Best Buy & Geek Squad Policies

[Max_Genus]

Okay, so I've just returned from my neighborhood Best Buy. I went in to pre-order the upcoming Lord of the Rings Extended Edition blu-ray set. To do this, one is supposed to pick up the pre-order box, which contains a replica of The One Ring. I found the box with little effort and it clearly states: "$10 Deposit Required. See inside for details." (photo of the box I found online: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/- WdZoWssuCUg/Tew9VaEDmMI/AAAAAAAAAHE/ZBAWazVwRK4/s1600/100_4761.jpg) Inside the front flap of the box was a numbered instruction list which went something like this: 1) Take this box to the register 2) Pay $10 deposit 3) You will be asked for your name and email address 4) Keep your receipt safe as you will need this to receive $10 off the price of the blu- ray set when it is released on 6/28. 5) Within two weeks of the release, return to the same store with your receipt to pay the balance and receive the movie set Now, what happened when I took the box to the register? The courteous cashier scanned my Rewardzone Premiere Silver card and the pre-order box and informed me the total was $109... I said, "Excuse me?" She repeated the amount and I said that this was only supposed to be a $10 pre-order. She looked confused and looked at the front of the box and I then said, "Let me show you" and opened the flap to point out the instruction list. At that point, she picked up the store phone to try to get a manager to clarify how the preorder was supposed to work. While doing that another employee was approaching to open the next register (I suppose because a line was now forming behind me and my cashier was the only one open). My cashier tried to ask this staff member to help her, but was greeted with, "I can't help you. If it's a price check you'll have to call the department." My cashier told her it was about a preorder promotion and I added, "It's only supposed to be a $10 deposit, but it's ringing up for the full amount instead." The response was, "Well if that's what the SKU scans at, that's what it is and we can't change it" (which was delivered in a no bones attitude of I'm not taking the time to fix your problem). I turned back to my cashier - and I suppose she noticed the look on my face. "You don't want it then, do you?" I said, "No. I wasn't prepared to pay for the whole thing today. Just the $10 deposit." So, she voided out the sale and I thanked her for her time and left. On top of it all, the price shown on the register readout listed the movie set as $99.99 - NOT the $83.99 listed on the Best Buy site. So, even if I was prepared to pay for the whole thing up front today I wouldn't have, since they were going to charge me $16 more than the site! And, yes I know the stores are supposed to price match, but if I can't get them to fix the pre-order price, I'm not about to begin arguing for a price match. This is just plain ridiculous. If you're going to have a promotion, make sure 1) the registers know what to do with it and 2) your staff understands how it is supposed to work!.. And 3) If you're not going to do 1 & 2, don't have staff giving, "we can't fix it"attitudes unless you want to drive customers away, because at that point I not only felt unimportant, but VERY unwelcome.

[RedWyv3 Best Buy Employee]

For reference, LoTR: Extended Edition offer per Best Buy.com website.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=pcmcat242500050003&type=category

[Max_Genus]

@RedWyv3

I appreciate your attempt to help, however after the embarrassment of my visit to my neighborhood store:

• I called THREE area stores.
• One told me I had to use the in-store kiosk to get the $10 price, otherwise pay the full price of $99 (while the site advertises $84.99)
• The second didn't answer within 10 rings... TWICE (about 15 minutes apart)
• I then called the 800 customer service number and told the operator that I was trying to get clarification on an in-store pre-order promotion problem.
  She transferred me to a sales rep. BUT, he couldn't help me, because he said he can only see the online promotions
• I tried a third store as a last resort - at this point I was amazed that they not only picked up the phone promptly, but listened, quickly checked the situation and verified that they were only charging $10 at the register AND would hold a box for me.

Now that I have the box, in hand, here are the instructions, verbatim from inside the cover flap:

1. Present this card to the cashier between 5/29/11 - 6/27/11
2. At the cash register, you will be asked to provide your name, phone number and email address upon choosing the version you would like to pre-order.
3. Pay the $10.00 deposit required toward purchase price of the pre-order. Obtain receipt for verificgation.
4. Retain the receipt verifying your paid deposit. To obtain credit for the deposit, your receipt must be presented when picking up The Lord of the Rings Extended Edition Trilogy on Blu-ray.
5. Return to store where deposit was made between the street date of the movie and 14 days after the street date. [Street dates are TBD and subject to change. Refer to www.bestbuy.com for up-to-date-information.] Proceed to Customer Service with your deposit receipt. Pay existing balance due on any available version of The Lord of the Rings Extended Edition Trilogy on Blu-ray.

Given this, I'm left with the following observations:

• My neighborhood store doesn't know what it's doing, can't be bothered figuring it out or, at worst, was trying to put one over on me to get me to pay full price when it's not needed.
• The first store I called (and took time to pick up the phone) that told me I had to use the kiosk is simply clueless or trying to get me to spend more than I need to right now.
• I've had repeated problems with promotions / pre-orders (both online and in-store) - three within just 6 months.
• The customer service related to trying to clarify and/or fix these has been spotty at best.
• I will now have to trek to the furthest of the 4 stores contacted to pick up my Blu-ray set, because the others didn't care enough to understand the rules of the promotion - or me.
  If it weren't for the fact that I'm using up the last of my RZ coupons and gift cards on this purchase, I would have ordered the set from Amazon. My CS experience with them has been much more consistent and helpful in sorting out problems.

I'll be calling corporate HQ tomorrow to acquant them with my experiences, because frankly I'm tired of the frustrations associated with these promotions, because they should know why they will be losing sales from me - RewardZone Silver status or no.

[RedWyv3 Best Buy Employee]

Oh, I wasn't trying to actually assist you, because I cannot. I was merely providing additional resources for those who are capable of assisting you, so they did not have to do a search themselves.

I do hope your issue is resolved, it sounds very frustrating!

[RedWyv3 Best Buy Employee]

I reread your above post, (the latest) and it seems you had to call several stores before you found one that was able to do the $10 promotion, and that you finally did get what you desired. Well, there's a silver lining in that, at least! I hope you're enjoying your movie!

I'm sure Corporate will be very open to your input! The people able to assist here do not work weekends, this is why you didn't get a reply from them. Don't think they were ignoring you

[Dorothy-BBY Community Supervisor]

Good afternoon Max_Genus -

Sarah, from our Community Connector team, will be reaching out to you regarding your concern.  Thank you!

[Walrus]

Red I think you misread Max's posts, as this is a pre-order for something that doesn't come out until 6/28, so he can't be "enjoying [his] movie."

I did understand and appreciate your referencing the site's information as it does verify Max's $83.99 statement, but it really doesn't help in my opinion as his tirade is about the back-up cashier's attitude and the fact that the full price was ringing up instead of the $10 pre-order price.

Hopefully Sarah will be able to help Max out somehow, though it sounds like he's got the pre-order done now and there may not be much she can do other than say "sorry."

[Mbrguy Trusted Contributor]

I don't really have anything to add to this but I'm glad you posted here because I didn't know that LoTR Extended was coming out on Blu-Ray yet.  This is awesome.  

That is all, bye.

[Sarah-BBY Retired: Community Connector]

Hi Max_Genus,

Thank you for choosing to take part in our promotion and I am very sorry for any misunderstanding or inconvenience that may have been involved.  From your most recent post, it appears that you were going to call our corporate offices for further assistance with this matter, but if there is anything additional I may do to try and help at this time please feel welcome to send me a private message with your information as well as the City and State in which the store you visited is located, by clicking on the “Private Message” link within my signature below (when signed in).

Thanks again and I hope to hear from you,