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Best Buy Cincinnati Ohio RipOff PC Warranty NOT A Best Buy At All, Waste of Money, In Home Service Nonexistant Cincinnati Ohio
Don't Waste Your Money on Best Buy's Warranty
In March 1, 01, I purchased a Hewlett Packard PC from Best Buy, totaling $3000. Along with the PC I also purchased a 19 inch monitor. Because I was purchasing it for my small home-based business, I also purchased the warranty which covered both the monitor and the PC. As soon as I connected the PC I started to have problems with it.
I literally could not get on the internet and after contacting HP, they had me to delete some of their existing files that they had loaded. After doing that it ran okay, but was still very slow and I also kept receiving error messages which required me to reboot. After contacting both HP and Best Buy without any assistance in fixing the matter I gave up and started using my old PC again.
Several months later I attempted to use the new PC again and it crashed. After trying to do a restore, etc., they told e that the hard drive had to be replaced.
At that time, I informed the technician of all of the other problems and he stated that perhaps the hard drive replacement would do the trick. Specifically, I told him that the writer wasn't working They came out and replaced the hard drive but the writer still did not work. In July of 2003 the Writer still was not working and so I contacted Best Buy again. They ordered a new writer and came out and I was told by the technician that they had ordered the incorrect one.
I asked him to see the one that they had ordered and no where on it did it say what the configuration was. Consequently, they had to order another one. That particular unit came in and they installed it but the problem remained. This time they said that they would order the original writer instead of the one they put in and the phone tech said he would also order the original software. They ordered the original, came out to install it, but again that didn't work. Therefore, I suggested that since he had the Nero software to give that a try and see if that would work. The technician refused and said that he had tried everything and would not install the software.
While the technician was in my home I contacted Best Buy and told them about the problem. Immediately the phone tech input a new order to re-order another writer. He told me that they would have to do the research to make sure that they had the correct one this time. The stated that they had had this problem before and couldn't remember what exactly the problem was. I waited and waited and waited and never heard from Best Buy so I thought they were having problems with finding the writer. Also, on each visit I would ask the technician for a copy of the service request and each time I was told that I could not have a copy, I was required to sign a piece of paper for billing the subcontractor but they would never leave any paperwork.
In September the monitor went out. At that time I did not call the service repair in because I was waiting to hear from them. With the monitor going out, this would have been my 4th parts replacement from Best Buy. After reading my contract I learned that on your 4th parts replacement, your PC is considered a lemon and is supposed to be replaced. In December since I hadn't heard from them I called to inform them of my monitor going out and of the fact that my contract called for PC replacement under their lemon agreement.
After speaking to a Manager, he emphatically told me that noone was going to give me a new PC and laughed about it. I told him that I had had this PC and that the write HAD NEVER WORKED! I also told him I didn't find it humerous that I hadn't heard from them and asked him what happened to my writer order. He said that it had been canceled in the system because a technician had tried 4 times to contact me and since he hadn't they cancelled it.
I informed him that the last thing I heard from them was that they were ordering the part, and that noone had ever had any problems before contacting me so why would they cancel the order. I also told him that I have an answering machine and had not received one message from Best Buy. At this point I found it odd that they had cancelled my third replacement order even though the writer had not been fixed.
The Manager did say that he could replace my monitor and I said that I wanted to speak to someone who care about my problem and needed both the monitor and pc to be replaced. At this point I don't know what to do. I am completely exhausted from dealing with them. I will, of course, never do business with them again but in the meantime my PC is still not working and neither is my monitor.
I have a contract that is up March 1, 2004, and even though they have been out here on 4 different occasions and replaced the writer 3 times, I am not hopeful that the problem with the writer will be resolved. Now the monitor is out and I need to have that replaced.
I have tried everything but can't get anyone from Best Buy to help. I keep getting the runaround and everyone keeps reminding me as a matter of fact that my warranty is up in March. They all find it rather humorous. After some research on the internet I found a web site called www.w3.ripoffreport.com. It is basically a consumer site where there are similar horror stories about Best Buy's warranties and lack of customer service. They basically state that the warranty is a joke and so is their customer service after the sale. I guess it's their way of telling people not to shop there and not to buy the much marketed warranty.
On December 22, 2003, I contacted Best Buy's Cincinnati, Ohio, office and spoke with Stephanie Davis. She seemed to be appalled as well that I had not had anyone respond to my calls regarding service, and that my PC still had not been repaired. She informed me that she would fill out a report and have someone contact me. She said that Lynn Greco was the Manager of Technical Support. She also said that either Lynn Greco or Brian Guntor would be contacting me.
On January 9, 2004, I again contacted Stephanie Davis because I had not heard from anyone. This time she sort of snickered and said that she had filled out the report on the 22nd and was again surprised that I had not been contacted. She said that she would contact the Manager and give me a call back. She called me back and asked me what type of computer I had and I gave her the model. She then said again that Brian Guntor or Lynn Greco would be contacting me.
Today is January 21, 2004, I have not heard again from Best Buy. Nothing! I was told on the 9th from technical support that someone would contact me by the 21st regarding installing a new writer but haven't heard a thing. I was also told on that day that I would be receiving a call regarding my monitor and have not heard a thing. The problem as it remains is that my warranty expires on March 1st! Could it be that they are holding out until D Day I need help before this happens. Please help me
Terry
Cincinnati, Ohio
U.S.A.
Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Best Buy
4 Updates & Rebuttals
Beth
Bear,Delaware,
U.S.A.
