Best Buy & Geek Squad Policies

[SaraJane]

Over the past four years I have purchased all of my cameras, phones, lens and computers from best buy.

We have probably spent around 4 thousand or more if you just include my purchases. My family has purchased TVs, DVDs, computers.. the list goes on and on.

I have always been a firm believer in the buyer protection plan. Yes it's another $200 or so but it's important to have in case of accidental damages.

Near the end of last year (In October I believe of 2011) my  lens for my canon was messed up. We brought it to geek squad and they said they couldn't send it off without the camera. Nothing was wrong with the camera (canon 40d). I brought the camera in and reluctatnly sent it off. I purchased a new camera and lens to hold me over while it was gone plus a phone and months before a computer, months before that another computer... I am frequent buyer.

So I never hear from the place they send it to and I call best buy for info nearly 3 weeks later. They tell me that they 'junked' my camera and lens out. I thought I'd have a heart attack. I am then told I can purchase a new lens/camera at the store and it will not cost me anything. So I upgrade and get a better lens with the Canon 60d. I am satisified. Yet I have to purchase ANOTHER black tie protection on the camera and lens. I was upset but the 4 year coverage was about to expire anyways so I get the black tie ($211 I beleive) on this camera and lens.

Everything would be fine except I open my camera bag in my house to find my lens not focusing three weeks ago. So I took it in to best buy. I have a black tie protection I just bought  a few months ago. Once again they want my camera too. I reluctantly give it to them but I have my back up so I do it anyways. I never hear from anyone! My new lens I had just purchased was dropped in a fight at a wedding that I was an unfortunate by stander who got shoved at. So I had to take my lens in for repair. While in there I ask about my lens/camera and they once again tell me it was 'junked'. Nothing was wrong with the camera at all. In fact I think I only used it like 4 times in months!!

I am told I can get another lens/camera and am brought  a brand new set but to my horror just months after purchasing the black tie they want me to pay for it again! I imagine they will pull the same crap with the lens I brought it that I had just purchased the black tie on as well. That's over $300 for something that was supposed to be covered. I HAD JUST PURCHASED THE BLACK TIE ON BOTH OF THESE JUST MONTHS BEFORE!!!

So if you are looking at getting a black tie protection on your equipment from best buy turn the other way. They seem to find ways to rip you off anyways! My family is no longer a customer of best buy as of yesterday! I had to keep them from coming up to the store and causing problems.

If I was someone who made a ton of money it would be wrong. As it is my husband is out of work and I can barely pay the bills (no credit cards for us). So what they are doing is wrong. I should have just flushed the last $300 I spent on something that was supposed to cover my camera/lens and lens because that's what they did.

BEST BUY BUYER PROTECTION PROGRAM IS A SCAM!!

BUYER BEWARE!!!!

I will be reporting this incident with the BBB and others. I am just so upset!

[APR28]

Before the $8/hour BB workers come in and blame you, did BB ever explain why they junked your perfectly good cameras?

I'm a bit of a conspiracy theorist so do you think they junked your camera so they could end your BTP and make you buy a new one?

I'm guessing if your cameras are still under manufacturer warranties that BB could easily get them replaced for themselves then sell you a new policy.

[redbarron55]

Run from Best Buy.

Best Buy is working to maximize their profit after the sale. This means scamming, screwing, and browbeating the customer out of more money and less service.

I would not doubt the above poster one bit.

Where do you think the Refurbished units come from?

SCAM SCAM SCAM

Best buy should be ashamed!

[AndyH]

If the MFG warranty was still active they would have used that instead of the black tie, in which case the plan wouldn't have been filled. I'm not sure how it would be a profitable scam to give you another lens for essentially just the cost of the plan (assuming you buy another one, which you don't have to). That's significantly less than the actual cost of the lens.

Also, what's up with the $8/hour comment, APR28? I don't work for BBY so I can't comment on what they get paid but are you just trying to imply that you shouldn't listen to them because they don't make much?

[SaraJane]

Sorry AndyH but I was told by and inside person during my many phone calls that the place they send the equipment off to (not the workers at the store) usually junk things because they can make more reburfishing those items out and then they get extra $ because you have to buy a new plan. Why pay $300 for a plan if it doesn't go toward fixing your item. It's a FOUR YEAR PLAN it should be effective for FOUR YEARS! So the above poster is correct from an inside source.
I plan to contact my local news station and try to get them on my side. I posted a complaint on my FB and you wouldn't believe the number of people who have had similar issues. Why buy a expensive plan if it's not going to stay effective. My complaint is the LENS was messed up, the camera was in perfect condition. Why Junk the camera and make me pay for another warranty on the camera too. That's where over half the fee comes from is the camera's part of the BTP. The lens itself is only about $60 for the BTP. I didn't want to send in my camera but they made me. There is no exscuse, I shouldn't have to buy another plan I Just bought it less than three months ago!

[SaraJane]

Also just an FYI I just got this camera/lens three months ago or so. Manufactures warranty was still valid at the time.

[AndyH]

The MFG warranty doesn't cover accidental damage so it wouldn't get fixed under that.

[Mariel-BBY Retired: Community Connector]

Hello SaraJane  -

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

[robb884]

I work in a Best Buy location and can explain the reason this is happening.

The service center that the store is required to send the camera/lens to requires them both to be sent at the same time since it is technically one product since it came together in one box. This also ensures that they are able to check out the body as well to make sure there is no issues or repairs that need to be completed.

When sent to these service centers, they evaluate the damage and what would need to be repaired, Upon doing so they check to available of parts from the manufacturer. If the manufacturer does not make the parts available then the camera is approved for exchange "Junk out". Most of the time this is done with Canon cameras because they rarely make parts available to the service center so they have no other option than to have a new camera approved.

The reason you have to buy a new black tie plan is because the damage that was inflicted upon it was not something that the MFG would cover. They cover defects of workmanship. Damage from dropping it would not be considered workmanship but damage.

If you had not had the black tie protection you would have been stuck with paying for the cost of repairs which would most likely exceeded the $300 for the black. Just think of it this way.. You just got a new camera for $300 after you broke it.

If you drive a car off the lot, and three months later drive it into a tree with out insurance. The car manufacturer would not cover the cost of the repairs because it had nothing to do with how the car was made. This is wear the cost of what you pay each month for insurance comes into play


My comments and opinions are exactly that, my own. Although I do work for the Geek Squad, I am in no way speaking for, or representing Best Buy as a company.

[Allan-BBY Community Connector]

Hi SaraJane,

Given that you just purchased this Geek Squad Black Tie Protection (GSBTP) plan for your Canon 60D back in October of 2011, I can completely understand you being upset that you are now being told in order to have coverage beyond Canon’s warranty on your replacement camera it will be at cost to you.

The explanation you received from robb884 is generally correct. If Canon’s warranty covered damage to this lens your GSBTP plan would have been transferred to the replacement camera kit. Since this was not the case your GSBTP plan covered the repair or replacement of this camera, and per the terms of your plan it is considered fulfilled if it replaces your camera kit. If any part of a camera kit needs to be replaced the entire kit is replaced.

It is absolutely incorrect that the service center we use to repair cameras would ever choose to have a camera replaced if repairing the camera was a cost effective option; whoever told you otherwise is not giving you accurate information.

With all that said I would like to see if there is anything I can personally do for you, and I am sending you a private message to discuss this. To check your messages you should log into the forum, and then click on the letter icon in the upper right-hand corner of the page.

Thanks for posting,