Best Buy: We can't say no over the phone, so we lie.

[wristtattoos]

My mother was doing some spring cleaning and found a GPS wall charger that had never been opened. She found the receipt in her files, and called Best Buy customer service to see if she would be able to return the item. She figured its been a few years, it's a long-shot, but what's the harm in calling? The customer service person on the phone looked

Comments

[saanrio]

This seems to be a common theme with them... corporate says that the stores control this or that, and it is not their fault or responsibility, then the store says it is all on corporate. Great deal they have going there. No one is responsible for anything!

[wristtattoos]

Get blown off on the phone, get blown off on the customer service, get blown off at Geek Squad....looks like I need to find a new store to shop at!

[notthebuddha]

You talked to four people, none of whom could help you with the unreasonable request to return years-old merchandise, but each one gave you a lead to someone else who might be able to do something vaguely helpful? And that's bad?

[cumaeansibyl]

[phenomenal]

I have a feeling the person on the phone was confused about the product you had and thought it was the whole GPS unit. When I worked at Radio Shack we would buy back old electronics (cell phones, GPS, and MP3 players) but we wouldn't buy back the power cords individually.

[wristtattoos]

At first that is what I thought, but when she called BB CS, she gave them the item number. It would make sense if they wouldn't buy back the cord, but eh who knows.

[phenomenal]

But if the customer service rep was looking at the description of the item based on the item number it might not be clear that it was a power cord.

Frustrating nonetheless.

[hotclaws]

It's years old, why would they buy it back?

[wristtattoos]

You're right...if the guy had just said it was years past the date we wouldn't have bothered. But he didn't.

[fortifarse]

OP said they considered it a long shot but figured it could be worth a try, and most likely didn't expect a yes but were given false hope (for lack of a better term) with that "buyback" nonsense...

[idemandjustice]

Because they told her they would?

[kijikun]

Why would you even try to return a item that old? And it doesn't sound like you got bad service. You were trying to return a item that's way past the return date. The store employes are not 'useless' not for being able to magically return an item outside of the return period.

[wristtattoos]

he found the receipt in her files, and called Best Buy customer service to see if she would be able to return the item. She figured its been a few years, it's a long-shot, but what's the harm in calling? The customer service person on the phone looked up her order number, said they couldn't do a return, but if we went to the store they can do a "buy back" for the item. We went today to Best Buy so they could "buy back the item", and the customer service rep had no idea what were talking about.

[kijikun]

Yeah. I read that.

And yet you still tried to return a old item. Most people don't even try and call about an old item. You were lucky the rep on the phone didn't laugh at your mom (though that would have been bad service.)

The employees still are 'useless' because they can't break policy for you and your special snowflake syndrome.

[gothic_hamlet]

So you read the part where the Best Buy employee on the phone told the OP that the item could be returned.

But you're blaming the OP for following directions and trying to return the item.

Really.

[dishapeaches]

JFC, never thought I'd see wank about a stupid power cord. *smh*

OP, I'd be pissed off too if I was told they'd buy it back and made a trip to their store for no reason. Especially at these gas prices lately.