
Realizing that I’m not going to get anywhere with anyone in the store, I go to BestBuy’s web site and email their support center, basically outlining the story here. Two days later, I get this reply:
Thank you for contacting Best Buy about your repairs. I’m TJ with
Customer Care.
We realize it can be frustrating when you do not receive the service you
expect, and we are disappointed that your expectations have not been met
with your repairs. Best Buy strives to provide our customers with the
highest level of service, convenience and selection. We value receiving
your comments so we may use this feedback to improve the shopping and
service experience for all our customers.
Your product is not yet eligible for a No-Lemon exchange.
A product is eligible for a No-Lemon exchange when:
-A Performance Service Plan was purchased with the product.
-The product has already received three qualified hardware repairs
(either at our service center or a factory-authorized service center).
-Our technicians determine that a fourth repair is necessary. (At that
time, Best Buy will replace the unit with a product of comparable
performance or price.)
If you are still having difficulty with your product, we encourage you
to contact our service department directly at 1-888-BESTBUY
(1-888-237-8289).
Thank you for sharing your comments with Best Buy. Please do not
hesitate to contact us with additional questions or concerns.
Best Wishes from Best Buy,
TJ and the Customer Care Team
Obviously, TJ is pretty much like the other guys like I’ve dealt with, but knows how to customize a form letter. There is no other way to get any communication in to anyone at BestBuy that will not be filtered by TJ or one of his friends.When I get my pc back, it will have spent something like eight weeks of its 1.5 years in BestBuy’s repair shop. I’m sure that if it breaks again, they will find some other out for not replacing it… “Oh, that repair didn’t count because it was brought in on a Thursday. Only Wednesday repairs count.”
OK, sorry for the long rant. I’m stupid to have bought an important piece of hardware at a store such as BestBuy. I’ve learned my lesson and won’t repeat that mistake. Hopefully you won’t either.
Where are you buying from next time (beyond a Mac, that doesn’t count)?
Not sure. Any advice? Maybe a smaller store where they have employees that actually have a stake in keeping customers happy.
Got some suggestions on laptops in the comments here. Maybe that’ll hold true for desktops as well. :: shrugs ::
How about… you know… like… you go first! THEN, I’ll buy one.
I won’t ever buy from Best Buy. Twice they misprinted sale prices in the newspaper and twice the said the would not honor the price printed. Just bad business. Good luck with it.
Wow, well, after reading all those comments, at least I don’t feel singled out. At least I know who else to avoid.
There’s a store here called PCs for Everyone. http://www.pcsforeveryone.com. Relatively small place, single store, not a chain. Right across the street from BestBuy as a matter of fact. I’ve bought some desktop parts there over the years. They seem to have a really sharp hardware team. They’ll build or customize a pc for you. I bet their service is a lot better, and you can walk in and deal one-on-one with someone who knows something about computers. Not sure why I didn’t go there in the first place.
What about microcenter in Cambridge? I see a lot of MIT students in there … My hypothesis is that when you see a flock of MIT students, you know you’re in the right area for tech. I’ve been shopping there for a few years.
http://www.microcenter.com/
I just bought a Toshiba from there for someone recently. So far so good.
Last time when I was in there I overhead someone having a lemon computer. They replaced it on the spot.
I always go to Microcenter (locations in Cambridge MA and elsewhere). They have everything, and unlike Best Buy, the people there usually know a little about what they are selling (if not everything). Best Buy sux. Hell, I found the folks at Staples are even better trained! pcs4everyone is also good, probably even better than Microcenter.
Didn’t Ericd go through a simliar pain with a Mac powerbook a while back? I think they finally gave him a new laptop after 3-4 tries with a fried motherboard.
Hey Keith,
If it makes you feel any better, I had bad experiences at BestBuy previously as well in regards to ridiculous restocking fees on items that were defective. This was some time ago, and since then when it comes to regular consumer electronics I buy from Circuit City or online through Crutchfield, etc. I just picked up a Sony KDS-R60XBR1 60″ TV from circuit city for a song with a not interest plan – I would never even have considered purchasing it from Best Buy based on my past experiences.
