| Author |
BEST BUY? LOL Ya Right |
RedDoggy(1)
Fleet Admiral
Agents
Joined: August 14, 2004
Posts: 118
From: Oregon
|  Posted: 2005-06-17 12:10
Ok just want to rant on somethings.
I finally break down and decide to buy an MP3 player since the massive CD player is just too cumbersome to use when I run. I end up going to Best Buy (which I've gone to once before long ago) that just opened a new store in our area.
Well the service was a little pushy but ok, the guys acted like they were on too much coffee. And I almost lol when the guy BSed me about also working out at 24hr fitness and obviously he doesn't  .
What pissed me off was this, and I ask others if they get the same treatment from computer/electronics sellers...
I go to the lady to pay for my $140 item and she says hey for only $20 you can get our 2 yrs gurantee plan for it. "So I'll just ring that up for you." I was like "NO thanks." She gets snotty with me and asks me WHY I dont want the plan. I should have let her have it with both debating barrells (I've been on a Forensics team, or debating society) but decided against it.
So anyways, how many people are getting pressured by this tactic. I swear I will not go in to Best Buy again unless I have to now.
Argue to her, why I shouldn't pay for their plan? Come on, where has the customer service gone? They just want to sell me more crap.
The other thing is trying to get the package open. What engineer designs this stuff so that I need to use a welding torch to open a plastic package?
If you read this far then I'm sure you have gone through the same thing, post your rant here,  .
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Lacrosseian
Fleet Admiral
Raven Warriors
Joined: October 01, 2004
Posts: 1254
| Posted: 2005-06-17 12:43
Just for rour information those plans do come in handy. A stereo that i got from there decided it would start messing up and I took to Best BUy and they gave me a full reimberssment.
But really if people want you to shop at their stores and buy things then they should treat you with a bit more courtesy. "The customer is always right."
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Tael
2nd Rear Admiral
Palestar
Joined: July 03, 2002
Posts: 3697
From: San Francisco Bay Area
| Posted: 2005-06-17 13:17
Actually most manufacturers offered a basic no questions asked 1 yr warrenty and then a 3 to 5 year warrenty free of charge for registering your purchase with them (filling out the little ownership card and mailing it in).
So the "Store Warrenty" is usually a waste of money. Rule of thumb I go by is, if they are willing to offer a warrenty for the item passed the basic manufacturer warrenty, then they are gambling on the fact the item should actually last that long. (Typically you can expect 3 times the offered warrenty as the life span for any product.) So purchasing it is a waste of money. Most times the stores will try and make it sound like you only get a warrenty if you buy it from them. When I bought some speakers from Circuit City a few years back, they wanted me to pay them an extra $100 for a 3 year warrenty on them... Come to find out, Infinity has an automatic 3 year warrenty on ALL speakers. So luckily I wasn't duped into paying the store for something the Manufacturer already offered me for free. And in that case I needed it because one of the center speakers blew. I learned about it with a week left from my purchase date, faxed them my receipt and Infinity had a replacement part to me the next day.
Computer stores are the worst. All technology companys offer minimum 1 year warrentys. And face it, most store add-on Warrentys add 15 to 25% of the items value. Yet with depreciation, most technology items drop in value 25 to 35% over the course of the same year. Sometimes more... And they want to sell you 3 year warrentys, yet after 2 years most of us that build and mod our own systems are already itching to get the latest sound or video card anyways... So if it dies, I dont care, I just get the new item I wanted. If I had the warrenty I would be stuck with the same old out of date item which i paid more for at the time because of the warrenty.
I routinely explain to them that I dont want their warrenty, its a waste of money and that it will be out of style/date in 3 years anyways so will just get a new one.
When they are exceptionally pushy or rude like that to you, you have every right to ask to speak to a manager. In fact I have on several occasions. Once you explain your unhappiness and ask them what they are going to do to keep your patronage and that of those you will inform of your experiance, they will usually offer you a discount, refund, or some sort of store credit. (I one time got premiere center stage front row tickets to Sigfried and Roy in Las Vegas ($250 each), a free suite for the weekend, and free room service by complaining to the management of the hotel about how my g.f. at the time was treated and explaining how I will ensure everyone I know hears about it...)
You can also complain to the corporate office, "sometimes" they will respond, but not always.
As for the title, you are quite right, BestBuy is NOT the best buy... Contrary to their advertisments which run perilously close to false advertisment... On most items they are majorly over priced. I have found better deals at nearly any other place I have shopped. What they market on is people not looking around and listening to their advertisements. Hence, I will not buy anything electronical from them. My little sister is working there while finishing college so when I do want something from there, I just have her get it with her discount. But typically I find better deals at Frys (Outpost.com), Walmart, Target, or other normal outlets...
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Dempster
Grand Admiral
Joined: August 03, 2003
Posts: 668
| Posted: 2005-06-17 14:03
it has nothing to do with best buy, at nearly every electronis store i go to now they ask if i want a plan like that/warranty bs, but yeah, when they argue with you... just go get them fired
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Longhorn213
Cadet
Joined: May 04, 2005
Posts: 3
| Posted: 2005-06-17 15:11
Never buy something you get for free.
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Coeus {NCX-Charger}
Admiral, I can't read,
Sundered Weimeriners
Joined: February 16, 2004
Posts: 3635
From: South Philly
| Posted: 2005-06-17 15:36
They used to be the best prices in town a few years ago.. new management I guess...
