# Best Buy Bastards! I don't want a freakin' replacement plan! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 22, 2004, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-buy-bastards-i-dont-want-a-freakin-replacement-plan/246501 "2004-05-22T07:48:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![caphis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@caphis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caphis)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-buy-bastards-i-dont-want-a-freakin-replacement-plan/246501/41 "2004-05-24T00:20:52Z")
> [@Brainiac4](#): > > Okay, first… > > _snip_ Thank you for putting it more eloquently than I would have. It irks me when people are overly paranoid about NOTHING, even things that could otherwise - gasp - eventually make their life easier. Oh well. Anyone who’s “not going to be missing that Best Buy” when it’s gone, then go to a different thread. Obviously, you don’t shop there, so it’s a moot point. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-buy-bastards-i-dont-want-a-freakin-replacement-plan/246501/42 "2004-05-24T00:34:47Z")
> [@caphis](#): > > Thank you for putting it more eloquently than I would have. It irks me when people are overly paranoid about NOTHING, even things that could otherwise - gasp - eventually make their life easier. Oh well. > > Anyone who’s “not going to be missing that Best Buy” when it’s gone, then go to a different thread. Obviously, you don’t shop there, so it’s a moot point. If they don’t really need the information, then why ask or get upset when you don’t provide it? ---
**Author:** ![caphis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@caphis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caphis)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-buy-bastards-i-dont-want-a-freakin-replacement-plan/246501/43 "2004-05-24T00:36:12Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > If they don’t really need the information, then why ask or get upset when you don’t provide it? Because they’re low-wage cashiers who have been told to get it, and just don’t understand that some people are on missions to satisfy their “principles” of not giving out their zip code. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-buy-bastards-i-dont-want-a-freakin-replacement-plan/246501/44 "2004-05-24T00:41:17Z")
> [@caphis](#): > > Because they’re low-wage cashiers who have been told to get it, and just don’t understand that some people are on missions to satisfy their “principles” of not giving out their zip code. I was referring to the corporate entity, not the worker drones. ---
**Author:** ![caphis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@caphis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caphis)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-buy-bastards-i-dont-want-a-freakin-replacement-plan/246501/45 "2004-05-24T00:43:05Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > I was referring to the corporate entity, not the worker drones. The corporate entity doesn’t get upset when you don’t provide it. It would be nice if you did, but if you don’t, that’s why they give the cashiers alternative methods in case you don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-buy-bastards-i-dont-want-a-freakin-replacement-plan/246501/46 "2004-05-24T00:45:02Z")
> [@caphis](#): > > The corporate entity doesn’t get upset when you don’t provide it. It would be nice if you did, but if you don’t, that’s why they give the cashiers alternative methods in case you don’t. Radio Shack used to ask for your zip code and/or telephone number. After much public bitching, they stopped. Surely Best Buy can follow suit. ---
**Author:** ![caphis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@caphis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caphis)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-buy-bastards-i-dont-want-a-freakin-replacement-plan/246501/47 "2004-05-24T00:46:29Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Radio Shack used to ask for your zip code and/or telephone number. After much public bitching, they stopped. Surely Best Buy can follow suit. Radio Shack, here anyway, also has shitty customer service, a small selection, and poorly upkept stores. Surely Best Buy can also follow suit. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-buy-bastards-i-dont-want-a-freakin-replacement-plan/246501/48 "2004-05-24T00:49:00Z")
> [@caphis](#): > > Radio Shack, here anyway, also has shitty customer service, a small selection, and poorly upkept stores. > > Surely Best Buy can also follow suit. Best Buy does have shitty customer service and poorly upkept stores, so that’s 2 out of 3. Poorly trained employees makes it even. ---