I second the Microcenter option that Scott mentioned – I have a ton of Mac’s but whenever I need PC stuff, I drive from Philly out to the MicroCenter near Villanova University in St Davids/Radnor, PA. I pass at least two best buys, and two compusa’s on the way. They have pretty decent prices, and at least at the one near me in Pennsylvania a giant computer bookstore to boot. I have used their corporate sales department several times to order some big server items and rackmount raid systems for customers as well, so if they don’t have what you want, talk to their corporate orders/sales department, and they can probably order it direct for you with pretty decent prices. Best of luck! -Rob
If you can find the CEO’s name and email, write him or her directly, rather than wasting time with the poor slob whose job it is to say “I was just following orders.” And always cc your correspondence to whatever state or federal consumer agencies you can find. Shining a light on cockroaches doesn’t kill them, but it does make them real unhappy.
ak
Sorry about your dilemma. Best Buy is the suck.
Monarch Computers
http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv
I purchased my first PC from them and have never had a problem. A coworker of mine just laid down some serious dough for a gaming PC from them. Ended up getting some AMD64 thing. Had some issues at first because compatibility with Windows 64, but they actually had a technician come out and fix the problem (costs extra for that service, but according to my bud he said it was well worth it).
Now that my home is strictly Mac, I don’t really deal with them much anymore, but I have no hesitations recommding them. Great service and technicians that know their stuff.
Cheers.
It could not be any more yellow to be a lemon! What goes with that ;(
Arnie, Thanks for the advice. I found it was pretty easy to find the CEO’s email address. Not via BestBuy, but Google. Just fired him off an email. Will report the results.
kp
Just called BestBuy to see where they were on the Diagnostics. Dropped the computer off Thursday morning. They haven’t touched it. They are hoping to start the diagnostics tomorrow or the next day. Hey, no rush. It’s not like I’m paying for this service. Oh, wait, I did pay for it.
I’ve been through similar ‘adventures’ with Best Buy. I got there often though, but not to buy. I use them as a test lab. If there is a product I am interested in, and I’ve done as much research as I can online, I will go there just to play around/discover the product.
The fun part is, since I have educated myself to the max on that product, when the unknowledge-able ‘salesperson’ trolls around and asks me if I have any questions, I like to test him/her. I ask something simple, like what color does this come in. A quick scan by the salesperson of what’s on the shelf yeilds a “looks like we have it in…” response. OK, on to a ‘trickier’ question. And no matter what it is, it will prompt the ‘salesperson’ to pick up the box and read something. “Ahhh”, they say pointing to the back of the box, “it says here this, so I guess that means it does that”. Sorry, not good enough. But thanks for letting me play with the product. Time to check the price on eBay.
MicroCenter knows their stuff. PCsForEveryone is event better.
I’ve bought all my computers/monitors for the past 3 years from Dell Outlet. Best deals and always reliable. http://www.dell.com
I know everyone thinks Dell is evil and all, and maybe it is.
But I have never had a problem having them repair my computers, even when I broke something.
When I had a bulb go out of a laptop no longer in warrenty, they still let me mail it in and gave me a brand new lcd screen, without the scratches I had put on mine!
I also once got a virus on a dell desktop, which was my fault (some crappy computer game), and they had a guy come to my house and switch my hard drive for a new one.
Now I use IBM (lenovo) for the product’s quality, but Dell is the best for customer support (in my view)
-Aaron
I’m so sorry; that blows so much. 🙁
http://www.bestbuysux.org/
You are not the only one.
Run away from those PSP RSP extended warranties, MSN Netflix free Magazines (it’s not FREE by the way) ETC… Oh yeah, they will do whatever they can to shove into your shopping cart with those worthless warranties, those are 100% profit to BB.
BB can’t get money from you by just selling any individual product, and that’s how they smash down other local stores.
Stop the evil. Do not shop there.
Well Keith i feel ya man i really do… Did you try talkin to the GM i know that stuff like that happens all the time at my bestbuy i know that cuz i work in the comp dept when ever a customer gets treated like you were i take it into my own hands to find the gm and take care of it…. technically you are right the no lemon policy states bring it in 3 times on the 4th its gets replaced… idk why that store didnt honor. And to the person about the misprint sue that local bby lol they have to give it to you UNLESS they had signs printed in the store mentioning the error it happens all the time cuz corporate is full with retards… moving on if you have accidental damage psp (newer) you probably dont but if u do one thing you could have done is just dropped it on “accident of course” or spilled something on it and they replace it practically no questions asked… im sorry to hear that your local bestbuy is full of twats haha ill apologize on behalf of my business
I’ll never shop at Best buy again. My wife bought me an mp3 player – Tried to take it back within 8 days it was never opened. Could not find receipt, Manager would not even exchange it. My wife found the receipt and they were hesitant to return but store policy they had no choice. Then they said her account would be credited back, but not for a least 48hrs. It did not take them 48 hrs. to charge the account. Plenty of other stores like target will get my business instead.
