Complaint Review: Best Buy

You can ask them to look up the receipt. Surprised they did not offer that to you.

I had a computer monitor that went up in the 1st year and had to get them to re-print the receipt to send it in to be fixed and they did it for me with no problems.

Best Buy keeps a very detailed purchase history on all customers going back to 1995. any customer service rep can even print out. Every single purchase you have EVER made in that 10 year time period, from the $1 bottle of coke to the $3000 TV. 90% of the time simply by typing in your phone# if that doesn't work. A manager can login to a restricted system and search using your credit card# or driver's license#. Records before 2001 are not as complete and have missing data due to computer glitches etc. But the last 2-3years records are very accurate, to all the privacy freaks.

They do this for several reasons. Monitoring for fraud (someone who keeps buying stuff and returning it to differn't store locations) if you report your credit card /checkbook stolen to the police they can provide certain info to them.. to sending you special offers based on where you live (income level by your zip code), & how much you actually spend in the store etc they also rate customers into "segments" (soccer mom -vs- business professional) and stores are designed around the neighborhood your in.

So to say best buy doesn't keep reciept records is a big joke. If your concerned about privacy pay with cash & don't give your phone# - no record is kept.. but then again the store won't be able to find the reciept.

The reality is that the manager didn't want to do the return & found an excuse not to. Because R&E (returns & exchanges) hurt business

What I would do if I were you.
you need a reciept

Go back to the store (Leave the DVD player in the car) and tell customer service that you purchased a DVD unit a few months ago and you need to send it in for repair (on your own to the MFG) and can they look up your reciept

There is a 90% chance they can find it (unless you have alot of differn't phone#'s or move from state to state alot or paid using cash)also be able to provide them all your credit card#'s for them to search. (if you can't remember which one you used) they should give you a printed copy of the reciept.

Find out when the manager you spoke with will be working and come back with the unit & the reciept and tell them you finally found your reciept & would like to do the exchange. Of course you'll get the "sorry your past your 30day return policy" in which case you can explain the other employee just looked it up for you. Something he was too lazy to do last time you were in the store and you'll be contacting the corp office about that.

To be fair to Best Buy..

There is a lot of customer fraud so reciepts are required for any returns. Stores do have the ability to do (1) "no reciept exchange" per customer /per year for store credit using your driver's license. But it's up to the store manager.

Each device comes with a unique serial number that Best Buy is supposed to record. They should be able to verify that the unit was purchased from that store.

Write a letter to Corporate HQ and tell your story. Include all relevant details,including serial number,date and time of purchase etc. They can verify whether or not a unit was sold at that date and time.

Also include any other details that could prove your case, like credit card or check info. Tell them what you want to make you satisfied.

Try to use a credit card for these types of purchases. And keep all receipts.

Also,what exactly is wrong with the device? And, what do you think is the reason the device developed the problem?

Be sure to tell them that you are going to be buying alot of electronics in the future and that you'd like to be able to include them as possible suppliers.

If you're not satisfied with Best Buy's response, write a letter to the manufacturer and ask them to make it right.

I keep receipts for everything. I have receipts that date back to a very long time ago. You just never know.

For something like a DVD player, all you had to do was staple the receipt to the manual that came with it. Easy fix.

Best Buy does have to protect itself, and I understand, no receipt, no return or exchange. I am not an employee of Best Buy. Just someone who always tries to plan for the unexpected.

It is a shame it stopped working after 30 days. That is a bummer. If you paid by credit card, they can back track, I think your purchase. If by cash, then I guess nothing can be done.

Again, they cannot be sure it was purchased from them.

Look like Best Buy keeps a couple employees online to rebutt rip-off reports.

Target gave me a gift card with no receipt. Yet target stays in business.

Sure, Best But *could* themselves have to eat merchandise when people lie and abuse return policies but thats the price of doing business. Poor best buy can't afford to lose a penny to gain a dollar?

Because this happened, I'm buying my big plasma from (((competitr's name redacted))).

Yeah... smart best buy.

-Randy

CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

Best Buy has had this "no receipt no return" policy since 1990. This should not be new to anyone, especially someone who has shopped at Best Buy before.

Yes, losing "a small piece of paper" may be common, but that is YOUR problem, not the store's. Holding on to that "small piece of paper" is entirely YOUR responsibility. The store made it clear that returns require a valid receipt. You losing that receipt is not their problem, nor does it constitute a rip off.

If you don't have a reciept... how can they know for certain what you tell them is the truth? If there were not a policy to require a reciept, anyone can abuse it it by being dishonest.

I mean... how do they know you actally purchased it from them? How would they know when you purchased it?

Best Buy has a return policy to avoid abuse. The policy is clear and printed on their reciepts, at the stores and on the internet website. It learly states "Your original receipt is required for all returns, exchanges, price matches and warranty repair services. All returns and exchanges must be in original condition and include all accessories. All returns, exchanges and price adjustments must be made in the country of original purchase. Best Buy reserves the right to request identification and to deny any return."

You need to be a responsile consumer and manage your reciepts. Then, if you have a problem, you will be abe to provide it.