Best Buy

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RoadDog
RoadDog Posts: 2,946 Member
Sent this email to Best Buy today. It's self explanatory.

"About 4 weeks ago, my wife, Jannette Vallandingham, bought a laptop. About 3 weeks ago, she bought a Wii Fit. Next week, we were planning on picking up an iPod for Xmas.

Anyway, Thanksgiving, when the ads came out in the paper, my wife saw that the Wii Fit was on sale for $30 less on Black Friday. So, she took her receipt in to see if she could take advantage of the discount. The sales clerk told her no, so she asked to speak with a manager. The manager told her she could not. When my wife informed the manager that she was within the time frame that she could return the one she bought and buy another one at the new price, the manager told her she could, but because it was Black Friday, they weren't accepting returns until after Noon and the sale ended at 11 am. According to my wife the manager was rather rude about it.
I guess there's not much I can do about it except pass this story on to my friends and cease to shop at Best Buy. I'd let one instance go by, but I've experienced the same behavior on my visits to Best Buy. I'll get my iPod somewhere else.

I'm sure you won't miss my patronage, but know that a friendly demeanor and helpful attitude can go a long way to retain a strong customer base.

Mike Vallandingham"

Just passing the story along as I told Best buy I would. Take it for what it's worth. It's not about the 30 bucks. It's about the attitude. I don't like being treated that way, but rarely say anything about it. I get cranky, however, when my wife or daughters are treated in this manner. I have made my last purchase at Best Buy.
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Replies

  • xTattooedDollx
    xTattooedDollx Posts: 426 Member
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    You apparently haven't worked retail on Black Friday.
  • mamacremers
    mamacremers Posts: 183 Member
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    shoulda bought it and returned the old one with the old receipt and got all of your money back. hindsight...
  • raelbee
    raelbee Posts: 219
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    I can relate. I had extremely poor service and rude attitudes from the sales staff the last time I tried buying something at Best Buy. I walked across the way to Target and bought my iPod touch there, instead. Good for you for informing corporate. I should have done the same.
  • MichelleFirestone
    MichelleFirestone Posts: 212 Member
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    They charge restock fee's for stuff returned. Check those out sometime. that's a real shocker!
  • mccorml
    mccorml Posts: 622 Member
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    that happens with alot of electronics stores i bought a game once at gamestop because the manager said he played and it rocked well it was the hardest crappiest game ive ever bought and i hated it so i tried to return it and they wouldnt let me you can only return it if it doesnt work and you want a new one or if its unopened so i went back when i knew the guy was working said it was scratched and didnt work got a new one and drove accross the street to the mall and exchanged it at the gamestop their for a gift card of that value haha suck it gamestop
  • ckmama
    ckmama Posts: 1,668 Member
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    Sent this email to Best Buy today. It's self explanatory.

    "About 4 weeks ago, my wife, Jannette Vallandingham, bought a laptop. About 3 weeks ago, she bought a Wii Fit. Next week, we were planning on picking up an iPod for Xmas.

    Anyway, Thanksgiving, when the ads came out in the paper, my wife saw that the Wii Fit was on sale for $30 less on Black Friday. So, she took her receipt in to see if she could take advantage of the discount. The sales clerk told her no, so she asked to speak with a manager. The manager told her she could not. When my wife informed the manager that she was within the time frame that she could return the one she bought and buy another one at the new price, the manager told her she could, but because it was Black Friday, they weren't accepting returns until after Noon and the sale ended at 11 am. According to my wife the manager was rather rude about it.
    I guess there's not much I can do about it except pass this story on to my friends and cease to shop at Best Buy. I'd let one instance go by, but I've experienced the same behavior on my visits to Best Buy. I'll get my iPod somewhere else.

    I'm sure you won't miss my patronage, but know that a friendly demeanor and helpful attitude can go a long way to retain a strong customer base.

    Mike Vallandingham"

    Just passing the story along as I told Best buy I would. Take it for what it's worth. It's not about the 30 bucks. It's about the attitude. I don't like being treated that way, but rarely say anything about it. I get cranky, however, when my wife or daughters are treated in this manner. I have made my last purchase at Best Buy.

    She should have bought the new one while on sale then returned the other one after noon. It is frustrating. And don't forget the restock fees.

    I'm 22 weeks pregnant and was at Best Buy after the sales had ended, a store employee almost knocked me over walking by, I was like "that was rude" and he jsut looked at me. You would have thought he was working in the ER or something and was saving a life.
  • RoadDog
    RoadDog Posts: 2,946 Member
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    You apparently haven't worked retail on Black Friday.

