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Don't You Just Love Best Buy

jaw04005

jaw04005

macrumors 601
Original poster
Aug 19, 2003
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I walked in to my local Best Buy today to purchase an Epson C84 printer for my cousin. A "salesman" (if you want to call him that) asked me if I needed help, and I said well I'm just here to pick up a printer, could you show me where the Epson printers are? He takes off and i follow him to a few rows over, and preceded to look for the C84. I picked up the C84, and the dude is still watching me, and then goes "You got something against HP printers?", I said "I've had better luck with Epson printers as far as color printing goes", and he said "whatever, man.". So anyways, I began walking back down the aisle towards the checkout in the store, and he approached me again and said "So, are you for or against extended service plans?", I said "I don't think I need an extended service plan for a $70 printer.". By this time, he had already pissed me off enough.. I handed the printer back to him and walked out of the store. That store has to have the worst customer service. I drove down to CompUSA, and an Epson rep was there. I told him the story, and he said "Best Buy can really pick em'". LOL. Anyone ever had a GOOD experience with Best Buy?

Josh
 
I usually have good experiences with Best Buy because I don't ask for help and don't take it when it's offered. :D

I also don't buy hardware there. However, I just got 50 DVD-Rs for $50 with an instant rebate. :)
 
They always try to sell you a service plan and the sales people always think every customer is a computer moron.

I went to go buy a Canon printer there a couple of months ago and the guy treated me like a moron because I walked up there and just picked up a printer and tried to walk to the checkouts.

He stopped me and started asking me all types of questions about what type of printer I wanted and was telling how the other printers were better...etc

I guess he didn't realize that I had spent days online comparing printers...

It really depend on who you talk to, some employees are bad some are good.
 
a) i got into an argument with a checkout guy after refusing to get the extended warranty on a cheap $75 dvd player. i asked him why i should spend a 1/3 of the cost of the dvd player to protect it. if it dies after a year, big deal, i'll buy another one. he rolled his eyes which pissed me off even more.

b) last winter i bought an xbox controller there and the woman tried to sell me an extended warranty for it (its $19, folks... and the warranty was like 6 or 7 bucks.)

c) i bought a 27-inch WEGA at a best buy about 1 year ago and was pressured by (1) the guy who rang it up in the back (2) the guy who pushed the cart up front (3) the security guy at the front door who checks receipts... they were all over me like white on rice.

i don't buy anything from best buy now. i go to either hhgregg or some boutique shops around town. write them a letter like i did and tell them you refuse to shop there if you have to answer the same high-pressure sales pitch from three different people.

also - i saw a story on extended warranties (like the ones sold by best buy) - and they attributed a VERY high percentage of the company's bottom line to the extended warranty. then they calculated out what percentage of people actually USE the warranty... less than 3 percent of people who bought the extended warranties on electronic equipment actually used them (or needed them). sad, really.
 
Almost like the time I was shopping for a digital camera at Best Buy. I asked about the megapixels of a certain model, and the guy told me that it had 2.1x Optical and 3x digital. I told him that I appreciated his help and promptly left.
 
Re: Re: Don't You Just Love Best Buy

Originally posted by mislabeledstar
I wouldn't say CompUSA is any better..............
Click to expand...

lol yeah. i remember one time this lady came into CompUSA and asked a sales rep on how she could burn a CD on her new imac. the sales rep had to search for a 'getting started with mac os x book' and look it up. after a couple minutes of thumbing threw the pages i had to step in and tell the lady myself.
 
We bought our iMac at CompUSA about 2 years ago, and they were pretty friendly and helpful..... but when it comes to warranties, it is cut throat. The sales rep spent almost an hour convincing my dad to get a CompUSA extended warranty on our iMac, the warranty was $350!!! Well my dad being an unexperienced computer user eventually caved in and got it. Then when we got home and unpacked everything my dad read the info on AppleCare and saw it was only $170 for the same warranty. Well now my dad being the good Scot he is promptly signed up for AppleCare and canceled CompUSA's warranty.
My recommendation is to buy through an independent dealer if you can, they are usually much more knowledgeable, and they are much more likely to help you with your problems later.
 
