- Report: #269133
Complaint Review: Best Buy - Richfield Minnesota
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Best Buy
7601 Penn Avenue S Richfield, 55423 Minnesota, U.S.A.
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612-291-1000
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Best Buy Co., Best Buyer Beware! PSP Performance Service Plans/Extended Warranties Do Not Guarantee Timely Repair Richfield Minnesota
In just the last 24 months, I have made over $12,000 worth of purchases from Best Buy.I am a loyal (obsessed, actually!) First Adapter Best Buy customer. Much to the fury of my Professional Shopper Wife, I don't have the patience to wait for mark-downs or rebates. I don't make returns.
I am both a Barry and a Buzz (Best Buy's internal buzzwords to describe preferred customers). In short, I am one of Best Buy's Angel customers.I am also a loyal purchaser of Best Buy's Performance Service Plans.
Although I have never exercised any of the plans benefits, I have not once doubted the peace the mind that the plans supposedly provide.
Unfortunately, all of this confidence in Best Buy and their Protection Plans ended on June 8th, 2007 when I placed my first service call to have my $3,661 KDF-60XS955 Sony Grand Wega TV repaired (a large blue glow was covering most of the bottom half of the television screen).
It has now been over two months and, after several calls and multiple claims, my wife and I are still being told that we will simply have to wait for the necessary light engine/optic block part to arrive before our television can be repaired.
That alone would not be an issue. But, according to the repair company servicing our TV, various on-line HD forums, and even Sony themselves, the estimated delivery date for the back-ordered parts to arrive is at least September, but most likely October or later!
And Best Buy is standing firm: their warranty does not give ANY timeline for repairs. If its two days or two years, as long as the product is in the process of being repaired, your right as a customer is to simply be patient and reasonable.
I ask you: is three to six months a reasonable time period to wait for a nearly $4,000 television to be repaired after having purchased an expensive extended warranty? Would YOU be content to stare for three to six months at a huge, blank, empty wall where the centerpiece of your high definition home theater used to be?
Following is a detailed summary of the many attempts my wife and I have made to once again simply have a working television.
I think you will be amazed at the nighmarish maze of circles Best Buy creates to circumvent fixing a simple issue:
In February of 2006, after owning the television less than one year, the bulb completely burned out but was fixed within two weeks by B&K Electronics out of Towson, MD (410-337-0008).
In June of 2007, a blue glow in the bottom left hand corner of the screen appeared and grew larger over just a few days until it covered most of the bottom left side of the screen.
We filed another repair claim by once again calling 1-888-Best-Buy on Friday, June 8th. At this time a rep informed my wife that B&K was no longer an authorized Best Buy repair company and that, instead, New England Television Repair (860-675-9056) would be calling us to set up an appointment to inspect the TV. I thought it strange that their name was New England Television Repair, but I also though it strange that a company based out of Towson, MD (over 2 hours away) would be chosen to service us (as in B&K Electronics).
After a week of continuous calls, New England Television Repair finally called to tell us that they were based out of Connecticut and would not be able to assist us. We called 1-888-Best Buy again and were condescendingly told that we would have to start all over again with yet another claim with B&K Electronics which was (surprise!) still an authorized Best Buy repair company.
B&K Electronics finally came out to inspect the unit on Monday, June 18. They looked at the TV and stated that the bulb was again losing intensity and thus was now the cause of the large blue glow. B&K Electronics did not come out with a new replacement bulb until Friday, June 22nd (14 days after the problem was originally reported supposedly, B&K Electronics can only deliver/pick up in our area once every two weeks due to the fact that we live in West Virginia and they are located in Towson, MD). The glow remained even after replacing the bulb.
At this point B&K told us the television now needed to have its light engine/optic block replaced. This would now require us to file yet another separate claim and we would have to wait for the claim to process before they could take the TV back to their repair facilities (?). B&K Electronics was not able to come back and take the TV to their repair center until Monday, August 6. At this time we received a receipt along with a written and oral promise (see attached) that the TV would be repaired and returned by the following Friday, August the 17th.
As of today, August 20, B&K Electronics is still waiting for a back-ordered light engine/optic block from Sony that may or may not fix the problem and will not deliver to B&K Electronics until at LEAST August 31st (Sony is notorious for continually extending it's ETA dates for back-ordered parts).
