Best Buy & Geek Squad Policies

[NepEnut]

I am completely dissatisfied with the service (or lack thereof) I have received from the Geek Squad. Here is my story so far:

I purchased a 32" Dynex LCD TV on or around March 17th 2009. Took it home, set it up - it worked wonderfully. I was insanely happy with it (mostly because my previous TV was one I inherited from a friend who had had it since she was a child. It worked, but was very outdated).

On May 19th, two months after the purchase, I was watching TV in the morning before work, I went out of the room for a second and then when I came back, I noticed that the screen looked whited out/overexposed. I thought it might have just been the program or something, but when I brought up my dish guide, the dish guide was the same way. I went through a bunch of different channels, and it was still the same way. The sound was working fine and you could tell there was an image on the screen, but it was all whited out and overexposed. Not cool.

Not being able to find my receipt to return it to the store, I decided to contact the manufacturer, since it was under their warranty. I told them the problem, they transferred me to the Geek Squad and I made an appointment to have someone come look at the TV on May 28th. It annoyed me that someone couldn't come up for a whole week, but whatever.

On the 28th, I received a window between 12pm and 2pm, which was perfect because it was during my lunch break. I left my office at approximately 11:45, and it only takes me about 10 mins to get home from the office. So I figured I had plenty of time. Luckily, when I pulled up to my apartment, the Geek Squad truck was there. I figured they were waiting for me. But as I was parking, the truck pulled away.

I wasn't quite sure what to make of that, but I figured maybe he came by and was going to come back. I went up to my apt and waited. And waited and waited. I finally called the Geek Squad and was told the guy had come by at 12:05pm but no one was there so they left message with one of my neighbors.

A) I was there before noon.
B) If I wasn't there when he came by, when I told him I would be, why did he not call me and ask?

So I ask to reschedule immediately and again, the soonest they can have someone come out is June 5th.

June 5th comes and I made the appointment in the morning, so I would definitely be there. The technician shows up at 9-ish, installs a part (which, by the way, was ordered without ever having looked at my TV), turns on the TV and it still doesn't work. The technician tells me the problem is most likely the panel, in which case I would need to get a replacement TV as he was positive that the panel is unavailable. He tells me he needs to verify this but when he does, he will call me and I can take the TV back to the store and get a replacement.

I expected a call back from him that day. I heard absolutely nothing.

I go on vacation between the 6th and 10th of June. During that time, I received an automated message saying I needed to make an appointment. When I returned on June 11th, I called the Geek Squad again and was told that a request had been submitted for a replacement and they would call me within 3-5 days with a confirmation number i could take to the store and get my replacement.

I hear back nothing again.

On June 16th, I receive another call from the Geek Squad saying that my case is being looked into and they will follow up with me by the end of the day or the following day. I hear nothing.

On June 18th, I called the Geek Squad YET AGAIN, to find out what the status is of my replacement. The person I spoke to informed me that the technician who originally came out was advised by his boss to order the panel from a different vendor. They have ordered the panel but it takes approximately 30 days or so to process. The GS Rep tells me if I don't hear anything by July 12th, to call them again.

At this point, I have been without a TV for a month. The technician who knew this information has failed to inform me of what's going on. I have not received calls back when I have been assured I would. After being informed this, I am rightfully mega upset and angry.

I call back on June 19th to express my frustration and complain about the lack of service I have received. The person I spoke with put me on hold while she submitted a request for a replacement TV. She assured me that I would hear back in 3-5 days.

On June 23rd, I received another call from the Geek Squad. The person informed me that the part that was ordered for my TV is due to ship on Friday, June 26th, and she will call me then to keep me up to date. I express to her my frustration and mention that a request for a replacement has been submitted. She informs me that the request will most likely be denied as a part has been ordered and will be shipped so the TV is technically still fixable. This was the last I have heard regarding the situation.

Needless to say, I am vehemently angry and frustrated that it has taken over a month (very soon to be 2 months now), and I still have no idea if my TV will be repaired or replaced. At this point, I would rather just get my money back or get a replacement (preferably a different brand than Dynex). And I also think that I should be compensated for having to be inconvenienced like this. My brother suggested I demand a loaner TV, but I don't feel this is necessary as I've been using my old TV for the time being.

I have no idea if writing here will get anything taken care of (because i pretty much have no faith left at this point), but I needed a place to vent. And if someone listens, that's great. And if anything, it's just a warning to people to A) Not buy a Dynex TV and B) Don't buy anything major from Best Buy because if it breaks, you're pretty much screwed unless you have the patience of a saint.

~Abby~

[Elizabeth-BBY Community Supervisor]

Hi NepEnut,

I've asked Aaron, one of our Geek Squad Community Connectors, to look into this and follow up with you.  You should hear from him within the next few business days.

Thanks for posting,

[NepEnut]

I would appreciate that very much. Thank you Elizabeth!

[darthgonzo7]

I'm not trying to be absuive or anything but with the Dynex more often then not you get what you pay for. The Dynex is the lowest common demoninator when it comes to the world of BB televisions. It is inexpensively built to be inexpensive. I work at BB and I can promise you that I would never buy a Dynex. I'm only sorry that you had to learn this the hard way.

I sincerely hope that one of our Community Connectors will be able to resolve your issue successfully but I truly recommend you begin looking at purchasing another set in the future only due to Dynex's unreliability. Good luck.

[NepEnut]

Oh, don't worry - I totally understand what you mean. I didn't have a lot of money to spend on a TV, so I knew I had to get something relatively cheap, since i couldn't afford a name brand. I just didn't expect it to give me problems within only two months.

And really, the only reason I bought the thing was A) it was on sale and B) for a crap brand, it had fairly decent reviews on Best Buy's website. I really only ran into one or two negative reviews where they said something bad had happened.

I was happy with the TV for the two months it was working. It was a major step up from what I had previously, so I was pretty easily impressed. But then it broke. And I am sad. And angry since it hasn't been fixed/replaced yet.

But definitely in the future, I think I'm going to put my money with Samsung.

[darthgonzo7]

I understand. Much of the time what I hear about the Dynex from customers is either they love it or they outright despise it for one of many different issues, one of course being their unreliability such as in your case. I also know what it is like to be without much money so I can understand your interest in it at the time. Truly you were the customer that they are designed for in this situation.

Whatever happens, Samsung is a good brand as well as many others that BB carries. I hope your issue is resolved soon.

[Aaron-BBY Community Connector]

Hey NepEnut,

I’m sorry to hear about your recent TV repair difficulties! Although I do not know why such communication gaps would exist, I certainly apologize if you found this to be the case. Like you, we expect promises of timely status updates and return phone calls to be honored, and are disappointed in the off chance they are not.

As far as the repairs are concerned though, please remember that neither our service plans nor most factory warranties guarantee turnaround times. Additionally, be forewarned that your TV would not qualify for a replacement unless one (or more) of the following conditions are met:

• Parts cannot be obtained
• Repairs prove to be uneconomical
• The TV is under service plan coverage and has accrued three previous qualifying hardware repairs and a fourth confirmed hardware failure

That being said, I would like to take this opportunity to gather some additional information from you. Please keep an eye on your private messages (the letter icon in the upper right-hand corner of the page) for further communication.