Best Buy's Product Replacement Program Rips you off by not giving you your sales tax Garland Texas

Incident
I purchased an $80 product replacement warranty for my PlayStation 3 that cost me $499.99. 14 months later, my product failed. I called the warranty company who immediately faxed me a shipping label...nice job, very impressed. I sent my Playstation back along with all accessories and a letter stating the total I was expecting back ($541.24). I was told that I should receive my \"gift card\" within 2 weeks that would include total price of unit and sales tax 10 business days according to their rep.

3 weeks later I called to find out where it was, they stated they NEVER received the unit back...go figure! They put in a claim and said they would issue me the gift card, but only because I made a fuss. I finally received my gift card yesterday, (a month after sending it back), less the taxes I paid. I called the warranty company, who at first stated that taxes were NOT included. I explained my original conversation from the month prior, where I was told that it did in fact cover taxes, in order for you to go back out and \"replace\" the unit.

I started to get frustrated with the rep. and asked to speak to a manager, I was put on hold for 10 minutes until she returned and stated she was incorrect and that I should have received the taxes as well, but unfortunately the department that I had to file a \"new\" claim with was already closed and that I would have to call the next day. I called today and was told that I had to fax over my original receipt (which they already had a copy of from day 1).

I didn\'t even have my original receipt, so they transferred me to the \"receipt dept.\" who gave me codes that I needed to include when I shipped my unit back. But I went the extra mile and went to my local Best Buy in Simi Valley, who was able to print it out for me, so I was able to include it with my letter. I first spoke to Dan who told me not to use the card I just received and he would issue me a new one with the corrected tax. I told him I used the card last night but wasn\'t able to get the right Playstation because I hadn\'t been sent the correct amount.

Dan then said to not use the remaining amount on the car and another card would be sent with that amount along with the taxes they hadn\'t included. I told him that was unfair that I would have to wait another 2 weeks to get the adjusted amount and then asked to speak to his supervisor. I was connected to \"Jessica\" and was told that this was an isolated incident and that due to an \"error\", the computer put in the incorrect tax percentage. Instead of 8.25%, I was given less than 1% tax.

I went from receiving $41.24 in taxes to only $3.99 in taxes. After over an hour of being lectured on having to resubmit my original receipt (which I wouldn\'t have had, had I not gone down to Best Buy to get a copy of, I was told that in order to get my money reimbursed, I had to fax it to them or they wouldn\'t help me. I explained that over the last month, I have spent more time begging to have my money returned so that I could replace the product immediately, as it was my kids only electronic entertainment, as well as being our main DVD Player and that they were telling me that due to THEIR error, I had to do make even more effort to get the remaining money that was long owed to me.

To me, they have committed fraud and I know I can\'t be the only one out there. First you are given one bit of information, then when it doesn\'t happen, they \"LIE\" about it, and then when you go up the chain of command, the \"TRUTH\" is given, but they don\'t make it easy to collect, you have to literally give more time and money faxing them YET ANOTHER COPY of what they already have in their possession, it\'s their attempt in trying to get you to give up and go on about your life.

Most big companies believe it\'s not worth it for the consumer to make complaints. Basically here is the deal, BEST BUY PRODUCT REPLACEMENT PLAN will make good on the warranty you bought, but they make money ripping people off by not giving them the full price you paid at the beginning, which is their big hype when selling you the product replacement plan. They are committing fraud by not including sales tax, and without that, how can you go back and have the product replaced??? I just happened to have caught it.

The paper that the gift card is attached to states the amount on the card, I didn\'t realize it however until I went to buy the product and I didn\'t have enough on the card for the taxes. I came home and looked at the amount written on the letter they sent with the card and surprise, the amount was different than what I had written on my letter back to Best Buy with my product being returned. I was a lucky one to catch the fraud, but I know other\'s haven\'t noticed and BEST BUY continues this illegal practice, because no one does anything about it.

After the communication, most people don\'t think the frustration is worth the head ache. Just because the economy is bad, doesn\'t mean they should be able to steal from the consumers that have kept them from shutting their doors like Circuit City. It sucks to not have competition like Circuit City, because they always had lower prices, but now Best Buy feels they can rip people off and there\'s not a d**n thing you can do about it. I am just one more victim of BEST BUYS fraudulent practice and I hope this complaint doesn\'t go unnoticed. Thank you.

Teresa
Simi Valley, California
U.S.A.

Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Best Buy