Complaint Review: Best Buy - Pensacola Florida
- Best Buy 5480 N 9th Ave Pensacola, Florida United States of America
- Phone: 850-969-0503
- Web:
- Category: Miscellaneous Electronics
Best Buy False Advertisement on Black Tie Warranty Pensacola, Florida
*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Changes with the plan
*UPDATE Employee: The uninformed public?
*Consumer Comment: Best Buy employee misrepresentation
*Author of original report: Ronny and Sparrow
*Consumer Suggestion: So what's the problem here?
*Consumer Comment: Loser
*Consumer Comment: Ronny, put down the crack pipe, and just read!
*Consumer Comment: Simple question...
*Consumer Suggestion: Black Tie Ripoff Plan
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What happened is lies and deceit from the staff at Best Buy. It started back a year ago when we purchased our 46" TV, they asked us if we wanted to add their "black tie" warranty and typically as im opposed to a third party warranty they sold me on it. The TV floor manager told me it was a "replacement plan" and if anything was to happen to my TV all we had to do was to bring it in, and after they verified the problem we would recieve store credit. He continued to tell us how we could walk away with a better model if that is all they had at the store.
Sounds good right? I was sold, I purchased it on the TV, $161.24. Nintendo Wii, $ 42.99. Xbox 360, $85.99. Blu-Ray player, $32.24. Two computers, $216.82. Wireless internet card $13. Add all that up in optional warranties I paid for is .....
$552.28
Now the problem is they actually sold us the "Geek Squad Black Tie Protection Plan", which is completely different than their "Geek Squad Black Tie Protection Replacement" plan. The sales employee's clearly describe the "replacement" plan and use the word "replacement" clearly and often when trying to sell it to you. This wasn't apparent until my brothers Xbox 360 was damaging the discs required to play a game. My mother purchased the $299 Xbox with the $85 black tie plan as I recommended it to her. As she attemted to bring the Xbox to the Best Buy store she purchased it from and trying to recieve help through the Geek Squad plan, the Best Buy employee's told her they changed that plan and no longer offer it.
If this isn't fraud, then I dont know what else it would be. They told her they would take his Xbox and exchange it with a refurbished unit. This isn't how they described the process now isnt it? If an employee said to you, for 20-30% of your products value you can purchase a black tie warranty and if it breaks within the warranty period we will provide you with a refurbished unit.... would you buy it? Didn't think so. Thats what manufacturer's warranties are for. So now my mother is faced with the inconvenience of going without the product for four days while they try and force a refurbished unit to her, which im uncertain if it can be registered with microsoft to line up with the original unit's manufacturer's warranty. At the same time refurbished products are someone else's defective product. They have problems, and may have cosmetic damage.
After learning about this experiece, I decided to dig out my reciepts and warranty information regaurding my purchases with Best Buy. Each of my products listed above have the "protection plan" printed on the reciept with the acronym - GSBTP.
Geek Squad Black Tie Protection - GSBTP
So it looks like my loss is their gain, $552.28 of their gain on an optional plan that is forced on consumers like you and me. It is apparent that Best Buy trains their employee's to use buzz words like "replacement" and "walk away" to sell these plans to you, and in the event that you should need them to help with a faulty product you are paying for best buy to take care of the manufacturer's warranty for you. So buyer beware, their "Geek Squad" plans are them acting as a middle man for you. Not the pretty picture they paint. Some things must be too good to be true, and this scam Best Buy is pulling is causing consumers to spend money only at their stores instead of giving competition a chance. Unprofessional, and bad business practices like this make me spend my hard earned income elsewhere.
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 03/08/2011 03:13 AM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/best-buy/pensacola-florida-32514/best-buy-false-advertisement-on-black-tie-warranty-pensacola-florida-704064. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content
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#9 UPDATE EX-employee responds
Changes with the plan
AUTHOR: ChrisP - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, July 21, 2011
As a former Geek Squad Agent (Glad to be out of the company), I can attest to the changes with the plan in regards to the XBox 360. For a very long time Best Buy did simply replace your XBox if it showed Red Rings or another major issue. Then one day, without notice to the employees, it became a "Send to Service" item. I was told by management at the time that there was some issue with the relationship Best Buy and Microsoft had, and that a refurbished unit would have to be sent to the store, and picked up by the customer.
I can not tell you the number of times I had to deal with disappointed customers expecting an immediate replacement. If you look at any sort of PS3 console, they are all still replacement (or at least to my knowledge). The GM of the store in Harrisburg, PA at the time, really did go above and beyond for many of the customers who were experiencing this issue at first, but eventually had to cave due to pressure from the higher ups.
I am not defending the employee who sold it to you, or attempting to lessen the value of some of their protection plans, but it is very possible that this was during this transition, and they simply did not know.
As it was mentioned above by some of the more intelligent posters, it is definately important to find any material about their plans, as the employees are not always up to date. A well informed buyer has all the power.
