In January Best Buy ran an add for Pioneer's 5020 Kuro plasma panel for $2199.99, which at the time was a $1300 savings. This sale was about a month before Pioneer announced that they will be pulling out of the television market.
I went into Best Buy's Almaden location in San Jose, CA to buy one and was told they do not have the panel in stock, will not be getting anymore, and would not be able to order one for me, but they were more then happy to sell me another manufacturers panel. Nowhere in their add did it state that this panel had limited availability or was not eligible for a rain check. None of the other stores in the area had the panel in stock either, nor did Best Buy's website. To me this is a case of bait and switch.
I e-mailed Brian Dunn and was contacted by Jill Nezworski and also by the General Manager for the area Melissa Shadiow. I was given an open ended question to how I wanted my matter resolved and was not presented a solution. I was not very happy about this, told them how I felt, and asked for my Reward Zone account to be canceled.
About a month later I e-mailed Jill with my desired resolution. Jill and Melissa left this matter open ended, so I figured why not they asked me how I wanted my issue resolved. It took me a while, but I figured out how they could correct their wrong doings.
Below you will find the complete unedited dialog of my dealings with them. Never once did they address my feelings regarding their bait and switch tactics.
From:
Sent: Monday, January 19 10:49 PM
To: Dunn, Brian (Executive)
Subject: Concern about current add
Dear Sir,
This evening I went to my local Best Buy store on Almaden Expressway and asked a sales associate where I could find the Pioneer PDP-5020FD that you currently have on the front page of your add for $2,199.99. He informed me after checking stock that they do not have that particular model and none of the stores in the surrounding area had it in stock either. I asked if I could make my purchase and pick the item up at a later date and was told I could not, because the warehouse also did not have the item in stock and it would not be replenished. I was not even offered a Rain Check, which was also a bit of a disappointment. The sales associate told me that this was a discontinued model, which I find rather amusing since Pioneer currently lists this model as current and I am unable to find the replacement model anywhere.
I came home to order the television from your website and was not able to do that either. The website stated that the item was not available for delivery or store pick up in my area. I find this very frustrating. Can you please explain to me why you are advertising a television that I am not able to purchase from your brick and mortar store or your website and why I was told this TV is no longer manufactured? No where in your add or on the door of the store does it state that this television's availability is limited, discontinued, or does not qualify for a rain check. This is very poor customer service and don't understand why you would put this television on the front page of your add when you knew of it's limited availability. I also feel that this advertising tactic is a case of bait and switch. Please right this wrong.
Buy.com is currently advertising the same Pioneer television you are for the price of 2299.99 and is including a Pioneer Blu-Ray player (model numberBDP-51FD). Here is the link; http://www.buy.com/prod/pioneer-kuro-pdp-5020fd-bundle-50-1080p-plasma-hdtv-w-free-blu-ray-bdp/q/loc/111/210633886.html. I came to your store, because you offer great financing terms, I'm a Reward Zone member, and prefer to make my purchases from a brick and mortar store. What can you do for me?
Best Regards,
Eric S *
From: "Jill Nezworski"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, January 21 6:41: 16 AM
Subject: RE: Concern about current add
Eric S *:
Thank you for your email and allowing us the opportunity to assist further. Please allow me some time to follow up with our local teams and I will be in contact with you shortly.
Thank you so much.
Jill Nezworski
Senior Executive Resolution Specialist
Best Buy, Inc.
Desk (612) 292-0072
Fax (952) 430-4918
From:
Sent: Wednesday, January 28 2:43 PM
To: Nezworski, Jill
Subject: Re: Concern about current add
Jill,
Could you please update me on the status of my concern? Thank you.
Best Regards,
Eric
From: Nezworski, Jill
Sent: Wednesday, January 28 2:49 PM
To:
Subject: RE: Concern about current add
I heard from the store last night and they are in the process of reviewing this. I will ask that they contact you today if at all possible. Please let me know if you do not hear anything by tomorrow AM.
Sent By:
"Melissa Shadiow" On: Jan 01/28/09 1:46 PM
To:
Dear Eric,
My name is Melissa Shadiow and I am the General Manager for Best Buy off Almaden Expressway. I received your email about a your concern in regards to the ad that brought you into our store on 1/19/09 for the Pioneer PDP-5020FD. I would like to discuss your concern with you and find out what I can personally do to correct the issue. You may contact me at 408-979-1591.
