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BestBuy lies, claims another victim

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I can still remember the day I stopped buying extended warranties.

My girlfriend bought a laptop for work and she really wanted the replacement plan. So, like a dumbass gentleman, I swooped in and bought it for her. IIRC it was around $400.

After a few months it did stop working; completely froze up. I tried to re-install windows, but the process would always hang at the same point.

"No problem", I thought. "I have the extra warranty".

So I called Circuit City and was told.... wait for it.....

That they wouldn't even touch the damn thing until I exhausted all of my HP warranty options. Of course I yelled at the poor guy, but nothing came of it.

Thus began my nightmarish journey through the hells of HP customer support. I've blocked most of it out, but I think by the fourth or fifth call I was threatening enough to get a "manager" on the phone. He consented to send a box for shipping/repair, and the damn thing still works to this day.

I laugh at "extended warranties" now.
 
Via said:
I can still remember the day I stopped buying extended warranties.

My girlfriend bought a laptop for work and she really wanted the replacement plan. So, like a dumbass gentleman, I swooped in and bought it for her. IIRC it was around $400.

After a few months it did stop working; completely froze up. I tried to re-install windows, but the process would always hang at the same point.

"No problem", I thought. "I have the extra warranty".

So I called Circuit City and was told.... wait for it.....

That they wouldn't even touch the damn thing until I exhausted all of my HP warranty options. Of course I yelled at the poor guy, but nothing came of it.

Thus began my nightmarish journey through the hells of HP customer support. I've blocked most of it out, but I think by the fourth or fifth call I was threatening enough to get a "manager" on the phone. He consented to send a box for shipping/repair, and the damn thing still works to this day.

I laugh at "extended warranties" now.
Click to expand...

I laugh at you for spending $400 on a warranty.
 
Heh, and I'm likely going to buy a Macbook Air from BB soon, better financing. Don't think I'll get any of their warranty plans though.
 
Tristicus said:
You can get pussy for way less than $400, man.
Click to expand...

When a girl you really like is basically spending her life savings on a laptop, and is worried as shit about it, and can't afford any extra warranty even though she wants to, and you see how scared she is about the whole deal, and you can afford it..

Maybe someday you'll understand.
 
Via said:
When a girl you really like is basically spending her life savings on a laptop, and is worried as shit about it, and can't afford any extra warranty even though she wants to, and you see how scared she is about the whole deal, and you can afford it..

Maybe someday you'll understand.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I don't think I'll ever understand how to be stupid.
 
coxmaster said:
I would say this is a good idea. But good luck getting anyone in a retail store to actually give you that in writing. Plus once they do, there's nothing saying that they will honor it..
Click to expand...

pontifex said:
when we say in writing, we don't mean to have the 16 yr old kid literally write out the "warranty" on a piece of paper. Best Buy should have pre-printed pamphlets or actual printed documentation with all of the information about the warranty.
Click to expand...

It is required by law that they be able to provide you with the written terms. Always get this pamphlet/document/whatever - it is your only real protection.

If they promise you it - ask them to point out what page it's on. Carefully read the exemptions. Keep it around because and don't be surprised if you have to use it to get what was promised to you

Sidestory - I actually had a power surge that fried my TV a ways back. I called the warranty program I bought that covered power surges. They said they didn't cover it. I said
"I will read to you the contract that I have. The title is this and I am reading from page 23 if you want to follow along."
Person on phone: "But there are exceptions"
Me: "You are correct. Those are listed on page 42. Can you please point out the exact one that voids this claim?"
Rinsed and repeated through various managers. It took some time but I finally got the replacement.

Anyway - back to the true point: Consider this a pointed reminder that getting something in writing is what will protect you NOT 'he said, she said'

Always always (always) get important claims in writing. Read AND understand your contract!!!
 
thescreensavers said:
bestbuy has small booklets with the contract in it. iirc you get one when you buy it too.

Out of my time working at BB, only one person every asked for the fine print, and he kept asking legal questions to me was kinda annoying lol.
Click to expand...
One person kept asking more indepth legal questions about the CC warranties when I worked there. All I did was hand them the brochure and said he could look over it for more in depth answers.

alkemyst said:
Many people tend to remember warranty details wrong...not that I am saying salesmen don't lie about them many times.
Click to expand...
Most employes just go by what their managers tell them the procedure is. Instead of reading it themselves to get better knowledge about it they just ask a manager and they tell them it does X, which they believe.

Via said:
I can still remember the day I stopped buying extended warranties.

My girlfriend bought a laptop for work and she really wanted the replacement plan. So, like a dumbass gentleman, I swooped in and bought it for her. IIRC it was around $400.

After a few months it did stop working; completely froze up. I tried to re-install windows, but the process would always hang at the same point.

"No problem", I thought. "I have the extra warranty".

So I called Circuit City and was told.... wait for it.....

That they wouldn't even touch the damn thing until I exhausted all of my HP warranty options. Of course I yelled at the poor guy, but nothing came of it.

Thus began my nightmarish journey through the hells of HP customer support. I've blocked most of it out, but I think by the fourth or fifth call I was threatening enough to get a "manager" on the phone. He consented to send a box for shipping/repair, and the damn thing still works to this day.

I laugh at "extended warranties" now.
Click to expand...
:hmm:

That CC should've been able to do something for you. I remember HP was the only brand that would could do manufacturer warranty repair work even without the CC specific extended warranty. Hell it even went towards the stores Firedog sales numbers.
 
