BOYCOTT BEST BUY

Why?

Because we’re taking about BUSINESS PRACTICES here, people! Don’t get caught up in the examples!

They treat their merchandise like garbage, and some of it is garbage to begin with.

Just as an example, all copies of Star Ocean 3 that I have ever seen on the shelves at Best Buy are beaten up like all get-out, and they’re not factory-sealed. When I buy a game new, especially when I pay $50, I don’t want the box to be all beat up. There are NO legitimate excuses stating otherwise. It’s simply unacceptable.

Furthermore, your money will go into the store, but your money is NEVER going to come out of the store after you’ve spent it.

Meaning?

Their return policies are the devil.

Either they’re simply not going to accept a return, or they’re going to give you a crummy gift card.

For example, I bought an MP3 player for Best Buy once. I go back a week later, because the thing decided it didn’t want to work for me anymore. So what do they want to do? They will only give me my $200 back in form of a “gift” card!

How to remedy these problems?

Listen up: If a product is faulty, it is your duty as a merchant NOT to sell it, or at least warn the consumer of said defects.

It is your duty as a seller to be aware, to be knowledgable about your products, otherwise you’ve no business selling them.

Furthermore, as a seller, you must treat your merchandise with tender loving care, and not do business with suppliers who neglect their merchandise. As a customer, you must not do business with those who neglect their merchandise. You must have standards, otherwise you are a doormat candidate.

If you as a seller don’t care about your merchandise, how can you expect your customer to?

Businesses aren’t going to alter their faulty business practices until they know their customers aren’t willing to settle for less.

Most places give back store credit only

I’ve never had any problems. Maybe you just shop at a shitty Best Buy.

Do you work for Circuit City?

nah

I’ve never had problems with a Best Buy. In fact, I have not received a singly shoddy product from them, ever. A TV I got 8 years ago still works and is currently in my dorm room.

They sold me a beat-up video card once. Fortunately, they were willing to admit their mistake, and exchanged the card for a working one. (Unfortunately, it was a GeForce FX5200, so it sucked to begin with.)

You’re telling me, that every Best Buy in my entire STATE is just terrible, but not across the whole country?

The point is, Best Buy shouldn’t be terrible ANYWHERE.

And no, I don’t work at Circuit City, but I do shop there, and I find that the prices, selection, and quality of merchandise and staff far outrival that of Best Buy.

It was a big eye-opener. I used to think it was Circuit City that was all terrible, until I visited one of their stores.

As for most places giving gift cards, well, you really got caught up in the example when I told you not to!

My point is, that shouldn’t be happening, and I stated exactly why that’s a bad business practice!

Why would a customer want to continue shopping at your store, even with a gift card, when they know all they’re going to get is faulty merchandise?

As a merchant, it makes your customer lose faith in you, when you only issue a gift card for a return. It’s not making good on the mistake you made!

I can’t see how you can defend Best Buy’s practices, unless you work for them, in the legal field or otherwise.

Retail in general sucks, it’s not just best buy.

I’ve never had any problems with Best Buy. I’ve bought quite a few things there and none have gone bad or wrong in any way.

And yes, store credit is a perfectly viable way of returns. You bought something, you obviously wanted to buy it, so if it’s broken the logical thing to do is to exchange it for a working version of the same item. Store credit means you don’t even have to do that - you’re free to exchange it for any item in the store. This gives you a lot of flexibility while assuring the store that they won’t just lose the sale they made.

Every computer store everywhere will give you a faulty item at some point; according to what I believe is quantum physics or something of that kidney, 1% of every computer chip ever made doesn’t work right, simply because of the way the technology works. It’s ridiculous to say that if a store gives you one thing that’s bad that means that you should never ever shop there again.

The customer, while generally right, is not God, just so you know.

Indeed, you’re going to end up buying a faulty item at one point or another.

And, you can’t expect experimental items to be perfect, either.

As a merchant, it is your responsible to rectify your mistake of selling faulty merchandise, and give the customer their money back. What is hard to understand about this concept? What makes it so wrong?

When you buy something, you expect it to work as stated, yes? When it doesn’t work as is stated, then it’s a misrepresentation of the truth, and you are owed rectification!

When that doesn’t happen anymore, your customer loses faith in you, more customers lose faith in you, and your store goes under.

This isn’t a specific case we’re talking about, you’re getting too caught up in the examples! We’re talking about consistent terrible performance in quality of service and merchandise!

Confound it all, I’m a Business Law major. Don’t tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about, I breath this subject matter!

It is because customers aren’t willing to raise opposition that make businesses feel like they can get away with delivering mediocre performance.

Why, if everyone delivers mediocre performance, it is all going to break down at some point!

Customers need to have standards!

Best Buy is great. I actually pick up Anime DVDs there. None are unsealed, scratched, or anything.

And Varius, just because you’re majoring in Business Law doesn’t mean you know what the hell you’re talking about. Some of the dumbest people in the world graduated from Harvard. Bush anyone? Yes plz.

Start an internet petition. One of those is bound to work some day

What bizarre world have I crossed over into, that people are no longer respected for doing their duty, their life’s work?

What bizarre world have I crossed over into, that customers let themselves be pushed aroudn by the terms of a business, simply because that business refuses to deliver?

ahem

Alright, I’m not getting anywhere with this.

My advice to everyone here, is shop online.

I shop at circuitcity.com, and they have both an excellent selection of music, and at prices lower than anywhere else. When was the last time you paid less than $15 for a brand new CD? circuitcity.com can make it happen.

Granted, I have only really bought music CDs online from circuitcity.com; I don’t know well they perform in the other fields; all I know is that Best Buy consistently delivers mediocre performance in all fields.

Oh yes, and Circuit City’s return policies are pretty “lenient,” or “generous,” seeing as how they’ll actually give you your money back, and even for faulty merchandise, at that! They’re totally above the bar, eh?

He works for Circuit City. See? He bashes Best Buy indiscriminately, then responds to our logic with more indiscriminate fury, then recommends CircuitCity.com as an alternative. :smiley:

I’ve only had to go to Best Buy once. Last Christmas my parents got me “Simpson Hit & Run” and I wanted to take it back because my friend rented it, and it was horrible, Crazy Taxi was so much better.

Anyway, I went in the store, I couldn’t believe how big it was, and went to return counter. The girl there gave me hard time about why I wanted to return it. It was obviously not opened, and she wanted to give me store credit. I had my receipt and asked if I could get cash. She gave it to me no ploblem, although reluctantly.

I don’t think there’s anyting outstanding about the place, but it’s not that bad.

I shop almost entirely online, and the only place that was an online version of a retail store that I’ve ordered from was EBGames.com (also just about the only retail place I go to).

And, incidentally, never had any problems with it.

you are a tremendous faggot

People do their duty? Not according to the media.

The thing about generally any retail store: if you try hard enough, you can get what you want from it. Here’s the thing. Store managers do not want to have to deal with a customer. They’re busy, it wastes their time. Your goal as a customer is to become a bigger pain in the ass to the store than it’s worth for them to deal with. Some, and I would guess most, chains have customer service numbers that you can call if you have a complaint. Eventually, this filters back down to the store you’re complaining about. It might take days or weeks; just keepy being a bitch and you’ll get your way or at least better than what they initially offered you.