Best Buys warranties are a ripoff. Lynnwood, Washington
June 5, 2002
Best Buy Company
P.O. Box 9312
Minneapolis, MN. 55440-9312
Re: Lack of resolution to computer problem and poor customer service.
To Whom it May Concern,
I am writing this letter with the hope that some resolution can be reached and also to express my complete frustration with Best Buys customer service and warranty servicing.
I have been without my computer for almost four months because of the ineptness and utter lack of professionalism on the part of your staff. I bought the warranty with my computer under the assumption that if I needed to use it, it would be honored.
I first came into Best Buy with my computer on February 1, 2001. At that time my computer was freezing after only 20 minutes of being online and disconnecting while emailing. Best Buy's solution as per service order was;
cleaned dust out of machine, cleaned CD Rom/ disk drive, checked and defragmented hard drive. This did not correct the problem, only lengthened the time I was able to spend online before freezing up.
I brought my computer in to Best Buy again in mid January, 2002 with the same type of problem, only now I was only able to be online for up to ten minutes before freezing up. An employee named Kalifa restored my computer while I waited, but this did not work. Kalifa also suggested that I have someone switch out my modem to see if this was the source of the problem. I had my cousin switch my modem and my computer no longer froze up, however now the noise of connecting to the Internet continued the entire time I was online. It occurred to me that I was having my cousin do this work to my computer for free, when I paid good money for a service warranty that includes this service.
I brought my computer in again to a very rude customer service representative named Barb on February 6, 2002 because of the modem dial up noise. Her solution was to take out the good working modem that my cousin had installed and put in the bad one that I had originally in my computer!!
She insisted the problem was with Windows XP, even after explaining to her several times the problem was preexisting before installing Windows XP. She had me come around the counter to try to get online and once the computer froze up, she was very accusatory towards me, asking me what I did to the computer.
As evident by the service order inputted by Barb; modem fails, intermittently, needs modem to work with MSN. Remove AOL from the O/S. Obviously, she was not listening to me, otherwise she would have known that I did not want AOL removed. She also needs a refresher course in customer service , since she treated me so rudely.
My computer was sent out to the service center in California, for the services explained above, and it was promised back in three weeks. So, I waited the three weeks and called to find out that they were waiting for a
modem to come in from Compaq and they were going to install it into my computer. It would be another three weeks. I was told that it was installed but it wasn't!! The service order stated the modem was reseated only, not
replaced. I waited 6 weeks for what!!!
I brought my computer back in again and spoke to Max, the tech supervisor. His only solution was to return the computer to the service center on a rush for the same problem, which should have been corrected by now. And would have been fixed, had the service technicians listened to me from the beginning.
My computer was gone this time for almost two weeks. The service center only took out my modem and put it into another computer and said that it worked fine. Thats all they did. They did not try to figure out what the problem
was; they just sent it back to the store. When Best Buy received my computer back, they attempted to restore my computer again, even after I told them it would not help, (again they are not listening to the customer). Because of their failed attempt, I now had to wait another week for a special restore disk to come from Compaq.
Max did restore my computer with the disk and Barb was supposed to get online for at least an hour to make sure it had succeeded. I don't know if this worked because when I called, Barb was already gone and there was no
note indicating what she had done, or if it had worked. Kalifa told me I had to wait until she came in that next day at 3:00 p.m., because no one else there knew what was going on with my computer. I think I have waited long
enough. She could have had the courtesy to call me, after all she had my home number, my cell number and my mother's number. No one from Best Buy has ever apologized for the inconvenience they have caused me. They have just
layered excuse after excuse.
I went in the store again on my lunch break and asked for the store manager and got some guy named Jason, who knew nothing about computers or my situation and continued telling me his hands were tied and my computer had to be sent back to California again. My computer was sent back again on the 23rd of April for the 3rd time. I was told to expect a week and a half for its arrival to California. It was being looked at for the same thing. Supposedly Max was in close contact with the maintenance supervisor at the service center. They reseated the modem again and got online for an hour using Earthlink, My problem wasn't with Earthlink. I had Max call back to
the service center and insist they use AOL on my computer, but they left no note or message as to if it worked or not.
Currently my computer is back home and running just fine, but not without a little more drama. Instead of sending the computer out for the fourth time like I was told it would be, Max decided to have a modem from off Best Buys shelves be installed into my computer while I watched. This however was not convenient for the service technician that was having to install it because he was the only service technician on the floor when I was available to come in, and had other issues to take care of while I was waiting. Meanwhile, I insisted on speaking to another manager to make sure the situation was not going (OR would not go) unnoticed, and so the situation would be resolved if the new modem did not work. This time
I was able to speak to a manager, whose hands were not tied, that was just as upset about the situation as I was, and eager to see it resolved. He offered me a new
computer instead of sending out mine for the fourth time, as per the no-lemon policy. He agreed that after three visits to the service center in California with no
resolution qualified for immediate diagnosis of a new computer.
I will never purchase another thing from Best Buy and I will do my best to ensure that every single person I know or come in contact with knows exactly what kind of customer service experience to expect at Best Buy. I have
notified the Better Business Bureau informing them that Best Buy sells warranties with no ability or intention of honoring those warranties. I also intend to notify not only friends and family, but AOL, Compaq and Best Buys Officers and Board of Directors of this injustice.
