Best Buy has a bad Return Policy
By barehugs
@barehugs (8973)
Canada
June 13, 2008 9:13pm CST
If you purchase something from Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, JC Penny, Sears etc. and you return the item with the receipt, they will give you your money back if you paid cash, or credit your account if paid by plastic. Well, I purchased a GPS for my car, a Tom Tom XL.S from 'Best Buy'. They have a policy that it must be returned within 14 days for a refund! So after 4 days I returned it in the original box with all the items in the box, with paper work and cords all wrapped in the plastic. Just as I received it, including the receipt. The lady at the refund desk said, there is a 15% restock fee, for items returned. I said no one told me that. I said how much would that be. She said it goes by the price of the item. It will be $45.00 Dollars for you. I said, all your going to do is walk over and place it back on the shelf then charge me $45.00 of my money for restocking? She said that's the store policy. I said if more people were aware of it they would not buy anything here! If I bought a $2000.00 computer or TV and returned it I would be charged $300.00 dollars restock fee? She said yes, 15%. I said OK, just give me my money minus the restock fee. She said, since the item is over $200.00 dollars, she can't give me my money back! Corporate has to, and they will mail you a check in 7 to ten days.!! I said 'WHAT? It's my money!! I paid in cash! I want to buy a different brand..Now I have to wait 7 to 10 days. She said well, our policy is on the back of your receipt. I said, do you read the front or back of your receipt? She said well, the front! I said so do I, I want to talk to the Manager!. So the manager comes over, I explained everything to him, and he said, well, sir they should of told you about the policy when you got the item. I said, No one, has ever told me about the check refund or restock fee, whenever I bought items from computers to TVs from Best Buy. The only thing they ever discussed was the worthless extended warranty program. He said Well, I can give you corporate phone number. I called corporate. The guy said, well, I'm not supposed to do this but I can give you a 45.00 dollar gift card and you can use it at Best Buy. I told him if I bought something and returned it, you would charge me a restock fee on the item and then send me a check for the remaining 3 dollars. You can keep your gift card, I'm never shopping in Best Buy ever again, and if I had been smart, I would of charged the whole thing on my credit card! Then I could of canceled the transaction,and got all my money back! Best Buy's Return policy stinks!
Have you had a like experience at Best Buy? What are your thoughts on this?
3 people like this
5 responses
@honeydew82174 (1720)
• United States
14 Jun 08
Best buy sucks! I bought a gateway laptop from them. Something was wrong with it and they wanted to charge me a $100 to fix it. It was not even a week old. They would not exchange it or stand behind there products. I ended up calling gateway up and they had no problem replacing it. I was angry at best buy. I spend over a $1000 dollars on my PC stuff.Then they want to charge more money ! no way I work way to hard. I will never get anything there again.
@whittby (3072)
• United States
15 Jun 08
No. I haven't had an experience like this yet at Best Buy, but I am appalled. I'm going to check this out with a call to our local Best Buy and see what they have to say. I understand that a ton of things gets returned and maybe a lot of them can't be put back on the shelf. this could add up cost-wise. Buy hey, don't penalize the buyers, come up with a better plan.
Like previously mentioned, it wouldn't hurt to write to corporate - besides the phone call.
1 person likes this
@kgwat70 (13388)
• United States
30 Nov 08
I was shocked to hear about their return policy being so lousy and the unfortunate situation that you went through with them. Best Buy has been my favorite store for electronics and movies and other things. I have only had to return a dvd movie so far and was able to exchange it for the same movie because the one I got was damaged. That is terrible that they would charge you a restock fee. I had never heard of such a thing before. They are ripping people off by doing that. I will be careful the next time I buy an expensive item through them and will ask about their return policy as well.
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
17 Jun 08
I have never been to Best Buy for anything, there isn't one close in my area. But after this I won't be visiting one either. I have heard of having a restocking fee if you have bought something out of a catalog or online and want to return it, but never at a personal store. Show me where it goes and I will put it back there for free!!! And that is crazy that you have to wait for a check from the corporate office as your refund. I am totally with what you said, "I paid in cash, I should be refunded in cash!" Better be lucky it wasn't me, because I would have stayed in the store and raised a very big stink until I had all my money in hand!!!
Quick story where this technique has worked. I went to a La'Rosa's one time to get a tray of barbecue wings (local pizzeria) I also needed to wash clothes at the laundromat when I got home, so I figured that I could get two rolls of quarters as well while I was here. I was a customer after all, and not just someone asking for change. When I ordered, I asked the cashier for the quarters as well. He rang up my order, and it came up to 19.99. I very distinctly placed two twenties, one at a time, on the counter, while saying "This is for my order, this is for the quarters."
The cashier got distracted by a question from another co-worker while ringing the order. But when he got back to me, all he handed me was a penny. I told him "Umm, what about the quarters?" He comes back with "You only handed me a twenty." "No I didn't, I handed you two," And repeated the motions I made when I set the money on the counter. Still he wanted to dispute. I was on a fixed income and shouldn't have even been buying the wings, but now he was trying to take my money outright. I told him to get the manager.
He went in the back, and obviously explained his side of the situation to the manager as it took them a little while to come back. The manager comes up and asks my side. After I tell him he says that what I can do is leave my number with them, and at the end of the night when they close they would look at the tape and count the register. If it was twenty dollars over, they would refund my money. Ha!!! I said, "No, you're going to close the register and count it now!!! I live all the way across town and ride the bus, there is no way I am coming all the way back over here so you can correct a mistake you made!!!" I already had it in my mind that if I left, the cashier would have the chance to pocket the money before the night was over, seeing as it was only late afternoon at this time.
Seeing that I was not going to back down, he closed the register, ran the receipts, and counted the till. Sure enough it was twenty dollars long. The cashier, looking ashamed, tried to hand me the twenty back. I glared at him and said "I asked for quarters, remember?" He put the twenty back, and gave me two rolls of quarters. Firmness works.
@AnnieOakley1 (5596)
• Canada
14 Jun 08
Thanks for the heads up, barehugs. I will keep that in mind if I am ever tempted to buy anything at that crummy store.
BOYCOTT BEST BUY, BOYCOTT BEST BUY!!!!!
1 person likes this