**Author:** ![caphis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@caphis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caphis)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-buy-bastards-i-dont-want-a-freakin-replacement-plan/246501/49 "2004-05-24T00:52:12Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Best Buy does have shitty customer service and poorly upkept stores, so that’s 2 out of 3. > > Poorly trained employees makes it even. YMMV, of course, but all I was saying from the beginning is that, to me, it makes no sense for people to have such a mission to uphold their “principles” and not give out their god damn zip code. I understand fighting for principles, but for chrissake, it’s 5 fucking numbers that would save a lot more time and annoyance than bitching about it, no matter whose “business” it is or not. People don’t really care if Best Buy knows, they just want to be stubborn. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-buy-bastards-i-dont-want-a-freakin-replacement-plan/246501/50 "2004-05-24T00:53:38Z")
> [@caphis](#): > > People don’t really care if Best Buy knows, they just want to be stubborn. Yup. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-buy-bastards-i-dont-want-a-freakin-replacement-plan/246501/51 "2004-05-24T05:28:44Z")
> [@Brainiac4](#): > > Getting the picture? There is a real, valid reason why companies want to know information about you that doesn’t automatically mean they’re going to inundate you with crap. Real, valid reasons _for them_. I, on the other hand, have nary a single good reason for wanting to help them in their oh-so-noble quest. So, as I said before, they can fuck off. If they want information from me badly enough to ask for it, it obviously has some value to them, which no one is debating. So if I have something of value they want, they can offer me something for it in return. But they don’t. So I don’t cooperate. As I said before, I’m there to buy something. I’m not there to help them do their research. I’m not paranoid - I’m not even all that worried about getting inundated with junk mail. It’s the principle of the thing, as I said in my earlier post. I find the practice insulting and annoying, and I’ll shop at places that don’t do it when I have the choice. I also refuse to shop at grocery stores that make you carry those stupid-ass “savings” cards, but that’s another pit thread. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-buy-bastards-i-dont-want-a-freakin-replacement-plan/246501/52 "2004-05-24T11:27:58Z")
Besides, they must know that a lot of people are not giving correct information: “Hey, Bob, it seems that the majority of shoppers in Savannah are from Beverly Hills. Perhaps we should build a store there.” “I like the way you think Joe. Here, have a big undeserved bonus.” ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-buy-bastards-i-dont-want-a-freakin-replacement-plan/246501/53 "2004-05-24T12:31:47Z")
> [@caphis](#): > > People don’t really care if Best Buy knows, they just want to be stubborn. Your last name, please? First name? You live at 4352 Destination Lane, right? Good, now I’ve confirmed my computer info to no essential purpose and alerted everyone else in line about where these consumer goods will wind up. Glad you’re not shy about supplying personal data like some of these stubborn people I run into. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-buy-bastards-i-dont-want-a-freakin-replacement-plan/246501/54 "2004-05-24T15:04:33Z")
About 3 years ago I bought a large screen TV from ABC Warehouse. It cost about $1000. About a year later I get a call… “Hi would you like to buy an extended warranty on your TV for only $500?” “No thank you.” “Well what will you do if your TV breaks?” “Considering HDTV has brought the prices of these sets down, I’ll buy a new one” click ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-buy-bastards-i-dont-want-a-freakin-replacement-plan/246501/55 "2004-05-24T15:52:29Z")
Maybe I’m off the mark but… wouldn’t it be better to do marketing research about where a store would be most profitable **BEFORE** they build it? ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-buy-bastards-i-dont-want-a-freakin-replacement-plan/246501/56 "2004-05-24T17:20:37Z")
GrizzRich, They do. But sometimes pre-opening research doesn’t reflect reality. Sometimes things change. Smeghead, Not just for them. Say you drive twenty miles to get to a Best Buy. And they discover that a lot of people from your area drive twenty miles. They may open up another store closer to you. Or you only need to drive two miles, but they discover that you - and all your neighbors - drive twenty miles to another Best Buy and buy lots of anime at that store not carried by your local store - they can refocus their product mix at the store closer to you. Not all BestBuys are the same (and, according to their recent press releases, they are about to get more different as they start targeting stores more towards their locations). Yes, they want your money, but ideally, they get your money by serving you better. As to warrenties…there is margin in them. There isn’t a lot of margin in a lot of what discount retailers sell. If they are going to keep their prices low on DVDs and video games, they need to make their money in something. Sell at a loss, make it up in volume doesn’t work when everything is at a loss. Its the price of cheap stuff. (The dirty Best Buy thing confuses me. I live in the Twin Cities - BestBuy’s corporate headquarters - and thus have never seen a dirty BestBuy. I shop in one next door to their corporate headquarters. I’ve had service plans pushed. I’ve had non-responsive or uninformed floor staff (I refuse to call them sales people). But I’ve never seen a dirty Best Buy - or one where things are out of place). ---