hey keith,
i am extremely sorry to hear about your experience… i am actualy very familiar with best buys policies and how a very many people are pissed with the service they provice ( expecially geek squad ) but i also do know that there are some people that care in the stores. i for example work in the computers department at my local best buy for the past year or so. i am an extremely well trained computer technition, and i was raised with this little thing called compassion ( thank you mom!) i completely agree with you. the guys i work with are complete asses. i have seen my superiors in my dept jsut plainly blow off customers, and when i try to go the extra mile for someone i somehow get in trouble or even written up for disobaying orders ( what am i in the freaking military, no offense out there) and as for the service plan if you have one in my store and it goes out for repair with a part replaced ONCE you are given a new one. i happen to be a lucky one who works in a corporate store so they are allowed to bend the rules ( but of course im not for someone) either way sorry for the short novel the point i was trying to make is if you wanna talk to someone stat, call 1-877-mybbyhr for our human resources hotline thingy it may take a bit but you WILL get someone on the phone, and its the same number we have to call when we as employees have beef with ppl so i am very familiar with the number. again im sorry for what youve gone through. and if you do need to go to a bestbuy again come see a woman, we tend to be a little nicer 😉
disgruntled BBY employee
I completely agree. I have worked at Best Buy for over 2 years now in the operations department, i.e. the checkout lanes and customer service. I have seen the issues people bring in and there actually are people who are compassionate and people who just don’t care. There is a huge benefit to having those protection plans. They are not warranties though. Warranties would have gotten you nothing with those problems you had, well most of them anyway. It is really frustrating having to have your product sent out for service and wait but I would honestly rather wait for it to be fixed than to have to buy a new one. Which, without that plan, you would have had to do. There are always going to certain restrictions with protection plans or warranties anywhere you go. But you are talking down on the whole company instead of the one store that you had an issue with. (and the customer service person online) If you had issues with more than one store then there is a problem with the people there not understanding common customer service. At my store I know we go the extra mile to make our customers happy within our policy. They might not always get the expected outcome but majority of the time they are happy with the service we provide. And that is what really counts.
Cool, so we have two BB employees who have responded. For the record, I don’t think that Best Buy goes out of their way to hire evil employees. Actually, I don’t think that any of the people I dealt with were really malicious. They were just mindlessly following store policy. I’m sure they had no leeway to alter the procedure they were given to follow. They also look like they are kind of numb from dealing with pissed off customers all day, every day, and no matter what you say, they just let it roll off and refer back to the policy. That was really the most frustrating part, was not being able to find an individual who was willing or able to think and act for themself, see the absurdity of the situation and do something about it. It was only after repeated emails to the CEO that I got in touch with this woman, Jill, who was able to actually pull some strings, and then only after threats of reports to the Better Business Bureau and Attorney General.
The only reason I got results was that I pushed so hard, and the only reason for that is that we were talking about a $900 computer that was central to my livelihood. Had it been a $250 dvd player, I probably would have given up much easier.
Thanks for the info regarding the HR number. I can totally relate to this blog. I purchased a Samsung frig on 2/06 from Bestbuy and have had it serviced five times. In August, Samsung declared it unrepairable and said BestBuy would be getting in tough with me to replace it. It is now 1/2007 and I’m still waiting. I call BestBuy every day, they have no record of receiving anything from Samsung (same ole story) so I call Samsung immediately after the BB call. Samsung states they will fax the info (same ole story)and to wait for BB to call. What’s my next course of action? My warrenty is up in three weeks, I feel like they are just waiting me out.
Dude, this same thing happened to me but with a different electronic. It is a shame how they treat the customers with the loophole b.s. But eh. So I now some people that work at best buy, so does some of my family. So Im going to try to find out my own loophole, because it seems the only way to get what you want is to go to the exchange desk and know what you are talking about with your certain electronic. Sound smarter then the techs that work their and after about a 10-20 minuteds of arguieng they will finally give up. I am not giving up without a fight. lol. Believe me… anyways I have learned my lesson too and thanks for the info it seems like I am not the only one with this problem.
