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Rambleon wrote:I inquired about a laptop at store #397. Was told by blueshirt that only models available had been optimized at a cost of $39.99. I said I didn't want it. I was again told that's all they had. Asked what optimization was and got a spiel about how the laptop would run smoother and faster with optimization.
Should have walked out, but by then I had made up my mind to buy this laptop. So I bit the bullet and paid the additional $39.99 for the unwanted optimization. Took the laptop home and went through setup and couldn't find any evidence of this so-called optimization, but wasn't exactly sure what I was looking for.
Took the laptop back to customer service and said I didn't see any evidence of optimization (despite the check off for optimization on the packing box) and unless it could be demonstrated, I wanted a refund of the $39.99. The clerk went into another spiel about optimization, but I cut him short and told him it was smoke and mirrors and wanted to see something to show what optimization was. He turned me over to the Geek Squad.
GS Tech inserted CD into the laptop and told me we should see a number of unnecessary processes that had been disabled. Looking at the check-boxes on the screen I told him I couldn't see any evidence of any disabled processes. After a pregnant pause, he agreed. At my prompting, he also agreed that no optimization had been done on the laptop. I told him that it's not good for Best Buy to charge for services not performed. I also said that there are probably other laptops on the shelf that were improperly checked for optimization. He agreed and asked what initials were on the box certifying that optimization had been done, but I couldn't tell him. He referred me back to customer service for a refund of the $39.99. The CS clerk and I asked him if he had heard the discussion with the Geek Squad and on confirmation that he had I again reiterated that it's a serious problem for Best Buy to be charging customers for something BB didn't actually do. He apologized.
When I returned home and checked the packing box, there were no initials or date in the appropriate lines next to the optimization checkbox.
Just wondering how many other unsuspecting customers paid for an optimization that they didn't get and whether the store #397 went through their inventory to detect other mislabeled boxes. I didn't detect any real curiosity on the part of Best Buy.
Lesson: Refuse the optimization, unless you think you need it. And, if Best Buy claims optimization has been done on your new purchase, take it to the Geek Squad station and asked them to show you that it has been done.
I hate the whole optimization fix BBY is on, and has been on.
The fact that they presented it to you as if it was something that was required, just makes me sick. I don't think the "benefits" of this optimization are even close to 40 bucks, but I know BBY is a business and needs to offer services like that.
If I were in a store and they told me I had to purchase a service in order to buy a product I would say thank you and leave.
I know this is isolated because I have never had this happen at my local BBYs but it certainly gives BBY a bad nam,e when this happens.
Also, it sounds as if the Geek Squad person made it seem as if the optimization was ALREADY done, meaning they are selling a open product as brand new, and making changes to the product without customer authorization. This is not good, not good at all.
I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.
MobileExpert wrote:The only problem is stores being overzealous with it. I think it's being looked at as a way to forcibly increase services, when it should only be used as a tool to decrease customer wait time.
Perhaps, but if they have already done the optimization, then isnt the customer being forced into purchasing it? If BBY will do the optimizations beforehand and then if the customer refuses to buy the optimization and BBY still sells the laptop to the customer, doesnt that prove it to be a worthless service?
To me it doesnt save time to pay GS agents money to do optimizations if then the BBY stores are just going to let the customer walk out with a free optimization.
I still say I wouldnt buy a computer that isnt factory sealed, I dont think BBY should be selling the computers as new if infact they have opened the box and done something with the settings.
If the BBY stores are FORCING customers to pay for service already completed then that is a very unethical thing to do.
I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.
I think it is an EXTREME DISSERVICE to customers to open products and make adjustments to the item and then sell the item and try to push a already provided service onto the customer.
Mobile mentions that if the customer does not want the optimazation then it is removed for the customer. How long does that take? So a customer has to wait for BBY to take something off a computer that shouldn't be there in the first place?
Also, lets say BBY does remove it do they mark that on the customers receipt that the optimzation was done, so if the customer needs to return the item they dont get slapped with a 15% restock fee?
Look, my posts here are overwhelmingly in favor of BBY as I like the company like to shop there and personally have not had problems there...EVER.
THat being said, this is UNETHICAL, this particular store is strongarming people into shelling out 40 for a service the customer didnt ask for, yet the store already performed.
Imagine going to a mechanic for an oil change and he takes t upon himself to then change your winshield wipers, you come back and he explains the benefits of it and tries to charge you. You argue and then you have to sit and wait there while he removes the new ones and replaces with the old. You know there would be an outrage if that happened. You also know probably 9 out of 10 people would bite the bullet and pay the money for the new wipers, since it may provide some benefits and the time wasted is not worth the money of the already performed service.
Sorry I hipe a MOD looks into this, because this does leave a bad taste in my mouth and it didnt happen to me.
I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.
