Worst Buy

[mooby]

Originally Posted by mredskins

Ever try to return something at Best Buy? Awful just awful.

Yep. I tried to return a video game there once, and they only said I could return it for an opened copy of the same game, instead of a refund. And it was the day after I bought it for 20 bucks. I was pissed off. I took it to Gamestop and they offered me 2 dollars for it. Sigh. I just took it back home and gave it to a friend instead.

[los panda]

Originally Posted by mooby

Yep. I tried to return a video game there once, and they only said I could return it for an opened copy of the same game, instead of a refund. And it was the day after I bought it for 20 bucks. I was pissed off. I took it to Gamestop and they offered me 2 dollars for it. Sigh. I just took it back home and gave it to a friend instead.

they told me that before, i took the unopened one, went to another best buy, and got a full refund. a hassle, but worth $50 to me

edit* misread, they did not say opened copy to me

i said the game did not work properly

[mooby]

Originally Posted by los panda

they told me that before, i took the unopened one, went to another best buy, and got a full refund. a hassle, but worth $50 to me

edit* misread, they did not say opened copy to me

i said the game did not work properly

Yeah the one I returned was opened, and she said it could only be returned for another copy that they actually opened in front of me. This is to prevent customers for taking an unopened copy back to another store and getting their full money back.

[mredskins]

Originally Posted by mooby

Yeah the one I returned was opened, and she said it could only be returned for another copy that they actually opened in front of me. This is to prevent customers for taking an unopened copy back to another store and getting their full money back.

That is pretty true for most stores. No one will give you a refund for a open new game.

My problem with their returns is the line is always a mile and they have like one person working the return register.

Maybe someone in retail can explain to me how returns work...does it hurt the store or the vendor? Target and Wal Mart don't seem to give a crap if you return something as long as it is in their grace period. Other stores like best buy pitch a fit about returns or make it very diffcult.

[los panda]

Originally Posted by mooby

Yeah the one I returned was opened, and she said it could only be returned for another copy that they actually opened in front of me. This is to prevent customers for taking an unopened copy back to another store and getting their full money back.

i've been scamming for years and have never heard that, smarter on their part.

my personal favorite is to swap a broken controller with a used controller, or get two used controllers for one at gamestop. i justify this to myself. i buy a used one of the same color, go home, make sure it works, then take my broken controller back and tell them it didn't work. i get my money back = 1 completely free used controller or i get another used controller = 2 used controllers for the price of 1.

[Dirtbag59]

Originally Posted by mredskins

That is pretty true for most stores. No one will give you a refund for a open new game.

My problem with their returns is the line is always a mile and they have like one person working the return register.

Maybe someone in retail can explain to me how returns work...does it hurt the store or the vendor? Target and Wal Mart don't seem to give a crap if you return something as long as it is in their grace period. Other stores like best buy pitch a fit about returns or make it very diffcult.

That is true. With Target and Wal-Mart I get a quick question of what was wrong with the product and theres usually two or three people working return.

With Best Buy it depends on the store. First TV (46' RCA) I returned at the store I bought it at which point they made me go through Geek Squad to make sure it worked then sent me to one person who was working returns at the time with a line of 3 or 4 people.

When the TV I returned it for ended up having a slight defect (40' LCD with semi-bright white lights in the top two corners) I ended up going to another store in Buckhead (which is like the Manhattan of Atlanta) mainly because they were the only one around that had the model I was looking for (42' Plasma). When I got there there was no line and 3 people working returns. The exchange there was quick and painless.

Long story short I've been more then pleased with the plasma ever since getting back in late December but in regards to returning and exchanging items at Best Buy, well I guess the moral of the story is it depends but for me is was never to difficult.

I guess I should also add that this was all done in a 4 day period so it wasn't like I had the TV's for a month or two before I decided to exchange them.

[mooby]

Originally Posted by mredskins

That is pretty true for most stores. No one will give you a refund for a open new game.

My problem with their returns is the line is always a mile and they have like one person working the return register.

Maybe someone in retail can explain to me how returns work...does it hurt the store or the vendor? Target and Wal Mart don't seem to give a crap if you return something as long as it is in their grace period. Other stores like best buy pitch a fit about returns or make it very diffcult.

Yeah but Target and Walmart I've never had a problem returning opened games there before, but like you said I've always done it within the grace period.

[mredskins]

Originally Posted by mooby

Yeah but Target and Walmart I've never had a problem returning opened games there before, but like you said I've always done it within the grace period.

I don't know how yo uare pulling that off, per Wal Mart:
Returns Policy - Walmart.com

• Books: Must be returned unused and unmarked.
• CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, audiotapes, videotapes and video games: Must be returned unopened. If the item is defective, it can be returned within 90 days with a receipt and the original packaging. Defective items may be exchanged for the same title.
• Video on Demand: Cannot be returned. All sales are final and all charges from those sales are nonrefundable, except as otherwise stated in the Vudu Inc., Terms of Service.
• Video Games Hardware: Must be returned within 15 days of receipt.
• Pre-Owned (Refurbished) Video Game Software: Defective items can be returned within 90 days with a receipt and the original packaging. Defective items may be exchanged for a different title if the same title is not available.

