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No Exchange: Best Buy Manager Tries To Void XBOX Warranty

consumerist.com — Damn, Best Buy! If your store doesn't handle XBOX returns after 30 days then just say that and stand your ground. Don't tamper with a guy's XBOX out of spite.

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  • Astronutty, on 10/12/2007, -9/+88I submitted this to The Consumerist after being completely shocked by the outrageous actions by the area manager.
    • finkployd, on 10/12/2007, -6/+55Not to dismiss your story, but do they do anything when you submit to them? Do they try in any way shape or form try to verify or do they just trust that since it's a bad place you (the submitter) are totally correct and unbiased?
    • lieutenantmudd, on 10/12/2007, -4/+21Well, you claim your name is Steve and you live in Missouri. So I guess your story checks out.

      Did the timid customer at least thank you or even realize what happened?
    • catalysis, on 10/12/2007, -49/+17I read the story carefully and this is what I got:

      1.) Customer brings xbox in to return it.
      2.) Manager looks at the sticker and says it looks tampered with, then "picks" at it.
      3.) Guy says no it wasn't and the manager allows him to return it.

      What exactly was the problem?
    • Astronutty, on 10/12/2007, -22/+24I actually like BestBuy for the most part. When I need something quick, off I go. There is no other electronics store in town. Otherwise, it is Newegg and a three day wait.
    • KnytFyre, on 10/12/2007, -3/+49The problem is, if there hadn't been someone in line to stick up for the quiet guy, then the manager would have been successful in voiding the xbox's warranty, making any return impossible.

      Add to that the casualness that the manager showed in doing it, in front of the line, in front of the customer, and in a sort of "automatic" way, it makes you wonder exactly what Best Buy is willing to do to not replace something.

      I can't say that I'll never shop Best Buy again, but I know that with all the publicity they've received lately, I'll be doing some serious research into any purchase I"m thinking of there, and the other electronic stores will likely be seeing more of my business.
    • ezweave, on 10/12/2007, -4/+25@catalysis

      Read slower:

      "I got quite interested and stepped to the side of the lady in front of me and looked at it from about 3 foot away (arms reach). The sticker was in place and had not been removed! The manager then picked at the sticker to my horror and I then quickly approached the counter and told customer, quite loudly, to not let the manager pick at the sticker."

      If the manager really did change his mind on the exchange after this, that kind of verifies what the submitter was implying.
    • xlbartmanlx, on 10/12/2007, -6/+20@ catalysis

      Haha, you're kidding right? The fact that the manager was tampering with the sticker is the problem. It wasn't his right to mess with a customer's property in the first place. Had that guy not stepped in, nothing would have been done. Even if Best Buy didn't accept the exchange, the removal of that sticker would have ended any hope of that customer from exchanging the X360 through MS.
    • mdhauke, on 10/12/2007, -16/+3Best Buy hates this site, he told me so.
    • catalysis, on 10/12/2007, -15/+8How do you know he wasn't just verifying that it hasn't been tampered with and replaced?

      Some guy who submits to the consumerist, standing 3 feet back in line freaks out because the manager touched the sticker. Seriously, if this is one of the worst customer service stories you can come up with, you just aren't trying hard enough.
    • Drealoth, on 10/12/2007, -4/+12You should have called the higher ups at Best Buy. This guy got lucky that you were there to stop the manager, but what's to say that the guy won't do it to the next guy who comes in with some faulty hardware? The guy should be fired and probably fined.
    • MrFatalistic, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1I really don't get digg, I disagree with the comments most of the time anymore, who the ***** wants to get behind best buy? Who here has NOT been screwed by a ***** up "PRP" Plan or some ***** promise they never intended on keeping? Why are you backing a ***** up corporate giant close to becoming the next Wal-Mart?
    • overkil6, on 10/12/2007, -6/+5How, exactly did the manager remove the front bezel so quickly? Not that I've tried, but I thought Microsoft made the 360 to be fairly seemless? I know it's possible to take it apart but not without some trusty tools!
    • DryvBy, on 10/12/2007, -10/+5I don't believe you because this is from a pro-customer web site. I've worked retail and have learned that anything that is pro customer is a waste of internet. Especially the Consumerist... Try customers-suck.com. Much better website on why they should dump napalm on people's head after asking for the "best deal". Stupid moron, the sticker is the best deal. Go to the flea market for the best deals!
    • n0ia, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11@DryvBy:

      The reason there are pro-consumer sites is because most consumers don't have millions of dollars sitting in their accounts at any given time like these mega stores do.

      Sure, there are some sucky customers out there, but there are also some sucky retailers out there as well - which is what consumerist is trying to make people aware of.

      Who knows what the real intentions were of the manager, all we know is what this guy tells us, but based on personal experience and experience of those you know, you can make the call yourself.

      Furthermore, if you're in retail, then your job is to SERVE customers. It is your job to make them happy and satisfied. If they're pissed off, then it is your job to try and make them un-pissed.

      You DID sign up for that job didn't you?

      Like I said, there are always gonna be problem customers, but that doesn't make it ok for the retailers to try and screw innocent customers over.
    • Ademan, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2I want to know where they got that picture of best buy. If that came from "steve" (though i assume it doesn't) i don't think that "steve" could be from springfield. The picture looks EXACTLY like the best buy here in walnut creek/pleasant hill in california. I don't know how different best buy designs their stores, maybe they all look like that, but it sure looks like the one here in california... And if it is indeed the one in california, and steve did indeed submit the photo (those are some big IFs so i may just be talking out of my ass here) then this couldn't have happened in springfield, and, well, then this could just be made up...

      cheers
      -Dan
    • FormFactor28, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4@Ademan

      I'm sure it's just a stock photo that consumerist.com acquired from somewhere; it's not hard to do. This is, after all, 2007. And, the Springfield store does look like this anyway, I know this because I went there last Saturday.
    • gxcdesign, on 10/12/2007, -6/+11Digg me down if you will, but I work at Best Buy and I agree with.

      1. Customer should have dealt with Microsoft over warranty
      2. Customer had the option to purchase 2 year replacement plan
      3. Manager should not have 'tampered' with the unit.

      If they wouldn't let me exchange mine then they won't for anyone else.

      What is so hard about Calling 1-800-MY-XBOX?


      This is why I hate when I offer a replacement plan to a customer and they refuse...only to come back later demanding an exchange!
    • socokoolaid, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Anything on The Consumerist should be regarded as utter ***** until proven otherwise, so I guess this is the perfect story to submit.
    • Fhionnlaoch, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3@jimv

      Reminds me of what happened when I went to BestBuy at lunch on Friday to buy a new game. Basically, there were two cashiers, both slow as molasses, but to top it off only one was taking cash. So you had one of the two cashiers being hardly busy and I ended up waiting 20 minutes in line, just to buy a game.

