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[Mandoric]

What if you dont like it or need to get your money back?

On the one hand, caveat emptor.

On the other hand, there's a reason forgiving return policies exist: they drive a shitload of business on "I probably can buuuuuuut" purchases, and Best Buy with its expensive consumer electronics is nothing but "I probably can buuuuuuut" purchases. Attempting to have their cake (advertising 30-day no-questions-asked returns) and eat it too (ban people when they take advantage) may help a little with the guys who "rent" HDTVs for the Super Bowl or laptops for business trips, but long-term trying to squeeze it is money out of their pocket.

Sure, Best Buy eats the open box discount if they let people return whenever, but now they've got a regular customer who isn't gonna buy ANYTHING because he's up shit creek if it's defective.

 

[commish]

How are you guys blaming the OP? "You cost them money should have done more research blah blah." No, they have a stated return policy at the time of purchase and now they're inventing a punishment when he uses the agreed upon policy. Whether it costs them money is irrelevant.

This makes absolutely no sense. Their return policy EXPRESSLY WARNS AGAINST THE EXACT SITUATION THE OP FINDS HIMSELF IN. I hate Best Buy for many reasons, but this isn't one of them.

 

[Alebrije]

Well , here in Mexico if you do that kind of mistake there is CERO chance to get a change. I always have liked that policy in the U.S.

 

[sleepykyo]

Not sure why you guys are attacking Square. A return is a return. At the least, they could charge him a restocking fee. I doubt Square has a long history of returns.


DO you have a history of returns Square?

Let's see.

Square's perspective: He admits bought the product without a disc drive. Not he wasn't deceived and neither was the product defective.

Best Buy's perspective: The security/consulting firm suggested flagging him.

I'm less concerned about Best Buy than I am the Retail Equation, even if it is a natural response to the whole buy from one store and return to another scenario.

 

[brettreyu]

Because half this site consists of corporate ball washers.

How many things have you returned, OP?

I just want to point out that "corporate ball washers" is a fantastic term.

 

[dallow_bg]

Sorry, driving atm. My only history is price matching with them. Not returning, just price adjusting. Which is another policy they offer

In that case, you should definitely call that number and get the details of the TRE report then.
I would want to see what "activity" is causing red flags under my name.

Also, don't post and drive!

 

[PapaEmeritus]

What fuck up?? Exchanging something isn't a fuck up, not sure where you're from, hope you never buy something you don't like. That;s an asinine statement.
He made a return. Unless you've gone through like 5 different laptops, to decide on the one you want. If you're not satisfied return it. I have the Asus in question and think it's an awesome laptop; but if he wasn't happy, there should be no questions.

I have a reward silver and return items all the time, never ever have seen this or heard of this policy, must be new in their new return disclosure

 

[Lambtron]

In that case, you should definitely call that number and get the details of the TRE report then.
I would want to see what "activity" is causing red flags under my name.

Also, don't post and drive!

I'm pretty sure Best Buy considers price matching when they do their "devil" or "angel" customers. There were some articles I read about how they track that stuff, it was a real bummer.

 

[Jobiensis]

yeah, at the bottom of their receipts says return when you want, 'for whatever' reason; of course as long as the product is not damaged.

---
unless we aren't having all the story here.

Except their return policy explicity states they can deny it based on your return history.

 

[spwolf]

Their return policy clearly allows the return of products such as a laptop, even if you dont like it on the 30th day of the time frame. I dont see how me, returning the laptop a day later is fraudulent. If its going to cost them money, then bring back the restocking fee.

its not fraudulent, it is still your fault that will cost them money.

 

[xxracerxx]

A sales person is suppose to assist though. If Best Buy was staffed and Square_triangle told them he needed a gaming laptop with a disc drive, a sales person should be able to give him options on which laptop to get.

I bet he didn't ask for assistance though.

 

[kitschykitty]

This seems crazy, I used to work at best buy in Canada and although management usually tried to prevent returns by having a sales person answer any questions about the product before they returned it (making sure the customer wasn't just confused) our return policy was a selling point "try it out if you don't like it just bring it back within 30 days no problem"

 

[Mudkips]

Their return policy clearly allows the return of products such as a laptop, even if you dont like it on the 30th day of the time frame. I dont see how me, returning the laptop a day later is fraudulent. If its going to cost them money, then bring back the restocking fee.

If you purchased it with no real intent to keep it, then it's fraudulent.