Well, i know this sucks and all… I work at a best buy and handle alot of geek squad etc… The no lemon policy takes effect when a unit is sent out 3 times, and has somthing replaced 3 times. then on the 4th time out, it is then up for and usually is claimed a junk out, then you get a new one. I totaly see how this makes people mad belive me. but for you to get mad and blame the company for somthing that is written to you on a brochure and notifies you to read further for full details. I mean best buy did nothing wrong. You had a bad experience, but it was nothing that had to do with the store, no matter how much you complained etc…they would stil have to send it out. I agree with you tho. it sucks it takes so long for it to go out and come back, then have it not fixed etc…
Jon, I acknowledge that the policy is written pretty much the way you said it is, and available to read. However, first of all, it is designed and presented in a way to deceive. When you go in, you are gleefully told by a salesperson that, “if it needs to be repaired three times, we’ll replace it.” This is patently false. But even the written material is carefully crafted to give you a false idea. Even the way you said it. The fact of the matter, and the simplest way to possibly say it is, “if the unit needs to be repaired FOUR times, it will be replaced.” Why say, “if it needs to be repaired three times and then needs to be repaired again…”??? This is like the old $1.99 price tag to hide the fact that something costs two dollars.
But even beyond that, the lemon policy, as I recall, merely says something like “a qualified repair”. It wasn’t until after my fourth repair that I was informed verbally that “a qualified repair” meant that it is sent out to the factory and has some hardware replaced. This is beyond deceptive. Since “qualified” is never defined in the agreement, it could really mean whatever they decide it means, and can change at any time.
OK, considering that all this is the policy, and it is written down (at least some of it) and it is being followed to the letter, I can see where you can say “Best Buy did nothing wrong”. But step back for a second and look at the big picture. Here I bought a computer and bought a special warranty and brought it in six separate times for repairs – repairs of the magnitude that the computer would not run at all – and somehow this was never covered by the lemon policy. This is my beef with Best Buy. It is a robotic system where nobody can apply judgment and say, “God, this guy’s computer has totally died six times. He must be totally pissed off. Let’s replace it and make him a happy customer.” Rather, it’s “well, yeah, it’s been repaired for six times, and he’s fuming and pissed off and vowing to never shop at Best Buy again and blogging about it and telling everyone he knows not to go there, but let’s just stick to our policy.”
I’m not even sure how it makes sense financially. Spending all that time on a pc, repairing it five, six times, shipping it out and back repeatedly, etc. has got to cost almost as much as it would have to just replace the damn thing. Furthermore, had they done so, I probably would have happily bought thousands of dollars of additional merchandise over the next several years. Now, I will never spend a dime there again.
And, just to be clear, the story didn’t end here. Be sure to read the follow up posts, to see that it got even much crazier.
http://www.bit-101.com/blog/?p=801
http://www.bit-101.com/blog/?p=802
http://www.bit-101.com/blog/?p=803
http://www.bit-101.com/blog/?p=805
http://www.bit-101.com/blog/?p=806
If you can read all that and still feel that “Best Buy did nothing wrong,” then congratulations, you are headed for top management.
Haven’t you guys ever heard of policies? All stores have them, hell even Wal-Mart has policies. Did you ever contact Toshiba, most of the time they’ll send you a new laptop. Like you said Best Buy doesn’t manufacture the product, we just sell it. I understand that you purchased a product service plan (not a replacement plan). Now, if people actually read the pamphlet, we wouldn’t be here discussing your issue, or anyone’s issue for that matter. I agree that you should have had the laptop replaced by the 4th time regarless of the issue. I work in customer service at Best Buy and understand it can be frustrating getting the run around. I can admit that all Best Buys are different and they shouldn’t be. You should have tried taking it to another Best Buy. I’m sure if you would have talked to the GM, he would have done something. At least my GM/manager would of. Our customer service ratings are higher now then what they were before. I don’t know if that helps or not. If not just keep shopping at Wally World and Circuit City. I’m sure their fire dogs are great.
For you ex-customers that say, ‘we purchase thousands of dollars a year from here’, shouldn’t mean were making exceptions left and right for you. Sometimes product is deleted from our system, which would mean you would have to have a receipt for a refund. As far as something being defective and being charged a restocking fee, it isn’t fair. Our technicians have to test the product out to determine if it’s defective. And when you purchase something on credit, it takes a few days to post; when you return it…expect the same.
