Customer Catches Best Buy Breaking Law, Gets Banned From Store

[Omaha Steve]

http://consumerist.com/2011/04/customer-catches-best-buy-breaking-law-gets-banned-from-store.html

By Chris Morran on April 21, 2011 1:30 PM

Some companies sure are sore losers. Take for example the folks at Best Buy, who were not only caught violating consumer protection laws, but who then banned the customer who called them out in court for doing so.

Here's the story from Consumerist reader Jed:

“

Back in January, I broke the digital-audio-in port on my Sony home theater system's receiver. I looked into repair option, and found I could mail it to Sony or take it to my local Best Buy. I opted for Best Buy, and I paid Best Buy the $34.99 non-refundable deposit, relying on the following three statements by their Geek Squad agent, Joe: (1) that my receiver would be sent from the store to their repair facility; (2) once at the facility, it would be diagnosed and I'd get a call telling me how much the repair would cost and requesting my authorization for the repair; and (3) the estimated completion date for the repair was February 1, 2011.

February 1st comes, no word from Best Buy. I called multiple times over the next few days, couldn't get through to a live person and got no replies to the messages I left. On February 6, I got through to a Geek Squad agent and I was told my receiver was sent from the store to their repair facility, then sent on to Sony on January 26th. He was not able to give me any more information or give me an updated estimated completion date.

On February 17th, I went to the Best Buy Store in person and spoke to Michael, the Manager on Duty, asking for the status of the repair, when it would be back, and how much it would cost. Michael had his "senior Geek squad agent" Walter look up my repair, and I was told it would be returned sometime before February 25-27th, the repair was already made, and would cost an additional $115 over the $34.99 I already paid. I pointed out that I didn't authorize a repair and this was unacceptable. At first, Michael, the manager, was unwilling to help, giving me an 800 number to call. I left the store and thought about what I wanted to do.

FULL story at link.

[Orrex]

1. Well, he can always shop at Circuit City

[DainBramaged]

2. Last year I needed a WIN 7 upgrade quick, they had it on sale for $89

when it got to the register (they get them from the Geek Squad area) it became a full install at $199 and that's all they had. I left, haven't bought a thing since. Amazon and Newegg baby.

[Orrex]

20. But which product did you bring to the register?

Was it the upgrade or the full install? If the former, then did you call them on it? And if the latter, then what's the problem?

I'm not sure that I understand... Did it magically switch from one software package to another as you brought through the checkout line?

[BlueJazz]

3. My Customer takes 3 month old computer into a store....tells staff computer won't start.

They charge her $160.00 for new "System install".
2 Months later >>>>

I'm referred to woman. Computer won't start.
I take out hard drive ...It's shot but the strange thing ..It's a 40 gig very OLD hard drive. (her model came with a 200+ gig hard drive)

The only tech people who have seen this computer is XXX XXX and me. How about THAT Shit ??

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. sore losers!

[Very_Boring_Name]

5. To be fair, they corrected the mistake and then he still sued them

To quote a poster responding to the article at the link, If I knew a customer would just sue me even if I corrected a mistake I'd made, I'd ban him from my store too.

[ET Awful]

6. Agreed. He ended up getting a repair for free that he normally would have had to pay for.

To sue them was ridiculous. I would have banned him too.

[backscatter712]

7. Best Buy pulled the old bait-and-switch.

"We'll just take the deposit, then call, give you an estimate and get your authorization before making the repair!"

later...

"Your gadget's repaired! That will be $200 please!"
"I didn't give you authorization!"
"Fuck you! Pay me!"

The customer correctly called them out for this bullshit and got proper recompense in a court of law.

[Very_Boring_Name]

8. Do you have any evidence that "bait and switch" is store policy?

Sounds like an isolated incident to me.

[backscatter712]

9. Doesn't matter if it's policy or not.

Best Buy in this case got caught doing it, and got slapped in court for it.

Lots of companies get caught doing shady stuff that is against their official written policies.

[Very_Boring_Name]

10. It does matter in the context of our discussion

The incompetence of a single employee is much different than a corporate policy.

[backscatter712]

11. And the company bears responsibility for the misbehavior of its employees.

When an employee rips off a customer while working as an agent of Best Buy, as far as the law is concerned, Best Buy ripped that customer off.

[Very_Boring_Name]

13. You're right, but thats beside the point of our discussion

As far as the law is concerned, best buy has every right to ban him from their property. And if you have a customer who is on the constant lookout for a lawsuit, then bestbuy made the right decision by banning him.

[backscatter712]

15. Best Buy can ban him from the property.

They can ban anyone they want, as long as it's not discrimination against a protected class, and this situation has none of that. It's a douchey thing to do, but Best Buy is within their rights to 86 him.

[Pithlet]

24. They may have the right.

And people have the right to call it for the petty action that it is. Best Buy screwed up and broke the law and lost.

[ET Awful]

17. They gave him the repair for FREE he then decided to sue them afterwards

He had no actual damages and had no real cause to sue other than to bitch and complain.

Prior to him filing suit, they'd already waived all fees.

[DainBramaged]

12. Best Buy broke the law, or did we start giving breaks for degrees of seriousness here?

[Very_Boring_Name]

14. They didn't break the law by banning him

They can ban whomever they wish.

[DainBramaged]

16. You just want to argue. Best Buy broke the law, I don't give a shit if they banned him

because he can sue them again if he chooses. Whatever you want to argue about, not with me, I'm going to bed.

[pintobean]

18. The guy is an asshole

Best Buy fucked up, realized it and ate the $115. He rewarded them,for making it right, by suing them.
All we have is his side of the story, but even that paints him as a jerk. I don't blame them for banning him. People like this increase costs for all of us.

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Pithlet]

25. The guy was a consumer who knew his rights.

More of them out there fighting that fight are a benefit to us all. Best Buy is a crap company with crappy service. More customers like him, we'd get better service. We should stand up for our rights.

[CBGLuthier]

19. What a loser.

Dear god you can almost hear him salivating thinking to himself "I got the bastards."

They made a mistake and made it right. This asswipe thinks he has found the gravy train and gets his dumb ass banned.

Only a complete fucking idiot would take anything to BestBuy for repair.

[Skip Intro]

21. Seems like a mistake Best Buy tried to fix. I agree with those who say the customer's a jerk.

the item went from the store to the BB/GS repair center THEN to Sony - and my guess is that Sony made the money from the repair, not Best Buy. Seems the mistake was made at the BB repair center who sent the item onto Sony.

Best Buy, imho, made a mistake, tried to make it right, and got sued anyway. I don't blame them for banning this guy.

[krispos42]

23. Subaru tried this when I brought my car in for a burnt-out bearing

Repaired under warranty. They just put in a new water pump and new spark plugs, neither of which was included under the warranty. Didn't call me or anything.


Got me a free water pump and a free set of spark plugs!!!


And those plugs cost $24 each. EACH.