If you bought it and didn't think about what you're buying then returned it, it's not fraudulent, but you're a fool and deserve to be corralled.

Either way, you drive the price up for the rest of us.

 

[Jake Tower]

You should blame other shitty customers that Best Buy has had to deal with, not Best Buy.

That being said, when I used to work there about 10 years ago, the returns department was graded on how few returns they accepted. The less they accept back, the better. My store in Houston was top 5 in te country. People hated those girls in the front.

I'm from Houston, which location was this?

 

[Wario64]

I bet he didn't ask for assistance though.

Not all customers know what they want, believe it or not

 

[TheExecutive]

You screwed up and cost them money because now they probably can't sell that product as new now, right?

Maybe they screwed up and didn't follow up with the customer to ensure that they are completely satisfied with the product.

 

[Coolwhip]

In Media Markt you can just return whatever you want. It's called customer service.

 

[Dipswitch]

On one hand, I understand why these policies are in place. People do abuse generous return policies, to the point where it's borderline criminal, ruining it for other people. I've read threads on AV sites where people boasted about using TV's bought from Costco for a year and then returning it for next years model, despite there being nothing wrong with the previous model. That really chaps my ass.

On the other, you either accept returns or you don't. Policies like this always bite retailers on the ass because one persons experience is all over the news a day later because of Reddit and the like. If you didn't damage the product and return it intact, it should be accepted if it's within the allowable return time window.

Of course, this is Best Buy, so it's not surprising it's news. I avoid them like the plague personally, but they probably attract a disproportionate amount of bad press. I've heard of people getting banned from Amazon with little to no explanation. At least Best Buy tells you why they think you suck on your receipt

 

[Jobiensis]

This service is used by more than Best Buy, you could be flagged because of returns somewhere else. Which is why you should contact them and find out.

 

[MrDaravon]

Again for the new page:

The Retail Equation is 3rd party vendor that retailers use to track possible return fraud (http://www.theretailequation.com/Retailers/) across retail in general, not just Best Buy. The OP was flagged on their report which is what Best Buy is responding to, this is not an internal Best Buy thing, Best Buy was notified that the OP is a possible fraud risk by a third party.

Price matching or anything like that wouldn't flag you with TRE to the best of my knowledge, unless the OP is leaving details out he needs to contact them ASAP to see why he's been flagged. Assuming he's not lying someone else could be doing returns to retailers using his drivers license ID# or something similar, I remember that happening a couple of times.

 

[Lambtron]

Either way, you drive the price up for the rest of us.

Yeah I'm going to say the OP isn't a real driving force behind higher prices. But I guess people like to blame individuals because it's easier or something?

 

[TheExecutive]

its not fraudulent, it is still your fault that will cost them money.

Such is the nature of the business.

 

[xJavonta]

Thread backfire incoming.

Oh god I love these threads lol

 

[dab0ne]

I would be more pissed off at ASUS. Who doesn't put a disc drive into their gaming lap top? I think that's a given.

 

[Alligatorjandro]

Was the return in the 30 day window?

 

[Mandoric]

If you purchased it with no real intent to keep it, then it's fraudulent.

If you bought it and didn't think about what you're buying then returned it, it's not fraudulent, but you're a fool and deserve to be corralled.

Either way, you drive the price up for the rest of us.

This isn't true, or no-questions-asked return policies wouldn't be standard. Stores offer them because they make more money off people being able to tell the wife it can go back if she doesn't love it, or guys looking at the 200 pound home theater and deciding lifting that shit isn't worth $1000, than they lose by people window-shopping in their living room.

 

[dc89]

In Media Markt you can just return whatever you want. It's called customer service.

Bingo.

Most retailers have a returns policy purely as a customer service differentiator. In the UK for example a retailer doesn't legally require a refund policy, but they are legally bound to assist customers for a period of time should their product go faulty. But refund or exchange products, nope, don't legally need one.

But all retailers do. That tells you something.

 

[VillageBC]

BestBuy has a satisfaction guarantee. He's being punished for using it which is bullshit. In Canada BestBuy/Futureshop recently closed stores with 0 notice to employees or customers who had items in for service. Employees showed up to be met with security guards and customers told their items would be at the other stores,which is not always convenient.

They are a shitty company and i'll take my money elsewhere and hope they burn. If we're lucky, it'll allow for something better to take their place. But it is admitting a brutal market to be in.

