iPad Returned iPad Air to Best Buy. They banned me for life.

[bry223]

They are known for this BS. Last Black Friday I bought a MacBook Pro in the state I was in for the holiday. Decided I wanted the MacBook Air. Returned the pro for the 11" air. After I got that home I decided I wanted the 13". They exchanged no issue. Few weeks later I bought a galaxy tab 7". Realized it was a piece of junk. Went to return it and was told they would not take it back. Receipt was spit out that told me to call a number. I called and was told I returned too many things in a short period. I had to keep that galaxy. I got on Facebook and blasted their page. I got a message to give someone a call. They took it back. I wrote them off and only go in there to see what I want from another store. You should be made aware of this before you are stuck with a product.

Well then maybe you should stop the excessive returns and exchanges? Best buy or any retailer for that matter isn't there for you to simply loan out their merchandise. These items lose some of their value when you return them, especially after you have already opened them.

I for one am glad to see a lot of these retailers step up with harsher return policies, for far too long people have abused them.

 

[pikachu2k7]

You abuse it you lose it. They are a business that tries to make money, not a free rental service.

Agreed. They have a right to do so. However, I wonder how all Best Buyscould ban you for life.

 

[bry223]

That's the beauty of free will, we choose when and where to shop........if enough do the same they have no business to ban people from

I'm pretty sure there is more to the story then "I got banned from poor cs".

 

[jmpage2]

I sympathize with the OP, but I've also been on the other side of this, having worked at a mid-level electronics retailer in the early 90's when I was getting my degree.

I've seen it all. People returning 90 day old beat up pagers (with no box or packaging of course) and getting pissed if I wouldn't give them a refund. A guy who came in with a $1200 camcorder he had purchased that had some old beat up camcorder in the box.... how do you prove them wrong in those cases? You can't... you eat it as a cost of doing business.

We did ban a few guys from doing returns (and we were really proud of our customer service, much more like Apple than BB) because they were basically serial renters. We had one guy who went through something like six TVs in a six month period of time when we finally cut him off. Cat was totally OCD and kept finding "defects" in brand new pristine products so he wanted to try a different one. Retailer is in business to turn a profit not feed your OCD habit.

Most European countries have laws that give customers much more latitude for returns and warranties than we have in the US. They also have much higher prices to cover all the extra overhead ... at least that's my suspicion.

 

[s2mikey]

Well then maybe you should stop the excessive returns and exchanges? Best buy or any retailer for that matter isn't there for you to simply loan out their merchandise. These items lose some of their value when you return them, especially after you have already opened them.

I for one am glad to see a lot of these retailers step up with harsher return policies, for far too long people have abused them.

I sort of agree - as Ive stated in this thread before Ive worked on the "other side" of this equation and there are plenty of folks simply playing the game. Its like.... how could you not know that product xxxxx wasnt really what you wanted? Or, when TVs dont fit in their entertainment centers. Didnt you measure it?

Look - weve all retruned stuff to stores, me included. But I try and be legit and verify I want the product before hand. It saves me and the store a lot of hassle. I also get that sometimes you just have to get something home to try it for a little while. Thats fine. But, ultimately too much of this "shady" returning simply ruins it for everyone else and causes prices to go up. Like insurance scams and stuff like that.

 

[Statusnone88]

Bought iphone 5s on release day. They messed up and sold it to me off contract (its against their policy). I traded in iPhone 4 and 4s and got $370 in gift card and used it on 5s purchase. Got it home and had gyro problem. Went to exchange it and they would not give me another one. They accepted return.

Bought ipad air 16gb the other day. Screen was half yellow and they would not price match Walmart or Target for $479 so paid full price. Got in on the $200 ipad exchange program at Target and picked another air up. Screen perfect. Returned ipad today and was told I'm banned for life due to too many returns.

Called Best Buy corporate. Was told that's what I deserve from CSR. Told to drive 1hr to other best buy to use that gift card I got back.

Store was Merritt Island FL Best Buy mobile store at Merritt Square Mall.

Gonna use this gift card at other store when mini retina comes out then I'm done with best buy forever. Hope they go out of business.

Off topic but the Best Buy down here in Melbourne is way friendlier. I'm down here right now. Number 6 in line for PS4 midnight launch. Still no AT&T iPad Airs in stock though.

 

[Gix1k]

Well then maybe you should stop the excessive returns and exchanges? Best buy or any retailer for that matter isn't there for you to simply loan out their merchandise. These items lose some of their value when you return them, especially after you have already opened them.

I for one am glad to see a lot of these retailers step up with harsher return policies, for far too long people have abused them.

Well, when spending over a thousand dollars for something, I am not going to hold on to it if I don't like it. I don't disagree with policies. I just think if a customer will be refused a return, then they need something telling people what triggers this before they are stuck.

 

[MTL18]

I took a look at the blurb, and it doesn't even sound like you were a customer. A serial renter who devalues their products and expects no cost.

Sorry, but they are a business. It is pretty clear that you abused their return policies and they don't want you back. If stores start doing this more often, I may start buying more expensive products in store. Serial renters are a big reason why I buy my stuff from Apple.ca on release instead of wait in store.