    Nope, I haven't, but all three of my daughters have and I know how stressful it can be, but it's no excuse for rude behavior. If a person can't treat a person pleasantly, they should not be working in retail.
  • ckmama
    ckmama Posts: 1,668 Member
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    You apparently haven't worked retail on Black Friday.

    Nope, I haven't, but all three of my daughters have and I know how stressful it can be, but it's no excuse for rude behavior. If a person can't treat a person pleasantly, they should not be working in retail.

    Amen.
  • shannonichole
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    I like Best Buy, but this past month my family has spend about 4,000 (just moved) there and we got hassled out the wazoo everytime. One time I stood in line for an hour to return something and then got sent to another line, just to be sent back to the end of the original line!! :mad: I like the store, but making a return sucks there!

    Sorry to hear about your bad experience!
  • RoadDog
    RoadDog Posts: 2,946 Member
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    She should have bought the new one while on sale then returned the other one after noon. It is frustrating. And don't forget the restock fees.

    I'm 22 weeks pregnant and was at Best Buy after the sales had ended, a store employee almost knocked me over walking by, I was like "that was rude" and he jsut looked at me. You would have thought he was working in the ER or something and was saving a life.

    I thought about that, but by the time my wife told me the story that night it was too late.
  • skyski_tige
    skyski_tige Posts: 67 Member
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    Some credit card companies will do price matching. I know my American Express Platinum would have honored the $30 discount.
  • vineas
    vineas Posts: 84
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    I used to work retail, and it is pretty normal to exclude Black Friday sales from the normal return/exchange policies. There's usually a disclaimer somewhere that states that the prices are valid only in person between the explicit hours stated in the ad (7-11 am or whatever). Sucks, but avoids several potential issues, like people buying up things they think will be on sale, getting money back for the difference then selling for full price on e-bay, or just returning if they don't end up going on sale.

    Has nothing to do with Best Buy - you would have gotten the same story from Walmart, Target or whatever. If they were rude about it, that's another issue, but the policy is very standard.
  • BullDozier
    BullDozier Posts: 237 Member
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    Logically, black Friday deals are to get people in the store to buy certain products (most of the time at a loss or at least at cost) in the hopes of the customer buying something else while they are there. Obviously it makes sense that their policies will be altered not to price adjust that product for everyone who bought the same item recently.
  • LynnBirchfield
    LynnBirchfield Posts: 580 Member
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    Boy -- I miss Circuit City. :sad:
  • Iron_Biker
    Iron_Biker Posts: 104 Member
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    You apparently haven't worked retail on Black Friday.

    Nope, I haven't, but all three of my daughters have and I know how stressful it can be, but it's no excuse for rude behavior. If a person can't treat a person pleasantly, they should not be working in retail.

    Amen.


    Amen to that indeed.

    My friend, I am a Customer Service Consultant and one of the stores I work with is Best Buy. Moreover, one of my best friends works way up the corporate ladder. They should be concerned.

    Maybe your comment will travel far. I will do what I can.

    It's OK if you won't give them a second chance. Sometimes I recommend that.
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
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    Retailers will only give you the price difference if its within 14 days, you were probably within the 30 or 60 depending hence why they would not offer a return on the price difference. .

    I agree with an above comment, buy another one on sale and then return it with the old receipt, done that many times if it saves a trip.

    I totally understand your pain and completely agree with public retailer bashing when they wrong you. I wouldn’t expect niceties from any retailer on Black Friday (from what I see on TV it looks bad, didn't someone die last year? I'm Canadian, our big shopping sale/holiday is boxing day Dec 26 and no one ever dies) but you are within your right to bash them.
  • sillygoose1977
    sillygoose1977 Posts: 2,151 Member
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    Best Buy is notorious for horrible customer service. I never shop there. There is never a good excuse to treat customers badly. If you can't even fake friendliness than you should not work retail.
  • MLgarcia3
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    You apparently haven't worked retail on Black Friday.

    I've worked retail on Black Friday at Macy's and managed to have a good attitude towards everyone.. even the rude customers.. I don't know one of my co-workers or managers that would have a bad attitude towards anyone either.. but the Macy's I worked at had amazing employees and customer service.
  • snakehead
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    There's a 15% restocking fee for a lot of the electronics at Best Buy. If the orginal Wii was $200 or more, then buying the lower priced one and returning the more expensive one wouldn't have saved any money at all. And if the amount to be refunded was more than $250 you'd have to wait 7 to 10 days to get your money back since they mail you a check in those cases.
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
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    Would you want to work at Best Buy on Black Friday? give the guy a break, he's probably more stressed out than he's ever been in his life...and he's just following store policy...she should have just bought the thing and returned the other one the next day...