Best Buy & Geek Squad Policies

[Jason_MN]

I just returned an unopened iPad that I received as a gift, and I presented the gift receipt that I was also given.  I asked the customer service representative for a refund to be sent to me via check from Best Buy.  I was told that Best Buy will not do that, and that a credit could be issued to the credit card that was used to purchase the item--which would mean that the gift-giver would receive the refund, not me, the gift recipient--or that the money could be issued to a Store Credit card.

I do not think this is fair to customers who are gift recipients and want to return an item.  If a customer returns an item in the same situation with their receipt, then they receive a refund upon request.  There is no fair or practical reason why Best Buy should not provide the same service to a customer who is returning a gift with a gift receipt.  It's a way for Best Buy to try to "lock-in" a purchase, and avoid having to refund money that, in any other situation, would have to be refunded.

Also, I read Best Buy's online return policy and nowhere does it state this policy with regard to gift returns.  If Best Buy truly believed this policy was fair, then I believe it would be in print and online for everyone to see.  I know that Best Buy's cashiers don't take time to explain this to people who buy items and ask for gift receipts.  Cashiers don't say to people buying gifts, "If your gift recipient returns the item they will be issued store credit."  At the very least, the policy should be clearly explained online.

Now, if anyone from Best Buy takes the time to respond to this comment, I do not want to hear from you that "Best Buy's return policy is the same as or similar to other retailers."  In response to that kind of rebuttal, I will say, is Best Buy interested in being a leader in the industry and in providing customer service that is first-class.  Or, is Best Buy only interested in racing down the slippery slope, along with other retailers, toward providing the lowest quality of customer service and limiting its customers as much as it can without customer backlash.  Maybe part of the reason Best Buy is losing hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue is partly due to customers shopping with other retailers that have more customer-friendly return policies.

Also, I don't want to hear how Best Buy's computer system isn't programmed to allow refunds to be sent to gift recipients in the form of a check.  That kind of reply is simply a decoy or distraction for the real reason why Best Buy does not issue a refund to a gift recipient returning an item with a gift receipt, which I already stated above.  Best Buy simply wants to hold onto the money and doesn't want to refund the money back back to gift recipients.  Best Buy knows it would never get away with this if it were to try limiting all customers who return items to only receiving store credit.

The truth is, Best Buy does not give refunds to gift recipients returning gifts.  The only option that a gift recipient has is to receive store credit.  To have the money refunded to the person who gave the gift does not keep the value of the gift in the recipient's hands.  This limitation is unfair--it treats gift recipients like second-class customers, and it has discouraged this customer from buying gifts for people from Best Buy in the future. 

[CrystalWoW Community Veteran]

If you came in with a purchase you made on your own credit card and asked for a check or cash they would tell you to jump off a cliff. Doesn't make any different either way. Best Buy actually clearly states: Returning a Gift:
Gifts purchased online may be returned with an original receipt in accordance with our BestBuy.com Return Policy. Credit for the return will go back to the original form of payment. They are going around that to give you a gift card, rather than just crediting the purchaser. Best Buy isn't a bank or something where they can transfer money from a credit card to cash. I won't use all the very valid reasons you said you don't want to hear but I do think you are being extremely unreasonable. Someone gave you a gift. Your options are to have it refunded to them and ask them for cash... or to take the gift card and use it to buy something either in store or on bb.com. It is by no means low quality service to facilitate you getting a gift card so that you don't lose out on your present because you don't want that item.

[Ryan-BBY Senior Social Media Specialist]

Hello Jason_MN -

Doug from our Social Media team, will be reaching out to you regarding your concern. Thank you for your continued patience!

[TechSavvyChick]

I have to agree with Crystal,
I am all about going above and beyond for customer service but, to demand for a refund to be in cash or in this case check (which in turn will be cash) on a gift that otherwise you would not have seems to push the bounds of selfishness. I sympathize if the reason for the cash is to perhaps cover a financial burden (just an assumption). However, it is not safe business practice for BBY to refund any Item for cash unless it was paid in cash. Regardless if it was a gift or not. If paid by credit card there is no way of knowing whether or not the card might have been stolen, closed due to non payment, etc. Not to be accusatory but, BBY has no way of knowing if you were the original purchaser or not. Even if you have a gift receipt claiming that you didn't. This is one of several was people try to "cheat" the system. Which is why (I know you didn't want this said) that NO ONE will refund cash on a purchase made with a Credit Card.

I am in no way accusing you of this, just trying to shed some light on the WHY.

[TechSavvyChick]

On a different note, you could always tell the gift giver in a polite way that you could utilize the funds that purchased the iPad for something that might suit you better.

[Bob_A]

Jason_MN Said:

".....It's a way for Best Buy to try to "lock-in" a purchase, and avoid having to refund money ....."   

                                  ______________________________________

You have their reason exactly correct.  

Any further explanation is just "Spin".

I understand your frustration. However, Best Buy is a for profit business. Not an altruistic organization that operates a free money exchange service.

I suggest that you simply accept the Gift Card. And be grateful for the generous gift.  

Good Luck -   

[hydrogenwv]

There are reasons that are not "spin".

  Character A steals someone's credit card, buys an iPad requesting a gift receipt, then returns it for cash.

 See the problem there, Bob? I'd bet that most other retailers do the same thing, for the most part.

[Douglas-BBY Community Connector · Accepted solution]

Hello Jason_MN,

It’s too bad that the iPad didn’t work out for you and I’m sorry that our return policy isn’t as flexible as you were hoping. 

CrystalWoW has pointed out some of the official language on our receipts and on our website, but the long and short is that we promise to return the funds in the form they were tendered at the time of purchase (with a few exceptions for large cash and debit purchases).  This is true for regular purchases as well as gifts. If a product was paid for by credit card, we would issue a refund in the form of a credit back to that original card, whether or not it was a gift.  In some cases we do make an exception to this policy and offer you in store credit, but this is always on a case by case basis.

I read loud and clear that you were hoping for an easier return and I appreciate you sharing your thoughts with us here on the Community Forums.  Laying out a return policy is a balancing act for us to find the right mix of flexibility and security for all parties involved and your input is always valuable as we make these kinds of decisions.

Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any other concerns and have a wonderful 2012.

Regards,