I had a very good experience with the Geeks at Best Buy last week. (I'm not being mean, I'm talking about the Geek Squad.) For the price of a diagnostic check ($69), they literally brought my laptop back from the dead -- by removing 3 years' worth of dust from its insides, apparently.

I was so convinced that my Thinkpad laptop had died (I couldn't use it for more than a couple minutes before it would spontaneously quit on me) that I went ahead and ordered a new one before hearing back from the Geeks.

Now my Thinkpad is running the way it did right out of the box when I first got it (AND I have a brand new laptop). Good work, Geeks.

I bought one item from their Store. An American Gangster blu-ray, it was damaged so I tried to return it. They would not Let me.
I have not been back.

The only things I've ever purchased there were some DVDs or CDs. That's bad enough for me not to bother checking out whatever surly morons they have working in electronics. In terms of music or movies, their selection is mundane and without much depth, and the few things they have of interest are overpriced. The clerks seem to think Kurosawa is a Sony knockoff, Altman a brand of speaker, Polanski the dumb guy who works back in shipping, and Scorsese a commentary on the blonde at the cashier.

They turned me down for credit (bastards), Circuit City didnt. Their "Geek Squad" service charges an arm and a leg. Now Im pretty much forced to go there if Walmart's electronic dept doesnt have what Im looking for.

I've had negative experiences at various Best Buy stores everywhere from Boston to Philadelphia to Baltimore to Kansas City to San Francisco. They tend to treat their customers like idiots (particularly if you're a girl), and ironically also don't know anything about the products they're selling. My relatively low level questions for them get me sent to the Geek Squad counter all the time, which doesn't feature more knowledgeable employees, it simply means they have computer access. Unfortunately, they also seem to lack strong google query skills so often I was able to find the information I was looking for faster on my iPhone when it got to that point. Alternately, they'll just lie about stuff they don't know (like features on a digital camera that I had to buy in a hurry once).

Given that nationwide sample, I have to believe that these issues are related to their corporate policies, and not just isolated incidents. Thankfully, at this point I can order almost everything they sell from amazon, so I just don't shop there anymore.

If you have to shop at Best Buy for electronics or anything beyond a dvd, do your research first and avoid their employees like the plague.

I like Best Buy. They have quality products, and the employees are always helpful and friendly. They don't alway have the lowest prices, but they usually have the best quality, much better than Wal-Mart.

I've only had one experience with Best Buy, over a year ago, and that was enough for me.

At the time, Chris (my fiance) had just got his bonus from US Bank and we were gung-ho for buying a big LCD TV. Our first stop was Best Buy. While in there we found a TV we were very interest in. We talked to an employee who told us Best Buy had a deal going on where if you purchased an LCD TV for $999 or up, they'd take $100 off a blu-ray disc player (PS3s qualified) and throw in three free blu-ray movies. The TV we found was a 42" LCD TV for $996.99 and the blu-ray disc player we picked out was a PlayStation 3. The employee we talked to said they couldn't do the deal, so we talked to the store manager. He said he couldn't give us the deal because the TV was, what he called a "power sale" item. We couldn't believe it. Chris asked the man "So, you're going to let $1500 walk out that door over $2 and a penny?" And the manager told him, yes because they'd be losing money.

That same night we went to Wal-Mart and bought an Olevia 42" LCD TV for around $1,000 (he had a discount because he worked at Wal-Mart). Then a week later spent around $500 for the PS3 he was wanting and an HDMI cable.

To say the least, we will never even step foot in Best Buy again.

Purchased a mobile radio "boom box" - came to return the item, unopened and with receipt 2 weeks later.
After long wait I was told -
a. there are no refunds, only store credit
b. the item has since been reduced in price - so I will only receive credit for the reduced price, not what I paid
c. The store credit they give me - I must spend "on the spot" - meaning right now (which I did)

The whole process was an unbelievable hassle.

I can't recall when I've seen worse customer service & attitude in any US store. These types of policies likely reflect Best Buy's desperation in this downturn. Wrong move guys!

My advice - steer clear of Best Buy!

I purchased an HP notebook computerfrom Best Buy (BB) in 2007 with 3yr service plan for an extra $300.

