I used to love Best Buy until today. We have spent a LOT of money with Best Buy and have, in general been treated with respect, but today changed my opinion of Best Buy forever.
We have on several occasions in the past had to return items for various reasons and never had a problem getting an item covered. But today one of our three sons Nintendo DS had a problem with the screen, so knowing we had purchased a 2 year extended warranty and had already returned one of the other boys DS's without a problem, we hopped in the car and with the DS in hand entered the store and patiently waited in line.
When we got to the counter, the young girl handed the unit off to a person to check it while she looked up our information. While she was still searching the tech brought the DS back and said if it has a policy, replace it. She verified that it had an extended warranty, but here is where the problem comes in. The Nintendo DS has a small sticker on the bottom that has the Serial number printed on it. The sticker had come off, so the girl needed to go check with her manager to see if they could do the exchange for a new unit.
I had experienced this the last time we exchanged our other sons DS and they had exchanged it no problem so I waited, thinking this is just a formality.
A woman then comes over to explain to me that the unit cannot be returned because the sticker had been removed and they could not honor the Warranty Policy.
I was in disbelief. I explained that we paid in good faith for an extended warranty, had never had a problem and that there had to be a way to verify this was our unit. I was told that the screen cover had also been removed, so there was obvious abuse.
I explained that I have spent a lot of money at Best Buy and she said I could contact corporate or Nintendo if I wanted to complain, to which I responded the before I contact corporate and refuse to spend another cent at Best Buy for the rest of our lives, could they at least remove the small cover on the back cover secured with a small screw in the battery area and see if there was a Serial number so they could very our purchase.
She disappeared for several minutes and came back and told me that they didn't have a screw driver small enough and that they couldn't do anything about it anyway because the screen was damaged.
I said that it's a screen saver and there isn't anything wrong with it and she said that there is nothing they can do that the screen is damaged and they can't take it back. I took my copy of the receipt and said this isn't over and left.
I went home, and looked at the other two DS's we had and one was missing the Serial Number sticker and the (the recently replaced unit) still had a sticker on it, but the Serial Number was completely faded to the point of being unreadable.
With this still intake but faded sticker DS in hand I returned to the store and asked the girl if we could start over. All this time I am remaining respectful and cordial despite the frustration I was feeling.
I explained that the fairly new replacement unit has a sticker, but no legible Serial Number. She says that unit shouldn't be a problem to exchange if it had a problem because it still has a sticker, but not the other unit. My 6 year old son is standing next to me the whole time on both occasions, so I am not going to start yelling at this young lady, but I am going to explain why I am dissatisfied.
I stated the sticker not being there should not be a reason to not honor and cover a defective product through normal wear and tear, just because the Serial Number sticker came off, but the DS with the faded and illegible Serial Number would be ok to exchange if it had a problem. At this point she tells me that they can't' do anything anyway because the screen was damaged. I pulled out a safety pin from my pocket, removed the screen protector and showed here there was absolutely nothing wrong with the screen.
By this point there is a guy standing on each side of her listening to our discussion. And I am, although normally not an easily upset person at all, but by now I am actually beginning to feel agitated. I am basically told sorry, you paid for an extended warranty, but we are going to void it on a technicality.
My 6 year old cried the first time we left and I wasn't going to let him feel like these people just took his opportunity for a working DS away, so I smiled, said I would have my attorney write a letter. Turned around and began to loudly chant my personal opinion, "BUY A WARRANTY FROM BEST BUY, TAKE A CHANCE THEY WON'T HONOR IT!!!" and began very slowly walking towards the front door, REPEATING THIS THE WHOLE WAY. Every customer in sight and earshot starts to watch what's going on.
By the time I got to the front door, there were Best Buy male employees rushing to the door. I walked into the parking lot and continued my raised voiced, but not shouting chant at which point one of the employees told me if I said it one more time he would call the Police.
VERY BAD idea... I said it again, then told them to go ahead and call the cops. Up till that point I was gradually making my way to my car, but his comment made me stop and begin to continue my chant at the front door, outside the store so everyone in the store and the parking lot within earshot could hear it.
So they said we're calling the cop and one of them started to use their cell phone and called 911. I said again to go ahead and then asked exactly what were they going to have the cops charge me with. They said Public Nuisance, maybe Disturbing the peace, so I said good luck making that fly; I'm entitled to express my opinion and went right into my chant again. At this point the guy making the original comment about calling the police, pleaded with me to PLEASE leave. I couldn't refuse and still have a leg to stand on if the police actually did show up, so I said, OK and then started to baby step to my car repeating loudly again and again my opinion of their warranty. Full parking lot, people smiling and laughing at how freaked out hte Best Buy employees were. PRICELESS.
I didn't get my sons DS replaced, but I got some satisfaction from the look on the employee's faces. There were 7 of them at the front door by the time we started walking to our car again. More by the time I slowly drove out of the parking lot.
Regardless, I was treated like a scum bag, was denied a valid warranty claim on a technicality after they had already replaced a unit without a Serial Number AND more than anything else they hurt my 6 year old son and made him cry. I was glad he didn't cry the second time and I told him don't ever forget that people can let people take advantage of them or they can do something about it. I went to WALMART and bought him a DS.
L never buy another thing from best buy. They just lost a customer for life.
As a CEO for a very successful company, that was a pretty stupid move on their part. They lost tens of thousands of dollars in sales, who knows what I would have bought our kids to go to college or when they bought their first home or as a wedding gift. All for $119 retail.
LOSERS doesn't even describe it.
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