Via said:
When a girl you really like is basically spending her life savings on a laptop, and is worried as shit about it, and can't afford any extra warranty even though she wants to, and you see how scared she is about the whole deal, and you can afford it..

Maybe someday you'll understand.
Click to expand...
Who would get this stressed out about a laptop purchase?
 
Wordplay said:
That CC should've been able to do something for you. I remember HP was the only brand that would could do manufacturer warranty repair work even without the CC specific extended warranty. Hell it even went towards the stores Firedog sales numbers.
Click to expand...

Pre-Firedog days there was a period of time where the CC warranty would only kick in during the first year if the manufacturer declined coverage

But yeah - few people, associates included, ever bothered to read the fine print
 
sucks. unfortunately, it is what they said vs what you said since it is not in writing, since you have no video, and since the policy (in writing) is clearly not what they said.

when something like that sounds too good (it is Best Buy--and no one has that kind of policy anymore, afaik), you really need to look over the contract that they give you before agreeing to it. and ask a manager.
 
I worked at a Circuit City a few years ago and their business was terrible. The managers would force us to annoy the shit out of customers to sell their warranty and installation plans. Even once someone repeatedly declined we were told to find a manager to then talk to them. But even worse then that was having to deal with 2 or 3 employees who took the job way too seriously. They'd try to steal customers while I was talking to them, try to get me away from the register so they could make the final sale, and other stupid bullshit. We weren't even on commission. It was only so they looked good on a silly chart. Towards the end I just gave up and would tell people they were better off buying things online.

There was also that I never wanted to be a sales person. Despite being told I was being hired for Firedog, my first day they put me on the sales floor and repeatedly played dumb when I asked what was up.
 
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coxmaster said:
I would say this is a good idea. But good luck getting anyone in a retail store to actually give you that in writing. Plus once they do, there's nothing saying that they will honor it..
Click to expand...

well, that's the point. the writing is the actual policy and contract that you are given to sign. you read what you sign--if what he said is not in there, then you don't sign it.

question the salesman on it

question a manager on it and if neither of them can make that deal happen, then don't take it.
 
Bryf50 said:
I worked at a Circuit City a few years ago and their business was terrible. The managers would force us to annoy the shit out of customers to sell their warranty and installation plans. Even once someone repeatedly declined we were told to find a manager to then talk to them. But even worse then that was having to deal with 2 or 3 employees who took the job way too seriously. They'd try to steal customers while I was talking to them, try to get me away from the register so they could make the final sale, and other stupid bullshit. We weren't even on commission. It was only so they looked good on a silly chart. Towards the end I just gave up and would tell people they were better off buying things online.
Click to expand...
Depending on how far ahead we were in budget my ex-manager use to encourage us to tell them shop online if they wouldn't budge on getting the warranty and extra service.
 
zinfamous said:
well, that's the point. the writing is the actual policy and contract that you are given to sign. you read what you sign--if what he said is not in there, then you don't sign it.

question the salesman on it

question a manager on it and if neither of them can make that deal happen, then don't take it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that i understand. Hell, i actually encouraged my customers to take their time and read the brochure. As of the day i left I only had 2 that ever did read ANY of the fine print.
 
Meghan54 said:
The problem is getting that salesman to put anything in writing is rather meaningless and pointless. Unless it's from BB itself, it means nothing. The salesperson can write anything you want him/her to write, but BB will simply say the salesperson wasn't authorized and/or lacked the authority to guarantee a damned thing.....and the state's attorney general's office would get a good laugh out of someone bringing in that scrap of notebook paper with a salesman's scrawl all over it because it means nada.
Click to expand...

'Putting it in writing' doesn't mean the salesman writing something. It means him showing you the contract for the service already printed, where it says what he said.

If he can't, then the service your buying should be presumed not to have what he said, and he discussion should go to a manager, to either provide the same information, or to inform him that the salesperson is lying. If he doesn't take appropriate action, the discussion should go to his manager.
 
I work in retail electronics sales (not at Best Buy, and I can't tell you for whom I do work) which offers the same style extended warranty. And as a commissioned employee, I'm very aware of Best Buy's BS (as I've read their pamphlet numerous times). If you ever read their pamphlet, the whole thing reads as though you're never supposed to be able to actually use it. It's a huge load.

I'm glad I get to have a little more faith in my company's stuff (as I came to my position from the tech position, so I've seen how my customers are treated.) I do wish BB would be less shady, would save me a lot of explaining/ranting.

*Edit*
And before anyone gives me any crap, I'm 100% honest with my customers and I know my stuff (what is and isn't covered, and how everything is dealt with.) I have the lowest rate of unhappy customers (returns/cancellations/complaints/etc.) in my store's ~13 year history.
 
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the trick is to pull out your phone and video all conversations with sales employees. guaranteed that they wont lie or act like a douche while on camera
 
moshquerade said:
same here. if the thing breaks down i won't ever buy another one again.
Click to expand...

Normally, I never buy extended warranties either but I did make an exception when I bought my first Xbox at Best Buy due to all the problems I heard about. At the time, if your Xbox died, you could either send it to Best Buy and you'd get a gift card equal to your purchase price or on some occasions, you could take it in to a store and convince them to swap it out.

I wound up using the warranty twice and both times, was able to upgrade to newer Xbox packages. Best Buy must have been losing money on that big time, because they eventually changed the policy to what the OP is describing -- they just take the dead box and send it in for repairs and I think you get a refurb or your repaired console in return. WTF? That is exactly what happens if you use Microsoft's warranty service.
 
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