      Times like these make me think I should get a credit card and shop exclusively from amazon.ca.
    • swiftekho, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Best Buy failed to inform me of a charge that Apple has on diagnostics for user-faulted failed iPods. They said, "if we can't fix it here then we will send it to Apple to fix it."

      I thought, awesome. My iPod for some reason wouldn't work. I get to Best Buy when they say I need to pick it up.

      1) Apparently it was dropped in water
      2) Apple charges 20 bucks to run diagnostics on broken iPods that are broken as a result of the user's fault
      3) Best Buy paid it for me and now I owe them 20 bucks

      Needless to say I told them they can go have anal sex with themselves for not telling me about this charge up front... I wasn't about to pay 20 bucks to get my broken iPod back.
    • n0ia, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2@gxcdesign:

      The problem lies in the fact that supposedly the customer hadn't even had his xbox for 30 days - so apparently best buy can honor the 30-day return or they can deny it at will.

      And if I'm gonna spend $300 (or however much one costs) on something, and it doesn't last more than 30 days, then I would want to get it replaced NOW, not however long it would take to get a new one from MS

      But it still boils down to the fact that he should have been honored the 30 day return/exchange policy regardless of whether his xbox was still under the manufacturer warranty.

      This is a terrible example, but go to wal-mart and buy a $300 item, take it home, use it, if it messes up within 30 days (probably even longer for wal-mart) then take it back and tell them you just need to swap it for one that works.

      I've taken items back to wal-mart that came from a registry that I had no receipt for. They took it without question - as does most retail stores like target, etc.
    • cam0man, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I love how the guy links to the BB return policy, but doesn't even read the last line!

      "Best Buy reserves the right to deny any return."

      ITS CLEAR AS DAY. Yea, the guy was a dick for messin with the tag....but read the policy.
    • LembasBread, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4The manager's reasom is so BS. MS (Microsoft) is very strict about how they take back xboxs, but they DO take them back. I work at Micro Center and let me tell you the policies that MS has give us.
      1. It MUST MUST MUST have the retail box to RTV (return to vendor, in this case, MS)
      2. The serial numbers need to match the ones on the transactions - no exceptions
      3. The problem description must be detailed. ie. error code #, or dvd drive fails to open
      4. Every single component must be returned. Aside from wear and tear, it should look exactly the same
      5. A few other minor things I won't bother with as most of you wouldn't get the retail lingo anyways

      edit: oh also, if they do bring in a box, the xbox serial needs to match that box.

      Many times a customer has come back without their box and here is what we do. We get them a brand new xbox from the box. We take everything they give us and anything they hand us (provided it meets satisfactory conditions, ie. no customer induced damage) and we give them those same things from the new box. We then put their old parts in the new box we just opened. We now have a complete set and the customer has a new everything that they handed us. We then RTV (return to vendor) the unit to MS. This is the procedure MS issues. Of course, we only do this within 30 days (adamant on this one guys, sorry) or if it is under a store-bought warrenty. xbox360s also have a 1-year manufactorer warrenty up from their former 90 day one. That began in 2007 for those of you who did not know.
    • hdtvdust, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1finkployd...no...the Consumerist does NOT do anything to verify these claims. That is why they are the worst form of "journalism" Anyone can make up a story and submit it and they will smear the name of hte compnay without doing ANY resaerch to make sure the complainer is telling the truth.

      I know this to be true for a fact, becuase I submitted a completely made up complaint to them and they fell for it hook line and sinker. And it got on Digg's Front Page, and they never tried toe verify it.

      Consumerist doesn't are. they get the Ad sense money either way.
    • ab2650, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@gxcdesign
      "What is so hard about Calling 1-800-MY-XBOX?"

      Well for starters, that's 6 digits rather than 7 (not counting the 1-800).
      I haven't actually CALLED, but don't tell me that actually works.
    • ashehudson, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0 @n0ia
      Um...3 months = 90 days not 30 days....The customer with the Xbox said 3 months. Which is outside of the 30 day return policy.

      You seem to leave a lot of comments defending this story but it looks like you didn't even read it.

      Here is what happened. When you try to return an Item outside of the return policy, it almost always requires a manager's clock number and password to override it.

      Best Buy is one of the biggest targets when it comes to scams. To be honest, 90% of the customers who return something like this returns it due to the fact THEY did tamper with it. IF the XBox was returned within the 30 days, there would have been no problem. The fact that the customer most likely didn't have the correct box, nor anything else rather then just the xbox itself, that means Best Buy just ate the $300-400.

      And to the comment about retail being in it for the customers. You know that is not true, why make a statement. All retail stores are in it to make money. If Best Buy started giving all the customers all the deals they wanted or replaced anything the customer broke, then Best Buy would be loosing money, shut their doors and you would have one less place to buy the stuff you want.
    • Astronutty, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1http://consumerist.com/consumer/best-buy/best-buy-either-voided-your-xbox-warranty-or-sold-you-a-used-unit-255292.php

      Looks like this is not an isolated incident.
  • schleppo, on 10/12/2007, -3/+109"Best Buy" and "shocked" are like "peanut butter" and "jelly" at this point.
    • profOblivion, on 10/12/2007, -5/+19You'd think it wouldn't be all that "shocking" anymore.
    • thcobbs, on 10/12/2007, -11/+3If you've ever seen Ghallager, you know that peanut butter and jelly don't go together....
    • MrFatalistic, on 10/12/2007, -8/+6You can't take a single word out of any best buy employee's lips as truth, you've already lost once you have..
    • DangerMouse9, on 10/12/2007, -7/+0Gallagher and comedy go together like cancer and the Moonlanding. Neither have anything to do with each other.
    • JimV, on 10/12/2007, -2/+23I bought my laptop at BestBuy. I knew exactly what I wanted before I even got there....the Gateway that was on sale for $549 in their ad. I figured I could pick it up during my lunch break and have it to play around with all afternoon. Boy, was I wrong. It took 20 minutes for the sales rep in the laptop depart to acknowledge my presence as I stood next to the display case containing the last laptop left. Then, he called someone else to help me while he went back to convincing a mother, who was trying to get the least expensive computer for her kids, that she needed a laptop.

