Best Buy — Local services in Tacoma

This store is an absolute nightmare. I hate everything about it. Initially, I went in to look around. I was there maybe 15 minutes and at least six people asked me if I needed help. Some of them more than once. I went home and proceeded to order the phone I wanted a couple of days later. I got to the end and it asked me If I wanted to finance the phone. I decided, sure, what's 12 months with no interest? Well, I was approved for the card, but needed to take a minute to do something at my house and when I returned, the screen had refreshed. So, I went back to look up my application and it wasn't there. I applied for the card again and was told they could take up to 7 days to make a decision! What the heck? I called the Citibank number and after about 15 minutes of pushing buttons, finally got a person. They told me I was approved and all was good. After that fiasco, I jumped online and went to my checkout. I clicked purchase and it said the phone was no longer available local or for shipping! I realized it was probably the color I chose, so I went back and just chose a black phone, added that to my cart, and chose next day delivery. Finally! I had made the purchase. Anyhow, later in the evening I went back on the website and the phone color that I wanted was back and stock. I was paying a decent amount of money, so I decided I should just order the phone I wanted and cancel the black phone. I tried to do just that, but after being transferred twice, was told I only have 30 minutes to make a cancellation and it had been 55 minutes. Are you freaking kidding me!? A couple of hours later, I got an email saying the phone I wanted and had ordered was no longer available!!!! 😳 Thank goodness they hadn't canceled my original order, even though that wasn't the exact phone I had wanted. Fast forward: the evening and early morning passed and I had not received any notification about my delivery, so I went about my day. At around 10:15 or 10:30 a.m., I got a text saying my phone was on the way and that it needed a signature. I knew that it needed a signature, but I hadn't received a time frame, so I wasn't available. The driver arrived about an hour later and I missed him! I text and called him 45 minutes after the missed delivery, but did not get a response. I called the store and they said I only had one shot and the phone was being returned! Are you kidding!? At this point, I'm about to give up. Again, I went on the website, ordered my third phone for pickup, entered the phone I wanted to exchange, and headed to the store. When I arrived, I stood in line for what seemed like forever. The staff was not very helpful when I finally got there. The lady told me that I needed to turn my phone in to get the credit and then they would give me the new phone. How was I supposed to get all of my information on to the new phone if I gave them my phone? I told her, this is my only phone. Do I have a time frame in which I can transfer everything, clear my phone, and then return it? She said, no. At this point, I was flabbergasted and so exhausted. Another associate came over and said I could still get the credit and showed her how to do it. Well, I got the new phone, kept my phone, but as I was leaving, I said, can you please explain to me how to trade my phone in now? Will I get a credit on that charge? She said, bring it in and customer service will figure it out. Ughhh. I very much hope that that goes smoothly! So far my experience has been atrocious. All I wanted to pick up my new phone, transfer my info, clear my phone, and bring it back in. Where was I supposed to do that? In the store before trying the phone out? Either way, It wasn't offered and the employees are very poorly trained. Hopefully someone will reach out to me. Never again will I do this. Beware of Best Buy....

This review will replicate many of the very same complaints you are reading here, especially from a delivery perspective.

I see I am not alone,

In terms of selection and pricing, Best Buy is expansive and fair, BUT, their stores are woefully understaffed, especially during holiday time and you are literally waiting around for who knows how long just for a salesperson, just so you can make a purchase and arrange a delivery...in this case, one of Hisense's U7N Series TVs....which are very well reviewed across the board, quite popular and absolutely no stock available either online or in stock, yet Best Buy continues to sell this line of TVs!

Online is easy in terms of purchase.

Delivery is a wretched and disgusting process. These are not real dates...they are wish dates and in light of their refund policy (one to two weeks...maybe), they, in effect, hold your purchase hostage to what they call "customer service".

Imagine setting up time for a delivery, YOUR time, then watch the company blow it off without any warning at all...then you go down to the store....tell these zero sum wonders to not set up a delivery again if you are not certain it will be delivered...you also try to get a discount for this kind of idiocy, which they will not administer until after delivery...maybe, even with documentation...and so on.

