Best Buy & Geek Squad Policies

[chesman2k1]

I had a camera which I sent to repair on 1/07/2009. I had horrible service from Geek Squad. The Geek Squad Agent Jordan at the Curtner Ave, San Jose, CA Best Buy told me to take my repair to another BestBuy location and raised his voice at me and threatened to have me kicked out of the store just because I was asking about the Geek Squad repair policy and for asking him to call the repair center regarding my repair. I was told by other Geek Squad Agents that I can make such a request. I left the store infruriated by the threat and pure disregard of customer service.

I had the camera sent to service on 1/07/2009 and just wanted to get my camera fixed. The camera only left to the repair center on 1/09/2009 and did not arrive to the repair center until 1/11/2009. I called on 1/12/2009 to check if they found a solution to my problem and all Geek Squad said is that they do not know anything and I will just get email notifications. The only email I got was that it has left the store on 1/09/2009 and that it was received by the repair center on 1/11/2009.

From 1/11/2009 until 1/20/2009 I made calls every 2 or 3 days to check the status and if it was being sent back. Same useless answer from BestBuy and GeekSquad.

The next email I got an email from Geek Squad that my camera was shipping back to the Curtner Ave, San Jose, CA store on Wednesday 1/21/2009. I call on Thursday 1/22/2009 to ask when I can expect it back they say that it would be two days because it was shipping from the repair center. My camera had not arrived on Friday or Saturday. I call again on Sunday 1/25/2009 and they say that it was shipped from the manufacturer (Canon) back to the Geek Squad repair center and it would be shipped from the repair center to the store where it originated from. Why was this information different from last Thursday's conversation? I think they are just saying a bunch of BS just to get people off the phone.

They tell me that their shipments arrive by truck and they had not received it in their last truck on  Saturday so it should arrive on their truck Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday. I get a call on Tuesday from Geek Squad saying the manufacturer (Canon) told them that my repair needs to get replaced so that I qualify for a replacement. Why was this information not made known over the phone on Wednesday 1/21/2009. They just had to lie in between until Tuesday 1/27/2009 to tell me this information. Why did they have to lie and say that the camera was being shipped back and in reality nothing was ever being shipped?

Someone could have just sent an email or phone call on Wednesday 1/21/2009. Why are they selling technology when they do not even use it? I want to warn people to STOP buying and DO NOT ever buy at BestBuy or pay for GeekSquad services. DO NOT purchase the Geek Squad Black Tie protection because you will not get the service you pay for. BestBuy and GeekSquad make a lot of money from selling this Black Tie protection. Send them a message that you do not tolerate horrible service by not allowing them to rip you off and take your money by NEVER EVER purchasing from them and if you really have to buy from them, DO NOT buy the Black Tie protection.

[Starflyer59]

BB really needs to work on the Customer Service and actually supporting the products they sell.

But, i can think of a dozen more important things to boycott besides BB.

[Peter]

So let me get this straight...

You got a replacement and you are complaining?

Priceless...

[chesman2k1]

Peter,

Yes I am complaining because I was threatened to get kicked out of the store for asking questions about how the repair process and how long it would take.

Also I am complaining about the lack of service during the repair period. Nobody you talk to can give you any information regarding the repair such as what's wrong with your product. The only information you get is when your product was shipped from BestBuy and received by the repair center and when it has left the repair center and arrived at BestBuy all by email.

Also I am complaining because they lied and sent me an email saying my product was fixed and was shipped to BestBuy on Wednesday January 21, 2009. They made me believe that my product was repaired and was on its way back. Then I get a phone call 6 days later on January 27, 2009 from BestBuy saying the manufacturer told BestBuy the product needs to get replaced. In reality nothing shipped out on January 21, 2009 and they had knowledge that the product needed to get replaced but waited 6 days later on January 27, 2009.

Why are you being sarcastic? Are you a BestBuy or GeekSquad employee or affiliate? It seems from your previous posts that you try to make BestBuy and GeekSquad look good. I hope your not an employee that goes into this forum and pretrend you are a regular customer. If you think that this lack of service is acceptable then I wonder how your relationships are with other people. 

[Starflyer59]

When they threatened to throw you out of the store were being calm and professional? I can't picture any store throwing someone out if they are being calm and professional.

I'm not a BB employee and could never make enough money there to support my family. Just confused on why they would threaten to throw you out if you were just asking a question in a calm, cool and professional manner.

[chesman2k1]

Starflyer59,

Yes I never raised my voice or was being a horrible or mean customer before, during and after the threat. I had some questions about the repair which I asked about and after that I was said to have been a difficult customer and threatened to get kicked out. It's all on camera, if those were running.

I have read several posts here on the forums where many customers were being threatened to get kicked out for no apparent reason. It has happened at many BestBuy stores all over the country. I'm not sure if this is their tactic and is being taught to managers, supervisors and regular employees. Some people are in positions where they should not be in the service industry.

[Starflyer59]

I agree with you chesman. I have only been in a BB two or three times in the last 9 years and each time I was not able to get any help at all.

The next to last time I went into a BB, i had cash in hand and asked several BB employees for help and they all said there were busy.

After waiting for 45 minutes I finally walked out and went home and bought a Dell laptop from Dell. It was one of the best computer buying decisions that I have ever made.

I am a Dell Certified Systems Expert so I can support my own computers and order parts without having to deal with Dell India Tech support.

[GeraldRose]

BOYCOTT BestBuy and GeekSquad.

Nah...

[chesman2k1]

GeraldRose

"To each his own"

You have posted in a lot of threads against customers and only in favor of BestBuy. Are you employed or affiliated with BestBuy in any way?

I don't like getting screwed for paying for service and not getting any kind of support.  How about you?

[GeraldRose]

For the record I do not work at Best Buy, am not affiliated with Best Buy, but do however shop at Best Buy.

Believe me, it's not that I think Best Buy is so great and doesn't make mistakes or anything like that, I just look at things in the big picture. Do people have horrible experiances with BBY? No doubt. Is BBY in this "game" to screw people over? No a chance. The % of customers who truly have a horrible experiance is few and far between, it doesn't excuse of Best Buy, but the notion that BBY does this purposely to screw people over is just plain silly.

No business would think let's squeeze as much money out of people as we can once, as opposed to having a customer who comes back over and over again and continues to spend money with us.

It may seem like that sometimes but it's just not the case, the other main reason I respond like I do, is I have seen how people react to situations they think screaming and yelling is going to make people want to help them out, it may not be the case here, but we all know when people are typing things out they want to make BBY look worse, and them seem completely in the right, so the typings here get taken with a grain of salt. In most cases if you approach the Store Manager in a respectable fashion he/she will at least try to assist you.

While it is the mission of Best Buy (as with any other company) to make money, they also want people to come back, that being said they also need to treat the other 500 customers a day they see in the same manner and not make a exception for one customer and not for the other.