I’m a little surprised at these reports. A few months ago BestBuy advertised some 120GB Seagate HDDs, regularly $89.95, on sale for $49.95. Being in the market for some drives and only about two blocks from the store I headed for BB. I cornered a clerk in the computer section and inquired about the drives on sale. He knew nothing about it but when informed it was from an online ad, he checked, found the ad, and I purchased two of them at the sale price.
Several days later I decided I could use a couple more of the drives ( a five year warranty by Seagate impressed me) so I checked the online ad, the sale was still on, so I ordered two more. My total savings on the two purchases was $160.
The second purchase was an online purchase for instore pickup and the transaction was completely uneventful. The two drives were ready for pickup when I got to the store.
Seems like a nice way to do business ?
YMMV

Hi Roger,
Thanks for letting us know about your experiences with BB. Like you, I have made several online purchases from BB in the past [ 2 laptops, digital camera, wireless router] and have been pleased with their service and pricing.

Hopefully this situation is isolated to a ‘few’ stores and as BB has stated, may be due to a lack of training.

Again, thank you for your comments, Ron

I have since had to file a Declaration of non-compliance of a court order again Best Buy. This is a letter I sent to them before. I now have a three inch hole in my wall with wires hanging out. That is considered a reinstallation according to their extended warranty.

3790 Florida St C218
San Diego, CA 92104
December 24, 2007
Best Buy Enterprise Services
7601 Penn Ave. S.
Richfield, MN 55423
Attn: Ryan Eddy

Dear Ryan:

I do thank-you for honoring the court order to this point. It has taken nearly four months for Best Buy to honor their extended warranty and the court order of November 1, 2007. I have been without the television since September 4, 2007 and been paying the cable connection charges. I am suppose to have the new television installed this coming Friday. It is costing me another $710. I have to take off from work again and had to arrange to have someone here as my experience with the Best Buy installation people that they may try to rob me. I am afraid to have Best Buy here and I know that Best Buy may not still honor the warranty/court order.

I had to laugh when you said you hoped that I would consider this matter an anomaly. I thought that exact same thing on May 14, 2003. I remember that date when the store manager here in San Diego lied to me. I had ordered the television installation and wall mounting as instructed from the North Olmstead, OH store on April 13, 2003. I was home on a long weekend on April 19, 2003 when I made that purchase. When I returned on May 14, 2003 to pick up that wall mount, as I was preparing for the renovation to my home and wanted it when it was needed. I was told that they did not have the articulating wall mount I purchased because of supply and demand and they could not get any wall mount. I then asked for the store manager and he said the same. I then told him that I could not use the television and needed to get a refund. He told me I had to return to Cleveland for a refund. I knew that was a lie. I had to follow him through the store to what I think are the loading docks. If I remember it was open to the outdoors, I was so concentrated on that manager. He was trying to get away from me. I bet some of my coworkers would laugh about that, as they know me. He then ordered me out when I asked him if I needed to call your corporate office. What finally happened was Best Buy did a switch on the articulating wall mount for a flat wall mount. That has been on my mind for years. I did consider that was probably an anomaly although it was ‘salty’ to the taste. I know I spent close to $6,000 at Best Buy during the April and May 2003 time frame.

I understand now I was a fool as I walked over and bought a dishwasher and a garbage disposal as my first purchase in the renovation of my home. I am so happy I did not buy all my new appliances from Best Buy. Back in November of 2002 the night before I was leaving San Diego I found that the garbage disposal was leaking. Being that my Father was a licensed plumber for 50 years and my Brother is now licensed for about 35 years, I knew I needed to replace both the dishwasher and disposal together. All the appliances were on my list to change. On May 14, 2003, I then left the manager thinking it was an anomaly. I was really wrong. I went to the appliances and purchased both items with the installation package Best Buy offered. May 14 is my birthday. I have to laugh about that now.

On May 17, 2003 the dishwasher was delivered. The installer took out took both the old disposal and dishwasher and started installing the new. He told me that I needed to replace my copper plumbing with plastic for a cost. I knew what was going on. He was going to steal my copper and charge me too. I then called my brother because I wanted him to hear that. Cell phones are a great innovation. After my Brother spoke with the man it was decided it was not necessary. My Brother and I have spoken about that day when Best Buy wanted to steal my kitchen copper plumbing. I love telling people that one. I often wonder how many widows Best Buy have robbed or the wives at home while their husbands are in Iraq. Can you share your profit statistics on that? I bet you make me do my own market research.

Two or three anomalies so far are quite a coincidence and we have not gotten to the court order yet. Do we call the switch and lie as one?

