Awful Experience at Best Buy

[two_bit_score]

An un-opened item could have been stolen. I think it's fair to require documentation proving you purchased the item ... & fair to not give a refund if you don't have it.

No tickey, no laundry.

 

[CHDinCT]

No tickey, no laundry.

Holly cow - almost spit coffee out my nose reading that one. "That funny"

 

[Mousefield]

No tickey, no laundry.

Little off topic but relevant. Spent about 25 year in the dry cleaning industry. For about 5 years had my own company. One day a lady comes in and started to give me absolute heck about the skirt she was returning to be redone. After she finished ranting I pointed out to her that the garment had clearly been cleaned at another dry cleaner, it had their name on the bag and on the paper part of the hanger. She did leave a bit sheepish. Some times people will return items, with no receipt, to the wrong store,thinking that was the store they bought it from.
"No ticky, no laundry" was excellent. :thumbsup:

 

[two_bit_score]

Holly cow - almost spit coffee out my nose reading that one. "That funny"

Well, I ain't paying fir your keyboard.

 

[two_bit_score]

Little off topic but relevant. Spent about 25 year in the dry cleaning industry. For about 5 years had my own company. One day a lady comes in and started to give me absolute heck about the skirt she was returning to be redone. After she finished ranting I pointed out to her that the garment had clearly been cleaned at another dry cleaner, it had their name on the bag and on the paper part of the hanger. She did leave a bit sheepish. Some times people will return items, with no receipt, to the wrong store,thinking that was the store they bought it from.
"No ticky, no laundry" was excellent. :thumbsup:

That's a great story!


Almost the same thing happened to me just today. I gave a gentle chewing out to a vendor who then politely pointed out to me that the error was made by another location of the vendor. I now owe this manager a few beers. :laughing:

 

[Scooby074]

Interesting. I just had a run in with this very thing last week.

I have a Mag 3D LED flashlight. Had it 4 years or so, so ive lost the receipt. (love it. not as good as some, but its nice). I bought it a Canadian Tire. Americans wont know about CT, but it USED to be a great chain, close to what Sears used to be, now its just an importer of Chinese crap, much like Sears today. Anyways my Mag's batteries exploded in the tube and now are stuck. Mag has a great lifetime warranty that covers this exact thing (battery damage)

So i go back to CT, without the flashlight (xmas shopping) and talk to the manager in that department she says "i got to look it up on the computer" she comes back with "its a 1 year exchange with receipt" and i point out that the light has a "lifetime warranty" spelled right out on the packaging. She got snotty and said "take it up with mag"

Previously ive exchanged 2 MAG mini LED's that died with no hassles, basically just a "ya they got a lifetime warranty, go grab another".

Now im looking at having to send my HEAVY flashlight to California for $20. Its still half the cost of a new one, but sucks for what used to be an easy exchange.

Funny other smaller companies like the local building supply and Princess Auto can access your purchase history by your phone number yet CT cant. Costco has a good policy too. And HD has a great no questions asked return policy if you used the HD card.

As mentioned CT used to be great. Im sure most canucks that remember the old company will agree, but this corporate change has pissed off most of my friends and we avoid CT if at all possible.

 

[two_bit_score]

If the Mag's batteries exploded in the tube and now are stuck. Mag has a great lifetime warranty that covers this exact thing then how should the problem caused by the batteries be warranteed by the flashlight maker?

 

[Jim Shooz]

Interesting.

So i go back to CT, without the flashlight (xmas shopping) and talk to the manager in that department she says "i got to look it up on the computer" she comes back with "its a 1 year exchange with receipt" and i point out that the light has a "lifetime warranty" spelled right out on the packaging. She got snotty and said "take it up with mag"

.

Shouldn't the situation be that you had a purchase contract with CT so any redress/complaint should be taken up with CT. It is then up to CT to follow up a warranty claim.

You have no transaction/relationship with mag.

 

[Scooby074]

I
then how should the problem caused by the batteries be warranteed by the flashlight maker?

Good point... but it is. One of the reasons i like mag so much, when technically there are better (brighter) LED flashlights out there. Great warranty can make up for other shortcomings. Technically its not "Mag's" warranty but they have agreements with the three major battery manufacturers and will replace your light if it has one of their batteries in it. Even if it doesnt happen to be one of the big 3, they will replace it for $12. A good deal all around if you ask me.

This flashlight has different problems than my mini mags (stuck batteries), and maybe technically SHOULD have to go back to mag, but the manager didnt even ask what the issue was.. just denied the claim right off the bat. Thats my issue.