 

[kirblar]

Was the return in the 30 day window?

Laptops have a 14 day window, or at least they did when I was working there.

 

[eastmen]

There is a guy in the surface thread that has already bought 2 surface pros and returned them one after the other . Id cut him off if I was the store too

 

[Square Triangle]

its not fraudulent, it is still your fault that will cost them money.

Then again..they should have never gotten rid of their restocking fee or place a more strick ruling in their return policy.

 

[KojiKnight]

I would be more pissed off at ASUS. Who doesn't put a disc drive into their gaming lap top? I think that's a given.

I haven't had a disc drive in my computer for nearing on a decade... Custom built all my PCs in that time frame, didn't bother with them... Then again, I've been entirely digital since then and it's only come back to bite me a couple times with drivers... then I got a USB stick and used a different computer

 

[Dead]

A no questions asked policy + a 15 day window seems to be the best deal for a retailer, as the customer feels like they can return if they want, but 15 days can be a short enough window for them to not have made their mind up.

lol

 

[Philia]

Again for the new page:

The Retail Equation is 3rd party vendor that retailers use to track possible return fraud (http://www.theretailequation.com/Retailers/) across retail in general, not just Best Buy. The OP was flagged on their report which is what Best Buy is responding to, this is not an internal Best Buy thing, Best Buy was notified that the OP is a possible fraud risk by a third party.

Price matching or anything like that wouldn't flag you with TRE to the best of my knowledge, unless the OP is leaving details out he needs to contact them ASAP to see why he's been flagged. Assuming he's not lying someone else could be doing returns to retailers using his drivers license ID# or something similar, I remember that happening a couple of times.

Quoting for people who doesn't know how to read.

 

[TheExecutive]

Again for the new page:

The Retail Equation is 3rd party vendor that retailers use to track possible return fraud (http://www.theretailequation.com/Retailers/) across retail in general, not just Best Buy. The OP was flagged on their report which is what Best Buy is responding to, this is not an internal Best Buy thing, Best Buy was notified that the OP is a possible fraud risk by a third party.

Price matching or anything like that wouldn't flag you with TRE to the best of my knowledge, unless the OP is leaving details out he needs to contact them ASAP to see why he's been flagged. Assuming he's not lying someone else could be doing returns to retailers using his drivers license ID# or something similar, I remember that happening a couple of times.

Ahh interesting

 

[PapaEmeritus]

Bottom line: No one should ever, EVER, side with retailers. They will screw you every which way possible.

 

[coopolon]

I recently got a G600 from Best Buy that is pretty messed up. It has significant input lag and googling around it seems like a lot of people are having this problem and there's no easy fix.

I'm going to return it tomorrow (had it for a week), wonder if I will get flagged. It's only like $75 with tax though.

 

[Alligatorjandro]

Laptops have a 14 day window, or at least they did when I was working there.

I didnt know that.

 

[Mudkips]

Yeah I'm going to say the OP isn't a real driving force behind higher prices. But I guess people like to blame individuals because it's easier or something?

Uh, I can guarantee you his behavior directly drives up prices.

Same bullshit as this:

OP didn't make the return policy. He was within his legal right to return it for whatever dumb reason within the return period. I've returned a 2k camera at Costco after 2 months because I didn't really need it, I paid for the membership partly because of the better return policy. It's not like companies don't account for this.

You used an expensive camera for 2 months for free.

Costco and the manufacturer don't just eat the cost of restocking that camera (which is significant - it's either sold as used for a steep discount or it's sent back to the manufacturer for refurb duty). Legit customers end up paying for it.

 

[BocoDragon]

People buy stuff thay sucks every day that doesn't entitle them to a return if the return policy says the product has to be factory sealed. I can only imagine the abuse - every kid and their mother would be in the return lines with opened videogames 29 days after purchase claiming yhey want a refund because the game sucked. Thats not the way things work.

Ironically, that is the way things work. That's the point of a return policy. You are allowed to return it if you don't like the operation of the product.

Oh and video games used to be returnable too. It's just that as we moved to an era of CD burners, software was made an exception to return rules. Only software must be sealed to return it.

 

[BocoDragon]

EXCEPT that they resell them as Open Box at a lower cost, which is why they charge a restocking fee to the returner because they can't sell them as new to a new customer.

