On July 24, 2008, entered Best Buy to purchase a MacBook Pro with 4 GB RAM. I told a sales rep at Best Buy' I wanted the Macbook Pro with 4 GBs of RAM memory. He told me he would have to get one off the shelf and give it to others to upgrade the memory. Another sales rep (or manager) at the cashiers desk attended to me. Without me even seeing the computer, they took my Capital One credit card and swiped it (charging me) for the entire purchase. I told them that I was in a rush, however, the rep told me there were others ahead of me. I asked him if I should hang around the store and wait or should I just go home and then come back. He then told me I would be better off going home and coming back later as they could not even get to the computer to upgrade it to 4GB of memory prior to 45 minutes at the very least. He told me that I could pick up the computer in about an hour and this would be rushing the job. He was required to attend to others who were there before I was.
After making the purchase my wife and I had a brief discussion. She made me aware of expenses we were incurring relative to the death of my Father on July 21, 2008. From the time we left the counter, to the time we returned only lasted about 5 to 10+/- minutes or so. We returned to the counter and informed the rep, Fisher, that we cannot afford the computer now, we had to use the funds toward my Fathers Funeral. The rep or manager sighed and made a facial grimace in apparent disgust. He belligerently told us that it's too late to get all our money back, that they had already opened the computer and there's a restocking fee.
Note, that he had just got done telling us that he COULD NOT' get to my computer for at least 45 minutes, that this was rushing it as other jobs were ahead of mine. He was doing me a favor by getting to it after 45 minutes. The part about why I requested a refund apparently did not register in his brain as it elicited no response; not an expression of remorse or even a care. I spoke quite clearly and he said nothing about this. I reminded him that he told me he COULD NOT get to the computer for at least 45 minutes and there were others ahead of me and his only response was, Do you know how hard it is too sell computers. My wife and I would not have believed it had we not heard this with our own ears! We actually turned our heads to each other in disbelief.
I naturally got angry and told him I was not responsible for them going against their own word by opening the computer up sooner than they had indicated they would and that I would take this up with my credit card company. I raised my voice with him and he replied, Are you getting loud with me, are you getting loud with me? Ok, you have to pay the restocking fee. This seemed to have implied that had I not gotten loud with him, maybe he would have changed his mind. Not one word of condolence or the slightest care was uttered relative to the fact that I needed the funds to go toward my Fathers Funeral Expenses.
Firstly to consider is that we never laid eyes on the actual computer, we just knew I was purchasing a Macbook Pro. One rep was going to get the computer and bring it to others to upgrade the memory. How can I be charged a restocking fee' when I never had the computer in the first place? Not once did he even offer to show me the computer I was purchasing was opened. What happened to all those jobs that were ahead of mine? They disappeared miraculously once I returned only minutes later?
(Keep reading to find out how they turned a dispute over a restocking fee into a dispute for the total cost of the computer).
I never even saw the computer I was supposedly purchasing. I never had anything to begin with for them to restock. They never showed me that the actual computer I was purchasing was the one opened. The rep was so obviously angry that I cancelled the order that he could very well have claimed that they opened the computer already just to get-even with me and make me pay for something. He was so quick to tell me of my punishment for canceling the order, that he took know consideration for the reason for my return. I DO NOT have the computer, I never received it in the first place. Fisher only agreed to refund the cost of the computer MINUS the restocking fee.
I had already handed my credit card and receipt over and minutes later they were handed back to me with the understanding that they charged me a restocking fee which I was going to have to dispute via my credit card company.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 (Date this letter was completed)
I visited Best Buy October 18, 2008. I spoke with a representative named Tyler. Tyler looked in the records and noted that the computer in question was absorbed' or 'burned' into their inventory.' He spoke with the acting Manager and then related to me that another' Manager, Nick, would have to process the credit. Tyler noted that there would be No Problem' crediting my account since the computer in question was absorbed into the inventory. Tyler told me that Nick would call me Monday to process the credit and there would be no need for me to come back in to the store. However, Monday came and past and Nick failed to call.
Update: Wednesday, October 22, 2008
I spoke with Nick. Nick told me that the computer is not in the building. The store has cameras set up, I CHALLENGED Nick to show any video footage of my wife and I walking out with the computer. I have challenged this charge since the very day the charge went through and now they are telling me that Tyler did not say the computer was absorbed into the inventory. Nick says he got an email from Tyler to check into it as he is the only one who would know whether it was absorbed into the inventory, nevertheless, this is what Tyler said, whether he meant to or not; this was his words.
In my original letter to my credit card company I was challenging the restocking fee; now at this point in time, they are claiming that I had the computer and I DID NOT have the computer! He, Nick, then stated that he can't help me then. At the time I did not know the name of the rep who rang up the purchase, however, I knew the reps number was indicated on the receipt. I told Nick that if he looks up the number on the receipt he'll find the person who rang me up; the person I dealt with. I told him that I would come in and stand there personally with the rep who rung up my purchase and assured him that this rep would remember me and that I want him to tell me in front of Nick that I walked out with the computer. I have my wife as my witness as well. He said he would look up the rep that corresponds with the number on the receipt, but he might not be employed here anymore, he doesn't think it will get us anywhere.
Best Buy, Fisher, et al never gave me the computer for which I was being charged for, they DID NOT give the merchandize to me and they knew they indicated they would provide a credit and that I would dispute the terms of the credit (more on this follows).
