Best Buy (Store 1189) Store did not accept return with valid receipt and product Gilbert, Arizona

Hey I actually work at best buy not the same store as you're having issues with. But a lot of the networking product has shrink wrap on it with a different UPC label sticker on that. Go into the department and pick up one off the shelf and see if it has a different label, otherwise I can honestly see why the associate wasn't willing to return an item if it wasn't in our system. Best Buy isn't up to anything fishy, just a lot of manufacturer's put the barcode on the shrink wrap itself for some strange reason and then the barcode on the box will be different.

Why did you return an item on Feb 26th, when  you bought it on feb 6th?

Was the box sealed when you returned it to best buy? 

Did the serial number on the box match the serial number on the product????

I have a theory that you bought the same item a few months earlier, and you tried to get the store you bought it from to return it, and replace it, but it was past 30 days, and they told you to contact Belkin.

You end up  going  to best buy on feb 6th bought the router, installed that item, then put the old broken one (out of warrenty) back in the box, and tried to return it 20 days later.... 

Is that what you did???    Buyers do it all the time, sometimes they get away with it, sometimes they dont.

I purchased an expensive Belkin Wireless Router only 3 months ago. Although the bottom of your box has a serial #, it should be very small and probably difficult to read. However, the SKU # is big. I checked my box and my receipt, (also from Best Buy) there is no serial # located on the receipt, only the SKU #. So why is there so much trouble when they don't use the serial # for this item in the first place. Serial #'s at BB are usually imputted for gaming systems, TV, appliances, larger electronics, etc. Basically items over $150. I'm not understanding why you're having so much trouble returning an item in which the serial # isn't indicated on the reciept to begin with. The only thing I think of is that when the BB employee went to scan the SKU, he accidentally scanned the serial # (which is probably faded from shelf ware) or both the serial # and SKU # together, since they are very closely located on the bottom.

If you try to take it elsewhere and still have an issue, you ahve one more solution... You stated that you used your credit card to make the purchase? Then call your CC company and disbute the charges. You will have to explain why, but five minutes is probably worth it at this point.

Unfortunately, all I can come up with is conjecture.  The thing is, in order for BestBuy to be able to sell you the Router in the first place, it has to be in their database. Every item Bestbuy sells has what is called a sku number. All skus are in the database as well as the UPC code. In order for them to sell an item, it has to be scanned at the point of sale. If the UPC does not scan, they can also manually enter the sku number (or UPC number as well), and ring up the item. If the item is not in the database, the message "item not on file" comes up on the cashiers screen. If this happens it would require an over-ride by a manager, and would require further looking into since how would they even know how to price the item in question?

Have you tried returning the item to a different employee or have you talked to the store manager?

The reasoning is very strange and I'm wondering if the employee made a mistake when entering the serial number. I also find the response from customer service to be strange - part numbers and serial numbers are very different things. I've had no problem getting employees at my local Best Buy to search for items in other stores.

In response to Ronny G's post concerning my report, I would like to add: 

...you stated one of your issues with the store is "The sales associate could have taken the same steps as the person in the Consumer Relations department".

But earlier you state.."He did look into the sales record, but kept on saying that the product did not come from the same store"..

Now this is essentially the same thing CR told you. What does not add up is that myself working for BestBuy for over 6 years, know first hand the database is company wide..it doesn't add up that something would only be in the database of one BestBuy location, and not another. Bestbuy is one single corporation..they are not a franchise.

Regardless...even if this is the case..then you certainly can not blame the Bestbuy you went to return the Router to if the part or serial number is not in their data base. In other words..if it was not in their database..then there really would be nothing else they could do. You state that CR told you it is not in the database of that particular store. So if CR told you which stores database it is in..why would you fear getting "humiliated" again? If it is in a store database, and you know which store, there would be no problem at all returning it. You seem to be resisting resolution but what is worse is that some of your statements do not make sense to someone like myself, who fully understands BestBuys policies and how the company works.

But as I said in my previous post, I hope this is just a mistake and if so, they make good. I can't imagine that they would put you through this without due cause since a multi billion dollar corporation such as BestBuy can certainly except a return on a router if everything is in order..it's not going to hurt them. Unless they consistently were scammed by refunding merchandise they never actually sold. The serial/part numbers are what prevents this.

While I can not defend an employee of BestBuy if you were treated rudely, or feel that you were, it is not an entire companies fault if some employees can't make you happy. Not that it technically matters..but you never stated why you are returning the Router.

To the defense of BestBuy, there is a reason products have serial numbers. What some scammers do is when a product they already own which is either  defective and out of warranty, or sometimes even stolen property, they go to a big box store, buy the same exact item, and then switch the contents and return the bogus one to the store. And THIS is the reason the items are serial numbered. As well..sometimes it is an innocent mistake and the customer actually did purchase it from another chain and is trying to return it at the wrong store..I have seen this myself first hand. As well..sometimes people knowingly try to return product that was purchased somewhere else. You can't expect any company to buy product back from a customer they never sold it to.

So it does not matter if there is camera footage of you buying the item..or you have a receipt..if any product any customer returns has suspect numbers, the store will have reservations about giving a refund or exchange. All a receipt will do is prove you went into the store to purchase a product. It does nothing to prove that the product you are returning is the same one you purchased..and THIS is why they number most merchandise..especially electronics.

If the employee gives a refund on a product with a bogus serial number..then that employee may be fired. For it would mean either they didn't do their job by checking the serial numbers...or they did and even though it was suspect, gave a refund anyway which would be much akin to theft, or an accessory to...instant termination, no if's and's or buts. So cut them a little slack.

It is strange however that CR told you to return it to another BestBuy as it is all the same company..and although no store likes to take a return from another store because it eats into their NOP (net operating profit)...they must take the return by LAW, and by company policy no matter which BestBuy you purchased it from, provided there is no issue with the part and serial numbers.

So something does not smell right here. I hope this is just a mistake and if you have a legitimate beef they make good..but at the same time you can't expect BestBuy or any company to give refunds on products where the serial and/or part number is in question.