Originally posted by JesseJames
I knew a guy who use to work at a Best Buy. He said that you're pushed to push stuff. Especially the service plans.
He said he hated it and left. To save his soul. :p
Click to expand...
Wait a minute, they actually hired somebody with a soul... that must have been a mistake.

---

And remember the extended warranties are the company's profit.

Every time you refuse to buy one your taking money out of some CEOs pocket.

Support the CEOs, they can't live on their $30-100 million pay package -- they need their bonus to be able to affort that extra SUV for their 4th home.
 
Best Buy is fairly good in Houston but realize that is in comparison to Circuit City and Frys.:)
 
I only have a Circuit City close, but I have traveled to a Best Buy. I find them both the same. HORRID!!!!

Circuity City used to be really good, but about a year ago it went down hill quickly. Come to find out they fired/laid off all of the employees that worked on commission, and hired hourly employees. Now I understand why the don't like answering questions or helping you. They dont need too any more.
 
Speaking of extended warranties, I bought a cable at radio shack for 10 dollars, just a cheap rca cable, and the cashier says to me "i'm just going to add the 30 cent extended warranty charge on here for this cable".


who needs extended warranties on cables? I don't even want to keep the bill!
 
HEY NOW!

Hey! I work in computer sales at Best Buy. Well you know what, I really have nothing to defend...the coporate heirchy sucks...the sales people really don.t know what they.re talking about [i.m a healthy exception :) ] and the extended warranties are something were supposed to push...we.re not paid on commission however, so i kinda tell my boss to go F*** himself. As far as treating everyone like they don.t know what they.re talking about...ummm...most people don.t. They come in and act like they.ve never seen a computer before. I have to explain how to point and click..ridiculous. OH, and i was going to post another thread and call it "i have sinned" but i.ll just say that now...tonight i was working and i get this young guy i.m talking to. He.s exasperated...computers never work for him...he.s not a 'gamer' he doesn.t need a suped up P4 system...he wants something that 'just works'...My head was screaming - "TELL HIM TO GO TO THE SOHO APPLE STORE!!!!"...but in the idea of keeping my job...i sold him a sony...Not terrible, I coulda stuck him with an emachine or something...but bygod, if someone ever was crying for a mac it was this guy...geez. I hate this job...I need to see if the SOHO store is hiring...maybe i.ll swing by sometime.

Eghh, whater.
Christien
 
I must admit that the Best Buys I've been in have actually been really good overall. You're right about them usually being too pushy about warranties. But, other than that, I've had really good experiences (no, I don't work there, nor do I have any family members who do, nor do I own stock in Best Buy, lol).

I've never had anything serviced there, just bought stuff. So far, so good. :)
 
Yeah, it's crazy. I was hounded to get an extended 5 year warrantee on a $29 Xbox controller, too. Where is the logic in that? I have also found that they tend to be low on the IQ when it comes to technical stuff. I usually don't like CompUSA much more, either, but the one here got a new Mac tech guy last year and I have to say he is really good. The guy is really enthusiastic about Apple and their products and they have been getting a lot better with their selection of Macintosh products.
 
Re: HEY NOW!

Originally posted by atacinus OH, and i was going to post another thread and call it "i have sinned" but i.ll just say that now...tonight i was working and i get this young guy i.m talking to. He.s exasperated...computers never work for him...he.s not a 'gamer' he doesn.t need a suped up P4 system...he wants something that 'just works'...My head was screaming - "TELL HIM TO GO TO THE SOHO APPLE STORE!!!!"...but in the idea of keeping my job...i sold him a sony...Not terrible, I coulda stuck him with an emachine or something...but bygod, if someone ever was crying for a mac it was this guy...geez. I hate this job...I need to see if the SOHO store is hiring...maybe i.ll swing by sometime.