But Best Buy has gotten more hard headed in the past few years
#5Consumer Comment
Fri, January 23, 2004
I don't know if this will help. But I had a computer DOA on me from Best Buy in 1998 ( A Compaq Presario). I had the in home repair warranty. they replaced everything - one thing at a time from hard drive ( twice) memory and then mother board. it still would not boot up and stay up for more than 5 minutes without crashing. They tried to stall me with the whole - someone will be out, and as soon as the new parts come in...
I packed the machine up, carted it in to the store - and stood there. I'm a short red head. a short red head occasionally crying over a dead computer that Best Buy could not fix - that they had tried to fix 4 times.
I got credit for the original price I had paid - and bought something other than a Compaq. An Acer system that worked well for 4 years.
But Best Buy has gotten more hard headed in the past few years. Bringing the computer to the store that you bought it - with all your paperwork probably won't work anymore.
Terry
Cincinnati,Ohio,
U.S.A.
Thx for your Help... Repackaging the product sounds just totally ridiculous!
#5Consumer Comment
Fri, January 23, 2004
Thank you for your reply. The computer was an HP 9800 custom designed. I cannot for the life of me understand why they have sent their subcontractor out on three (3) occasions to replace a writer when it hasn't worked the first two times. I did find names on their web site for the Public Relations people and emailed my complaint to them. I also filed it with the Better Business Bureau and the Ohio Attorney General's Office. Repackaging the product sounds just totally ridiculous! I am appalled at their treatment of customers and their policies...a total lack of concern after the sale. I had not been in the store since I purchased the computer...and did not want to go back when I took the monitor but had no choice. The Tech Manager suggested that I bring my PC in to him but after reading all of the complaints that I had read there was no way I was going to do that. Anything could happen and I would just be stuck. I'm definitely not letting them look at it. Perhaps an independent analysis would be beneficial if I could find the right person... Thanks for your suggestion I truly appreciate it.
Terry
Cincinnati,Ohio,
U.S.A.
Thx for your Help... Repackaging the product sounds just totally ridiculous!
#5Consumer Comment
Fri, January 23, 2004
Thank you for your reply. The computer was an HP 9800 custom designed. I cannot for the life of me understand why they have sent their subcontractor out on three (3) occasions to replace a writer when it hasn't worked the first two times. I did find names on their web site for the Public Relations people and emailed my complaint to them. I also filed it with the Better Business Bureau and the Ohio Attorney General's Office. Repackaging the product sounds just totally ridiculous! I am appalled at their treatment of customers and their policies...a total lack of concern after the sale. I had not been in the store since I purchased the computer...and did not want to go back when I took the monitor but had no choice. The Tech Manager suggested that I bring my PC in to him but after reading all of the complaints that I had read there was no way I was going to do that. Anything could happen and I would just be stuck. I'm definitely not letting them look at it. Perhaps an independent analysis would be beneficial if I could find the right person... Thanks for your suggestion I truly appreciate it.
D
Albany,New York,
U.S.A.
You have a lemon computer that was probably returned by someone else
#5Consumer Suggestion
Wed, January 21, 2004
When I read about your frustration with Best Buy, I was not surprised. You have a lemon computer that was probably returned by someone else who had similar problems and then sold to you. Every retail store will tell you that they don't sell defective returned merchadise in their store. But if a manager deems it NOT defective, it will be repackaged and sold again. How do I know? I am a former manager of a Best Buy!
I ran the music department, and let me assure you, we were told the cds returned were probably not defective, so go in the back and have someone repack them. Best Buy along with every other retail store in the world, is looking at profit margin. And manufacturers will not give credit for many different items returned to them. manufacturers decide whether to give the company credit, and often don't, so places like Best Buy are encouraged to sell the returned items. Hey, if they are returned again, maybe then we will leave them off the shelf, right?
Best Buy also owns Suncoast, Sam Goody, Musicland and some independent small chains. Their policies are the same there. But it doesn't mean that each store doesn't have a independent staff that will deal with problems with returns differently. People often make the mistake of associating one store's misdeeds with the entire company. But occasionally you must go to corporate and play hardball.
Warranties are the biggest money makers for companies like Best Buy. The biggest profit margins available. Do you realize that only roughly 13% of those warranties purchased are actually used? That is why you are harrassed to purchase them when you go in and buy a computer, stereo, phone whatever. Best Buy runs their Cd, DVD, VHS sections at a virtual loss. It's like wal-mart. You cannot make a profit on a CD without selling it at $19.99. So they drastically lower the price, loose profit and make it up when you buy a computer. And because they have other aspects of the computer selling the items they undercut at a normal higher price, they still make a tidy profit.
Make copies of the rip off reports, including this one, and get fax numbers. Fax them everywhere. Tell them you will organize a boycott of their most profitable item to date: The Virgin Mobile Phone. I do not belief that the corporate lady you spoke to was very important because she kept sending you back to the store manager. You need to ask for a phone number or web site for DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRONICS. Start the harrassment with them. What kind of computer was it? make sure you have everything documented and start faxing. You will get what you want. DO NOT GO INTO THE STORE AND PITCH A FIT. It is not necessary and you will be thrown out.
I would also advice that you take the computer to another professional, make sure that professional takes pictures and documents what he finds. DO NOT TELL HIM TO FIX IT. Your warranty forbids it. They will probably tell you you voided your warranty by just letting someone else touch it. But by this time you need proof what is exactly wrong with it, and you tell them in three years no one at Best Buy could. Also, when you speak to corporate, ask for the spellings of the proper names that you will be putting in your lawsuit against them and for your local investigative reporters report. Be nice, and tell them you only want to get everything accurate. If you don't get what you want by then, there is something seriously wrong.
Good luck and proceed with Caution