If you want to return something, make sure it is unopened or defective. Playing with it for 2 weeks and deciding you don't like it is not their problem...

 

[matneh]

Some facts

I received the 90 day ban when returning a 15" Macbook Pro Retina (2012) model because I wanted to get the 2013 model (it was released during my return period). Out of curiosity I requested and received my return report from TRE.

Most people are speaking in hypotheticals here, so I'd like to actually present some facts. Going back 1 year, returns to Best Buy:

1 return in November 2012 ($35)
1 return in January 2013 ($880) - Sony NEX-6 digital camera with lense noise during movie recording
2 returns in July 2013 ($160)
1 return in October 2013 ($2000) - 2012 Macbook Pro

Before that, there was 1 return in 2011 and 1 return in 2012.

So if it is a return count, then it seems like maybe 5 returns in a year is the max. If it is a dollar amount, it is probably something like $3000 in a year.

I only started shopping at Best Buy again this year because they have improved their price match policy, and they improved their return policy, so I felt more comfortable shopping there. Now I understand that they are not as comfortable with me shopping there. I will purchase my Apple products from the Apple Store or Target from now on.

 

[ZipZap]

Well, in this situation I see why they did that to you. You made several returns on big-ticket products that they now have to sell as "Open Box" losing several hundred dollars on each device.

That was low-key abusing the system to be honest, the MacBook fiasco that is.

I've made 4 returns the past three weeks, but they were products they can still sell as brand new and they were just some cases for the iPad tbh. I think I'm figuring out exactly what flags someone in the system.

How is that abusing the system. I have the right to return based upon their return policy.

They now want to reserve the right to cancel my ability to return after a purchase has been made.

They are not saying, you are banned from buying which makes more sense.

They did not say, "if you buy this item you cannot return it" they .

They process the sale and then tell you that you cannot return only when you are trying to do so.

No reasonable. Not fair.

Dirty tactics.

Bottom line...what to stop the return. Stop the sales.


I am OK with that as long as they take back the latest item and then refuse to sell to me again.

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Well then maybe you should stop the excessive returns and exchanges? Best buy or any retailer for that matter isn't there for you to simply loan out their merchandise. These items lose some of their value when you return them, especially after you have already opened them.

I for one am glad to see a lot of these retailers step up with harsher return policies, for far too long people have abused them.

Big assumption that loaning is going on.

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I sympathize with the OP, but I've also been on the other side of this, having worked at a mid-level electronics retailer in the early 90's when I was getting my degree.

I've seen it all. People returning 90 day old beat up pagers (with no box or packaging of course) and getting pissed if I wouldn't give them a refund. A guy who came in with a $1200 camcorder he had purchased that had some old beat up camcorder in the box.... how do you prove them wrong in those cases? You can't... you eat it as a cost of doing business.

We did ban a few guys from doing returns (and we were really proud of our customer service, much more like Apple than BB) because they were basically serial renters. We had one guy who went through something like six TVs in a six month period of time when we finally cut him off. Cat was totally OCD and kept finding "defects" in brand new pristine products so he wanted to try a different one. Retailer is in business to turn a profit not feed your OCD habit.

Most European countries have laws that give customers much more latitude for returns and warranties than we have in the US. They also have much higher prices to cover all the extra overhead ... at least that's my suspicion.

Store policies create the abusers. If you want to end the returns stop selling to those people.

Dont sell then tell them after the fact they cannot return. Tell them up front:

"Sir, you have had excessive returns, if you buy this product you cannot return it."

BB does not do that as they want you to get stuck with a purchase.

Thats a "Payback" approach that is not consumer centric. Please see that for what it is and stop posting that BB has the right to do this...they dont and I am sure the state's attorney would agree.

 

[ZipZap]

I received the 90 day ban when returning a 15" Macbook Pro Retina (2012) model because I wanted to get the 2013 model (it was released during my return period). Out of curiosity I requested and received my return report from TRE.

Most people are speaking in hypotheticals here, so I'd like to actually present some facts. Going back 1 year, returns to Best Buy:

1 return in November 2012 ($35)
1 return in January 2013 ($880) - Sony NEX-6 digital camera with lense noise during movie recording
2 returns in July 2013 ($160)
1 return in October 2013 ($2000) - 2012 Macbook Pro

Before that, there was 1 return in 2011 and 1 return in 2012.

So if it is a return count, then it seems like maybe 5 returns in a year is the max. If it is a dollar amount, it is probably something like $3000 in a year.

I only started shopping at Best Buy again this year because they have improved their price match policy, and they improved their return policy, so I felt more comfortable shopping there. Now I understand that they are not as comfortable with me shopping there. I will purchase my Apple products from the Apple Store or Target from now on.

So this report is unbalanced. Where is a record of purchases in that time period?

Where is the note of a defective return?
Or one that was an exchange?

 

[matneh]

This is all of the information that was in the TRE report. They only track returns when you give them your drivers license. Best buy probably has the ability to weigh this against your actual purchase history, but TRE has no knowledge of that side. I'm not really sure if Best Buy takes that side of the equation into consideration or not <shrug>.

