Class Action Suit Against Best Buy

Look at what we have here - Class Action Suit Against Best Buy for allegedly violating it's "Price Match Policy" in New York. From the article:

Among the major revelations listed from evidence within the decision based on internal BB documents, depositions of current BB employees and declarations by two former BB employees are the following allegations:

• Best Buy had an undisclosed Anti-Price Matching Policy
• Corporate headquarters disseminated the anti-price matching policy to regional managers, store managers, assistant managers, and necessary store personnel
• Best Buy taught its employees how to deny price match requests in its training facilities in New York
• Best Buy provided financial bonuses based, in part, on denying proper price match requests
• Best Buy denied more than 100 proper price match requests per store per week.

As much as I do not like Best Buy, I have not experienced this. I have had Best Buy price match more than a few items over the years. It could be that I'm in Los Angeles, the price match for each item was under $30 or that this is a new; but given my most recent experience at Best Buy (view previous rant) and previous related post, this does not surprise me.

Best Buy Not Honoring Its Price Match Policy?

Some of you may have read my previous Best Buy rant and know that I have no love for them.

Well, I spotted this article on HD Guru and it looks like Best Buy is doing its best to deny their customers a price match when competitors are selling the same item for less. According to the article, Best Buy's "salesmen have been instructed by management to not honor its price match policies in order to increase the store’s profit margin."

Be prepared with the following (per the HD Guru article) to improve your chances of getting a price match:

• Don’t have a competitor’s ad in your hand when entering the store. Produce it after you establish the store has the item in stock.
• Don’t say you have been shopping around and know exactly what you want to purchase (the sales person may get suspicious of a price match and simply tell you the TV is out of stock). Do give the salesman a general idea of what type of HDTV you desire ( i.e. 46” LCD) and let salesperson suggest the HDTV you want to price match.
• Don’t make a scene if you get murfed. It won’t accomplish anything. Simply leave and, if you desire, call the store’s corporate customer relations department. It may contact the store and tell it to honor the price match policy (because you complained).
• Do ask the salesman if they offer extended warranties (even if you don’t want one) and inquire as to how many years coverage you can buy, because you want the longest protection you can buy (the salesman’s belief that you will be purchasing an extended warranty will motivate his manager to match the price.) You may purchase the warranty and cancel it at the checkout or the next day without penalty.
• Indicate you will need cables and accessories and tell the salesman you want the best—more motivation for the salesman to get his manager to honor the price match.

We shouldn't have to go to these lengths to get Best Buy to abide to their own Price Match policy (which should be clearly stated at their return/customer service counter). It's time for us to vote with our wallets and shop at reputable stores that will treat their customers right!

Rant: Best Buy

This rant is 2 months in the making, so bear with me.

In late Nov 2008, I go to the Best Buy in Glendale, CA to look at a HP netbook. I can't find the HP netbook on display, so I ask an associate for help. I'm quickly told, "the HP netbook is not on display, but it's just like the Asus" and the associate walks away.

Are you fucking kidding me? I'm looking to drop almost $500 and you can't even show me a display model/demo? How the hell can anyone make an informed buying decision with such a statement and customer service?

I wrote a complaint email to Best Buy customer support/service and they quickly apologize and tell me that they will send me a $50 credit/coupon for the inconvenience. I'm thinking great, I can use it to purchase the netbook. Two weeks later, I still don't have the credit/coupon so I write back to Best Buy.

Again, an apology that it is taking so long. Due to the volume of holiday inquiries, things are backed up and that I should get it b/w 2 to 4 weeks. That sounds perfectly legit, I'm reasonable (all my email complaints were professional, non-threatening and contain no foul language), so I wait patiently.

Four weeks pass and still no credit/coupon. I write again and get another apology. But this time, I'm also told that Best Buy needs to research the matter before anything can be done.

Well, it is now Feb 2009 and guess what? No fucking credit/coupon. I guess Best Buy decided it can screw me and renege on their promise. Were they emboldened because Circuit City is now out of business and they feel like they are the only game in town?

FUCK OFF, Best Buy! I tell you about my experience and you were the one who offered up the credit. I never asked for it. If you were/are going to renege on the offer, be responsible about it and say so.

Best Buy: You have lost yourself a loyal customer. I will never make your store my first choice when buying electronics and/or appliances. I still have Fry's, Walmart, Sears, Amazon.com, etc. to shop at before your store. If you treat others the same way you are treating me, you will go the way of Circuit City as well!

PS - I'm now shopping for a digital camera and Best Buy can kiss my ass. If I end up at a Best Buy store, it'll be to play with the digital cameras so I can buy it online.

End rant.