WOW.
“Jon” sounds like every other brainwashed drone with the aptitude of a chimp employed on the best buy sales floor. I have worked at BB for 3 months now. Having worked at both the Apple Store and Micro Center dealing with customer complaints/returns, I am fairly well versed in company return policies.
Businesses exist to generate profit. Best Buy is no different. After weeks of pondering how a store like best buy can remain so profitable while providing customer service in the form of policy recitation, I have finally come to a realization.
Best Buy could care less about Keith or anyone elses computer. They simply perform all that is necessary to not get slapped with a lawsuit or have a claim with the BB filed against them. They will still sell computers to unsuspecting customers, and they will continue with the same charade until they are forced to stop. Companies like Micro Center generate their business based on the product knowledge of their employees along with their extreme customer centric policies.
Working at the returns desk at Micro Center was what really spoiled me for a job at a place like best buy. Our goal there was to keep customers happy, whatever it took. If a regular customer service rep couldn’t satisfy a customer, a manager was promptly on site to fix the problem, often times at the expense of the store. Micro Center may have lost a few dollars, but that customer was sure to return and recommend Micro Center to all of his/her friends. In my opinion, that is how a store should be run. If Best Buy could get it’s act together in that department, focus much less on standard operating procedure, and hire individuals who show a smidgen of compassion at least once a day, they would be a much better retailer.
I have even experienced a similar problem to Keith’s very recently. My dad purchased a Toshiba laptop a few years back, got to warranty, and on his third time back for repairs on the power jack, best buy started pulling out the loophole garbage. It’s so common it’s a wonder why there is no boycott of best buy great enough to actually deter a substantial amount of customers from going in and experiencing the same hardships.
e-mail me with an comments.EXCEPT you “bbycs”. If i wanted to speak with a mindless best buy customer service rep, i would drive down the street.
I use to work part time for Best Buy and I hated myself for selling the PSPs to customers because it’s just pure profit for the company and there are hardly any benefits that comes with it. I’m sorry to hear about your bad experience with Best Buy and I learned the corporation only cares about customer’s money. Best Buy should be called Over Priced!
So much to touch on, where do I begin?
Every Best Buy is different because every manager is different. If the manager cares about the store, the store’s staff and customer service reflect that. If he doesn’t, the store ends up not caring, and you get stores taking advantage of these “loopholes”.
I’ve worked for Best Buy for four months in computers now. My store doesn’t throw that garbage at you, and I’m sorry that some of your guys’ did. We have customers coming in for exchanges all the time due to the “third repair” policy.
PSP, Performance Service Plans, are not extended warranties. They go in place of the manufacturer warranty, not extending it. Technically, they aren’t warranties at all. They are the promise of service, at a flat price, if anything goes wrong with your computer. And if you didn’t have that explained to you when you considered purchasing it, thats our fault as salespeople for not informing you of that.
Sure, the PSP up front is pure profit for Best Buy. We are betting that you won’t use it. However, lets say you buy that $100 2yr PSP on your $900 laptop. Most computer repair shops will charge you $60+ per hour for service if something breaks, which you don’t have to pay, not to mention parts (which, for a laptop, are hugely expensive). That $100 2yr PSP also covers one free battery replacement, which the manufacturer warranty of 1 yr DOES NOT cover. There is a separate (usually 30, 60, or 90 day) warranty on the battery without a PSP. A replacement battery otherwise will usually cost you at least $150, depending on make and model.
The PSPs can be worth it if you get a bad apple from the factory, especially if you get a lemon. And only if you go to a good Best Buy with a manager who cares. Otherwise, yeah, avoid them.
My Best Buy is a smaller one that is located in a low-population mid-western state, and yet we are regularly in the top 100 for sales figures in the nation out of all the Best Buys (there are something like 800-900 of them). Why? Because our manager actually cares, and hates the surrounding Best Buy stores/managers who don’t. He therefore makes sure that most (you can never get them all) of his employees care. Therefore, our customer service is usually really good.
As far as testing us goes, yes, test us. Make sure you have a knowledgeable salesperson before you begin. I realize thats necessary, and I half expect it every time I greet a potential customer. Several of my coworkers know enough to get by, to BS their way through most stuff, and you need to avoid those guys if you can.
