The XBOX that I bought on Black Friday had recently been scratching my discs. So i decided to return it. With out a doubt in my mind, I grabbed my receipt the defective unit and all of its packing and walked into the Best Buy. I was very confident that I was going to walk out with another XBOX. However, my worst fears had come to light. Alice, the Customer Service rep, said to me “The serial number on this receipt does not match the XBOX, you cannot return it.” I argued, said that “this is the one I bought you cant be right”.
Afterwards they told me that I can’t return it and theres nothing I can do about it. At this point I was confused and furious. I thought someone had switched out my XBOX for a broken one. I went back to the college where it was kept and I made sure that the XBOX that I brought there that day had the same profile, saved games, guitar hero accomplishments and such. Everything was exactly the same. The hard drive was never removed and the XBOX was the one I bought.
Then I thought to myself “How about I find out whos serial number this really is?”. I looked up the serial number from the XBOX unit. It was made in China in 2006. So after that I looked up the serial that was shown on the receipt. It couldn’t find it! So I decided to Google (bless you Google) the serial number on my receipt. I nearly passed out when I found out what it was. It wasn’t a serial number at all. It was the UPC code for the Guitar Hero bundle!!
So now, I have a score to settle and I had to drive 45 minutes back to the Best Buy. I arrived back, and as I waited in line, (Mike we will call him) was an assistant manager behind me (it seems) and there was an issue of a man who tried to take back a vacuum. They refused it because he didn’t have a receipt.
The man was argumentative and they asked him to leave. As the man walked out, i heard Mike talking to his peers “douchebag” and other names were thrown around about him. I was irght in front of Mike and it heard it loud and clear.
After I waited in line, Alice was back at the register. She said “What is it now?” I told her that the serial number on this receipt wasn’t a serial number at all. I told her it was the UPC. She denied my claim and told me that i couldn’t return it. I told her that I was right, and the person who scanned it didn’t do it correctly. She called another employee over to essentially, argue with me more. She said the same things “they don’t match, you cant take this back”.
So I asked for the manager. I told him the same thing about the UPS mix-up. He told me “Our employees are properly trained and would never do that.” After some conversing behind the counter, I heard that Alice was the person who scanned my product on Black Friday when I bought it.
I then realized that this girl may be trying to save her own skin by lying to me. I asked her, please enter it into your computer, It will come up as the XBOX/Guitar Hero 2 bundle. She refused and told me that I couldn’t return it. I told her, c’mon, i went home and Googled it, just Google it i know it will come up. She refused again. I asked the manager and he refused as well.
So, I said to them “I am going to report it to corporate and when it comes back, it won’t be pretty” and without a hitch, this Alice girl yelled “Dont threaten me”, as to make a scene about it. I said to both of them “I’m never going to come here again and I’m gonna let people i know what happened.” Her assistant associate said “fine by me, leave.”
So I walked towards the exit and I saw the General manager I knew from when I used to work there. (lets just say Bob). I said to him, please look this up, i know its not a serial number and I was refused an exchange even though I told them it was a UPC code.
He quickly typed the “serial number” into the “UPC” field on the kiosk and there you have it, it came right up. I was given a new XBOX and a new Guitar Hero game. As I was getting checked out for the new one, the other manager who refused me said “Look, you got what you wanted, think of this not as a loss, but as a victory, they are trained to do what they do because its store policy.” So I told him “Is insulting customers on that list? They scanned the wrong thing and tried to cover it up by refusing to look it up.” I took my well-deserved equipment, waved to my only friend there, Bob and left.
Thanks for going through this. I read your posts nearly every day at work. Keep up the good work!
Colin
I guess “check to see that the serial number is correct on the receipt” should be added to list of things you should do before you leave Best Buy. Right after “open the box to make sure they’re not selling you bathroom tiles.”
(Photo:Maulleigh)
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@backbroken: Because everything else has closed / doesn’t exist in my area?
Seriously, if I want something ASAP, my choice is between Best Buy and Circuit City. At least at BB I don’t have annoying liars following me around trying to get their commission. (No, the people at BB don’t know anything either. But they don’t volunteer their non-information.)