      So I waited another 10 minutes for the next rep, who walked over from the video camera department, to help me. He grabbed the laptop for me, and before handing it to me, wanted to know if I had talked to anyone to make sure that I was getting the right laptop for me. I explained to him that I knew exactly what I needed, and this laptop was it. He then asked if I wanted to buy their shizzity pc-cillin and spyware removal for $79. I told him that I wouldn't be needing it, as I have an antivirus provided by my university. So finally after being there for about 40 minutes, I finally make it to a check stand. But then, this guy can't figure which printer comes with the laptop, and has to call someone to help. Then, after 15 minutes, he found out they they were out of hte printer and would have to give me a rain check. Oh god.

      After f'n around on his computer for another 15 minutes trying to figure out the rain check, he eventually called someone else to do it. 10 minutes later, some punk from the GeekSquad showed up. Rather than finishing the transaction, he started questioning me again. Making sure I wanted that machine. He tried selling me the antivirus and antispyware crap again, and tells me that the GeekSquad will install them for ONLY $79 (+$79 for the actual programs themselves). I declined. Then he told me about a service that the GeekSquad offers, and he HIGHLY recommended it, that one of their technicians will go on my machine and uninstall all the preinstalled shiot for the bargain price of, I kid you not, $170 dollars. They also would do something they called "optimizing the registry" in Windows Vista. I informed him that I did not need such a service, as I worked for the IT dept in my university, and spend 3 years providing corporate support for a large antivirus vendor, and was comfortable doing all that on my own. Even then, he still tried to get me to bite buy telling me that I didn't want to mess around in the registry because I wasn't Vista certified and that BestBuy was, because they beta tested Vista for Microsoft. I told him I was perfectly comfortable in the registry, and did not want ANY of his extra services.

      He finally started ringing it up after being there for about an a half. And then he went for the warranty. That went on for a few minutes before I politely declined, in spite of being rather pissed that I had been there so long and all I wanted to do was get the damn laptop and leave.

      So overall, I was at BestBuy for almost two hours, for what should have been a 15 minute transaction. Worst customer experience I have ever had outside of a car lot.
    • JimV, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2yarg...accidental post.
    • ki85squared, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8@jimv
      Sounds like Best Buy customer service reps are becoming more and more like Vista's security prompts. "Are you SURE you don't want the anti-virus?" =P
  • FormFactor28, on 10/12/2007, -19/+6You're the man, Steve! When you aren't teaching us coolcats, you're fighting injustice! Where do you find the time?
    • humperdeath, on 10/12/2007, -20/+28"Real men of Genius" Here's to you, Mr. Interested customer waiting in the returns line, because of your loud exclamation, this manager couldn't 'rip off' the little lady in front. (tear that sticker now...) And when it is all said and done, you, Mr. Interested customer waiting in the returns line, can sleep better knowing that you helped the lady get her XBOX exchanged (Play the DVD now!) And then enjoy the cool taste of Bud Light! .. (Mr. Interested customer waiting in the returns line...) please drink responsibly.
    • bilbravo, on 10/12/2007, -12/+5humperdeath's reply is HILARIOUS. Why is it being dugg down?
    • astrotrain, on 10/12/2007, -5/+3Hilarious humperdeath.... well deserved digg.
    • humperdeath, on 10/12/2007, -5/+3Thanks guys! Maybe some people don't get where I was coming from. cheers!
    • Hawkeye315, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I was with my brother when we had to return an HDTV. There were several others there with the same type, and Best Buy wouldn't let my brother have his money back. It was his second or third return/exchange by that point. They held the money for a month, I believe...most likely to collect interest.
  • lkjashdflk, on 10/12/2007, -7/+49you know sometimes i wonder if the consumerist is legit.

    i mean, making things up to get traffic would be bad right?
    • cliffzdude, on 10/12/2007, -2/+38The consumerist has very interesting reads sometimes, but their habbit of giving a "lead in" to a story that is about 75% of the ***** story is driving me madd!

      I can see a sentence or two, but they take 3 out of 4 paragraphs as a lead in. Then, they give you the whole 4 paragraph (in this case) email.

    • cliffzdude, on 10/12/2007, -6/+17Damn time out!

      @lkjashdflk,

      I just took a gander at all of the consumerist's front page articles. I have to admit its the first time I just took a look at what they're carrying for content, vs. something posted on Digg. Alas, it became instantly obvious the consumerist isn't pro-consumer, so much as they ***** HATE BIG COMPANIES.

      Not that I'm a big fan of big corporate america, but geeze. These guys get a hard on for anything that even appears to be possibly perceived as questionable behavior by a big company. Alas the consumer is always the pooor little sould who tells the truth, the big company always lies.


    • djSyndrome, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5"you know sometimes i wonder if the consumerist is legit."

      I've been wondering the same thing, until I saw the video of the man going bonkers in the Brooklyn Post Office. You can't make stuff like that up.
    • lieutenantmudd, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1@cliffzdude

      Agreed. It doesn't bug me that much, but I think the best writing on the net includes a sentence, a quote, and a link. Blogs like Atrios' are perfect at it, you get his opinion in one sentence and a link to go and make your own.
    • hdtvdust, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1For the most part, they are NOT legit. They may not make up everything (thought they did make up the supposed confessions of former cell phone employees) but they never check the facts before dragging a company's reputation into the mud.

      And most of the stories that ARE real, are not the company's fault at all. It is some whiny little bitch consumer thinking he is "special" and deserves special treatment, and htey act like a spoiled brat, yelling and throwing a little girly temper tantrum in the store and then whine about not getting their way.

      Remember this is a site that fights for the little guys, but has no problem stelaing Flikr photos and then bragging about it saying it is "easier than getting permission"
  • deltaandroid, on 10/12/2007, -8/+4What a Bastard

  • Ub3rg33k, on 10/12/2007, -10/+3Everyone knows that Best Buy is run by some of the most consumer unfriendly people out there. Why people continue to shop there is a mystery to me.
    • djSyndrome, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9They're the Wal-Mart of the electronics world, putting smaller shops out of business everywhere they lay their roots down. They've even managed to absorb or destroy some larger chains (CompUSA, anyone?) I'm not saying other businesses are better or worse than BB, but competition is good for consumers as it pushes businesses to try harder to earn your dollars. Otherwise, companies become complacent and offer substandard service. Kind of like Best Buy.
    • hdtvdust, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Damn them for offering everything people need in one place for compettiive prices! The world needs to pay mom and pop electronic stores 50% more for NOTHING!
  • tyler71, on 10/12/2007, -8/+4I wait for the day when a Best Buy horror story website goes online. Digg should just dedicate a topic of "Best Buy" under tech news.
    • Alphateam, on 10/12/2007, -1/+25http://www.bestbuysux.org/

      Been up for years. Archives back till January 1999.
    • evanrousso, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9I shop at best buy at least once a week and I have never had an issue with any of their business practices. I go in there, get what I need and leave.
    • djSyndrome, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13@evanrousso: for the most part, it's not BB's product selection or prices that are a problem. It's when you have to interact with one of their 'employees' that the troubles usually begin.
    • wjglenn, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11For people who already know what they need, BB can be useful. But if you need any kind of advice, pony up the extra few bucks and hit a reputable local shop. It's the same in most retail businesses. For example, if you already know the size and type of shoe that's best for you, chain stores are cheaper. But, if you need someone who knows what they are doing to take a look at your feet and the way you walk, talk to you about what you're planning to do (walk, run, etc.), then a local athletics store can't be beat.