Just remember that, yes, we do occasionally have bad days where we are verbally assaulted by stupid customers. Some people buy a $400 Intel Celeron desktop/laptop, and expect it to be fast and able to handle the latest games and photo editing software. And when they didn’t get a PSP, yet don’t understand why… “I paid four hundred dollars for this machine, I should get free repair service for at least a few years!” So, if you suspect that the salesperson you are talking to has had one of those days, go easy on him/her, will ya? If they are so worn down that they start referring endless policies to you or giving you the run-around, and not giving you a good experience, get a different salesperson or a even a supervisor to help you instead.
But like I said before, if the store’s manager doesn’t care, all this advice is for naught, because it won’t matter. And I apologize for that, because the company shouldn’t be that way. I just thank God that the store I work in isn’t like that, and ask that you guys find other ones that have good managers as well, whether they are Best Buys or a Circuit City or whatever.
Actually Jason got a few things wrong. Im not a computer department employee like the past few people who work for best buy who replied. Im a geek squad tech. And im a good tech too. All my friends come to me with their technology questions. I school local shop techs when it comes to knowledge. Also i love my job. Geek Squad is an awesome place to work. Now to set the record straight. You claim you read in your PSP brochure that on the 4th repair you get a new one. Did you not read the rest of it or did it just slip right through your head. It explains all the stipulations on the no lemon rule. Not every state requires this but best buy as a corporation has enacted this policy to protect you from a bad “lemon” unit. Now we dont make any crazy rules when doing this. The item has to have 3 seperate hardware repairs or replacements. This does not include batteries, ac adapters or other accessories. Realigning a case is a bad tech at a service center. Sorry you got this but the tech being stupid doesnt entitle you to a new computer.
Now to the service plans. Jason had a few points wrong. The PSP does not replace the MFG warranty it strengthens it. What this means is in the first year if your computer breaks we actually bill the MFG. If a repair is not covered by MFG warranty then we service it but eat the cost of the repair or in the situation of a 3rd party repair (cameras and sony equipment) the repairer charges us. Also it was not covered that the PSP does not cover “everything” as most sales people like to say. (If you dont get it in writing it is just heresay cause I have no way of telling if your lieing or just have selective hearing or you may be tellign the truth) They do not cover any 3rd party software or Operation system issues. (Number one complaint at the geeksquad counter is that they thought virus removal is covered with a PSP or standard security package.)
Why do we push PSPs? Its cause we sell stuff for close to cost and sometimes below cost when it goes on sale. How do we make up for this? We sell you a 30 dollar USB cable and a service plan hoping the MFG didnt make a lemon. Then if they dont sell you this stuff they have to get lectured. Nobody like getting lectured to and that is why the sales people are so pushy.
I too work at Best Buy and in the computer department. Before working there, I was a customer who bought a $1000 notebook with a 3 year ADH PSP (covers accidental damage). When my notebook screen/hinge broke from opening and closing it too much, I was glad to have bought the PSP. After working in the computer department and better understanding the PSP Policies, I regretted that I had spent the extra $300 on a PSP. Why? To start out, your computer takes about a week to get fix (which is quite fast, but you are without a computer for a week). 2nd: Something that really bugs me is that whatever is being replaced/fixed 99.9% of the time old refurbished parts are being used. 3rd: it took 5 visits to the “Geed Squad” before the computer was consider “junk out exchange” or better known as the “lemon”. That means that someone will be without a notebook for about 2 months. Before I sent mine out, I bought a new laptop, and did I buy the PSP?…NO!!! I feel it’s better to just buy a new one with those $300 saved on the PSP and not to mention valuable time. I sold these PSP’s on a daily bases buy feel bad about it, and that is why I stopped working in the Computer department. Last but not least: The computer is replaced with something comparable which is horrible because the majority of us know that technology advances and computers (especially PC’s) depreciate in value. That to me means that a computer bought for $1000, three years from that day (or less) know will be worth 1/2 the price. As for me, I’m never buying extended warranties, PSP’s , or whatever the store may call them anymore. All in all, it’s just a waste of Money and Time. To all these people who had this type of experience, I hear you.
