Best Buy & Geek Squad Policies

[kbrady0923]

My husband and I bought a new laptop 2 weeks ago, on 2/22/09.  In today's ad (3/8/09), the same laptop is now on sale.  So we went to the Vallejo, CA store for a price adjustment.  They refused to give us the sale price because the policy states we have 14 days from the date of purchase, since its a laptop, to get a refund or an adjustment.  The manager said there was no override, since the system wouldn't let them adjust the price.  Today is the 14th day, but Best Buy says day 1 of the 14 days starts on the date of purchase.  Nowhere in their written materials does it say that, yet they still refused to give us the price adjustment.

The store manager told my husband to call the 1-888-best-buy number because they might be able to fix it, since there is no store fix (according to him).  My husband called, and then talked to the manager again.  The manager was yelling at my husband that there was nothing he could do.  He also wouldn't give us his district manager's contact information, only offering us the 1-888 number.

After another phone call to the 888 number, there has still been no resolution.  We couldn't get contact information for anyone at the corporate office, couldn't even get a promise of a call back on this issue.   The 14 day return policy as enforced today should literally be called a 13 1/2 day policy.

This is the worst customer service I have EVER experienced, and we will no longer be shopping at Best Buy from now on.

[Locke]

I work over in the Pleasant Hill store about 20 miles from the Vallejo store. I do believe that you should be able to get a price ajustment. I will inquire monday about the policies because I believe you should be covered. Could you please post the model number of the laptop you purchased so I can better look into this? 

*As a note, my answer is not an official answer from BestBuy and is no way endorsed by them. I am working off the company clock and cannot speak on the company's behalf and cannot promise anything. 

[Harrumph]

Hi kbrady0923,

Oh my.... I feel for you & your husband.  I've experienced the same 'treatment' (or lack there of) in the San Carlos store.  (I'm just across the bay from you)  It's as if they send you on this never-ending run around, so you'll go away. 

I wish you luck.  Please be sure to come back and post if you actually had your situation resolved and received the price adjustment. 

Harrumph

[srisangri]

I would file a complaint with the FTC regarding FRADULENT advertising. If the ad / store policy explicitly states that you are entitled to a refund or price match within 14 days of purchase, should that product go on sale. The store cannot brazenly dishonor its own 'policy'.

Not that this comes as a big surprise, of course. The BB store in San Jose will not honor my warranty, either. The blueshirt ripped us off as he rang up the sales and switched our ADH policy with a toothless PSP one and the store claims that it is our fault that we didn't verify what we were buying. The Geek Squad supervisor further kept changing the price of the repair and finally never told us that we would have to pay for S & H and/or "diagnostics" just because our laptop was at their (DIS) service center for three weeks. It appears that MANY Bay Area BB stores are operating various types of scams and rip-offs.

I simply fail to see how they expect to remain in business in this economy with such attitudes. Maybe the blueshirts and 'geeks' know something we don't. Maybe we going to soon be seeing liquidation sales right around the corner a la C.I.R.C.U.I.T CITY? 

[kbrady0923]

Thanks for looking into this for us, we bought the laptop that's on the front page of this week's ad-the HP Pavilion dv5, dv5-1235dx

[grod]

Maybe my math is off but isn't 2/22 -3/8 15 days?

Regardless I went in not to long ago for a price match from BB's own ad and it was a couple of days past the 45 days (Premier Silver members get 45 days) and they did it with out a problem. The blueshirt called a manager who keyed in a code and approved it.

I looked at thier policy and it seems like it's 14 days from the purchase date, so if they are following the rules to a T then that is why they don't want to honor your price match.

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Store Price Guarantee

Two more great reasons to buy with confidence at Best Buy.
If you are about to make a purchase and discover a lower advertised price offered by a local retail competitor on the same available brand and model, let us know and we'll match that price on the spot. 

Already bought? We'll refund you the price difference from our own sale price, or 110% of the difference from our competitor's sale price, during the return and exchange period on your product.

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14-day return period
We accept returns or exchanges 14 days from the original purchase on computers, monitors, notebook computers, projectors, camcorders, digital cameras and radar detectors.

[Elizabeth-BBY Community Supervisor]

Dear kbrady0923,

Thanks for posting your concern on our Best Buy® Forum.  Your issue has been assigned to one of our Community Connectors for further review and response, and you should be hearing something within the next few business days.  Thanks for your continued patience as we work to assist all of the customers who have reached out to us on this forum.

[rutgers456]

you cant file a claim for a FRADULANT policy because in the price match policy bestbuy reserves the right to deny any price match. But from the date of purchase and the attempt to price match is 15 days. The price match starts on the day of purchase.

here is a video about it..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te6XX0nfwLk&feature=channel_page

[John-BBY Community Connector]

Hello kbrady0923,

I was extremely disheartened to read about your experience at the Vallejo store.  Best Buy®’s price match policy guarantees that you receive the lowest possible price.  The period in which you may seek a price match is within the return period, or 14 days for a computer, as you’ve been informed.  In this case, you visited the store on the 14th day and there should have been no issue in honoring your request.  In addition, it is our mandate to treat you and our other customers respectfully when they visit our stores and I would like to offer my personal apology for any failures on the part of the manager to whom you spoke to live up to this ideal.

I would like to ask for the opportunity to resolve this for you, so please watch for a private message from me.  To check your forum inbox, please sign in with your user name and password and click the envelope icon in the upper right. I look forward to working with you!

Sincerely,