Best Buy - Bait and Switch

I admit it, I'm a techie person who buys techie things.  You would think Best Buy and I would be 'Best' of friends.  Truth is, I am a Rewards Zone Member...  I WANT to like Best Buy.  But, they are making it IMPOSSIBLE!

Here is what I want to like about Best Buy:  Good Selection, Good Prices, Knowledgeable Staff, Instant Gratification.

Here is what I actually like about Best Buy:  Good Selection... guess that's it.

I'd been singing "Lost That Loving Feeling" for a while now every time I walked into Best Buy, but just kept thinking it would get better.  Turns out, it just got MUCH worse.
Here is how they lost a customer (I may sneak in if I have NO other options...).  If you just want to read the Bait-and-Switch part, scroll down a bit.   I am one of those people that does my homework, and prefers not to rely on high school students who have a motivation to sell certain products and add-ons.  You may want to think that Best Buy is looking out for you, but they are a for-profit company and have demonstrated they are ok selling you products you don't need.  Remember, extended warranties and buy-back programs make $$$ for Best Buy.  If they were money losers, they wouldn't be in place.  Anyway, by the time I'm going to the store, I have a product picked out and am only going to pay my money and walk out.  It is that instant-gratification thing I like.  I'll pay slightly more if I can have it NOW.  :)  So, I was in the market for a new laptop.  I did my homework, and decided on a Samsung RC512.  I found it  in stock at my local Best Buy store for a competitive price.  I could have found it cheaper on-line, but wanted to have it for the weekend.

To make things even faster, I purchased the computer on-line at bestbuy.com and choose in-store pickup.  My receipt said it would be available for pickup the same day, so around 6pm, I drove over.  The store closes at 9pm (I think).  I went to the pick up area, and... waited... There was one guy at the in-store-pick-up desk and he was showing a customer camera lenses available for order.  Shouldn't that be happening on the sales floor?  After waiting for awhile, I went to the service desk because it was quiet there.  The clerk there pulled up my order and said, "Oh, it has a fraud hold on it."  I said, "Well, here is my ID, here is the credit card, I'll just buy it."  He then tells me he can't cancel my order.  He gives me a phone number to call.  Ok, I'll play your little game.  So, I called, enter 1500 digits, and finally got an agent.  I explained that I was in the store and wanted to pickup my order.  She says, well, there is a fraud hold.  I told her there was no fraud here because I have all my documents, cc, etc.  She said it was an automated system and that should couldn't make it go faster.  She then assured me if would be released soon.  So, Pam and I walked out for dinner with the hope that when I got back, it would be released.

We came back 45 minutes later and I talked to the same service rep.  "Sorry, It is still held."  I wanted to scream 'I JUST WANT TO BUY A COMPUTER!  WHY SO HARD?????'  But, I didn't.  He suggested I cancel my order and just buy the laptop.  So, I called the phone number again, 1500 digits, waited, reached another rep.  She said it was still held.  Really?  Can't believe that.  I told her I wanted to cancel the order.  She tried to get me to give it some more time and then scolded me for coming to the store before getting my 'ready' email.  I told her if I had known it would be so hard to pick it up, I would not have used in-store pickup.  Finally, she cancelled the order!  I was free to make a new computer purchase.  (Should have just walked out...)

Bait-and-Switch


Short recap, I have in my hand a receipt where I purchased a specific computer make/model and the web site reports it is in-stock at this store.  (The order was cancelled 30 seconds ago... see above)  My receipt also indicates a total purchase price which is the single item plus tax.  I walked to the computer area which is very busy with salesmen.  I was greeted in short order.  I showed him my receipt and said, "I want to buy this computer" while pointing to the item listed on the receipt.  He walks over to the display model, and looks at the boxes of machines under the shelf.  He walks back.  "I have four in-stock and as an added service our Geek Squad has completed the initial setup and made your restore CD for you!"  (Insert cheesy grin)  He continues, "You may not know, they don't provide those anymore. You have to do it yourself."  I replied, "I want one new in a box.  I'm computer literate enough to handle the restore CD.  Thanks, but I don't need that."  I was also thinking 'Great, you have put your monkey paws on my new laptop and installed MORE bloatware I will just have to uninstall.'  He sorta of frowned... "All four have already been serviced to help you out."  I objected, "I can't believe you have four in stock, and you have serviced 100% of your on-hand stock with a $99 up charge I don't want!"  He offers, "I can discount the service, but can't give it to you for free."

SO FRUSTRATING!  I told him that was not acceptable and again pointed to my receipt which says they have machines in-stock.  I told him the web site didn't mention that you would be up-charging all units in stock.  He said the web site doesn't know they have been up-charged.  (I guess it is a store level non-sense!)   Seeing that I wasn't going to bite, he offered to have a tech uninstall the upgrades.  I didn't want that.  I wanted a NEW computer that hadn't been pawed all over by high-schoolers.  (No offense to high-schoolers.)  He then offered to see if another store had one in stock.  He checked on his computer and said a store 10 miles away had one and it was new in a box.  I should have said forget it, but had my heart set on picking it up.  He offered to ring me up here and then I could just show my receipt at the other store.   As we walked to the cash register, the up-sell continued.  He says, "You should add an extended warranty..."  Did he not get it!  As politely as I could, I said, "I just want the machine.  Nothing else."  He replies, "We all get it.  I have it on my computer!"  I'm thinking, if you do it is because you don't know better.  I just ignored him and looked away until he was done talking.  He finally got the message.  When my total popped up on the screen, it was $20 more!  I quickly pulled out my receipt and protested.  He fixed it.

WHY???  WHY must it be so hard to buy something in BEST BUY?????

Best Buy, you did a bad thing.  Selling a customer something online, then when he goes to pick it up, you switch it for a model that is $99 more.  SHAME!  You made it VERY hard for me to get what I had actually purchased including several phone calls, declining hard sell up-grades, and driving another 10 miles to another store.  I guess in the end, you won.  Sorta.  I purchased.  I won't do that again.  I will be buying on-line or from your competitors from now on.

To my readers, if you have a similar experience, just know it is not the way it has to be.  Let your feet do the talking!

Oh, happy ending!  My new computer works great (no credit to Best Buy) and, Samsung DID have a restore CD in the box... which was new and unopened.  :)