Manufacturer Warranties and Protection Plans

[pramos07]

Ok so my t.v. recently broke and was deemed unfixable by the technician so I was given a confirmation code to take to the store and get my new t.v.. The first guy I talked to at customer service told me that there was no comparable sku for my tv and the I would get store credit for me to find a new one but I had to have the t.v. present, which I did not. He did not say how much I would receive by I was assumed it would be the price I paid for since they could not replace it with something comparable. So I had to rent a Uhaul truck and I picked up the t.v. and went back to best buy and parked in the front, I went in to tell the guy I was back and he tells me to go get help bringing the t.v. in. I go get the t.v. and when i walk back to customer service the guy hands me a gift card and receipt before I even said anything, I hadn't agreed to what t.v. I would get as a replacement or anything! The store credit was for $1438, which was less than the $2164 I had paid for. I notice this right away and say something about it but the customer service guy explains that the technology of my t.v. has depreciated over time, and while I dont agree I proceed to take my gift card and find another t.v. because I feel like the rep is being honest with me and that there was nothing I could do about it. After looking for televisions I notice that I cannot buy a similar t.v. with the credit I was issued. My t.v. that broke and could not be replaced was a 55" LG 240Hz Backlit LED. I know I had a good t.v. and that there are 4 kinds of LEDs and that I had the best and most valuable, and I know that 240Hz is also an important spec and that brand is always important when determining the value of something. The t.v. that they had deemed comparable and given me store credit for was a 60" Panasonic plasma 600Hz. NOT ONE SPEC WAS COMPARABLE TO MINE! At this point I ask a rep in the t.v. department and they tell me that the guy in front messed up and that there is no t.v. comparable to mine anymore because they dont make them anymore and that he should have issued me credit for the price i paid and that I should go look for a manager. 

When I talk to manager he was so condescending acting as if I knew nothing about t.v.s and what mines was worth. The manager then basically told me that the most comparable t.v. was $4000 which was more than I paid for, and I totally understand how they are not going to give me credit for that much, but I would expect they would at least give me credit for what I paid for. He tried to tell me that they were giving me a better t.v. because it was bigger and because it was 600Hz refresh rate instead for 240Hz, when its not even using the same technology! Then the manager tells me that I could receive credit for the full price of what I paid for, but only if I am willing to pay the $2000 difference and get the newer t.v. that is actually comaparable to mine, but unless I want to do that then I have to stick with what they already gave me. 

This has been the worst experience I have ever had with Best Buy! Basically my t.v. broke and since they dont make that model anymore they have to replace it with something similar. SInce someting similar now cost more then what I paid for then why are they trying to give me less?!

Can I please get some real help from someone from Best buy?!

[pramos07]

Ok so my t.v. recently broke and was deemed unfixable by the technician so I was given a confirmation code to take to the store and get my new t.v.. The first guy I talked to at customer service told me that there was no comparable sku for my tv and the I would get store credit for me to find a new one but I had to have the t.v. present, which I did not. He did not say how much I would receive by I was assumed it would be the price I paid for since they could not replace it with something comparable. So I had to rent a Uhaul truck and I picked up the t.v. and went back to best buy and parked in the front, I went in to tell the guy I was back and he tells me to go get help bringing the t.v. in. I go get the t.v. and when i walk back to customer service the guy hands me a gift card and receipt before I even said anything, I hadn't agreed to what t.v. I would get as a replacement or anything! The store credit was for $1438, which was less than the $2164 I had paid for. I notice this right away and say something about it but the customer service guy explains that the technology of my t.v. has depreciated over time, and while I dont agree I proceed to take my gift card and find another t.v. because I feel like the rep is being honest with me and that there was nothing I could do about it. After looking for televisions I notice that I cannot buy a similar t.v. with the credit I was issued. My t.v. that broke and could not be replaced was a 55" LG 240Hz Backlit LED. I know I had a good t.v. and that there are 4 kinds of LEDs and that I had the best and most valuable, and I know that 240Hz is also an important spec and that brand is always important when determining the value of something. The t.v. that they had deemed comparable and given me store credit for was a 60" Panasonic plasma 600Hz. NOT ONE SPEC WAS COMPARABLE TO MINE! At this point I ask a rep in the t.v. department and they tell me that the guy in front messed up and that there is no t.v. comparable to mine anymore because they dont make them anymore and that he should have issued me credit for the price i paid and that I should go look for a manager. 

When I talk to manager he was so condescending acting as if I knew nothing about t.v.s and what mines was worth. The manager then basically told me that the most comparable t.v. was $4000 which was more than I paid for, and I totally understand how they are not going to give me credit for that much, but I would expect they would at least give me credit for what I paid for. He tried to tell me that they were giving me a better t.v. because it was bigger and because it was 600Hz refresh rate instead for 240Hz, when its not even using the same technology! Then the manager tells me that I could receive credit for the full price of what I paid for, but only if I am willing to pay the $2000 difference and get the newer t.v. that is actually comaparable to mine, but unless I want to do that then I have to stick with what they already gave me. 

This has been the worst experience I have ever had with Best Buy! Basically my t.v. broke and since they dont make that model anymore they have to replace it with something similar. SInce someting similar now cost more then what I paid for then why are they trying to give me less?!

