Consumerist
An employee of Best Buy apparently thinks too many days have gone without us posting something about the store, so he sent in his list of 10 things he thinks every customer should know when shopping there. Items 10 through 7 are all about warranties and service plans, so the usual caveats apply (make sure you know what's really covered, and that it's worth the extra cost to you). #4, however, is good to know: "Its pretty much pointless to call Corporate/Customer Service Hotline—they can not override a store's decision. Best bet is to call or email a District Manager or higher."
10. If you have purchased a product from Best Buy and it is under MFG Warranty (As long as it is Serviceable), you can send it to be fix from the Best Buy store. You do not have to call the MFG directly or ship it to them. Example: Computers/Cameras/Printers/TV's. Most of the time it will be forwarded directly the MFG.9. Most items that are store brands(Dynex,Insignia,Init,RocketFish) are covered instore, even after the return/exchange period has passed. Also if you purchase a ADH PSP on the product it then covers physical damage.
8. If a product is exchanged under the PSP within the first year it automatically transfers over. You DO NOT have to purchase a new PSP.
7. If you purchase a Camera/ Computer with ADH you can accidentally drop it and break it, in some cases beyond repair, thus getting credit for a new one. Broken screens and motherboards are nice.
6. If applying for a Best Buy card never sign up for account shield, it is pointless and its just something Reps try to add on to better the store CC rating. Furthermore if you are spending a considerable amount of money ask for better financing. Typically works in Home Theater the most.
5. Do not buy any cables from Best buy. Most are highly marked up and basically suck in terms of quality. Amazon Anyone?
4. Its pretty much pointless to call Corporate/Customer Service Hotline. Most people who work there ill advised and cant make any real decisions. Furthermore they can not override a stores decision. Best bet is to call or email a District Manager or higher.
3. Best Buy recently started a customer care survey at bestbuycares.com. If you feel you got shit service then go on there and rant about it. Most morning meetings go over the surveys. Also use peoples names, always fun.
2. Always get employee names that helped you. Just in case they so happen to bend the truth. Also if the person who helped you rang out your item, there employee number is on the receipt to the far right next to the time of the sale.
1. Yelling a people gets you no where. I have seen one customer yell and not get there way. The next who has the same issue, get taken care of. Its simple, don't yell. Keep your cool and stay calm. Yelling only gives Managers and employees a reason to make you leave, not help you.
(Thanks to [redacted]!)
(Photo: Ian Muttoo)
Comments
I don't believe #4 is true, unless things have changed. When I worked there in 2001-2002, the corporate customer service hotline could and would override store manager decisions. The managers would get really annoyed by that too. They'd go into the office afterwards and fume about it.
11. Before dealing with a Best Buy employee, bang yourself in the head several times with a hammer. This will allow you to effective communicate on their level of logic.
Number 1 is the biggest one here. As a manager for Best Buy, I would always treat people exactly how I got treated. Yes, I know, Probably not the best management style, but it is how I did it. If I was called to customer service by an employee that was getting yelled at I would be a lot less likely to bend. They make 8-12 dollars and do not get payed enough to be called dumb fat bitches or a faggot. Yes, both terms have been used by customers to get there way.
But always remember, the store is a reflection of the GMs personality. Whatever his standard is rolls down. If he is concerned about his CS score, things should be easy. Always deal with the SM or GM they are affected most.
@jwarner132: THey have changed that. GM's now have final decision. They have to answer for their numbers.
My first rule would be to not shop at Best Buy!
@persch5: maybe if bestbuy didn't suck so much I wouldn't have called you those things.
@dirk1965:
That's the only rule I follow for Best Buy.
Ten things to remember when shopping at Best Buy
10. Don't shop at Best Buy
9. Don't shop at Best Buy
8. Don't shop at Best Buy
7. Don't shop at Best Buy
6. Don't shop at Best Buy
5. Don't shop at Best Buy
4. Don't shop at Best Buy
3. Don't shop at Best Buy
2. Don't shop at Best Buy
1. Don't shop at Best Buy
Numbered from 10 to 1 for some reason
i was once shopping for theatre speakers. i told the employee that it was a very small room and i wanted the cheapest speakers they've got.
the next thing he does is say, "well, I recommend these ones here, they are top of the line."
"did you just listen to a word I just said? does it sound like i need top of the line speakers?"
i had to walk away and help myself.
I'll say it because somebody has to: Buy your cables at monoprice. [www.monoprice.com]
#12. Open all purchases before leaving the store. You need to makes ure what you bought is acutally in the box.
