Manufacturer Warranties and Protection Plans

[jrodgers]

almost 3 years ago I bought a 42" westinghouse tv from Best Buy in a spur of the moment after holidays sales.  I really had no intentions of buying a tv that day but the price was great.  They talked me into an extended warranty which I agreed to despite never having bought one before.

The tv worked fine until the middle of the day a few weeks ago when it no longer turned on.  Like most people I had long since misplaced all the paperwork but one quick call to Best Buy and the helpful support person (sorry but I do not remember her name) not only found my warranty but walked me through some basic troubleshooting.  She then schedule an appointment just two days away.

Tom G.? showed up.  Tom is great and most definitely deserves a raise.  People like Tom are why I will go back to Best Buy instead of buying my next TV from "an online retailer which is not permitted in this community but is named after a large jungle".

He came in and determined the TV was indeed in need of parts.  I was away the following week but he came back today to put in the parts.  Tom had warned me this might not fix it and unfortunately he was unable to get the tv working.  He would, however, get the warranty process going and I should get a code which will then refund the amount of the tv so I can purchase a new one.

So far the extended warranty has worked great and I hope it continues at the store.

Assuming everything continues this way you can definitely call me a happy customer.  When we rennovated our kitchen we bought our major appliances from "Store name is not permitted in this community but rhymes with Pears".  When they start neededing replacement you can bet I'll be checking out BB in the future!

Thanks Tom and Best Buy!

-Joe

-ps I'll follow up when we have the new TV.

[Allan-BBY Community Connector]

Hi jrodgers,

I was very happy to read that you were happy with both your experience you had at the store when you purchased this TV, and the experience you have had so far in getting this TV repaired.

I would also like to thank you for posting this compliment of our service to you in this matter. I have to say not enough people do what you are doing, and if they did there would be a more balanced perspective of most companies on the internet. Most people only take the effort to write about their experiences if they are negative.

Your post reminded me of a positive experience I had while shopping at Best Buy® (prior to working for them). My wife and I went to our store in Roseville, MN to shop for a microwave, and the associate that helped us had to be the friendliest most knowledgeable sales associate I had ever dealt with in my life. We left the store with our new microwave, and to this day I regret not asking for this associates manager to pass along my compliment to this associates manager.

Definitely keep the community here updated on your experience, and if you need any personal assistance from me just send me a private message by clicking on the link in my signature.

Thanks for posting,

[jrodgers]

Allan, I am definitely not someone who normally likes or supports the big stores but in my experience BB is definitely making an effort and although I will continue to shop for the best deals for smaller purchases online I will definitely be looking at BB more closely in the future. I also know (having been the victim myself many times) that most often customer comments are only the negative and I try to remember to call out good experiences as well. I'm happy to report I now have a new (working!) TV and I am a satisfied customer. The whole story: My wife and I went to our local BB last night. This is, of course, after hours of fruitless research online trying to find the best new TV for me (LCD vs Plasma vs LED). I say fruitless because there are way too many choices and frankly I find the topic a little boring. How many comparisons of black levels can one person read? I brought the old TV and the code the technician had given me to the return dept (interesting side note. Our local BB has a very alert and professional asset control officer and I bet shop lifting is very low in this store). The customer rep, Chris, took the TV and processed the return code. He then turned us over to Jared to find a "comparable" replacement TV. My wife and I decided to go with a higher model (paying the difference) and the Customer service reps (Chris, Jason & Jared) were friendly and accommodating and we had a fun time picking out the TV (another open box model) and watching it be bubble wrapped. Overall it was fun with no stress (I HATE shopping and usually walking into a store makes me tense and annoyed). I will definitely be returning to BB for major appliance purchases in the future. Thanks BB for realizing we are customers and not just consumers! -Joe

[chashutch]

I was surfing the forums when I saw this entry and wanted to weigh in.  I hope others read this and gain an appreciation for Best Buy as I have.

I am loyal Best Buy customer.  I have been for years.  When I first moved from Chicago to the Dallas, Tx area, one of the first things I did was find my local Best Buy store and ask to meet the manager.  I introduced my wife and I to him and informed him that we would be one of his best customers.  We then purchased a new washer and dryer from the store (with the extended service plan).

My local Best Buy store is in business to make a profit... with that said, they also clearly understand that to remain in business, they must treat their customers as if they truly want them to be customers for life.  This is called "brand loyalty".

I am what I term a "Home Technologist"... one of those folks that has worked around corporate technology as a career and who has an affinity for home electronics and any gadget that can be plugged in.  I frequently have family and friends ask me about PC and Home Theater purchases.  I take them to Best Buy and introduce them to my "shopping assistant".  He takes care of the rest.

Great points about Best Buy:

1.  Customer Service - Customer service is top notch.

2.  No commissioned sales people - I do not like high pressure sales and upselling.  (If YOU like that, go to MicroCenter).  Tell me what I need and help me pay for it.  Explain the benefits of the service plan and respect my decision.

3.  Reward Zone - If you do not have a Reward Zone card you are loosing money

4.  Open Box - Yes, I buy stuff that has been marked down because someone did not like it.  I always buy the service plan so I can buy with confidence.  Many times there are missing manuals, CD's etc but there is this new thing called the internet and all of that stuff is readily available there.

5.  Selection and Availability - If Best Buy does not have it on the shelf, I probably don't really need it.  I have a rule that keeps me from buying on a whim.  If I see something I want that costs more than $100.00US, I go back the next day to get it.  That's right, I wait.  If I dont wake up thinking about it, I must not really need it.

6.  Service Plan (Black Tie) - I buy this on everything I purchase over $200.00.  This has saved me literally thousands of dollars.  YES THOUSANDS on TV, Stereo, and computer repairs.  I have purchased ONE xbox 360 in my life but am now on the 4th one.  This is bacause, when they break, I take them back, and Best Buy replaces it.  Simple.  The second one that was replaced came with a $74.00 CASH refund because the price had gone down.  (We bought a little DVD player with the cash).  Best Buy does not manufacturer the electronics, they resell them.  People need to understand and appreciate that fact.  Best Buy will, for a fee, stand behind the items that it resells.  The fee covers their cost of standing behind another companies products.

I could go on and on... Be loyal to a brand and that brand will take care of you.  I am off to Best Buy to buy a new ASUS laptop.  Yea!

Hutch

[get2me429]

I am glad things worked for you...but my tv didn't last two years and geek squad is putting off two weeks.

[USMarine]

I feel your pain.  Not all of Best Buy is to blame only the contributing factors to the problems are.  Murphy's Law is always in effect and if it can happen it will.  You just would think people would go "above and beyond" to help you out.  I hope your TV gets fixed soon, especially if you rely on it for relaxation

[BartStar86]

You're stuck because your purchaced the extended warranty, so you are locked in to accept Best Buy's terms by either repairing or replacing the TV.

Other retailers have a 90 day return policy, meaning in 90 days you can return the TV for a full refund or replacement.

I expect when I buy any TV it will be trouble free, even if I do purchace an extended warranty I will be happy if i never need to take advantage of the warranty.

Best Buy is a big enough retailer that it has control over the reliabilty of the brands of TV's they sale.

When my TV needed repair with the PSP the independent TV Repairman REFUSED to come to my house< I had to take the TV to his repair shop at the time he said that I bring it!, and if nobody was there thats too bad, I had to make another trip.