View Poll Results: What should Best Buy do to remedy their mistake?
Give Sominex an apology and tell him to buy the item online
3
8.57%
Give Sominex a Gift Card as an "apology", and tell him to buy the item online
16
45.71%
Mail Sominex the item FREE of CHARGE and apologize for his troubles
5
14.29%
Nothing- The store did nothing wrong
14
40.00%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 35. You may not vote on this poll
Best Buy Manager REFUSED let me buy an item off the shelf. What the heck?!?!
11-03-08, 05:33 PM
#1
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Best Buy Manager REFUSED let me buy an item off the shelf. What the heck?!?!
--
The SHORT VERSION is that Bestbuy refused to let me buy an item from their store. An item with a Price tag, SKU #, Bar Code, sitting on a shelf with many other items just like it. Below is the copy of the letter I mailed to BestBuy Corporate (I also emailed them as well)
I have an open mind about this sort of thing, and realize some of you may not agree with me. Though I certainly hope some of you do see this from my point of view and can share my frustration. After you guys read this, could you give me some input? What do you think is a fair way to resolve it ? And would you have handled the situation any differently than I did?
To: BestBuy Customer Support
Dear Sir or Madam:
I'd like to request that after you read this email, please contact me and let me know YOUR feelings on this and how YOU would resolve it.. My Fiancé' purchased me a PS3 from BestBuy for my 31st Birthday. (Reward Zone Member ID: XXXXXXXXXX). She got it primarily to be used for a Blue-ray Player for me. I checked out your selection of Blue-ray movies and was very excited at the wide selection! (You guys really have top-notch choices and I love it!) In particular I noticed:
Best of Blue-ray, Vol. 3 [4 Discs / Blue-ray] SKU: 15724352
This box set includes:
Goodfellas
Departed
Superman
Blazing Saddles
Any movie-buff knows how great these movies are and how great they’d look in HD! Online the set was priced at $54.99. I recalled seeing the exact same item in store # 465 (Concord Pike, Wilmington DE) for $99.99. Since the online price was a great deal, I wanted to order it online for in store pickup. I noticed the option wasn’t available, so I called the store. I spoke with a female who told me she wasn’t sure why this item wasn’t available for in store pickup. I asked her if the store would price match their very own online price. She said it shouldn’t be a problem, but depended on the “type of sale” online. But she reassured me that as long as the item was available in store and in stock they could price match this particular item.
Well, I arrived at the store Sunday October 26th (My Birthday) and confirmed all the above information with the very courteous doorman. I grabbed the item off the shelf (there was about 3 more just like it), and proceeded to the Customer Service Desk. I spoke with a woman whose name I think was “Latasha”. I informed her of the situation and she said she’s be right back. I waited for 15 minutes and she came back and told me not only would she NOT price match it, but imagine my shock when she said I wasn’t “allowed” to buy the item at all! She said there was some type of stocking confusion and this item was not to be sold in store. I told her there were several more just like it on the shelf and how could this happen. I asked her to put herself in my shoes and imagine how she would react if she was told “Sorry, we won’t take your money and allow you to BUY this product”. She said there was nothing more she could do, so I requested to speak with a manager. She said I could and asked me to wait at the counter. I waited for another 15 minutes and she didn’t return. I eventually went to go find her. She was over near the Geek Squad section speaking with someone. I asker her how much longer and she said her manager was researching it and they’d be with me shortly.
I went back to the counter and waited another 15 minutes. I decided that waiting for 45 minutes was too much for me to bear. I went over to find her, and she was with her manager and I started speaking with him. I believe his name was “David”. He explained the situation to me saying almost the same thing as Latasha.. I asked him “Do you realize how silly it sounds for you to tell me “I am not going to allow you to buy this item?”. He said he agreed and would try and help me out. He refused to sell me the item I had wanted, but said he would offer me 25% OFF a few Blue-ray movies. Well, 25% off the movies that came in the box set would still not correct the store’s mistake and give me the movies for the advertised price. I again asked “Could you please do something to make this right? I’ve been waiting here at this service desk for almost an hour, and I’m pretty disgruntled after the whole situation. Up until this point everyone has told me something different, and imagine my surprise when I come into the store and I’m told ‘We wont sell you this item’ I really had my heart set on those Blue-ray movies sir“. He said there was simply nothing he could do. Then the comment that got me upset was Latasha telling me “Why don’t you just go online and buy it, if you want it that bad?” This statement really got under my skin and got one of your very faithful, very long term customers upset.
