Manufacturer Warranties and Protection Plans

[Jesi]

So in 2009 or 2010 we purchased both a PS3 and a Wii. Both times we were pushed into buying PRP's in the event that they break. Being that my brother is an AVID gamer I know how easily things can go faulty. Last summer our PS3 stopped reading DVD's all together. Geek Squad decided it was broken and wanted to mail it out and get a refurb. That was not what I paid for. I paid for the product to be returned and get a gift card in the amount of what we originally paid and go buy a new PS3 with that money. After much arguing they got a manager who said they needed to honor what we paid for regardless on what is now being offered. Ok so that was great. They did what they should have done. Gave me what I paid for. Now about 6 months ago our Wii will only turn on when it feels like turning on. Now idea why but it is just getting old. About a month ago I called a local Best Buy (We have 3 within a few miles of each other.) and inquired on what would happen with this explaining the bologna we were put through with the PS3. The employee looked up with my Best Buy Reward Zone account and said we also purchased a PRP and just bring it in and we would get a gift card like last time with the PS3. So tonight we go into the store and they hassled us and said there was no way that they could even do a PRP even though that's what we paid for. I called the 800 number and some foreign woman I could barely understand was incredibly rude and also gave me the runaround and wouldn't tell me what we bought. She said to look on our original receipt (Which turned black and is not readable) and that is what we bought. She is claiming we bought black tie protection. Sorry there was no such option when we bought our system. So now what I suspect is since they changed all PRP to PSP which is now called some black tie bullcrap they make you look like an idiot by telling you you bought something other than what you purchased. That woman finally got fed up because she was annoyed at my obviously truthful claims and hung up on me. The real kicker is that I called another Best Buy store and spoke to a "manager" who told me the same crap and when I asked about the grandfather clause she said that didn't apply here. LMAO you can't say a LAW doesn't apply to your store. Sorry lady. And even so we paid for one plan just because they changed to some new stupid plan doesn't mean they can just stop taking claims on the old plan that I paid for. Worst customer service ever and now I am stuck with a piece of crap Wii and out $40 for a useless plan that no longer exists. On top of that our PS3 is now acting up as well and we didn't buy a plan for that new one because of the hassle before. I am done with gaming systems and absolutely never giving another penny to Best Buy again. I would rather pay double for a product elsewhere than deal with the stores and their rude employees ever again. I hope that other people follow suit because I have read countless other posts on several websites about this same issue. I pray they go out of business.

[CrystalWoW Community Veteran]

The last time a prp was sold was 9/13/08 so it is not possible that you have a prp. Or a psp for that matter which was also discontinued on that date. The plan you bought specifically states that replacements can be new or refurbished.

[Jesi]

Sorry you are wrong. The receipt from my PS3 says PRP on it and it was purchased way after 2008. On top of that I just got something emailed to me stating I have a PSP yet 3 people said I have Black Tie something or other so that is proof enough they are changing the plans in their system so when they reprint the receipt it shows whatever new plan is available at that time.

[Jesi]

PS3 was purchased in February of 2009 and Wii was February of 2010 as they were purchased with our tax returns. I know for a fact that they are PRP because they even admitted that when we replaced the PS3 last summer.

[CrystalWoW Community Veteran]

Are you in canada?

[CrimsonRain]

Wow, praying to a benevolent god to wish that 180k people lose their jobs over a gaming console. Makes me really want to help someone like that.

[Jesi]

No I live in the Buffalo, NY area. And what about the consumers who lose out on money daily because they are sold something, lied to, and screwed out of it. What they *should* do is hand you a pamphlet and let you make your own decision instead of hounding you and lying to you to get you to buy useless protection plans. Then lying to you again when you try to use it because the garbage you overpaid for *gasp* stopped working properly!

[CrystalWoW Community Veteran]

Well in the U.S., the is no physical possible way to have purchases a PSP or a PRP after 9/13/08. Period. There are however service versions of the Geek Squad Black Tie Protection and replacement versions that say either GSBTP on the receipt on the line with the price of the protection plan, or GSBTP-RP which is the replacement option which has not ever been available for consoles. You also were required to agree on an electronic signature pad that you had received and understood the terms of the plan you purchased. These terms specifically state that replacements may be new or refurbished.

Here is a post from Josh-BBY from corporate concerning the transition

Truth be told however, the terms of the Geek Squad® Black Tie Protection Plan have not changed at all. As stated in our plan documentation we have always stressed repair over just swapping out a product where possible. I know there was some confusion - and still is - about how that transition occurred. But we tried to reflect the change in the documents provided with the plan itself back in September of 2008 when the change from Performance Service Plan to Geek Squad® Black Tie Protection Plan was made.

[Jesi]

Good for you I know what my receipts say.

[Jesi]

And as far as what they changed it to my reprint receipt which has been altered to the new stupid black tie crap does have the -R. So again, you are rambling about things you clearly have been misinformed about.