BestBuy.Com

[SheldonH]

Hopefully it won’t, but if I don’t get a satisfactory resolution to my problem I will be making all of my electronic and appliance purchases from other retailers.

Since Best Buy customer service representatives read this blog I will address this letter to you.

My History with Best Buy

Best Buy came to Bel Air, MD over ten years ago and I quickly became a loyal customer. I have made countless purchases from Best Buy over the years including the computer I’m using right now. I’ll quickly highlight the big stuff:

2 Desktop computers and all the peripherals, 2 Laptops computers, 2 Television, both over $2,000, 5 Dvd players, 1 Receiver, 3 Digital Cameras, 1 Camcorder

And numerous other items. I’m guessing $10k - $20k easily. And that was in my 20’s before my wife and I started our careers. The most recent purchase I made, a LG 55LH90 LED LCD TV, was the first of many large purchases planned for the new house we just bought (we will be needing all new kitchen appliances in the next year).  However, my experience with the TV and Best Buy’s customer service have left me wondering if I will make any future purchases from Best Buy.

The Problem

I wanted a large flat screen TV for our new family room and my wife thought it would make a good Christmas gift. I began keeping an eye on the Best Buy’s weekly ads. In October the LG 55LH90 went on sale and I mentioned it to my wife. She decided she would get it for me.  The TV was deliver the last week of October and since it was a Christmas gift I let her decide to when I would get to open it, plus I had to get a new Blu-Ray player and Receiver, both purchased from Best Buy, to go along w/ the TV. Finally, a little before Christmas, I got the TV mounted on the wall and hooked up to all the new gear and was excited to start watching the new TV.

After watching the TV for a couple weeks my excitement started to fade as I began to notice multiple light dark vertical and horizontal lines in the picture during any bright scenes. This problem is very noticeable when the picture pans. Along with this problem it seemed the TV resolution and ability process motion was getting worse too. Concerned, I called the Geek Squad, reported the issue, and requested a tech come look at the TV. (I have what seems to be a useless protection plan, more on that later.)

The geek squad repairman came to my house the next week and acknowledged the TV had problem, but he had no idea what the problem was, he had never seen this issue before. But, "Don't worry we probably just have to replace the video timing card and it should fix the problem.” I thought it was a bit funny that the tech had never seen the problem before but he was sure he knew how to fix it.

A week later, and another half day off work, the Geek Squad tech replaced the video card and the input card. When we turned on the TV and it was immediately evident the problem was not fixed.  Not only was it not fixed, but know the TV had an additional problem, the well documented lip sinc issue with the 55LH90. This was not an issue with the TV prior to the repair because LG had fixed the problem by the time I bought the TV. This means an older video timing card was used to replace the card in my TV, so I'm not happy about this. This means that will be an additional trip for the geek squad to my house and more time of work for me. Since the problem wasn’t fixed with a new old video timing card the tech says it’s time to replace the whole LED/LCD panel. I’ve schedule yet another appointment to do this. The tech said to make sure I have at least a couple hours available for install, no problem another half-day off work.

When tech left and I started to think,  1. I was sold a defective TV, this TV did not break; and 2. Soon I will have a defective TV that has been reconditioned.  Again, I have a defective TV with replaced video card, that's still defective, and will soon have a replaced panel.  I believe when you purchase a reconditioned product from Best Buy it’s called and Open Box item and comes with a significant discount. I didn’t buy an Open Box TV and I didn’t get a significant discount for doing so. I purchased a new TV, one that I assumed, and I believe Best Buy would warrant, should work right out of the box. Well this one didn’t and what I truly want is a TV that is new and in proper working order out of the box.

So, unhappy that I have now paid full retail for a reconditioned TV I decide to see if Best Buy will take it back and replace it with a new LG 55LH90 or an equivalent model.  I called 1-888-Best-Buy and spoke to customer service representative named LaDonna. LaDonna was very friendly and sympathized with my problem. According to her the TV should be replaced; however, she would need a supervisor’s approval first. She gave me a case number and said she or the supervisor should be in touch with me within 48 hours. I was happy and felt good that Best Buy was going to stand behind the product they sold, this was the last time during this process that I felt good about Best Buy.