Actually, I'm going to add to the cables thing. When I used to work at Best Buy in Home Theater, management would tell us to tell customers to buy better cables because because the ones that come in the box suck.
This is absolutely true. But it doesn't mean that you have to buy better ones from Best Buy.
Cables, service plans, Netflix (do they still push Netflix?) is where the real profit is. They push these because there's money to be made. Don't feel bad for Best Buy.
[www.monoprice.com] for cables instead of Amazon. Great site.
Good story, but it would be nice to know what these stood for:
- ADH
- MFG
- PSP
Consumerist should do a better job of making their reports easier to understand.
@johnarlington: Thanks for saving me the trouble of making that post :)
@jk09: A quick Google search tells me that PSP refers to BestBuy's four-year extended warranty, MFG is "manufacturer's" (so "MFG warranty" is "manufacturer's warranty"), and ADH is BestBuy's "Accidental Damage from Handling" warranty.
When in doubt, google.com.
Why are cables so expensive at Best Buy, Circuit City, and other places- because that is where they make their real money. For instance with computers and printers- margins are razor thin, so they could make more money by selling you several cables than what they are making off the hardware. When I worked there it didn't matter how expensive the computer is we sold them- there was no incentive to push the most expensive computer on people. The key things to push were accessories- cables, ink, paper, etc and the worthless service plans, which were pure profit. That is where the real money was made.
MFG = Manufacturer
ADH = Best Buy's warranty service that covers accidental damage and stuff (in theory....)
PSP = Warranty extension for product, which covers warranty-type of repair costs. ADH is separate because the original warranty and PSP doesn't cover stuff like you dropping your camera into the toilet.
+1 on monoprice.com
This info should be given to you in a manual at birth. But then again...that is what natural selection is for :)
10. True. We did this for a lot of people to prevent returns.
9. In house brands are covered for one year, like everything else. You cant return anything past the 14/30 day limit unless a manager decides to do an overide. Overides are tracked at every level of management, and I think we lost our GM because they were granting way too many.
8. Yes
7. Yes, however keep in mind that most damaged crap gets send to a repair center so they can try to fix it. This usually takes months and many customers I dealt with were pissed off by the time they had to pick a replacement.
6. The part about better financing is bogus. As soon as a Best Buy card is authorized, the register asks which payment plan the customer wants. There are always the same three:
6 Months No Interest
90 Days No Interest
48 Months at {Interest Rate} Fixed
These financing offers are handled by the bank who runs the best buy financing, HSBC and not the store itself. We dont have the power to increase your card limit, nor can we give you more months to pay/a lower interest rate.
5. Amen. $30 USB cables are a RIPOFF. We would trick people into buying, just by saying "Your going to need it for your printer, are you sure you already have one? you can always return it within 30 days". Yeah right.
4. I cant comment, havent dealt with corporate directly except for their IT Staff, which wasn't too bad.
3. We put more emphasis on mystery shoppers than those surveys.
2. If you have a problem with a purchase, and make a return trip to the store, you will be dealing with a low level CS rep or if necessary a manager, not the salesperson directly. After a resolution has been made, the manager might talk to the sales rep but not much more than that.
1. Couldn't have said it better
I recently bought a new Sharp LCD tv and got all my HDMI cables through Monoprice.com. I did try to price compare with a local bargain electronics shop, but monoprice just had a better price and I've heard many people recommend them.
Though I did get my Wii and Xbox (no not the 360) component cables somewhere else because it was cheaper.
Really for 99% of the population these inexpensive cables are the way to go. The only way I can see expensive cables making a difference, was if you were to setup a multi-room video setup from a centralized location. It has been shown that for really long pulls, that better quality cables will perform better.
Yes yes I know that its 'digital' but that's an illusion. The interpretation of the signal is digital, but the signal itself is fundamentally analog, and thus, is subject to all the horrors that happen with analog signals over long distances. Digitally representing the data, just makes differentiating between the 1s and 0s easier on the other end, and makes the signal more robust in dealing with noise/interference/etc. But if you pull a 100ft cable, if its poorly made, the output at the other end could be unusable, or have a high error rate that will throw off your equipment.
@loquaciousmusic: I think the point is that if Consumerist was doing anything more useful than just regurgitating this semi-literate cretin's letter, they would at least expand the terms. Doesn't seem like that much to ask....
Who the heck wrote these 10 tips? The grammar is terrible. I guess that just goes to show the type of people that Best Buy employs.
