It appears Best Buy has a GREAT SCAM going on (only one can believe after reading other stories online, that they have not been investigated). My daughter purchased a Compaq-Presario Notebook with Intel Celeron M Processor 440-C509NR online on 2/18/07, (this item could only be purchased online) for a grand total of $465.20. She called me to tell me that she received a confirmation email that the order was received. I then went online to check my checking account and sure enough, within 5 minutes after she had placed the order, the money was placed on hold and would be withdrawn from my account on the next business day (Tuesday 2/20/07 since Monday was a holiday). The next day, my daughter calls me hysterical asking me if the money was in the account etc. She received a "CANCELLATION NOTICE" (notice was dated 2/19/07,22 hours AFTER the order was placed and a ORDER CONFIRMATION was received!) I then went online again and confirmed that there was a $465.20 difference being held against my account and that the money would be withdrawn on the next banking day. She then called the customer service # and was told that there was nothing that they could do. The order was CANCELLED. She asked to speak to a supervisor and they said she would have to wait 5-6 days (what kind of an answer is that? Do all supervisors go on a Supervisor Vacation in the same week?) She then called me and I then called Best Buy's Customer Service Department. The girl told me that she could not talk to me since I was not one who purchased the item. I explained that the money was being withdrawn from my account so she better talk to me. I then got my daughter on her cell phone and told her what was going on and said that I needed the phone number that the order was placed under as well as me possibly needing her to allow them to talk to me about the matter. The girl said that it was probably a problem with the card since we used it jointly and she did not enter the proper information in. I then told her that she had used my card several times before online through Best Buy as well as in the store with no problem before. Also, that my daughter has used her card that she has jointly with her fiancé the same way with no problem. I was told that I could not get the laptop that we ordered since it was sold out (note that this item was on sale for $100 off the ORIGINAL PRICE and over $100 LESS than other stores). The only thing that she could do was send it to the Credit Department to get me a credit on my card (I would only EXPECT that to happen since I WAS NOT going to get the laptop that was ordered!). I then told her that I would be reporting this to the BBB as well as News Stations (ABC, NBC, CBS etc) that I believed that this was a "SCAM". She told me that she was documenting what I said and would give me a case # and the credit department would give me a credit once they do their normal processing procedures. I then called the Corporate Headquarters (Best Buy Co., Inc., Corporate Headquarters, P.O. Box 9312, Minneapolis, MN 55440-9312, Phone # 612-291-1000). After speaking to the receptionist and telling her what my plans were to report this issue, she sent me to the corporate customer service rep and after approximately 10 min on hold, she asked me what the problem was. I then explained it and was told there was nothing she could do other than send me back to the main customer service complaint department, since she cannot look up the information on her system. She also told me not to take no for and answer and ask to speak to a supervisor (which I explained my daughter and I both tried that to no avail). She proceeded to forward me BACK to where I already spoke to. Another 5-10 min go by and a rep who told me that before he let me speak with a supervisor, that maybe he could assist me with the problem. I explained what had happened. He said he could not see why it was cancelled but the only thing that could be done at this point was to get a "Comparable" laptop. I told him that was what we would be willing to do since my daughter NEEDED to replace the one we bought a few years ago from them since it wasn’t working properly (Geek Squad is another issue and just as an FYI DO NOT BUY ANY EXTENDED WARRANTIES FROM THEM GEEK SQUAD DOES NOTHING TO REPAIR THE PROBLEMS AND HOLDS YOUR COMPUTER AS RANSOM FOR MONTHS ON END AND IT COMES BACK IN WORSE SHAPE THAN WHEN IT WENT IN!!!) He proceeded to tell me the next compatible one was for $100 more. I then said would you want to pay $100 more for something someone told you that you SHOULD HAVE HAD for $100 LESS? To which I received no answer. He told me there was nothing that could be done since the computer we ordered was now given to someone else and the item was "SOLD OUT", and no more could be purchased at the sale price. I then said I wanted the supervisor and INCISTED to speak to one. The Supervisor named "Chris" then said he could not understand WHY the order was CANCELED but would forward the issue to the Solution Team and that I should receive a response within 24 Hours. I would be credited the $465.20 back to my account, but would have to wait for a reason. The answer in my opinion..."Called BAIT AND SWITCH!" Other companies have done this same thing before and were finally investigated and brought down with heavy fines and jail sentences for the scam! Just a few weeks ago, they had a laptop on sale in the store for $300 but only 5 were in each store. The manager's came out and said that there were lines around the door before 5am (well before they opened) of people looking to get the laptop. The same day, we tried looking online for a laptop that was comparable to that same price, but they were all sold out online, but you could buy one for $500 or more! Again, this company should be investigated. Reminder, anyone who has a complaint against this company should do exactly what I am planning to do REPORT THEM TO THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU as well as YOUR LOCAL NEWS STATIONS and NEWSPAPER COMPANIES. These places love to eat these places up and spit them out�.
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