Best Buy & Geek Squad Policies

[tob1636]

My parents live in California, I live in Alabama.  Recently they sent as a gift an HD TiVo unit.  I've got a satelite system, and no HD source, so the thing is essentially useless to me.  Anyway, it turns out my parents bought the unit at a regional elevtronics store, rather than a Best Buy, so my local BB won't accept it, even for store credit.  I understand trying to prevent scams, but this is a sealed unit, same as the ones they have sitting on their shelf.  I think this is a pretty narrow-minded policy, because chances are if they give me store credit I'd end up going over the line of credit and they'd make money (not to mention I'd associate BB with good service).

Any advice of what I can say to convince the store manager of this?

Anyone know of a retailer with better customer service that would give store credit w/o a receipt?  Or should I just try to sell it on an internet auction site?

[Adamtech Emerging Expert]

Hi there and welcome to the Community. Unless I am mistaken, we are unable to return an item not originally sold at Best Buy. This is a similar policy with just about every retail store out there.

[RealGeorgeW Valued Expert]

Every single retailer in existance will not accept returns on merchandise that was not purchased from their chain. Think of it as trying to return produce at a car dealership.

[Allan-BBY Community Connector · Accepted solution]

Hi tob1636,

I never like hearing that a customer is not satisfied with our service to them, and I truly can see this from your perspective. It is true that our stores require a Best Buy® receipt in order to return or exchange a product, and that we would not return or exchange any product purchased at another retailer.

My suggestion would be to first contact your parents and see if they would be able to return or exchange this TiVo to the retailer they purchased it from, and if they can you could ship it back to them to have it returned or exchanged for something you could use.

If the above suggestion is not an acceptable solution selling it online would be a viable option, and since all retailers that I am aware of require a receipt from their store in order to return or exchange a product this is probably the best option.

Thanks for posting,

[GeraldRose]

In addition to what others have said TIVO ay be a more special case, as I believe when TIVOs are sold at stores (all stores) a registration ID and or serial number is scanned at the point of sale. I believe it is to track what TIVOS are being sold where, so if BBY returns this merch and it wasn't sold from a BBY, TIVO would likely not reimburse Best Buy for the product, also if BBY returns the product to the floor, and someone rebuys it that customer could run into problems registering it since it was originally sent to another store other than BBY.

I dont think BBY is wrong here in denying your return.

[JM]

This isn't so much a no-receipt policy as it is a standard policy by any retailer. Returns and exchanges of items aren't interchangeable between retailers. For example, you wouldn't go to Bank of America and try to make a deposit/request service (of whatever type) to an account that was created and serviced by Citibank, would you? Same difference in this instance.

[Coolcolly]

I would say this is solved....

[Adamtech Emerging Expert]

I would agree.

[Nokia]

Lol, this was solved before it was even posted.

[Adamtech Emerging Expert]

Very true.