I don’t understand why I would be told different things from different employees. And it goes without saying that I really don’t understand why a faithful customer would ever be told by a store employee, (and in this case a manager!), “Sorry, we’re not going to sell you this item!”. This item has a price tag, a SKU number on it, and was on the shelf with 3 more items just like it!
I did my best to just shrug this off and not think about. It’s a lot easier said than done though. Can you see where my frustration comes from in this situation? I’m still upset over the comment that was made and the entire blunder of “we’re not going to sell you this item”.
My Fiancé’ and I have had very few problems with your store in the past. I am writing to you now, as a faithful customer asking – What can be done to make me a happy and faithful customer again? I WANT to continue to keep shopping at your store and I WANT to keep recommending you to my friends and family. But I still have this unsettled, embittered and stinging feeling about how everything unfolded on Sunday. The worst part was I had to walk back to a room full of people at my house and tell them we didn’t have the movies we all looked forward to watching to christen our new Blue-ray Player!
Please get back in touch with me at your earliest convenience. Let me know what can be done to make me a happy and faithful customer again. Thank you for your time.
Have a good night-
The SHORT VERSION is that Bestbuy refused to let me buy an item from their store. An item with a Price tag, SKU #, Bar Code, sitting on a shelf with many other items just like it. Below is the copy of the letter I mailed to BestBuy Corporate (I also emailed them as well)
I have an open mind about this sort of thing, and realize some of you may not agree with me. Though I certainly hope some of you do see this from my point of view and can share my frustration. After you guys read this, could you give me some input? What do you think is a fair way to resolve it ? And would you have handled the situation any differently than I did?
To: BestBuy Customer Support
Dear Sir or Madam:
I'd like to request that after you read this email, please contact me and let me know YOUR feelings on this and how YOU would resolve it.. My Fiancé' purchased me a PS3 from BestBuy for my 31st Birthday. (Reward Zone Member ID: XXXXXXXXXX). She got it primarily to be used for a Blue-ray Player for me. I checked out your selection of Blue-ray movies and was very excited at the wide selection! (You guys really have top-notch choices and I love it!) In particular I noticed:
Best of Blue-ray, Vol. 3 [4 Discs / Blue-ray] SKU: 15724352
This box set includes:
Goodfellas
Departed
Superman
Blazing Saddles
Any movie-buff knows how great these movies are and how great they’d look in HD! Online the set was priced at $54.99. I recalled seeing the exact same item in store # 465 (Concord Pike, Wilmington DE) for $99.99. Since the online price was a great deal, I wanted to order it online for in store pickup. I noticed the option wasn’t available, so I called the store. I spoke with a female who told me she wasn’t sure why this item wasn’t available for in store pickup. I asked her if the store would price match their very own online price. She said it shouldn’t be a problem, but depended on the “type of sale” online. But she reassured me that as long as the item was available in store and in stock they could price match this particular item.
Well, I arrived at the store Sunday October 26th (My Birthday) and confirmed all the above information with the very courteous doorman. I grabbed the item off the shelf (there was about 3 more just like it), and proceeded to the Customer Service Desk. I spoke with a woman whose name I think was “Latasha”. I informed her of the situation and she said she’s be right back. I waited for 15 minutes and she came back and told me not only would she NOT price match it, but imagine my shock when she said I wasn’t “allowed” to buy the item at all! She said there was some type of stocking confusion and this item was not to be sold in store. I told her there were several more just like it on the shelf and how could this happen. I asked her to put herself in my shoes and imagine how she would react if she was told “Sorry, we won’t take your money and allow you to BUY this product”. She said there was nothing more she could do, so I requested to speak with a manager. She said I could and asked me to wait at the counter. I waited for another 15 minutes and she didn’t return. I eventually went to go find her. She was over near the Geek Squad section speaking with someone. I asker her how much longer and she said her manager was researching it and they’d be with me shortly.