"Unfortunately, Mag does not warrant against battery leakage, however, we do have agreements with Duracell, Eveready and Ray-O-Vac. If one of these brands of batteries has leaked in your flashlight, send the flashlight to us and we will repair or replace it at no charge to you.
We recommend that you ship the flashlight UPS or Postal Insured for tracking purposes. Please send to:
Mag Instrument, Inc.
Attn: Warranty Dept.
1721 E. Locust St.
Ontario, Ca. 91761-7769"

http://www.maglite.com/faq_details.asp?faqProd=D

 

[Scooby074]

Shouldn't the situation be that you had a purchase contract with CT so any redress/complaint should be taken up with CT. It is then up to CT to follow up a warranty claim.

You have no transaction/relationship with mag.

Thats my theory too. But CT is getting good at passing the buck, where they never would in the past.

 

[TimberXX]

Are you telling us that you were trying to return an item to Best Buy that was not even bought there, but came from Amazon?

It was purchased there, for me as a gift

 

[Bird]

It was purchased there, for me as a gift

Yeah, I understand now. I was just a little slow.

 

[two_bit_score]

Good point... but it is. One of the reasons i like mag so much, when technically there are better (brighter) LED flashlights out there. Great warranty can make up for other shortcomings. Technically its not "Mag's" warranty but they have agreements with the three major battery manufacturers and will replace your light if it has one of their batteries in it. Even if it doesnt happen to be one of the big 3, they will replace it for $12. A good deal all around if you ask me.

This flashlight has different problems than my mini mags (stuck batteries), and maybe technically SHOULD have to go back to mag, but the manager didnt even ask what the issue was.. just denied the claim right off the bat. Thats my issue.


"Unfortunately, Mag does not warrant against battery leakage, however, we do have agreements with Duracell, Eveready and Ray-O-Vac. If one of these brands of batteries has leaked in your flashlight, send the flashlight to us and we will repair or replace it at no charge to you.
We recommend that you ship the flashlight UPS or Postal Insured for tracking purposes. Please send to:
Mag Instrument, Inc.
Attn: Warranty Dept.
1721 E. Locust St.
Ontario, Ca. 91761-7769"

FAQ > Mag Instrument, Inc. - Manufacturer of the Maglite? Flashlight

That being the case I think if CT was worth a crap they would send the mag back at their expense for you.

 

[mrmikey]

As mentioned CT used to be great. Im sure most canucks that remember the old company will agree, but this corporate change has pissed off most of my friends and we avoid CT if at all possible

So true, unfortunately it's one of the few places that has what you need. Just recently the sin went to buy a generator they had on sale, it was only a 3K so it wasn't a biggie by no stretch. it had a big sign on it "No Returns or Exchanges" basically any problems you take up with the manufacturer. So here you buy a $4-500 unit and it doesn't start out of the box and you're supposed to get warranty from the manufacturer, good luck.
Ended up going to Costco and getting the same one for the same price.
Another thing that ticks me off about CT is that some of their items are unreturnable.
I bought a remote starter for my truck on sale $50. A better one came on sale the next week for $10 more so go to take the first back, unopened. The girls comment at the return desk "Ohhhh, I'll have to check and see if this is returnable" To which I ask "How am I supposed to know if it is or isn't when I buy it?". Her reply "I dunno".
Ended up it was so no argument, woulda been the same deal if it hadn't been.....Mike

 

[tom4018]

On the issue of keeping receipts. We use Quicken and scan receipts into it for major purchase. All our farm items get scanned in to Quicken. We try to back up a lot. and keep the hard copies too.

 

[WilliamBos]

It was purchased there, for me as a gift

ask the person that gave it to you if they got a gift receipt?

 

[lduren]

I went to return something at Best Buy today with out a receipt. They wouldn't take it back for store credit.

Their new policy is no receipt, you get nothing.

This is the last time I will shop there.

Am I right here? Do you agree this is?

I work in retail and it can take hours and hours of thought, and reflection of the complicated situations to write a return policy. Some of the products we ahve taken back would not be reimbursed by us by the manufacturer for various reasons, meaning that we should not have taken them back from the customer, but should have worked something else out. Some people will go on vacation, buy beach toys and try to return them before they go back home. People will try to return food in some instances. Best Buy seems to be taking the simple strategy.

So when a store takes something back and gives store credit, they are still taking a risk that they will not get all of their money reimbursed by the manufacturer, and mitigating that risk by requiring that you buy something else from them to use the credit.

I like Best Buy, and shop there but nowhere is perfect. I also like Radio Shack.

 

[lduren]

Some times people will return items, with no receipt, to the wrong store,thinking that was the store they bought it from.
"No ticky, no laundry" was excellent. :thumbsup:

That is correct