In a BEST CASE SCENARIO, B&K Electronics will receive the part on Friday, August 31, repair our TV on Tuesday September 4 (due to the Labor Day Holiday), and deliver it to us Wednesday, September 5th...3 months after the problem began!!! (However, according to a call placed directly with Sony, the 8/31/07 delivery date for the back-ordered part is "highly unlikely"). My wife and I have made several calls to 1-888-Best Buy for follow-up.
The first rep that I spoke with was "Christina" (they are not allowed to give out their last names?) who agreed that 3 months was not a reasonable time period to wait for a repair and went ahead and filed a claim for a replacement TV.
Two days later my wife called to check the status of our claim and was told that the claim had been denied because we only needed a simple replacement bulb, not a light engine/optic block, and the TV would be repaired and sent back to us by that Friday. Excited at the prospect, I called B&K Electronics to see if this was true. Joe from B&K Electronics stated that no one at B&K had talked to anyone at Best Buy regarding my claim and confirmed once again that the TV still needed a light engine and would not be repaired until at least September.
I then conducted a phone conference with myself, Joe (from B&K Electronics), and Sherry ______ (at 1-888 Best Buy) whereby Joe proceeded to officially tell her the issue and even recommended a replacement TV since it would be at least September and we had already been waiting for repairs for over two months. The next day, another 1-888-Best Buy rep, Julie ____, called to state that our claim had once again been denied since all we needed was a simple light bulb replacement.
I made several additional calls to the actual store of purchase, B&K Electronics, and 1-888-Best- Buy with no help, no answers, and no guarantees that I will receive my television any time before at least September 4th. B&K Electronics even refuses to give the TV back to us as it will supposedly "negate my entire claim and cause even further delay"!!!
On Wednesday, August 15th, my wife attempted one more time to resolve our repair woes through 1-888-Best Buy. She was told this time by one of the Best Buy Representatives that a Specialist would now be looking into the matter and would call us by Monday, August the 20th.
However, by this time I was frustrated beyond belief and decided to make a personal visit instead to the actual store of purchase on Saturday, August 18th. Here I met with the Manager of the in-store Magnolia Home Theater, Joe Nazelrod and the General Sales Manager, Katie Cannon. They were unable to contact the District Manager but did attempt to raise the issue through 1-888-Best Buy directly up to the Replacement Department.
Minutes later, I was informed that the matter was now officially escalated and that it looked promising that I could be receiving a replacement television within the next 3 to five business days.
However, on Monday, August 20th, we were again told by one of the supervisors at 1-888-Best Buy, Terry ____ (again, like the rest of the seemingly spineless people at 1-888 Best Buy, he is apparently not allowed to give out his last name), that we would not be allowed a replacement and would instead have to wait until the back-ordered part came in. When my wife and I gently reminded him that Sony was estimating the wait to last until October possibly even November, he calmly insisted that we would have to wait (and this IS a direct quote): for as long as it takes
Are all extended warranties such an extravangant waste of money???
Has Best Buy's customer service really gotten this bad???
Andrew
Charles Town, West Virginia
U.S.A.
Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Best Buy
I am both a Barry and a Buzz (Best Buy's internal buzzwords to describe preferred customers). In short, I am one of Best Buy's Angel customers.I am also a loyal purchaser of Best Buy's Performance Service Plans.
Although I have never exercised any of the plans benefits, I have not once doubted the peace the mind that the plans supposedly provide.
Unfortunately, all of this confidence in Best Buy and their Protection Plans ended on June 8th, 2007 when I placed my first service call to have my $3,661 KDF-60XS955 Sony Grand Wega TV repaired (a large blue glow was covering most of the bottom half of the television screen).
It has now been over two months and, after several calls and multiple claims, my wife and I are still being told that we will simply have to wait for the necessary light engine/optic block part to arrive before our television can be repaired.
That alone would not be an issue. But, according to the repair company servicing our TV, various on-line HD forums, and even Sony themselves, the estimated delivery date for the back-ordered parts to arrive is at least September, but most likely October or later!
