Where to begin in describing what can only be called a textbook case of horrendous service that verges on fraud?
Earlier this month I ordered online an 86"-inch TV from BestBuy, hardly a small investment. To make the experience "perfect," I also went for the premium TV installation and mounting. I was not entirely certain I wanted or needed cables run through the wall, but in any case, I wanted to be sure that when all was said and done, the whole set up was clean and presentable.
Wow, was I wrong about that. I'll save the narrative of the whole first part of the experience and just list everything that was unacceptable:
1. The installation tech (from a contractor, not wearing BestBuy gear) failed to properly wear a face mask and observe social distancing. On a couple of occassions, he just pulled down his mask altogether while in the house, and the rest of the time, he wore his mask as a moustache over his top lip, with it covering neither mouth nor nose. As someone who is not fully vaccinated and at high-risk for severe Covid, I found that rather uncool.
2. While carrying the TV into the house, this tech dropped his end of the box. When we expressed concern, we were given a perfunctory wave-off, and told it was fine.
3. The tech and his delivery partner manhandled the TV out of its packaging before bringing it down to our basement, leaving a mess of styrofoam and cardboard all over our main floor, which they never cleaned up.
4. The TV was unceremoniously thrown up on the wall, completely unleveled and without setting up the cable management system on the rear of the TV. We did decline having cables run in the wall (who would let this tech - who had shown no care or concern for anything - drill in their walls?!), but the tech then decided, job done and went to leave. No cord dressing to leave it neat, as described in the premuim service description online. No device hookups. We had to remind him of the need to level the TV and then actually assist him in doing it, which he still did not actually do properly, since the TV is still noticeably uneven on the wall.
5. The tech tried to convince us that it was best to keep the massive packaging in our little rowhouse for a month, largely to avoid the hassle for him of hauling it away. When we asked that he do so, we had to carry it all out to his van. He then decided to just leave two huge pieces of packaging littering the public sidewalk in front of our house when he drove away.
6. The site of the installation was left a mess, with packaging and other debris just strewn all over the place.
As you can imagine, this prompted me to want to contact BestBuy customer service. Begin Act II of this particular tragedy for BestBuy's reputation. First, while trying to chat with an online agent, I was continuously spammed with auto messages, making the conversation impossible to follow, and then was just unceremoniously dumped from the chat. Second, after calling the main customer service number, I reached an agent who just shunted me over to some outside contractor. The outside contractor then told me they couldn't help me, because they needed something from BestBuy, and sent me back to the BestBuy holding queue, where I sat in hold purgatory until I finally gave up. After all, a mistreated customer still needs dinner.
I finally plucked up the gumption and found the Geek Squad help number, calling there. After a "seven-minute wait" that lasted about 20, I reached someone ("Joshua") was actually helpful. He apologized - how lovely - and set a follow-up appointment for us to have the issues corrected for yesterday between 1 and 8 pm.
Now to Act III. Yesterday morning I received a text message on my phone from the same tech who had been at our house earlier in the week for the original installation. He proceeded to badger me about what it was that needed correcting, disputing that there was any need for him to return. Highlight: "But I have to come back out anyway I will be there at 12". I reminded him the appointment window started at 1 pm and that I would not be available earlier. I also asked for a supervisor's number, since at this point I did not want this tech - who had done an unsafe, terrible job the first time around and who was now badgering me about returning - coming to our home. Tried the number I was given, got no answer or voicemail, texted it instead, and have still heard nothing at all. The tech then unceremoniously informed me that he would not be coming - and no one would be coming - but they would "reschedule." You can guess the finale: no one ever showed up yesterday at all, and no one has contacted me about this whole mess.
I understand that BestBuy corporate monitors these boards, and I hope they see this. You should honestly be ashamed that something like this has happened to a customer, let alone one who purchased a Magnolia product and Geek Squad service. Still, I belive in redemption, and so want to give BestBuy a chance to make this right, before moving on to the Better Business Bureau and the consumer fraud protection office of my state's attorney general. Let's hope Act IV has a happy ending...
Scott-BBY