      As a tech guy, I like to stand around in the BB computer aisles sometimes and listen to the horrible advice the sales people give their poor unsuspecting customers. Sometimes, I just can't take it and have to interject.

      I also don't expect BB to be able to handle my problems aside from the within 30-day returns. I wouldn't let the Geek Squad anywhere near my computer and for other products, I'd much prefer to deal with the manufacturer than the BB customer service.
  • trer, on 10/12/2007, -20/+6Not to excuse this manager's action, but you'd be pissed at customers too if everyday you had to put up with yelling, kicking and screaming, not to mention the myriad return scams out there.

    The reason why companies don't trust customers is because too many customers have done nothing but rip off the system. It's too hard to tell who the honest ones are so it's better to just not trust any of them.

    It's a different perspective when you look at the situation from the business's point of view. Getting good customer service means being a good customer.
    • FormFactor28, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15Being angry at customers doesn't mean the manager has the right to remove the anti-tamper sticker from a product that is not Best Buy's property any longer. I worked in a Borders Express for three years and had to put up with the worst customers imaginable, but I didn't take out my anger on the customer by trying to rip the cover off their book when they came in to exchange it.
    • pinkfu, on 10/12/2007, -2/+20If you treat good customers badly because you've had jerk customers then you are dooming yourself to nothing but jerk customers.
    • plastek, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Isn't that why they get paid? If a BB employee is pissy because he/she has to deal with customers, then they're simply in the wrong type of job.
    • dagwood, on 10/12/2007, -6/+4Beware of the self-fulfilling circle jerk
    • ashehudson, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0It's either protect themselves agenst scams and dumb customers or force everyone to pay higher prices. You pick.
  • cgomez, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15"If your store doesn't handle XBOX returns after 30 days then just say that and stand your ground."

    Isn't the return policy thirty days? So, why would they? Am I missing something?
    • lkjashdflk, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10"logic" apparently
    • madk, on 10/12/2007, -2/+17We are definitely missing something here...

      "The customer asked again to exchange the product because he only had it for less than three months."

      Most stores don't honor anything outside of 30 days and hand you off to MS. This article fails to inform us as to how long the customer has actually owned the console.

      Buried as I am sick of Best Buy stories. If you don't like them don't give them your money.
    • nstern2, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7Best Buy will exchange something under the manufacturers warranty. If: A.You Purchased it from them B.You either have your receipt, or have customer service look it up. C .it is a product that can not be sent off to service to get fixed. and D. you get someone competent that works there. I have personally let people exchange an xbox360 outside of the 30 day return period.
    • Rndm_Tngnt, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4XBoxes and iPods outside of the thirty day return policy are supposed to be exchanged through the manufacturer (unless they have a PRP, of course).
    • KnytFyre, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6The situation is NOT about whether or not Best Buy will exchange outside of the 30 days, but the behavior of their manager, who tried to void the warranty on the console by picking at the anti-tamper sticker.
  • evanrousso, on 10/12/2007, -7/+35you know what I hate about these consumer empowerment websites, customers treat business like crap a lot more than businesses treat customers like crap.

    Lets put it this way, if the customer would have listened to the original employee about the store's return policy, than this mess would not have occurred. It isn't like these people get paid a lot of money and they are all just trying to do their job....but because NOBODY reads warranty/rebate/receipt information you have these retard customers pitching a fit 25 times a day to these poor teenagers who are just trying to make some money.

    According to today's consumers having to abide by the policies that are CLEARLY stated on the receipt/rebate/warranty form = bad customer service.

    I am not saying that the manager was right in what he did, I am just saying that the problem started with the customer refusing to listen to the original employee who sounded like he had stated the policy clearly to the customer.

    I used to work in retail and i despise crappy customers.
    • trer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+27I have worked retail too and it's a tough job, especially when you are 17, 18, 19 or even 20 years old. People think they are entitled when it clearly says on the receipt what they have agreed to when they purchase the item. Everything is the fault of the unfriendly business. Yes, there are times when business practices are shady and some people have legit gripes, but more often than not, customers are doing return scams, shoplifting, making a mess in aisles, etc. etc. The business is doing you a service by letting you shop in their store. If you can't behave like a decent human being then take your garbage home and stop bothering the store and the other customers.
    • TheTaoOfBill, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Exactly...also it should be pointed out that though the manager was completely in the wrong he is one person. He does not represent Best Buy's Policy.

      The Customer was being annoying and ignorant. The Manager was being destructive and spiteful. But Best Buy itself is not at fault for this situation. The manager should be fired and even though this wasn't Best Buys fault they will still have to pay for the damage caused by a rogue employee due to the fact that Microsoft isn't going to fix the xbox if the sticker was tampered with and someone should have to pay. Idlely it would be the manager but more than likely it will be Best Buy
    • coolku, on 10/12/2007, -2/+53 months = 91 days >>> 30 days. Should I assume that the customer was in kindergarten, who couldn't do basic math multiplication?

      Manager was wrong, very wrong; but the customer was also ignorant.

      Consumerist sometimes have to bring out both sides of the story otherwise they're going to turn themselves into a crybaby's dreamland.

      Don't get me wrong, they have their goods and I like them for those. They so far have done a good job in bringing out the dark side of Corporations, but they fail to acknowledge the stupidity of the customers as well.

      Suggestion?
      1. Make people realize the policies and games the stores & corporations play.
      2. Make people realize they're sometimes stupid and have caused themselves their own troubles.
      3. There will always be good customers, good stores, bad customers, bad stores. Applaud the good ones, and report the bad ones. And when you're reporting the bad ones, make sure you'd ALSO point out your mistakes in the incidence.
    • wjglenn, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Amen. Just as businesses need to be responsible, consumers need to be responsible, as well. If you don't like a place, quit whining and stop shopping there. If an employee treats you badly, talk to their manager about it or even write a letter to the company. You'd be surprised how much impact a written letter can still have. Stop scamming return policies and use them the way they are intended so they stick around. And the next time you complain about Big Business, think of all the products and services out there that simply wouldn't exist without big businesses - hardware, software, consumer electronics, cars - all the things you know you love.
    • Vishap, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3"I am not saying that the manager was right in what he did, I am just saying that the problem started with the customer refusing to listen to the original employee who sounded like he had stated the policy clearly to the customer."

