Take your ext. warranty and copulate with it! (e.g. how Best Buy lost a $1100 sale)

The BBQ Pit
1

I did research on the net and waffled for a couple of weeks until I decided what notebook computer I wanted to buy (an HP Pavilion). I compared prices for the model I wanted and decided that none of the sketchy discount places on the Net had a big enough savings to risk them; I decided to go to the closest computer store and get it there.

So, I stroll in to Best Buy, head straight to Notebooks, find my model, attract a salesman (a child-like-looking fellow standing at 5 feet tall), and tell him that I want this one. He then goes on to explain about the $250 extended warranty plan for the computer, and I listen politely. I ask him about a couple of details and find out that it doesn’t cover accidental damage (like spills, cracking the monitor, etc), and that pretty much seals the deal. I don’t want the damn thing (not that I had any intention of buying one in the first place, but even my low expectations were underwhelmed). Well, this guy then asks me why, and I tell him I willing to take the risk. He has to ask “Are you sure?”, but once I say no, he leaves it at that and then goes to fetch someone who is allowed to ring me up. Huh? This confused me; shouldn’t all sales people be allowed to ring me up? But then I realized this was just the tag team combo of DOOM!

So the tag team new guy (tall, somewhat fat, mid 20’s) behind the cash register takes my computer box and stares at it a bit, and then starts the interrogation.

“Are you getting the warranty plan?.. Oh, why not?.. Oh it’s not like insurance, you’ll definitely make your money back… It’s a notebook… Something will go wrong… It always does… etc etc…”

Wow, I haven’t even gotten the computer yet, and he’s already telling me how bad it is! I am getting increasingly annoyed and tell him in increasingly firmer language that I just don’t want it.

“That doesn’t make any sense… What are you going to do when [insert random disaster]? Huh? Send it back to the manufacturer, and be out of a computer for 6 months?.. etc etc…” (paraphrased, of course)

All the while he’s not even bothering to ring up the computer but just fetching papers from behind the desk, typing random stuff in… If I didn’t stop him, I feared he would start clipping his toenails or something… Finally, after No #314, he scans the computer…

Which is his cue to start telling me about some screwy $65 service option that Best Buy has that has to do with updating the virus software that comes with the computer and putting up a firewall and other random crap. What the fuck?! I tell him that I can take care of myself, but then he gets even more aggressive…

“Oh, do you set up [technobabble] scan?.. You WILL get a virus, it’s only a matter of time… and a firewall, do you know how to set it up properly?.. Oh and all that spy software that you get from the internet, you will be crippled… Oh, you already have AdAware?.. What about Spybot, huh?”

What the fuck [SQUARED]?!

I am programmed to be polite to strangers, and so I’ve been trying my best to be civil to this guy with polite refusal after polite refusal. It was only at this point that I realized what a lame-ass con job he was trying to pull on me… $65 to set up stuff that I could download off the internet for free? Hoping I’m a paranoid computer-unsavvy fool that lays golden eggs right into his thrusting erection of sales pressure?

Finally, I built up the guts to tell him, somewhat loudly (at least one other customer overheard):

“Jesus Christ, man, you are the pushiest guy I have ever met. I keep telling you I don’t want this stuff, but you keep pushing and pushing… I know they have this computer at Circuit City, so I think I’ll buy from them instead of you. You just lost a thousand dollar sale, Jason [reading his name tag]”.

Boy did he look shocked. I don’t think anyone had ever said that to him. “Oh come on,” he said weakly. But I turned my back and made haste for the door. I heard him say something and the little guy called out after me as well, but I just kept on going. I wish I’d stayed and tried to talk to the manager and caused a bit more of a scene, but hey, I’m new to this whole outraged customer thing (which is probably why this account is so much more boring than it could have been ;))

Anyway, what is going on here? How is that guy still working for them? Does no one else complain? Do most people buy those $250 warranties?

In any case, this fairy tale has a happy ending. Circuit City did have it in stock, and I am now the proud owner of an HP Pavilion, sans ext warranty. I am thinking about coming by Best Buy and pretending to look for a computer case it, and asking for Jason to come help me. “Oh yeah, my new HP Pavilion here that I just bought at Circuit City needs a nice nylon home… can you help me out?”

And then as he tries to sell me the Laptop Case rethreading kit, I’ll walk out with a maniacal laugh.

Ahem.

2

Oh, and I realize that these guys are probably working on commission and must try to hawk these service gimmicks, but man, I was seriously considering complaining to the guy’s higher-ups to try to get him fired. That can’t be good for one’s career, right? Unless it’s store policy to be pushy assholes, in which case this guy wins Employee of the Month?

Mook.

3

There are other Best Buy threads in the Pit that you could peruse, but the short answer to your question appears to be: Yes, Best Buy encourages this behavior in its employees.

I know the profit margin on those extended warranties and such are massive, but it can’t be worth jeopardizing a sale like that.

Sadly, the guy’s manager will likely never know that he and his buddy cost BB a sale.

4

You know, I shop at Best Buy all the time, and I have never had anything this bad happen to me. Yes they ask me, once, for extended lifetime warranties or what-have-you. I highly suggest you complain to a manager. Best Buy has good prices, and now you’re going to lose out because of a bad experience. Be sure to tell him you want to Circuit City!

And if you don’t get attention, send a letter to corporate.

And if you still don’t get attention, well then I guess they’re just bastards. But I’m hoping maybe the kid got an overexaggerated feeling of how much he was supposed to push?

5

Wow! You weren’t kidding about those other threads. Best Buy sure doesn’t seem to be popular 'round here… I feel downright unoriginal.

And someone in one of those threads said that 95% of Extended Warranties are never used… If that’s anywhere near true, then I can see how enormous the margins on them must be…

Squink!