Denise
Everett, Washington
Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Best Buy
STOP! ..before you think about using the Better Business Bureau (BBB)... CLICK HERE to see how other consumers were victimized by the BBB's false or misleading information. Don't be fooled! It has been reported, when there are thousands of complaints and other investigations underway by authorities, the BBB has no choice but to finally give an UNsatisfactory rating to a BBB member business that is paying the BBB big membership fees every year. When a business is reported that is NOT a BBB member, BBB files WILL more likely show an UNsatisfactory rating, then reportedly shake down that company to become a member of the BBB. One positive thing about the BBB is, either way, if a business has an unsatisfactory rating with the BBB, you can be sure, the business is bad. But what about all those BBB member businesses that had complaints filed against them? Consumers never get to hear about them. What about the BBB advertising to the public? Is this a false and misleading perception they are giving about consumer confidence when dealing with a business? Click here to understand more of what consumers and business alike are saying about the BBB. You decide. ..Remember. The BBB membership is not earned, it's paid for!
3 Updates & Rebuttals
bill
las vegas,Nevada,
What worked for me ..Stay away from service repairs
#4Consumer Suggestion
Sun, August 11, 2002
Bought a computer from Best Buy about one year ago and had immediate problems. The extended warranty I bought didn't help at all. I seriously doubted Best Buy had anyone on their staff that knew how to repair a computer.
After numerous trips to the store and calls to their service department, I called Compaq to report the problem and ask for help. They LAUGHED when I told them Best Buy had worked on it. Compaq had me take it to a local authorized Compaq service center at no charge. It was back in a couple of weeks (parts) and worked fine. Compaq suggested i NEVER allow anyone at Best Buy attempt repairs on their computers because they are NOT an authorized service center for Compaqs.
Compaq also suggested I cancel the extended service contract and get my money back. Had to argue with a Best Buy manager but I finally got it cancelled and money refunded.
Stay away from service repairs at Best Buy. They know how to sell but they do not know how to repair. A word of warning!!!!
When I finally picked up my computer . . .
#40
Thu, July 25, 2002
When I finally picked up my computer, three months after dropping it off for the first time, I listened as a Best Buy sales associate (name unknown) explained to a customer that his situation was "a very unique situation!" that "the service center usually is very swift and thurough when doing repairs!" and finally, "he himself would get to the bottom of it and clear it all up."
As soon as the man walked away, I advanced on this poor new soul and adviced him to do exactly what I did. First, call every day the computer is out of the home. By the second week the Techs knew me on a first name basis, and would get pleasure from hearing them groan when I called and said, "Good morning. This is Denise, just calling to see about my computer."
Second, when I had the tech supervisor on the phone, I would occupy his time by asking the same question over and over again so that I made sure I understood what was going on, so that he would be prepared for when I called the next day, and also to remind him that I was just as much a customer as those standing infront of him.
Third, I just went along with whatever they said needed to be done. But, I didn't do it quietly. When they insisted on sending it back, I asked "Why?" "When will be back?" "How can I trust they will actually do the work this time?" until I was nearly completely satisfied that that was the only option.
Before I left, I even gave the man the phone number and the names of the associates to work with and the ones to avoid, as well as the name of the supervisor and the manager that finally agreed that my situation had gone too far.
My point is that, although I felt like the only consumer being yanked around by the d**n associates at Best Buy, there were in fact others, and there will be more unless someone helps me to stop them!
Al
Portland,Oregon,
The dirty little secret ..A MUST READ REPORT
#4Consumer Comment
Mon, July 15, 2002
Be afraid. Be very afraid when buying a computer package in a retail store. Here is the dirty little secret. Let us assume that a store orders a number of units from manufacturer X because the price is very cheap. Now company X knows that this model, 2000Z, is a real bow wow, the product reviewers know it, everyone knows it except you. The computers sit on the shelf from the day they arrive in January and gather dust until early December when the store throws in the towel, slashes its price, eats the loss and tries to move the dogs with a citrus aroma in time for Christmas shoppers.
You read the ad, waltz into the store, plunk down the money and happily load the puppy into your car. It will be gift for your college bound kid. After a couple of months, say in February, the mutt rolls over and dies, period. You schlepp the dead beast back to the store and demand repair/replacement under the touted one-year warranty. Uh-oh. The smirk on the clerk's face tells you that you just stepped into some deep dog poop. You see, the "one-year warranty" started ticking its life away when the computer arrived at the store in January, not when you bought it in December. See? It is right there in the fine print you missed when your eyes glazed over. Best to ask (and get the answer in writing) just how long the warranty will cover you, the consumer.
Here is another nasty bit of news to watch out for. When a manufacturer says that this computer comes bundled with software like WindowsBS, it really doesn't. There is no MicroSoft disk for WindowsBS. There is a disk with some, but not all, WindowsBS. This is the manufacturer's version of WindowsBS and, as such, is not covered by any MicroSoft service or tech support policy. You are on your own, bunkie. You want WindowsBS, you better go buy WindowsBS and install it yourself if you expect any tech support, such as it is, from MicroSoft.
The p.c. business is the last refuge for the unemployed used car salesmen, politicians and other low lifes.