      Yep, and the problem would have stayed with the customer had the manager never acted like an ass. I think employees have every right to be angry at and flat out sick of dealing with customers like that one, who are either very slow to understand simple policies or trying to cheat that system. Had the manager not done what he did, this story would have been a perfect one for illustrating how frustrating it would be to have to deal with such people and how consumers might think about giving tired looking, overworked employees a break if they're not all smiles. The manager ruined it though and instead made it look like an example of a spiteful employee trying to ruin a difficult customer's product.

      People who have to deal with... people all day deserve a lot of respect for the most part. People like the manager though, in my opinion, do not. If he couldn't handle the situation professionally, he shouldn't be a manager. Move a more capable person up to that position instead, someone who will come to the aid of their employees against difficult customers without acting unethically.
    • RadiatedAnt, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Actually the managers get paid bonuses based on items sold and no returns. F bestbuy thats why the give you the push over when you try and return an item.
    • Astronutty, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2coolku:
      Less than 3 months is anywhere between 1 day and 89 days...

      I assumed the customer thought the return policy was for 90 days, but he actually had the Xbox360 for less than 30 days.

      So, I do not think the customer was as you said "ignorant", he was just shy and not willing to stand up to the manager who would have removed the seal.
  • orlyfactor, on 10/12/2007, -11/+5***** Best Buy - Their customer service has guaranteed I will never shop there again.
    • TheTaoOfBill, on 10/12/2007, -8/+5My Best Buy has excellent service.
  • munkyxtc, on 10/12/2007, -8/+13I swore I typed digg into the address bar...but some how I ended up at the consumerist website.
    But I guess free advertising is free advertising. Afterall, nothing about this great injustice is either shocking or suprising, this type of stuff happens all the time at stores.
    • TheTaoOfBill, on 10/12/2007, -13/+2What!? The whole point of Digg is to link to other sites that have something interesting to see/read. Seriously wtf kinda logic is that?! Did you come to Digg just to read the headlines?
    • djSyndrome, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14His point is that every other story on the Consumerist is winding up on Digg's front page.
    • TheTaoOfBill, on 10/12/2007, -11/+3And what's wrong with that? You don't have to click every link on Digg. If you are familiar with the story don't click it if it bugs you that much. Me? I go to digg so I have everything all on one page so I don't have to go to places like consumerist to find one type of thing to read about.

      If there happens to be a lot of interesting reads on the consumerist then there happens to be a lot of interesting reads on the consumerist.

      The point is Digg is a place that brings all interesting articles together in one place. And it isn't as if the consumerist is the only site frequently finding it's way to the top.
    • karel747, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1When someone's going "OMG this has been on digg a gazilion times befor. whys it here again? your all n00bs," *then* you have a legitimate argument.

      No-one's here picking on Digg. He's just pointing out that a lot of articles are showing up from the Consumerist. That's it.
  • mandarin, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Ahhh Best Buy @ Digg, always a lot of hilarity in the retail electronics industry...
  • MrESaulved, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3No names nor was the specific store's location mentioned. I would think it appropriate, unless the aim is to discredit Best Buy as a whole. Not that there's anything wrong with that!

    Best Buy fails in full face of all the facts, so let's not hide them.
    • FormFactor28, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7The article states the store is in Springfield, MO. That's pretty specific since there's only one Best Buy in Springfield.
    • MrESaulved, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1In the Urban Environment I'm in, there are several Best Buys in the area. Sometimes it's hard to remember in the midsection there is only one brand name store of a type for miles and miles and miles.

      Springfield, Missouri Best Buy you're on notice.
  • ChicknBot, on 10/12/2007, -5/+0First GEEK SQUAD overcharging customers, then the secret intranet website, now this. Lame BB, just lame!

    Really, I will no longer buy anything from Best Buy.
    • JoeB4ever, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Wow, you just read the titles of the topics and assume, don't you?
  • jmp478, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2I took my psp into EB games to get the unpatched gta game a while ago, and the second i took my psp out, the he tried as hard as he could to convince me that it was broken.
    • dellhell, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0eb is not even in the article, why bring them up
  • vexter, on 10/12/2007, -9/+2Best Buy is a horrible company that requires management to rip off customers. Everyone should know this by now. If anyone that reads Digg.com spends money at Best Buy you deserve to get ripped off. You have been warmed 100's of times.
    • Boiler98, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Because everything on Digg is 100% the truth. [/sarcasm]
    • extant59, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2its pretty much wikipedia... why cant i site wikipedia on any papers i write? hmm?
  • Zaphrod, on 10/12/2007, -4/+0Thankfully here in the UK it is the merchant who must deal with all exchanges/warranty requests etc and they cannot fob the customer off in this way. We also have much better consumer protection here than in the US in many other ways.
  • dreadful, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2Another reason to add to my list of why I hate best buy
  • b04155, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6What I got from it is that, somehow, 30 days = 3 months.
    • dellhell, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0once again thirty days is not the point, the point is the blatant disrespect that the manager had towards the customer, and if not caught by Steve from Missouri then he would've been successful in making the customers game system's warranty voided even through Microsoft, it was a cowardly thing to do and no way for a manager of any store to respond, and since you seem to have a problem with the whole thirty day thing, then the manager should've never touched the system and from looking at the receipt tell the customer that the return time is up and he must return it to Microsoft
  • pikegizzle, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3"Looking at the sticker" and mildly picking at it to test its integrity is hardly an attempt to void a warranty. Personally, I'm more disappointed in the manager for caving to the masses o' lemmings and their outcry from one guy yelling "fire."

    And people wonder where bad reputations come from. Stupid interwebs.
  • bbrigg1, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0What I want to know is whether or not the person stayed in line to purchase whatever it was he was going to. There's no chance I would have. Best Buy officially blows.
  • sfida, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7This is somewhat off-topic, but I think the Consumerist is a ***** website. I've seen numerous people banned because they've expressed an opinion opposite of the opinion of Consumerist writers, no matter how intelligent their argument is, or whether they're right or not, they get banned regardless. The Consumerist has little tolerance for anyone's opinion other than their own. They even make their bans public, act like they're being witty and intelligent, and proceed to flame the banned commenters. It's pretty much why I stopped reading that website, because I got tired of how full of themselves they [the Consumerist writers] were.

