I purchased several laptop computers from Best Buy Store number 493 for myself and some colleagues at work.
I recently experienced a problem with one of the units, it happened to be mine, and took it back to Best Buy to have it fixed or replaced. I figured since I spend over $10k a year at Best Buy for my company alone, not to mention personal purchases, and since I purchased an insurance program covering any damage or malfunction, which cost several hundred dollars, I assumed I would be treated kindly and be given some helpful options to remedy my issue.
I proceeded to the Geek Squad area to present my issue. I was greated by two individuals who clearly know less about computers than I do, but I guess that's what you get for $8 an hour. They informed me that the only thing they could do was to send my laptop off to some other facility where they can elaluate it and decide if they can fix it or if the unit needs to be replaced.
The "customer service" reps told me it would take at least two weeks to for them to look at the issue. This caused great concern having recently seen the lawsuit filed by a fellow DC resident after they lost her computer and offered no resolution.
I asked for a simple answer of how long it would take and they could not give that information. Since I travel for work and use this laptop I can obviously not go without it for months? At a time as Best Buy would seem to suggest.
I asked to speak with a manager (Cordelia was who I spoke with). She provided no additional assistance. I asked who a decision maker was who could help me and she said there was no one.
They told me the service center was in Louisville, KY. I asked to speak with them and they said I was not allowed. I told them I could go to the service center since I would be in the area to have it fixed. I was then told that it had to come from the Best Buy store.
I kept asking for any other alternative and they offered none except to surrender my laptop to a group of idiots I wouldn't trust with a butter knife.
I was then approached by an Alexandria police officer, at the request of the store manager, and informed by the officer (Officer Santos 2022 phone 703-838-6360 ext 1378) of Best Buy's Policy relative to warranties. I politely questioned the officers knowledge of the Best Buy Policy and wanted to know why he was speaking on behalf of Best Buy. He simply stated that he worked in the store a lot.
He threatened to arrest me for trespassing if I didn't leave and suggested I call BestBuy corporate. I was very offended by this display as people were now starring at me. I thought it a very odd approach since I hadn't yelled at anyone or used any foul or degrading language toward anyone. To make it worse, I had my 1 year old son with me. Also, if Best Buy wanted me to leave the store, why didn't they ask me?
Anyway, I told the officer I would be happy to leave and talk to corporate, which I had offered to do much earlier, but that I wanted an actual person's name and phone number, not a "customer service" line.
The officer said he would get a number. Of course he came back with a 1-800 number and no contact person.
This situation is disturbing on several levels. Best Buy provided no help to a valuable customer, they did not honor their own warranty program, they try to have customers with technical problems arrested for trespassing becaus ethey can't handle the situation, the police officer whose salary is paid by my taxes is taking orders from a BestBuy manager who probably didn't graduate high school, and scarce police resources are being wasted on issues businesses are responsible while crime is rampant.
I am in disbelief with not only Best Buy, but also the Alexandria Police Department. I was threatened and harrassed for no reason and was made to feel powerless.
James
Arlington, Virginia
U.S.A.
0 comments