The … what? College where it was kept? Jesus, people, don’t submit things to be published if you can’t write, it makes you look like an idiot and depresses everyone else.
@nardo218:
whachu mean? Me rights good.
Seems like gone are the days where, “The customer is right.”
I’m skeptical too. I also used to work at Best Buy. The scanners don’t typically accept any old bar code when asking for a UPC or a serial number.
Or did he get the Guitar Hero bundle for free since the UPC was in the serial slot (and was thus very careful not to bring it with him and say “look, it’s the same number”)?
I worked at my local Best Buy for a year or so in college and it has absolutely changed everything. I never liked the job, but just going in to say hi and talk with my former co-workers and managers means that I’ve never been denied anything. I actually go out of my way to shop there because I know they take care of me.
It’s really unfortunate that they aren’t trained to deal with everyone as a person. If all stores treated every customer the way I am treated at my old store, Best Buy would be a hero on this blog.
On a side note, while I definitely receive better service at my store, the confidence and knowledge I have dealing with other Best Buys means I get above average service at other locations as well. So I really think the customer’s attitude helps as well.
@El Ojo: I’m going back to Wonkette, where we at least greet rampant institutional stupidity with the fatalistic snark it deserves.
Bye, see you later.
Personally I would rather be on a site with intelligent people that will question all sides of the story to get as close to the truth as possible.
@El Ojo: @trollkiller:
While Trollkiller and I usually have rampantly different opinions, I second his comment here. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
I just can’t bring myself to feel pity for anybody who shops at Best Buy.
I guess everybody just figures “oh, it won’t happen to me”, right up until the point at which it happens to them.
THIS is why I worked at (for a time) and only shop at Circuit city for this kind of stuff.
To all who are saying not to spend money there…what do you do if people give you gift cards to Best Buy? It’s not like I can return them and get the cash back, or roll them over to another store.
Most of the people who jump on the “Dont spend money there” bandwagon will jump right back off when something is on sale. It’s a pathetic attempt by most to look like they are getting back at the man, when in reality, they won’t/can’t stay away.
Being in the “Consumerist Army” has taught me NEVER to set foot in a Best Buy. Their sale fliers are automatically sent to the recycle bin. Best Buy can only treat customers poorly for so long and eventually they’ll end up like CompUSA
I’m not really questioning that this guy was in the right and got jerked around and that he should have been treated better. But something makes me think the way he was treated had more to do with his stint at Best Buy than anything else.
@disavow: Regardless if he knew the GM or not, he should of asked for the GM to begin with. This was going to be a difficult return/exchange regardless. USUAL protocol (in most stores) if there is a large return/exchange, a manager must be present.
So companies are just supposed to blindly accept every story a customer tells them? If Best Buy did this to every customer that tried to scam them they would be out of business quick. If they take back an XBOX 360 that doesnt have matching serial numbers they dont get credit for it from Microsoft. So lets say 10,000 people nationwide scam them into taking back Xboxs, then they are out $400,000. Then add in all the Ipod scams, supposedly empty boxes for cameras and camcorders, things the custome rbroke and say was broke when they opened the box, it would add up to 100s of millions of dollars. Sometimes you have to piss off 1 or 2 honest customers to weed out the thousands of scammers.
@scampy:
Somebody certainly wasn’t a math major. Last time I checked, an X-Box was more than $40c
@sven.kirk: This isn’t a large return in bestbuy standards, the store sells 10k televisions after all; they don’t even issue corporate checks for values under 500 bucks.
This is a classic case of a cashier who gets a little ‘power’ getting full of him/herself.
With best buy’s POS system I can see how it can be very, very easy to mis-scan a serial number. There is no typing involved, xbox is scanned, a dialog pops up asking for the S/N which is scanned off the back of the console through a slit designed in the box itself, but most cashiers don’t even look @ the screen and just scan the next item.
Heck, if they did this with a cell phone the guy would have service for 3 or 4 days and then get cut off because his ESN wouldn’t be registered.
@belisle: I think you hit the nail on the head! This guy worked at BB, he knew how to work the system. He’s no victim.