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
I spoke with Jasmine today at the Best Buy Corp, who was the only one who seem to care about my situation. 1-888-Best Buy. She gave me a Case Number. I related the entire event to her. I reiterated what I said to Nick this morning that I would be happy to come in and meet with him and the person who rang my purchase up. The person who rang up the computer is identified by a number on the receipt and thus far no body has supplied me with the name of the person who range me up and no body has agreed to meet with me in person to have the person who range me up stand in front of me and say what happened. (I later found out the rep was Fisher). I indicated that I want this person, the person who rang up the purchase, to say whether I left with the computer or not. I DID NOT leave with a computer.
Jasmine spoke with Brian, the Manager on Duty at Best Buy Deptford, NJ. Jasmine was informed by the Manager On Duty, Brian, that 8 memory sticks/cards were on the floor as discovered via physical assessment and only 6 showed on the system. I was having 2' sticks of memory inserted into my computer. This discrepancy proves that I did not walk out with the memory sticks/cards or the computer.
The reason why 8' were found to be located in the store while 6 were in the inventory on the computer system was because I never left with the computer.
Jasmine informed me that they haven't been able to establish the same discrepancy yet' with regard to the computer, but they are working on it and I should call Nick tomorrow and check with him for any adjustments that were made regarding the computer back in September or prior to September. Best Buy claims they have no proof I did not take the computer, which means that I have to prove that I did not take the computer; they don't have to prove that I did take the computer.
Jasmine informed me that employees are checked for supplies before they leave the store. However, the nations airport misses things upon inspection. Someone could have taken the computer out a back door, had it concealed somehow, placed it in a complete different location in the store. I requested they examine Video Footage of July 24, 2008 and to see whether I left with the computer. They have cameras everywhere in there.
I explained I NEVER RECEIVED THE COMPUTER! Please look at my record, I am a great customer, please help me!
October 23, 2008
I go to Best Buy and I ask them to tell me who the representative is who's number is on my receipt. They would not give me a name, however, we saw him walking around in the back. I asked if he remembered me, he said, "No." I said, yes you do. He then looked at the receipt and admitted he knew us. This is when I finally learned his name is Fisher (sp?). He acknowledged to his credit that we DID NOT leave with the computer. Recall prior to this Nick had indicated that there was nothing out of balance with their inventory, no extra computers no missing computers.
Another manager/rep took this information and my receipt to the apparent head Manager. All of a sudden this obnoxious bellicose loud mouth slob comes storming over to the counter (Michael Magnus) and 'LOW AND BEHOLD' what does he have in his hand, THE COMPUTER! He slams it down on the counter and says he's been holding this since we walked out and there are no returns because it's been over 3 months." Note, I returned it the day I bought it and they were suppose to credit my credit card and failed to do so. He wasn't even present when they were suppose to credit my account and insists that they weren't suppose to credit it saying I did not request this. Does it make sense for someone to dispute a charge involving a restocking fee with his credit card company had he not been lead to believe it was credited? How did this computer suddenly appear and when had previously told me their inventory balanced out? They apparently wanted me to lose the computer and my money.
I told him that Fisher said he would only credit the cost of the computer minus the restocking fee and this low class loud mouth was doing nothing but yelling telling me how I abused his employees, etc... I called up the Best Buy Corp again and provided the case number provided to me by Jasmine. I spoke with another rep who put me on with a Supervisor. While I was on hold waiting for the transfer to the Supervisor, I saw Michael Maggot, excuse me, Magnus and with a low tone of voice I asked, "Why didn't Fisher just credit the amount of the computer minus the restocking fee when they were suppose to." Then he started yelling that (despite not being there when I was told about the credit minus the restocking fee) that it never happened, then he started ordering my wife and I away from the counter or he'd call the police.
When the Supervisor from Best Buy Corp got on the phone, I let him speak with him and he starts saying that my wife and I were disruptive to the business, etc.. etc.., yet there wasn't one customer standing by the counter at the time. We were the calm one's he was running around like a Mad Man! He then ordered us out of the building saying that he'd get the police to get us out but that I'd better take my computer with me because he won't be responsible for what happens to it if we leave it there; that he doesn't have to watch it or keep it there. I spoke with the Supervisor on the phone and he told me not to worry, just leave the store and he would work with me to settle this matter. I trusted he would help me in this situation yet when we left and continued to talk with him, he then said there was nothing he could do, no one would indicate that they were suppose to credit my card minus the restocking fee. They FORCED us to leave with the computer otherwise we risked losing our money and the computer and have nothing. Michael Magnus, Deptford, NJ Best Buy then yells out that he want's it on video that I left with the computer. Those video tapes would prove that he was the one who was out of control, not us. They tried to get us to leave without the memory sticks we purchased, they refused to give us a refund of these sticks, so they eventually gave us sealed sticks of memory; but we still paid for the installation which WAS NOT DONE!
Hey, I thought those sticks were installed on my computer, why are they packaged? Hmmm, seems like they did not install them as claimed from the beginning after-all. So hey were lying about opening the computer from the beginning. I asked about the warranties we paid for and they said to take it to another Best Buy Store.
I am presently working through my credit card company and other sources and my credit card company now believes, based on Michael Magnus's behavior and all of the details that I won't be responsible for the costs. So, I'm waiting for their reply and I'm consulting an attorney. I told Michael Magnus I'd see him in court.
THESE PEOPLE HAVE NO REBUTTLE! THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THE TRUTH, THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYONE! DON'T DO BUSINESS WITH BEST BUY! Michael Magnus is OUT OF CONTROL and I would bet he's had complaints forged about him in the past! This waste need to be Fired!!!!!
Mitch
Somerdale, New Jersey
U.S.A.
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