Tip for making tips for shopping at best buy: learn to speel and betr grammer make.
@ CaptainCynic - Kudos, you beat me to it.
Well, since monoprice is being pushed.
I'll push ehdmi.
[www.ehdmi.com]
Great prices, reasonable shipping and excellent quality.
I'm sorry, but I have a lot of trouble taking advice from someone who spells so poorly and who uses the grammar of a first-grader. Yuck.
Let me confirm what datruesurfer says: THE ACCIDENT PROTECTION PLAN DOES NOT WORK LIKE PROMISED.
The scum at BB will sell it like it's a miracle plan that'll hand you a new camera if the current one breaks. They'll tell you that you can just walk in and grab a new one. But it's all LIES.
In reality, even under the accident protection plan, they will always send it in to see if it can be repaired.
In my case, a $500 camera was dropped, the lens snapped right off, so I walked into BB with my ($109) protection plan fully expecting to walk out with a new camera.
Their response was that it would have to be sent in, that it would take 1-2 months and that I MIGHT get a new camera. After reading the fine print I also discovered that you are only eligible for ONE replacement during the entire plan length.
Thankfully I remembered the sales person, so told him to come over to the desk and repeat how he sold me the protection plan. I left with a new camera.
Even this Bestbuy "insider" conveniently forgets to mention that major detail.
Item #0: Don't shop at Best Buy and you'll find your shopping experience will be much better.
@radio1: That IS monoprice. Same site, same products, same prices. I'm guessing they just run a second site with a different name.
I made a huge mistake of using Best Buy's In Store Pick-Up service this Sunday. I wanted to buy a copy of Smash Brother with as little hassle as possible, so for some reason, I thought Best Buy would be a Good Idea.
I know, I know. I hadn't had any coffee yet. Maybe I caught The Stupids in my sleep, who knows.
Anyways, I order online and get my emails that I'm all set to pick up my game at my local store. Great! Sure, it's a little annoying that said store does not open until 11 and thanks to daylight savings I'm out and about running errands before that, but I figure I can take my time, swing by Best Buy at 11, get my game, and go.
How wrong I was.
So not only did I find the game I ordered widely available at many of the stores I stopped in at while running errands, but I also found it for less. I shook my fist and gnashed my teeth, but hey, I figured at least I'd have an easy and quick pick up, right?
How wrong I was.
When I stopped by Best Buy at 11, I found they were in the midst of a Wii-sale. There were 50 people lined up to buy a Wii (and I even saw one guy get back into line after buying one, so much for "one per customer") at the Customer Service desk. I show my email to the door dudes and they tell me I have to wait in that huge line to pick up my game. That I had already ordered. And paid for. They could not separate the concept of 'Wii Game Ordered For Pick Up' with 'Line For Wiis' in their heads.
After waiting in the line for five minutes and not moving at all, I ask again if I really need to wait in this line. They say yes, I again point out that I'm just doing in-store pick up. They point out that I'm picking up a Wii game. I ask if I was picking up a microwave, would I have to wait in this line?
They say "No" and a light dawns in their heads. I get sent over to the register with a copy of the game I already paid for in hand. Great I just have to show my email and credit card and I'm gone!
How wrong I was.
The register-bot says that I have to go wait in the huge line. I say that I was just sent over from that line to her. She says I have to go back. I say no, I don't, I'm just checking out. I already paid for this game. She insists that I have to go to customer service in order to leave with the game I already paid for and have in my hand. I ask her if I was just buying this game off the rack, would I have to wait in that line?
She says "No" and slowly, slowly a light begins to dawn.
But she doesn't know how to check out my in-store pick up, she says, so I'll have to go wait in that line anyways. "Good news," I say, "Today you get to learn!"
She wanders off and the check-out line grows. See, they have like five employees loitering around the door with Wii tickets and checking receipts, but only one person on register. So I'm left alone with the game and I seriously consider just walking out with it. But then I imagine being tackled by the five people at the door for not showing a receipt (Thanks, Consumerist!) and think better of it.
Eventually she returns, picks up the game, my card, and my email from me and wanders off again. In this time, the register line has grown and is completely ignoring the queue that leads people around all the impulse-buy stuff. There are some developmentally disabled adults standing in the midst of the line, holding hands and cooing softly to each other (they must had been abandoned there so their keeper/guardian could get a Wii).
So the register girl returns, I sign my pick up slip, and am good to go. I ask about my 10$ gift card for not having my pick-up filled in ten minutes. She looks panicked and says I'd have to wait in the line for that.
