Best Buy.com.. worst buying experience ever.

[Jjayf]

After reading and researching, and resigning to the fact that I’m Apple Music for life, I decided to try and improve my somewhat diminished AM experience and take the plunge into Sonos.
Basically I am spending a LOT of money to improve on Apple’s limited flexibility in streaming.
I ordered a Sonos Connect for my 7.2 two zone receiver, a Sonos One for the kitchen, and two Sonos Play1s for other rooms. I have a very limited window of availability for delivery due to Christmas and work schedule. It is imparitive that these units arrive by the expected delivery date at time of order. This system was ordered specifically to offer music throughout the house in the Christmas visiting season. After that, I will not be home again until weeks later.
The order was flagged and denied by my CC company as fraud. I straightened this out with them and Best Buy within 30 minutes of receiving notification. To my shock and horror, Best Buy customer service had No Way of resubmitting the order, and I was informed that it would be rerun automatically within 24-48 hours.
Two days later, my CC has been charged, but the units have still not been shipped. The delivery window is fast closing, and I am powerless to expedite shipping or find any recourse to ensure delivery.
Best Buy customer service has no supervisors or anyone with authority to make things happen available. All you can do is request a call back. I did that and it never happened. Very frustrating.
I’ve spent a lot of money with them over the past 6 months. New appliances, audio equipment, high end headphones and Bluetooth earbuds. Makes me wonder how committed they are to customer service.

Rant over. Merry Christmas everyone.

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

If you've ordered new appliances, audio equipment, headphones and earbuds all within the last six months, then you must appreciate the services they provide, as there are many locations you could have purchased each of those things (presumably). You've had one bad experience that was actually caused by your bank denying the transaction. Maybe your rant is more about that then about Best Buy. Maybe not. But I'm just saying maybe, as your other experiences with Best Buy have been positive.

 

[maflynn]

his system was ordered specifically to offer music throughout the house in the Christmas visiting season.

Why did you order it online, why not go to a Best Buy store and/or order online with local pickup?

To my shock and horror, Best Buy customer service had No Way of resubmitting the order,

No unusal Apple reps cannot do that as well. The iPhone forum has a number of examples where people pre-ordered an iPhone, but an issue arises and they then find themselves in the back of the line.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Makes me wonder how committed they are to customer service.

I'm "Elite" so I have some cred here. Compared to Amazon, at least IMHO, BB's computer system is an antique. I've had more than my fair share of botched appliance installs, online CC orders gone awry b/c it's approval system didn't think I was me, etc. I put all that on BB's head office. I would agree with you that at that top level BB either doesn't know how to endear itself to customer or doesn't care. If it's that latter though why have a loyalty program.

As for the retail level support I've found they do want to help and will if they can. But they are a bit hamstrung because of the inflexibility of the computer system.

In your specific case I think you need to blame yourself a bit. If I know I need something by a certain date I will 1) buy it locally or 2) order online with next day or 2-day delivery. I don't know if BB had a special price on the Sonos you bought, but it seems Sonos pricing is pretty consistent throughout it's dealer network. Plenty of places to buy if you absolutely must have it for a specific event.

Sure there was a SNAFU with BB. But once it happened you could have taken countermeasures and bought elsewhere on in-store rather than getting all riled up. I could understand if it was a large appliance, but it's not. It's a tiny speaker. The CC stuff you could have figured out later. All you really have to do is dispute the charge and you won't be liable until it's sorted out.

 

[maflynn]

I will 1) buy it locally or 2) order online with next day or 2-day delivery.

Generally speaking when I order from BB, its almost always with local pickup or I just go to my local BB store. I'll use Amazon if time is of the essence and I don't have other options. I found for the most part, that I can get what I want from Amazon when I need it, but even then stuff happens. I had a couple of orders delayed on amazon. Nothing that impacted me because they'll still arrive before Christmas.

 

[Jjayf]

Why did you order it online, why not go to a Best Buy store and/or order online with local pickup?


No unusal Apple reps cannot do that as well. The iPhone forum has a number of examples where people pre-ordered an iPhone, but an issue arises and they then find themselves in the back of the line.

I'm "Elite" so I have some cred here. Compared to Amazon, at least IMHO, BB's computer system is an antique. I've had more than my fair share of botched appliance installs, online CC orders gone awry b/c it's approval system didn't think I was me, etc. I put all that on BB's head office. I would agree with you that at that top level BB either doesn't know how to endear itself to customer or doesn't care. If it's that latter though why have a loyalty program.

As for the retail level support I've found they do want to help and will if they can. But they are a bit hamstrung because of the inflexibility of the computer system.

In your specific case I think you need to blame yourself a bit. If I know I need something by a certain date I will 1) buy it locally or 2) order online with next day or 2-day delivery. I don't know if BB had a special price on the Sonos you bought, but it seems Sonos pricing is pretty consistent throughout it's dealer network. Plenty of places to buy if you absolutely must have it for a specific event.

Sure there was a SNAFU with BB. But once it happened you could have taken countermeasures and bought elsewhere on in-store rather than getting all riled up. I could understand if it was a large appliance, but it's not. It's a tiny speaker. The CC stuff you could have figured out later. All you really have to do is dispute the charge and you won't be liable until it's sorted out.