On the eighth day after convincing GeekSquad (GS) to send it for service, I entered the tracking # on the GS website to see if any info had been entered. It showed my drop-off, and an entry for later the same day said, "picked up by customer; ticket closed.” I did not sleep well.

The next day I went back to BB. The Geek said, "Oh, we do that all the time."

"We had to open a new service order, and that (picked up by customer) is the only way the system lets us close the old one." 

I finally left with a new SO# (new SO# is noted in the new SO record (doh), not the old one; where it might be useful.) and a UPS tracking number, because supposedly, my computer was not only fixed, it had already been shipped back...

Except that it hadn't really been shipped. UPS showed the label requested 2 days before, and 2 other packages in the shipment were in transit. But not mine.

It was delivered at the store (at 10 AM on a Thursday). At noon, GS called to say that the computer had arrived, but would not power on, and they were sending it back. But, "Not to worry, it will be sent back overnight, it will be the first thing they look at since it is a repeat, and it will be back here in a few days."

Monday the GS system still just said "shipped" so I called the store to get the new UPS #.

It had not shipped Thursday at all, it shipped Friday, in a 7 PM P/U, and it shipped regular ground.

Bless UPS, it arrived at GeekSquad City Tuesday at 9:30 AM, even though at 4 PM, the GS system still just showed "shipped".

So, I stop by the store again at lunch... The Geek says "it was checked in this morning" it will take a while to show up on the web site."

By 6 pm, there was still no sign of it, so I called 1-800-GS. They, have access to exactly the same information that is on the public web and nothing more. The 800-GS person finally suggests that he can give me the number for GSC. ...and I thought I was finally getting somewhere.

When you call GSC, you have 3 choices: schedule a tour, an automated system to provide repair approval (if they want to charge you $, you talk to their computer), and help with a repair ticket. The last sounds promising but it's a message that this (help, I guess) is not a customer option (call 800-GS) and if you are a GS center you should be using the toolkit (on-line system) --then it hangs up.

So then I tried the only other # on the GS web site: 1-800-BB.

I finally got to a 'supervisor', but her computer 'froze up' so she said she'd call back. An hour later I started over.

Finally I got to a supervisor with a computer that worked. She said, yes, my computer was checked in, and that it would be 2-3 weeks before it was fixed.
It only took them 2 weeks (including ship time) to not fix it before; now they are supposed to be on a rush, and it will be 2-3 weeks (plus more than a week in transit).

She said she could put an 'escalation request' in. Then she gave me her direct number. I asked if I could call tomorrow for an update, but no, she would not be in tomorrow. So, I asked that the case be given to someone that would be able to communicate with GSC tomorrow.

Well, I called that direct line number 5 times with no luck. Finally, I started over with 1-888-BB.

Another 'supervisor' told me that "parts had been ordered" but no change in the 2-3 week estimate was made. They also offered to issue an escalation request. When I asked if that hadn’t already been done, I was told that they couldn’t see that in the system. A senior supervisor then told me that they wouldn’t see anything in the system until GSC responded to the request, which could take 3-5 days.

The first consumer relations supervisor CALLED ME the following day with an update. She was completely unaware of any interim conversations, but told me that the motherboard had been replaced and it was proceeding to final inspection (apparently it failed because it had another round of parts ordered before it finally got shipped out).

Everyone had thus assured me that return shipping would be overnight. But I was not surprised when I checked the UPS tracking number and found it shipped ground.

The Head Geek at BB offered me a ‘loaner’ at this point. ***NOTE: Their idea of a LOANER is to let me BUY an Openbox model, and RETURN it when I get mine back.

This morning, exactly a month after taking it in the first time, I went to BB to pick up the computer. It looked like it had been handled by grease monkeys.

Also, one of the hinges was not assembled correctly. When I powered it on, it gave a warning message, started Check Disk, which failed with an undefined error.

So the Head Geek tells me that they will send it back. This time he’ll make sure it goes next day air. This was at 9:10 am.

Tonight, the GS system shows it as checked in; awaiting shipment, so I called the store. Nobody answered the phone in GS or regular customer service on four calls.

I called 1-888-BB (since I know they can access the GS toolkit). They did not find it strange that the store does not answer calls, but did provide a UPS tracking #.