My husband just bought his laptop November 23,2008 Sunday. We arrived at 3 PM and we were able to get the laptop at 4:48 PM. It so much wasted our time!!!We got the run around when we ask for our order. So many employees but they’re just going around. Attending to every customer for a while but not focusing on one. So, it seemed that the agent that we talked to about buying and getting the laptop JUST FORGOT about our order, so the wait. It was just a mess that we nearly abandoned our order.
“Their “service” really sucks. Their “techs” do not appear to know much about computers at all.” by Ralph Compton, September 23, 2008 6:52 AM. Yeah,Ralph…YOU’RE RIGHT!!!
Best Buy should change their name to Best Wait..I think. I am very disappointed.
Wow there’s a lot going on here.
I’ve worked at Best Buy for close to 4 YEARS now and I’ve sold a product from every catagory at least once. It is entirely true that we make profit on the protection plan, but it’s just like insurance. You have health insurance in case you break your leg. You don’t hope to acually break your leg (at least most of us don’t), but you have it just in case. It’s the same with the protection plans. You should buy them and hope to not have to use it, but it’s always comforting to know that it’s there if you need it.
It’s also important to know that (and this is at any retailer) if you don’t purchase a plan of some sort, the retailer is only going to help you throughout the return period. I used to work full time in Appliances and I had many customers get furious with me because their $1000 washing machine they bought 8 months ago is broken and there’s nothing the store can do to help them other than give them the phone number to the manufacturer. We offer the plans as a way for us to guarentee the quality of the product and so we can be there if something goes wrong.
We also don’t have a way of bending policy. When you buy the plan you are agreeing to the policy. When we sign the paperwork to work there, we state that we will follow policy. We’re unable to issue a replacement unit unless we’re told by the service center that we can because our corporation has delegated that responsibility to them and not us. As somebody stated above, every retailer has policy and at some point, you’ll probably have a conflict with it. I’m sure there’s similar threads out there saying not to shop at Wal-Mart or Target or other retailers for similar issues. Just remember that a retailer won’t do something to put a customer at a disadvantage.
Finally, when it comes to returns. We simply don’t do no receipt returns anymore, period. It’s stated on the back of the receipt and at all registers that a receipt is required for any returns. A way to protect yourself is to sign up for Reward Zone. We don’t sell your information or anything like that, you get free money to spend at BBY, plus if we scan your RZ card at the time of purchase, we can look up your receipt with just your phone number. And for the credit back on the card thing, it’s not us that causes the hold up. Our point of sale sends information immeaditely to your card company and they take 24-48 hours to credit the account.
I could go on for pages, but I’ll stop here. I’m not saying BBY is perfect or anything and we really do have a lot that needs to be fixed, but just remember we’re people, too. Not all of us are assholes. We just have to follow rules just like you probably have to at your job.
Keith: I’m right there with you. I bought a Sony Vaoi not even 1-1/2 yrs ago and I’ve had it in Best Buys three times. The first time they had to replace the hard drive and gave me some story as to why my CD/Rom was not working. They also told me there was a conflic with the Norton Anti-Virus program I had on there and they removed that and sold me a spyware program as well a new antivirus program. I took it back again because it would freeze and tell me “not responding” and the only way I could turn it off was to pull the plug and take out the battery (recommended by BB geek). The CD/Rom once again was not working. They told me there was a conflict with the software. Took it back again just this weekend because again, it’s not responding/freezing and the CD/Rom is not working. Again, a software conflict. We got the store manager and made them check it out at the counter while we waited. We got there @ 1:30 and didn’t leave until 9:00 (we did a couple errands but came right back and got in their face.) After testing it over and over, they determined it is not the hardware but is the software. They kept it over the weekend and installed a completely new Vista Windows software program. I’ve had it home two nights and once again, the CD/Rom is not working. I’m so frustrated, I’m ready to throw the computer out and buy another one. Oh, BTW, BB’s started blaming me for downloading bad files. I only download from trusted websites that I know. I run a small wedding business and any downloads have been from my trusted vendor sites. Like you .. I’ll never buy another computer from them. My husband bought a Compaq laptop from Comp USA in Maryalnd a month after I got mine and has had no problem at all with “software conflicts”. BB flat out told me they will not swap out my computer (I did not buy the extended warranty). I’m checking out our Maryland Computer Lemon Laws to see what I can do. This computer is supposed to be a tool for my business and is nothing but a stressfull piece of crap!