    But, this article is really ridiculous, as well. If it's been longer than 30 days, then you're screwed. It's not the fault of Best Buy if you waited 3 goddamn months.
    • acceptab1euname, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Have you seen this, as well?

      http://www.flickr.com/forums/help/33525/

      The folks at Consumerist openly didn't give a ***** until this got dugg way up.
    • FormFactor28, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3You obviously missed the point of the article. It's not about whether the customer has a right to a refund/exchange or not, but the fact the manager tried removing the anti-tamper sticker from the customers XBox in order to completely void the warranty.
  • astrotrain, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Okay, I am not an XBOX user... point aside... but when it comes to this BS that Best Buy is trying to pull, its just down right wrong. The manager's name should have been taken, and hell with todays technology, a picture with a cell phone would do nicely, throw a little fear into the manager.

    And then send a nasty gram to the Best Buy Office, Better Business Bureau, and of course *gasp* Microsoft. Nothing like adding a black mark to Best Buys consumer record. ;)

  • jayhawk88, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6This isn't necessarily commentary on this story, but I used to work computer tech retail at CompUSSR back in the day, and there are three things about electronics retail that I've learned:

    1. If you ask the customer if he did something to the item he is trying to return, he will lie about anything he may or may not have done to it.

    2. Actually that's pretty much it. Customers lie. Seriously, they'll tell you the sky is purple if they think it will get them a refund/return.

    I have seen customers tell store managers they bought a computer less than 90 days ago when our records clearly show it was over a year. I have personally installed RAM upgrades into a computer, have the computer come back with the RAM unseated, while the customer looks me in the eye and tells me that "It must have shook loose on the drive home". I have seen customers try to return computers with processors and video cards missing, and swear up and down that they never opened the case.
    • FormFactor28, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3That doesn't mean every customer is a liar just because your bit of worldly experience says so.
  • jholdrid, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@bbrigg1:

    My guess is that the helpful individual was not purchasing anything. Most BBs that I have been to have returns/exchanges in a completely different location than registers used for purchasing. Generally I have found that returns/exchanges are near the Geek Squad area of the store.
  • OwdenBowden, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4isn't it about time all of us say NO to best buy. Stop buying from them and they will go out of business and some new company will come out and kiss your ass.
  • Zoshchenko, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2I agree the manager had no business picking at the sticker, but the article says the Xbox owner had the unit less than three MONTHS - not weeks - MONTHS. Best Buy's return policy is 30 DAYS. This is a Microsoft problem - not Best Buy's. Unless the submitter really doesn't know the difference between 30 days and three months.

    Best Buy has been unfairly criticized - and you don't know how hard it is for me to say that!
    • FormFactor28, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3How is a Best Buy manager unfairly criticized when he purposely tried tampering with the anti-tamper sticker on a product that did not belong to him or Best Buy, in order to void the warranty completely?
  • RoflMyWaffle, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3not suprised
  • Avalontor, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2So "Steve" writes a message to some consumerist place and a lot of you agree that that is the straw that broke the camels back, you will never shop at BB again. Are you serious? You know no facts what so ever but you stand behind this "Steve" like he is a Messiah. Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?

    Remember kiddies, you weren't there.
    • Astronutty, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4I was there and I witnessed it. I submitted the story to The Consumerist. My name is Steve. I really don't mind those questioning the story, but I did indeed witness this happening. The manager would have removed the anti-tamper seal if I had not intervened. Thanks for all the comments.
  • vanrigt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1he's a picker of the sticker, but did he double dip the chip?
  • malavalla, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1JUST IN !, best buy manager tells Elvis to leave the building
  • bonedog73, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Damn sticker pricker!

    Gotta love the Internet for these types of things.. picky a sticker and the whole damn worlds gonna find out. Booya!
  • majua41, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2When your in the bathroom, turn off the lights and say Best Buy three times towards the mirror and you will get bitch slapped with a PS 3 by Chuck Norris.

    Best Buy = Satan

  • Thefoshe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Crap I live in Springfield, MO. I hope they dont do that to me.
    • dellhell, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Nixa is just a ten minute drive from Springfield, hope you didn't buy your Nintendo Wii at BestBuy, did you get it as an early 16th birthday present?
    • Thefoshe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Who are you DellHell?
    • dellhell, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3i'm not going to tell you my name over the net but i'll see you at school
  • LastExile, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Worst Buy is such a scam.
    I have a story for you all i had the extended 2 year warranty on my xbox and it happened to be one of the first ones with the Thompson drive that didn't recognize ***** so i went to return it and they wouldn't except it and it was under there guidelines for the 2 year service plan so i went and bought a new one and then went home and cleaned the old one and then returned the new one with the old xbox in it since they love to scam others i thought id have a little payback and do it to them. and most of the time when you return ***** there to them later at night they don't even look at the ***** inside the item hence the xbox and the router i just took back. half the time they dont have any time to check or are just to lazy.

    feel free to use my story and scam a scam company with ***** prices i might add i suggested they should change there name to something better like Worst Buy.
    -J
    • winman15, on 10/12/2007, -5/+5Wow, that story couldn't be any more fake. 1, if it was under PRP and legit just bad dvd drive, you get a new one. Plain and simple. You can slander best buy all you want but you will never be denied a replacement unless YOU void the plan by opening it yourself or physically damaging it. 2, No way in hell you returned an opened xbox. The first thing they do is open it and check the serial, every time. I'll bet money you voided your service plan for a new one and your the only one to blame for not getting one. Every body just loves these articles because they think Best Buy owes them the world or something. News flash, you dont like, dont shop there. Dont go making up stories though. Pathetic. Also, the consumerist is the most retatrded, incorrect website on the internet. 90 = far outside return policy. Picking at a tamper seal wont do *****. It has to BROKEN by force.
    • FormFactor28, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@winman15

      Did you even read the article? The person who wrote the story wasn't the person trying to return the Xbox, he was a witness. Also, the guy intervened just in time to keep the stupid manager from breaking the anti-tamper seal by force. I'm guessing you work for Best Buy and you like it when your manager pats you on the head, so you feel obligated to defend managers everywhere.
    • LastExile, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I use to work for worst buy worst job i ever had. and this was before i worked there.
      "Wow, that story couldn't be any more fake."

      *Dude its not fake they wouldn't take it back, something about they couldn't find my plan since it was from another state and i know thats ***** since they have to be tied into some kind of inner network like there database for games and so on to check stock.*

      "1, if it was under PRP and legit just bad dvd drive, you get a new one. Plain and simple. You can slander best buy all you want but you will never be denied a replacement unless YOU void the plan by opening it yourself or physically damaging it."