Amazingly, the UPS ticket is for next day air. Un-amazingly, my computer is still at the store.

After arriving in GSC, the ‘special handling’ queue is apparently longer than regular treatment because this time it took several days just to get looked at. They reset the hinges and sent it back. Ground (It only took six phone calls to get the new UPS number).

I arrived yesterday, and the hinge is marginally improved, but they cracked the case over the heat sink directly under the hinge, and the whole thing bulges there. And, it still has the system error, only now the Geek informs me that they never address software issues at the GSC, and they will have to diagnose that in the store which might take awhile…

I proceed to give the computer a more thorough once over and find that the disc drive draw is so loose it has more than a centimeter of play in it. I know they ‘float’ but this is near broken, and is not the condition I last saw it. It was probably like that from the first botched repair, but I never got that far in my inspection. They have sent it out again…

Best Buy is awesome. Knowledgeable salespeople, great selection of all of the latest gadgets, and at least most of the store here in Phoenix the sales people are friendly. For those of you who have complaints about returns should probably ask what the return policy is before you make a purchase and you won't be surprised by a restocking fee? I stopped myself from making a camera purchase I was on the fence about because I asked what the return policy was and didn't want to get it home and not like the camera and have to pay a restocking fee. So I did more research and talked more with the sale girl and found the perfect camera that I love.

can never find anyone to help you
and if you do find someone - it's a high school kid
that knows NOTHING

Horrible service!

Awesome. After being scammed by Circuit City I walked into the store here, defeated, looking for a computer. I found one I liked and I even got a free printer!   

Never shop at Circuit City, They will steal your money if possible.

I've only had positive experiences at Best Buy. It is certainly the best electronics store by a long shot. I've always seen reasonable prices, good service, and knowledgable and honest salespeople at Best Buy.

Do not purchase at Best Buy. I tried returning a Wii Game with a receipt and they accused me that the game did not come from their store. There is no possible way the game came from any other store. I have heard stories of others having this problem with Best Buy.

Too noisy! Turn down that racket! Otherwise a decent overall selection and prices for the size of the store.

The worst place to shop. They just don't know what they are talking about. They're a bunch of high school kids. And the managers wouldn't know proper CS if God himself asked for help.

So go ahead and buy from them if you want. Just don't ask any questions, don't ever try and return an unopened DVD even when you HAVE the receipt (they might just call you a thief... thinking you opened the DVD, copied it to you computer, then rewrapped it in shrink), and please don't ever let them work on one of your computers.

I purchased a new Panasonic SDR-S7K video camera at the Best Buy in Castleton, IN. I performed hours of research before I bought the camera, and felt confident in making a purchase. This is a new model so there wasn't much about it on the Internet outside of the standard promotional material by the manufacturer. I got the camera home and opened the box. Before I used the camera I read through the owners manual. I learned the battery supplied with the camera only has a recordable life of 40 minutes! That is way too short. No problem, I thought, I'll just buy a battery with a longer life. Wrong! There is only one battery that fits that camera and the life is 40 recordable minutes. The batteries are rather expensive too at $60 each. Three days after I bought the camera I went to Best Buy for a refund. They informed me there would be a restocking fee of 15% because I (GASP!) opened the box. They said I could exchange it for another camera without penalty, but I wasn't ready to do that because I wanted to do more research. Too bad they said. I asked to speak to the manager. I explained why I was returning the product (battery life is way too short). Too bad, once you open the box you must pay a restocking fee. I felt a restocking fee in this situation was unreasonable.

The giant trudges on. Still don't have a wealth of product knowledge. But, for the most part they will greet you and their there. They usually have merchandise. It's bright and clean in their stores. So, since you're not going to get product knowledge anywhere else either, you might as well shop there.

I purchased a laptop on the 20th of this month.  I returned it on the 25th.  I was told by the Fultondale, AL store that it my check for my refund was printed on the 26th and that it will take a week to get it from Minnesota. This is because for some reason purchases over $250 cannot be refunded in the stores. Not even up to $250 of the refund.