I went back to the counter and waited another 15 minutes. I decided that waiting for 45 minutes was too much for me to bear. I went over to find her, and she was with her manager and I started speaking with him. I believe his name was “David”. He explained the situation to me saying almost the same thing as Latasha.. I asked him “Do you realize how silly it sounds for you to tell me “I am not going to allow you to buy this item?”. He said he agreed and would try and help me out. He refused to sell me the item I had wanted, but said he would offer me 25% OFF a few Blue-ray movies. Well, 25% off the movies that came in the box set would still not correct the store’s mistake and give me the movies for the advertised price. I again asked “Could you please do something to make this right? I’ve been waiting here at this service desk for almost an hour, and I’m pretty disgruntled after the whole situation. Up until this point everyone has told me something different, and imagine my surprise when I come into the store and I’m told ‘We wont sell you this item’ I really had my heart set on those Blue-ray movies sir“. He said there was simply nothing he could do. Then the comment that got me upset was Latasha telling me “Why don’t you just go online and buy it, if you want it that bad?” This statement really got under my skin and got one of your very faithful, very long term customers upset.
I don’t understand why I would be told different things from different employees. And it goes without saying that I really don’t understand why a faithful customer would ever be told by a store employee, (and in this case a manager!), “Sorry, we’re not going to sell you this item!”. This item has a price tag, a SKU number on it, and was on the shelf with 3 more items just like it!
I did my best to just shrug this off and not think about. It’s a lot easier said than done though. Can you see where my frustration comes from in this situation? I’m still upset over the comment that was made and the entire blunder of “we’re not going to sell you this item”.
My Fiancé’ and I have had very few problems with your store in the past. I am writing to you now, as a faithful customer asking – What can be done to make me a happy and faithful customer again? I WANT to continue to keep shopping at your store and I WANT to keep recommending you to my friends and family. But I still have this unsettled, embittered and stinging feeling about how everything unfolded on Sunday. The worst part was I had to walk back to a room full of people at my house and tell them we didn’t have the movies we all looked forward to watching to christen our new Blue-ray Player!
Please get back in touch with me at your earliest convenience. Let me know what can be done to make me a happy and faithful customer again. Thank you for your time.
Have a good night-
11-03-08, 06:15 PM
#2
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
There shouldn't have been any question about it, so long as it's not one of the exclusions mentioned below. I would have called Corporate on the spot.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site//olspage...=1118843518460
http://www.bestbuy.com/site//olspage...=1118843518460
What if I find a lower price at another Best Buy store or on BestBuy.com?
If an item you purchased at Best Buy is advertised at a lower price at another Best Buy store in your local area or on BestBuy.com, We'll refund you the price difference from our own sale price during the return and exchange period on your product. Simply bring in your original Best Buy receipt to the customer service counter while that lower price is still in effect. The Price Guarantee does not apply to our or our competitors' free offers, limited-quantity items, items for sale November 28th & 29th, 2008, open-box items, clearance items, Outlet Center items, mail-in offers, financing, bundle offers or pricing errors.
If an item you purchased at Best Buy is advertised at a lower price at another Best Buy store in your local area or on BestBuy.com, We'll refund you the price difference from our own sale price during the return and exchange period on your product. Simply bring in your original Best Buy receipt to the customer service counter while that lower price is still in effect. The Price Guarantee does not apply to our or our competitors' free offers, limited-quantity items, items for sale November 28th & 29th, 2008, open-box items, clearance items, Outlet Center items, mail-in offers, financing, bundle offers or pricing errors.
