Best Buy (Store 551) Ted - from Geek SquadDavid - Manager Failure to honor warranty, insulting customer, charging for additional warranty through no fault of customer Sunrise Florida

My husband and I bought MacBook Pro15" as a graduation gift for my son in the spring of 2012. At that time, knowing that he was going away to college, we bought the top of the line store warranty for the computer. This warranty allowed my son to take the computer to any Best Buy store in the country to be repaired. If a repair was not possible or warranted, the warranty was supposed to replace the computer. At no time were we told that replacement (even if no fault of our own) would void the warranty.

Approximately 2 weeks ago, my son was on his computer when a 3 inch verticle black line ran down the screen center of his computer screen. After several attempt to reset the screen, he took the computer to the Best Buy closest to his school in Tallahassee, FL. About two days later, we were called by Amy at Best Buy in Tallahassee, who informed us that my son's computer had been deemed unrepairable. There was no finding that my son had broken to computer, that it had been dropped, or that it had liquids spilled on it. In fact, several computer people that we know who have seen the picture of the damage have said that there is nothing that my son could have done to cause the damage, that instead it was a bad graphics card.No one founhe

Amy informed us that because we had purchased the extended"" warranty, that if my son went to Best Buy he could pick up a new replacement computer. We asked if we could pick the computer up for him, here in Ft. Lauderdale and Amy informed us that we could. Accordingly, we went to Best Buy on Sunrise Blvd. in Sunrise, Florida; the same store that we had purchased the computer from originally. Upon arrival, we waited in line for a Geek Squad associate. We were "greeted" by Ted, who after being apprised of the situation said that he could NOT replace the computer and that my son would have to go to Best Buy in Tallahassee if he wanted a replacement. My husband asked to speak to the manager, and Ted told my husband that the manager was not available, and did not have time for this issue. Ted, after being pressed further, then said that he could possibly look into it, but that he couldn't get to it until at least 2:00 that afternoon. (Please note, that we arrived at 10:25 a.m., and at the time of our arrival no one was in the Geek Squad line).  Thereafter, Ted asked my husband why my son couldn't just pick up the computer himself?  After my husband continued to persist, Ted finally called a manager.

When the manager, David, arrived, my husband retold his story, and David informed him that the Best Buy did not have to honor the warranty, and that only the Tallahassee store was responsible for fulfilling the obligation. He also said that he was willing to look into the issue, but he wouldn't have time until later that afternoon. While all of this was taking place, I took it upon myself to call the Best Buy in Tallahassee, to determine whether Amy had misinformed us. Amy was not at work, but a wonderful young man (I don't have his name), walked me through the process and said that we were entitled to pick up the computer at the Sunrise store, and asked to speak to the manager. At that time I turned my cellular phone over to David. Nearly twenty (20) minutes later, David returned and said that he had to check on some things. He gave my phone to my husband. My husband asked what was going on and the person on the phone told him that the manager at the Sunrise store could honor the warranty if he wanted to, and that it was at his "discretion." At this same time, I went back to the Mac display in the store and found out that the model laptop that we had bought for my son was no longer available, and that a new design and improved model had replaced it. Therefore it occurred to me that the managers refusal to honor the warranty was because he did not want to lose a "newer" model computer from his inventory.

Over an hour after we arrived, David finally agreed to honor the warranty. He gave our paperwork and order to a wonderful sales associate named Jonah. This young man was polite, patient and kind; particularly given the fact that by this point both my husband and myself were visibly aggravated. It took Jonah nearly a half hour to get the requisite computer, and get us ready for check-out. At that moment I asked whether the remaining 1 1/2 years of the extended warranty got carried over to the new machine. I was informed that replacements voided the warranty. Fault was not an issue, cause was not an issue, just as a matter of course if something broke and it had to be replaced the extended warranty/service plan was void and if I wanted my son's computer to be covered, I had to purchase an entirely new plan.
Jonah listened to my complaints, apologized but said that it was company policy.

At check-out, Jessica, another patient and kind Best Buy employee, confirmed what Jonah had told us. She was by no means nasty or demeaning about it, in fact she was nice and apologetic, but was left with no choice. Given that our son is still in college, and still needs a computer, we felt that we had no choice but to repurchase the replacement plan/extended warranty. Jessica informed us that we had a brand new 1 year Apple warranty with the new computer as well as a brand new extended Best Buy warranty. Then Ted, completely unsolicited, told my husband that he thought that it was a good idea that we were buying another warranty because "when your son breaks his computer again" the damage would be covered. At this point, it it made no sense to complain about Ted. Who were we going to complain to? David?

I tried contacting the Geek Squad and they told me that my complaints were with Best Buy and not the Geek Squad. I've searched Best Buy's website and can not find information on how to contact the corporate offices. I think that it is appalling that a national chain represents that the purchase of an extended warranty is good anywhere that there is a Best Buy, and then the store where I actually bought the computer and the policy makes it a nightmare to try to abide by the warranty's terms. Moreover, why do I need to purchase an additional $500 policy to cover a machine, when I had no choice but to take the machine if I wanted my son to have a laptop while at college.

Prior to this event I was a regular Best Buy customer.  In fact, just the weekend before, we had purchased a brand new tablet and extended warranty plan.  I regret that now.  I wish I had bought the tablet across the street at Tiger Direct.  With so many other options available to me in our area, after this incident and the way that both the Geek Squad and manager treated us, I don't intend on purchasing from Best Buy again.