Moving on, I spoke to the corporate office who said that my check wasn't printed until the 27th.  The corporate office also stated that it could be as late as Monday before it is even mailed but could not tell me how the check was going to be sent (standard, first class, etc.).  Even standard only takes up to 9 days in the US  however I was given April 14 as the last possible date to receive the check.  Best Buys obviously doesn't realize that that is three weeks from the time the laptop was returned?  So they have the laptop and my money and I'm sitting here with nothing for possibly three weeks.  Unacceptable.

Apparently four hundred and some odd dollars is to much to refund in a store but not enough for Best Buy to put a little speed into returning it to it's rightful owner.  My future purchases will not be made at any Best Buy stores, regardless of how low the price is.  I knew it was a mistake when I decided to purchase from them instead of compusa.  I have been a customer of there's for years and only purchased at Best Buys because I work near one of their stores.  That will not happen again.

  i don't like them, way too expensive. they have some good stuff but thats about it....

online is the future my friend

Never ever buy an extended warranty from this outfit. They will deny your claim due to their definition of abuse: any physical damage. So why bother getting a 4 year warranty when normal wear and tear will be physical damage? This is one of the ways they deny your warranty claim.

One of the better chains around.

Best Buy: Worst Buy Ever!

This says it all: www.bestbuysux.org

Return policy outrageous.  Wouldn't accept their own unopened CD back, accompanied by the receipt!  Avoid this chain!

A nice selection of electronics and things to go in, on, around or attach to them.

Best Buy may have good buys but you wouldn't want to get involved with their lousy repair and customer service.

I bought a Toshiba 27" flat tube TV from Best Buy in San Francisco for my in-laws for Christmas and the channel selector failed after one month. We called Best Buy to repair it since it still was under the 90-day manufacturer's warranty. It took 2 weeks to finally get a repairman to the house but he came 4 hours late. He spent just 5 minutes looking at the TV and said he'd have to order a part for it and he would call us back to schedule an appointment.

So we waited around for another couple weeks and when we didn't hear from the guy, we called Best Buy to see what was going on. The guy eventually called back and said he never got the part and he would make another order. We set up another date in 2 weeks. My inlaws had to stay at home again to wait for the guy but then he called back and said he wasn’t coming because he received the wrong part. He was as frustrated as we were and he said he would authorize Best Buy to just give us a new TV, which is what we preferred in the first place.

We called the store up to find out if the authorization was processed. We were disconnected 3 times and was placed on hold for a total of one hour. Finally Best Buy said we had to bring the TV to the store because it would not pick up the TV for the exchange. When we got to customer service, a lady directed us to select another TV to replace the defective one. We decided to choose a less expensive one and returned to customer service to get credit for the difference. The lady wasn’t at the counter but we were told to wait for her since she serviced us. But she never returned. After 30 minutes, we ask assistance from another lady there and she paged the manager to come. He never came and the other lady disappeared from the counter as well. Finally, a third lady arrived 15 minutes later and we were able to depart from Best Buy with our new exchange.

Best Buy has great deals and selections when you’re at the buying end, but watch out if something goes wrong with your purchase. You will regret not going to Costco with their no hassle refunds or exchanges.

Limted selection.  Worst Buy on prices.  As for the DVD selection, I can't comment.  However, stores like this getting into the CD sale business - with lower prices but limited selection - is why music stores like Tower Records are struggling and failing, and possibly why CD sales are down.  CD sales still represent over 85% of music sales in this country so the decline in music sales may be attributable to stores like Worst Buy.  Not a good thing if you are intereasted in a variety of good music being produced.

They are not that bad, but you certainly can't rely on their staff for anything. Its a good place to go if you know exactly what you want and don't need any help.

I agree with DynaSword1125: they ought to call this place 'Worst Buy'. Morons run these places. But worse yet is the fact that they have some of the most unprofessional call center representatives working in any company. Not only are they rude (raising their voices at customers), but they are insulting- not to mention always try to get in the very last word when dealing with customers. Best Buy ought to be ashamed for scraping the barrel in hiring their staff (especially their phone operatives).

Never had a problem with Best Buy. If you do not want sales help go to Circuit City. Most of you need help with your purchases. And Best Buy does just that. If you do not want the Extended Warranty just say its a gift for someone and they can decide. I like being assisted with my purchases and Best Buy does just that! You do not even get a hello at Circuit City, let alone any help!!!