11-03-08, 06:27 PM
#3
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your $5 gift card will be mailed to you in 4 - 6 weeks
this is how MANY stores handle customer complaints
you would have been better off taking the 25% off of a few Blu Ray movies.
depending on how long ago this happend i would have headed towards the 13.99 - 17.99 blu ray rack and collected the 25% off ...
Best Buy usually has the best in customer support but ill admit they do have a few employees that suck at it ...
my chick bought an Insigna (i know i know i asked her why too) surround sound system and the speakers didn't work so it had barely been maybe 5-7 days when we went to return it ... they took it back but realized that she bough a discontinued item and since it was an "open-box" item what they offered us was the model after the discountinued one which we accepted btu we hooked it up to find it wouldnt read discs. We went to return it and the employee that "helped" us said we were not gonne get another one because we already return it once which confused me because ok lets say that that statement was true ... does that mean that the warranty of the product is voided and we couldnt return it that way ??? NO lol and whats Insigna exclusive to ??? BEST BUY . So we spoke to a manager which i explained "we dont want our money back all we want is this exact same replacement" so he said "oh we can do that" and i said "we did we have to go through so much for something that we are already SUPPOSE to get" he apoligized for the hastle and have me and my chick a $5 dollar gift card each lol
this is how MANY stores handle customer complaints
you would have been better off taking the 25% off of a few Blu Ray movies.
depending on how long ago this happend i would have headed towards the 13.99 - 17.99 blu ray rack and collected the 25% off ...
Best Buy usually has the best in customer support but ill admit they do have a few employees that suck at it ...
my chick bought an Insigna (i know i know i asked her why too) surround sound system and the speakers didn't work so it had barely been maybe 5-7 days when we went to return it ... they took it back but realized that she bough a discontinued item and since it was an "open-box" item what they offered us was the model after the discountinued one which we accepted btu we hooked it up to find it wouldnt read discs. We went to return it and the employee that "helped" us said we were not gonne get another one because we already return it once which confused me because ok lets say that that statement was true ... does that mean that the warranty of the product is voided and we couldnt return it that way ??? NO lol and whats Insigna exclusive to ??? BEST BUY . So we spoke to a manager which i explained "we dont want our money back all we want is this exact same replacement" so he said "oh we can do that" and i said "we did we have to go through so much for something that we are already SUPPOSE to get" he apoligized for the hastle and have me and my chick a $5 dollar gift card each lol
11-03-08, 07:22 PM
#4
DVD Talk Legend
Had a similar experience where a friend told me about a book. Found it along with a dozen other copies on the shelf at a Sam's Club. Went to the register to purchase it and the register wouldn't ring it up. The cashier made a call, then explained the book wasn't to be put on the shelf yet per it hadn't officially been released. I pleaded my case to no avail. Not only did my friend already have the book, I then went online to find it in stock at Amazon.com and ordered it there. I didn't raise any further fuss (though I found it very strange and was a little frustrated), I just made the purchase elsewhere.
I believe you'll get some kind of apology. You might receive a small gift card as compensation. Though from the note you sent them, you explained how the manager did try to satisfy you while you were in store. A quirky error on their part for sure. Wonder what would have happened if you walked up to the regular register with the item (at $99.99) and tried to purchase it...and then, if successful tried to pricematch it with the website?
I believe you'll get some kind of apology. You might receive a small gift card as compensation. Though from the note you sent them, you explained how the manager did try to satisfy you while you were in store. A quirky error on their part for sure. Wonder what would have happened if you walked up to the regular register with the item (at $99.99) and tried to purchase it...and then, if successful tried to pricematch it with the website?
11-03-08, 07:46 PM
#5
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Had a similar experience where a friend told me about a book. Found it along with a dozen other copies on the shelf at a Sam's Club. Went to the register to purchase it and the register wouldn't ring it up. The cashier made a call, then explained the book wasn't to be put on the shelf yet per it hadn't officially been released. I pleaded my case to no avail. Not only did my friend already have the book, I then went online to find it in stock at Amazon.com and ordered it there. I didn't raise any further fuss (though I found it very strange and was a little frustrated), I just made the purchase elsewhere.
