My insane buyers remorse story

[Huliodude]

This may just be one case that we're hearing about but with the internet being available to most people in the U.S. today, there's really no excuse to run around like an ignorant chicken with their head cut off. I still don't understand how someone who seems to care so much could research so little.

There's two reasons why I did so little research:

#1: BB's return policy. What's the worst that could happen if I buy the wrong machine? I just take it back and try another. No need to research if I have this luxury. If I was making a purchase on something that couldn't be returned, you can bet a lot of research would have went into it first.

#2: My assumption that BB would carry the latest and greatest, being a big box store and all. Turns out, this isn't true at all.

Had I done the research beforehand, I wouldn't have even tried the MBPro due to incompatibilities with my printers and work software. Yet here I am with the MBPro, happy to make the sacrifices since the trade-off's are well worth it. No amount of research would have brought me to that conclusion, you gotta play with them first hand, if you have the opportunity.

In the end, I know more about what's out there than any internet research could have taught me. I now know first hand that Apple's products aren't overpriced as I originally thought. They represent great value for the money, and their success proves that.

 

[SpitUK]

I would seriously replace the mbp 13" for the air!!

 

[Huliodude]

I can't believe how many of you are suggesting I switch the MBPro for the Air. Sick people... YOU guys are sick.

 

[smeade]

There's no better research than hands-on, real-life, use. It's possible the OP spent less time shopping, trying, returning than a lot of people have burned on on-line research and persistent pondering. I like his style.

 

[SpitUK]

You will love the AIR, I think that is THE computer for you after all those changes!

 

[head honcho 123]

I can't believe how many of you are suggesting I switch the MBPro for the Air. Sick people... YOU guys are sick.

ur not gonna be happy with what you have!!!!!

why not go for something u will enjoy when u have the chance... (meaning within the return policy time frame)

 

[Maccleduff]

BUY. THE. AIR. hehe

 

[Ravich]

Unless you are going to be in need of a DVD drive, or you really need the mobile HDD storage, or you're worried about sitting on your MBA and breaking it, there's no reason not to go for the air.


Except of course pride and the money you'll owe your family.

 

[kappaknight]

There's two reasons why I did so little research:

#1: BB's return policy. What's the worst that could happen if I buy the wrong machine? I just take it back and try another. No need to research if I have this luxury. If I was making a purchase on something that couldn't be returned, you can bet a lot of research would have went into it first.

#2: My assumption that BB would carry the latest and greatest, being a big box store and all. Turns out, this isn't true at all.

1. Yeah, you're doing it wrong.

2. See #1.

I guess some people value their time more than others.

 

[RedRallyeZ]

#1: BB's return policy. What's the worst that could happen if I buy the wrong machine? I just take it back and try another. No need to research if I have this luxury. If I was making a purchase on something that couldn't be returned, you can bet a lot of research would have went into it first.

With all due respect, do you not see that AT ALL to be an abuse of the policy?

I'm really not trying to come across as a jerk, but I did work at Best Buy for almost 6 years and while you are exactly right that no rules were broken, the return policy is there as a safeguard for someone who did research and may have overlooked a detail, or got a lemon, not as a free test drive.

I know full well the sentiment that BBY gets on this forum and thats a completely different discussion, but if I had been your sales rep, after about return 2, I would have absolutely asked what I could do to help solve the issue (It wouldn't be "get lost" like the other guy stated) But knowing the story of how things go there, there are now about 8 machines that will chill in open box inventory until they have to be sent back to manufacturer when they go EOL. Those machines won't be discounted very much at all because as you well know, the margins on most of those PC's are non existent (if not already below cost)

I was in HT dept and The one time I ran into a situation like this (guy TOLD me he was just buying a sound system for the super bowl with the intention to return it next week) I refused to sell it to him. I know that eventually that system would come back probably missing parts (he asked about cutting and splicing speaker wires) and in a raggedy box that would NEVER sell above 50% of original asking price. He was infuriated and just became a nasty guy, to which i told him to call corporate. In all honestly, he would have COST BBY money if he bought that system. I'm not accusing you of this, because you seem to at least have a respect for the store, but It's along the same lines. And I can garuntee a VERY basic level of research would have benefited EVERYONE involved. BBY employees are underpaid and hate their job as is, you may or may not have helped this, haha.