Only think harder to return then a open video game is baby formula.

[firstdown]

Good!!! Best Buy has the worst customer service I have ever seen and the F'D me once and I never walked back into their stores again. It was over a stupid $49 DVD player I purchased for my daughter to take to college. It never worked and by the time we could return it the 30 days had expired. They would not exchange it and wanted me to pay some stupid amount to ship it back for warranty work. The dumb ass MGR kept telling me I should have purchased the extended warranty. I told him all he was saying is that I had to buy their customer service. F%$K them.

[los panda]

Originally Posted by mredskins

Returns Policy - Walmart.com

• Books: Must be returned unused and unmarked.
• CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, audiotapes, videotapes and video games: Must be returned unopened. If the item is defective, it can be returned within 90 days with a receipt and the original packaging. Defective items may be exchanged for the same title.
• Video on Demand: Cannot be returned. All sales are final and all charges from those sales are nonrefundable, except as otherwise stated in the Vudu Inc., Terms of Service.
• Video Games Hardware: Must be returned within 15 days of receipt.
• Pre-Owned (Refurbished) Video Game Software: Defective items can be returned within 90 days with a receipt and the original packaging. Defective items may be exchanged for a different title if the same title is not available.

that's the rub, you can take the unopened copy, then take it to another walmart, or the same one at a different time, and return it.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

Not just electronics but accessories.

"Hmmm...should I buy this HDMI cable for $40 or buy it on Amazon for $15?"

They're a dinosaur and the big bang is coming for them.

Wait, didn't the big bang create everything? The ice age maybe?

[mredskins]

Originally Posted by los panda

that's the rub, you can take the unopened copy, then take it to another walmart, or the same one at a different time, and return it.

I got you after you exchange the open for a unopen then go to a different location. Seems a bit unethically but whatever.

I never buy new games if you wait a week any $60 game will be $40 used on line.

[mlmpetert]

I worked at the one by Springfield Mall when i was 16. More than 10 years later it is still by far the worst job ive ever had.

Bestbuy was a great story of a record show owner who had a massive sale because of a hurricane (maybe Andrew??) and learned that he could make more money by moving a large amount of product at small mark up than by selling a few records at a big mark up.

But they become a corporate juggernaut who prized themselves for bankrupting Circut City (headquartered in Richmond of all places!). I remember a huge mural in the break room of the bestbuy “tag” and the circut city “plug” boxing and the bestbuy tag knocking the circuit city plug out.

Ive always been disgusted by this:

The clock-in machine and the coat room were on opposite sides of the store. They made a real big deal about dropping off your coat first then walking to the clock to clock in. Same thing with leaving; clock out then go get your coat. Well the problem with that is that its nearly impossible to walk across bestbuy in a blue shirt and khaki pants without having to help a customer during busy hours. Could be something simple, could easily turn into a 5-10+ minute thing.

They made a really big deal about it. Their explanation was that yeah, sure you may lose a few cents, at worst case a dollar, of earned money but bestbuy the company looses hundreds of thousands or more a year of employees putting their coats away. They would say things like it really hurts the company and has little or no material effect on you. In reality I believe the percentage financial loss was either the same or more for the individual than for the company. It really ground my gears.

[mooby]

Originally Posted by mredskins

I don't know how yo uare pulling that off, per Wal Mart:
Returns Policy - Walmart.com

• Books: Must be returned unused and unmarked.
• CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, audiotapes, videotapes and video games: Must be returned unopened. If the item is defective, it can be returned within 90 days with a receipt and the original packaging. Defective items may be exchanged for the same title.
• Video on Demand: Cannot be returned. All sales are final and all charges from those sales are nonrefundable, except as otherwise stated in the Vudu Inc., Terms of Service.
• Video Games Hardware: Must be returned within 15 days of receipt.
• Pre-Owned (Refurbished) Video Game Software: Defective items can be returned within 90 days with a receipt and the original packaging. Defective items may be exchanged for a different title if the same title is not available.

Only think harder to return then a open video game is baby formula.

Well seeing as how the last time I've returned one there was at least 2+ years ago, that probably explains it. All I know is last time I returned one there they took it and gave me my money back.

[That Guy]

i buy from newegg at basically wholesale, and it gets here in 2 days exactly as promised. in fact, i pretty much never shop outside of my house anymore, outside of some clothes or shoes, there's no need. shoes are probably the only thing i wouldn't buy online, since I have wide feet, and, depending on brand, i'm somewhere between 11W and 13R.