I believe you'll get some kind of apology. You might receive a small gift card as compensation. Though from the note you sent them, you explained how the manager did try to satisfy you while you were in store. A quirky error on their part for sure. Wonder what would have happened if you walked up to the regular register with the item (at $99.99) and tried to purchase it...and then, if successful tried to pricematch it with the website?
I believe you'll get some kind of apology. You might receive a small gift card as compensation. Though from the note you sent them, you explained how the manager did try to satisfy you while you were in store. A quirky error on their part for sure. Wonder what would have happened if you walked up to the regular register with the item (at $99.99) and tried to purchase it...and then, if successful tried to pricematch it with the website?
My buddy who was with me at the time suggested we try going to the register and buying it and see what happens. It changes the dynamic a bit when you are in a line with a bunch of people waiting behind you.
11-03-08, 09:49 PM
#6
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any item with "1" and 8 total digit skus are not to be sold retail(online only--not carried by location). It is an online only sku and the retail store it will not even scan in the system. The rep II must have accidentally returned the item to the sales floor instead of shipping. So the manager should have admitted his employees mistake and explained it all to you.
11-03-08, 10:00 PM
#7
DVD Talk Legend
I'm sorry you had to go through all that. It's people like that who work in retail that make my retail job so much harder. I constantly have to work harder to show the general public who comes into our store that I know what I am doing.
As a supervisor, I would've just adjusted the price and took care of the situation then. It is not worth the time, the effort and the drop in customer service to not give a customer the item. Sometimes it's not worth arguing something like that as a supervisor/manager and then having that customer drop customer service scores. Best Buy like a handful of retailers have customer service percentages they need to hit every week/month/year. These are done through all of the receipt surveys that print out with every transaction. It's not worth sometimes fighting a losing battle only to have a customer call up the survey, give a low score, which then drops the weekly/monthly/yearly score to date.
This situation seemed like an easy situation to take care of, as you were buying product. I have more of an issue with customers who fight with me, while being rude over an item they bought over 1-2 years ago and don't have a receipt to return it.
Solution? Supervisor/manager should have apologized for the confusion caused by uninformed employees and adjusted the price at the register to reflect the online price.
It's also good to mention this is the time of year you'll pull your hair out going to retail stores. Mostly because many (if not all) retail stores are hiring seasonal employees. Many of these people are just working through the holidays and will not push themselves to learn everything inside and out. Anything to get that paycheck till after the holidays are done. Sometimes you get lucky though and get seasonal employees who work hard or ones that want to stay after the holidays.
As a supervisor, I would've just adjusted the price and took care of the situation then. It is not worth the time, the effort and the drop in customer service to not give a customer the item. Sometimes it's not worth arguing something like that as a supervisor/manager and then having that customer drop customer service scores. Best Buy like a handful of retailers have customer service percentages they need to hit every week/month/year. These are done through all of the receipt surveys that print out with every transaction. It's not worth sometimes fighting a losing battle only to have a customer call up the survey, give a low score, which then drops the weekly/monthly/yearly score to date.
This situation seemed like an easy situation to take care of, as you were buying product. I have more of an issue with customers who fight with me, while being rude over an item they bought over 1-2 years ago and don't have a receipt to return it.
Solution? Supervisor/manager should have apologized for the confusion caused by uninformed employees and adjusted the price at the register to reflect the online price.
It's also good to mention this is the time of year you'll pull your hair out going to retail stores. Mostly because many (if not all) retail stores are hiring seasonal employees. Many of these people are just working through the holidays and will not push themselves to learn everything inside and out. Anything to get that paycheck till after the holidays are done. Sometimes you get lucky though and get seasonal employees who work hard or ones that want to stay after the holidays.
11-04-08, 11:09 PM
#9
DVD Talk Legend
one mistake in your letter, the best of blu sets are 59.99, not that it matters much.