After waiting three days I decided to call back and follow-up. I spoke to Nikki at 888-Best-Buy, she said there was no way the TV would be replaced and that in her opinion this was the Geek Squad’s problem. She transferred me to the Geek Squad where I spoke to Sherry. Sherry said all she could do was schedule service she had no ability to help me. Okay no problem I said, but I already spoke with 888-Best-Buy and they are now refusing to help me what do you think I should do? She told me to 1. Go to my local store, even though I bought the TV online she said it came for their stock and they could authorize a return, and 2. Call LG and see if they can help.

Next I called LG customer service and spoke to Louis. Louis felt at this point I should not have Best Buy perform any additional work on the TV. Instead he said one of the LG’s techs should come out diagnose the TV and then they’ll make the decision what to do with the TV.  Since I didn’t have the TV’s product code at the time I couldn’t schedule an appointment at that time. Additionally, I’d have to find out about canceling my Geek Squad appointment for the panel replacement.

During my lunch break that day I went to my local Best Buy store to speak to a manager to see if they could help resolve my problem. I spoke to a manager named Ebony at the Bel Air, MD store. Ebony informed that since it was an online purchase and past the 30 days they would do anything for me it’s not “Best Buy SOP” (that would be Standard Operating Procedure, I had to ask). Also she informed, more than likely, if I followed LG’s advice and decided to cancel my Geek Squad appointment to have the panel put in and use LG’s techs instead, Best Buy would cancel my protection plan. Also, the protection plan’s  “no lemon” clause does not kick in until after the manufacture’s warranty expirers, so they can continue replace parts on my TV as often as they like for the first year.  She thought I should call 888-Best-Buy again, which I did and again explained the situation. Again I was told to bad we sold you a defective TV, but we’re not taking it back, contact the manufacture.

So here I am today writing this post hoping that an intelligent customer service representative will read it and be able to follow my simple logic.

I thought I purchased a new TV from Best Buy. I was sold a defective TV by Best Buy. I will have a reconditioned TV for the price of a new TV. I want the new, non-defective ,TV that I thought I was purchasing. Please exchange the TV I have now for a new TV. Please stand behind the products you sell, because if you do not I will not make ANY purchases from Best Buy in the future.

Regards,

Sheldon

[starhelper2587]

The management at the store wasn't able to assist you since you were outside the 30 day return/exchange period.  Even if you were within the R/E period, many BB.com orders have to be picked up by UPS and returned to BB's national BB.com warehouse and a new TV has to be shipped out.  The stores are able to take returns on some BB.com items, but not all of them.  

The person that told you your GSBTP warranty would be cancelled if you used LG techs to look at your TV was full of it.  Only you may cancel your plan which FYI, if you're unhappy with it you can still cancel the warranty for a pro-rated refund.  

The TV may have been defective out of the box, yes, but it's not that BB is selling defective products on a consistent basis.  All MFGs are likely to send BB some bad apples that no one knows are bad until the clients purchase and try to use them.

 Ladonna was probably being truthful in the fact that she did dispatch a case to the department that decides if TVs can be replaced under the NL clause, but it would have been automatically denied since you haven't had 3 qualified repairs yet.  The NL clause starts from day 1.  Within the MFG's warranty period, repairs are done under the MFG's SOP ... HOWEVER if the issue is something that the MFG's warranty doesn't cover, that's where the GSBTP warranty kicks in and covers whatever the MFG isn't willing to, like the NL clause.

[SheldonH]

Thank you for trying to reply starhelper, but I would like an actual Best Buy employee to respond to my compliant.

However, I would like to respond to your response. 

