Best Buy??? You gotta be kidding

Okay, those of you who can't stomach rants need to move on elsewhere NOW. Today's blog is dedicated to the American company for whom I have the LEAST respect and the MOST anger. One by the misnomer of "Best Buy." I could think of far more appropriate names for that rip-off bunch but since some very nice folks sometimes visit my blog I will leave it to your imagination.

Now some people learn a lesson the first time around. But I'm left-handed, hard-headed and contrary, so I've got to beat over the head (or at least the purse) a few times. I could make this the longest entry I've ever written just telling you some of the ridiculous crap Best Buy has put me through in the last 13 months, but I won't bore you too much.

Today was the last straw. I shall never darken their doorstep again. Never. And I will deliver a lecture to any friends - OR STRANGERS - who ever talk about doing such a foolhardy thing as entering a Best Buy store. DON'T do it.

If you buy something from them very often it's defective. I don't know...do they get seconds or what? When you have a problem, there's always some "out" for them - and seemingly no recourse for you. Last year I entered a store near Nashville (oops, I'm gonna tell you after all) and was quoted a price - a sale price - on a Sony laptop. As had happened in several Best Buys in several states (I was traveling at the time - and looking for a laptop) the ones they advertised oh, gee, they'd sold them all. I started to get smart and find out delivery dates and times. Still no good. Gee, none had come in, etc. I mean I had the runaround. But I was long on time and short on cash, so I persisted.

Finally near Nashville I found a good computer for a good price. But when they went to pull one for me gee, they didn't have that one and no they couldn't sell me the display model. But they kindly called another Nashville-area Best Buy and got them to hold the computer for me. I confirmed the price. Got to that other store - an hour's drive away and all went well. They indeed had the laptop and brought it out for me to purchase. It was a sale-priced item with a rebate. I got a cordless mouse, Norton Internet Security, Word, and a few other item - coming to over $2000 after the rebates and discounts.

When they rang it up the price was way, way high. 'Course they rang it up on my credit card. I politely and firmly asked them to check that please, there must be some mistake (I always do the rough math in my head so I know about what it should be) but no. We looked over the ticket and they were charging the non-sale price and they would NOT refund the money to me even though they agreed that was the price they'd agreed on - they said that I got the computer from them and in fact the other store had not taken down LAST week's sale price (it was still posted on the computer) and that they couldn't be responsible, etc.,etc. That was only one of the things we argued about price-wise, but I want you to know that I spent 12 hours - yes 12 hours in that store over the course of 2 days trying to get my $200+ refund from them. I never did get it, but I finally got the manager of the other store to send a letter certifying that I would be reimbursed (and I eventually was through my Visa card).

You'd think I would have learned. But no. I took my sister there the other day. She bought a laptop and they screwed that all up, too. But when I stood the ground for her with them and casually dropped the fact that she's an attorney in NYC well they snapped to right away for her - even gave us Geek Squad t-shirts.

But today I went back to Best Buy with a return. I'd bought a cheap videocamera ($400) on Saturday and paid (unfortunately) CASH for it. I never opened the box (instant 15% restocking fee if you open the box) because I decided to research the model first and learned that it was a horrible camera. So I took it back, unopened. I heard the usual, "I don't make the policy," from the Customer Service KID (what's with having kids who don't even have facial hair trying to negotiate the dark Customer Service waters at places like Best Buy??) I demanded to speak with the manager.

At Best Buy they have these huge signs over customer service with all the ins and outs (mostly outs) of what they'll refund and what you have to have, blah blah blah. Nothing there about no cash refunds over $250. Nope, that's in fine, fine, fine print on the back of the mile-long sales slip they hand you. I can't begin to read it without reading glasses. So there I am. They have the camera, unopened. I just want my damned $400. No go. No go. I only have 14 days to return the camera (actually about 9 by now) and they ain't changing their policy in the next 9 days. So I have to go on their LOUSY word and a hard-to-read return receipt stating that the home office is going to send ME a check (the manager said I'd have it in two weeks; the fine print actually says it will be mailed WITHIN 14 BUSINESS DAYS which to me says I MIGHT have the check in a month). So I'm supposed to twiddle my thumbs for the next 30 days waiting to get back my $400. Never mind I want a videocamera and I don't have a lot of spare money. They've banked my $400 and I have nothing.

So all I'm doing here is keeping my word. I gave the manager and the no-facial-hair kid my darkest look (and I'm a redhead with an evil temper at times) and told them that I would be sure not only to tell all my friends and family members and every stranger who'd listen but also anyone who happens to read my blog on the internet what a load of crap Best Buy delivers.

You can bet I'll keep my word, too. If you have any sense at all never buy anything from Best Buy. I hope you learn from my stupidity.