Best Buy complaint - Input Appreciated

[KSUowls]

Re: Best Buy complaint - Input Appreciated

I've called and talked to 3 different CSR guys at Best Buy and 1 supervisor over the last month or so. They have all told me that I was "lucky to get 2 months worth of refunds". I even had the supervisor escalate my complaint to corporate.

To be honest I'm not sure if it is technically "insurance" or not. When I looked into it more closely it is part of the Geek Squad protection plan which I guess is all in-house. Whether or not that means the same thing from a legal perspective I don't know.

I agree that I should have cancelled, and I certainly deserve some blame here. I just can't accept being charged for a service that was not provided to me. Especially when I've been a loyal customer there for years, and the Customer Service Reps can actually trace and see in there system where I:
1: traded in my old phone that I bought through them, that had the protection plan through them
2: Bought a new phone from them
3: Bought new insurance.

When they pulled up my account and basically repeated these events to me I asked why can't you give me a full refund. The response is just "it's against policy".

I'm not normally one to complain, but it just seems unreasonable to me for them to not give a full refund when they can so clearly see each of the events that took place in their store.

Personally I think it's unethical and bad for a customer relationship. Especially considering my "Silver" status with them.

Thanks for all the advice. I'm happy to know that I'm not totally off base in being upset with this. I'm mailing out my written complaint to them tomorrow. I will give them a chance to respond before contacting the BBB or other consumer protection agencies.

[Phobia]

I'll keep it short but I feel it's clearly on you. Making sure it was cancelled I feel was your responsibility. A huge corp such as best buy cant keep up with all those small things if the individual can't even either.

Now I think it was a positive best buy met you half way. Both parties come out 50/50.

Now do I think best buy can cover it and should just go ahead with giving you full refund, yea with out a doubt. Their employee that did not close it appropriately caused the situation from the get go. You not monitoring your checking account good enough is on you lol.

All in all be happy they met you half way


Sent from da lil phone.

[p_rushing]

Re: Best Buy complaint - Input Appreciated

Thanks for all the advice. I'm happy to know that I'm not totally off base in being upset with this. I'm mailing out my written complaint to them tomorrow. I will give them a chance to respond before contacting the BBB or other consumer protection agencies.

Contacting the BBB will get you nothing. They will allow BB to respond, they will respond with the policy you signed up for when you bought the protection plan, and they will close the case after you don't agree.

Once you go there, you will be dealing with lawyers, etc and their policies are very clear, even if you didn't read it.


Its best to stay in corporate customer relations. Since you have stayed away from BB, you may want to include any receipts you have where you have purchased something at a competitor. Also mention how much you have spent at BB in past 1-2 years.

[Matt10]

Re: Best Buy complaint - Input Appreciated

I'll keep it short but I feel it's clearly on you. Making sure it was cancelled I feel was your responsibility. A huge corp such as best buy cant keep up with all those small things if the individual can't even either.

Now I think it was a positive best buy met you half way. Both parties come out 50/50.

Now do I think best buy can cover it and should just go ahead with giving you full refund, yea with out a doubt. Their employee that did not close it appropriately caused the situation from the get go. You not monitoring your checking account good enough is on you lol.

All in all be happy they met you half way


Sent from da lil phone.

I feel the same way. Life is way too short for you to go through this and then write a letter, then state boycott.

I never understood this approach, maybe I'm in the minority. BB is obviously working with you - and did the best, within their company's policy, they could.

I think you should put yourself in the customer service rep's shoes, and the manager's shoes - and think how they are feeling about all this - after they've helped you as best as they can - yet you're still not satisfied. What I would do, is check this case as "strike 1" - and from there, for the next great thing that BB does for you, remove the "strike" - or if they wrong you again = "strike 2".

You might be surprised of how much more of an impact the good things make; rather than the "strikes". Just like you'll never forget the wrongs - but don't take the "greats" for granted. It's like I tell my wife of how blessed we are everyday - but the minute something goes wrong - she tends to forget all our blessings that we just spent time being thankful for.

[KSUowls]

Re: Best Buy complaint - Input Appreciated

One of the reasons I made this thread is because I worked in retail from my first job until I graduated college. I fully understand that the customer is not always right, and often times they are just trying to get over on you. As such I've never let little things a company or customer service agent did really get to me. Some things are worth fighting for though, and I wanted to make sure I was not being unreasonable in being upset.
I have been incredibly respectful in my interactions with the service reps. They are bound by a policy and at some level there is nothing they can do about that. Eventually though the ladder gets to someone who does have the power to make an exception to a policy, and it appears that my request to that person has been denied. A request to fulfill an action that is not only more ethical than the current one they have met me with so far, but is also good for customer loyalty and retainment.


I don't disagree that I bear responsibility. I'm happy that I'm only out $20 instead of $40, but that is only in the same way that if someone were to break into my house I would be happy that they only took my ps3 instead of that and my 360.

I have to again go back to the buyer/seller relationship. The seller has something that the buyer wants and the buyer gives the seller something in return. This is a necessary exchange for business to happen (a similar thing is necessary in contract law). This exchange did not happen in my case. Instead, let me preface this that I am not accusing BB of robbery but, my situation is more closely related to theft. In this case of theft a person takes something from someone else while not offering anything in return which is the exact situation I find myself in. The difference being instead of someone breaking into my house BB just decided they deserved to keep some of the unearned revenue I gave them.