You have some idea what happened with the warranty this year. Your store clerk in Ohio lied to me several times and Best Buy got caught in a technicality. Even so I never heard of buying a television warranty starting before the date it was manufactured. Everyone told me that Best Buy would settle before the court date. That did not happen. The Judge even spent some time with your obnoxious representatives in court explaining it to them. As the Judge said I had made my point and I could say want I wanted. I found Best Buy were the only people that did not understand. A witness and a good friend said, Best Buy people just waved me off and made rude comments so everyone could hear in court. I think it is typical of the Best Buy staff in general. They are nice when they want your money then good luck trying to get what you pay for. Like the Judge told your people, you took his money. It made me think corporate mafia. I also believe that they lied to the staff at the San Diego store as to what really happened in court based on what was said to me by the staff there when Best Buy decided to honor the court. The last thing I said to the Judge was that, “I prefer not to deal with Best Buy anymore.” I bet they did not tell you about the Judge apologizing to me for having to do that.

The experience on September 12, 2007 with the service repair man and your public relations person made me furious. I had take leave from work again. I was going to just forget about the television as many of your victims er customers probably do. I am thinking Best Buy works the numbers and not with their customers. The repairman lied to me about my check being cleared immediately from his computer in his truck. He made a point to take my drivers license information before returning to his truck. That check did not clear until October 10, 2007, another little inane lie, another silly little game? He called me from his truck on his cell phone after he sat in his truck for a half hour talking on his cell phone. I could see him from the balcony. He finally called me from his cell phone to my home phone and had me come down the elevator to hand me that receipt telling me that it was going to be ‘salty’. I took it like salt to a wound which cost another $100 and time off from work. I thought he was going to do something other than have me plug it in and tell me it did not work. He had told me that I had to pay for that first. I expected he was coming back to do some diagnostics or something. I paid first, what I fool I was. My rule is now never trust Best Buy. After his salty statement he said I needed to buy a new television. For one redeeming factor your repairman then told me that I should call your public relations people. Best Buy would not give me a work order either. He asked me if I told Best Buy what happened with the television as I told him the television was probably not even manufactured yet and of course the circumstances. All of your people knew I was with the Defense Department. I think he did have some regret. He was the only person with Best Buy that I thought was maybe honest but caught in their horrible web of customer deceit. He will probably be the one reprimanded. I have been very civil with Best Buy except with you as I had enough of Best Buy and the long wait for them to honor the court order, not to mention unreturned calls promised. It is funny that when I read you the riot act I got some action. Your public relations woman that ordered the check for $41.62 for a prorated refund of the unused warranty was sweet to a nasty level. I actually think she thought it was funny.

This has cost me more than if I had just gone out and bought a new television. I wanted to laugh as I heard and watched your store manager the other day tell me how I needed to buy another warranty as he wanted to take care of me. He wanted to take $50 off the $249 cost. I wonder if I was going to have to mail in a rebate that I would not get back.

Please find attached the statement I sent to the Ohio State’s Attorney. I just received a letter from Marc Dann’s office this week. My statement fills in some that was left out. I have been totally honest unlike Best Buy. Now you know why I have to have witnesses around when I deal with Best Buy. This keeps costing me more than that warranty was worth. I am not going to be reimbursed the $60 for court costs. I am aware I cannot get back what it cost me for all my time. I know that Best Buy as a Fortune 100 Company needs to victimize as many people as they can.

I will gladly share honestly how Best Buy will treat their customers/victims/marks. I have also read that you are having or are had problems with the States of Connecticut, Washington, California and Ohio. I read about racketeering, age/race discrimination, switch and bate, not honoring extended warranties and deceptive practices that I can remember off the top of my head. If all these are lies then I understand why you don’t have time to take care of your customers. You must be busy fighting all those lies.

I am so sorry this is long and ranting. In the past I have tried to keep it simple so the staff at Best Buy could understand. Honestly, Best Buy personnel are the only people that cannot understand. How can a television be warranted before it is manufactured in a foreign county? Anything more I can say would only be abusive with moral justification.

When Best Buy finally honors the court order I will write the Superior Court of California as you requested with copies of this letter and my statement to the Ohio State’s Attorney. I am thinking about sending it to the local television stations too. The Judge told your people that he believed I had some protection while traveling for the Defense Department. I will pass this also along to my Commanding Officer. The internet is a wonderful tool. I have kept all my receipts. Also ask your people if they remember what the Judge said about green cheese and the moon. He was talking about the brochure they were waving around and what Best Buy could believe. I am sure they will lie about that too.

Still time to count more anomalies,

Mark J. Holman

I, too, have had to endure months of lies, runaround, and insults from Best Buy after their Washington, DC store allowed my computer to be stolen. I share your question: is my experience just the tip of the iceberg?

I have to believe I am not the only person who has had their computer “lost” by Best Buy, been subjected low-ball compensation offers, and Best Buy’s disregard for its legal obligations to have immediately notified me of the computer’s theft and my potential exposure to identity theft.

How does this company stay in business?!?

I’d welcome contact from others with similar experiences.

Raelyn Campbell

http://bestbuybadbuyboycott.blogspot.com/