Best Buy = Idiots

[clayj]

Two major, MAJOR screwups on the part of Best Buy today (this was at the Midtown location in Charlotte, NC):

First and foremost, when 4:30 rolled around and they came out to give us "tickets" redeemable for specific models of iPad 2, they told us the following: "Um, we don't have ANY Verizon-compatible iPads. And the AT&T-compatible iPads are only available in the 64 GB capacity -- no 16 GB or 32 GB iPads are available."

Now, this didn't affect me personally, as I was there to pick up a 16 GB WiFi-only iPad and they had plenty of those. But the guy right behind me in line had been there for FOUR HOURS and suddenly he couldn't get what he wanted -- a 16 GB Verizon iPad -- and the only remotely-equivalent alternative, a 64 GB AT&T iPad, was out of his financial reach. So he ended up settling for a 16 GB WiFi-only iPad.

Best Buy should have had a sign out there (on the sign saying "the line forms here") saying, "No Verizon iPads -- AT&T iPads only in 64 GB". This would have saved quite a few people a lot of time waiting in line for a product that they wanted but wasn't available. For them NOT to do this demonstrates a massive lack of respect for their customers' time.

Second and not quite as important, it took about two nanoseconds for me to become tired of the Best Buy hard upsell:

Me: "I just want a 16 GB iPad with WiFi only."
Them: "Do you want screen film?"
Me: "Um, no."
Them: "How about an extended warranty? You know if you drop this thing, the repairs are on you."
Me: "No."
Them: "How about our Buy Back program?"
Me: "No, just the iPad."

And so on. They tried to get me to buy every possible thing that might go with an iPad AND they tried to get me to sign up for a Best Buy credit card.

This is why I hate talking to the staff at Best Buy. Just sell me the thing I picked out and stop trying to upsell me.

 

[KoukiFC3S]

I think they only got their shipment today, so it was not possible for them to say which models they got until they opened their shipment.

 

[clayj]

I think they only got their shipment today, so it was not possible for them to say which models they got until they opened their shipment.

Unless they opened their shipment at 4:30 PM, that's not a valid excuse. As soon as they saw what they had (and more importantly, DIDN'T have), they should have posted that information where customers could see it so that they could make informed decisions about what to do next.

 

[184550]

I think they only got their shipment today, so it was not possible for them to say which models they got until they opened their shipment.

I've read on a couple of the Meet Up threads that Best Buy was not allowed to open their shipments until 4:30 and then begin the process of handing out tickets.

Two major, MAJOR screwups on the part of Best Buy today (this was at the Midtown location in Charlotte, NC):

First and foremost, when 4:30 rolled around and they came out to give us "tickets" redeemable for specific models of iPad 2, they told us the following: "Um, we don't have ANY Verizon-compatible iPads. And the AT&T-compatible iPads are only available in the 64 GB capacity -- no 16 GB or 32 GB iPads are available."

Now, this didn't affect me personally, as I was there to pick up a 16 GB WiFi-only iPad and they had plenty of those. But the guy right behind me in line had been there for FOUR HOURS and suddenly he couldn't get what he wanted -- a 16 GB Verizon iPad -- and the only remotely-equivalent alternative, a 64 GB AT&T iPad, was out of his financial reach. So he ended up settling for a 16 GB WiFi-only iPad.

Best Buy should have had a sign out there (on the sign saying "the line forms here") saying, "No Verizon iPads -- AT&T iPads only in 64 GB". This would have saved quite a few people a lot of time waiting in line for a product that they wanted but wasn't available. For them NOT to do this demonstrates a massive lack of respect for their customers' time.

Second and not quite as important, it took about two nanoseconds for me to become tired of the Best Buy hard upsell:

Me: "I just want a 16 GB iPad with WiFi only."
Them: "Do you want screen film?"
Me: "Um, no."
Them: "How about an extended warranty? You know if you drop this thing, the repairs are on you."
Me: "No."
Them: "How about our Buy Back program?"
Me: "No, just the iPad."

And so on. They tried to get me to buy every possible thing that might go with an iPad AND they tried to get me to sign up for a Best Buy credit card.

This is why I hate talking to the staff at Best Buy. Just sell me the thing I picked out and stop trying to upsell me.

People act like these situations are unique them; they're not. Everyone went through what you went through today.

I bought an iMac in June of 2010 at the Concord Mills Best Buy and the sales person there tried to sell me a bunch of stuff I didn't want. It's part of the process. A majority of the people there are not as informed as a majority of MR readers are. Some of them actually want to be told of the above mentioned items.

 

[Q Bert]

Glad I didn't go to Best Buy. BB was just 5 mins from my house and I foresee these things with BB. I knew quantities are gonna be limited at BB and they will try to sell you extended warranty, buy-back program, etc. I went to an Apple Store 25 mins away, went there around 2:30pm and probably was 75th in line and picked up 32gb Blk WiFi, 16gb White Wifi for the gf, gray and pink Smart Covers and the purchase process was painless. They even provided us with Starbucks coffee and water. And every 30 mins or so, staff were nice to update everyone of the availability of each model. This was at Apple Main Place Naperville, IL. Props to the Naperville, IL store

 

[ozred]

Two major, MAJOR screwups on the part of Best Buy today

Congratulations, Apples trained you well.

1) Blame it on someone else even though they rely on Apple to ship them product.

2) Badmouth them even though _YOU_ chose to go there.

3) Go on and on till we puke.

