bookcase3

I recently ordered a TV box set from bestbuy.com for one reason and one reason only: to receive a $20 digital coupon, which made it the least expensive price I could find. This allowed me to get the third season of ER for only $17 and some change. But as luck would have it, one of the discs on ER is defective (tried on multiple DVD players), so I took it to a local store to exchange it for another. I was told they cannot exchange items from the website; rather, they can return it and you can repurchase it (therein losing the $20 savings). So I called the website help line in order to do an exchange, only to find out they don't have an exchange policy. I would have to send it back, get a refund (for the $17 only) and re-purchase it for the full amount.

Basically, I will end up losing the $20 digital coupon -- with the kicker being that I could have bought the original box set for less elsewhere and been spared the time, trouble, and expense. Plus I will now lose out on the first week sales. This is the first time I've strayed from Amazon for an online purchase. Never again.

Any ideas?

honeybefly

Buy it in-store at Best Buy (get a gift receipt) and return the opened set with the receipt as defective. Use the gift receipt to exchange one of your sets for sumthin else.

cseyer

Yep BestBuy's policy on coupons and returns stinks had a similiar problem with rewards certificates. They apply the certificates to one item on your purchase if you return the item you only get the price you actually paid and lose the reward certificate. Sucks.

bookcase3

honeybefly, that sounds like a good idea: buy another ER and return the defective set with the receipt. However, I thought Best Buy will only trade opened DVDs for the same title, not give you a refund. As for the gift receipt, wouldn't it pull up the sale, which will note that I've already returned it as defective? I just don't want to be stuck with two sets, even more money wasted, not to mention a zillion trips to Best Buy (the bane of my existence at the moment). This is just piss-pore service, in my opinion.

aerobson

Universal answer: Return it at Wal-Mart. They will exchange anything. Anytime. No hassles.

dick_grayson

For real? Could I trade in my Family Guy sets for new ones since I've scuffed up a few of them? COuld I just tell them I got them there and they were defective?

aerobson

I have exchanged foolscreen for widescreen versions of movies that I accidentally opened with no problems (with no receipt, no less). I have also exchanged defective discs after the Best Buy return window. Sometimes I don't watch a movie within 30 days of buying it, so I have no other options at that point. They do get your name, address, and DL, so I'm not sure how they track your activity. I've done it a couple times at my Wal-Mart with absolutely no problems. I'm sure if you made a habit of it, then they may say something.

bookcase3

Unfortunately, we have no local Wal-marts (can you believe it?) -- think it would work at Target? Best Buy is really beginning to suck.

fujishig

Walmart will only allow like 2 non-receipt returns per calendar year, they track it with your driver's license, I believe. And I think it's a national database, so you can't go to different wal-marts to try it.

The gift receipt is tied to your normal receipt, so you can't make two returns on it. Sorry. Apparently, the no-refund-on-Rewardzone-certs has been revoked, though, and they will reissue you the certificate if you return an item you bought with it. At least, that's what a BB employee on this forum said earlier, I haven't tried it myself (since my first experience with that dumb policy, I try to ensure that all RZ certs are used on purchases I know I won't return, barring defect).

Target won't do it, unless you get a really lenient CR rep or something. Most stores will do it the week after Xmas, though.

I know you're just trying to right a wrong, but the legality (well, maybe just the morality) of foisting this on an unrelated store is questionable... but it's probably not a good idea to have this debate again. Anyway, good luck in whatever you decide to do, I hope it works out for you.

dick_grayson

so, should I take my scratched family guy sets (which I bought from BB years back) and take them to wal-mart and try to exchange them for new ones? This is probably the only exchange I'd do. What I was also thinking of trying was buying new sets from wal-mart and then pretending my old ones were the new ones I'd just bought and exchange them for store credit or sell the extra replacement set on ebay. Any thoughts? I'd like to avoid any jail time.....if possible.

shawagg

Dude, use the $20 to rebuy it and than just return the defective one. Simple.

shawagg

Another option, try seeing if WB will exchange it.

Easy

Sam Goody had this exact policy and this is the reason I have never purchased anything from Sam Goody again and never will. I had no idea this was Best Buy's policy. I'll have to reconsider shopping there.