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Longhorn213
Cadet
Joined: May 04, 2005
Posts: 3
| Posted: 2005-06-17 15:44
Bad PUN Time === So I guess you can't call them Best Buy anymore.
[ This Message was edited by: Longhorn213 on 2005-06-17 15:45 ]
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Sweet Mary
Cadet
Joined: June 05, 2004
Posts: 109
| Posted: 2005-06-17 19:36
well.... having worked at such a retailer i'll say this.
the "warranty" is actually insurance, now you should be well aware that insurance companies do extensive research into whatever they want to have you pay them to insure. so lets say a product has no manufaturer warranty and you purchase the product for 100 dollars at a retailer, they "offer" a 3 yr replacement on the item for 10 dollars. Well doing the math you can see that at the MOST, for that company to break even on that warranty no more than 1 out every 10 sold can come back over 3 yrs. Now like I stated above I worked for a retailer that does that, and they make more money on those "warranties" than they do on their products yr round... here's why, most ppl don't use it, either because the item doesn't break or they forget they bought the plan to begin with.
the sad thing is they put alot of pressure on sales associates to push the "store insurance" plans and generally treat them like crap if they don't pretty much make you buy the plan before you leave the store.
granted the don't tell the associates to be rude, but the make them feel like they have to be. Associates get bad reviews by employers if they don't make certain numbers during their work day, they make they associates that can trick customers into buying the plans look like gods in the daily store meetings. IMHO it's pathetic.
there are products I'd buy the plans on though, cheap junk, no name brands that a destined to die, also i'd ask for a copy of the plan prior, some employers have associates telling ppl you can literally trash the product and get a new one. If the fine print states it, then damn, buy the plan, before it expires smash the thing and get a new one
the only way to stop the insurance sales in department stores is to abuse the plans, then they won't be rich selling them and will quit doing it.
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Azreal
Chief Marshal
Joined: March 14, 2004
Posts: 2816
From: United State of Texas, Houston
| Posted: 2005-06-17 20:00
I would also like to add to this list when they ask for my phone number. This happens at departmennt stores, Wal Mart, even auto parts stores.
I just ask them if I can have thiers as well. No? Well then you can't have mine either.
And insurance companies always love to use your SS# as an account number. I DON'T THINK SO!!!!!!! I just tell them assign a new number or keep their insurance. Funny, after insisting they HAVE to use my SS#, that when I threaten to just drop them they suddenly have the ability to assign me the number I asked them to begin with.
This is the info age. Fact is, you do well to keep your info as much to yourself as possible. Let the wrong people get it and your are in trouble.
As far as those warranties go, if I am buying something that can be thrown, I get the warranty. FROM THE MANUFACTURER. But I have an autistic kid who loves to launch things. If it is something for myself that he can't get his paws on, I seldom bother. And yes, indeed, the stores that pawn them off on poor folks who don't know better, make a KILLING on these gimmicky things.
But paying them for a 3 year warranty offered for FREE by the maker? That's scamming. Pure and simple.
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Tael
2nd Rear Admiral
Palestar
Joined: July 03, 2002
Posts: 3697
From: San Francisco Bay Area
| Posted: 2005-06-17 20:41
Ironicly the SSN was never ment to be a universal identification. Because of the rampent abuse of it there are now laws that state no non-government agency may require you to provide your SS#. So any company that states you have to give them your Social Security number is in fact lieing to you and breaking the law...
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Coeus {NCX-Charger}
Admiral, I can't read,
Sundered Weimeriners
Joined: February 16, 2004
Posts: 3635
From: South Philly
| Posted: 2005-06-17 23:55
Such a wealth of information Tael is...
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LordShard
Cadet
Joined: April 28, 2005
Posts: 140
| Posted: 2005-06-18 01:16
Isn't a mandatory 6 month manufacturer warranty the law?
Most of the time if something doesn't break within the first 30 days it won't break at all untilit's projected lifespan falls out (Or you do something like overclock by 300% without a heatsink  )
None of my equipment has ever broken past the manufacturer's warranty. Hell my pentium 1, 133Mhz with 128MB of EDO ram still works perfectly!
My record of burnt out components.
Duron 1.6Ghz, replaced by warranty in the 11th month.
Sempron 1.677ghz DoA, replaced by monarch computer systems (Only had 60 day warranty, but it still never burnt out after I got my new one. )
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Ascension(Purge)
Admiral
Joined: March 04, 2003
Posts: 194
| Posted: 2005-06-18 01:30
I work at Menards...the customer is FAR from always right...
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LordShard
Cadet
Joined: April 28, 2005
Posts: 140
| Posted: 2005-06-18 02:28
Quote:
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On 2005-06-18 01:30, Ascension(Purge) wrote:
I work at Menards...the customer is FAR from always right...
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That reminds me of some of the stupid crap I put up with. xP
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Drafell
Grand Admiral
Mythica
Joined: May 30, 2003
Posts: 2449
From: United Kingdom
| Posted: 2005-06-18 03:58
The Warranty required for all purchased of electronic equipment is one year.
NEver accept a reapir on an item that malfunctions as they are no longer required to replace the item. Alway demand a replacement *brand new* item or a full refund, with compensation in the event the malfuntion damaged any other items/equipment. (IE washing machines, tumble dryers)
As stated above, many manufacturuers offer free extended warranites on thier items.
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