Eghh, whater.
Click to expand...


Best Buy sells Macs on the website, why not refer him there? It won't count for your daily sales numbers, but you're still getting the company sales. I would think the boss would be cool with that. You dropped the ball....just kidding. Next time......
 
Had to pick up a cable modem last week to complete my wireless setup. I chose Best Buy over all the other electronic megalopolii (if that's the right word) based on proximity. I hadn't frequented one of these places in over a year and was immediately overwhelmed. The magnitude, the psych experiment lighting, everybody clutching their goods with that blank idiot stare - man, I paid and just got the hell out of there.

On a side note, has anyone had the audacity to ask for a service plan on the service plan?
 
Originally posted by bitfactory
c) i bought a 27-inch WEGA at a best buy about 1 year ago and was pressured by (1) the guy who rang it up in the back (2) the guy who pushed the cart up front (3) the security guy at the front door who checks receipts... they were all over me like white on rice.
Click to expand...

I got the same TV from bestbuy, but my experience was much better. Why, because I went to the store to check it out and compare picture quality, look, etc, then ordered it online. No pressure sales. bestbuy had the best price out there on the TV that I could find, and they delivered for free, even brought it down a set up stairs for me. I buy almost everything online nowadays, and bestbuy is definitely one of those vendors I use because of their free shipping. I've bought plenty of movies from them too. I had no problem exchanging a movie I accidentally got in full screen for the widescreen version, even though I'd opened it. So my experience with best buy has been pretty good overall. I guess the key is to ignore and avoid the salespeople.
 
Yea... first off, I was trying to buy a cordless phone for my room, and the sales person asked if i picked out the product by myself. I told him that I did, and he told me that I NEEDED the warranty. He also said that I needed a digital phone. So he took me out of the checkout line, and showed me the phone I should buy ($300), I told him that I just wanted a phone for my room, and that I wouldn't be using it too too much. He said that I had to buy the $300 phone because it was the best one ever made. Okay, so I told him i wasn't going to buy that one in a million years. Then he said to buy the phone next to it. ($80). I asked him if i needed to buy a service plan on it, he said "Yes," so i said thank you, but i'm going to go down the street to circuit city where their phone don't require me to buy their warranty. (Even though it was the same thing.)

And the second thing, I work at a Gateway store, and I'd like to think that I'm a very low pressure sales person, and that makes me a very good salesperson. I am by far the geekiest salesman there, and to be quite honest, a lot of the sales people are not very up to date with computer technology. But, don't stereotype salesmen, cause there are some really good ones out there. Even at Best Buy, or CompUSA. Oh, one more thing, I also think that the people at Bestbuy might be a little more rude because they don't work on commission, and they have no motivation to actually sell the computer.
 
Originally posted by Powerbook G5
Yeah, it's crazy. I was hounded to get an extended 5 year warrantee on a $29 Xbox controller, too. Where is the logic in that? I have also found that they tend to be low on the IQ when it comes to technical stuff. I usually don't like CompUSA much more, either, but the one here got a new Mac tech guy last year and I have to say he is really good. The guy is really enthusiastic about Apple and their products and they have been getting a lot better with their selection of Macintosh products.
Click to expand...

As you mentioned, Best Buy's not the only store that can suck. Overall, though, I've had a much better experience at Circuit City than either Best Buy or CompUSA.

However, one time my friends and I went into the store and wanted to screw with the salesperson. We asked him how many floating point operations per second some random computer could process. He told us to be serious and to stop messing with him. I think he wanted us to leave. I just wanted to know how the eMachines stacked up. :rolleyes:
 
Go ahead and ask a salesperson at any of those stores even a simple question like what kind of RAM one of the computers takes and they'll be helplessly lost as to what you asked as if you had just spoken Greek in front of them more often than not.
 
Only reason I ever get anything at Best Buy is due to the fact that they're the only ones in my area that carry iPod accessories.

Beyond that, I have no use for them.
 
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