Best Buy Returns

Eric of New York, NY May 6, 2009

I purchased an HP Photosmart C5580 from Best Buy Store 1448 003 6150 at 12:38pm, May 6. After taking the product home, I opened the box to find that it did not contain the printer that I purchased, but an older model HP printer, that was beat up, with no powercord or manual. I immediately returned to the store to exchange for the product that I paid for. But I was told that because the box was sealed, that I'd have to take it up with HP.

This in unacceptable in two ways:

1) Calling a piece of packing tape on the box 'sealed' is ridiculous, because anyone can tamper with it

2) Best Buy sends the message that the customer cannot trust that an item inside any box in any store is the item that they intend to purchase.

If Best Buy cannot stand behind the products that they sell, if Best Buy cannot provide the consumer the trust that the product they intend to purchase is the product that they take home, then Best Buy has failed as a retailer of any merit. This experience has taught me that a consumer should not purchase from Best Buy. I personally will never purchase from Best Buy again.

Sally of Lyndonville, VT April 21, 2009

I recently purchased Roxio Easy VHS to DVD computer software to convert my old VCR tapes to DVD. The software loaded in fine. However, when I got to the last step on the instructions to "capture" the movie it just didn't work. In the Roxio book was a phone number to call but clearly stated there was a 1.99 per minute fee for any help received. Why couldn't that have been stated on the outside of the product box so I could see that before purchasing the product.

When I contacted Best Buy for help, they also offered to have their geeksquad help for a nominal fee and of course, they do not accept opened software returns. I was disappointed in the help I could not receive in solving any problems without having to pay extra in addition to the money I wasted on the software purchase.

Stephen of Rapid City, SD April 17, 2009

Stephen of Rapid City SD (04/17/09)
I am currently on temporary duty with the Air Force here in Aurora, Colorado. Last month I returned a Gateway computer to Best Buy that unfortunately was not high performance enough for my needs. I purchased it March 18 from Best Buy of Aurora, Colorado. When I returned it, I was told there was a 15% re-stocking fee plus they charged me 89.98 for installation of software under the heading Standard Security & Performance and I was not told there would be a charge for this just that I would pay for the software and not it's installation. I was able to get their corporate people to refund this amount.

I had been told the computer should be able to run the type of applications I wanted it for and it didn't so now I've returned the computer (with absolutely no damage whatsoever), I have Dell working on making me a special one since what I really need isn't sold in most stores, and I'm out 172.50 and nothing to show for it. I talked with the manager Angela of the store where I bought it and while she was very professional, she would not budge on giving me either the installation fee that I wasn't told about or the 15% back on a policy that was never explained to me.

I used to shop at Best Buy quite often but then started having troubles with the Geek Squad and their timeliness on simple repairs (my son has had issues with them as well), and some defective merchandise that was taken back with an argument. Now this incident has convinced me that Best Buy will sacrifice a customer just to collect a little profit. They are not explaining return policies (even on high priced items), they are charging exorbitant prices for labor on things which take 5 minutes of loading software, and there is misrepresentation by salesmen who are either intentionally misleading people to make a sale or just are not educated on the merchandise they sell and its capabilities.

It was not my fault I was told the computer would be able to handle the applications and it wasn't. I work on an Air Force Base and am currently in the process of letting the junior folks I work with know about their business practices and letting them see the correspondence I have received back from them refusing to refund my money. I've already got two of them to steer clear of Best Buy for life and hopefully more on the way. The on-line complaints out there have also helped to convince them away from Best Buy as well.

I am now out 172.50 with nothing to show for it.

Maria of Rockaway, NJ March 30, 2009

Maria of Rockaway NJ (03/30/09)
On Saturday 9:00 pm I went to Best Buy...I was looking through the digital cameras. I was getting ready to buy this digital camera that cost 240 i think but then the employee that was helping me said i should buy another camera costing 150 she said it was pretty much the same and it had a case and memory card. I ended up buying it, When i got home i opened it and right away i could see it was cracked! The screen and the frame of the camera! By then it was already 10 pm and the store had closed.

Sunday i went back to the store to return it and the store manager said there was nothing he could do and THEN he said the serial numbers didn't match from the camera to the box. I said okay...can i have my money back? He said NO its not our problem i said okay so i spent 150 on a broken camera? And he had the nerve to say Yeah! Pretty much!