On another note, since you bought the same MBP 3 times, you made it seem as if it was the same actual machine you bought all three times, and thats a fairly stand up thing to do. and I'm sure thats appreciated. I saw people who would open things like TV wall mounts on the floor, just to see what it was (?) and then leave the open one sitting around and grab a new one to buy. While Best Buy is no Tiffany's, they aren't exactly Wal-Mart either.

 

[Huliodude]

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#1: BB's return policy. What's the worst that could happen if I buy the wrong machine? I just take it back and try another. No need to research if I have this luxury. If I was making a purchase on something that couldn't be returned, you can bet a lot of research would have went into it first.

With all due respect, do you not see that AT ALL to be an abuse of the policy?

I'm really not trying to come across as a jerk, but I did work at Best Buy for almost 6 years and while you are exactly right that no rules were broken, the return policy is there as a safeguard for someone who did research and may have overlooked a detail, or got a lemon, not as a free test drive.

I know full well the sentiment that BBY gets on this forum and thats a completely different discussion, but if I had been your sales rep, after about return 2, I would have absolutely asked what I could do to help solve the issue (It wouldn't be "get lost" like the other guy stated) But knowing the story of how things go there, there are now about 8 machines that will chill in open box inventory until they have to be sent back to manufacturer when they go EOL. Those machines won't be discounted very much at all because as you well know, the margins on most of those PC's are non existent (if not already below cost)

I was in HT dept and The one time I ran into a situation like this (guy TOLD me he was just buying a sound system for the super bowl with the intention to return it next week) I refused to sell it to him. I know that eventually that system would come back probably missing parts (he asked about cutting and splicing speaker wires) and in a raggedy box that would NEVER sell above 50% of original asking price. He was infuriated and just became a nasty guy, to which i told him to call corporate. In all honestly, he would have COST BBY money if he bought that system. I'm not accusing you of this, because you seem to at least have a respect for the store, but It's along the same lines. And I can garuntee a VERY basic level of research would have benefited EVERYONE involved. BBY employees are underpaid and hate their job as is, you may or may not have helped this, haha.

On another note, since you bought the same MBP 3 times, you made it seem as if it was the same actual machine you bought all three times, and thats a fairly stand up thing to do. and I'm sure thats appreciated. I saw people who would open things like TV wall mounts on the floor, just to see what it was (?) and then leave the open one sitting around and grab a new one to buy. While Best Buy is no Tiffany's, they aren't exactly Wal-Mart either.

Sorry if I quoted your entire message. I'm on my iPhone (purchased from BB), and don't have quote editing functionality for some reason. I intend to respond only to your first paragraph.

No, I don't see it as an abuse of the policy at all. In fact, the sales guy suggested I try it out, and to bring it back if I wasn't satisfied.

If the policy on the wall said there was a max return number of 5, and I used a loophole to return more than that, I could see your point.

To your way of thinking, I shouldn't drive 60 in a 60 zone, I should drive 50 perhaps? So long as I don't go over 60, I'm not speeding.

 

[Steve's Barber]

No amount of research can ensure you make a right decision. Until you've got it in your hands and can use it as you intend to, you can't truly know whether you bought the right machine.

Enjoyed the "play by play" dissertation.

I've actually done the same thing but only made it to PC #3 before I quit. Staying married was more important at the time.

And you are quite right. You only know the machine will be the right machine when you have it in your hands.

 

[f1restarter]

I'm just amazed that the OP is telling his story like some badge of honor whereas it's douches like him that screw up the return policy for other customers who have to return the product due to a genuine reason. He has used the store like some rent-a-center. And even though he knows he was going way over board by abusing the return policy because he is acting like an 8 year old in a toy-r-us and can't make up his mind, he couldn't care less.

I feel sorry for his family but the sad part is that he is teaching these same "values" to his kids. Maybe he never heard of the "give an inch and take a mile" saying. It's people like him that have caused most cell phone companies to throttle the "unlimited internet" plans because customers like him started to use (abuse) that as their primary internet service!!

So the OP is saying he refuses to use his common decency and common sense until and unless the stores change their return policies and make them extremely limited for everyone. Great job douche!

 

[seong]

I would suggest you to change it to MBA 11" or 13" if you don't mind not being able to upgrade your SSD or RAM by yourself.

 

[DWBurke811]

The SSD is replaceable on the MBA, you lose your AppleCare coverage but you can do it.


There's no point posting about how the OP is taking advantage of BB's return policy, while it's clear he is, he clearly thinks that returning 8 computers is something to be proud of, and that it was pretty much unavoidable(which isn't remotely true).