 

[FrozenDarkness]

Amazon threatened to ban me before because of returns. Um, returns are a fact of life. You put that in your cost system along with warranty and like legal fees. You can't resent your customers and ban them because they're utilizing your policy.

It's like if the US bans you becuase you're using too much public services. that's ridiculous....

oh wait bestbuy is probably ran by a republican

but anyway, i buy most of my stuff from apple because of their no questions asked return policy. it's amazing. they don't take down your drivers license liek bestbuy does. they want happy customers and they don't want you to keep anything you're not happy with.

 

[MacManTexas56]

Amazon threatened to ban me before because of returns. Um, returns are a fact of life. You put that in your cost system along with warranty and like legal fees. You can't resent your customers and ban them because they're utilizing your policy.

It's like if the US bans you becuase you're using too much public services. that's ridiculous....

oh wait bestbuy is probably ran by a republican

but anyway, i buy most of my stuff from apple because of their no questions asked return policy. it's amazing. they don't take down your drivers license liek bestbuy does. they want happy customers and they don't want you to keep anything you're not happy with.

at some point it becomes abusing the policy. imagine being a business owner and same person coming back 14 times to exchange the same product. It costs you money when that happens. Once or twice fine, but every product you ever buy? that's ridiculous

 

[FrozenDarkness]

at some point it becomes abusing the policy. imagine being a business owner and same person coming back 14 times to exchange the same product. It costs you money when that happens. Once or twice fine, but every product you ever buy? that's ridiculous

there are better ways to handling the situation than banning the user. FOr example, instead of banning the user, you can start charging them restocking fees.

 

[MacManTexas56]

there are better ways to handling the situation than banning the user. FOr example, instead of banning the user, you can start charging them restocking fees.

then every single person has to have a restocking fee. you are not punishing everyone bc of a few people

 

[FrozenDarkness]

then every single person has to have a restocking fee. you are not punishing everyone bc of a few people

No only for the abusers

basically my argument is that, no matter the level of the "abuse", you as a company should be required to uphold your rules. people by following the rules AREN'T abusing them. You can for example put in the rules that if you go over this amount of returns per quarter, you'll be put on a restocking fee system. That would work fo rme. All these secret tracking is annoying me and shouldn't be something we support as consumers.

 

[Sir Ruben]

Maybe they find you really annoying and behind your back they whisper "hey here comes that guy with aspergers syndrome again!". I'm not saying that accurately describes you, but maybe you just really bug them and they hate dealing with you because you try their patience and make their day a little more miserable than they are happy with.

Some people are just mean. I think you are nice.

 

[MacManTexas56]

No only for the abusers

basically my argument is that, no matter the level of the "abuse", you as a company should be required to uphold your rules. people by following the rules AREN'T abusing them. You can for example put in the rules that if you go over this amount of returns per quarter, you'll be put on a restocking fee system. That would work fo rme. All these secret tracking is annoying me and shouldn't be something we support as consumers.

I understand your point, but it's listed on their website...it's not a hidden secret deal. I do think they are going about it the wrong way though in terms of letting these same individuals buy products with no warning. So you can buy as many items as you want, but then you can't return any of them? why let the people buy?

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Maybe they find you really annoying and behind your back they whisper "hey here comes that guy with aspergers syndrome again!". I'm not saying that accurately describes you, but maybe you just really bug them and they hate dealing with you because you try their patience and make their day a little more miserable than they are happy with.

Some people are just mean. I think you are nice.

like you saying "asperger's syndrome".

how nice of you!

 

[Sir Ruben]

like you saying "asperger's syndrome".

how nice of you!

Thanks man, sadly not everyone is that cool. I have friends in retail who have told me they mock repeat customers and have nicknames for them. Sucks to be treated like that as a paying customer. Makes me cross.

 

[MacManTexas56]

Thanks man, sadly not everyone is that cool. I have friends in retail who have told me they mock repeat customers and have nicknames for them. Sucks to be treated like that as a paying customer. Makes me cross.

you just did the same thing tho?

 

[Sir Ruben]

you just did the same thing tho?

Eh? No you've got me wrong. I was giving an example on what I thought the situation might me based on the stories people working in retail have told me.

One of the people I know likes to suggest that us nerds are autistic, OCD, or have Asperger's syndrome hence my comment. We are often strongly mocked and laughed at when our backs are turned

 

[MacManTexas56]

Eh? No you've got me wrong. I was giving an example on what I thought the situation might me based on the stories people working in retail have told me.

One of the people I know likes to suggest that us nerds are autistic, OCD, or have Asperger's syndrome hence my comment. We are often strongly mocked and laughed at when our backs are turned

yet, they are the ones working late nights and on the weekends for little pay

 

[Nautilus007]

The worst part of this is being a member of their rewards program and acheiving a status like premier silver or whatever. Where they extend your return policy as a perk but still track it and punish you if they are "excessive" when in reality some examples show that people are not excessive.

 

[likegadgets]

My company has also (mostly) banned Best Buy for whatever life they have left.