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Terrible customer service
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

WEST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT -- I have a 12 year old car and for Christmas my family bought me a new car stereo with a prepaid installation package, for $180 on sale. They were assured that all I would have to do is make an appointment at a separate BestBuy location for the installation. Today (January 14) I called to schedule the installation, and was informed I must purchase specific "parts" for $200 first, and choose one of two dates in February and March for the appointment. I tried to call customer service at the BestBuy in West Hartford, CT where the stereo was purchased, but no one answered the phone and after ten minutes, I hung up and drove there, unopened stereo with my name on a store pickup sticker on the box and the original receipt in hand. First, they claimed I was at the wrong store location. I showed them the receipt. When I inquired about whether the parts had inadvertently been left out, I was informed that they were not included in the original "install package" and do indeed cost $200. I explained that I do not have $200 and my family was lead to believe that everything needed was paid for, having provided the year, make and model of my car to the salesperson. At that point I requested either a discount on the $200 parts or a refund for the stereo and install package. Randall in customer service said that all he could offer was an exception to the holiday return deadline that had passed 2 days earlier, and provide a store credit. I declined that offer and again requested a simple refund. Randall repeated several times that he was making an exception for me - no apology, no acknowledgement of BestBuy's error, seemingly no comprehension that it makes no sense that I got a gift with hidden fees costing more than the gift itself, and he claimed to be "the current manager of this store." Another employee (Mike) then offered to contact a different level manager who was scheduled to arrive in an hour. Well, she was in a meeting, running late, etc. and finally after an hour and 46 minutes I got a call that she approved the refund I requested. Seriously - all of that time and trouble and arguing over one $180 stereo that I'm certain BestBuy could care less about, but was useless to me without spending another $200 that I don't have and that my family was not made aware was necessary. I have been a customer for 20 years. No more.

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WORST EXPERIENCE EVER
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

MANASSAS, VIRGINIA -- WORST EXPERIENCE EVER

Recently I brought my Dell Alienware M14x Laptop (custom configured from Dell) to a computer repair store when the computer would make loud beeping noise during the attempt to start up. It turns out that the noise being created was from bad RAM. While the computer was open (first time since my terrible experience with BestBuy's Geek Squad) it was noted that the clip on the motherboard that the optical drive cable plugs into missing/damaged and instead, a wadded paper was jammed into the port to provide tension to keep the cable on the mother board. When I was told in 2015 that the optical drive was repaired by replacing the cable (and not the first excuse that the port was burned out on the mother board which was not true), I incorrectly assumed that ‘fixed' meant professionally repaired. I made that assumption due to the operating system being able to be loaded on to the computer after having the hard drive replaced and being able to use it once after bringing it home. This was bad enough, but things got worst upon speaking with your managers at the store! Ultimately the managers at the store were completely unhelpful as they kept indicating they weren't present when my computer was worked on the first time and offered no way to solve the problem except give me a sales pitch on buying a new computer. I went to the website where the only way to speak with someone is through their online blog with one of their social media specialist and not a store, area, regional manager...you get the point. Their basic view was that since I couldn't prove in writing that the computer repair (that is the paper) was performed by them, then they couldn't do anything. Even though there is plenty of documentation that the computer had to be sent off to the service center out of state to be looked at in order to determine what repair could be made to fix what THEY BROKE and the computer was returned to me broken with a note from the service center that there was no replacement part and no repair option. The local store hid what they did from me and never documented for the company that they even attempted a repair. When it was first discovered that they broke my computer, they started discussing replacement computer options...now they are saying that there isn't proof that they did anything. I guess their thought is try to sweep everything under the rug and if it can go undetected long enough, then they can skirt their liability? DO NOT TRUST THEM AND IF YOU HAVE A COMPUTER REPAIRED - CHECK WHAT THEY REALLY DID!

Too bad I can't write more to elaborate what all actually happened. I did on their blog, but they removed everything because I mentioned legal action. Hiding something? I think so. Bunch of crooks in my opinion.

