I just saw this and had to share it:
Talk about dropping the ball. Best Buy waited until as late as this week — mere days before Christmas — to admit that it’s not going to be able to fulfill the online orders placed by some customers. These are customers, by the way, who had made their purchases around Thanksgiving weekend, more than three weeks ago.
Yikes! It's gonna be a sad Christmas for someone. Thanks, Best Buy.
As if I needed another reason to dislike them...
When Best Buy first arrived in the metro Detroit area they had great prices. As a poor college kid, I bought almost all of my non-record club CDs there. But once they successfully drove enough competition out of business, they suddenly became more expensive, annoying, and as a result, I haven't shopped there in probably five years.
Posted by: Money Beagle | December 22, 2011 at 03:28 PM
I have hated Best Buy for more than a dozen years.
When I was a college student, I had my car stereo stolen. I went to Best Buy and bought a new one, which was advertised as "installation included". After having to make an appointment for another day, I took it to their "automotive installation center" (at the back of the store) where I was informed that only "basic installation" -- apparently not including cases where a prior stereo was stolen -- was included, and that my installation would have an additional charge. (This was so long ago that I don't remember how much it was -- certainly no more than $100, and maybe closer to $30.)
I returned the stereo to the store, bought the same one for about $5 more at Circuit City and got it installed free. One of CC's much-maligned commissioned salespeople followed up with their installation center to make sure it could be done and followed up with me later to make sure everything went smoothly.
After that, I was a loyal Circuit City shopper right up until they went out of business. I obviously still don't shop at Circuit City, but I'd have to be awfully hard-pressed for something to ever set foot in a Best Buy, a store at which I had previously been a regular shopper. For less than $100, they lost my business for a lifetime, and I've been bad-mouthing them to anyone who'll listen for more than a dozen years.
Posted by: cmadler | December 22, 2011 at 03:56 PM
Talk about customer service. I ordered an HP laptop and at the time of ordering, I was told it was available to be picked up at my nearby stores. Only to get an e-mail later that it was not available. After waiting for 30 mins before speaking with customer service the next day, the first person told me I was going to get a $50 gift card for all the inconveniences and I can apply it towards any other purchase. The associate was pleasant, but his computers/systems were extremely slow and unpleasant. After transferring me to the sales associate, the sales associate said he won't be able to apply the $50 gift/credit. He told me he had included a note and I can call back and speak with someone else in customer service. Guess what, I called back again and again, only to be played around while in the mean time "Poor" Buy kept a hold on my card. The last customer service associate was so rude, I had to hang up on her.I am thinking about avoiding them completely. No wonder they are loosing money and market share. Worst customer service so far. Good thing the laptop wasn't a gift.
Posted by: BJ | December 22, 2011 at 05:27 PM
Pretty funny that our President visited Best Buy in his recent staged shopping trip to look like a regular guy...just shows he doesn't do his homework in yet another area!
Posted by: WhiteHouseDog | December 23, 2011 at 11:03 AM
Wow. I really hate to think that a late gift would make anyone's Christmas "sad." But maybe that's what we've come to...
Happy Holidays!
Posted by: Kurt | December 23, 2011 at 11:36 AM
best buy is absolutely overrated and over popular for god knows what reason,id rate my down the road dollarstore more !
Posted by: jerry | December 23, 2011 at 02:45 PM
Add to the above comments a very costly return policy and Best Buy is best avoided. I have purchased a few items there, but all else being equal, they are the last place I would go.
Posted by: Mike | December 23, 2011 at 05:28 PM
Dell just pulled something similar on me and pushed back a shipment... to add insult to injury, I had to change the shipping address due to the time change. As of right now, I'm waiting for a manager callback, haha. So now my wife's gift is due on the 4th!
Posted by: PKamp3 | December 23, 2011 at 11:28 PM
After several let downs with Best Buy, I only use them for when my employer needs a little computer parts immediately. Anything else I order. In my private life I use Best Buy mainly for window shopping. Once I find something I like, I'll then use a bar code scanner on my phone that shows me all of the prices online, and I'll order it online cheaper.
Posted by: Squeezer | December 24, 2011 at 08:58 AM
Best Buy provides a great showroom for Amazon and Newegg...haven't set foot in one in years, except for one time when I needed a cable and couldn't wait for Newegg. Nothing's changed there to convince me to change my no-Worst-Buy policy.
Posted by: jeffbone | December 24, 2011 at 09:11 PM