I work away from home. I live three weeks out of every month in a remote camp I can’t just pop into a retail store and make purchases. In the past I’ve reserved for in store pickup, but in this case the Sonos One is not in stock retail in my area.

I decided on Best Buy because the do have easy returns and price matching. I was afraid that there would be a huge Sonos discount for Boxing Week, and Best Buy will refund the difference should that happen.

While most of my recent purchases with Best Buy have been positive, this is a huge glaring issue. An online retailer must have hundreds of flagged transactions daily, and should be better prepared and equipped to deal with them.

For customer service to not have any ability to help out in this situation is ridiculous, and to have no one in a position of authority available or to call back when they offered to do so is insulting.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I hope you get your stuff in time, @Jjayf.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I work away from home. I live three weeks out of every month in a remote camp I can’t just pop into a retail store and make purchases. In the past I’ve reserved for in store pickup, but in this case the Sonos One is not in stock retail in my area.

I decided on Best Buy because the do have easy returns and price matching. I was afraid that there would be a huge Sonos discount for Boxing Week, and Best Buy will refund the difference should that happen.

While most of my recent purchases with Best Buy have been positive, this is a huge glaring issue. An online retailer must have hundreds of flagged transactions daily, and should be better prepared and equipped to deal with them.

For customer service to not have any ability to help out in this situation is ridiculous, and to have no one in a position of authority available or to call back when they offered to do so is insulting.

Fair enough, but none of that precluded you from selecting next day or 2day delivery if it was something you had to have at a specific time -- especially this time of year when shipping often goes FUBAR. And when your store preference looked like it was going off the rails there was always Amazon or another reliable store with next day shipping. I mean if you really had to have it in time for your guest's arrival.

 

[Jjayf]

Fair enough, but none of that precluded you from selecting next day or 2day delivery if it was something you had to have at a specific time -- especially this time of year when shipping often goes FUBAR. And when your store preference looked like it was going off the rails there was always Amazon or another reliable store with next day shipping. I mean if you really had to have it in time for your guest's arrival.

Yup. I could have done things differently and worked around Best Buy’s Customer Services’ inability to offer service.
I could have and should have ordered direct from Sonos but I trusted Best Buy to do what they do. Frustrating. I can’t even cancel the order now as it’s stuck in limbo between picked and shipped. All I can do is wait and wonder.
I could order from amazon which is actually out of stock on one of the items, and get 2 day delivery. Double pay for the items and just return the Best Buy purchase next time I’m home in January I suppose.

 

[ActionableMango]

Customer service and shipping times always go down the crapper this time of year. In the holiday season between Thanksgiving and Christmas, retail stores do on average about 4 months worth of sales in one month. I bet Best Buy is above average on that, so it's at least a 4x increase in work for them. At the same time many people are taking vacations and are out sick due to the flu season and catching colds.

Companies can hire seasonal staff, and I'm sure Best Buy does too. But temporary workers by their nature are inexperienced, not well trained, and not particularly motivated.

 

[Jjayf]

Well the order has shipped complete 52 hours after first submitted. I’ll need another 24 hours until tracking data is available. Hopefully, hopefully, it arrives next week. Lesson learned.

I can’t imagine being a customer service rep for a multinational chain. The lady I spoke with this morning was very nice, and I could tell by her voice and mannerisms that she was mid to late 50s. She told me that many many people yell and scream at her, and have invited her to place orders into body parts that they could not possibly fit. It’s a shame. I seldom have need to call any customer service, but when I do, I try to remain polite while trying to get my point across with the least amount of confrontation. These people are just doing a job and trying to earn a living.

 

[WinkWink726]

I'm so glad that its "not just me" that can't stand Best Buy's customer service (or lack thereof).
I year ago, we were sent to buy my father in law a refill card for his phone (one of those att go phone deals).
Anyhow, we got the card that my mother in law described for us to get.
We (never ever having owned a pay as you go type of phone) asked the clerk, if this is the wrong card, can we return it?
they said "yes", so we bought the $60 card.

guess what? wrong card.

went back with the receipt to return it and it was a no-go, even after the clerk told us it would be no problem.


now, I understand (sort of) WHY it can't be returned, but the manager refused to understand why I was so pissed off.
YOUR employee assured me that I could return it
I wasted $60
YOUR employee needs better training bc I wouldn't have bought the card based on my MIL's explanation, I would have explored another option to be absolutely sure that we had the right thing.

Live and learn.... but Best Buy sucks!

 

[daflake]

Wait, your CC company flagged it as fraud thus causing the snafu, so why are you mad at Best Buy? I mean they do have crappy service (fairly well known) but if this was such an important thing, I would have cancelled the order, got the CC straightened out and the re-ordered. Better yet, I would have simply went to the store and bought them. As pointed out, Apple couldn't have done anything like you were asking either.

 

[maflynn]

Well the order has shipped complete 52 hours after first submitted. I’ll need another 24 hours until tracking data is available. Hopefully, hopefully, it arrives next week. Lesson learned.

Good luck on getting it, I hadn't realized your situation precluded you visiting a local bestbuy.