Best Buy — Local services in Colorado Springs

While this review is regarding a purchase at this particular store, the issues I had are corporate-level and apply to any BB purchase.

I bought a large, fairly high-end, expensive TV here last year. The purchase went smoothly, the salesperson/manager that assisted me was very friendly and helpful, and it was delivered quickly, with the delivery guys doing an excellent job. And that's where the good ends.

I spent days playing with the TV trying to test it out and get it to work right, but as is typical with Samsung, they try to make it smart to the point it just doesn't do what you want. It took me until the end of the return period to finally discover through searching online that I had to use a specific mode and do things a certain way in order for an option to be available (don't remember the specifics). At that point, it was too late to keep testing it; I'd wasted enough time and was out of it.

So I started, or tried to start, the return process. I tried calling the store, but unless you pay ~$200/year, you can't directly contact the store. That's how much they care about their customers: they put a paywall between you and them. So instead, I ended up talking to someone in a call center, probably in India. The first person I spoke with simply hung up on me. The second person gave me a number, insisting it was the number to the store, but it was not. After trying multiple times for probably at least an hour, I gave up.

So I had to drive about an hour out of my way to go to the store itself in order to set up the return. They scheduled it, and a few days later the guys showed up to take the TV. Even though I had all of the packaging, they just hauled the TV and set it (not very carefully) in the truck, then put the box in next to it (think carefully before buying something like this open-boxed). They didn't provide a receipt or anything, and I was told when I asked about that when setting up the return that it's all automated, and I would receive my refund shortly after they picked it up.

After 2+ weeks went by, I still hadn't received the refund. I of course couldn't call the store to inquire about it, so I had to, yet again, drive out of my way to go there. I asked to speak with a manager, explained the situation, and informed him I wanted my refund. He told me not only was there nothing he could do, but there was nobody he could pass the issue to up the chain for resolution. So in the end, I had to file a dispute with my credit card and got them to do a chargeback, and finally got my refund roughly a month after the TV was taken back. Had I not filed a dispute, I probably never would have got my money back. And had I signed up for their card and used that, who knows what would have happened, since it's unlikely they're going to do a chargeback on themselves.

So I highly recommend buying elsewhere if at all possible. This is far from the only issue I've had with BB as well, just the most recent, most egregious, and last, as I won't be shopping with this company anymore. If you do continue to shop here, think very carefully about using their own card, as you're likely giving up any protection against them keeping your money if you need to return your purchase. And please don't support their extremely anti-consumer practice of withholding any decent way of contacting them unless you pay, which is essentially extortion.

Edit in reply to Best Buy response: No thanks. I don't use any of those, and I find it ridiculous how so many companies these days think it's appropriate to essentially limit support to social media channels. I've wasted enough time on your company, and you had multiple opportunities to deal with and rectify the situation along the way. Acting like you give a ** now means nothing, does nothing, and only shows that you only care about issues your customers are having when they bring it to the public's attention. If you really care so much, I don't imagine it would be all that hard for you to figure out which purchase of a large TV at this specific store resulted in a return and...

I have shopped at the 3150 New Center Point Best Buy, in Colorado, three times. Each time it has been a bad experience.

The first time I was trying to order a new TV (in store, not online). I was rung up for the wrong size TV and by the time I realized it and went back to fix the sales rep's mistake... Best Buy was sold out of the TV I actually wanted and tried to buy. I decided to just cancel the purchase and get my money back. But rather than let me cancel everything at once and get my refund. I had to contact Geek Squad separately to cancel the support package I'd purchased along with the TV, otherwise I guess I'd still be paying for support to install a TV I never received. Apparently the Manager wasn't able to cancel and refund that part, even though it was all part of the same purchase. @Best Buy - Part of Customer Service is that I (the customer) shouldn't have to do more work due to your (the company's) inability to perform your job. The more complicated you make things for me, the less inclined I am to give you money.

The second time I was going in for a discounted kindle. When I got to the register the cashier rang me up for full price. I pointed out the mistake, and the cashier still couldn't match the price listed on their own discount sticker. I asked if a manager could fix it, at which point he told me he was a manager. Eventually, he remembered that he could give me a gift card that I could use to effectively bring the price down to the price shown on their floor sticker.

Most recently, I pre-ordered a videogame. I have to say, it seems like Best Buy doesn't understand how pre-orders work. You'd think it would be simple. We have X number of pre-orders... therefore we should order X number of copies to fulfill those pre-orders. Instead, it seems Best Buy ordered Y number of copies, where Y equals LESS THAN THE NUMBER OF PRE-ORDERED COPIES THEY SOLD. Seriously?! Do the concepts of Pre-Ordering, Early Release, and basic arithmetic really escape the ENTIRE management community of Best Buy in Colorado? I'm legitimately confused. How do you accept people's money for pre-orders, tell them their pre-order has arrived, and then NOT HAVE THE APPROPRIATE STOCK when they arrive to pick up their purchase?

How is this company even still operating? It seems like Best Buy really tries to be the Walmart of electronics. Here's the thing, at least when I shop at Walmart I am rung up for the right item, they have the ability to price match their own floor stickers, and they seem competent enough to apply basic math skills to their pre-order sales. My experience with Best Buy here has really solidified in my mind that it's time for this company to go the way of Circuit City and Blockbuster. I haven't seen anything you offer which I can't get at a better price and/or with better customer...

45 minutes to purchase a product. 45 minutes to purchase a product when I knew basically what I wanted before I went to the store. 45 minutes when I arrived shortly after the store opened on a weekday rather than at its busiest hour. It took about 43 minutes to get a staff person’s help and about 2 minutes to do what I went there to do. Walked in and the store greater did not notice. I asked, where I could find the product I was looking for. The store greeter told me but seemed annoyed by me. I soon found several empty shelf tags near product I was looking for. Wasn’t sure if they were out? Stood in the section for some time hoping someone would notice and help. No such luck. I was still about 10 yards and in plain sight from the store greeter. Time moved on. No one came. The store greeter did not say “can I help you,” nor did he dispatch help. He mostly looked at his own phone. Perhaps he was using it to buy electronics from a better store? I set off to look for assistance. I toured the store but did not find a free beat buy staffer. I went to the help desk. Surely they could help? A woman looked like she training a new employee at a cash registrar. She politely acknowledged me and asked me to wait while she continued to her lesson. Another employee came over and was very polite. She spoke with me!! I got to tell that I needed help looking for a product!! She said she would send someone to that section. I stood there…..more time passed. The store greeter still looked at his phone. An employee was walking from the back of the store toward my product’s section. When he got close to me, he switched isles and and did not cross paths with me, did not say “need anything?” He walked to the store greeter they talked and ignored me together from 10 yards away in plain sight. I went back to the one employee that would talk. She again politely said she would send someone over. I felt like I was in a scene from the movie idiocracy. I went back to the product’s section. I walked past the 2 employees actively ignoring me a grabbed a chair so I could at least get more comfortable. I brought it to the section 10 yards from the front of the store. The woman training the new employee walked by and skillfully avoided eye contact. She did not offer assistance. The trainee just nodded his head. More time passed. Finally a woman came to help. She was nice and trying!! 👏🏼 Soon another employee walked through the front doors. He came over to help. I think it was the employee who was supposed to work this section. He was nice. With in 2 minutes we got it done. I ordered my product and instillation and I was on my. So happy to leave and...