#8 UPDATE Employee
The uninformed public?
AUTHOR: Dropkick Murphy - (USA)
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, July 06, 2011
The "uninformed public" can easily inform themselves, most people are just too lazy (or don't care enough) to read. It's called the Terms & Conditions...
Read it...
Learn it...
Live it.
If you disagree with the terms of the contract then it's simple, DON'T buy it
P.S. I work there and I don't buy them.
#7 Consumer Comment
Best Buy employee misrepresentation
AUTHOR: Pinbalwyz - (USA)
SUBMITTED: Friday, July 01, 2011
Solution:
Folks should (en mass) begin surreptitiously recording the audio of these Best Buy employees misrepresenting the terms of the extended warranty/replacement plans. The audio should be posted here, on youtube.com, on facebook, on personal blogs/websites and anywhere else consumers have access to actually hear the company scam (management KNOWS) taking place. They get away with it due to an uninformed public.
#6 Author of original report
Ronny and Sparrow
AUTHOR: Mike - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Friday, June 03, 2011
Ronny,
The difference in actual store terms is
Geek Squad Black Tie Protection (GSBTP) -
Plan Coverage.
This Plan covers parts and labor costs to repair your product in the event your product fails to properly operate
Geek Squad Black Tie Protection Replacement
Plan (GSBTP-RP).
This Plan provides for the replacement of your covered product found to be defective by us. If we determine, in our sole discretion that your product needs replacement, we will replace your product with a new or refurbished product of like kind and quality that is of comparable performance or reimburse you for replacement of the product with a voucher or gift card, at our discretion, equal to the current market value of the product, as determined by us, not to exceed the original purchase price including all applicable taxes.
All information is available in their Black Tie plan link here:
http://www.geeksquad.com/uploadedFiles/wwwgeeksquadcom/protection_plans/black_tie/1941-0230921-terms-conditions.pdf
Sparrow,
The problem doesn't lie with Best Buy replacing the Xbox with a refurbished unit, it is clearly written in their plans that they hand out to you at the point of sale. The problem is that the Best Buy employee's are taking advantage of consumers by selling the Black Tie Protection plans on products without clearly being honest with what they are selling. To me this is bad business, to take advantage of a customer. Why should we have to read the pamplet while we're standing in line and ready to go home with our new product? We shouln't have to, with the way the economy is, companies have to stay competitive. With time, Best Buy will lose customers with this practice. Although I admit, I did not read the terms of the plan sold to me untill it was too late, I learned a lesson and will continue to refuse third party warranties and stick with manufacturer warranties.
To be clear and reiterate - My problem is with Best Buy employee's saying I can purchase a TV, or Xbox, or iPod or whatever product is eligible for the Black Tie Protection Plan, and each time and still to this day ( I purchased an iPod for my mother in April ) they ask if I want to buy the "Replacement" plan and before I can even say NO, they continue to tell me about how I can bring the product in if it breaks and receive a "new" product off the shelf.
I appreciate your help and critisizm alike, I hope that this can be helpful for any consumers that shop at Best Buy.
#5 Consumer Suggestion
So what's the problem here?
AUTHOR: Sparrow - (USA)
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, March 16, 2011
You paid for a "replacement plan" and you were offered a replacement. Did your plan state a NEW item would be given to you? My guess is no.
#4 Consumer Comment
Loser
AUTHOR: Ronny g - (USA)
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Loser..
#3 Consumer Comment
Ronny, put down the crack pipe, and just read!
AUTHOR: Steve - (USA)
SUBMITTED: Monday, March 14, 2011
Ronny,
The key word here is replacement. It was clearly stated.
Put your crack pipe down and pay attention.
For the OP,
NEVER believe anything any sales rep says.
ALWAYS make them show it to you in writing.
If it isn't in writing, it doesn't exist.
FYI...Most third party protection plans replace products with refurbished ones.
#2 Consumer Comment
Simple question...
AUTHOR: Ronny g - (USA)
SUBMITTED: Sunday, March 13, 2011
What is the difference between... and I quote YOU directly from this report...
"Now the problem is they actually sold us the "Geek Squad Black Tie
Protection Plan", which is completely different than their "Geek Squad
Black Tie Protection Replacement" plan."
Now I claim to be no genius but perhaps you can explain to those of us who read this report the difference between their "geek squad black tie protection plan"...and their "geek squad black tie protection plan"??????????"
#1 Consumer Suggestion
Black Tie Ripoff Plan
AUTHOR: IntheKnow - (USA)
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Your plan would be a "replacement" plan if is was under the $200 price point and it was labeled as such. You actually only paid for only a "year 2" extra coverage for electrical/electronic failure as your Xbox has a 1 year warranty. You were had. Same for the computers - you paid to warranty the 2nd year. C'mon now. You've been bamboozled. Call the toll free number and you can get a pro-rated refund on the plans.
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