Best Buy Repair Support

[lXxDJxXl]

Hello,

Back in 2017, I used to work for best buy as a home theater consultant. During an Home theater online training course, i had won a 65" vizio M-Series tv straight from best buy itself. I had purchased the 5 year warranty for the tv because i know how Vizio televisions can act up.... Well, my tv turns on and off on its own and repeats that process on it's own. I filed a claim and it got approved for a junk out and exchange through the store. But upon arrival at the store, i was told the only thing that can be done is refund the cost of the 5 year warranty i had put on the tv. I don't expect the best of the best but in the home theater protection plan, it does state that if the tv cannot be repaired, then an exchange can be made with the same model tv, or a tv of same standards. But the store refuses to honor the protection warranty because it was given to me BY BEST BUY ITSELF and was zeroed out. Retail cost of the tv at the time of check out was $1,199.99. Please can someone explain to me how it has come to a pick and choose who gets to benifit from warranties. If i knew this was the hassel of getting best buy to honor the protection warranty, i wouldn't have sold warranties to my loyal customers back in the day. Oh and FYI, i have the emails from Geek squad exchange team approving the exchange, and the investigation confirmation number given to me to take to the store for them to handle it. I followed all the steps necessary to get a tv exchanged.

[bobberuchi]

so you got a free TV.  and they are offering to refund your 5 year plan. you are out zero, nothing, nada, zilch, zip, etc.

And what are you complaing about?

I am not an employee of Best Buy and my opinions are my own

[lXxDJxXl]

The only reason the store is offering to refund the 5 year plan (which with experience they never do) is because back then it was $30. So in their eyes, it is better to refund a warranty then to exchange the tv. It's the concept of them not holding to their own contract agreement of repairing/exchanging. Also the fact I am being told by the Regional Service Coordinator that they signed off on the exchange and when i go into the store, i get a different answer. It's more of an accountability thing which bothers me how companies can get away with it. You're 100% right with your response to my question, like i said.... it's holding best buy to their Geek Squad Extended Warranty policies.

[jdogg836]

The terms of the Geek Squad Protection Plan state that if deemed unrepairable they will provide a comparable replacement or credit up to the value that you paid for the television.  In this instance, based solely on the $0 price paid for the television, I would not have offered the plan and if you had asked I would have explained that there is little value at that point. Offering a refund of the plan does seem like the correct move on the store's part, processing it would provide $0 of credit towards a new tv as it stands. 

[Meg-BBY Social Media Specialist]

Hi, lXxDJxXl,

Thanks for reaching out to us on the Forums about your warranty. I can understand your disappointment as you were expecting a new TV, however it sounds like the store handled this correctly.

As jdogg836 mentioned, as the purchase price of your TV was technically $0, that would be the comparable replacement amount. A refund on the plan is the best option going forward.

Best,

[lXxDJxXl]

Okay, i understand, at the time of the terms and agreement of gsp i signed for there were three options.

1. Repairing covered product. (couldn't be repaired)
2. Reimbursement using gift card or voucher and not to exceed purchase price of covered product. (Currently on the table.)
and
3. Replacing your product of like kind and quality and of comparable performance. (Attached with this option was 3 sub standards stated on page 7 of 119607 (8/16)

[lXxDJxXl]

Within the options of GSP replacement / repair option 3 does not state purchase price. Only option 2 states prices. But why have option 3 if option 2 is clearly the go too for the company because best buy will still get a sale the day of using option 2 versus option 3.

[jdogg836]

There are products where replacing a broken device with one of like kind and of comparable performance is easier. The immediate items that come to mind would be how we handle gaming consoles. Example: you bring your defective XBOX in, they rapidly ship a replacement unit that comes from Microsoft and has been remanufactured and tested. This is not available on every product, with the first 2 options you mention above generally fulfilling the plan for the majority of customers.