Best Buy Ken Macomber General Manager Unethical Business Practices Best Buy Refund Policy Lacking. Frisco texas

When comes time to buying a phone you have many options these days.  You can go to Apple, ATT, Sprint and even places like Costco, Walmart and Best Buy.  You would think that all of these places would have incredible business practices and that's why you see them making money and prospering.  

I have been buying phones for 20+ years.  I've bought from SBC, ATT and Apple.  Anytime I had a problem I would just take it back and they would exchange the phone.  Here's my story and why I am writing this.

About three weeks ago I bought a new phone.  I decided to try buying it at Best Buy since I was there and just happened across one I liked.  Now before I continue remember this one thing.  DON'T EVER THINK OF BUYING A PHONE FROM BEST BUY.  It is the worse decision you will make in buying a phone.  Go to your provider and just do it there.

So my phone immeidately doesn't function like it should and I go to the store.    They do a check on it and tell me to try it for a week.  So I do that and still the same problem.  Come  back and they try something else.  Again, told to try and come back.  On my third trip I am tired of the issues and ask to get a new phone.  Without sounding dramatic They wasted over an hour of my time on the first trip.  Another hour on the second trip and an hour and a half on the third trip to be told they could not do anything for me and I was SOL.  Look it up if you don't know what it means.

It's amazing that I have been shopping for more than 20 years and not one company has ever told me I could not return an item that is not functioning correctly.  The general manager Ken told me that he understands my situation but he can't do it.  

I completely understand policies.  I think there should be policies.   But you buy a new product and it is not working you should be able to return it no matter what.  I was denied that option.  I was told many things.  I was told I waitd to long.  But remember when they told me to come back in a week two additional times?  Well, that's there way of telling you that you are pretty much SOL.

About ten years ago I bought a DVD player from this exact same store.  The DVD broke within a month and I had to pay around $120 to get it fixed.  

Now I am putting all these situations together.  They try to get you to do geek squad monthly fees and drain you of more cash.  If you don't get it you are pretty much SOL.

Frys, Microcenter and other stores don't have the policy.  I know I buy a lot of electronics.  So my complaint is the following.

1) They have the staff trying to figure out your phone and they are not qualified to do so.  They are guessing at what can be wrong and wasting your time.  Don't fall for the tricks because they are not trained to test the phones or no how to fix phones.

2) Ken, the general manager walks around like he knows everything, but basically wants nothing to do with satisfying you as the customer.  He's a little to young to understand the complex issues of running an entire store.  If he was so good they would teach their kid employees to wipe the phones off before putting them back in the cases with their oily fingerprints all over them.

3) I was told I had two weeks to exchange the product if I didn't like it.  I just wanted a working phone.  I was denied that option.

4) Test my theory and go to any best buy on a Saturday and see how long it takes you to get to talk to someone.  See how long it takes them to check you out as well.  If  study was done I bet it takes twice a long there as it would in an Apple store or ATT store for example.

5)  Best Buy has some great products but you must be aware of the ploys they have to get you to sign up for all the extras and monthly fees.  This is how they are making their money.  And if you don't buy their plans you are not in their disctinct club so to speak and they kick you to the curb.

6) Not one person knew anything about my phone.  They could not even transfer pictures and contacts on the initial set up.  THREE people tried to do it.  I finally told them after being there over an hour that I needed to go and I would figure it out.  It took me five minutes when I went home.  Three of their untrained people could not do it in an hour.

7) Don't be another customer that gets dooped by them.  Remember I was dooped ten years ago and didn't say anything then.  People just let them slide, but I am hear to tell you they are bad.  Their company philosophy is bad as well as how they treat customers.  Notice how long the return lines are at this place.  Notice all the people having NEW products worked on.  That should tell you something.

8) Do you see long lines at Walmart, Costco, Sam's, Office Depot or Office Max for people returning electronics?  Then why do they have so many.  I was sitting their today and two other people were taken advantage of and walked out.  I was the third in that hour.

Would I ever purchase a phone from Best Buy?  The answer is no way on earth will that happen ever.  I am thinking I may never shop their again because of this experience.