@Shinobuu: That phrase is not some “right” a customer can assert. It is a motto that some retailers use to describe their level of customer service
@Buran: You have no clue. If he filed a chargeback it would be fraud.
The *only* thing I ever purchase from BB are DVD’s on new release Tuesday. I would never, ever buy ANYTHING from them that I might actually need to return or that costs > $20.
Kind of sad – I have a struggling co-worker who had her house broken into last week and lost a lot of personal electronics. We took up a collection at work to help replace some of the items in time for christmas and the person taking the collection said she was just going to get her a “BestBuy gift card”. I told her to forget BB and get a Costco gift instead – Costco STANDS behind the equipment they sell with no hassle!!
@El Ojo: I heard it’s called “blaming the victimist”.
@belisle: I’m not sure there was any victim here. We’re not talking about blaming a girl for wearing a short skirt, we’re talking about an ex-employee who may or may not have been defrauding Best Buy who GOT THE EXCHANGE HE WAS LOOKING FOR.
I think you should still complaint to the corporate.
@swalve: Ah… I missed that part. Please carry on.
@swalve: Although a person doesn’t have to be a victim to be a victimist. The latter I understand to be someone who tells a tale of woe for the attention (or for the profits in a frivolous lawsuit).
If he in fact used to work there, he would have known how the system works. He could have used this to his advantage from minute one. I don’t buy it.
I haven’t been into a Best Buy in over a year, and I dont miss it. I try to buy all my electronics from Costco or Sams because of their satisfaction guarantee return policy.
I learned that if you are making a purchase such as x Box using a credit card gives you much better protection. I personally have had the best luck with American Expess. Best Buy accused me of opening software that they opened when I was trying to return it and refused to return it because it was opened.. (By them) American Express charged the amount to Best Buy when I disputed it, and credited the amount of my software back to my card..
Colin: I really do suggest you take this story to corporate. I’m working at Best Buy as my first retail job, and luckily, it’s the Honolulu Best Buy. Because it’s only been around for 3 years in Hawaii, 2 years for this location, the managers currently there know and will admit that they’re stepping up the store’s game. Newer employees are being trained with training employees from two years ago didn’t receive, and it’s encouraged to try spread the new idea around.
I have confidence in Best Buy not as an employee or a fan boy, but as a consumer as well. The entire company shouldn’t be classified as a loser because of an idiot at customer service and a manager whose too ignorant to remember that the core philosophies that apply to this case are “Power to the people” and “Recognizing humility when taking up leadership.” Saying this store is what you’d expect from every other store, or any other bad account out there, would be a part-to-whole logical fallacy and would in turn, be a form of propaganda.
I’m not trying to defend those idiots, but with everything in this world, there’s a good and a bad. Unfortunately, if the leadership there won’t take action, it is up to you, the consumer who generates our paychecks (non-commission of course lol), to make sure the bad are weeded out.
This will help in the future of the company and set an example for employees.
Even though a bad experience cannot ever be 100% guaranteed to never occur again, I do recommend smart customer shopping though. Like many here have advised, try using a credit card that can back-up your purchase like Amex or something.
Printing out and properly documenting your research (aka your google search on the UPC), as well as your ordeal there would only do you good in the future, and it only takes a few minutes to print/write these things down and get a few names.
Anyways, please do alert corporate about your account, and empower yourself as the rightful consumer you are.
@cabooglio: Wonkette is to Paultard’s what Consumerist is to Tardbait. One of my simple joys is seeing people mindlessly regurgitate talking points from astroturf and PR hacks. They crack me up so please don’t discourage Consumerist’s zombie audience.
@backbroken: Price… Amerikans are suckers for price. As long as you have the lowest price, they’ll come to you like flies on shit, regardless of how you treat them, regardless of the quality of your product. I present McDonald’s & Mal-Wart.
I totally believe the OP’s story about incompetent Best Buy employees who are overly zealous at treating customers as if they are scammers.