A detailed account of my recent experience...

http://iniquitous.net/WordPress/?p=15

My mom and dad .. now in their 80's were recommended by myself to buy a premium SONY 1080P television recently from a Best Buy Store in Ft. Gratiot Michigan. They have only had this HDTV for a few months.

3 Weeks ago their tv started to go on and off for no reason and they have a GREEN bar in the right corner of the screen.

They decided to purchase a 3 year warantee for the TV .. as of 3 weeks now NO ONE HAS BEEN OUT to fix the television. This is .. to say it bluntly PISS POOR SERVICE From Best Buy.

It's a pretty good place. Where else can you go and find all types of electronic stuff in one place?
As far as the extended service plans go, if you don't want it, just say that. They're good for expensive stuff like big TVs and computers, and portable DVD players maybe, but for cheap things I wouldn't bother with it.
And to the guy who said Circuit City stuck him with a 15% restocking fee, Best Buy also does it for digital cameras and radar detectors and some other portable stuff. Most other retailers are doing it and it's because people buy and return it just to use it once. It's a shame, but this is what happens when people abuse the system

When I walk into a Best Buy store, by the time I've reached the back of the store, I've been approached by at least 5 employees asking if I needed help, and you want to know something? I LIKE THAT!!! Thats the way you're supposed to take care of your customers, not hide like they do in Circuit City. If you ask a question, you'll get an answer, or the employee will find someone who can. Thats why I've spent over $8,000.00 in ther store, and not Circuit City since they tried to screw me for a 15% restock fee. Chew on that C.C.!

Best Buy employees are ran into the ground(the good ones)and the other ones are idiots who dont have a clue.... some of the ones I know are higher end managers and dont have a clue on how to be managers. They expect the for everyone to meet their goals but when you dont they yell at you and its all because they dont have enuff employees. Then why may I ask do they keep doing this restructuring and getting rid of positions and then woundering why they dont have enuff people when the employees that are worth anything get fed up and leave? Soon they are gonna have only morons and "duh-huh?" employees and then they'll really be hurtin.

Have had mixed experiences with Best Buy, some good, some bad. If you know exactly what you want and it's in stock, you'll do ok. Sale items are hard to find late in the week. Weekends and December are crowded so be prepared to wait for any kind of service and checkout. If you get the extended warranty, be prepared to be without the item for a long time if you take it in for repairs and don't be surprised if the repairs are not complete and you have to take the item back for more repairs. Consistent quality is non-existent and store management is purely profit driven without regard to customer concerns.

I was redirected from one part of the store to another for an hour until I ended up back where I started, and then was finally told that they were out of the item and that I should go to RadioShack.

They have a lot of people willing to help you, but sometimes it's too much. When I go in there sometimes it feels like I constantly have salesperson looking over my shoulder ready to jump in every time I stop to look at a product. Their advertised prices are pretty good, but be ready to deny a rediculously-priced and unnecessary service warranty. Sometimes they don't take no for an answer, either. I bought a TV from them one time, and I told the floor salesman I didn't want a service warranty. When I got to the checkout, the cashier asked me if I wanted a service warranty. When I said no, he tried to persuade me otherwise and I had to say no a third time. Besides that, sometimes they'll try to talk you into "free offers" with strings attached, such as one time when they wanted me to allow them to share my credit card number with a magazine company with the promise of getting a free year of issues. The cashier told me how easy it was to cancel the subscription so that I wouldn't have to pay anything. Yeah, right. If I wanted to hear a sales pitch, try to be persuaded into buying things I didn't want, or receive a good offer (with strings attached), I'd go to a sketchy used car dealership.

they try to sell you that extended warranty crap and for people that don't kno that you don't really need it, they get riped off. The person helping me trying to get a ccamera kept on telling me these bull stories of peeple who got it and were so so thankful because the next day they dropped their cameras but the warranty doesnt cover anything that's an accident.

It is impossibe to return somthing to Best Buy, The extended warranty is worthless, they give you the run around every time you go in there and try to get your produckt serviced, and their no lemon policy is a lie. They hire teenagers with little no no experience selling computers and tvs (hit tech) and they dont know what they r talking about. Who ever gives best buy a good rating is an idiot them selves and knows nothing about electronics or good service!!!!!