I used to work at that best buy and actually liked the job.
they usually had very good customer service.
i remember that set and all the others sitting on the shelf and never moving.
these are legit box sets that should be in the blu-ray section for sale.
I used to work at that best buy and actually liked the job.
they usually had very good customer service.
i remember that set and all the others sitting on the shelf and never moving.
these are legit box sets that should be in the blu-ray section for sale.
11-05-08, 04:16 PM
#10
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one mistake in your letter, the best of blu sets are 59.99, not that it matters much.
I used to work at that best buy and actually liked the job.
they usually had very good customer service.
i remember that set and all the others sitting on the shelf and never moving.
these are legit box sets that should be in the blu-ray section for sale.
I used to work at that best buy and actually liked the job.
they usually had very good customer service.
i remember that set and all the others sitting on the shelf and never moving.
these are legit box sets that should be in the blu-ray section for sale.
I assume the price must have wen up on the boxsets. I really appreciate your input, so thanks for chiming in.
Thanks to everyone actually. It's good to hear about everyone's point of view so I can see different outlooks on this.
I am curious though, does anyone think I, or my letter, were rude or beligerent in any way?
I'll be sure to keep you guys posted when and if I hear anything
11-06-08, 11:43 AM
#11
DVD Talk Legend
I know it's bizzarre, but legally speaking a store can refuse to sell you something/do business with you for ANY reason, just as long as they are not basing that decision on some kind of discrimination (like race).
11-07-08, 10:03 AM
#12
DVD Talk Legend
I thought your letter was fine, and I would have been pissed as well. Of course I wouldn't wait 45 minutes, but I don't have the patience.
11-07-08, 05:43 PM
#13
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
I think your letter:
1) Should have spelled "Blu-ray" correct
2) Was too lengthy and not to the point
3) Should have been less ambigious ("...I think his name was "David"...")
4) You jump from being upset to asking them how they can get you back as a customer...I missed a step!
That said, I feel your pain. I'd probably feel as confused as you and would have appreciated the additional answer of why they couldn't sell me product. However, I do feel that the manager tried to make the situation right by offering you something that is beyond their normal coupon offerings.
1) Should have spelled "Blu-ray" correct
2) Was too lengthy and not to the point
3) Should have been less ambigious ("...I think his name was "David"...")
4) You jump from being upset to asking them how they can get you back as a customer...I missed a step!
That said, I feel your pain. I'd probably feel as confused as you and would have appreciated the additional answer of why they couldn't sell me product. However, I do feel that the manager tried to make the situation right by offering you something that is beyond their normal coupon offerings.
11-07-08, 06:57 PM
#14
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I think your letter:
1) Should have spelled "Blu-ray" correct
2) Was too lengthy and not to the point
3) Should have been less ambigious ("...I think his name was "David"...")
4) You jump from being upset to asking them how they can get you back as a customer...I missed a step!
That said, I feel your pain. I'd probably feel as confused as you and would have appreciated the additional answer of why they couldn't sell me product. However, I do feel that the manager tried to make the situation right by offering you something that is beyond their normal coupon offerings.
1) Should have spelled "Blu-ray" correct
2) Was too lengthy and not to the point
3) Should have been less ambigious ("...I think his name was "David"...")
4) You jump from being upset to asking them how they can get you back as a customer...I missed a step!
That said, I feel your pain. I'd probably feel as confused as you and would have appreciated the additional answer of why they couldn't sell me product. However, I do feel that the manager tried to make the situation right by offering you something that is beyond their normal coupon offerings.
2) Yeah, I know, but I didn't want to leave anything out.
3) I was 90% sure that was his name, but it wouldn't have been fair for me to say I was certain when I wasn't ya know?
4) I was hoping the letter would spell out why I was angry and that they'd LOST me as a customer. But I can see how some people might not get that interpretation from the letter.
I appreciate your input Superman. Have a good one
And still no word from Bestbuy via Post or Email. I'll let you guys know!
