Manufacturer Warranties and Protection Plans

[DTN01]

Before i talk about my incident, let me stated that, after this i will not buy from bestbuy again.... they have lost a valuable customer.

i bought a lap top one year ago with some kind of package that they had for back to school, it include the one year warranty from geek squad, hence of course i ask the sale man after that one year can i renew my warranty or even upgrade that one year to 2 year, he told me that i don't have to because with the one year i can renew it again. one year later, i go into bestbuy and ask to renew my warranty and a different saleman told me i can't because it is bestbuy policy that they do not renew for people who buy the one year plan, and the interesting thing this saleman only found this out a couple of day earlier...so i said if you just found about this then how i should i know. they did nothing and told me that i can call 1888bestbuy see if they can help me. i of course did contact them, and only to recieve the news that they not going to do anything about it, the best they could do is file a complaint with the store...seriously how would that help me? none of this is my fault how should i be the one to suffer...and all i ask them is to give me the chance to renew it..i'm willing to pay, this should be money in their pocket but they don't want it, i'm not asking for it free or anything, i'm willing to pay here, my laptop is doing fine, i just like the idea of having a warranty, for a person who got every electronics from bestbuy and never go to anywhere else, i'm very disappointed, and like i said i'm definately going to go somewhere else now

what do you guy think about this?

[John-BBY Community Connector]

Hello DTN01,

I would like to apologize for the confusion you’ve experienced and for any incorrect information you received about the Performance Service Plan (PSP) you purchased.  Best Buy® endeavors to make sure that our BlueShirts and Geek Squad® Agents are fully informed on the products we offer, including PSPs and Geek Squad® Black Tie Protection (GSBTP).

Most PSPs are renewable, but unfortunately, the one-year Accidental Damage from Handling (ADH) coverage for computers is not.  This is due to agreements that Best Buy® has made with the plan’s underwriter, AIG.  Unfortunately, this means that, even though incorrect information was provided, a renewal cannot be offered.  Best Buy® can certainly offer you service for the computer as needed, but with the expiration of the PSP, the service would be available at your expense. 

Once again, I apologize that you were not provided with accurate information at the time of purchase.   Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your experience.

Sincerely,

[Corey]

An apology, followed by blaming someone else (in this case the undertrained Best Buy staff and AIG), then offering to repair the equipment at full price, IS NOT customer service. 

It would be better for the Best Buy Representative to simply not respond than to insult it's customers this way.  

[DTN01]

I have to agree with Cory on this, sorry bestbuy staff, I know you are trying your best to said sorry in the most pleasant way you can, but it will not do it for me! none of this was my fault, so i don't see why if i have computer problems later on, i have to pay full price for it...really all i'm asking is for me to buy another Protection Plan...and isn't AIG in trouble, don't they want money? honestly i really feel like bestbuy owe me something, i feel like i was cheated out of my money...

[Elizabeth-BBY Community Supervisor]

Hey DTN01,

We'd LOVE to offer an extended plan if we could - we'd love to sell it to you and keep you as a loyal customer - that would benefit us as well as you. Unfortunately, this is a bit more complicated than that. We simply can't sell a plan to you that doesn't exist. If one of our reps told you that you could renew, he/she shouldn't have, and I can definitely understand why you're disappointed.

You had hardware coverage through your manufacturer's warranty for one year. You had Accidental Damage due to Handling coverage ONLY through Best Buy. Best Buy can't now provide you with hardware coverage because it was never covered for that; you would have had to purchase one of the longer-term Performance Service Plans (PSP) that included hardware coverage (bear in mind the PSP does cover some things that the manufacturer's warranty does not & extends beyond the one-year). I know this comes as little consolation, but this is why the renewal is not offered on the ADH-only plans.

You MIGHT want to check with the manufacturer of your computer - oftentimes they offer their own extended warranties, and they may be able to assist you if you are concerned about being covered going forward. I hope you can find something through them.

We have shared your concerns with the appropriate management teams so we can help prevent other customers from the disappointment you've experienced - thanks for letting us know.

~Elizabeth
Community Supervisor
Best Buy® Corporate