Best Buy return policy

[pinolian79]

I dont believe this one. I have shopped with Best Buy for years and I know the return policy, but this time they had just lost a customer. I had bought a dvd and got it home to find out it was defective. I had the receipt since I had just bout it an hour ago. I had to wait in line for 20 minutes and then the clerk told me that I couldnt return it since it had been opened. I asked him how the heck am I supossed to know its defective if I dont open it. Of course there was no manager around and he would not do the return. So i went to the site and complained the told me that the clerk was right and that was the policy. Finally I took it to another Best Buy and was able to exchange it. But this was so nerve wracking. I wont be going back there again. Just thought id vent

 

[shadowboi25]

hmm that sucks, I have never had a problem with Best Buy. I had the same problem, my dvd would just randomly freeze and pixelate. It was like a week after i bought it online when i finally watched it, but i went to the store, waited for 5 mins in line, told them the problem and they let me exchange it. Guess it just depends on who you get at customer service.

 

[Orlandude]

Not surprising. For all the advertising they do, they have consistently held the most dismal record of any retailer for returning merchandise. I stopped shopping there 5 years ago because of it and wouldn't spend another dime at Best Buy. Based on what you said, the in-store clerk neglected to mention that you CAN exchange the merchandise if it is defective. If you were attempting to get a refund, forget it. They won't give you your money back and won't debit your credit card if that is how you paid. They will only give an "in store" credit, which a few other stores are doing. You have to check the return "policy" BEFORE you buy anything in any of these stores. Don't rely on the salepeople to tell you. They won't. In too many cases, once you fork over your money, you will not get it back.

 

[racer2438]

Happen to us also, after alot of talking and asking same question how do you know it's defective unless you open it.

So I got pissed and when back next day and opened anew one and swithed it.

Not right thing to do, they have to stand by there products they sell.

They pushed me to extream. But they also lost a customer. And we but alot of things.

 

[tj_jock19]

It is a Federal Copyright Law that retailers are not allowed to return any open computer software, CDs or DVDs. Granted you may not know if it is defective until you open it you do have the option to exchange it for the exact same title within 30 days, something the Customer Specialist you first went to failed to tell you.

 

[tHaTeViLmOnKeY]

At least you were eventually able to return it and had a disk to return. When it happened to me (apparently this happens a lot with Best Buy) there wasn't even a disk in the box to begin with!

 

[doctorsun]

I think you're more the victim of an inadequate cashier than of bad policy. I've had the same problem and never had any problem exchanging the defective merchandise for a new one.

As stated above, it's not just company policy, but copywrite law that opened music, movies, and software cannot be returned. They can be exchanged for another copy of the same title if the original is defective. Your cashier was the one at fault, not you.

 

[CaptainRush]

Policy they can't take it back, that's right. The clerk could have been a little nicer but she was doing her job.

Whenever stuff like this happends, it's best to call their manufacturer if possible instead.

 

[versatastic]

I see you're from Pinole! We always stock up at the BevMo in Pinole and go to In-n-Out whenever I visit friends around Berkeley.

Anyway, I hate Best Buy. Their staff are even more clueless than the ones at Fry's. At least you can get better deals at Fry's or anywhere else online.

 

[pinolian79]

I think you're more the victim of an inadequate cashier than of bad policy. I've had the same problem and never had any problem exchanging the defective merchandise for a new one.

As stated above, it's not just company policy, but copywrite law that opened music, movies, and software cannot be returned. They can be exchanged for another copy of the same title if the original is defective. Your cashier was the one at fault, not you.

That was my whole point I had made to the idiot cashier, I didnt want any cash back all I wanted was a dvd that worked. They have lost me as a customer big time. I will drive out of my way to Concord to a place called Rasputian before I go into another Best Buy. They have a better selection anyways!!!!!!!

 

[pinolian79]

I see you're from Pinole! We always stock up at the BevMo in Pinole and go to In-n-Out whenever I visit friends around Berkeley.

Anyway, I hate Best Buy. Their staff are even more clueless than the ones at Fry's. At least you can get better deals at Fry's or anywhere else online.

Oh Lord! dont get me started on Frys. The beef I have with them is due to the fact that they do not know what the heck a release date is. I was in there one time and they had a Betty Grable box set on an endcap so I go up to the counter to purchase and I was then informed that it was not out yet and they couldnt sell the dvd. The woman had actually accused me of going into the back room and taking it from back stock. Im like if i was gonna do that why even bother trying to purchase.

 

[joesman]

I am in NYC and shop Best Buy a lot and have returned many a defective dvd without incident. That's at the Broadway?Houston St. store and the 6th Ave/23rd Street stores.

Seems you got a cranky clerk. It is nervewracking when you buy something and it turns out defective and the store gives you a hard time. Persist when you know you are right. And then simply inform the store that you will no longer do business with them.

 

[pinolian79]

I understand about not getting the cash back. All i wanted was to excange the product, which it states on the sign that they will take back defective product. They need to train the cashiers on how to deal with people

 

[bluedragon4]

I think you got a bad cashier and a bad response from the site. But if you do a lot of returns you are in a system. Not sure if anyone knows that? To many returns and they will turn you away.

 

[versatastic]

I think you got a bad cashier and a bad response from the site. But if you do a lot of returns you are in a system. Not sure if anyone knows that? To many returns and they will turn you away.

How many returns before they don't let you anymore? I've returned a lot of things to Fry's. They don't have a 15% restocking fee so I like to try out different brands/models before commiting to something. Also, I have to return a lot of clothes I order online that don't turn out to look good on me.

 

[tHaTeViLmOnKeY]

Returning defective products, while not the stores fault, should never be a strike against the poor consumer that ended up with it. Keeping a record for returning defective products is silly.

Returning just cuz, however...

 

[versatastic]

It's called buyer's remorse.

If I drag myself to a store after I spent hours or even days days researching my options and then they don't have working models on the floor, how can I be sure of what I'm buying? At least for big things like cameras and computers you can "test drive" them and know what it's like to use them. But what about external hard drives that never said on the packaging that I can't store large files (I would have lost a very important programming file if not for a helpful classmate with a good HDD) or wireless routers and adapters that don't have the range or connectivity they claim and are completely frustrating to use? And what about those memory cards for digital cameras that claim 60x and 150x speed but never tell you the actual speed or what 1x is? It's not my fault for being fooled by the manufacturer.

And don't get me started on idiot salesmen who know nothing more than what's printed on the specs sheet without even understanding what they mean other than "bigger/higher number is better". I was more of an idiot for ever assuming otherwise and shelling out $400 for Netgear's 1st gen line of draft N wireless trash last year. Still, it's the store's fault for hyping up and selling me crap. It's lovely to see that those same products are still on the shelf but seriously discounted, and most of them are open box/returns.