I realize me not shopping at Bestbuy anymore (or just that particular store) won't bring their business to a screeching halt. But it just pisses me off at the way things were handled. I have always judged a business not on their mistakes, but how they fix them.
Last edited by Sominex; 11-07-08 at 07:00 PM.
11-07-08, 08:23 PM
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I think your letter:
1) Should have spelled "Blu-ray" correct
2) Was too lengthy and not to the point
3) Should have been less ambigious ("...I think his name was "David"...")
4) You jump from being upset to asking them how they can get you back as a customer...I missed a step!
That said, I feel your pain. I'd probably feel as confused as you and would have appreciated the additional answer of why they couldn't sell me product. However, I do feel that the manager tried to make the situation right by offering you something that is beyond their normal coupon offerings.
1) Should have spelled "Blu-ray" correct
2) Was too lengthy and not to the point
3) Should have been less ambigious ("...I think his name was "David"...")
4) You jump from being upset to asking them how they can get you back as a customer...I missed a step!
That said, I feel your pain. I'd probably feel as confused as you and would have appreciated the additional answer of why they couldn't sell me product. However, I do feel that the manager tried to make the situation right by offering you something that is beyond their normal coupon offerings.
11-07-08, 08:29 PM
#17
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
It's sad that Circuit City is on its deathbed. I was rather hoping their new policy of prices being the same online and in store would set a trend and eliminate these types of issues. As far as the situation goes, though, it's like arguing at the airport that $9 for a Whopper meal is entirely inconsistent with the prices at every other Burger King in the city. You're not at any other BK, you're at the airport, and at the airport, you pay $9. You should've just ordered the set online, paid the shipping and waited.
And I don't know where you saw the spelling, but it *is* spelled, "Blu Ray." There were other spelling and typographical errors, and while I personally don't care in the least, remember that things like that craft subtle ideas in the mind of people reading your letter. Chances are, no one in Best Buy's consumer relations department is literate enough or concerned enough to even notice, but in the future you might review your letter more carefully before submitting it.
Let us know what, if any, action Best Buy takes in regards to this matter, though.
And I don't know where you saw the spelling, but it *is* spelled, "Blu Ray." There were other spelling and typographical errors, and while I personally don't care in the least, remember that things like that craft subtle ideas in the mind of people reading your letter. Chances are, no one in Best Buy's consumer relations department is literate enough or concerned enough to even notice, but in the future you might review your letter more carefully before submitting it.
Let us know what, if any, action Best Buy takes in regards to this matter, though.
11-07-08, 09:16 PM
#19
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That, or just grab another copy and go to a register. Then follow the direction quoted earlier from the site and ask for the difference in price within the return and exchange period aka from register to customer service section.
If they can't sell something, because they made a mistake, you shouldn't be rewarded because you wasted a bunch of time on something that couldn't have been changed, trying to change it.
At that point you've become the customer that retail workers hate because the only way to get you to go away is to re-enforce your negative behavior by caving in and rewarding you or just waiting for you to leave.
When I complain it's for real reasons, like when a clod at a grocery store backs into my 1 year old with those electric shopping carts. That's a reason to complain.
Also that. Best Buy is two words and Sony.com says you can't spell "Blu-ray" either.
If they can't sell something, because they made a mistake, you shouldn't be rewarded because you wasted a bunch of time on something that couldn't have been changed, trying to change it.
At that point you've become the customer that retail workers hate because the only way to get you to go away is to re-enforce your negative behavior by caving in and rewarding you or just waiting for you to leave.
When I complain it's for real reasons, like when a clod at a grocery store backs into my 1 year old with those electric shopping carts. That's a reason to complain.
"Blu-ray" is the correct spelling.
"Best Buy" is two words.
"Best Buy" is two words.
Last edited by The Man with the Golden Doujinshi; 11-07-08 at 09:18 PM.