I got so angry that a store that i had trusted with my hard earned money RIPPED ME OFF!!!!! They said it wasn't their fault then who's was it mine??? Should i check every item at the store when i buy it? Well obviously if i ever buy there again (i won't) i am going to have to open everything in the store and check to see that its not opened or broken SO SAD that i have to do that. well after that whole thing i said i want the number to your corp and he gave it to me i called from the store they weren't much help they said the same thing and to call the camera manufacture but it was Sunday and it was closed.

On Monday i called the camera manufacture and they said sorry not our problem we ship the camera and they get there perfectly package -_- that was my face when they said that. Then they said you can send it to us and get it fixed for 100 i said umm.... yea the camera cost 150 i don't think so. They said sorry we cant do anything can i help you with something else i said no thank you bye.

At this point i was really upset i called Best Buy back and this time a really nice woman helped me she understood my situation but she said Best Buy made a mistake and they probably wouldn't take blame but she felt really bad and she said she could send me an 80 dollar card -_- I spent 150 on a broken camera and got back 80 dollars!!!!! wow! I gave Best Buy 70!!! I am soooo ANGRY! Your probably wondering why im so worked up over 150 :( its because I am a 19 year old student i have to pay for school and everything else and i never have money to buy anything for me and when i finally did...i bought a broken camera :( don't let Best Buy steal your money!

Patricia of Victorville, CA March 30, 2009

Patricia of Victorville CA (03/30/09)
While purchasing an expensive Apple Desktop for my daughter, I also considered purchasing a Netbook to utilize as a bookreader as well as for Internet. I selected an ASUS Eee PC because the sales associate told me, Why don't you give it a try? Take it home, try it out, and if you don't like it, you can return it without it costing you anything. At no point did the Associate mention a Re-Stocking Fee. Additionally, there are NO postings in the store regarding this additional fee of 15%.

When I realized the computer would not work out (hard drive was too small and processor was too slow to do much of anything with), I opted to return it. I was advised I had to pay a 15% Restocking Fee. The Associate at the Customer Service Desk pointed out this requirement was printed in black and white right here on the back of our receipt. We were not privy to any language ON THE BACK of our receipt until we PAID for the item. How were we to know about this fee? Were we to be clairvoyant?

In my case, the re-stocking fee was 40. I shudder to think what may happen to people who buy more expensive items such as televisions when sales associates advise them to take them home and try them out. This re-stocking fee should be POSTED, and the customer/victim should be aware of it PRIOR to purchasing the item and receiving their receipt.

John of San Mateo, CA March 25, 2009

John of San Mateo CA (03/25/09)
I purchased the Samsung MiniDV Camcorder Model: SC-D382 | SKU: 8682829 in New York City while I was on vacation on March 21, 2009. I made this purchase at Best Buy because I thought that if anything was wrong with the product I could take it back to the Best buy where I live. I came back home the next day from the purchase date I opened my camera up and long behold it was missing a part. The lens cap was not in the packaging and the lens itself had debris on it. So naturally I decided to take the camera back and get a new one.

I went to the Best Buy Store #140 at home taking the product to customer service. I spoke to the lady at the counter who was very nice and when she saw my receipt was from a purchase in NYC she called in a worker in a yellow shirt to help me. He stated that I bought the product in NYC and that he could not verify that the purchase was legitimate. I told him the receipt states its from Best Buy and was purchased yesterday in NYC. That should be the verification. He said he couldn't verify. We went back and forth on this for 5min. Then he stated he would have to charge me a 15% restocking fee for the same product. I told him I should not be charged a restocking fee based on his company selling me a product that was faulty.

Then he asks if it worked and I said I never tried it so I dont know, I just want a replacement. He asks if he can try the product to see if it works to which I replied go ahead, however thats not the point. I feel that the product is a refurb that was repackaged and sold to me. Why would the Manufacture not put all the parts in the package further more why would Best Buy give me such a hard time on an exact exchange one day later. After the yellow shirt employ left with the camera I began to stew and then went to find him to see what was going on.

Once I reached him I saw him talking to another employee while whipping the lens of the camera off with his shirt. His shirt! The first rule of owning any camera is you do not touch the lens unless it is with a lens brush or you blow air on the lens to clear off any debris. At this point I am not taking the camera back. He turns to me and says there is no way to verify the part so he is going to give me an exchange. We get back to the counter with the old product and a new one. He then asks if he can open the new camera package to see if the part was truly missing. Oh ho ho there is the part that is missing so as a favor to me, he waves the restock fee. We could have avoided this whole situation if the company, Best Buy was not so shady. Because of this experience I will no longer purchase products at this store.

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