      *Sounds like you are either a fing fanboy of worst buy or you work there. and i never opened anything on this system. why would i too since i have the fing service plan...!*

      " 2, No way in hell you returned an opened xbox."

      *Yes i did the same day and they didn't even take it out of the box they just made sure the Tetris game was in there and the wires and credited my card and i was out of there in 10 mins tops. like i said they are ***** stupid i would of thought there would be some kind of serial number posted on the recite but i guess not since they didn't say a damn thing they just asked why i didn't want it i said i changed my mind and i got my damn refund.*

      "The first thing they do is open it and check the serial, every time. I'll bet money you voided your service plan for a new one and your the only one to blame for not getting one. Every body just loves these articles because they think Best Buy owes them the world or something. News flash, you don't like, don't shop there. Dont go making up stories though. Pathetic. Also, the consumerist is the most retatrded, incorrect website on the internet. 90 = far outside return policy. Picking at a tamper seal wont do *****. It has to BROKEN by force."

      *I don't ***** shop there cause i know how ***** works since i worked there for 7 months and the people and management are ***** assholes they don't help at all and are ***** rude if you are not a customer. so don't tell me what is fake ive been the customer and the employee so i know both sides of this scam. again i didn't tamper with a damn thing since i had a 2 year prp what would be the ***** point in that. and from what i take it now you are a current best buy employee so every word out of your mouth is ***** since you probably work for them to go against any bad story against worst buy. and they do owe me something my 6 months of time i wasted trying to like working there. i hope you work customer service and some one ***** scams you.*

      Another nice tidbit from working there we were asked not to bad mouth worst buy in any way online or even talking to others. they had gay ass videos we had to watch every first Sunday of every month which i wouldn't mind having that time back too. also they mark up there accessories so ***** much thats where they make all there money. employees get a 5% above cost discount so a 25$ pack of batteries only costs the employee 2.85$ insane right so if you need batteries ask an employee for there discount or just shop at walmart . There is so much ***** that people don't know about this ***** company its sad if they had this ***** posted they would never have any customers which i hope happens in the not to distant future.
      -J
  • evanrousso, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3So according to a lot of these posters I am supposed to stop shopping at best buy because someone I have never met had a bad experience there.

    I have had nothing but good experiences at Best Buy, all of my major electronics are bought there. If I get a defective product I bring it in within the 30 days and have never had a problem. There products are inexpensive and it is conveinent to shop there. Anyone who wants to stop shopping there can go right ahead, but they have always earned my business.
  • nrgamble, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2For the record, I did not read this story...I am basing this comment on the plethora of similar stories on Digg.

    I'm sick of all these stories about Best Buy customer service getting dugg to the front page. Managers and retail store employees have been screwing the customer since day one and it only seems like Best Buy does it more because they have become everyones one stop shop for electronics. Get over it.

    I don't shop at Best Buy very often and it's not because I read about other peoples "horror stories", it's because I instead spend that time finding a cheaper alternative (which there are dozens of). Perhaps everyone who dugg this story should try the same and rid Digg of these pointless temper tantrums.

    • FormFactor28, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Like your pointless temper tantrum?
  • SRidley, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Ok...this appears to be a very one sided story. Most managers at Best Buy are good people and understand the difference between right and wrong. You can't make judgments until you've heard both sides of the story. Especially in situations similar to this one. I know I get very angry when people pass judgment without taking the time to hear both sides argue their case. Imagine owning a store similar to Best Buy and people stop shopping at your store because of something they heard. That would be quite frustrating, wouldn't it? Yes. Especially because in this situation we don't know if the gentleman attempting to return the XBox 360 has a history of tampering with XBoxes or possibly defrauding Best Buy. We don't know if maybe he had lied to Best Buy about his situation. Until you can answer questions from both sides in this situation NOBODY has room to pass judgment over Best Buy.

    This logic should be carried out into almost every aspect in your life. Don't jump to conclusions and get emotional about a situations until you have some strong insight and understanding of where both parties stand on the issue.

    • Astronutty, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Actually, I witnessed the area manager attempt to remove a perfectly sealed anti-tamper device, after claiming the Xbox had been opened. He was going to deny the exchange and said so because of the seal, but after I told the customer to not let the manager remove the sticker, the manager backpedaled and allowed the exchange. Why the change of heart, because he got busted doing something wrong.
    • FormFactor28, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@sridley
      "Most managers at Best Buy are good people and understand the difference between right and wrong."

      You said it right there. MOST managers. If a customer can be accused of lying to or cheating Best Buy, why is it so unbelievable that a Best Buy manager tries to cheat a customer. The door swings both ways.
    • FormFactor28, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@sridley

      Regardless of whether a customer "has a history of tampering with XBoxes or possibly defrauding Best Buy", the manager still shouldn't have tried to break the anti-tamper sticker. No argument. He should not have tried it. THE END. By him doing so, he becomes a manager with "a history of tampering with XBoxes."
  • djphatjive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4***** BEST BUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • tektalk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3"There is no warranty"
  • LembasBread, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8I'm not out to defend Best Buy, but working at a computer store (not Best Buy) has helped me empathize a bit. I hate service plans, you hate them, we all hate them and the only thing we hate more than the actual plan is being askd if we want to buy it. You have to understand that the sales reps hate it as much as you do. Do you know what they say after the store closes? They talk about how much they hate clearanced crap, moron customers, and service plans. I work at the customer service desk, so believe me, I see plenty of this drama. However, sales reps, especially those selling systems, are under very high pressure to sell those plans. You see, the computer you buy give very little money, if any to the store. In fact, the markup usually just pays for shipping and sometimes the store actually has negative profit margins on computers. That is why the rep has to sell you the plan and the installs and the cables. If they don't, they are fired. Plain and simple. The people who do it don't like it, the people who make them do it don't like it, and the people who make the people make other people do it don't like it, but guess what? That is what it takes to be competative in retail. Pretty much everyone gets the shaft except the CEO. Let me give you a few ways to piss of your sales/customer service rep.