11-08-08, 10:23 AM
#20
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Interesting that this came up actually. My friends and I were just talking about how Best Buy is going down hill - regardless of the Circuit City issues. Their selection appears to be shrinking as they expand sections of their store. For instance, one or two around me have added these Guitar Center like rooms for drums, guitars, music, amps, etc. Really sad actually.
We were saying it would be best to have a big retailer that only carries electronics at discount prices, and then a store like Virgin Mega Store that carries the media with such a large selection (at much lower prices than VMS). Absent those it seems like Amazon is becoming the reliable go-to.
11-08-08, 12:21 PM
#21
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Hey guys!
No word yet, but I just wanted to chime in.
"Blue-ray" IS the correct spelling
LOL
"Why don't I buy it online?" It's a fair question and I may very well do that. I'm not upet that that I didn't get it at the price online, I'm upset because one of their CSR's encouraged me to come in the store and buy it. They assured me they could price match it. So I'm upset that I was lied to. Or at the very least I was misinformed, forced to wait, and then still didn't get what I was promised.
Mistakes happen, but as I said before, it's how someone handles them that counts.
And I did proof-read my letter. What spelling mistakes were there? (Apparently I didn't proof read it well enough...)
No word yet, but I just wanted to chime in.
"Blue-ray" IS the correct spelling
LOL"Why don't I buy it online?" It's a fair question and I may very well do that. I'm not upet that that I didn't get it at the price online, I'm upset because one of their CSR's encouraged me to come in the store and buy it. They assured me they could price match it. So I'm upset that I was lied to. Or at the very least I was misinformed, forced to wait, and then still didn't get what I was promised.
Mistakes happen, but as I said before, it's how someone handles them that counts.
And I did proof-read my letter. What spelling mistakes were there? (Apparently I didn't proof read it well enough...)
11-08-08, 01:13 PM
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Best Buy and CC are shit. They always refuse to make right on their own mistakes and policies. I despise both chains for their absurdly overpriced cables, various DVD titles, and customer service. The only time it's worth going in one of those stores is when something is on sale. Otherwise, it's almost certainly cheaper or the same on Amazon or other sites--plus you get to avoid sales tax. I've seen movies at CC for $10-$15 when the same titles were in Walmart's $5 bin.
I remember one time Best Buy had all the ad items on a separate section of the isle, and there were a bunch of titles for 5.99 that week. One of the titles had an Extended Cut, which wasn't on sale. However, some careless employee stocked the ad isle with all the copies of the extended cut they had. By all rights, they should have honored the posted price. Walmart always does. Hell, I even got CC to honor a pricing mistake one time; 2-disc(?) Blade 2 for the price of the cheaper release.
I remember one time Best Buy had all the ad items on a separate section of the isle, and there were a bunch of titles for 5.99 that week. One of the titles had an Extended Cut, which wasn't on sale. However, some careless employee stocked the ad isle with all the copies of the extended cut they had. By all rights, they should have honored the posted price. Walmart always does. Hell, I even got CC to honor a pricing mistake one time; 2-disc(?) Blade 2 for the price of the cheaper release.
11-08-08, 03:01 PM
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*UPDATE*
Well, I got a Voicemail this afternoon from "Helen" at Best Buy's corporate office. She was very cordial in her message and asked that I call her back when I had a moment. I left HER a voicemail and she got back to me just now.
It was a brief conversation, but right off the bat she said she wanted to apologize for how the situation was handled and said she'd like to offer me a $50 Gift Card to help make things right. She thanked me for taking the time to write them a letter and said they don't want to lose me as a customer.
She was extremely cordial, very nice and very personable. I told her the fact that she called me went a long way in my book, b/c a lot of companies would have ignored the letter. I told her that her offering me the Gift Card was a great thing and really went a long way with me.
So there you have it guys! I plan on using the Gift Card to buy the boxset online as soon as I receive it. Thanks to all of you that chimed in and gave me your input. It helps a lot in situations like these to get other people's perspectives and interpretations.
Anyone in the Wilmington, DE area is welcome to come by and watch the DVD's with me.
Have a good afternoon all!
11-08-08, 05:32 PM
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