Best Buy Calls 911 On Customer Asking For Refund

American Zombie

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Sooooo RJH buys the CD and goes to his car to play it. He gets "Disk read error" three times. RJH walks back in with his three minute old album and receipt and asks for a refund.
The clerk tells him there's state and federal laws against refunding money. Our guy calls him a fool.
Manager comes and says the guy can have a substitute disk or leave, or else the manager will have him arrested for trespassing.

He finally did get his money back but not before more things happened.

Full Story
 
Shocking, if it weren't for the fact that there is nowhere within a reasonable distance to shop for electronics I'd never shop there again. The stores are run by the people who can kiss the most @$$.... I should know, I put in a few days at BB in Orlando a few years back. It was terrible, but that fat discount helps soothe the pain.
 
Shocking, if it weren't for the fact that there is nowhere within a reasonable distance to shop for electronics I'd never shop there again. The stores are run by the people who can kiss the most @$$.... I should know, I put in a few days at BB in Orlando a few years back. It was terrible, but that fat discount helps soothe the pain.
Do they really get everything at cost?
 
It's like 5% over cost actually. Damn close. I got a geek squad usb cable that retails for $35 for $3 and change. Keep in mind thats the store brand, I don't know how much GOOD brands are marked up. Thats a pretty extreme example, my $300 office chair I got for $175, I got the latest logitech 5.1 speakers (this was in 04) that went for $250 or so for $200. Not much of a discount there but it was nice. Some things you don't save anything on. DVD's and CD's, maybe a couple of bucks. ipods you pay retail just like everyone else.
 
haha, thats sick.
I might have to look into that as a job on the side.
I was eying the geek squad usb extended, which is like 30 bucks. Maybe i can grab it for 3 :)
 
tell me why he wouldn't accept a disc that worked instead of cash?...someone tell me the reason he wanted cash...he just bought the friggin thing, it didn't work and he wanted a cash refund?

I don't think so, sorry, this guy is a theif

it's too easy to copy meda and I don't think the store was wrong refusing cash return, I wouldn't even allow exchange, it would have to be an identical disc that were exchanged, nothing else would do if I owned the store and that would be my policy as far as media and software is concerned

you know guys, typically I'm on the consumers side but I am not in this case
 
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He refused the refund because he was pissed off at wasting an hour of his Holiday time with defective mechandie and untrained staff making fraudulent claims. Misrepresenting state and federal law is a crime.

Since one factory pressed blank was defective I would assume the entire lot was defective and insist on a refund. The defect may have been a copy protection mechanism that violated the CD standard which is not the responsibility of the customer. BB would be at fault for not disclosing non-compliant product. (Been fought and won in the Caliornia courts.)

But the bottom line is we all get paid a **** load of money for trouble shooting tech product. Being expected to do it for free for a billion dollar merchandising house is unfair and the return should have been honored.

I have easily wasted $10k of my time/money trouble shooting defective product (macrovision, DVD media compatibility, video card defective audio design/TV tuner w/inadequate front end gain) for companies who refused me refunds. I now automatically return merchandise if I have the slightest trouble. If they refuse I hire an atorney to pursue civil proceedings and file a fraud charge with the local and federal district attorneys offices.

LeeJend's make it better-
1) Apology from the store manager in front of the store staff and cutomers so they understand that fraud is not company policy.
2) Immediate termination of the assistant manager who fraudulently misrepresented store policy and violated State and Federal law.
3) Cash settlement equal to my burdened labor rate for my time wasted defending against harassment by the assist manager.
4) I would have insisted the police charge the assist manager with fraud and arrest him, take witness statement, etc.

The most feared thing in retail is an informed customer who makes a $100 a year retainer payment to an attorney. Best Buy would have been out $10k in cash or more to settle that ugly littel harrassment and fraud charge. Lost business from the negative publicity could have reached into the millions.

PS The local Best Buy has been emminently fair with me on returns and exchanges. The little prick who started all this should have had a night of jail time to improve his attitude.

PPS Best Buy has been successful suedly and had criminal action against them in Michigan for just this kind of BS.

LeeJend's successes-
1) HMO formulary price fixing. FTC investigation resulting in marked relaxation in formulary rules and increased availability of medicines.
2) Nvidia and ATI now under federal investigation for unfair practices in the video card industry.

LeeJend's failures-
1) I let a local car dealer get away with fraud when I caught him altering a GM warantee wording on his printed display in the shop to make it sounds like expensive maintenance was mandatory when it was optional. I always regret this one, but it was after a major auto accident and my wife was too ill for me to pursue it.
2) A buddy was told that the leaking seams in his 8 year old 130K mile maxima gas tank was a "normal wear item" and Nissan would not cover any of the $1000 repair cost. I could not induce the buddy to file with the national transportation safety board to force a safety recall notice on the Maxima gas tanks. Once a recall was forced he would have been ellibible for a refund of his money or a nice little lawsuit.

