Well, Best Buy replaced my vcr today. The manager was very pleasant in the whole deal. The point I was trying to get across was that the “company policy” is not the same as what is stated in the PSP (Performance Service Plan). When you enter into a contract of ANY kind, you are expected to fulfill the contract as stated. If there is a change of policy after the contract is entered into, those changes should be made aware to all parties involved. If the PSP had stated that the item MUST be returned to the service center for evaulation, I wouldn’t have had a problem with it. I will probably never go to Best Buy after this. Why? Not because they pissed me off, but that they contradict themselves on their policies and try to make the customer feel as though they must bow and scrape to management to get justice. Thier responses to my arguement were met with the same line: “It’s company policy”. The I heard it, the steamed I got. It would be different if I had abused the policy, but my repair requests were justified. The damned thing was a clunker from day one. What’s worse is the replacement unit is almost the EXACT same model with for a few buttons and A/V jacks.
BTW, the manager actually asked me if I wanted to BUY a new PSP!!!
P.S. The original price of the bad VCR: $159.99. The new one? $99.99. So much for replacement VALUE.
When I experience poor service of any kind, especially through a major retailer, I find it particularly gratifying to write a long, specific, often “bitchy” note to the regional VP and CC: the CEO and the COO if I can obtain their names. If I don’t hear back I write again.
You usually get a response of some kind. One company sent me double my original purchase $$ in gift certificates as an apology.
Regardless of reparations, it never hurts to tell a SERVICE based organization they sucked and point out that they don’t have a monopoly on the items they sell. Beyond that, express your displeasure by spending your hard-earned cash elsewhere. The service a retail company provides its customers is all that really differentiates it from any other retailer.
How old was your machine? Prices have come down since you bought it, probably. The policy is like technology. We try to get a machine that’s as close to yours as possible, regardless of price. I’ve replaced a machine with one more expensive than it because we didn’t have one closer in stock. We don’t go below the quality or features of the original machine. If it’s older, that means that the new one costs less than you probably paid. If it’s new, it’s probably the same, or, maybe a little more.
A PRP is the only way to ensure you’ll be getting exact purchase price back.
Also, you said it yourself, the new machine is slightly better, so even if it is $60 less, what’s the problem?
Also, the PSP should have been re-applied to your new machine. The store you’re going to sounds fishy. In my store, we re-apply the PSP to the new machine if there’s any time left on it. Or, we’ll pro-rate a refund on the PSP.
You also have the option of taking something more expensive than what is offered, and paying the difference.
I’m not trying to be a jerk, I just sort of like my job, and want you to understand better how it works.
–Tim
We are the children of the Eighties. We are not the first “lost generation” nor today’s lost generation; in fact, we think we know just where we stand - or are discovering it as we speak.
Make that, the policy is for “like technology”, or technology as close to the one in your purchase as is possible.
When going with something no longer anywhere near what yours was like, such as the deal with replacing a two year old computer, we look at where it was when you bought it. I.E., top of the line then means top of the line now. Bottom of the line then means bottom of the line now. But going with something of that nature, even worst of the worst is way better than your two year old machine.
That part generally only applies to computers, though.