I've had the same exact problem today. Local competitor, not quite mom and pop, but a better known local store. They had this exact same TV for a lower sales price of $2399. Talked to the sales person, whom was supervisor at the time. I asked him, do you pricematch to the local competitor "XYZ"...He said yes, let's go to the desk and check. He goes online to check their stock (which I've also checked, and it is IN stock, ready to ship). After he checked his computers for 10 minutes or so, looking at his monitor screen, he then finally turns to me and says, "I buy this TV for much more than that price [points to the online checkout I brought, which he used to go onto their site and verified that this was not a scam], so I can't give you this discount". So I responded, "Is this possible? This is your own company's policy, can I speak with your manager?" Where he then continues, "Again, I'm sorry, but I can't give you that discount, if anything, I can lower it to $2597, but lower than that I can't do, because again we buy the TV for much lower than that price listed there". So I ask again, "How can you have a company policy and not follow the policy? Can I please see the manager or speak to corporate?" So then he said to me, "You do not need to see the manager, I make my own decisions and I make my own policies, so what I say is final. [Then he points to my printout again] Since their price is so good, why don't you buy it from them?" So I say, "Because I have a Best Buy card...Can I speak to your corporate?" ..."Sure you can contact them"..."Can I have the number"..."1866BestBuy".
As I was dialing, I noticed I'm on the regular customer service line and I'll take a while before I get anyone so I brought out my silver premiere card where the number was on, and I got a hold of someone right away. As I was telling the rep on the phone, she was as shocked as I was to learn the store refuses to do a pricematch which is the company's policy and further giving an excuse as buying the TV for more than that sale price. She asked to talk to him, but he had his side turned to me because he too was trying to call "someone"... I asked the rep if she would like to speak with him, and she said any sales associate is fine, but when I asked someone else to speak they wouldn't so I waited for the person helping me to get off his phone to come talk on my cellphone because he refused to let me use his phone to call corporate and insisted I used my phone. So when he talked to her, she asked him the reason he wouldn't sell me the TV (I found this out after talking to the rep when I left the area), he turned around facing another way and said to her that it was out of stock so he can't pricematch an out of stock item. So he handed me back the phone, she then said to me can you find the general manager and have me speak to that person, so I said she'd like speak to your general manager...He takes the phone and talks to her, then hands my cellphone to entertainment area's manager (?). She speaks with him and he apparently was asked are you aware of company's pricematching policy and how it works, and he responded, "Of course I do [laughs] but I'd think you'd know the policies more than me" then I hear him giving some numbers over, possibly his manager #, not sure myself. Then he hands the phone back to that supervisor whom hands it back to me hung up, good thing I've given her my cell # prior to this in case we gotten disconnected. She calls me back and says, "I'm very sorry for how this store location is treating you and telling you incorrect information, the manager doesn't even seem to know the policies thoroughly himself as I've asked him to tell me what it was. I will take your pricematch and do this transaction for you online and I will report this store.
But there's more to this because initially I've brought in a few things to return because they were bought as gifts for my sister and she doesn't like it so I returned them. The service counter told me to pick out my exchange and bring it to the desk to do the whole transaction, but since that whole incident in the entertainment area, I couldn't exchange. The rep on the phone with me ask that I return and ask for giftcards, and that's what I did. The person would only give me a giftcard for the purchase I physically made in the store, as for the other where I placed the order online and picked it up, I couldn't exchange to giftcard. The rep on the phone with me then said, "Is that what she is really telling you? That is also not accurate, I don't know what is wrong with this store!" I didn't have to repeat myself since my phone picks up pretty well and she heard everything everyone was saying to me including all these poor sales associates.
I finally went in my car outside in the parking lot to hook my phone to charger because it was going to die because of low battery from being on the phone for about 1 hour or more with this rep and she finally puts the transaction through online for me. Although she couldn't do all the discounts I should have received from the price match, she did her best to help me and I decided to accept that price. If it weren't for her, I'd probably never have an ounce of caring for this company ever again. I've never had such utterly HORRIBLE customer service from associates in another location where I've spent thousands and thousands for my laundry room, my kitchen and my bedrooms. That location has always been the location of choice, but because today was a longer day and this location is actually in my state, I went to this one and this is what and how I was treated...
I've obtained silver status because I actually buy things and want to continue to do so with BB to maintain this status, but apparently I'm not really being treated with much recognition and appreciation when I'm asked "why didn't you buy it with them", or basically being rejected the use of a landline phone to talk to their own corporate colleagues. Many people has posted horror stories, but I've never had nothing but good words for this company, but with this experience, it's left a very bad taste in my mouth. I'm not quite sure why I'd ever continue to buy from this company again.
Associates whom fail to recognize that they aren't the person "who writes the policies and their word is final" should be retrained to understand that just because their title says "supervisor" or "manager" they do not have the right to treat their customers in an utterly disgusting manner and do whatever they please, develop their "own" rules and sell to whoever they want to or not, give a reason like "I bought the TV for much less than that sale price so I can't give it to you". For all I know, SALES are discounts, a guaranteed pricematch doesn't mean changing it when there's a much lower number than you paid for so you've temporarily changed it deal, and when it comes to sales sometimes items are sold 100% lower than what you've paid for...
Don't come up with a policy that you cannot live up to, don't portray an image that you can't make happen, when you are on the MEDIA, is that when you'd like to clean up... I have no problem of reporting my case to a local news station and possibly BBB regarding the false advertisements and false promises advertised but not delivered.
Especially in this economy, you'd think they'd try their best to make you have the "best buy"... but alas it fails, it's yet another company that will sink if they don't straighten up their act.
Message Edited by noungning on 01-22-2009 11:17 PM