Can I please get some real help from someone from Best buy?!

[pramos07]

By the way, if there are any Best Buy moderators reading. My t.v. was a LG 55" Backlit LED 240Hz sku 9318696. The "comparable" they gave me credit for was a Panasonic 60" plasma 600Hz sku 2120247.

[deusexmachina Valued Contributor]

While Best Buy reserves the right to decide what is and isn't comparable, it seems that you should have gotten your full original purchase price back if they have nothing comparable.
The replacement unit has to be similar in features to your TV without going over the original purchase price. So if they have a 55inch 240hz led tv that is like $2300, they theoretically can't use that for the replacement.
In my opinion, you should get your $2164 on a store credit/gift card towards whatever you want.

Actually, after looking online they should probably give you http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Sony+-+BRAVIA+/+55%22+Class+/+LED+/+1080p+/+240Hz+/+3D+/+HDTV/2392286.p?... as a replacement. If you don't want that one, you can get the $1,899 on a gift card towards the one you want.

[pramos07]

Is there anything at all I can do here? Where can I find help? I have been a Best Buy customer for years for me to have to go through this kind of service! I talked to the manager at the store and they said they couldn't do anything about it so I called consumer relations and they told me it was up to the managers att the store to decide what to do? What?! Then when I press the button to file a complaint on this website the page doesn't work! Then who can I talk to?! 

I am so clearly being cheated! Best Buy does not care about the rules if they don't favor them! 

[pramos07]

I have seen alot of the moderators on here saying that it is the general policy that if my product can't be replaced with a similar product, then I will receive credit for the amount I paid for. Is that not right? Why are the trying to make  me feel like I am asking more than i should get?

[pramos07]

I have seen alot of the moderators on here saying that it is the general policy that if my product can't be replaced with a similar product, then I will receive credit for the amount I paid for. Is that not right? Why are the trying to make  me feel like I am asking more than i should get?

[Ryan-BBY Senior Social Media Specialist]

Hello pramos07-

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

[deusexmachina Valued Contributor]

They do have a comparable product... it's the Sony 55inch 240hz LED for $1,899. You theoretically should have gotten $1,899 on a gift card and not $1,438 or whatever they gave you.

[pramos07]

If they would have given me that amount, I would have happily accepted it and understood why they considered that a comparable product. But instead they completely lied to me and told me that the most comparable replacement they could give me credit for was a t.v. that did not have one spec in common, literally. 

I have talked to the G.M. of that store and consumer relations and another best representinitve on the phone, and I don't expect this problem to get solved, I am only posting this because I think people should know how Best Buy and its employees do business. 

I think it was dishonest when the first person I spoke with gave me the credit without me seeing any t.v. and with doing a transaction of that amount, with me not even at the counter because I was getting the t.v.!

I dont think its a coinsidence that the one person who seemed to be being honest, said he didn't work in commission. They said that if there was no comparable sku then they should have imput that and gave me the value that I paid for. 

Then the store manager first said that there was no comparable sku, then that the most comparable sku was the one of the plasma television, then that the most comparable was actually a $4,000 model but he couldn't give me that one so I had to take the amount of the tv with no comparable specs. Then he said that he could give me the value of what i paid for as credit for the more expensive t.v. but only for that one. He also told me that the store credit was not really a store credit and could only be used to buy a tv of comparable sku. LIES. He also admitted that this case was an "anomaly" because the technology for a comparable product is worth more now. He then attempted to explain why he could ONLY imput the sku of the panasonic t.v. already "generated by the system" and that anything else would be illegal because of the way Best Buy does business with its insurance companies. 

This turns out to be a lie as well because today according to the general manager today, the most comparable sku was that of a toshiba tv worth $1250, so I should be happy with what I got before! WOW ! I have bought many t.vs, cameras, and computers at best buy and once i quickly use this low amount they gave me, I will not return. 

While everyone is telling me that the replacement t.v. will be based on comparable specs of my old t.v.. when I tried to explain to the person in consumer relations that a t.v. with similar specs as mine is worth more now so I just want what I paid, he proceeds to say that the credit is not based on specs, but the value of my old tv after depreciation or something very unclear that i did not understand. Lies lies lies!

The day I went I kept hearing one of the employees tell the manager something along the lines of, "Thats An LG BACKLIT LED with 240Hz, those are all more expensive then what he paid" Which makes it clear that my t.v. was worth more than what they were giving me. I know it was a good t.v. thats why I bought it with those specs and warrantied it.

One of the representatives I talked over the phone as mentioned before also agreed that THERE IS NO COMPARABLE SKU, but that it was up to the store to do something, all he could do was transfer me! RIDICULOUS!! As I have said before, I have owned ,many t.v.s before, all with warranty, and I had one break before which could also not be fixed and also didnt have a comparable sku, so I received store credit for the amount that I paid for. Thats how I KNOW that they could have done what was right. 

I dont expect anything from Best Buy anymore. I will never go to the Best Buy in MISSION VALLEY again! I would recommend every one to STAY AWAY from the warranty on any product bought!  Best Buy has the worst customer service ever!!