Best Buy — Local services in Springfield

Since the Best Buy in Beavercreek opened in 1993, I have probably given literally tens of thousands of dollars to this company in electronics and media (movie discs, video games, CDs). Since I moved to the Springfield area a few years ago, this location is obviously more convenient.

This location is not a full-line store like the larger Beavercreek location, so it's small and can be cramped. One thing I have noticed is as Best Buy has removed itself, for the most part, from the physical movie disc and CD marketplace, this smaller store is using the floor space that was previously occupied with media shelving for an expanded product line, more like larger stores. In sum, this smaller store is now carrying a larger product line (sacrificing media).

In certain aspects, I don't like this. I used to look forward to Tuesdays at Best Buy when new movies, music, and video games would release. Amazon has made this little joy a thing of the past, probably for the better, since they have a wider selection, better prices, and... I'm not doing as much impulse buying. The other negative to this trend is the store is almost taking the expanded product line too far by cramming more into the store than it comfortably can handle. It can be cramped in that store, especially with special displays hogging aisle space. During the holiday shopping season, it can be noticeably difficult to maneuver through the store. If a person with a disability who required a wheel chair wanted to browse the store, it would be impossible, unless he or she found a very specific path through the maze.

Prices are fairly comparable to other stores. What little media that is carried is usually a bit more expensive than Amazon. This Best Buy's video game selection is surprisingly robust, but that's a reliable profit center for the company, along with mobile devices, which swallow almost the entire front of the store (but understandably so).

Geek Squad waiting times can sometimes be excessive. When I bought a new Galaxy Note20 there, I bought the Geek Squad service for unlimited screen protector exchanges and installation. I waited 40 minutes simply to have the screen protector applied by the Geek Squad rep(s). The store offers call ahead appointments for Geek Squad (or at least used to) and I highly recommend taking advantage of that.

The "Best Buy experience" that I used to enjoy is now a thing of the past. But that's hardly Best Buy's fault, given the paradigm shift in how certain products are marketed and sold now. This particular store does a very good job with what it has to work with. The associates are always friendly and helpful, which is refreshing in the face of the false happy faces of Walmart employees. They're good sports, too. On Black Friday, an associate in the store asked if he could help me and I asked if they had any PlayStation 5's (a nearly impossible product to find). His face sunk because it was probably the zillionth time he was asked that question that day and I made as if I were impatient. When he started to almost sheepishly and helplessly answer "no," I let him off the hook and told him I was joking. It was a dumb joke on my part, but he seemed to get a laugh out of it, if anything so he didn't have to deal with an angry shopper looking...

Usually I go to this best buy a lot, but that will be no longer. I went to the Beaver Creek location and got the Lego 2k drive game. I then went home popped open the game and put it in my Xbox. And of course the disc was not reading in my Xbox. So I called customer service and they said I could take it back to the store in exchange and get a digital copy instead. So I take the game back to the store with my receipt and they tell me they don't return games that the seals have been broken because of data corruption. I asked for a manager and a gentlemen names BEN came up. I told him I called customer service and they said I could take it back no problem. The manager basically repeated the same thing saying they can't return open games because of data corruption. They said they would have to order me a new one and open it up since mine was open box. I said okay and let them order it. Then the gentlemen tells me I owe 27 cents to place the order because the sales tax where I got the item from has a lower tax rate than this store. I asked them if they can do anything about that and the manager BEN very rudely told me no. They then placed the order for me and the date it come in was a day that I'm out for vacation. I then asked the manager BEN what I'm supposed to do being that I'm out of town. He told me I would have 7 days to pick it up. I said what if this copy doesn't work. All BEN did was look at me in the eyes said nothing and shrugged his shoulders. I said so I can't do anything I can't get my money back nothing. Again he looks at me and just shrugs his shoulders. I left the store and immediately called customer service. Luckily they gave me a refund and let me place an order for a digital code. This store is a joke. I was very upset how rude the manager was with me and said that Im just stuck with a game that doesn't work. I was also very upset they made me pay the 27 cents for sales tax which I shouldn't have to. If you go to this location expect employees to be very rude with you. I spend a lot of time and money at best buy and this is how I get treated. They don't care about you as long as they have your money. Customer service here is terrible, environment is terrible, they never have anything in stock and managers are rude, employees never approach you and ask you if you need help, and when you do need help there is never anyone around. Just save yourself the effort and go to another location or better yet take your business elsewhere. I know that I no longer will be shopping here at this location, because evidently they don't care about customers because once they have your money that's all...

We purchased a new washer and dryer from Best Buy in February. We had picked out new models and then found out that the dryer wasn't able to be ordered. The appliance manager of the Beavercreek store offered us a deal on the floor models of the exact same ones that we were looking at. They only had a few very minor surface scratches. We agreed.

They were delivered 3 weeks later in only one coat of plastic wrap. I watched the employees take them off of the truck and then look at the washer and dryer in a strange way. When they were brought in, I found out why. One of the employees asked us what condition the appliances were in when we agreed to purchase them. We told him and he said that the paperwork matched what we said.

During the transit from the store to the warehouse to load the washer and dryer for delivery, they were heavily damaged. The back of the dryer was caved in, there were large dents covering both units, very deep scratches, both pedestals were warped, etc. We were told to contact the store manager the next day and ask for new appliances. The employee took notes of the damage. He said that he's never seen appliances damaged to that extent. He said that they would be replaced.

We called the next day and the first store rep we spoke to said that we could change appliances... and then she said for full price. we had to go through corporate to get anything done and it was a complete nightmare that took months. The store gave us $100 back at the end of May (a month after they were supposed to) and the corporate representative said that the most she could offer was a $175 gift card for very extensive damage. She said take the card or take nothing. She never sent the gift card. I filed the complaint in March and in July she was still claiming she had sent the card (35+ emails later), but another corporate rep confirmed it was a lie.

Another rep emailed us the card a week later. We were never okay with the amount we received, the way that it was handled or the fact that it took months to get the gift card (we asked for a check). It took 5 months to get it taken care of in an unsatisfactory manner. Best Buy messed up. Their employees damaged the appliances that we purchased and they didn't make it right. Telling us to return them and buy something else for full price or take a gift card, isn't a solution.

They should have replaced what...