The times they are a-changin’.
This post seems to be older than 18 years—a long time on the internet. It might be outdated.
July 26, 2004
Best Buy Co., Inc.
Corporate Headquarters
P.O. Box 9312
Minneapolis, MN 55440-9312
To Whom It May Concern:
I recently had a rather unusual and disturbing experience at the Best Buy located at 635 Flatiron Marketplace Drive, Broomfield, Colorado today, July 25th, 2004. My experience begins on June 11th in Seattle where I purchased a 3rd Generation 20GB Apple iPod for $399 plus tax. A few weeks after that, I purchased a Service Plan for my newly acquired iPod.
About a week ago, I saw a news report that said that Apple had released their 4th Generation iPods. I was somewhat miffed by this because I had just purchased my iPod less then a month and a half ago and now there is a new iPod that not only has more features, including better lifespan, but is also one-hundred dollars cheaper. A few days later, July 22nd, I decided to call the aforementioned Best Buy location to see what my options where. I ended up speaking to a lady in customer service whose name I failed to write down. I first asked her if they had the new iPods in stock. She said that they did not have them quite yet. Then I told her how I purchased an iPod about a month and a half ago and that the new iPods had just come out and I was wondering what I could do. She asked me if I had a service plan and I said I did. Then she told me that I could bring my iPod in and exchange it for the new one. I asked her if my service plan would transfer over. She asked me how long it was for. I responded that it was a 4 year plan. She then said that I would 3 years and ten and a half months left on for the new iPod.
That brings me to yesterday. I spend a good deal of time transfer all my music from my iPod back onto my computer so that I would not lose it. I then proceeded to the aforementioned Best Buy location and promptly went to the Returns/Exchange desk. I told them that I had talked to someone in Customer Service who said that I could exchange my iPod. They then told me to go wait by the MP3 Section. I waited for a few minutes and then a woman, who I later found out to be the manager of the store, came out and told me that I could not exchange my iPod, despite what I was promised over the phone not even a week prior. I explained my situation, relating exactly what I have told you above. We bickered for a few minutes and then talked with the repair person to see what the requirements where to get the new 4th Generation iPod. I then asked to speak to the manager. She informed me that she was the manager. I asked if there was a regional rep I could speak with and she referred me to 1-888-BEST-BUY. Being a Sunday, your office was closed. I elected to write this letter instead and then to call 1-888-BEST-BUY first thing today.
When I called the 1-888-BEST-BUY, I was given a load of crap. I talked with four different people: Eva, Liji, Brian, and Brandon. Every person I talked to assured me that nothing could be done, despite the fact that a Best Buy employee told me otherwise. They then said that I would have to talk with the store manager, even though the store manager referred me to 1-888-BEST-BUY. To top it all off, Brandon, the last person I spoke with, hung up on me.
All I wanted to was to exchange my iPod. All I got was a bunch of “No, we can�t do that even though someone else in company said yes.” To me, this is two things, plain and simple: 1) Bad business; 2) False advertising. Granted, you didn�t actually take out an ad in the newspaper and declare that users of 3rd Generation iPod�s with Service Plans could exchange them for 4th Generation iPods, however, I was assured by one of your Customer Service Representatives that I could in fact exchange my iPod. When I take my time to copy the music back to my computer and then take my time to drive over to Best Buy using my gas, only to find out that you now want to back out of your original promise, I find that incredibly disturbing, alarming, upsetting, and distressing. Now I�ve taken the time to write you this letter and I will take the time tomorrow to speak with you over the phone. Never again will I place so much trust in your company, a company that I have respected for so long. Before this incident, I revered your company for their outstanding warranty plans. I have purchase a laptop from you about 2 years ago and I had planned on purchasing another one from you within the next 2 months. I have even tried to obtain a job with you, to no avail. But now I have to seriously consider who I want to do business with.
Now comes the remedy. All I would like to do is exchange my 20GB 3rd Generation iPod (retail value $399) for a 40GB 4th Generation iPod (retail value $399). I would also like to have the remaining time of my Service Plan transferred to my new iPod. Upon delivery of the 40GB iPod, I will gladly surrender my 20GB 3rd Generation iPod to whomever you elect. If these conditions are unacceptable, please contact me right away, either by phone: {my phone number} or email: {my email address}.
Because of my experience at Best Buy and 1-888-BEST-BUY, I have elected to contact the Better Business Bureau and the Colorado State Attorney Generals office. I hope that this incident is just an isolated case and that it can be remedied as quickly as it occurred. You have a great company and I would hate to have its name and reputation tarnished by this single incident.
Respectfully yours,
[sig]
Andrew Ferguson
Note: “BestBuy Sux” image is from http://www.bestbuysux.org/. Visit BestBuySux.org for more documented reasons why BestBuy does indeed suck and why BestBuy isn’t the best buy.
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