Melissa Shadiow
General Manager #190
From:
Sent: Monday, February 09 3:23 PM
To: Nezworski, Jill; Shadiow, Melissa
Subject: Re: Concern about current add
Dear Jill and Melissa,
Thank you for you concern regarding the Pioneer 5020 you had in your ad a few weeks back that I contacted you about. I'm sorry for my delayed response. I just wanted to let you know that I contacted my local Magnolia on Winchester Blvd in San Jose and I was able to purchase the television there for the price you advertised and they also matched the deal I found on Buy.com and included a Pioneer Blu-Ray player.
At this time I have no reason to give Best Buy any more of my business. I have had far too many problems with your Almaden store, which I have written the corporate office about, I can purchase Blu-Rays online from several different sites at a fraction of a cost without having to pay shipping, and I have received nothing but excellent customer service from Magnolia. At this time I would like to have my Reward Zone account canceled. It is attached to telephone number 408-*-* and is under my name. Thank you again for your time and attention to this matter.
Best Regards,
Eric S *
Sent By:
"Jill Nezworski" On: Feb 02/10/09 6:28 AM
To:; "Melissa Shadiow"
Best Buy is disappointed to read that you no longer wish to shop with us in the future. I know that you have contacted us in the past and we have always resolved your concerns by involving our store management or by offering gift cards. Nevertheless, as you requested, your Reward Zone account has been cancelled.
Best,
Jill
Sent By:
On: Feb 02/10/09 11:20 AM
To: "Jill Nezworski"
Jill,
Thank you for canceling that for me. I just want to let you know that I appreciate what you did for me in the past and always kept that in mind. If I would have been contacted and told the television I was looking for was available and could be shipped to the Almaden location, I would have remained a customer and that's all I was looking for.instead the reply I got was not a solution, but a request from your organization to contact them once again and for me to request a solution. This is the reason I decided to take my business elsewhere and went to Magnolia. I knew I wasn't going to get $1,300 in gift cards or store credit to use to purchase a TV and quite honestly could not think of another resolution. Thank you again for your time.
Best Regards,
Eric
Sent By:
On: Mar 03/19/09 9:33 PM
To: "Jill Nezworski" Jill. [email protected]
Jill,
The last time I heard from you, I was asked how I would like my issue resolved. I e-mailed back and never heard a response. It has been quite some time and not even and acknowledgment. Very disappointing, but I was reading AVS Forum and noticed that Best Buy has the Pioneer Elite SC-05 on sale for $999.98 this week. Now I know how your organization can make it up to me, I'll take one and become a happy and loyal Best Buy customer again. It will be the perfect companion for the Pioneer 5020 your company advertised for 2199, but refused to order or obtain one for me and it's less then the $1,300 store credit that should have been provided to me due to your companies error. If I can't pick it up at a store you can ship it to Eric S *, * * * Dr, San Jose, CA *. Thanks in advance.
Best Regards,
Eric
Sent By:
"Jill Nezworski" On: Mar 03/20/09 6:28 AM
To:
We emailed you no less than 4-times. Your last email said to close your Reward Zone account. On 2/10/09, we replied to that email and accommodated your request. Since that date, we have not received any additional correspondence from you.
Best Buy cannot provide a free, $999.99, item for your inconvenience. If you would like to purchase it from BestBuy.com, we can certainly provide you with free shipping in addition to a 10% off discount for your inconvenience.
Sent By:
On: Mar 03/20/09 7:23 AM
To: "Jill Nezworski" Jill. [email protected]
Jill,
Actually my last e-mail thanked you for closing my account and you are the one that never responded. Here is the e-mail I sent on February 10.
Jill,
Thank you for canceling that for me. I just want to let you know that I appreciate what you did for me in the past and always kept that in mind. If I would have been contacted and told the television I was looking for was available and could be shipped to the Almaden location, I would have remained a customer and that's all I was looking for.instead the reply I got was not a solution, but a request from your organization to contact them once again and for me to request a solution. This is the reason I decided to take my business elsewhere and went to Magnolia. I knew I wasn't going to get $1,300 in gift cards or store credit to use to purchase a TV and quite honestly could not think of another resolution. Thank you again for your time.
