Letter I wrote to allan:
The store that offered me the credit was theMissionValleylocation inSan Diego,CA, I believe store #438 and I do have the gift card in my possession. I literally was in the parking lot and not even in the store when the transaction happened and only accepted because it was given to me without me knowing the value of it.
I went to the store the day after I got my confirmation number but I didn’t take the broken t.v. on the first visit because I didn’t know I had to. The first person I talked to told me (not directly quoted but very similar and brief) ‘we don’t have a comparable replacement for that t.v., so were going to give you store credit so you can find yourself a new one, do you have the t.v. here?’ I said no but that I could go get it so went ahead and did; no prices or values were discussed or anything at this time. So I went to pick up the t.v. and returned the same day and I went in to tell him that I was back but I needed help and he told me to get one of the guys in the front, so I did. As soon as I walked back in the store he handed me a gift card and receipt, he didn’t even say a word he just handed it to me and left rather quickly without telling me anything.
When one of the first things I heard the first guy say was “there is no comparable model for that tv”, I thought they would be helpful in helping me find a replacement or at least give me the credit so I could do it myself. But that was not the case. The guy did not ask me if I wanted help looking for a replacement at all, he just handed me the store credit and receipt with the value of the Panasonic and left.
After he left I looked down and notice that it is $1,438, instead of the $2,164 I paid, and I went to go look for the guy to ask about the discrepancy. He explained to me about the depreciation of technology and what not, and although I am hesitant to agree because he had already told me that there was no comparable sku, I don’t think he is being dishonest so I continue and head toward the t.v. section (for the first time) to find myself a replacement. At this time I had not even realized what kind of tv I had gotten credit for, I just thought it was something similar. When I start looking at prices I noticed how I would be limited on my options because I am pretty picky about my t.v.s and I know what different specs mean and which ones are good, and even just the overall look of the t.v. is important to me. So then I look at my receipt to see what t.v. they had thought was most comparable because I wanted to see it, and that’s when I noticed what it was and so I found an employee in the tv department and asked if they could tell me why I had received credit for a t.v. that was not really similar.
This employee was very helpful and honest with me. She agreed that the tv they gave me was not comparable at all and she said something along the lines of ‘First off, I don’t get paid commission so I’m not trying to rip you off. There is no comparable sku for that t.v. and they can input “no comparable sku” into the system and give you credit for your purchase price, and that’s what they should have done. It doesn’t look right, that tv is not comparable and is $700 less, you should go ask for a manager’. This is the second person I have talked to and the second person that has told me that there was no comparable sku. I don’t see why she would have any reason to lie, and she seemed sure that was she was saying was accurate.
When I went up front to ask for a manager, one of the guys at the door thinks he can help me, but all he does is try to explain the whole technology depreciation thing. When he decides he can’t help me, he goes and gets “Albert”, who said he held the highest position at the store at that time besides the general manager. I can’t really explain everything he told me because it wasn’t clear and he kept changing things. All I got from talking to him was that first, he said that the machine came up with that other tv as the most comparable, and that nothing could be done to change it because of the way Best Buy works with its insurance it would be illegal to change to anything else. Then when I ask how it could be that the most comparable t.v. had not one spec in common, he changed his story to saying that the most comparable t.v.s are more expensive because they are backlit LEDs with 240Hz refresh and that they can’t give me anything more than what I paid for. I totally understand that and but if he is telling me that the most comparable t.v.s are more expensive, then I really didn’t understand why I was getting less; Especially after I had been told twice by the first two people that there is no comparable sku, and he himself was telling me that the most comparable t.v.s were actually more expensive. Then he told me since the most comparable t.v. was more expensive, I could chose to pay the difference and get the full value of what I paid for. This did not make sense to me because he had told me that that it would be illegal to give me credit for anything other then what I had already been given; but apparently if I wanted a more expensive t.v., it was ok. I concluded that man was not willing to help me so I left and decided I would go back another time to ask for the general manager.
When I talked to the general manager, “Kevin”, on the phone, he listened to what I had to say and then he told me to hold on while he went to go look things up. He came back and said that the most comparable t.v. was actually another one that was worth less, and that if I would have gone in that day I would have gotten 1250 so that I should be happy with what I got. He does not even take into consideration that at that time, I had been told numerous times that there was no comparable sku. This also goes totally against what I had been told me the night before, because Albert had said it would be illegal to give me credit for anything else. It was obvious that this guy was going to be of no help, because he totally dismissed my concerns by just saying, I don’t know why they would say that.
I thought maybe by calling the 1888bestbuy number I would be able to get some help because it was obvious that the people at the store weren’t going to help me. The first geek squad customer service rep I talked to was very honest, but not one bit helpful. He asked my for the type of tv and the sku number. When I asked him, he said that I was correct and that there was no comparable sku. When I kept asking questions like why I hadn’t been given my store credit he didn’t say anything and said that all he could do was transfer me to consumer relations.
When I told the guy at customer relations and told him how many people had told me at one time or another that there was no comparable model to my broken tv, he says something completely different from what I had heard before; According to him, the replacement t.v. doesn’t go by comparable specs, it goes by the value of the t.v. after depreciation. This was the last person I talked too, as he said all I could do was be transferred to the store I had returned the t.v. to, which were the people that got me into this mess in the first place.
Now I am sorry for the lengthy essay I have wrote here, I just feel like there was not one thing I could have emitted because I feel like every part of the story makes my whole experience more shady. I don’t feel like I was treated like I should have after being a best buy customer for so long. Now by this point, I feel like I have not only been ripped off, but lied to repeatedly.
I was either lied to by four different people who told me that there was no comparable sku. Or I was lied by the manager that said that it was definitely the 60 Panasonic plasma.
I was either lied to by the general manager who later said that the Toshiba was the most comparable the time I called him, and that it could change from day to day depending on stock, or I was lied to by the other manager under him who said that it was definitely the Panasonic, and that changing it would be illegal.
When I was on the forums I came across this post that you helped with. This person said they bought a 42” Sharp Aquos 4 years ago. I know that I have little knowledge of this situation and it could have been completely different then mine, but my point is that that sharp definitely still makes 42” t.v.s but best buy didn’t just go out and give them the cheapest somewhat comparable 42” they could find.
http://forums.bestbuy.com/t5/Manufacturer-Warranties-and/I-Feel-Totally-Cheated/td-p/404604/page/5
I am under the impression that it is computer that generates the most comparable sku, because that is what I have been told numerous times. If that is the case, would it be possible to run my sku through the machine again to see what truly comes up? And if there is nothing comparable, would it be too much to ask for my original purchase price? Ideally that’s what I think is most fair.
I think by this point if all I get back is “Well theres this 55” X brand tv with similar specs” and if it happens to be the least expensive that is in stock, I just don’t think that will be good enough after I have been told that nothing is comparable.
I am a very reasonable person, but I definitely think I was ripped off when they told me that the most comparable t.v. they could come up, didn’t not have one spec in common but cost a lot less; and that even an employee at the store pointed this out, but that there was nothing that could be done about it. And for that, on top of all the other dishonesty I had to deal with, I think I deserve to get my purchase price. If you do not agree with me on this then maybe we can on something else but that is my request.
To be honest, I would prefer not to deal with the same store again, and I am willing to drive to anySan Diegolocation if an arrangement can be made. Also, I have all my receipts if they are needed.
Thank so much for taking time to read this Allan, I really hope something can be worked out because I really used to like Best Buy and if things worked out I would definitely still shop at another location.
Thank You,
Pedro Ramos
Allan-BBY
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