I'm well aware that the BBB won't do anything to help my situation, but if no one ever reported anything like this then the BBB definitely would not ever do anything. I'm also aware that my choosing to no longer shop there will negligibly affect BB's bottom line. I'm 26 years old though and if BB is willing to withhold a refund for something they did not provide, not even taking into consideration the whole "silver membership" thing, then I just have to seriously question what else might they do at some point in the future of my hopefully many years to come.

Best Buy may not be able to monitor each person's account on an ongoing basis. As has been clearly demonstrated to me though, they do have the ability to look into the details of that account when they are given a reason to. The fact that they can clearly see what happened, and are unwilling to do what in my opinion is right from any standpoint is upsetting.

[shugknight]

Re: Best Buy complaint - Input Appreciated

In your case, the customer is right.

They have the paperwork that states when you exchanged your old phone and bought new insurance for the new phone. If they made a mistake back then, they should offer you a full refund as you were still a loyal customer when you purchased another phone and insurance from them.

This is a plain damn good example of how Corporations cheat you out of money.. and unfortunately as alot of users here posted, "it's not worth your time to complain.." Well thats what these big corporations know.

They charge you these fees without your knowledge knowing that if you, the consumer actually figure it out, they the corporations know that you will think it will be too much time to fight for a small charge. But you multiply those charges for the entire year or multiple other consumers being cheated the same way, the thieves of a corporation are easily pocketing this profit.

[nemesis04]

Re: Best Buy complaint - Input Appreciated

I had a similar situation with Sirius radio. I let the subscription run out because I was turning in my car at the end of my lease. I did not realize that I had to cancel it outright even when it ran out. They sent me a bill for two month's of service (The car was already turned in.) before they canceled it on their end. They said I was responsible because I did not physically cancel the ID. They saw I had a new car with a new ID number but said I was still responsible. To make a long story short I negotiated with them that I would pay the balance but to put that amount as a credit for my new account. They actually agreed to it and when it came time to renew that credit was there to be applied to the new subscription.

[Pokes]

Re: Best Buy complaint - Input Appreciated

That's why you never buy those protection plans, they're completely useless and a waste of money.

[roadman]

Re: Best Buy complaint - Input Appreciated

Maybe I'm missing something here, but if it's policy that you are responsible for cancelling the policy, and it's in the contract in black and white, where is the complaint? Loyalty, making an exception to the policy?

If BB or any other company broke policy and made exceptions to everyone that complained, they would be out of business.

If I'm told to look at the service contract and I discover I'm partly wrong about the situation, I try to compromise and have them meet me halfway and take the money and run.

For example, if we are going with I'm a loyal customer route, we've been with Directv for over 14 years. We upgraded to HD this year. Directv wanted to charge us $250.00 for installation fees for new HDDVR and new HD receiver. I thought that was prepostorous. How can they bend over backwards for new customers, but crap on loyal customer.

I spent 90 minutes on the phone with CSR and they did nothing for me, offered me $50.00 off, down to $200.00. I asked for customer retention and negotiated a price of $68.00 installation and $10.00 a month off for 6 months.

Now, did I get the install for free, no, but I took the final offer and accepted it. Directv received a happy customer and higher fees for HD service, and they kept a happy customer.

It works both ways if you both were wrong, it's not a one way street imho.

I guess my only question is, did you read the insurance contract you signed off on before you signed it. At that time, if you had any questions, that would have been the time to bring it up.

Not trying to say you are entirely at fault, here, but you have admitted that you are partially at fault.

[bigbob]

Re: Best Buy complaint - Input Appreciated

That's why you never buy those protection plans, they're completely useless and a waste of money.

I worked for the main company that deals with these protection plans, Best Buy being one of our biggest clients. I will say, the only time it's worth considering getting any of these plans is if it's a service plan for a big item such as a TV.

All of the other ones, I think are a waste of money and I felt bad because some of the stores would misinform the customer of how it actually worked, and then we had to deal with the irate customer.

[snepp]

Re: Best Buy complaint - Input Appreciated

Yes, protection plans are crap, and completely worthless for the vast majority of people.

[p_rushing]

Re: Best Buy complaint - Input Appreciated

I worked for the main company that deals with these protection plans, Best Buy being one of our biggest clients. I will say, the only time it's worth considering getting any of these plans is if it's a service plan for a big item such as a TV.

All of the other ones, I think are a waste of money and I felt bad because some of the stores would misinform the customer of how it actually worked, and then we had to deal with the irate customer.

Yep stores say they cover stuff that they don't. They also usually forget to mention that there is a set amount of money that they will cover repairs. If you have 2-3 repairs, it may reach the maximum and then you don't have a warranty any more.

[bigbob]

Re: Best Buy complaint - Input Appreciated

Yep stores say they cover stuff that they don't. They also usually forget to mention that there is a set amount of money that they will cover repairs. If you have 2-3 repairs, it may reach the maximum and then you don't have a warranty any more.

The worst one for me was the "but they told me if I dropped it in the toilet, it would be covered!" or "they said NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENED, I could just bring it in and they'd replace it in store!".

[youvalss]

Re: Best Buy complaint - Input Appreciated

I can't really help you out, but...

guess I need to pay more attention to my cc statement each month
...
I also understand that I should have paid more attention to my cc statement.

That's the best tip you have given yourself. Check the statement each and every month - don't give up on this. Never ever take a credit card for granted. even if you have 50 of them - check EACH and every one of them every month.

Hope it works out as good as it gets for you.

[AUChase]

Re: Best Buy complaint - Input Appreciated

Protection plans are only good for certain products.

A lot of protection plans don't even kick in until after a factory warranty expires and companies will tell you to go through the original vendor.

It's just like any other sort of insurance, though. They make their money beacause the majority of people will never need it.