And Best Buy is standing firm: their warranty does not give ANY timeline for repairs. If its two days or two years, as long as the product is in the process of being repaired, your right as a customer is to simply be patient and reasonable.
I ask you: is three to six months a reasonable time period to wait for a nearly $4,000 television to be repaired after having purchased an expensive extended warranty? Would YOU be content to stare for three to six months at a huge, blank, empty wall where the centerpiece of your high definition home theater used to be?
Following is a detailed summary of the many attempts my wife and I have made to once again simply have a working television.
I think you will be amazed at the nighmarish maze of circles Best Buy creates to circumvent fixing a simple issue:
In February of 2006, after owning the television less than one year, the bulb completely burned out but was fixed within two weeks by B&K Electronics out of Towson, MD (410-337-0008).
In June of 2007, a blue glow in the bottom left hand corner of the screen appeared and grew larger over just a few days until it covered most of the bottom left side of the screen.
We filed another repair claim by once again calling 1-888-Best-Buy on Friday, June 8th. At this time a rep informed my wife that B&K was no longer an authorized Best Buy repair company and that, instead, New England Television Repair (860-675-9056) would be calling us to set up an appointment to inspect the TV. I thought it strange that their name was New England Television Repair, but I also though it strange that a company based out of Towson, MD (over 2 hours away) would be chosen to service us (as in B&K Electronics).
After a week of continuous calls, New England Television Repair finally called to tell us that they were based out of Connecticut and would not be able to assist us. We called 1-888-Best Buy again and were condescendingly told that we would have to start all over again with yet another claim with B&K Electronics which was (surprise!) still an authorized Best Buy repair company.
B&K Electronics finally came out to inspect the unit on Monday, June 18. They looked at the TV and stated that the bulb was again losing intensity and thus was now the cause of the large blue glow. B&K Electronics did not come out with a new replacement bulb until Friday, June 22nd (14 days after the problem was originally reported supposedly, B&K Electronics can only deliver/pick up in our area once every two weeks due to the fact that we live in West Virginia and they are located in Towson, MD). The glow remained even after replacing the bulb.
At this point B&K told us the television now needed to have its light engine/optic block replaced. This would now require us to file yet another separate claim and we would have to wait for the claim to process before they could take the TV back to their repair facilities (?). B&K Electronics was not able to come back and take the TV to their repair center until Monday, August 6. At this time we received a receipt along with a written and oral promise (see attached) that the TV would be repaired and returned by the following Friday, August the 17th.
As of today, August 20, B&K Electronics is still waiting for a back-ordered light engine/optic block from Sony that may or may not fix the problem and will not deliver to B&K Electronics until at LEAST August 31st (Sony is notorious for continually extending it's ETA dates for back-ordered parts).
In a BEST CASE SCENARIO, B&K Electronics will receive the part on Friday, August 31, repair our TV on Tuesday September 4 (due to the Labor Day Holiday), and deliver it to us Wednesday, September 5th...3 months after the problem began!!! (However, according to a call placed directly with Sony, the 8/31/07 delivery date for the back-ordered part is "highly unlikely"). My wife and I have made several calls to 1-888-Best Buy for follow-up.
The first rep that I spoke with was "Christina" (they are not allowed to give out their last names?) who agreed that 3 months was not a reasonable time period to wait for a repair and went ahead and filed a claim for a replacement TV.
Two days later my wife called to check the status of our claim and was told that the claim had been denied because we only needed a simple replacement bulb, not a light engine/optic block, and the TV would be repaired and sent back to us by that Friday. Excited at the prospect, I called B&K Electronics to see if this was true. Joe from B&K Electronics stated that no one at B&K had talked to anyone at Best Buy regarding my claim and confirmed once again that the TV still needed a light engine and would not be repaired until at least September.
I then conducted a phone conference with myself, Joe (from B&K Electronics), and Sherry ______ (at 1-888 Best Buy) whereby Joe proceeded to officially tell her the issue and even recommended a replacement TV since it would be at least September and we had already been waiting for repairs for over two months. The next day, another 1-888-Best Buy rep, Julie ____, called to state that our claim had once again been denied since all we needed was a simple light bulb replacement.
