Best Buy & Geek Squad Policies

[SlimJim77]

In a perfect world, you would be correct.  You're beating a dead horse.

[QuantumThunder]

Hilander,

You say the restocking fee is another way to get into the customers pocket. You are wrong.

Why is it okay for a customer to purchase a laptop, return it for a full refund, then best buy has to lose further money by having to sell it as an open box at a discount? Because the customer is always right?

[Kevin1895]

Hilander,

We all appreciate your feedback, as do we the original poster, but for the security of our sales staff and the people who shop our stores, it doesn't logistically make sense to carry large amounts of cash in our store. If we were to keep a never-ending sum of money in our safe or this atm-like machine, when would anything ever be deposited?

When you walk into the doors of Best Buy and step up to our registers, you choose to abide by the rules we have in place to keep our stores safe and running smoothly. This includes maximum cash refunds. This also includes restocking fees. Restocking fees are in place to keep customers from "renting" equipment. I don't think it is so much as to make up money for what we have to discount the product for, as that's a part of the business, but it prevents the reflex of "I'm going on a roadtrip, I need a GPS to find my way there, but I don't ever leave my home town so I'll return it when I'm done." Sure, restocking fees can be waived. In fact, in my store, we waive probably 95% of restocking fees, but that is the store's discretion.  Now, as far as cash-to-mailcheck is concerned, it's clearly labeled on your receipt, on the registers, on the big blue wall of terms and conditions by the front lanes...and it's impossible to override now. As much as we try to make every customer happy, it seems in this case, we will not be able to sway your opinion on this policy.

[sham]

expecting each best buy store in america to keep $10,000 on hand (at a minimum) for returns would tie up a ton of cash that the company can better use elsewhere. they have 1400 stores in the united states, so that would come out to about $14,000,000 in cash tied up amongst their stores for returns. if you're a successful businessman, than i am an astronaut. 

[Nobias]

Well I see alot of Cautions about spending Credit instead of cash (Interest Charges People thats why) or reading the return policy before buying (even if you did it sounds good on paper - its the practice that hurts) and all sort of secondary issues, but people the point is that regardless if everybody else is doing it the return still policy sucks.

If it was done as they promise then it wouldnt be so bad.

If the people in Consumer Relations (we arent Customers anymore) really cared then it wouldnt be so bad.

If the people in Consumer Relations actually had the authority and power to help you it wouldnt be so bad.

If they Followed the policy - it wouldnt be so bad.

My Pain

I returned an Item and was told that the check would be issued within two days and then Sent Next Day Air. I was told I would have it in 7 days. Yes i know the policy is 7-10 business Days but the same people who work under that policy SAID it would only be 7 days until I got it. So lets talk about that and not policy ok? Ok.  It is not their policy to lie, so I believd them.

So 8 days later after staying home (to get the NEXT DAY delivery) I called and was told it had not been issued yet (SURPRISE and Merry Xmas!). It was issued the next day! Then printed the day After - And then Mailed FedEx The next day! (That is on day 10). Here it is now Day 18 and it is still not here. They INSIST it was mailed FedEx on day 12 (Though now they can't say if it was Next-Day-Air) They refuse to give a tracking number and finally I called FedEx Myself on Day 18 and acording to them Best Buy DID NOT send the check to me (Contrary to what Con Relations say). Gee I'm now upset, But still being civil and ask if there is anybody that can check on it to find out what is going on. ANSWER? No there is not. When asked if there is someone in another department or higher up who can .... I get hung up on.

I tried to get hold of someone else to investigate what happened. Guess what! ONLY Consumer Relations can be contacted. PERIOD. There are good people in Consumer Relations. but apparently its a nightmarish beurocracy where no one actually has the power (or the phone list) to actually figure out what went wrong. Short of starting the process all over again. That is the NO-HASSLE return policy they are advertising.

PS: Regarding the Tracking Number? They (Consumer Relations) will send an email reguest to the Disbursement Dept and tell you that it can take up to 2 days to get an answer. And they CANNOT be contacted by phone - even by Best Buy Employees! This dept has sucked up 4-6 requests without response (OF ANY KIND). It seems simplicity itself that when a piece of mail is Fedex'd the tracking number (order Number) would be logged at same time (Thats what computers are for) and then a simple lookup on the account would provide it. but apparently you have to ask for it and it has to be done by hand.

Needless to say after I get my refund (if I get It) I will no longer have anything to do with Best Buy.

[Nobias]

Sham Wrote:

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expecting each best buy store in america to keep $10,000 on hand (at a minimum) for returns would tie up a ton of cash that the company can better use elsewhere. they have 1400 stores in the united states, so that would come out to about $14,000,000 in cash tied up amongst their stores for returns

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Hate to break it to you, but Each store also sells 10's of 1000's of dollars a day in Merchandise - Alot of it is paid in CASH by the customer. And just like when they have money to make change, they also have enough to payout on returns. yes it is more Secure if they don't, But you know ... I can't recall the last time I heard of a retail store being robbed. Even before they made this policy.

[mstng87gt Trusted Contributor]

I live in NY and stores get robbed as well as Banks.  So it does happen.

[QuantumThunder]

Actually, Nobias.....http://www2.hernandotoday.com/content/2009/dec/16/ha-couple-sought-after-armed-robbery-of-best-buy/ This happened yesterday....