AND THEN THEY DO IT AGAIN, ONLY THIS TIME I DID NOT SIT AROUND THE ENTIRE DAY! YOU GO TO THE STORE AGAIN AND SAY WHY DID YOU DO THIS? FOR WHAT POSSIBLE REASON? THEY DO NOT LIKE DEALING YOUR ANGER, ENLIGHTEN YOU WITH THEIR ONE TO TWO WEEK REFUND POLICY (yet you can make a purchase within seconds), AND YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL YOU ARE BUYING FROM BEST BUY, THEN THEY THROW YOU OUT THE STORE!

They waste your time and your energy, but be grateful...that is the Best Buy way!

Imagine not dealing with a circumstance that Best Buy itself creates.

I have still not received the TV and based on these reviews, I should expect a broken TV because of their mishandling! Eventually...

All because Best Buy has few competitors, though if you buy the set from Amazon or Walmart, at least they will deliver it on that date or inform you otherwise. They are also far more honest about inventory control and lack thereof. Walmart has stopped selling this line for now and Amazon is not delivering until mid-January 2025. They will also execute a refund on the day you cancel an order! At least you know what to expect.

Do not buy at Best Buy, regardless of price! PERIOD! You can live without this kind of "customer service".

Use Best Buy for demos if you need to, then go online to make your purchase from another vendor.There is nothing to trust or believe when dealing with this kind of monopolistic arrogance! Take your business elsewhere.

12/18/24: Please note that I received the TV yesterday. There is a good bit to learn and still configure, but, overall the Hisense U7N Series is a versatile and amazing TV! The overall quality is just breathtaking. This is one of those rare cases where all the professional reviews were unbelievably accurate in terms of its quality. If you are in the market for a high quality TV, while not wanting to spend OLED money, then this the series to consider and who knows, in light of its versatility, you may end up liking this series more OLED!

Now let's see if I get the promised discounts.

As for Best Buy, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU? You used to provide quality service and equipment at a fair price. A deliver date was a date that you took pride in...

All kinds of cool gadgets, toys for kids and grown-ups. I got lost I'm this place for like an hour and a half. Partly because nobody bothered asking if I needed any help while I wondered around oohing and aahing at everything wich I did need help. When I went in I was intending to check out the tankless home water heater I seen advertised online. However once I did finally grab (literally) someone, well the 3rd someone I tried to get help from. They had no clue what I was even talking about. The store had other items like vacuums and air purifiers ect... of the same name brand but even after the kid look through the computer system he could find nothing that resembled my search. Even after I looked through NY own search history on my phone I could not pull up the same ones I had come across just the night before. I think someone's out there is messing with me. Getting a kick out of watching me get these kids to look for something they apparently don't carry. So after my search came to no avail here I stopped at the helpful hardware store. The agriculture store on Sprague where their always as helpful as they can be. The owner gave me some good information and although they didn't carry them he showed me the one he uses in store for the employee hand wash. He believed it to be a truly great by. Well that was for what he needed. One like I hoped for was not going to come at a price I was willing to pay. Nit when the old water heater in our home can heat the whole house of water as apposed to a hand washing station. This didn't come as a complete failed mission as i did find the information I needed to make a informed decision on weather to purchase or not. Also my time at Best Buy was not a complete waist of time. Yes I walked out empty handed but not before I fooled around awhile playing with the home arcade games and many of the other toys and gadgets. Surprisingly enough nobody came and asked me not to play with the merchandise. Also I found some really great gift ideas for Christmas so I'll be back on payday. Hopefully I make it out with some money left in my account. All in all it was a good visit and the kids helping were very polite and did there best to help out. Turns out I was just as clueless as them so I can't hold it against them. Maybe next year just for fun I'll ask them to search for a micro freeze and see what they come up with. Anyways great place, lots of cool stuff and the staff is helpful as they can be once you track them down. I would have given five stars if I didn't wonder around for 45 minutes or more before damn near tackling a staff member to stop and help for a minute or 30 but you get the point. Happy Hollidays to all and have a...