Complaint Review: Best Buy - White Marsh Maryland
- Best Buy 5200 Campbell Blvd White Marsh, Maryland U.S.A.
- Phone: 410-931-3107
- Web:
- Category: TVs & VCRs
Best Buy ripoff horrible customer service, shady warranty practices, irresponsible theifs! White Marsh Maryland
*Author of original report: giving credit where credit is due
*UPDATE Employee: 3rd party repair
*Author of original report: Even more deceit!
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My whole Best Buy ordeal started back in November of 2003 with the purchase of a 56" JVC CRT projection television along with a 4 year warranty. At the time of purchase I was told that to receive weekend delivery that I would have to wait two weeks. At this time, I was OK with that. It was the holiday rush period and I understood that their schedule was booked. Two weeks goes by and my T.V. is finally delivered! Now here is where all the fun starts!
The T.V. was delivered on a Saturday morning. Then all of a sudden two days later on that following Monday, the television stopped working completley. I called Best Buy support and I was told that they had to send a technician out to my house first. I said, I didn't want a repaired television but they insisted that the tech see the television before an exchange was made. It then takes a week for the tech to arrive. Mind you now that I have gone a total of 3 weeks with a T.V. that has only worked for 2 days. I paid for this television in full!
So after the tech decided that he couldn't fix the television, a replacement unit was to be sent to my house, 2 WEEKS LATER! Now here is where the great customer service steps in. I called my local store to tell that that this was unacceptable that I want the new T.V. at my house the next day. I was told that they have no control over delivery schedules. I asked for a manager and I was told that if I wanted to speak to a manager that I would have to physically come to the store because they were too busy at the moment. So to my suprise when I arrive at the store, the manager and 3 other assistants in the T.V. department were standing around socializing! Mind you that there were also only about 20 shoppers in the entire store.
I started to explain my story and I the only answer I got was that they couldn't do anything about it. So instead of causing a scene and embarrasing myself, I left and waited for the T.V. to be delivered. Finally the T.V. was delivered almost 5 weeks after the original purchase date. So you think the story ends there, right? WRONG!
A year goes by and I start to notice that the T.V. is having some display issues. It is now December of 2004. I called for service and a tech was sent to my house. The tech could not explain what was going on but advised me to give it a while to see if the problem works itself out. *Note that Best Buy knows of a problem at this date*
So I listened to the tech and I gave it time. The problem never got better. Two techs were dispatched to my house in November of 2005. They diagnosed the T.V. with the same problem that they saw in December of 2004 only this time they decided to fix it. I was told by the tech that parts would be ordered and that I would soon get a call from Best Buy to reschedule for a repair date.
Well, November 2005 turns to December 2005. So I placed a call at the beginning of December. I was told that I would receive an answer within 24 hours. I never received that call. I then called in the middle of December 2005. Again I received the same comment and no call. Then December 2005 turned to January 2006. More calls were placed by myself through the entire month of January with only one callback which was to just tell me that they were still working on an answer.
Now here we are in February of 2006. I called once again and now the answer I received from Best Buy is that the T.V. needs to be replaced because they can not get the parts they need to fix my T.V. Hmmmmm.... it took 3 months for them to come to that conclusion? I think I have just been scammed!
At first I was excited that they would replace the T.V. and then I started thinking. To get a T.V. comprable in size to my 56" television, I would have to dish out almost $1500 out of my own pocket! Best Buy no longer carries CRT projection televisions any longer. I then knew that I had been taken for a ride! I got a sick feeling in my stomach. I felt like I had just been robbed!
If Best Buy would have decided to replace the T.V. when the problem first arose in December of 2004, I would not have had this problem. Best Buy still sold CRT projection T.V.'s at that time and I would have been able to make an even exchange. Instead they drove me through the mud for a year and now I am supposed to pay out of my own pocket!
I called customer service today and was transfered to 3 different people. The final conversation was with a general manager at the corporate office who wouldn't listen to what I had to say. He kept telling me that they held up their end with the warranty. But the funny thing is that he couldn't give me a reason why the T.V. wasn't repaired in December 2004 and that it took them 3 months to decide that the T.V. couldn't be repaired. Or why I had to keep calling back to get answers!
I explained to him that I would be contacting the Better Business Bureau. He of course didn't seem to care all that much and then to end the conversation, he hung up on me!
I have filed a report with the BBB and a friend of mine is the son of one of our state representatives. I will make sure he hears about this. I live in a blue collar city and we don't need big business's in here ripping off people who have to work very hard for their money.
I am a warehouse supervisor and my wife is an elementary school teacher. We also have a 4 month old baby girl. We are financially stable but we don't have an extra $1500 lying around for a new television! I truly feel as if I was robbed! Either way I lose out at this point.
