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  • Report:  #659365

Complaint Review: Best Buy - Culver City California

Reported By:
Doctor - Los Angeles, California, United States of America
Submitted:
Updated:

Best Buy
(Store 179) 10799 Washington Blvd Culver City, 90232 California, United States of America
Phone:
310-204-2147
Web:
bestbuy.com
Categories:
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good? What's this?
I have been the victim of a bait and switch at the Culver City best Buy store.  I have been sold 2 completely defective netbooks in the past 2 months.  The first, a Toshiba, had an inoperative wireless switch.  I waited 3 weeks for them to tell me that it could not be repaired, and they never offered a loaner or any acknowledgment that they had both my money and my computer.  After that wait, they offered me a store credit, and I foolishly used it to buy an ASUS netbook.  That computer literally died after 10 days.  I waited another 2.5 weeks to be told that it was declared "dead". 

By now, I have waited roughly 6 weeks and just wanted a refund to use in a store where I might purchase a netbook that actually worked.  I was told that they, the store personnel, could not give a refund because they, the store personnel, had sent it out to the manufacturer.  This sounds like the supreme scam to me.  I was told that I could take a store credit to purchase another ASUS, but that would cost an additional $104.

I refused that patently scummy maneuver, planning to dispute the charge on my credit card.  However, I discovered that I had inadvertently, foolishly, used my debit card.  Left with no options, I took the store credit and used it on a netbook of lesser quality to avoid the extra charge.  I am really unhappy with the one I have and may give it to my preteen niece as a Christmas gift.  I am truly disturbed by this practice.  Although I, of course, will never shop Best Buy again, I want to warn others of this kind of scam and wonder if there is any recourse.


7 Updates & Rebuttals

Steve

Garner,
North Carolina,
U.S.A.
Huh?

#2General Comment

Sun, November 14, 2010

Manufacturers would not refer you to a "reseller" for fulfillment a of a manufacturer warranty, which is normally one year from the date of purchase.  If it was over a year and you had purchased and extended warranty, then you WOULD have been referred to the reseller.


Steve

Bradenton,
Florida,
U.S.A.
THe OP could have disputed the charge even with the "debit" card,

#3Consumer Suggestion

Sun, November 14, 2010

To the OP.

You most likely could have disputed the charge you made with your debit card. here's why.

If it is a Mastercard or Visa branded debit card, you have the exact same protection in using it as you do a credit card.

However, to dispute ANY transaction, you have to wait until it appears on your statement, unless you report the card lost or stolen.

As far as "loaner" computers go, I have never seen or even heard of this practice from any major retailer.

Each store has it's own return policy which you need to READ and UNDERSTAND before making any major purchase.

As far as one contributors claim of 1 in 25 computers being bad right out of the box, I find that ridiculous and completely foolish.

I have bought numerous computers and have NEVER gotten a bad one right out of the box.

I find it unlikely that the OP got 2 bad ones in a row, especially 2 different brands! What are the odds on that?

I feel that there is much more to the story here, even though I have seen some shady manuevers on the part of Best Buy myself.


Ronny g

North hollywood,
California,
USA
A little out of hand..

#4Consumer Comment

Sun, November 14, 2010

I have defended BestBuy and other businesses on this site. But I take each report I choose to respond to on a case by case.

The employee that responded acted in an uncalled for manner, and this is the kind of thing that does tarnish bestbuy, and why people complain of lousy customer service.

In this case the correct business decision for BestBuy to satisfy the customer would be a store credit for the full amount to be used how the customer pleases. It seems this may have been how it ended but I am not sure.

If the OP can explain...you say you used the store credit to buy a notebook of lesser quality. That was your choice, if you were unhappy with it I would think you could return it within a certain time period?

Either way the inconvenience you went through and the fact that the products were failing is complaint worthy. It may not be BestBuys fault that computers have so many problems..but how they deal with an unsatisfied customer is certainly on them. I am sure company policy overall would permit a manager to make a decision on how to best handle this. Sometimes you run into bad employees of a business, but it does not always conclude that this will be the typical experience every time. They have a heck of a lot of customers..and a lot of employees...both have been wrong at times.


C0D34RCH3R

USA
Wow

#5Consumer Comment

Sat, November 13, 2010

Well "are you stupid" apparently you were looking in the mirror. No where in the complaint states that the item was not returned within 14 days. Try comprehending the report before you poorly represent your company. And with your current attitude and lack of reading comprehension don't ever wonder why you work at best buy....you belong there.

I too have had similar situations with best buy. I got so tired of their staffs lack of knowledge I quit shopping there. I would ask a questions I already knew the answer to just to see what kind of retarded response I would get. I did get the occasional very intelligent employee, but these people seem to disappear quickly. I am sure they move on to more important positions with other companies.....as they should.

I now just shop Newegg. Although I have to wait a bit longer I have been happy with them and they know more than the apparent "high school dropouts" best buy hires.


trytohelp

United States of America
are you stupid?

#6UPDATE Employee

Sat, November 13, 2010

First off. If the item was still within the 14 day return policy, it should have been returned. That is your own fault for not knowing the stores return policy.


Second. It isn't the stores fault that the MANUFACTURER crafted a defective computer. You know how many computers are dead out of the box? Atleast 1 in 25 I'd say.. and that is regardless of who makes it. I've seen a $1700 Sony, not turn on out of the box. s**t happens, you can't blame a retailer for another companies fault.


Doctor

Los Angeles,
California,
United States of America
Yes but... still a scam

#7Author of original report

Tue, November 09, 2010

Yes, I did contact the manufacturer, but they referred me back to "the reseller" to uphold the warranty.  This is a very ingenious scam; the reseller decides how to honor the warranty. 

Because Best Buy actually sent it back to the manufacturer, who "junked" it, Best Buy gets to decide the "comparable" model.  If Best Buy had explained that to me at the outset, I would have, of course, dealt directly with the manufacturer myself and never allowed them to send it on my behalf.


Steve

Garner,
North Carolina,
U.S.A.
Warranty?

#8Consumer Comment

Mon, November 08, 2010

What did the manufacturer's say?   That's where both of them would have gone and both would have been under manufacturer's warranty. The manufacturer should have repaired or replaced both of them.

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