If this laptop was opened and then returned and you are saying that the OP should be able to return it with no consequence then that means you are also okay with:

1)Best Buy eating the 15% (or whatever) stocking fee due to no fault of their own by having to resell it as open box, OR
2)Best Buy resells it as new, and another customer gets a "used" product as new which 99% of GAF screams bloody murder at Gamestop about.

The only other thing I could see here is if the OP was deliberately or unintentionally misled by a Best Buy employee about what the product was, but other than that I don't see how the OP not knowing that it didn't have a disc drive is either Best Buy's fault or the next consumer's fault.

Also I used to be in retail and am familiar with that report; there is no way you get on that listing from one return. If you legitimately aren't returning a bunch of other stuff you need to request a copy of that report ASAP because something is going on there.

Bolded for people missing the point: The return was flagged by TRE; Best Buy is responding to their report, this isn't a made up thing Best Buy does to be a dick. A 3rd party is telling them something is potentially fishy with the customer and their return history across retailers.

Actually here in Canada, they don't even have a restocking fee. And that's not our law, it's just BB Canada's policy to be customer friendly. You can sell more easily if people feel more confidant taking it home and trying it out.

But yeah, as you said, this had nothing to do with the right to open and return a product. They think the OP is a chronic abuser of the return policy.

 

[Square Triangle]

And Best Buy is still to blame here considering they side with TRE decisions..

Uh, I can guarantee you his behavior directly drives up prices.

This is amazing. The product I bought was missing something that I thought a $1000 laptop would have with it. So because of that "my behavior" is the downfall of retail.

 

[leng jai]

I would be more pissed off at ASUS. Who doesn't put a disc drive into their gaming lap top? I think that's a given.

What? There's more reason for a gaming laptop to have no disc drive than a "normal" one.

 

[Karsticles]

Best Buy blocks you from returns from 90 days?
Don't buy from Best Buy for 90 days.

Seems like a fair deal.

 

[Mudkips]

Ironically, that is the way things work. That's the point of a return policy. You are allowed to return it if you don't like the operation of the product.

Oh and video games used to be returnable too. It's just that as we moved to an era of CD burners, software was made an exception to return rules. Only software must be sealed to return it.

So you're saying that as people defrauded and abused refund policies in increasing numbers, retailers took action to clamp down on those abusers?

This is amazing. The product I bought was missing something that I thought a $1000 laptop would have with it. So because of that "my behavior" is the downfall of retail.

What's amazing is that you haven't called up TRE and told us why you're flagged.

 

[dc89]

Uh, I can guarantee you his behavior directly drives up prices.
.

His behavior - making an honest mistake. Damn, I've seen it all now, I'm out.

 

[NoRéN]

I normally stick up for retailers, as a retail employee, I understand bad customers try to get away with shit. However, I just got this lovely note on my receipt after making a return. Last week I had returned an ASUS gaming laptop because I failed to realize that it didn't have a disc drive.

Apparently, you are a criminal to Best Buy for making even a legitimate return.



I thought they had done good with matching Amazon, however after this, its Amazon 100%. So much for my preorders with Best Buy and their $20 deal. =/

lolololololol

chump. Should have built a PC instead.

Probably returned alot of stuff lately, too.

 

[d0c_zaius]

Then again..they should have never gotten rid of their restocking fee or place a more strick ruling in their return policy.

they got rid of it because it was being abused. its strict for a reason.

and wassup with your AV? O_0

This is amazing. The product I bought was missing something that I thought a $1000 laptop would have with it. So because of that "my behavior" is the downfall of retail.

Assumptions, how do they work?

 

[Mandoric]

Uh, I can guarantee you his behavior directly drives up prices.

Same bullshit as this:


You used an expensive camera for 2 months for free.

Costco and the manufacturer don't just eat the cost of restocking that camera (which is significant - it's either sold as used for a steep discount or it's sent back to the manufacturer for refurb duty). Legit customers end up paying for it.

Entire sectors of retail don't maintain policies if they're net losers. There's no law saying they have to take returns, they do it because their increased turnover and customer loyalty is worth more money than the restock.

This is just another one of Best Buy's "oh god just make this quarter look good enough to let me bail out on a high note" flailings.

 

[Lambtron]

Uh, I can guarantee you his behavior directly drives up prices.

Sure. Lots of things drive up prices. A dude returning a laptop? Probably not high on that list. Shaming him is just a petty thing to do. You want to blame someone for higher prices? Blame the CEOs. Blame the share holders. Blame shitty capitalism.