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Awful extended warranty on washing machine
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

TRUMBULL, CONNECTICUT -- I purchased a washing machine 2 years ago from Best Buy with a 4 year extended warranty. The machine stopped working two weeks ago. I have been trying to schedule a repair appointment ever since. Even though my agreement is with Geek Squad, thanks to fine print, Best Buy, through AIG which is a third party provider, outsources their service to A&E, which is a branch of Sears, a competitor to Best Buy. For about 2 weeks now, I have been trying to make an appointment. Despite talking to 5 Geek squad representatives, 3 customer service representative and 5 different supervisors at AIG, 3 different employees (1 supervisor and 2 customer service representatives) at A&E and 2 customer service representatives at Sears, and making the same appointment 5 times, I kept on receiving phone calls and emails from Sears to reschedule my appointment saying they can't get anyone on the five times confirmed date and time. I literally spent over 4 hours on the phone the past two weeks with these people, confirming the same appointment only to receive a call three hours later each time to reschedule that just confirmed appointment. Now they are telling me the earliest appointment they can give me is three weeks ahead since I can't accommodate their preferred date and time (a single date and time). The last supervisor at AIG told me that the companies where Best Buy is outsourcing from will only give them a limited number of appointments and hold other appointments for paying customers despite the fact that we have obviously paid for these services in advance when we purchased the warranty. When I called Best Buy back to complain about their third party provider and asked to talk to a supervisor, after waiting 15 minutes on the phone, I was informed that they won't talk to me because it is not their policy to take complaints over the phone about warranty and repair issues. I had been a loyal client to Best Buy for over 10 years now and bought merchandise worth thousands of dollars. I will never buy anything from Best Buy again. I have never seen such treatment as a loyal customer from any other company that I worked with before.

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Institutional indifference re customer service
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

FOX POINT, WISCONSIN -- Institutional indifference - no customer service & don't care
1/9/17

I purchased a Garmin GPS today, December 20th at Best Buy but was not offered an extended warranty - today, December 20th - I called the store to ask about an extended warranty and only got useless menu options frustrating me and putting me off from ever returning to a Best Buy - why should I?

It was insulting when trying to telephone the store, getting only an unresponsive menu selection and a complete inability to speak to a human being. I called the 888' number to complain and try to find a human to reply to my complaints which took multiple menu options, hold options and call-back from a representative. It is dehumanizing to have my time trivialized and spent like it matters little.

The call-back option person was in the Philippines; useless and uninformed. She told me to call the store if I had a problem - my problem was in calling the store, the menu options were useless. I asked to be transferred to the USA. She refused and said there is no option to transfer my call. I asked to be transferred to Minnesota; she refused saying there are no options to transfer to Minnesota and to call the store. It was a useless call, a waste of my time and failed of its essential purpose:

I. To talk with a human being about my dissatisfaction with a useless menu system;
II. To complain about how customers are treated including routing my complaint to the Philippines to someone uninformed and unintelligible;
III. To find out if I have an extended warranty option of what I just bought.

I wasted over an hour on this and your customer disservice and [Best Buys] astonishingly self-defeating system called customer service. I will shop elsewhere and only at Best Buy as a last resort. I was going to get a DVD player as a gift for someone which I will now buy [& everything I need] elsewhere.

What a monumentally stupid system Best Buy has adopted. It is a Target-rich consumer environment out here, lots of online sellers and competitors who value customers. I have enclosed a reprint attributable to Sam Walton - your customer service personnel [including those in the Philippines] should read it and quite possibly adopt the philosophy.

I have sent this to your Best Buy, Minnesota as a courtesy as well.

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Awful Customer Service
StarStarStarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 3/51

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA -- On several and I mean several occasions, I have attempted to buy things online. When I get to the checkout page, the computer always glitches - error occurs and the sale or buy disappears. I have complained and in so the Executive Department has called. We have discussed the matter and things always were resolved, sometimes in days, sometimes in weeks. In-store experiences are as bad - their price match practices are awful. You call Best Buy-1 800 # - they tell you to print out ad and go to store. You spend time/money/gas. Arrive and are told "No can't do it." So why did they send you there to begin with?

If you order online via a live person, you wait. Then you call only to find out that the order was never processed by that person- no order #, no confirmation and you look like a fool since your out a product you have waited for weeks. As a patron for over the last 7 years, I am amazed that in the last 18 months my experiences have been awful. And the only way to get any satisfaction is to contact the Executive offices in Minnesota and complain. Folks you work hard for your money. When you order something, you expect to get it, not find out weeks later there was no order placed or a computer glitch or the person you spoke to and did the transaction with did not complete the task.

Simply incredible. I guess when you get big, your customer patronage doesn't exist anymore. Only a few companies still care when you speak to Customer Service. They are Amazon, Tiger Direct and few others. So if you have experienced the above, you know what I am talking about. Good luck with your Best Buy experiences.