If you buy a product without any credit, and you don't mind buying from a company that is dishonest, go ahead. But there have been so many problems with my credit that Best Buy refuses to even talk about. Their on-line payment won't work, and when I called in to report this, I was told "it is working, you are wrong." There were even times when I scheduled a payment and all record of that disappeared. As I was trying to resolve this, I was given bad information by a customer service representative about what I should do, and what would happen to my account when if I could pay (as I was in another country for school and could only pay online) and when I followed that advice, I got exactly the substantial fees (including interest on a no-interest-for-six-months account) that I was told wouldn't happen for another month. When I called back to explain why I did what I did, I was told that I must be lying. The second time I called, the lady was kinder, but she said that the only thing I could do was write a letter and fax it to another department that didn't have a phone. She said I should pay what I wasn't disputing, and that the disputed amount, which I shouldn't pay if I wanted to dispute it, would be put on hold until they decided on my account. Well nobody got back to me about the dispute and within weeks I had non-payment fees. I called to explain that I had (again) done in good faith what I was told. And again I was basically told oh well. So now I'm going to pay it all, although I am literally going to eat less during school this year, because it's just taking too much time to dispute. But at least I can tell the truth online. Please boycott them for me, eh?

best place ever!

The service is terrible you have a hard time getting any one to help you on the floor and when you get to the check out it is even worse. Their staff training must be terrible because most of the cashiers have no clue. They have a good selection but never buy a computer from them, it took me from Friday night until Sunday afternoon to just order a computer. Returns take for ever because they never have enough staff or they disappear. I have complained about the service and nothing happens, I think it is safe to say that management is to blame. Update: I recently purchase a car alarm from Best Buy and installation was free. When I got to the check out you would have thought that they had never sold one of these rare items. The register told the cashier exactly what to do but he had to call over a supervisor to help him out. The supervisor had to look at it for a few minutes before he agreed that the best course of action was to follow the directions on the screen. I need to apply for a job at Best Buy I could be running the place in a month.

Best Buy is in my Opion the number one electronic store. There customer service I would give a 4 star cause often times they are to busy to help everybody. I had bought a Televsion from best buy on a price match which they were excellent with. I have also purchesed many Cd's and DVD's at Fair prices. Over all there store has a great selection and provides a great service to the custmers. Also they have joined the Mc'D Manoploy to be able to win money to shop there which is pretty neat. I would suggest best buy over any others.

I am in a hurry to get my camera for a trip and decided to do in-store pick-up to save time. I saw the product in the store, but decide to purchase it online for supposed savings. Online they said that they had it in stock at the store near me (and I had already SEEN it with my own eyes). So I paid and then they emailed to say that it wasn't in stock in the store. I checked again, pretending to buy it again and it still says that it is in stock. So I called the 800 # and I was on hold for about 10 minutes and the call was never answered!

They cannot compete solely on price. Stores are dirty, poorly stocked, and the staff is surly (if you can find them).

I like best buy, I think they have really good priced items and it is always fun going their just to look even if you don't buy anything. They have alot of the newest hottest stuff on the market. Anything electronic you need they usually have, and their customer service reps are always ready to help you without you being forced to buy something. They will ask you if you need help with anything or if you have any questions to let them know. I think Best Buy is one of the very best electronic stores.

I have patronized several large electronics retailers, and Best Buy is the Last one I would ever shop at again. Their extended warranty is an absolute sham! I purchased a PDA and was told that the extended warranty ensured that it would work to my satisfaction, or they would repair or replace it. Furthermore, if I had to bring it in for repair more than 3 times, they would exchange it for a new, comparable PDA under their lemon policy, no questions asked. Well it did develop some annoying quirks (battery would not hold a charge, search function generated fatal errors) and brought in in six times. The tech staff in the store would not pass on accurate info to the repair staff, and repair staff claimed it worked for them. This made no difference to store staff, including the manager, when I demonstrated the failure at the counter immediateley after getting it back from the repair facility. They blamed it on their contract with the manufacturer and repair facility. In over 40 years as a consumer, I have never felt as shabbily treated by any other commercial entity as I have by Best Buy.