1. I called BestBuy.com and one of their representatives told me to goto the store.

2. I really don't think many Best Buy employees understand the protection plan they sell and at this point I don't trust anything I hear at a store. The manager stated several times the warranty covers "everything"; however, I find that hard to believe.

3. I don't believe Best Buy knowingly sells defective merchandise, in fact all of my previous purchase have been fine. However, when they do sell a defective product they should be wiling to take the product back and deal with the manufacturer directly  instead of leaving the customer holding the bag, especially on a big ticket item. Again I've had this TV for about 90 days, I called in the problem at 60 days, and it was defective on day 1. 

Again, thanks for the response, but I would only like to hear from a Best Buy employee who can speak on the record.

Sheldon

[starhelper2587]

I do work with 1-800-GEEKSQUAD in home theater scheduling, but you're right ... only the words of those who's names end in -BBY are "official" =]

[SheldonH]

Wow! I really starting to feel completely ripped off. I just got of the phone w/ Geek Squad to confirm an appt. for tomorrow and I asked if they could please send me an e-mail with the details of the repairs already completed on my television, the video card and input card. The representative couldn't find the repair history so I provide the date, time, etc. She says "Yes that's part of this work order and as soon as this work order is closed all of the details will be sent to you"  So I asked how only having one work order for two repair attempts counts towards the no lemon policy. "As long as this work order is open it will only count as one repair."  So I asked how many parts could be replaced on one work order and how long it could remain open and she said "As many as it takes and as long as it takes unless the TV is deemed unrepairable"

Wow! This really sucks. I am so unimpressed with your protection plan. I'm beginning to feel like the protection plan actually protects BB and not the consumer.

Again, BB please take my defective, reconditioned TV back and replace it with a new one.  Better yet, can I have my money bac

[Dorothy-BBY Community Supervisor]

Hello SheldonH -

Allan, from our Community Connector team, will be reaching out to you regarding your television concern.  Thank you for your continued patience!

[SheldonH]

Thank you Dorothy I am looking forward to talking to some about this TV.

I am kicking myself for erasing the message from the Geek Squad last week informing me that my part "the new panel" was in and I could call back and set up an appointment. However, since the appointment had already been made I did not call back. Just to insure the appoint that I had made was still good I called the Geek Squad at 12:30pm and confirmed the appointment, (See above for the details of that call).  So while I'm eating dinner I received a voicemail message for the Geek Squad, "We're sorry Mr. Hall we have to cancel your appointment for tomorrow morning because the part has not arrived due to the inclement weather last week"   SERIOUSLY, you called me a week earlier and said the part was in. I took a half-day of work to be here in the morning. This unbelievable.

Again, I really shouldn't have to deal with this b/c you sold a me a defective TV. Please, provide me with a new TV. 

[Allan-BBY Community Connector]

Hi SheldonH,

Hopefully I can help to keep you as a loyal Best Buy® customer, and I can completely understand not wanting to keep a TV that has been repaired after only using it for a little more than a month.

It is true that our return or exchange period on a TV is 30 days from the date a customer took possession of the TV, and after that period it would need to be repaired if it stopped working. This is why the manager you spoke to at this store was not able to exchange the TV for a new one. I do have to say that this manager was absolutely mistaken when she told you that your Geek Squad Black Tie Protection (GSBTP) plan would be voided if you had repairs performed thru LG.

Since this is a new purchase this repair is covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. The manufacturer would only replace your TV with a new one if they determine that your TV is un-repairable, or if they determine that it wouldn’t be cost effective to repair.

With all that being said I really do want to get you a resolution that satisfies your expectations, and I am sending you a private message to start that conversation. To check your messages you should log into the forum, and then click on the letter icon in the upper right-hand corner of the page.

Thanks for posting,

[SheldonH · Accepted solution]

Yes, I will buy from Best Buy in the future.

I would like to thank Allan for responding quickly to my issue and providing a very acceptable solution. I would also like to than Rachel in the Bel Air store for her assistance.