Best Buy Store Purchase

[garboto]

Bought a TV in-store on Nov 20th that suffered a complete failure of the panel backlight on Dec 8th. Unfixable, unusable. Well, heck, but it happens. Technology is like that sometimes.

So I took it back to the store, who refused to take it back. Despite the extended return period, they claimed that I needed a Samsung RMA number before they'd accept it.

Everything I read online, including the order details, said "take it back to the store". I tried for hours to get through to anyone at the local store by phone. I ended up shunted through multiple national-level departments on the phone with little rhyme or reason, to finally be told "just take it back to the store." Which, of course, already failed.

After more hours of phone calls, I eventually got sent to online order support, who arranged a "special exception" for a delivery/exchange for the defective TV... but for week later. So I agreed, even though I live half mile from a store... I canceled a Samsung warranty visit scheduled for the very next day in anticipation of just being able to exchange the defective TV.

Delivery day comes around. The team failed to knock, or to text, or call, but marked my order as "knocked, no answer, call to reschedule". I only found out when they hadn't shown up yet and I checked the order online...

I called to reschedule, and now have to wait another five days.

A "customer advocate" called me later to... Not really do anything useful except confirm I have to wait another week? Nice guy, I guess. Not his fault.

But wow, you know something's gone seriously wrong when you have to hire "advocates" for your customers to survive your support system.

So there's my rant. Thanks for listening, and don't shop at Best Buy.

[hockeycanuckjc Community Veteran]

RMA numbers are not required for returns. You simply pack up the item safely in the original packaging back to Best Buy's store and then you can opt for an exchange or a refund if you prefer.

I scanned through all the terms and conditions here: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/help-topics/return-exchange-policy/pcmcat260800050014.c?id=pcmcat260800...

And you don't need an RMA.

[garboto]

Yeah, that's what the national line told me. The store was supposed to take it back. One caveat is that I don't have the original packaging--I'd gotten rid of it two days before, but I mentioned it several times and nobody said that was a problem.

[jdogg836]

I'm with hockeycanuckjc here, the policy is pretty clear on this.  If you bought the tv on November 20th of this year, you have an extended return policy into January and when returning an item within return policy neither an RMA nor the original packaging is needed.  In fact, you don't need a reason to return it at all.  Even if it worked perfectly, you could return it because you didn't like it.  One caveat worth noting, when and if you return to the store with the television keep in mind that without the packaging you'll need to be extra careful with the tv when transporting.  Any damage to the television such as cracks and scratches would invalidate your return policy.  When they said no, did you ask to speak to the manager?  If you were speaking to a manager, did you ask to speak to the store's General Manager?  

Please give the moderators here a few days to reach your post, they should be able to help you navigate this roadblock.  

[garboto]

Indeed. Mostly I just wanted to shame this behavior by speaking out about it. They have rescheduled the exchange, though I have to wait another near week for it, and who knows if they'll actually bother to knock, call, text, etc this time. If it doesn't happen this Saturday, I don't know what I'm going to do about it--go down to the store in person again, I guess, though I don't have the help immediately available to haul the thing safely back down three stories yet again. I tried for literally hours to call the store and get through to a manager to talk it out, I got routed to geeksquad membership renewals and all sorts of other places, and was finally told "they don't have phone numbers." It's been a fun ride so far.

(And no, there's no physical damage to the device, even after hauling it to the store and back home again. It's still in perfect shape, other than the defect that makes it utterly useless. If i shine a very bright light against the screen I can faintly see the image, and the audio plays fine--it's clearly a faulty backlight panel, and the whole unit needs to be replaced.)

[Allan-BBY Senior Social Media Specialist]

Hey, garboto,

That does not sounds like the type of experience you should be receiving from us, and I appreciate you taking the time to post this. It does sound like the store should have simply exchanged the defective TV. I would like to look into this. Can you send me a private message with your name, phone number, email address, and order number? To send me a private message simply click on the message button in my signature.

Thanks,

[garboto]

Allan,

Sure, I've sent some additional details via PM. Thanks for following up.

[bobberuchi]

I had a similar thing happen with a dehumidifyer

I had to contact the manufactuer to get an RMA number so I could return it.

[garboto]

Just a lil follow-up here: tonight I just got an email regarding the Saturday morning pickup/exchange appointment, about 45 minutes ago:

"Unfortunately your order requires a new appointment or currently doesn't have an appointment. You may have already or will be receiving an additional email shortly confirming your need for reschedule."

Sooo, we're really batting for lowest in the league, here, apparently. I just want the dang TV that I paid for.

[garboto · Accepted solution]

Update: the online order/exchange was canceled the night before and a phone call resulted in "the item is out of stock, the earliest we can redeliver is the 24th." HEH. I explained this was the second cancel, and they said they'd "expedite" it to the 23rd... I scheduled that, but decided what the hell, I'll call a friend and get some help to haul it back to the store, and not take no for an answer.

This time--they took it back! Despite "pick up in 1 hour" on the website, they were apparently out of the same model...Delivery times were indeed backed up to the 24th or so.

BUT: they cut me $20 worth of slack and got me an 8 series in the same size, and I was able to walk out the door with it, and get it set up at home again. So far, it's working fine, so hooray.

I'll add that this time the local group were nice, helpful, and and quite apologetic in person, so, hooray for that. Overall they managed to charm me into being much less annoyed, and I now have a working product again--and before christmas, even, so I can watch movies again during the holiday break.

Quite the ordeal for a TV, but there we have it.