Fry's Electronics Return Exchange Fraud - Don't Shop Frys Just Because they're Cheap! Burbank California

I bought a Phillips DVD Hard Drive Recorder. Seems like it's a great machine, or could be, but mine's defective. From what I've read there are problems with these recorders of all brands.

Frys has a 15 day return/exchange policy. I went to the store on day 14, told them I wanted to exchange it for a working model. Got a new one.

Due to the always terrible terrible terrible customer service I was running all over the store, wrong aisle to wrong aisle. These people don't even know their own departments, let alone to direct you anywhere else in the store. I ran out of time, let my husband handle the exchange. (My bad!) After reading the posting by an employee I understand why their sales help is so lousy - they don't pay them or treat them decently, apparently.

I didn't check the receipt till we got home. It said "Invalid for return $0" and had my original almost expired receipt stapled to it.

I called the store the next day, explained the situation, that I wanted to come back & get a receipt dated the previous day so I could return the new one if it was defective.

Ha Ha said the manager. Yesterday was actually the 15th day, not the 14th day, because your 15 days to return Includes the Date of Purchase!! (Huh???)

Ok, I was still there within the 15 days, I want a receipt that says I can return the new DVD for 15 days from yesterday.

Too bad, you shouldnt have done an exchange. So I have 0 days to test the new $330 product which has already proven defective once. Great.

Horrible, horrible customer relations.

Ironically, as we were setting up the 2nd DVD my TV fried, and Im ready to upgrade to a big screen. You can be d**n sure it will not!! Be purchased at Frys. Grub for the little pennies, you lose the big ones.

Have also experienced Bait & Switch and outright lies there. When I was first researching DVD Recorders, I called the store and asked what the 3 or 4 highest priced models were that they carried in the store (currently in stock) so I could research online ahead of time.

I was given a list of 4. I read, printed out material. Went to the store. When I finally got a salesman cornered I asked him which model he would recommend & why. He said, literally, it doesnt matter, they all have the same features! I told him, uh no, not from the Internet material, there are a lot of variables with DVD recorders. Come on, do they think were total imbeciles? So I asked for my top 2 picks to see, he came back, said they had one of the four models in the store. They sold out of everything in 3 hours?

Then he ran away as fast as his little feet could carry him, before I could bother him with help on upgraded cables. Not till we got to the checkout did I see it was an open box model. Which I dont want, even with the generous 5% discount, woo-h*o! Asked for a new one, I guess it was too close to closing & new was stashed too far away or they never had in stock that night. I was told there were none.

Out of desperation I took it, (Panasonic) sure enough the defects I had read about, overheating and jamming occurred. (Have to unplug to remove DVD.) I returned it.

The only reason I bought the Phillips DVD Recorder at Frys after that first bad experience is because it was the only hard drive model I could find in any store near us. Best Buy is fabulous with sales help, but doesnt carry enough product.

However, I have learned. I dont like the idea of buying expensive electronics online, but if Frys is the last electronics store left on earth I swear on my pet birds precious heads I will never never ever go there again, so help me God. Fool me twice, Im really dumb, fool me three times, I deserve what I get!

Susan Burbank, California
U.S.A.

Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Fry's Electronics