DON'T let the bastards in business wear you down. There are a handful of them and 100's of millions of us.
 
He refused the refund because he was pissed off at wasting an hour of his Holiday time with defective mechandie and untrained staff making fraudulent claims.

he was pissed off becuase he didn't get away with stealing, that's it, as far as the "fruadulent claims by best buy", I don't believe a word from this guy, he's obviously a theif, more likely the attendant said it was against store policy and did I am betting he did no not say it's against some law

misrepresenting state and federal law is a crime.
if that happened which is not likely at all.

he's a liar and I don't believe a word out of his mouth

this distributer was very happy to replace the product with one they insured would work just fine, this guy refused...a rediculous positition and he clearly tried to steal from this store

what's up with you guys?

Since one factory pressed blank was defective I would assume the entire lot was defective and insist on a refund.

you would make that leap of conclusion?

why?

they could open a disc right in front of him and see if it played right there before the entire world, if it played on store hardware they take it out and make sure it plays on his player, if it does he takes it home...if not he gets his cash refund...simple stuff

this guy is a clear theif, a bad liar and I really don't see why anyone has a problem with best buys position, they have been incredibly good with my refunds and exchanges...every single time

the courts will not find the store culpable unless this consumer can prove the attendant made the statement this guy claims the attendant made, which is not likely...it's not likely the attendant said it and it's certainly not likely the consumer would have any proof of it

sorry

this guy is making believe best buy wouldn't give him a refund but he's not entitled to a refund, why would best buy give it to him?

he's entitled to a disc that works and that's it..he bought the music and he owns the music, he is no longer entitled to the money, it's not his

this is a snow job and you guys have fallen for it
 
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Sooooo RJH buys the CD and goes to his car to play it. He gets "Disk read error" three times. RJH walks back in with his three minute old album and receipt and asks for a refund.

Now unless he has a system in his vehicle I seriously doubt he was trying to steal :rolleyes:
 
Now unless he has a system in his vehicle I seriously doubt he was trying to steal :rolleyes:
Yeah...
Now, I am usually on big businesses side, but not here.
He should get a refund...
 
unless he used a gift card....no cash back on that....hope your wii experience goes well jack...
 
Now unless he has a system in his vehicle I seriously doubt he was trying to steal :rolleyes:
if a person deliberately set out to steal, which is exactly what I'm saying this man did, of course they have a system in his vehicle

damn, I can copy it with my little computer, it's already booted, you pop it in and bing, it's copied

there's no reason on the planet he wouldn't take a new disc and double check it before he left
 
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All those who have a computer system/laptop in their vehicle, raise your hand
 
All those who have a computer system/laptop in their vehicle, raise your hand
excuse me?

those of you that want to steal software from a retail store and do it as quickly as possible, raise your hand if you don't have a computer in your car

you show me a person who wanted to set up this scam and doesn't have a computer in their car and I'll show you a person who doesn't have a clue

every single person who had this scam set up would have the computer in their car...there is no doubt about it so I have no idea what your question even means

and I guess you don't have a laptop. just about everyone with a laptop usually has has it in their car, that's why they have a laptop, so they can go somewhere with it, otherwise they'd have a desktop

aanyone wanting to steal would have the tools in their their car if that's the scam

once again, there is no reason on the planet he wouldn't take a replacement dsc

teh best buy return policy;

Damaged or Defective Items
If you return a damaged or defective item by mail or to a Best Buy store, you will receive a credit. You may then choose to purchase a replacement item in the store or online.

maybe I live in an alternate universe but that contract is hard to missinterperate

pretty darned simple stuff right there, it's in his contract and at best he's a welcher in breach of his contract even by expecting a refund

this guy is a either a liar, a theif or a welcher
 
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The policy you are quoting is the BestBuy.com policy for online purchases. Best Buy has two policys with one being for online purchases and the other for retail store purchases. They are slightly different and this purchase was at a retail store.

Retail Store Policy

BestBuy.com Policy
 
The policy you are quoting is the BestBuy.com policy for online purchases. Best Buy has two policys with one being for online purchases and the other for retail store purchases. They are slightly different and this purchase was at a retail store.

Retail Store Policy

BestBuy.com Policy

thanx for that retail return policy link

the guy telling this story is plain wrong no matter which polcy we read


this is directly from the retail store return policy;

Non-returnable items
Non-returnable items include labor and/or installation services; consumable items such as phone cards, food and drink; or items that are damaged or abused. Opened computer software, movies, music and video games can be exchanged for the identical item but cannot be returned for a refund.

so if this guy isn't a theif he's an idiot, that's all there is

my opinion, he's not an idiot he's a theif and I can think of no reason he saw fit to breach his contract unless he wanted to steal
 
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