As a long term Best Buy customer it disappoints me to have to go this route.
I am a Canadian living rurally on Vancouver Island. We purchased a 42"Westinghouse LCD TV and 4yr PSP from Best Buy in Bellingham, WA. We did this because we were assured by the salesman that this "International" Plan would ensure that we would get Home repair of our TV if anything went wrong. This was important as we're both in our 60's and live about 30mi out of town and about 70mi from the nearest city.
When we started getting "snow" on our TV at intermittent times (startup and whilst watching a number of stations) we didn't think it was the TV and had the satellite TV provider replace the dish, cable, and the HD receiver!!!!. We then replaced the DVI cable between the satellite receiver and TV but still the problem exists. The problem therefore is either the DVI plug on TV or electronic ???.
Contact BestBuy USA who give me service request# and tell me to get a service centre to diagnose and check it. A phone call determined that the only local repair person is out of business. Contacted BestBuy Canada who gave me 2 phone number of Service providers - the first one is the local "out of service number" and the second was nearly 50Mi away. A phone call to this number told me
1. They didn't service Westinghouse TVs
2.We were outside their service area, and didn't want to travel that far for a repair.
3. If it was an intermittent problem they couldn't diagnose or repair it in house. and "probably it was satellite problem" - even though he was told all components had been replaced - He wasn't interested.
Phoned BestBuy Canada for alternatives, but they hadn't any. They said they would arrange UPS to ship to a repair center IF it was a BestBuy Canada!!.
Phoned BestBuy USA for alternative solution and was told initially that it was "up to me" to find someone OR "BRING THE TV BACK DOWN TO THE USA AND WE'LL ARRANGE TO GET IT FIXED". I demanded to speak to Supervisor who suggested I get a "local" person to diagnose the TV or bring it in to the USA. I told them this was BS as I had tried everything within my power and BestBuy Canada to get someone and no-one would come. Told her it was a ripoff as we were sold the TV and PSP BECAUSE we lived rurally, and were told BestBuy would Fix it in home. I told her i had seen the reports on Ripoff report and was going to do one myself. I was told a manager would be contacting me by e-mail later today to try to resolve the problem. We'll see
3 days - 14.8hrs on telephone and blood pressure (skyhigh) Now we'll wait.
I never normally buy PSP and don't think I will in future. Great for peace of mind until you need them and then in my case they're worthless.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
IntheKnow
New Jersey,USA
Next step
#2Consumer Suggestion
Tue, June 29, 2010
The network of repair facilities and service options is not handled by BBY but its plan administrator. The store and its clerks have no clue. Their sole goal is to sell you a worthless piece of paper. Rule # 1 - never listen to a sales clerk for BBY or any major retailer. Rule # 2 - any extended warranty is not worth the paper it is written on - you will experience more hassle than it is humanly worth.
If the warranty is 1 year, Westinghouse is responsible, not BBY. You do not have to go through BBY for warranty service.
If after one year, call BBY corporate Customer Care and speak to a Manager. Tell them you were deceived by the store and sold a fraudulant service plan. Threaten to call Attorney General in Minnesota.
If no action, call or email Atty General in Minnesota and or its Consumer Affairs division. Ditto with the Minneapolis Better Business Bureau.
You will get action.
Most of these plans work as such - you contracted them for service - if they cannot provide it , they should replace the full value of your product with a gift card. Prepaid mailing the product out is an acceptable option; they should pay from where you live. Sometimes the companies refund your contract price instead - this doesn't solve your issue, though.