I made several additional calls to the actual store of purchase, B&K Electronics, and 1-888-Best- Buy with no help, no answers, and no guarantees that I will receive my television any time before at least September 4th. B&K Electronics even refuses to give the TV back to us as it will supposedly "negate my entire claim and cause even further delay"!!!
On Wednesday, August 15th, my wife attempted one more time to resolve our repair woes through 1-888-Best Buy. She was told this time by one of the Best Buy Representatives that a Specialist would now be looking into the matter and would call us by Monday, August the 20th.
However, by this time I was frustrated beyond belief and decided to make a personal visit instead to the actual store of purchase on Saturday, August 18th. Here I met with the Manager of the in-store Magnolia Home Theater, Joe Nazelrod and the General Sales Manager, Katie Cannon. They were unable to contact the District Manager but did attempt to raise the issue through 1-888-Best Buy directly up to the Replacement Department.
Minutes later, I was informed that the matter was now officially escalated and that it looked promising that I could be receiving a replacement television within the next 3 to five business days.
However, on Monday, August 20th, we were again told by one of the supervisors at 1-888-Best Buy, Terry ____ (again, like the rest of the seemingly spineless people at 1-888 Best Buy, he is apparently not allowed to give out his last name), that we would not be allowed a replacement and would instead have to wait until the back-ordered part came in. When my wife and I gently reminded him that Sony was estimating the wait to last until October possibly even November, he calmly insisted that we would have to wait (and this IS a direct quote): for as long as it takes
Are all extended warranties such an extravangant waste of money???
Has Best Buy's customer service really gotten this bad???
Andrew
Charles Town, West Virginia
U.S.A.
Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Best Buy
4 Updates & Rebuttals
The Layla Stryker
Elkins Park,Pennsylvania,
U.S.A.
This is what you have to do..
#2Consumer Suggestion
Sun, November 11, 2007
This is what i personally had to do, with best buy, to get so much as a response from 1800bestbuy. My local store employees are mostly teenagers who have no regard for customer service, or knowledge of whats going on. Except for Bob, but thats another story. I was eight months without a computer. Eight months. It would have dragged on longer, had it not been for my mother, and The BBB. File a complaint with The BBB. You will likely get a canned response to your complaint, from best buy, and just respond stating that you do NOT agree to their solution (as im sure you will not) and that you would like to continue your greviance. Call 1800bestbuy every night. Complain until they hang up on you. Call back. You will eventually get someone worth while, and when you do make sure to ask for their extension number. Call them constantly, and when you are told that person is not available, make sure to refrence them as often as possible in your conversation with the new person. Go to your local best buy store, and as to use the store phone to call 1800bestbuy. make sure the phone they take you to, is in a quiet area, so you can actually hear the rep on the other end. Explain your case, and tell them, you are not leaving, until something is done. When the managers and employees start to disregard your presence, write down their names, and after you leave the store (you will get something accomplished, im sure) call 1800bestbuy again, and complain about them. Its a merry little game best buy plays, and there is only one way to win. Tell the government and whine your a*s off. Good Luck!
Whatever
Great Falls,Montana,
U.S.A.