6

This is like deja vous all over again… :wink:

When I bought my laptop, the first place I went was Best Buy. I selected the one I wanted, and the salesman went through the extended warrantee spiel and I told him no. He started to continue and I cut him off… “NO!” He then tells me that he’ll carry the laptop to the cashier. I told him that I could do that, but he told me I wasn’t allowed to carry the thing until I had paid for it.

I get to the cashier, he asks about the extended warrantee. I say no. He continues… I try the same tactic of cutting him off. It didn’t work. He starts going through every problem that could possibly ever happen, so I said nevermind and walked out. I got my computer cheaper at another store anyway…

7

Ack! I just realized that I mixed up two different Best Buy stories into one…

I did get my laptop at BB, although it turned out to be broken and I took it back and got another one somewhere else.

The one where I walked out was my digital camera…

nevermind…

8

I do my computer shopping for work at Circuit City – their prices are reasonable, and I really like being able to take a less-than-perfect machine back to the store and geta replacement with no hassles. The sales folk always ask me if I want an extended warranty, and I smirk and say, “No thanks,” and they grin sheepishly and mutter something about what a scam it is, and we go on with the sale.

That said, if someone tried this on me, I’d fire a warning shot first. “Really, I’m not interested, and don’t want to discuss it.” If they continued, I’d warn them they were about to lose a sale; any more pushing, and I’d be out the door, just like you were. That’s totally unacceptable behavior in someone I’m trying to buy something from.

Daniel

9

They pull this crap all the time now. I remember when they were respectable. When I bought my desktop, all I wanted was a plain old surge protector. The salespeople tried to con me into believing that unless I bought the battery backup surge protector (UPS I think. I forget what it stands for) the computer wouldn’t be covered under the manufacturer warranty. Bullshit Alert! Then, of course, the extended warranty tirade. I wish I had walked out like you did, but it was a good price on the computer.

10

It grates on me that they try to sell you an extended warranty on everything. I mean, who is going to buy an extended warranty on a $25 telephone that already comes with a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty? Rather than having your cashiers try and sell these, how about saving the spiel and checking me out faster so that the 35 people in line behind me will get to the checkout a bit faster?

11

UPS = Uninterruptable Power Supply.

My Future Shop (think Canadian Best Buy) sales maggot called me stupid for not taking an extended warranty on a hard drive based MP3 player. Granted, it was an old open box model but I should never have to hear “It would be stupid not buy an EW…”.

I didn’t walk out because it was a good deal, but I let him know I was not happy with his choice of words.

12

Circuit City is actually more Pit-worthy in my experience. We recently bought an under-the-counter LCD TV/DVD combo for our kitchen. First, they had one on the shop floor, but not in stock. So it was “3-5 business days” until they could get one for us, which ended up being about two weeks. We pick it up, mount it (a fun process in and of itself) and plug it in, and lo and behold. there is a nice big scratch on the LCD that basically prevents any picture from displaying. So we call up Circuit City, and they say that they’ll order us a replacement, and we can just bring the old one in when the new one comes in.

Several days later, Circuit City’s national people call to try and sell us on an extended warranty for the broken TV.

WTF?

13

I do this all the time, and it works like a charm. “I have one firm condition for this sale: that we don’t discuss any extended warranties or any other add-ons.” Every time, they agree right away, and keep their promise. It must be the steely determination in my eyes.

14

Just wait until your new computer breaks, Windwalker. Then won’t you be sorry you didn’t get the extra warranty! :smiley:

15

I bought Ivylad a PS2 for Father’s Day. (Yes, I am a good wife :D)

I got it up to the register, and the cashier girl starts going on about the warranty and how badly I need to get it because of the myriad things that could go wrong, things that would happen the very instant I pulled it out of the box and hooked it up. I frowned and said, “My goodness. I had no idea the PS2 was so poorly made.” She looked at me in shock, then shut up and rang up the sale.

Funny…we’ve had it nearly two years with nary a problem.

16

Bra-freaking-vo!! (totally unsarcastic accolade for the original post.)

I hate BestBuy and Circuit City for precisely this reason and never shop there because of it. For smaller elctronics, I’ll pick something up at Target or Walmart (despite the small chilluns being whapped by a flipflop factor). For bigger stuff, I buy on-line where I can peruse in peace. It’s totally worth shipping fees to avoid the salespeople.

BestBuy and Circuit City - are you listening??

17

I get annoyed when they try to sell me a $25 extended warrenty on a $65 dollar DVD player or some other item under 100 bucks. They say “what if Blah Blah happens to it right after blah blah” I just tell them that it is not that expensive for me to worry about- I’d just go buy a new one. They book a bit dumbfounded and shut up.

18

Check out Bestbuysux.com. This is a standard-issue problem.

19

Damn good point. Next time I buy something, just for the hell of it I’ll ask which DVD player/TV/computer/vacuum cleaner is not a piece of shit that needs an extended warranty.

This reminds me of Homer Simpson having the crayon stuck in his brain to make him more stupid: “Extended warranty? How can I lose!”

Does anyone know if Best Buy employees get a commission on sales of items, or sales of extended warranties?

20

I do technical support for an extended warranty company, and those pushy salespeople really make me mad. They try so hard to sell those warranties that they will tell the customer anything. They make it sound like all you have to do is call us, no matter what, and we’ll send them a new product (or someone out to fix it). Customers get upset when we have to troubleshoot the issue over the phone first, really upset when we tell them they have to replace their ink cartridges and/or print heads before we will replace the printer, and downright furious when they find out that damage to the exterior (i.e. pushed in buttons, broken plastic, cracked LCD screens) are not covered. I have heard of salespeople telling the customer that their computer can fall out the window, or their laptop be run over a car, and it will still be covered. I’m surprised that the OP was told up-front that accidental damage was not covered.