Best Buy & Geek Squad Policies

[mTOTHEg]

I ordered a copy of Medal of Honor last August, paid my $5 and happily stored the receipt away for the day I could go get it.  As it turns out that day has come but I misplaced the paperwork which is alright as i would just wait for the email that the game is out and to come get it.  I used my American Express and Reward Zone card to make the pre-release purchase so digging up the transaction should be no problem for the crack employees who run the Best Buy store in my area.  Except there was no email.  They never sent one.  I called the store and they told me I needed the receipt or I was out of luck.  REALLY?  Unreal.  What kind of BS is this?  I dug around my scattered brain and remembered finally where the receipt was.  PHEW!  I found the pre-order game box with it.  On the back of the box it states that if I didn't get to the store with 5 days of the release date than I would lose the game.  They would not hold it any longer than that and I would be SOL.  Are you kidding me? 5 frickin days is all?  It used to be 30 days was it not?   Is this really the policy of Best Buy.  What if I were to be out of town on business that week?  What then.  This is just another in the long list of horrible policies Best Buy has implemented.  Only eBay in the last 2 years since the new jerk took over, has made worse policy.  Perhaps Best Buy and eBay should get in bed together....check that.  I just had an image of what the child might be like!  I think the only reason I still shop at Best Buy is for the day after Thanksgiving sales on Black Friday.  The other 364 days of the year they are worthless.

[laurandavid]

I can not say for sure, but I would not be suprised if that 5 days was in some fine print somewhere.

[cr_client]

The "fine print" on the back of the box aobut the 5-day pickup period was there on the box when you paid the $5 pre-order fee, as well as the details about needing to have the receipt to complete the transaction.

If a person was going to be out of town during this period, they would have known about the period when they made the pre-order, and at that time, they could have easily cancelled their in-store pre-order and made an online pre-order. A number of games on online pre-order are available for release-day shipping, and most can also be set to "in-store pickup" for people who don't want to pay for shipping. Online pre-orders are usually a better guarantee of availability for an item, because the item is paid in full at the time of the pre-order, instead of just a small deposit.

I have never received an e-mail for any in-store pre-order that I have placed. Ever.

Given that the terms of the pre-order were available on the pre-order packaging at the time of the pre-order and during the entire time the pre-order was underway, I don't see where Best Buy is at fault for anything other than following their own written policies.

[mTOTHEg · Accepted solution]

You sure do sound like you work for BB.  I'll bet you really do.  Because if you don't and you pop around these forums defending them on your own.....sad.  No matter what anyone says I say BB needs to call or email people about these things or at the least offer 14-30 days to pick up a game.  If I'm out of town the last thing on my mind is a pre-order game from 10 weeks ago.  I do have better things to do on a plane.....

[cr_client]

If a person is out of town more than 50% of the time, it only seems sensible to use an online pre-order system from any number of the stores that sell video games, to ensure that the game is available regardless of whether or not one is out of town on release day.

Then again, I'm the kind of person who turns off the water to the house when I'm out of town for more than 7 days in a row, has the post office hold mail, etc., so perhaps some people understand how to handle business while they're out of town better than others...

[mTOTHEg]

Water and mail are used everyday and are easier to manage.  Did you BB buddies write that one for you?

[Aaron-BBY Community Connector]

Greetings mTOTHEg,

Whenever customers preorder a video game on BestBuy.com, they typically receive an e-mail notification once their order has shipped or is ready for store pickup.  Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about preorders made at our retail stores since no e-mail information is typically collected at the time of sale.  This means that it is the customer’s responsibility to keep track of the release date and to stop by the store within five calendar days of that date to complete their purchase.  I apologize though if this was not made clear when you reserved your copy of Medal of Honor.

If you’re still in need of assistance, please feel free to let me know.  You can send me a private message by signing into the forums and then clicking on either my signature below or the letter icon in the upper right-hand corner of the page.

Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with us.

[mTOTHEg]

I went and got the game today and when I got there 7 people were in line waiting and only one harried girl working the counter.  It took 35 minutes to complete a 90 second transaction.  I asked about email notification and a black shirted geek squad member told me I should've gotten an email about the release if I used my RZ card which I did.  He also told me they get separate shipments of the game, one for the pre-orders and one for the rest.  I asked why they only hold games for 5 days which is not nearly long enough and he said, with a wink (really he winked at me), that they hold them longer.  I feel that an email address should be an option when preordering a game in person.  If someone opts out of it than fine but to not be given the choice....also if a RZ card is used it should be automatic. 

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BTW I don't do private messages.  My big mouth is for everyone to pass judgment on
Just ask super-client!

[Dorothy-BBY Community Supervisor]

Hey mTOTHEg -

I have to say that I am in agreement with you about the idea of an email address being an option when ordering a game in person.  As a gamer myself, I would find it very helpful. 

I would encourage you to visit Ideax and offer up your idea!