Complaint Review: Best Buy Chapel Hill #278

5/18 2:08pm Walking into the store I presented my receipt guaranteeing my 2 pre-ordered (with deposits) copies of Diablo III Collectors Edition, and everything went down hill from there.

The initial customer sales rep went pacing back and forth after looking at a cart cluttered with random pre-ordered items.  (the site to store services is in severe need of an overhaul, theyve lost my orders before)

The disorganization was the first thing apparent as several microphone conversations were going on at the same time as the associates flocked to find someone that would answer there dilemma.  Either A. they sold the item to another customer or B. they lost it.  They claimed the system lost the pre-order.

But wait, how did they have 1 of the 2 set aside and not both.

After being there for 25 minutes I told them I had to leave and please resolve it and call me back. 

I would make another 50 minute round trip to the store to recover my guaranteed secured copies of this game.

5/18 4:57pm I received a follow up call from Dan of the front store leader caliber saying that they could not locate another copy of the game, no kidding, but they had an alternative solution to fix the problem.  Oh really, I couldnt wait to see what their
proposal was.

5/18 5:27pm I returned the call and after being on hold for 5 minutes was greeted by Dan confirming the awful news.  I was in high anticipation to see what Best Buy would be doing to make up for the loss, considering you cant find the collectors edition anywhere and my brother and I have been eagerly anticipating this release for 10 years. 

He said that he spoke with his nameless store manager (who was gone for the day when I asked to speak to them) and they came up with an alternative.  They were going to sell me the regular copy of the game (which everybody has and I can get anywhere) but discount the strategy guide to $0.  But wait I said, the collectors edition has many things beyond a strategy guide

(1.  A collectors soundtrack

2. the art of Diablo

3. Behind the scenes DVD/bluray

4. Exclusive in game content Diablo

5. skull figure

6. 4gb soulstone usb drive)

Obviously Dan didnt care and was resolute that this was the only solution, take it or shove it was his mentality.  So I kindly informed Dan that this was the 3rd time this particular best buy had botched an order, misplaced, misshipped, didnt reserve etc.  And it was indicative of the current situation facing best buy as a whole.  He grew enraged and standoffishly uttered, well
is there anything else I can help you with?

Avoid the issue all together like it never happened, thats a best buy for you.  That signaled the end of the phone conversation after I was told to call the 800 number to follow up on this incident.

5/18 5:38 pm

Nothing like wasting my entire day trying to make up for the mistakes of a reputable electronics giant. 

So I decided I have more time to burn might as well give the 800 number a call.  This was a 37 minute mistake.  First I was hung up on after being transferred improperly.  My second call lasted 37 minutes as I was forwarded from one department to another.  A lady with online ordering instructed me that she was in her 60s and had never seen a best buy receipt.  Really? I asked, but dont you work for best buy?  Further she instructed me that this game was impossible to find and good luck tracking it down.  No kidding why do you think I Pre-Ordered my copies.  So this kind of situation didnt happen.

Finally around 6 pm I landed in the lap of a customer relations specialist, after being forwarded 4 times.  They called the local store and put a Joe on the phone who said he was going to look into the situation further and call me back.  Apparently he is the head of the store level customer relations, and apparently until my call to the 800 number, didnt even exist.

The lady on the other end of the line spoke directly to us through a sort of conference call format. 

The store level csm (customer service manager?) said that he would look into things with Dan and call me back. (Great I thought, I cant wait to see what they call me back with this time)  The lady on the other line of the 800 number said at the end of the phone call, Im a 110% sure that we are going to work through this for you and get it resolved

5/18 6:05 pm

I started searching information regarding Best Buys pre-order policy.  By definition a pre-order is  A pre-order is an order placed for an item which has not yet been released. The idea for pre-orders came when people found it hard to get popular items in stores due to their popularity. Companies were then given the idea to allow people to reserve their own personal copy, before the release, which has been a huge success.

Pre-orders allow consumers to guarantee prompt delivery on release, manufacturers can gauge how much demand there will be and hence how large initial production runs should be, and sellers can be assured of minimum sales. Additionally, high pre-order rates can be used to generate publicity to further increase sales. wikipedia, 2012

Seeing the word guarantee is synonymous with the whole concept of putting hard earned cash down to reserve your personally copy/copies of a game.  Its a win win situation until the store loses your pre-order and then youre just sol. 

If this was common place the whole pre-order system would eventually break down, why would someone reserve a game with a deposit that may or may not be there when they go to pick it up?

And the best buy open box forums I found a customer relations specialist which had replied to another customers inquiry:

"We allocate stock based on the pre-orders we take for each location so your pre-order secures you a copy and you'll have one set aside for you on 5/15 when you go in to pick it up!"

So using his own language, Pre-ordering a video game per your exact words guarantees or "secures" my copy or copies to be there on release date.

"pre-order secures you a copy and you'll have one set aside for you"  that's a guarantee and the basic premise of pre-orders in general.

Reserving my copy that I paid for in advance to secure it is there on release day!

Please email me back immediately regarding this incident

5/18 6:41PM

A much friendlier Joe the store manager called me back and said that they called all the stores in the district and no available copies were to be found.  Well no kidding. 

After I had been told the manager was gone for the day by Dan, I asked what Joe's official title was and he told me he was one of the store managers.  And that they would be able to offer the strategy guide and a $10 gift card with the original game purchase.  That still doesnt come close to making up for the hassle and half day I lost dealing with this issue, all just to pickup
a guaranteed reserved copy I put a deposit on.

So now we are going to give it a few days to see if they can come up with another copy to satisfy my "secured" 2nd copy of this game.***I will update this thread with all future contacts and solutions posed by best buy to resolve this matter.