Testimonial #36: Many bad experiences...

Today I went to do an internet search of "hate best buy" because I was just positive that there was a site devoted to people like me. I'm so glad to see that I was right. I've had a lot of fun perusing the testimonials and was happy to send your link to many of my friends.

I'm trying to avoid writing a novel, but I've had several times at best buy that rendered me a shaking screaming mess. A few anecdotes: About two years ago I went to best buy to purchase a computer component for my then husband. Knowing that I wasn't particularly computer savvy, he wrote down exactly what I needed. When I got to the store, I went directly to the computer counter and basically read off my slip what I wanted. The clerk, who was a pimply faced 18 year old with some ego issues, sneered at me and began rattling off a list of questions. He basically called me technologically stupid and said that I needed to know alot more before he could show me what to buy. I was dumbfounded. First of all, that he was so rude. But mostly because I was pretty confident that I had all of the information he needed (my husband was a computer guy). After stammering a few minutes and being further humiliated by this guy (he was saying in a loud voice "I mean, listen- you've got to know WAY more than this. I can't tell what you need from what you just said!") I was rescued by some shy best buy clerk who quietly leaned over and handed me the product I had requested. I walked away, a little shaken and went to the register. Due to some sale, they had blocked the aisles with big boxes and to get to the lane I needed I literally had to crawl over them. I got to the register and handed them my check card. It was a joint account with my husband's name on it. The clerk looked at it and said I couldn't use it. Already flustered, I turned red and asked why. He said it wasn't mine. I explained that it was a joint account and that I was an authorized user. He just said "uh uh." I asked him to call my bank and verify my authority to use the card. He said "uh uh." I yelled for a manager. She came over and apologized and said she couldn't take a card that wasn't mine (mind you, the last name was the same and the wedding band on my finger meant something.) I asked her why they couldn't just call the bank to verify that I was on the account. She said they could and asked the clerk to do it. I waited while he called and sure enough the bank authorized my using the card. He looked irritated. He started punching everything in and suddenly I decided I'd had it. I screamed loudly "I don't want anything here. I hate this place!" and left. I went to Circuit City and it felt like heaven.

A year later, I got divorced (maybe that temper of mine...) and a friend convinced me that I should buy my TV, VCR and stereo at best buy because of the prices. I told her I hated it there but she said she would go and that it would be ok. We took another friend who hates best buy (they screwed her multiple times) and decided to try a different branch. I picked out the VCR I wanted but didn't see one on the shelf. I asked the clerk if he could see if there was one in back. His response? "Why do you need that one?" Mine- "Would you prefer I not buy one at all?" He went and found one in back. I threw it in my cart along with a stereo and went to the TV section. I found what I wanted and asked another clerk to help me get it in my cart. He starting talking to me about their insurance plan and I said very firmly that I wasn't interested. He kept pushing it and my friends jumped in to say that I really didn't want it. I guess he felt outnumbered so he went and gathered colleagues and soon I was surrounded by four best buy employees telling me that I was throwing my money away by buying a product without a warranty. I asked them if the products they sold were such crap that they needed warranties and they basically said yes. I wonder how Sony feels about that? Finally I escaped, and once again swore to never return.

What's sad, is I could go on. The friend who was told he should buy two cameras since he was stupid enough to not buy the warranty. The friend whose gift certificate never came and who was refused help by everyone she called. And on and on and on.

I think, after reading this site, I will take advantage of the "Numbers" system. If I buy my big ticket items there, without a warranty or accessories, I really hurt their percentages, right?

Best Buy Hater


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