 

[Dorkington]

Best Buy near my place just had people get in a line, and an employee went down the line asking them what they planned on getting, and he checked it off on a list. He was able to tell each person what they had available and all that jazz. I found it to be a good system that prevented wasting anyone's time. He told me my choice was not available, and I went on my way.

Now I gotta figure out how to get one elsewhere.

 

[Nde]

Hey, at least they didn't charge you to have your new ipad plug into iTunes in store. I know they charge people for updating xbox and ps3.

 

[clayj]

Congratulations, Apples trained you well.

1) Blame it on someone else even though they rely on Apple to ship them product.

2) Badmouth them even though _YOU_ chose to go there.

3) Go on and on till we puke.

1) I don't know when they got the product. If they had it all day and didn't bother to tell those in line which models they didn't have on hand, then it is most DEFINITELY their fault. If they received it at 4:29, then they need to renegotiate their shipping arrangements with Apple -- keeping customers willfully in the dark is very uncool.

2) I'm sorry -- when did we lose the ability to criticize things which are wrong? By your twisted logic, you should never be able to criticize ANYTHING if you made a decision that led to a bad experience. "I'd say I hate this fish, but I did choose to come to this restaurant."

3) Whatever.

 

[184550]

1) I don't know when they got the product. If they had it all day and didn't bother to tell those in line which models they didn't have on hand, then it is most DEFINITELY their fault. If they received it at 4:29, then they need to renegotiate their shipping arrangements with Apple -- keeping customers willfully in the dark is very uncool.

When was the last time a major retailer, such as Best Buy, negotiated product release details with Apple and won?

Be sure to post a link to that article.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Yeah, the up-selling was really obnoxious.

 

[funkeruski]

I was probably 40th in line at BB. Everything went well until we were handed the voucher. We then had to check out on one cash register. Of course, they were pushing their BS warranty or protection plan to everyone. Some of the customers apparantly felt the need to discuss these plans in detail with the lone cashier for the ipads. Meanwhile, the cashiers up front were doing nothing. When I finally got to the cashier, i let her get the first two words out of her mouth about the warranty and told her no. I was pissed! But, I got the one I wanted.

 

[vrillusions]

Second and not quite as important, it took about two nanoseconds for me to become tired of the Best Buy hard upsell:

Me: "I just want a 16 GB iPad with WiFi only."
Them: "Do you want screen film?"
Me: "Um, no."
Them: "How about an extended warranty? You know if you drop this thing, the repairs are on you."
Me: "No."
Them: "How about our Buy Back program?"
Me: "No, just the iPad."

And so on. They tried to get me to buy every possible thing that might go with an iPad AND they tried to get me to sign up for a Best Buy credit card.

This is why I hate talking to the staff at Best Buy. Just sell me the thing I picked out and stop trying to upsell me.

Yeah that got annoying really quick, did the same spiel on me.

As for availability... yeah it sucked. I was maybe 10th in line and only 3 people behind me got an ipad. They had no 3g, and only 32gb and 16gb. the 32gb were the first to go but I still got the 16gb black I wanted. But the way they said that they couldn't give any numbers "because of apple's policies." She did come out at around 4:15, looked at the people a few back from me and said there were "very few" available. I mean, why couldn't they tell the people in line that they weren't going to have enough.

 

[djkinetic]

Two major, MAJOR screwups on the part of Best Buy today (this was at the Midtown location in Charlotte, NC):

First and foremost, when 4:30 rolled around and they came out to give us "tickets" redeemable for specific models of iPad 2, they told us the following: "Um, we don't have ANY Verizon-compatible iPads. And the AT&T-compatible iPads are only available in the 64 GB capacity -- no 16 GB or 32 GB iPads are available."

Now, this didn't affect me personally, as I was there to pick up a 16 GB WiFi-only iPad and they had plenty of those. But the guy right behind me in line had been there for FOUR HOURS and suddenly he couldn't get what he wanted -- a 16 GB Verizon iPad -- and the only remotely-equivalent alternative, a 64 GB AT&T iPad, was out of his financial reach. So he ended up settling for a 16 GB WiFi-only iPad.

Best Buy should have had a sign out there (on the sign saying "the line forms here") saying, "No Verizon iPads -- AT&T iPads only in 64 GB". This would have saved quite a few people a lot of time waiting in line for a product that they wanted but wasn't available. For them NOT to do this demonstrates a massive lack of respect for their customers' time.

Second and not quite as important, it took about two nanoseconds for me to become tired of the Best Buy hard upsell:

Me: "I just want a 16 GB iPad with WiFi only."
Them: "Do you want screen film?"
Me: "Um, no."
Them: "How about an extended warranty? You know if you drop this thing, the repairs are on you."
Me: "No."
Them: "How about our Buy Back program?"
Me: "No, just the iPad."

And so on. They tried to get me to buy every possible thing that might go with an iPad AND they tried to get me to sign up for a Best Buy credit card.

This is why I hate talking to the staff at Best Buy. Just sell me the thing I picked out and stop trying to upsell me.

In regards to them not knowing what stock they had, its because just about every Best Buy really didnt know what they had shipped to them. Apple told employees working specifically for launch at best buy that the packages were explicitly not to be touched opened or moved to the sales floor b4 5PM local time zone. So while they packing slip may have said x amount of boxes, they couldnt touch/open the shipment till 5pm. Apple reps specifically warned the employees throughout the day about this. The employees to their credit kept their word. At the best buy i picked mine up at, we were all told by the manager and staff they were not allowed to touch the packages at all, and they even came with stickers on the box that said not to be opened/handled before 5 pm. So really they didnt know till close to 5 pm what exactly they had.