    1. When you return something, put it back in the damn box. We hate nothing more than being handed a piles of junk and a box in 2 seperate pieces. Yeah, blister packing sucks, but if we can do it, so can you.
    2. Pay in lots of change or cash in general. Yes, cash is a legitimate way to pay, but it is slow and is a pain in the ass. Cash causes till variences and small bills/coins on a large purchase just increase that chance. That is why cash sucks.
    3. Don't lie during your return. If you are going to lie, at least plan it well and plan it ahead of time. We've heard it all and we know when you're *****. We will usually tell our colleague about your ***** as soon as you leave the counter.
    4. Don't stick around after close and if you do, get your stuff and get out. The store hours are posted for a reason and you are holding up everyone.
    5. If you are going to argue policy, you had better know your ***** because the sales rep or customer service rep usually does. Stores like Best Buy usually have legit. policy, but the employees are under such pressure to meet their quotas that they usually bend and break them to do it. I had an agument with a customer about tax exemption the other day and I finally was so pissed that I went and grabbed a copy of the state law and pointed out his stupidity. He proved his ignorance further when I wouldn't let him make any changes to his tax exempt form (he was, however, welcome to fill out a new one) after signing it because, as I explained, it was now a legal document and changing it was illegal for either of us.
    6. Lines are there for a reason. You arn't too good to wait in them. I don't care if you have a quick thing, there is a line.
    7. If your representative is in the back to do something for you, don't leave. It is a pain in the ass for both of you. If you are really impatient, jsut ask someone else to get him/her for you.
    8. You know more than the sales person about computers? That's great. Did you ever stop to think that if this sales/customer service person knew such a plethora about computers that they probably wouldn't work for $9 an hour in a retail store?
    9. Why does everyone expect their electronics to last forever? You buy new clothes when they wear out, you buy new tools when they break, you buy a new car when it becomes faulty. Why then does it come as such a surprise that your computer breaks? This is especially true when you don't even know enough to fully use it.

    Whew, that was a long comment. I could probably write an article like the "confessions of a sprint employee thread' about this... If someone has a place for me to post it, I would.
    • Astronutty, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I do agree with your post in it's entirety, I personally am a very consciousness customer. I feel for the poor folks behind the counter. I understand they have been standing for entirely too long, I have been there myself. I am overly gracious to my clerk upon checkout and at the service desk. Sometimes though, stress bring out the worst in people. It may be BestBuy corporate putting unreasonable demands on store managers, and in turn to the lowly clerk. I am very careful to not escalate any issues I may have with the service person, because mostly they are "following orders". They do pay the price for following those orders, from the very people that ordered them to do this or that... so again, I rarely if ever complain.

      Sometimes there are exceptions, hence this story.
    • LembasBread, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Being nice really does get the employee to go the extra mile for you. I'm not going to stand here and tell you that I'm always right, everytime because I do screw up (usually to the customer's benefit). That said, if the employee is asking you for your name at checkout and his boss is standing right behind him, cut the guy some slack and give him a fake one if you have to. Employees get capture ratings for those things and it really does make them look bad if they don't get them in front of your boss. Would you go up to your colleague at work and ask him about the party last night when he is trying to explain to his boss why is monthly reports are 2 days late? The same applies here. You may be off work, but they arn't. The inverse applies as well here. if you are an ***** to them, they will usually will just not cut you any slack, but they won't go out of their way to get you. I have to admit, though. There have been some truely wretched people where I have gone out of my way hurt them. These employees really do have the power to screw you over on some of your big dollar purchases. They might be the deciding factor that decides whether or not you pay a 15% restocking fee (not actually a restock fee, it is because they have to mark it down 15% later, btw) on your $2500 laptop. Like I said before, I usually know when I customer is feeding me *****. It is the same way your teacher knows you are lying when you say you forgot your homework at home. I'm under 18 and while the majority of people are nice, I get plenty of jerks who think they can talk down to me because I'm just some kid. Well sorry grandpa, but at a computer store, technical knowledge is the medium of measurement, not rambled war stories. In that context, that person is not your inferior and if you treat them that way, don't be surprised when you get "***** service."
  • aaronfinity, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3oh great...thats the best buy i shop at!
    • Astronutty, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3astronutty shops there
      thefoshe shops there
      aaronfinity shops there

      Anyone else willing to admit shopping at the Bestbuy in Springfield, MO?

      Wait a minute... arronfinity, you are from Chicago.
    • Hawkeye315, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I guess I can...usually only with Astronutty, though...
    • synystar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I USED to shop there.... I haven't for some time now. See my comment (rwfaught) on the article at Consumerist.
    • Astronutty, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3synystar: Roger? Is that you?
    • synystar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I realize that Springfield isn't a large city...but I didn't think it was THAT small. Okay Astronutty... it's me, who are you? I can't tell from the pic but I can only think of one Steve...
  • ryantollefson, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I'm confused... what motivation would the manager have in removing the sticker? It's not like he needs a second excuse to say no to the guy.
  • catatonic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yes, the customer was wrong for harassing BB when his unit was past 30 days. That is a contract issue, and not an actual crime however.

    BB VANDALIZED (more specifically an agent of theirs attempted to) the Xbox, by means of tampering with the label.

    IMO at that point they were obligated to replace it. If it was me, i would have had a three ring circus there since their manager just screwed with my MS warranty for this item. There will be no discussions....give me a new one, or it will be settled in court.

    The problem isn't BestBuy...it's the morons they hire. For some reason stores like this attract snotty self-righteous brats, instead of folks that will try their damnedest to do the right thing. Being a bad judge of character doesn't make anyone evil....put the evil where it's suppoed to be, that "manager".
    • Astronutty, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Less than 3 months is anywhere between 1 day and 89 days, many posters assume less than 90 means more than 30.

      Oh well.
  • bdizzlefizzle, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Alex and Kevin, you HAVE to bring this up on Diggnation!!!!!!!!!!
  • sjsoko, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3This situation, and similar activities on the part of employees of Best Buy, as well as reported policies of customer profiling are reasons that Best Buy is "OFF" my list.
  • theelectricafro, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2BEST BUY IS *****. THEY FIRED ME FOR COMPLAINING ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE MANAGER WAS HARASSING ME BY REPEATEDLY POSTING A WORK SCHEDULE CALLING ME A "GIMP" WITH AN ARROW POINTING TO MY NAME!

    I TOOK OFFENCE BECAUSE I AM 33% PERMANENTLY HANDICAPPED! HE KNEW THIS!

    FUK THEM AND THEIR *****!
    • synystar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Calm down. If that's true, and you have witnesses or evidence, you have good cause to sue and and a good chance of winning. Don't just take offense. Take their money.
    • Astronutty, on 12/08/2007, -0/+1I would have temporarily removed the posted schedule and made photocopies. If you never made a photocopy, you slipped up and should not expect anything from Bestbuy. I feel for you though, and I am rooting for you.
  • kraigdaemon, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0Nice indeed. Wow, these are cool!
  •  

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