I submitted my HP laptop for repair on September 11, 2009, and have yet to bring it back home since then! In these past six months I have been extremely patient and understanding as the Geek squad at my local best buy has continually failed to fix the problems w/ the computer.
The original problem that I took it in for in September was a blank screen. I was unable to retrieve any of my information due to that fact. I was informed by the Geek Squad agent at my local Best Buy that this was due to a bad motherboard that would need to be replaced. At the time I had also informed the agents that the DVD needed to be checked as whenever I would play a DVD I would get the “blue screen of death” and also that the laptop was functioning extremely slow. When I received a call that it had come back from Geek City, I went back and asked them if the DVD had been checked. They informed me that it had not, and the laptop was sent back for yet another repair to Geek City. Upon it's return I asked it they were able to figure out why the computer was running so slowly. They said they could perform a diagnostic test at an additional cost and then would be able to remove any potential viruses that were slowing down the laptop. I then received a phone call that it was ready to be picked up, when I asked the agents to take a moment to show me how the WebCam works because I was unable to enable it. They too were unable to operate the webcam, and I offered to leave the laptop with them for another couple of hours and then return to pick it up. I received no phone call, so after a couple of hours called myself only to hear that supposedly a call had been placed to me and they were unable to “investigate” the problem with my webcam because they did not have my Skype username and password. To date, I do not understand what Skype has to do with testing/verifying the correct functionality of a webcam. I was told that the laptop was sent out for yet another repair and upon return everything was fixed. During these months I have also been told that the laptop failed other diagnostic tests performed by the service center and thus several other things have been replaced. Unfortunately, since I haven’t received the laptop back yet, I do not have the finalized paperwork and do not know everything they have done with my laptop. A couple of weeks ago when I went to my local Best Buy, under the impression that this was the last time I would return empty handed. I was returned my laptop, only for me to open it up and discover 2 scratches on the LCD panel!! My family and I have been loyal customers of Best Buy for over a decade, and I have been a patient customer for over 6 months. Without a laptop I have had to endure severe hardships with my education. My grades are pending due to being unable to submit my work in a timely manner. This level of poor service is absolutely ridiculous. My 6 months of patience came to a sudden end when I discovered how poorly my $1500 laptop had been treated by Best Buy. The service report explicitly states when I submitted my laptop to Best Buy in September that there was only “normal wear and tear” on my laptop, NO scratches. The agent apologized and said he would send the laptop back to the center and it was at their discretion whether they decided to replace it (under the “No Lemon Policy”) or fix it. I requested that they please put a note in the account for the center to call me. After a couple of days I contacted my local store to inquire why I hadn't’t received a call, and was informed that the center had proceeded to replace the screen, and the laptop would be back shortly. The agent apologized for the difficult situations that I have had to encounter and told me at the store level their hands are tied, and referred me to “Corporate”.
- I called corporate this past Friday, March 12th and spoke with an Agent Charles. He was helpful in clarifying some misunderstanding and giving me additional information. 1. He told me I was not talking to “corporate” consumer relations, only the geek squad. & 2. That my PSP expired a month ago. He suggested that I contact corporate on Monday to inquire if the laptop had reached the store, and then go to the store and contact corporate consumer relations from the store so that they could work out a deal (laptop replacement) with the store manager on my behalf. He also encouraged that I get re-imbursed for any payments that I made to Geek Squad during this period, and have the 6 months I’d lost of my PSP reimbursed.
- On March 16th, I contacted corporate and the operator transferred me to a “dot com” specialist when I specifically requested for consumer relations. Only after relaying my complete tale to the agent was I told that I had been transferred to the wrong person. However, he proved to be extremely helpful. Austin offered to call the store on my behalf or catch up a Consumer Relations agent and transfer the case over to them. I chose the latter. He called me back shortly and put me in touch with an EXTREMELY UNHELPFUL consumer relations agent named Tasha. I was fortunate enough that Austin called back to follow up and I was able to tell him how unhelpful and rude she had been, and he kindly offered to call the store on my behalf. Unfortunately I did not hear back from him either Tasha first told me she would call the store on my behalf to try to work something out or gain additional information, and then said she'd send an email to the store general manager.
*I can go on and on about my several attempts after that, but the conclusion is this.
BOTTOM LINE: Best Buy intracommunication NEEDS IMPROVEMENT! Stores first claim that letters are automatically generated and should be disregarded, and then when they are under heat from Consumer Relations and the customer, claim that the letters informing customers to pick up their merchandise are on point and should not be disregarded. When under a microscope the attempts of contacting the customer also seem to magically soar. How pathetic is that?
**I am utterly disgusted with the two-faced nature of the store and even more disappointment by the lies and false promises of the store and specialists of promising phone calls back and keeping customers updated and NEVER following through. I was told that the GM of my local Aurora store or his assistant would call me this past Saturday. I rescheduled my entire day so that I could be home for that phone call. Finally around 8 p.m. I gave up, only to return home to have a message on my machine at quarter to 9 from neither the GM or his assistant, but rather a geek squad agent telling me to come pick up my laptop. THIS IS NOT ONLY RUDE, BUT ABSURD!
Best Buy has put me through this Thrice now, but with this laptop my patience with Best Buy ends, and unfortunately that means my family and I should start looking for an electronics store that stays true their WORD AND POLICIES!
***To top it all of, my 7th month without a laptop, patience, and disected laptop with various replaced parts are all apparently worth no more than a $75 gift card! When I've been explicitly told by agents at corporate that I should be re-credited the amount for my laptop due to the poor customer service and the fact that my laptop has well over 4 repairs. BUT NOONE at Best Buy has made good on their word, and better yet the store is manipulating the situation in their benefit based solely on the fact that I didn't physically walk the laptop in on seperate occasions. WAKE UP CALL FOR THE STORE: If you have my laptop for 6 months and refuse to fix problems efficiently, WHY would I waste my time taking it back home and bringin it back? When I could verify your corrections at the store as an intelligent consumer??***
Best Buy for the sake of your customers please throw your "No Lemon Policy" and "Customer Satisfaction" promises out of your agreements because we've caught on already that they are a JOKE.
-Thank you to Consumer Relations agent Helena that has proved to be the only helpful person in the entire Best Buy network.
If any of you have advice do let me know, an arrogant customer relations agent recommended I go to the Better Business Bureau and day by the day (as Best Buy refuses to follow suit on my attempts to remedy this issue) that suggestion seems to becoming the only option...
@Dorothy_BestBuy
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