 

[solowmodel]

I'd also return the MBP one final time for the MBA...^^

 

[mmduluth]

I'm just amazed that the OP is telling his story like some badge of honor whereas it's douches like him that screw up the return policy for other customers who have to return the product due to a genuine reason. He has used the store like some rent-a-center. And even though he knows he was going way over board by abusing the return policy because he is acting like an 8 year old in a toy-r-us and can't make up his mind, he couldn't care less.

I feel sorry for his family but the sad part is that he is teaching these same "values" to his kids. Maybe he never heard of the "give an inch and take a mile" saying. It's people like him that have caused most cell phone companies to throttle the "unlimited internet" plans because customers like him started to use (abuse) that as their primary internet service!!

So the OP is saying he refuses to use his common decency and common sense until and unless the stores change their return policies and make them extremely limited for everyone. Great job douche!

You really think it’s people like him messing up return policies? Think about it. How many people do you honestly think go and waste that much of their life buying and returning things like computers.

I think these stores are changing their return policies more because of those people that buy a 63” TV to watch the Super Bowl on and then take them back or like how another poster said about people going and buying a very nice and expensive DSLR camera and then taking it back after the big backpacking trip across Europe.

 

[ThirtyThr33]

Nexo time try googling videos of reviews of laptops in the future. No offense but after 9 returns I would have refused service to you.

 

[JacaByte]

Three things: (5 things actually...)

You must have had a hell of a time finding a wife. (No offense...)

You should probably see a psych, you have a brick load of commitment issues. (Read: Laptop #6)

You need to do a ton more research before you buy anything. (You would have never bought an HP if you had.)

If you were considering a Mac you should have gone to an Apple store and talked to them about one. (And tired out all the cool stuff they carry.)

I'm highly surprised that there are no Apple provided or 3rd party drivers for your printers, unless you have a pair of off brand printers.

Otherwise, welcome to the wonderful world of Apple! (Again?)

 

[wordoflife]

You should just give up and keep your lenovo for a bit

 

[Jiten]

I had an auntie just like you. Instead of computers she would obsess on bags. Pretty much the same thing and drove the sales ladies nuts.

 

[palpatine]

A minor form of the OP's buyer's remorse happened to me yesterday. I returned an Asus 1018p eeePc to Amazon because the small screen partially blocked the one reason I bought the thing, to run this single pc program on the go at a coffee shop (also so I could use the bathroom there without having to pack up an expensive Macbook), the cpu was slow as dirt, and the thing looked refurbished because it had wear and tear on the back.

I received the product the next day after purchasing it and returned it to UPS 4 hours after opening it. Took about 1 hour to boot up new, 2 hours to uninstall bloat wear, 5 minutes to decide on if I should keep this junk, 15 minutes to chat and get return labels from Amazon and 40 minutes to get dressed, repackage and drive to my nearest UPS store.

I'm going to wait for AnandTech's review and decide if the MBA 11inch is for me. But I did research EeePc's on Amazon, for some strange reason people love these things. IMO reviews and ratings aren't usually the best way to decide if a pc is for you mainly because people use pc's in many different ways. Might go to an Apple store early in the morning when it's not busy to play with one.

P.S.: I hope people know Best Buy price matches everything in the store. Whenever I go and buy Apple products from them I pull out my Apple Store app and show them Apple's prices. They even research these prices themselves and are already listed in their cash registers!! Remember though, they usually don't have the latest products in stock for a while.

well, to be fair to poor asus, the machines rock! if, of course, you consider the conditions: VERY inexpensive computer, lots of memory, decent speed, solid build, etc. a good reviewer on amazon will not only tell you their opinion about it, but a little bit of background about how they are using it. if you compare the asus to something like the mba, then it is going to look like the toy that it is. and, the price will reflect this

anyhow, the mba is a pretty solid investment, because it is a refresh of an excellent design, and not a complete redesign.

at any rate, good on you for doing the research!

 

[palpatine]

There's two reasons why I did so little research:

#1: BB's return policy. What's the worst that could happen if I buy the wrong machine? I just take it back and try another. No need to research if I have this luxury. If I was making a purchase on something that couldn't be returned, you can bet a lot of research would have went into it first.

#2: My assumption that BB would carry the latest and greatest, being a big box store and all. Turns out, this isn't true at all.

Had I done the research beforehand, I wouldn't have even tried the MBPro due to incompatibilities with my printers and work software. Yet here I am with the MBPro, happy to make the sacrifices since the trade-off's are well worth it. No amount of research would have brought me to that conclusion, you gotta play with them first hand, if you have the opportunity.