Since Best Buy decided to replace the televsion set (at my cost) the two remaining years on my 4 year warranty are void. So there goes $250 down the drain by keeping the television. Or I pay $1500 to purchase a T.V. that is the same size as the one I own right now!
All in all, I will NEVER deal with this company ever again! But to a business like Best Buy, they don't care. So I will try everything I can to run this company throught mud as they did with me.
Chris
Baltimore, Maryland
U.S.A.
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This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 02/08/2006 07:49 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/best-buy/white-marsh-maryland-21162/best-buy-ripoff-horrible-customer-service-shady-warranty-practices-irresponsible-theif-175429. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content
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#3 Author of original report
giving credit where credit is due
AUTHOR: Chris - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Monday, March 13, 2006
I would just like to give an update to this situation. I do believe in giving credit where credit is due.
I decided to call Best Buy once more to work out a deal. I figured it couldn't hurt and the worst they could say is "no". Well, the worst did happen and I received an answer of "no" to my deal. But at the same time I then requested that they repair my television regardless of part availability. I explained to them that the parts were available through JVC and that they should have no problem getting a hold of any part that is needed. I even called JVC myself to confirm the availability of the parts that were needed. I was then told by Best Buy that they use a nationwide manufacturer for their parts. So it seems that they would not go through JVC.
I then decided to call the Best Buy parts department and the funny thing is that the parts must have arrived since the time of the first service call because I was told by the employee that they have the picture tubes that would be needed to fix my set.
BTW, during this time I have already filed with the BBB and my local States Attourney Generals office. I was just waiting for my cases to be assigned and at the same time, trying to work something out with Best Buy before that would happen.
A tech was then sent to my house on a Saturday in mid February. He remembered my exact situation and gave me a couple of options. He told me that he could fix the T.V. but the parts could take some time to come in. It could be another month before he is back with the parts. He then explained to me that if he were to fix my T.V., the job would take about 4 hours time and that my T.V. would never look the way it did before the repair. Personally, I think this was more of a way to get out of a hard job (after reading the rebuttal, it does make sense).
But he also explained to me that CRT rear projection T.V.'s were being phased out by most companies. It may be really hard to obtain parts in another year or so. He advised me that if Best Buy was going to give me money, that I should take it and get a new set with new technology. I was so tired of this merry go round, that I decided to break and take the money.
BTW I did check into his CRT RPJ theory and it does check out. Many companies are totally phasing out CRT rear projection technology due to the fact that you can get a big screen T.V. without the bulk.
Luckily, I was able to find a 52" JVC LCoS set for under $1700! Personally I think this was a mistake on Best Buy because now the set is selling for $2099 as an open item! I also purchased another warranty because I did eventually get a replacement. Even though it isn't exactly what I wanted, it is still a very nice T.V.
I also made sure to call the BBB and the S.A.G. because I was able to come to a conclusion on my own. I have to say that dealing with the Magnolia center at my local Best Buy was a very pleasant experience! I made sure that the people who deserve credit, did so! I called corporate and told them about my experience and praised the Magnolia department and the specific salespeople that helped with my situation. I have to say that the White Marsh, (in store customer care) were pleasant to deal with as well. There was an issue over the reimbursement and White Marsh customer care handled everything at their store fast and pleasantly!
So I guess I can say, case closed!
One question about the rebuttal. If the techs are not employed by Best Buy then why are they decked out in Best Buy shirts and drive Best Buy vans? When I have dealt with Best Buy thrid party delivery services, none of the trucks or delivery guys wore anything that said Best Buy.
#2 UPDATE Employee
3rd party repair
AUTHOR: Jim - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Most of our repairs on these types of televisions are done by third party repir comapnies. It would not be impossible that the technician you got just said the parts were not available because he did not know or did not feel like performing his job. Best Buy will always fix your product if its feasible. It is possible that they are getting the wrong info from the tech if he is not actually a best buy employee. I would look into this to see if he actually works for another business. If this is the case bring the parts situation to the attention of Best Buy. I am sure they will be glad remedy your unfortunate situation if they can. Hope this helps.
#1 Author of original report
Even more deceit!
AUTHOR: Chris - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Friday, February 10, 2006
I just found out that the 3 parts that Best Buy could not supposedly order, are very much in stock on the maufacturer's website! I was blatently lied to!
According to their contract, they are responsible to repair the T.V. Well, the parts are very much available! So why didn't they order them and fix it? Why did they lie to me?
I was told on many legal advice websites that I stood a very good chance in small claims court. And I didn't even have this information when I originally posted my questions!
Legal action will follow at this point and I will update as my experience goes along!
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