I give up and leave. I go home and play my game, figuring that I would be naturally awesome, a savant, with Meta Knight.
How wrong I was. I stink on toast, but hey, at least the game worked!
Yeah, what's missing from this list is that prices on just about everything are 15%-20% higher than online. TVs, Cameras, everything. Plus sales tax. Best Buys are for browsing, web sites are for buying.
My fave Best Buy experiences ever:
-- Bought a Sony Vaio desktop there about five years ago, and had sales rep tell me that I shouldn't because it "doesn't have a fan." Also, two of them denied that it came with the WordPerfect Office suite that it did in fact have
-- Had a salesman tell me that I needed to buy the gold-tipped AV cables for a DVD player because "the standard ones corrode within a year and destroy your connection"
-- Foolishly waited 20 minutes a few months ago for a sales-tard to generate a raincheck for The Godfather II. He somehow put the wrong sales price on, which he corrected in pen when I pointed it out, and I never received the promised call to let me know when the item was once more in stock. That's what I get for making my annual foray into BB!
-- Ordered a 20" tube telly online for in-store pickup about six years ago; when I picked it up, they had given me the "flat screen" version instead of the cheaper one that I had ordered. $100 in my favor, cha-ching!
Best Buy for me is just like Circuit City. Overpriced items until sale day or clearance on DVDs or games. I never do my other shopping there...
@johnarlington:
I'm going to go ahead and re-iterate this for those people who are unable to comprehend the order that you put your list in.
Ten things to remember when shopping at Best Buy
10. Don't shop at Best Buy
9. Don't shop at Best Buy
8. Don't shop at Best Buy
7. Don't shop at Best Buy
6. Don't shop at Best Buy
5. Don't shop at Best Buy
4. Don't shop at Best Buy
3. Don't shop at Best Buy
2. Don't shop at Best Buy
1. Don't shop at Best Buy
Note that I changed the order of 3 and 4 because I thought it made more sense that way. Also, I thought that maybe we should emphasize number 6 a little more as I think that it really speaks to the issue at hand.
Seriously, if you think there is some magic bullet to shopping at Best Buy, then you are already lost to every thinking, rational human being. Go have fun at your shithole store and don't complain when they stick their fist up your ass.
As for the manager that claims people have been abusive to him, I'll say that yes that is COMPLETELY, TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE. However, I seriously doubt that a customer just strolled into your store, picked up his copy of the new Queens of the Stone Age and said, "Ring me up, you fat faggot." He was probably subjected to the Best Buy Book of Stonewalling Strategies(TM), and while a reaction like that is inappropriate, I can't say that I'm completely surprised.
one comment on the service plans...standard service plans DO NOT cover accidental damage. if you have a service plan without accidental coverage and you drop your laptop, you're out of luck.
there != their != they're
They're all different and there is no reason (short of a learning disability) that someone should not have this knowledge in their head.
@jaysonwhelpley: Who cares. No one cares about your little rules. Language is always changing G.
These 'tips' seem to have come from someone with inside knowledge, but without sufficient experience to truly understand the mechanics behind Best Buy's policies and practices. I will elaborate on errors I see as best I can.
10. Best Buy differentiates between 'DEVO' items (non-serviceable items) and 'service' items. If your item has failed under the manufacturers warranty AND it is a service item, they will ship it to service for you. Unfortunately the item very rarely goes to the actual manufacturer. Almost all cameras go to Precision Camera (where terrible things happen to them) and most everything else goes to a Best Buy service center (where different terrible things happen to them). Some items are forwarded to the manufacturer for various reasons (adds delay to your turntime) and this is common with some items (e.g. HP printers), but it is not the normal case. Best Buy bills the manufacturer for the work they do under the warranty (when they service it themselves). Turn time through Best Buy is almost always slower than service through the actual manufacturer, but the manufacturer may not be willing to service the item in the first place.
9. Dynex, Insignia, Init, RocketFish -- these are Best Buy brands. When they are NOT service items, they can actually be exchanged for you, in the store, right on the spot (yes, this is a good thing). Make sure you have your receipt. If the person you are speaking to does not know about this, politely request a manager. They will offer you this exchange as long as the item is under the MFG Warranty. If it is a service item, you will have to ship it out to service. They will not exchange.
8. If your product is exchanged within the MFG WARRANTY it will carry over. If parts is 90 days and labor is 30 days, that means anything after 30 days voids your protection plan and you have to buy a new one. If both are two years, your warranty will carry over at any point in that period, but unfortunately this also means you will not be able to buy a new one to replace your expiring current warranty.