All i have to say, is, what do you think Wal Mart would do in this situation? If you think Best Buy is horrible, then you dont know anything about poor customer service. Atleast Best Buy offers service plans and is doing SOMETHING to get your computer working again. Im not saying that by Wal Mart having piss poor customer service makes it ok for Best Buy to give you a bad experience. But, you should be thankful that you didnt just purchase a $900 computer and now have to buy a new one, atleast Best Buy is trying to get this one to work out for you. The only reason i’m defending Best Buy is because i’ve only had good customer service while shopping there. Every time i walk into a Best Buy store i feel respected, and i get treated like an actual person, not just a customer. I feel sorry for the fact that you didnt walk away with a good experience from them. You should try to speak to the store manager and let him or her know that you aren’t satisfied with the way things were handled, and maybe he or she will try to clear things up for you. best of luck! (:
Hey! I read your story just now. I went through the same process, while I was still in college and had to end up sitting in the computer lab of my school for over half a year. The VAIO I got them from was a piece of junk, but…my lemon policy worked. I finally got a replacement and got a MAC. No more PCs. macs have the best operating systems 🙂 This thing has NOT broken down once in two years.
you guys are all idiots.
its not that best buy employees dont care about what your buying…its why should we?!
we give you the best advice we know…thats it. we work for a company and have to follow the rules the company gives us. if that means charging you a re-stock fee so be it. just because losers like all of you arent happy with their camera or computer, doesnt mean we should have to pay all the back fees to sending it back to the mfg. its a buisness…if we were there to make exceptions and every customer happy…it wouldnt be as sucessful of a buisness. not to mention best buy employees are not paid on commision so we have no reason not to give you the best advice. buy your computers whereever you like…but when it breaks…you can send it to the mfg instead of comming into the store. NOT ALL OF OUR SERVICE PLANS are sent out to service, with mfg like hp and asus/acer computers…we replace them instore. so instead of holding a grudge because ur 1 bad experience was based on ur incompetence to the economy and how to stay in buisness these days…let go and buy a computer from people who know what there doing and dont get paid to sell you the products.
NOT to mention, people are silly enough to scream like idiots at the cust svc counter when their laptop breaks and say you sold me a broken computer its your fault….HA HA as if Best buy makes the computers…news FLASH…we get them sent in. if you dont like it…oh well!
I also work for Best Buy. I welcome all of the dissatified customer to run to Target or Walmart to buy yours computers. If you hd a bad experience I’m sorry but you are the evception not the rule. Sure every now and then we have a problem solving your situation. But I see a hundred happy customers and a handfull of problem cust’s. So I invite you to go where Customer service doesn’t exist and I’ll see you when you’ve had enough of that
I think you guys are just going to the wrong Best Buy. I freaking LOVE Best Buy. When the store first opened up where I live, HD TV’s had just come out. I went and bought a 55″ for about $4,000 and luckily got the Black Tie Protection Plan. In a little less than a year, it had completely stopped working. I took it in and they found that it was really broken, but by the time I brought it back, tv’s had dramatically dropped in price and the tv i got was only about $2,000. So, they gave me a new tv and gave me $2,000 in story credit and i was able to buy a kick-ass sound system for my house. After that, I refused to go anywhere else to buy anything that Best Buy carries. I’m total fine paying a little extra for great customer service (I do take the price matching sometimes though) . When I first got out of high school and started college, I snagged a job at Wal-Mart and I can promise you that the only thing you will get there is a lower price, no customer care or help with what you’re looking for. Another great thing about Best Buy is nobody works commission. This makes it feel like a much more personal experience for me because the sales people aren’t just trying to shove the most expensive products ans plans down my throat, they are genuinely trying to help me. Char Libertini is up there complaining because she didn’t buy a protection plan and they won’t hand over a brand new computer. It’s your fault, you should have known that, without a protection plan, after 30 days the manufacturer is really the only one that can help you. I know a lot of people have already said something to this effect, but at least Best Buy tries to help. Go anywhere else and you will get absolute no help. I myself am a Best Buy shopper for life, so maybe you should all just come take a visit to the store where I live.
okay ur story makes no sense. By the way if ur computer gets send out 3 times on the 4th time best buy replaces it. So good try.
I LOVE BEST BUY.
So this didn’t change my mind at all, and unfortunately there are some people out there weak minded that just by reading this article will never actually go and decide for their own.
Society loves having people make their decisions.