If I were in your shoes
#3UPDATE Employee
Mon, September 03, 2007
Andrew, I was a little disturbed by the report you filed for two reasons. One, it does seem really unreasonable that you would have to be without your television for so long while it is being repaired and the run around you seem to have gotten from Best Buy. The second thing that disturbs me and bothers me the most is the holes in your story. I am not sure if the holes in your story are because you are so upset they have slipped your mind, or if it is just information that you haven't been given throughout this process. Either way I would just like to clear up a few issues. First, the issue with the representatives not disclosing their last names. This is not a sign of spinlessness or disrespect. It is simply a security measure the company has put in place to safeguard its employees. Think of the person on the other end of the line. They are simply following company proceedure and it is already hard enough for them to come back on the line from having you on hold and telling you that you will not be getting a replacement or how long it will be for a backordered part to be delivered. How much harder do you think it would be knowing that an irrate customer has their full name when in reality they really don't need it. Every employee at the PSP devision at Best Buy will, however, be more that willing to give you their extension number (which is also an employee identification number that will help you refer to a particular employee if you need to in the future). There have been in the past (and I am not saying you would) situations were representatives have been harrassed and threatened and therefore they are no longer allowed to disclose there last name or where the call centers are located. So it is for the safety of the employees that they do not give out last name and not because the employees are "spineless". Second I would like to address where you said that Joe from B&K recommended that you should get a replacement. The service center definately has the authourity to say whether a product is a lemon or not but if they are an authorized service center through Best Buy they know the proper proceedure to get a unit replaced. A represenative can put in a request for a replacement but without proper support from the service center the No Lemon depart cannot approve it. If the service center does not send in the appropriate paper work stating the unit should be bought out due to parts delay or uneconomical to repair then Best Buy does not have any other choice than to follow the terms and conditions stated in the service plan. So when Joe recommended to Sherry that the TV should be replaced he should have then at that point sent in the appropriate paperwork to the No Lemon department. Then when the request for a replacement went in there would have been sufficient support from the service center and you may have gotten your replacement. Also, I would like to note that no one; especially not Best Buy has control over the manufacturer and how long it takes for them to ship their parts. That seems to be an issue you have with the manufacture and not Best Buy and would be an issue no matter where you bought your Sony. In no way am I saying that the above excuses the way you feel you have been treated. It is a shame and unacceptable that you have been without your TV for so long and looking at an even longer stretch. If I were in your shoes I would call Customer Care at the 888 Best Buy number and see what they are able to do about rectifying the situation. I am sorry that you have had such a horrible experiance and maybe they can restore some faith in Best Buy for you. I wish you well and hope everything gets taken care of soon.
Anil
East Windsor,New Jersey,
U.S.A.
Fight against it.
#4Consumer Comment
Fri, August 24, 2007
I have the same issues.I have Plasma TV for which I need repair as per the PSP plan and Best buy is following exactly the same procedure you mentioned in your ripoff report. there are sevreal ways to put the prossure on the compnay to fix their "habbits" 1. File a complaint with BBB web site bb.org on Best buys head office in MN 2. File a complaint with BBB web site bb.org on Best buys local store . 3. File a complaint your State's consumer protection agency. It will be available on State dept's website. In your case the form is available at wvago.gov/pdf/general-consumer-complaint-form.pdf 4. File a complaint with Federal -FTC - ftc.gov/bcp/index.shtml This will help them to track the pattern against the merchant. All this should at least start generating some heat in their seats.
Kristy
Beverly Hills,California,
U.S.A.
how to resolve your issue.
#5UPDATE EX-employee responds
Fri, August 24, 2007
your talking to the wrong people at Best Buy.. pick up the phone and call the main corporate office# (612) 291-1000 (the toll free # is outsourced) ask for the Executive Resolutions dept. which is basically the CEO's office for customer issues like this.. **POLITELY** explain the entire situation, who you have spoken with names, any case#'s etc. Obviously this is the 1st time they have been made aware of your issue so the rep will probably ask for a timeframe like 24-72hrs to investigate & get back to you (which I think is fair) .. Basically store, district & service center managers really HATE getting calls from this group... generally after 45-60days of parts not being avail they will issue a junkout and you get a new TV. from reading your post what I think happened is that you live in Smalltown USA.. When Best Buy has to contract something like this out to a 3rd party repair business (-vs- sending thier own repair techs) alot of other political issues come into play when you do this.. as the local repair store has it's own agenda and countless problems can come up.... I wont go into details except to say.. if a 3rd party is contracted by Best Buy to repair your TV...(-vs- sending out thier own tech's) everything you do MUST be approved by Best Buy and they must be kept in the loop and you must doublecheck they are kept informed and agreed to pay.. last advice.. Best Buy Techs NEVER remove a customer's TV from the Home.. They will usually bring parts with them & fix onsite.. When you allow 3rd party repair center to remove your TV .. there is a chance you will LITERALLY never see it again... one quick example.. customer & repair tech agreed to fix something and never asked Best Buy for pre-approval... naturally they refuse to pay. the local store wants it's money.. and refuse to return your TV.. you call Best Buy to complain.. they say you never got thier approval and made some private deal with the company on your own for extra work that had nothing to do with the repair..