7. Obvious intentional damage may be rejected, but that won't come into play if you drop it. So just don't run it over with your car or anything. And do not assume that they will replace it. They are supposed to exchange any item which is 'uneconomical to repair' (i.e. the cost of repair exceeds the value of the unit), but that does not happen very often. If you take this gamble make sure you are thorough, or you might get back a 'repaired' unit which won't ever work quite like it used to again.
6. Account Shield is similar to services offered by other credit card companies. Read about it and determine if it is right for you. If you are a responsible person, it probably isn't. Applying for your card in-store generally gets you a better credit limit than you might directly through HSBC. The cost of the item you intend to purchase can influence the credit limit you are given. Aim high when applying for a better limit and buy only what you need. DO NOT let the representative max out your card when you make a purchase. These people rarely understand how credit works, but you sure will when other credit companies crap on you after FICO score tanks.
5. Correct. Do not buy any cables from retail stores unless you need to. They ARE highly marked up. If you can buy online, do so. But if you are going to buy cables in a store, Best Buy's prices are about what you might expect elsewhere. Keep away from Monster.
4. Correct.
3. Correct. If you want something done about it, though, write a letter to corporate AND the general manager, and use names. But if you want to get the maximum benefit for the smallest amount of effort, that survey works great.
2. Well... instead, verify what they are saying with paperwork. If an employee lies to you about something (often-times just because they were trained incorrectly or because they don't know) you probably WON'T get anywhere complaining about it later. If you have questions about the warranty or want to verify something fishy which you are being told, speak to someone in Geek Squad. Odds are they will actually be extremely honest with you about the policy and will also be happy to find someone on the sales floor misrepresenting policy. They are the ones that have to deal with you later when you are angry, and it is not in their best interest for you to be misinformed about sales.
1. This is what you should do when complaining anywhere. And yes, it really won't get you anywhere in Best Buy. They can actually do almost anything to take care of you but if you yell you will immediately turn the employee against you, and that will be bad if the manager asks their thoughts (which they will probably do if it is a good employee). Similarly, don't be feeble. You'll get trampled that way, too. Be honest, courteous, but firm. Decide what you expect and hold your ground. You may be brick walled in the store. Get the general manager's contact information and follow up through them. Make sure your expectation is realistic or you still won't be taken care of. And as a bonus, when dealing with Geek Squad be extra careful of how you present yourself. Odds are the manager doesn't know anything about what is going on and will simply do whatever the Geek Squad employee suggests they do.
@jaydez:
It's funny you mention about opening boxes. I bought a high-end video card there and on the box it said, "Cashier, please open box to confirm contents."
When I asked the cashier to open it, he was rather stunned and confused. Even called his manager over. They were both shocked that someone would ask that but understood and verified the contents.
I realize there's a lot of Best Buy hate but I rarely have bad experiences there. Circuit City, Staples, CompUSA, horrrible experiences.
*wait patiently for the barrage of why do I shop at Best Buy comments*
In all honesty, there is a lot out there worse than best buy. I live in Canada, we have this store called Canadian Tire, basically it combines a Home Depot, Bed Bath and Beyond and Napa Auto parts, along with low grade kitchen supplies and hunting stuff. If you ever walk in there, you'll understand the meaning of poor service. There is literally no one to help you, and those that are walking around don't give a damn that you shop there. I would have to argue that BB is the best of the worst when it comes to electronic shopping. If you have had a poor experience, don't blame it on the brand, blame it on your own attitude towards the salespeople and managers. I work in retail, and the moment someone yells at me or personally attacks me in any way, I refuse to help them. Instead of complaining, yelling and telling salespeople were full of shit, calm down, speak respectively and you'll almost always get what you want.
I hate Best Buy as much as the next guy. And I've set this before and it's worth saying again.
Sometimes, you're only option is Best Buy because they've priced the little guy out of town. It sucks, but it's true.
@scoobydoo: Thanks for the report about the reality of those extended warranties. It's been my understanding that BB and similar stores totally misrepresent what the warranty covers and then when you need to use it you find the terms are much worse than what they told you initially.
For what it's worth, the markup on Fry's on some types of cables -- especially ethernet cables -- doesn't seem to be quite as bad as at most retailers. If I can't buy online, I try to go there. Of course, then you have to deal with the charming quirks of Fry's, which include items stocked one week and not