**Author:** ![caphis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@caphis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caphis)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-buy-bastards-i-dont-want-a-freakin-replacement-plan/246501/57 "2004-05-24T17:26:20Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Your last name, please? First name? > > You live at 4352 Destination Lane, right? Good, now I’ve confirmed my computer info to no essential purpose and alerted everyone else in line about where these consumer goods will wind up. > > Glad you’re not shy about supplying personal data like some of these stubborn people I run into. If I’d bought something from you, then I would see no reason to not give you that info. Joe Schmoe overhearing you give out your phone number (your address is only required at BB/CC if you purchase a warranty plan) and zip code while loading his things onto the counter is one thing; 10,000 anonymous readers on a message board is another. I supply whatever data a company asks for, I have no reason not to. I willingly fill out surveys and such when they arrive in the mail. I’d let them install cameras in every room of my house if they thought that such research could better my living experience. Call me a tool, but I see no reason to be stubborn. Or, in this case, paranoid about my zip code. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-buy-bastards-i-dont-want-a-freakin-replacement-plan/246501/58 "2004-05-24T18:11:43Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Not just for them. Say you drive twenty miles to get to a Best Buy. And they discover that a lot of people from your area drive twenty miles. They may open up another store closer to you. Or you only need to drive two miles, but they discover that you - and all your neighbors - drive twenty miles to another Best Buy and buy lots of anime at that store not carried by your local store - they can refocus their product mix at the store closer to you. So my motivation is to help them build _more_ stores? Oh, huzzah! Firstly, there’s no way in hell I’d ever drive 20 miles to a Best Buy, especially considering there are at least a dozen similar stores closer to me than that. Secondly, if my local stores don’t carry what I’m looking for (which actually happens to me quite a bit), I’ll just order it online, where I usually end up with a better price anyway. ---
**Author:** ![caphis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@caphis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caphis)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-buy-bastards-i-dont-want-a-freakin-replacement-plan/246501/59 "2004-05-24T18:14:48Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > So my motivation is to help them build _more_ stores? Oh, huzzah! Firstly, there’s no way in hell I’d ever drive 20 miles to a Best Buy, especially considering there are at least a dozen similar stores closer to me than that. Secondly, if my local stores don’t carry what I’m looking for (which actually happens to me quite a bit), I’ll just order it online, where I usually end up with a better price anyway. Just because you don’t like shopping at Best Buy doesn’t mean that millions of other people don’t. So, while it may not directly benefit you, it will benefit other people who :eek: like to shop there. Then again, the likelihood of you ever being presented with a situation in which you’d be asked for your zip code is not very high, since you don’t frequent Best Buy, so it’s a moot point for you. ---
**Author:** ![emarkp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3be4f8/32.png) [@emarkp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emarkp)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-buy-bastards-i-dont-want-a-freakin-replacement-plan/246501/60 "2004-05-24T19:06:13Z")
> [@Lazlo](#): > > After years of nagging by my friends, I finally decided to buy an XBox. This was in no way coincidental with the fact that I had $80 worth of gift cards to Best Buy. > … > Manager started to say something, but before anything got out, I gave him the fiercest look I could muster and quietly said, “Now you’re really starting to piss me off.” He got the classic deer-in-the-headlights look and barked at the clerk, “Make a note that he didn’t purchase the plan!” Of course, the proper response to this would be: “Please refund me the cash value of the gift cards. I will be taking my business elsewhere.” Then you’d write to Best Buy corporate and explain how rudely you were treated by a manager at store #xyz. If they refuse to refund the cash (state laws vary AFAIK so they might be able to legally refuse), you go home and order it online so that particular store doesn’t get the sale. Even now you can write to complain. These kind of complaints do get noticed, so if you write, it may improve your local store. Oh, and screw the ZIP code crap. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-buy-bastards-i-dont-want-a-freakin-replacement-plan/246501.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-buy-bastards-i-dont-want-a-freakin-replacement-plan/246501.md?page=4)