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Best Buy Is Terrible! Do Not Buy From Them!
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

CALIFORNIA -- Agreed! Their ads are misleading and misrepresenting. I went in a few years ago to buy a laptop for my boyfriend bc their ad said it had blu-ray ROM, but of course the same model they had in the store did not come with it. They just said sorry it was "misprinted" and we can't do anything about it. I wrote a review on their page and they didn't publish it because they didn't want anyone to know the truth. So I stopped going until recently... and of course I was disappointed!!

Their sales representative sold my mom many useless things that I do not need. She bought them for my birthday and upon receiving them, I tried to return them, but the return date passed a couple of weeks after the 15-day policy. They have a policy that will allow their rewards member an extension, but their return department at the store will not allow me to return it simply because of their 15 days policy--they leave it up to their manager to decide.

I've been their rewards program member since 2003, but they refused to allow me to return them. The items were never opened or used. I even wrote to them and showed them pictures after going into the store--of course they gave me the runaround like to call them or go to a store, which I did call and go again without any luck.

However, the person who was returning their item that has been melted because they left it in the sun was allowed to have their item end returned even though it passed the 15 days policy as well. This is a discrimination as the manager allowed for that transaction while denying mine when mine was in perfect condition. I can even provide the approximate time and date for them to check the security cameras for proof. I do not recommend anyone to purchase anything with them and seeing that their rating is so bad by other buyers, I can see why!!!

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Best Buy Will Not Honor Their Policies Or Otherwise
By -

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA -- I purchased an eMachines M5312 laptop on 10/2003 with Best Buy's basic extended warranty. I purchased this at the Almaden Expressway store in San Jose, California. Since the purchase, the laptop continues to overheat and simply shuts down. I do not feel that this is a Windows issue, because normally, before sending the unit in, I've formatted the hard drive with a new installation of software (eMachines support has every time, recommended reformatting the hard drive and reinstalling everything from their install disks for shut downs). The laptop has now been in for repair five times now to Best Buy.

Best Buy is denying replacement of the laptop. It is also my opinion that the Best Buy Repair Center in Camarillo, California is lying about what they've done for repairs. There have been a series of so-called repairs from 11/2004 to about 2/2005.

Before having the damaged unit repaired, the Repair DEPT clerk explained to me that with my extended warranty, the unit had to be sent out, and that it would take several weeks, and that the unit had to be in for repair three times before being granted a replacement. Not happy with this, I spoke with the store manager and told him I wanted a refund for the extended warranty that I felt was useless. He refused of course, so I gave in and agreed to have the unit sent out for repair.

First Time (late 2004). The laptop came returned back to me in worse condition. The first time I turned in the laptop for repair was late 2004. The repair report claimed that they replaced the motherboard. As I had tested the unit at the store, the laptop would shut down immediately after power up.

Second Time. Best Buy shipped the unit back to the repair center in Camarillo. A few days later, I got a call from the customer rep in Camarillo. She was actually cordial and said she would expedite the "overheating" repair and have the unit shipped back to my home address. I also told her that the rubber feet had fallen off of the laptop. I had assured her that I wouldn't intentionally rip the things off the bottom, so she agreed to have it done.

Several days later, I received the repaired unit. The unit worked for a whole day, then started to shut down once during doing some work, but powered the unit up again. It was okay for a while. Also, the repair people only installed 2 of the 3 feet missing.

I called the girl back in Camarillo to send me the other rubber foot. She agreed to ship it out to me It was sent out UPS Red or Blue but UPS would simply not drop off the package on the doorstep, because the package required a signature. They tried to drop off the package several times, during business hours. Eventually, package was shipped back to Camarillo, and I never received the additional rubber foot.

I contacted her again, and she agreed to ship it out without requiring a signature this time. I never received any package, I have since left her 1 or 2 voicemail messages, and she has not contacted me since. I kept her name and the Camarillo telephone number on my cellphone, just in case I am ever asked of her name.

Third Time. Several weeks after the Second Time repair, the unit started to overheat again. I turned the unit into the store. It was probably again, shipped out to Camarillo. It was shipped back to me, with this time on the report, "Cleaned CPU Fan." Also, one of the rubber feet they installed from the Second Time was missing. After a few days, the laptop failed again, overheating, and this time all the way to failure so that I could no longer power up the unit so I could back up the data on the hard drive.

Fourth Time. Turned in the unit once again. I wanted a new laptop. The Geek Squad guy at the Best Buy counter in San Jose said that repair center in Camarillo had to determine the machine not repairable before granting me another laptop. The clerk also entered that the rubber feet were missing. I finally received the unit back. This time, the report said that some heat sink had been replaced and the CPU Fan was cleaned. Once again, this did not work. Several weeks later, the unit started to shut down. The repair center did attach rubber feet this time but with a weak glue job. The feet were falling off, right out of the box.