In the end, I know more about what's out there than any internet research could have taught me. I now know first hand that Apple's products aren't overpriced as I originally thought. They represent great value for the money, and their success proves that.

i think it is great that you found a computer you like. but, i have to disagree strongly with you on this. just because you can do something, doesn't mean that you should. it is a two-way street: the stores show respect to you by accepting returns, and you show respect to them by not abusing it.

i agree that you learned a lot. but you could have learned a lot more by doing research. i am sorry, but that is a fact.

for instance, there is an incredible treasure trove of information stored in the macrumors site alone, and i still have only been able to digest a fraction of it. you could have learned all you needed to know about some of those computers by googling for a few minutes and realizing that they were clearly not appropriate for your needs. you could have even used the computers in the best buy store to find that out, which would have given you an opportunity to use them AND figure out that they were not for you.

that's what i am saying. you have a responsibility to do your due diligence. after that, of course returns and hands on experience is fine.

i am not trying to be harsh here. it was a funny story. but, you are doggedly clinging to this wrongheaded idea that you don't need to do any research. even your own family is shaking their heads. wake up!

 

[puma1552]

You know, all the responses were great, except for this one. Let me enlighten you on what you as a BB employee should already know:

You need to look at the big picture when it comes to BB's return policies, as I'm sure the BB bean counters have.

1. BB is the only place I go to buy electronics of any kind, large and small ticket items. I've spent a ton of money in there over the years, and I never care whether they have the best price for the product I'm buying, simply because of their return policy. Their return policy is a big part of what makes them so profitable. They wouldn't have this policy if they lost money on it in the long run.

2. With the exception of this notebook fiasco, I've hardly returned anything to BB over the years.

3. My decisions to return 9 laptops costed me far more in time than it costed BB in money, for sure. I'm sure they're aware of how much time is consumed in exchanging products, which also works in their favour.

4. Because they were so fantastic about it, I'm a continued customer who will go back again and again, to buy more stuff. I don't even consider stores whose return policies are lesser than BB's.

Had one of them told me to "get lost", when I wasn't violating a single policy that's laid out on their wall, well I can say that it wouldn't have been pretty, especially for the employee who had the ignorance to blurt that crap out.

And finally, in all fairness, why is 95% of BB's notebook selection last-years models? Not being up on the latest and greatest was clearly my mistake, but I never expected to walk into a BB, check out their laptops, pay top brass, and go home with last years model! It was only after doing some research did I see that newer models could be had for similar money from other outlets. The Mac was one of the few models that I was sure was the latest offering (since Apple doesn't have 10,000 models like other PC companies), and played a big part on my choosing it.

You seriously think a little guy like me should be concerned about exchanging a notebook as per the policy, to a multibillion dollar corporation that enjoys profits you or I will never see in this, or multiple lifetimes? That's simply ignorant.

Considering how you are constantly singing the praise of BB's return policy, I would bet #2 above is pure crap. You probably do this all the time. Yes, you are probably "that guy" and don't realize it.

Best Buy's stock is all old because ignorant customers like yourself don't do a damn bit of research, and deserve to buy the old crap.

There's two reasons why I did so little research:

#1: BB's return policy. What's the worst that could happen if I buy the wrong machine? I just take it back and try another. No need to research if I have this luxury. If I was making a purchase on something that couldn't be returned, you can bet a lot of research would have went into it first.

I think Best Buy is a stain on the existence of time, and I find that everyone who works there are arrogant douchenozzles by and large. But--you DO abuse their generous return policy, and if you are too blind to realize that, you do need help.

Try getting off your ass and doing a little research beforehand next time. Are people so lazy they can't click around the internet a little bit to research BASIC things before going into a store and shaking their rattle and stamping their feet while pointing to the return policy on the wall when making return X in front of employees who shouldn't have to be subject to your immaturity? I know your type, you're one of the "the customer is ALWAYS right even when being a complete jackass" types.

P.S.--The customer is usually wrong.

 

[Huliodude]

Wow, some of you guys have gotten pretty nasty, it's actually quite funny.

Amazing how people grab their chuckwagons and form a circle with BB in the middle. Like they need any assistance making billions of dollars.

Yup, I should have researched more. Yup, I wasted far more time than I should have. I thought that's what made the story comical. I'm glad I entertained some of you, and glad I angered others as well. That's what good stories are supposed to do.