Manufacturer Warranties and Protection Plans

[Aaron-BBY Community Connector]

Hello rp285598,

I’m not quite sure why you would have been told that our service plans provide such benefits, but I regret to inform you that this is not the case. Our Performance Service Plans (PSPs) have only ever guaranteed an exchange for comparable technology (not to exceed the original product’s purchase price), and do not guarantee the actual purchase price itself. As other posters have pointed out, however, stores do reserve the right to issue a gift card for the full purchase price if no comparable product is available at the time of exchange.

Now, it’s certainly unfortunate if this does not meet your expectations, but be forewarned that the terms and conditions to which you referred in your follow-up post were taken from our Product Replacement Plan (PRP) and not the PSP that would apply to your TV. PRPs have never been offered for large consumer electronics, and were only ever available for select product categories such as video game consoles and universal remote controls. I apologize if there was any confusion regarding your service plan coverage, but we are unable to extend to you the benefits of a plan that was neither purchased at the time of sale nor applicable to the product in question.

If you are still in need of assistance with your current repairs please feel free to let me know. Simply send me a private message with your name and contact information and I’d be glad to monitor them on your behalf. You can send me a private message by clicking on either the icon in my signature below or the letter icon in the upper right-hand corner of the page.

[ABNYC]

Aaron,

Purchased a high end Sony bravia 40 inch two years ago for $2100 plus. The TV may be to costly to fix I am still awaiting for bb and the technician to discuss today's findings but hypothetically if the TV is to be replaced my thinking is like this.

1) Either best buy could replace the TV with comparable specifications Sony for which is valued at maybe $1,000

or

2) (I'm an accountant so Fair Market Value has a formula no discretion) TV purchased for 2100 has a useful life of 7 years and has 5 years left thus a FMV of $1,500.  So BB gives me a store credit for 1,500.

The flexibility of a monetary value is of course what the customer wants, but I feel as though its best buys agenda to replace it with comparable specifications rather than actually return a FMV. With the 1500 I could purchase an excellent 40 inch TV or a low end 50 inch. What would you say is best buys position in such a scenario?

[Nokia]

To answer your question, it'll be #1, since those are the terms of the contract you signed when you purchased the PSP. Nowhere in the literature is FMV mentioned.

But, what formula are you using for FMV? You just did price/useful life. That is definitely not how depreciation is calculated. It's much more complicated than that. Every product category has a different formula.

[ABNYC]

Thanks Nokia for your response but I was not interested in your opinion or insights as I addressed my comment to Aaron if you read the heading of my post. Secondly, I think you may want to grab an accounting book and read up on depreciation because you don't have a clue of what your talking about. Televisions are a 7 year asset and for book purposes you may take straight-line depreciation which would be the sales price divided by useful life (accelerated or macrs are depreciation methods for tax deductibility of depreciation, first lesson is free of charge). I got the FMV notion from another post just earlier in the same thread (if you read you would have seen this)

"If we determine in our sole discretion that your
product cannot be repaired, we will replace it
with a product of like kind and quality that is
of comparable performance or reimburse you
for replacement of the product with a voucher
or gift card, at our discretion, equal to the fair
market value of the product, as determined by
us, not to exceed the original purchase price of
your product, including taxes."

Additionally, another post mentioned how a customer received a 60inch TV in replacement for a 52. "Comparable" is subjective and if there is a function for which a customer purchases a certain TV for and no other TV has it (for instance a certain input, or amount of inputs) then a TV of the same brand and size is not quite comparable.

Aaron, your thoughts?

[rp285598]

Since yu work at bestbuy can you give an example of what compariable product means? When I hear that I hear they are going to give me a cheaper brand and not the brand I would want. Thats my biggest concern.

[JM885]

I feel like a majority of the time so far i'm providing a loop hole to posters lol... But anyway you could look for a feature that your sony has and you can't find on other models except a sony... i.e. sound leveler, 120 hz, 3 component inputs just something unique and point at that feature mainly for compariable product. In most cases the employee takes the customers wants in consideration I know Nokia says not so much but eh... just find the right employee lmao. And a good thing to point out to the person deciding compariability is that contrast ratio is brand specific not an industry standard, so how could any TV have a similar ratio that isn't a Sony?

[Nokia]

Most employees will try to get the same brand if possible.

[rp285598]

I called and talk to a lady again last night and she said our case is still under review, saying they were trying to find the  part. When I asked how long that would take she said I should have an answer by this Friday when I talked to them last week they said I should have an aswer by beginning of this week.

[cody_thomas]

that sounds familiar to my situation, I have been going at this since May 1st.  And still no answer on what will happen to my television.  Also I am a former employee of best buy (left on good terms)  and have always look at them as a good company, but it seems that my first issue with a PSP is going to change that opinion.

[rp285598]

Talked to them again last night and they said the same message again that they went through their process and were not able to find the part so they they will be issuing a product replacement claim and I should be hearing something in three to five days. This three to five days response is a common message I get every time I call. I asked to speak to a supervisor and he said he esculated it and they call in one to two days but still may be three to five days.  I told them expect a call every single day until I get either my TV fixed or a replacement.