Fifth Time. Turned the unit into Best Buy San Jose yet another time. This time, I attached a note with details on room temperature, the fact that it has been turned in several times and that this unit should be considered for granting a replacement. This time I left the hard drive in the laptop, with a recorded TV program file on it to prove the laptop was failing just buy playing video files, ETC. This time they shipped the unit back their written report. "Replaced CPU." I turned the machine on, I thought it ran a little slower, but it ran again for a few weeks this time before yes, overheating once again. Please see other details below.

Best Buy's Repair Center disrespectful this time. When I shipped the machine out for the fifth time, I sent this thing out with all rubber feet attached. Also on the Fifth Time report, the documentation said that the rubber feet were missing. There was no attempt, nor was there any hardware in the shipping box for me to at least reattach anything myself. Privacy Issue. As I had thought that I removed all of my contacts in Outlook, it seems that the repair people made a point to display my archive branches in Outlook, to prove a point that some of my deleted info are still intact.

3/17/2005: On the plane, on a business trip to San Diego, the laptop shut down about 1 minute after viewing a PDF document. 3/27/2005: The laptop shuts down more often, and can no longer keep it powered up after just being in idle for a few minutes. At this point, I am sending last attempts at contact Best Buy Corporate for assistance, and I am looking for options to take legal action against Best Buy. I also have all documentation of the Best Buy repairs on hand.

To anyone making a purchase at Best Buy, I recommended buying nothing more than mere accessories at their store. Hopefully, you'll be able to make sure that those accessories are operational BEFORE you make your way to the cashier counter. Otherwise, beware.

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This Happened Twice Today: I Called the Best Buy Store in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on St. James Street. The Phone Rang for 20
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

WINNIPEG -- This happened twice today: I called the Best Buy Store in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on St. James Street. The Phone Rang for 20. There was no one to answer the phone. Actually, I have found this situation to be ongoing for many many years now and it never seems to get better. It stems back to even 2008. I think this Company should go out of business since they don't value customers and don't make a point of customer service. It's unbelievable that they have stayed in business this long!!! If there was a choice, I wouldn't give them 1 star. I would like the option of giving them a minus rating instead. It looks like some things never change!!!

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Ordered online but not available
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

MONROE, LOUISIANA -- I needed a product the same day and needed to pick it up at Best Buy during my short lunch break. Therefore, I ordered it online for one hour pick up. The receipt even stated it would be available in one hour. Also, the latest commercials even make the same claim. However, when I arrived two hours later and after waiting for 20-minutes at the pickup desk, it was not ready for pickup. The employee told me that the order may not be ready for days as they had over 300 online orders to prepare, but only had one employee assigned to pick them up. I had to cancel my order and go find the product myself. Then I returned and found out that one was working the checkout stand and I had to checkout using the pickup desk again. After another 30-minute wait, I was able to checkout and return to work late. So, Best Buy advertises that for your convenience you can order online and pick up your product in an hour. However, in actuality, it took me almost an hour to get my product myself in the store. I know that Best Buy was in trouble a few years ago and losing money because of poor customer service. Well, it seems that they will be in trouble again because they still have not learned their lesson.

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Pathetic service
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

NORTHBROOK, ILLINOIS -- I am a Best Buy elite member and have been trying to buy a Home audio system and some speakers during this holiday season and have visited multiple BB stores in the hope that I will be able to make my purchase- Not a single store has either the complete range (Bose, SONOS, LG, Sony) , most of their demo systems are always not working and the sales staff has been quite useless in helping you make the decision- They never have the complete product details or willing to help you make the comparisons.
My last visit to the Northbrook Store in IL was particularly disappointing, where the staff was not only rude & unqualified, I was subjected to some, inappropriate behavior- some of their comments and demeanor were simply demeaning, derogatory & disrespectful. The staff showed no interest & did not help in showing me the products that I wanted to evaluate- I also felt a ra**** discrimination in the way some comments were passed and the treatment I received.
In one of my other recent visits (This time the Arlington Heights store), The CS representative at the returns/Pick Up desk was so extremely rude that I had to politely ask him to be "Atleast" polite and not "Rude"
Truly a forgettable experience!

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1.3 out of 5, based on 105 ratings and
450 reviews & complaints.
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