Best Regards,
Eric
Melissa sent me an e-mail asking what she could do for me. I can forward you a copy if you like. As you can see in my e-mail I stated that I was disappointed, because you and her put the duty of resolving the issue back on me the customer. Now I come to you with a resolution and you refuse it. Your company can provide what I'm asking for. That is pocket change for Best Buy. Your company is the one that is guilty of misrepresentation and false advertisement and is the one that dropped the ball. I did nothing wrong.
Eric
Sent By:
"Jill Nezworski" On: Mar 03/20/09 7:36 AM
To:
You're right, I didn't respond to that email because I think we acknowledge your frustration and did try in good faith to contact you. You stated that you took your business elsewhere and we cancelled your membership.
Sent By:
On: Mar 03/20/09 8:49 AM
To: "Jill Nezworski" Jill. [email protected]
Jill,
That e-mail should have told you that you did not address my frustration and deep down I still wanted to patronize Best Buy. Everyday since I sent that e-mail I checked my mailbox hoping that you would have acknowledged that my needs were not met and I would have something waiting for me. Your company did ask what they could do for me, which I pointed out in the e-mail was an unacceptable solution. Now, I'm letting you know and you are refusing. Such bad customer service. Don't you think it's unethical to advertise something to a customer, refuse to honor that add, and then try and bait and switch the customer into buying something else? That is such a poor business practice and in some States illegal. I am asking for a Receiver that costs your company between $600-$700 to purchase, which you turn around and sell for $999.98-$1,699.98. I don't think I'm asking for much and is definitely on par with the compensation I have received in the past for the poor customer service and misinformation that I have received at your Almaden location. Now I'm asking one more time, can I go pick this up or is it going to be shipped to me?
Best Regards,
Eric
Sent By:
"Jill Nezworski" On: Mar 03/20/09 9:09 AM
To:
Eric:
Best Buy is unable to accommodate that request for a free item. We regret that you had difficulties and we take them seriously and forwarded to our upper management for review and action at the store level. You are welcome to that item at a 10% discount if you like and free shipping.
Sent By:
On: Mar 03/20/09 12:04 PM
To: "Jill Nezworski" Jill. [email protected]
Jill,
I find that 10% off is insulting when we are dealing with a $1300 discrepancy. Your organization gave me an open ended question for a solution and told me I would be taken care and now I am answering with a reasonable solution at that is being refused. Not acceptable. You should have given me a resolution when I first came to you, but instead you choose to leave it open. At this time I am requesting that my issue, along with all of our correspondence (including Melissa's) be forwarded higher and I want a response from them. The amount of money this receiver costs can be taken from that stores quarterly earnings and will effect that store, not the big picture and maybe it will help other customers and make that store realize they need to drastically improve their customer service. Most have my career has been in retail, so I know this is possible and have seen it done. There is my request and solution. Please forward. Thank you in advance.
Eric
Sent By:
"Jill Nezworski" On: Mar 03/20/09 12:15 PM
To:
Beset Buy feels that our offer has been fair and is unable to entertain your request. Our General Manger, and myself, reached out to you when this issue was first reported but a resolution was not met. You have received Best Buy's response, and current offer, as a whole. Should you have a future concern, you may certain contact us at that time. However, this will be our final response regarding this experience.
Kind regards,
Jill
Sent By:
On: Mar 03/20/09 4:11 PM
To: "Jill Nezworski" Jill. [email protected]
Jill,
A resolution was not met, because you nor your General Manager offered or presented one at the time I initially asked for one. Like I have said several times before, you left the matter open ended. At this time I will be forwarding this issue along with all correspondence to my local paper, Consumer Action organization, and will also be contacting the BBB and informing them of your advertisement practices. There are several complaints that I have read on that regarding Best Buy's bait and switch tactics. I also asked you to forward this higher, which you have refused to do. This is not a threat and your actions are not acceptable, in fact I told you that your offer was insulting. I can get that price all day long at a local retailer and get it the same day to avoid waiting for a shipment. It was also your option to provide me with store credit to use towards the purchase of the item in question, but you failed to do that also. Another failure.
Eric
San Jose, California
U.S.A.
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