ATTN: Brad Anderson, Best Buy CEO
“While the environment continues to be as challenging as we expected, consumers are being drawn to brands that they trust, and they are responding to our customer-centric model. In this light, we believe the market share gains we’ve been making will be sustained.” – Brad Anderson, Best Buy CEO
Mr. Anderson,
Since your corporate policy is to not give out any contact information for anyone within your company, I am forced to post this letter here.
I find it insulting that you consider your company to be customer-centric due to my completely unacceptable experience with your company.
I purchased a new computer along with a 2-year extended warranty from Best Buy in October 2008. In December 2008, it stopped working. It wouldn’t even power up. I took it back to the store where the Geek Squad said it needed a new power supply and that it would be ready the next morning at the latest. The next morning, they had successfully installed the new power supply but were still running the 3 hour diagnostics to determine if anything else was wrong and said they would call me when it was ready. At 2pm, I still hadn’t received a phone call so I went to the store. My computer was just sitting there. The diagnostics did not indicate any additional problems and no one bothered to explain why they didn’t call me.
When I got home, the network driver had been removed from my computer and therefore, I was unable to connect to the internet. I took it back to the store where I waited for 2 hours for the Geek Squad to attempt to figure out what happened to the network driver and to reinstall it. They were not successful. They informed me that they would have to ship my computer to Kentucky via UPS 2-day air on December 28th. I spoke with the store manager who refused to even consider exchanging it for a new one, even though it was only 2 months old and I had the extended warranty. He actually shrugged his shoulders and walked away saying there was nothing he could do.
For reasons no one I have spoken to has even attempted to explain, my computer actually sat in the store for another week and was not shipped to Kentucky until January 2, 2009.
Since it’s been in Kentucky, they have ordered two new motherboards, and now today, a new CPU. Both were working perfectly fine until the Geek Squad got their hands on it to replace the power supply.
The extended warranty states that Best Buy gets three chances to fix the computer before they are obligated to replace it. This is the FIFTH attempt to fix this computer and I am still being refused a replacement.
The customer service supervisor I am dealing with has refused three times to escalate my complaints to her manager. The only thing she has ever offered is a $50 gift card. Why would I ever want to buy anything from Best Buy ever again, even if it is with a gift card?
This is, by far, the absolute worst customer service I have ever experienced.
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You’ve been nominated–again!
http://mamaneeds2rant.wordpress.com/2009/01/16/because-they-help-make-my-day/
OK this is errie, but I read a blog posted last year by a DC woman that had the same problem here in DC. I will try and find her post, its actually a couple of them and send your way. Good luck with this ordeal.
OMG I found it!! http://www.bestbuybadbuyboycott.blogspot.com/
I had no idea but apparently she is a celebrity now, I read her blog on accident last year and now she is suing for $54 Million!
Now there is another problem???!!! WTH? You spend $1000 or close to it on computer that should last 4-6 years, and you can’t even get 2 months out of it? AND no customer service?! I remember having to sell my soul to BS complaints just to make complainers happy, YOU have a REAL issue and can’t get help! This is BS!
Oh no, the $50 gift card! That is the same bone they threw at me (my complaint to the BBB still has not been answered by Best Buy)!!! It is unfortunate that they seem to have such a monopoly on the electronics market. What an ordeal! Like I said, if I ever hear anything back about my complaint, I will let you know.
Good luck!
I don’t know which part of the US you are from. I hope you are keeping yourself warm.
http://novice101.wordpress.com/2009/01/17/calling-all-my-friends-in-america-canada-and-europe/
Good for you! They are truly ridiculous!
And now that Circuit City went under, there are even fewer options. PC Connection (online store) has been good so far–but I could change my mind if I don’t get all the rebates I sent for after my Christmas purchases.
A few times in my life I’ve been dealt a blow by crooked businesses. Ryder truck rental was one of them. The other was Holiday Inn. I was frustrated in attempts to reconcile problems. And it caused me to write letters. I do this when I am pissed off. Anyway, I let the credit card company deal with their defective policy. Took two to three months. I don’t know if you used a credit card for these transactions … might make a difference in the options you have for fighting crime of this kind.
I hold a candle of hope.
Maybe if we all linked your post to our pages enough people will see it and Best Buy will again involve themselves…Nah..they have no shame! Well, let me know if you want me to spread your word to my neck of the woods.
If it will help. Some of the addresses are not secret. They are public information. These clowns are a problem but it is circuit city that is going out of business.
from the Investor Relations page
Best Buy Co., Inc.
7601 Penn Ave S.
Richfield, MN 55423
moneytalk@bestbuy.com
Best Buy Corporate Office: (612) 291-1000
Customer Care: (888) 237-8289
Investor Questions: (612) 291-6147
From a library database:
Address: 7601 Penn Ave S
City Minneapolis
State: MN
ZIP Code: 55423-3683
Phone: (612) 291-1000
Toll Free Number: Not Available
Fax: (612) 292-4100
Thank you for the warning. I am about to buy a new computer and Best Buy was at the the top of the list of possible places to buy from. I wanted to buy from a store where, if I had any problems, I could take the new computer back for service and speak to someone in person. Having service close to home and being able to speak to a live person doesn’t matter very much if the customer service they’re providing is essentially useless. Thank you so much for taking the time to write about this and saving me a great deal of money and aggravation. I guess I will buy my HP TouchSmart All-In-One T8100 from the HP Store.
They are absolutely the worst. I am about take them to a court.
I am in thep process of dealing with them myself. I purchased a washing machine in 2004 that broke last month. I called about my warranty and was told that I no longer had a warranty. I purchased a new washing machine from Best Buy and what do I get in the mail today but a “renew your warranty before it runs out on July 24, 2009″ notice in the mail. I called their customer service office and their corporate office and was told to return the new washing machine and they would service the old one. That would have been helpful last month but I do not keep around broken machines in my home. They also had the nerve to say they could not help me because I did not know the date, time and individual I spoke to.
I am frustrated, annoyed and really angry with their treatment and feel like there operation is a scam!
did you ever hear back anything?
Thank you VERY much!
Wow, thank you!
Amen sister!
Thanks. I filed a BBB complaint too.
Feel free to spread the word if you like! Thank you!
Thank you. Unfortunately, I’ve tried ALL of these already. It’s an endless loop of nonsense. They just keep transferring you from place to place without ever giving out any names, numbers or e-mails to anyone that can actually help you.
Yes, they actually did return our computer, with all of our files, at no charge, plus several gift cards for our troubles. It did take about a month and significant time spent on my part riding their butts and complaining to anyone and everyone I could find. Good luck!