Happened to me less than two months ago when I came in with a Best Buy coupon from their myrewardzone site that wouldn’t scan. Absolutely no cooperation from the “consumer specialist” (or whatever that ironic title is); had to wait at the register forever. When the coupon first didn’t scan, I even offered to login to the rewardzone site to show them where I got it. There was so much BS from the “consumer specialist” and even the assistant manager — he even said that the coupon/promotion expired during the summer (it had started during the summer). There’s only so many times that one needs to be asked about where the coupon came from before you should just be blunt and accuse them of scamming with a false coupon.
So what happened in the end? Exactly what I suggested: going to a computer and logging in to show them that I’m no scammer. Fuck you Consumer Specialist Mindy and Assistant Manager Mitch!
BTW, everyone suggests complaining to Best Buy Corporate. Exactly which email and/or snail mail address is the preferred one for that purpose?
I don’t understand this “I would never shop at a store like Best Buy” nonsense. As if ANY major retail electronics/entertainment chain is known for good customer service. Customer Service has been dead for some time. It sucks, but it’s a fact.
Furthermore, “mom and pop” video games stores do not exist. That’s barely hyperbole. I know of one non-corporate video game store within twenty miles of my home in Chicago. And they aren’t particularly grand themselves.
I’d love to know what marvelous boutiques you people shop at. Do they have a pleasant English Butler that serves you Chardonnay while you swipe you black Amex?
Its the same dumbass employees who aren’t trained to tell the difference in a serial number and a UPC. After scanning the XBOX, it should’ve prompted for a serial number. Being the retard she was, she probably didn’t know that and scanned the game as the UPC. Colin should have checked his receipt and noticed he wasn’t charged for a game. Gooooood one, Colin.
this story is bullshit
1.
first off best buy doesn’t scan xbox serial numbers or any game console serial numbers anymore (for like the past 2 or 3 years)
2.
if you worked at best buy and people know you there they wouldn’t give you crap
3.
even back in the days when best buy used to have to scan serial numbers they had a very specific format they had to be in, and a UPC and XBOX serial number are no were close to having the same number of digits
@radioshacklover: Actually, moron, serial numbers are scanned for xboxes, satellite radios, and many other things. Must not do those kind of precautions at Gay-dio Shack.
I recently ran into a situation I never heard of before and frankly never thought would happen to me, Please read on….
On a impulse buy, I purchased a Playstation 3 two days after Christmas, came home played it for 30 mins, then it just stopped working.
When I brought it back to the store, I was informed by the young customer service rep that the serial number on the PS3 did not match the serial number on the box. How could that be????
I could not believe it, honestly as I start to get very upset and un- nerved. Beyond upset I was informed by the Manager to contact Corporate Customer relations, after I do I am told again they will not exchange anything with different serial numbers.
I do not own another PS3 and did not previously purchase one. I have spent thousands of dollars at best buy in the past, but after this $492 dollar rip off with my PS3 tampering, I will never ever shop at this store again.
I have to say I am so upset with everything. I honestly bought the system played it for 30 mins and it broke, I am assuming someone messed with the unit and
I would have never thought to open up the box in the store to view the
numbers all matched.
So to all Best Buy shoppers, BEWARE. You may want to check the serial numbers while you are in the store as there is no way to know you will be F#%$ed.
Just wanted to share this with the you all. I have read online about others running into this type of situation. It was a sealed box but something happened from the time it was manufactured to the time I opened the box…
Ill keep you all posted to the outcome, I have stopped payment on my CC and think it may take a long while to be resolved.
I worked as a CSR in a call center for bestbuy and all though there were alot of ignorant consumers who think they should get something for nothing..there was also stupid store employees who behaved like this to customers because I heard it over the phone while talking to the customers. Managers from the store would call me, screaming and hollering over policies that they want us to break, policies they should know better because corporate sent memos to all of them including us. my advice is to not shop at a store again that treats their customers like crooks.
Ok, I’m a current Best Buy employee (lots of times Manager on Duty), and that is horrible the way you were treated. I’m really sorry about that, even though I know it wasn’t my store. Come to my store instead, I think we could win you back!
Another reason why it’s better to just not shop at Best Buy. The people there really just don’t give a shit. Sad. I really hope they go out of business. I’d rather have had Circuit City stay open. I’ve always had good experiences with them.
All of this is also just more reason to shop Amazon.