Details:
On August 4th, after a haircut, at about 7:15 I went to the Best Buy store in the city of West Covina, CA—in the Lakes Avenue--mainly to buy a Wireless PrinterServer. After picking up the Wireless PrintServer, my interest in purchasing a big flat screen monitor awakened.
I had seen the 21.3" LCD Samsung monitor previously and had always got my attention. Before I couldn't buy it because it was a big spending… so after working hard and staying up long nights I felt safe to finally buy it. I talked briefly to one of the sales representatives and decided to take the monitor. I was eventually asked if I needed to buy it with cash or credit card. Given that I am one of those who get point on credit cards for each dollar spent; I decided to pay with my credit card. The cashier by the laptop section apparently doesn't take credit cards, so I was redirected to another cashier. I was also offered to buy a three year warranty once I was in the line. I didn't take the warranty because that would be about $250.00 more. All this time I was carrying the box of the monitor. When I was up next to the line, I asked the cashier to put each item my reward zones membership.
She first scanned in the PrintServer, and then she scanned in the monitor. To scan the monitor, she "pulled" it towards the scanner. This transaction was completed at 7:49pm as noted in the receipt.
I got home at about 8:10pm…and decided to open the box and install the monitor. I was very anxious see what had cost me so much money. When I opened the box up, to my surprise, I found that the box contained instead of containing the expensive 21.3" flat monitor, it contained a brick taped to a piece of wood. (see picture:
http://www.eguate.com/misc/Monitor2.jpg) I was of course shocked and immediately started to panic; thus, I put the item back into the box. I went back to Best Buy as fast as I could and got there at about 8:30 and told the person at the entrance of what had happened. At this point, Best Buy also looked confused. I asked some of Best Buy's employees who were around if this had happened before; some of them confirmed that they had seen it happened before—with VCRs.
For the next 30 minutes or so, Best Buy store manager was eventually deciding what they would do. During this time I was left standing at the entrance with the brick taped to the wood. Best Buy would open the box and eventually took the item out…and then force it back in the box to the point that the box eventually got damaged (see picture:
http://www.eguate.com/misc/Monitor1.jpg). There were at least six staff member that were examining the box. Best Buy said that it would go down to the cashier because she was the only person that lifted the box, aside from me. So the worst thing happened at this point—the cashier claimed that the box she had lifted was heavier than that one I had brought back!!! This was such a humiliation. The store accussed me of having replaced the content of the box. Moreover, this was a box that she didn't even lifted and that she only pulled towards herself with ONE HAND to scan. Eventually Best Buy took the cashier's words and then decided that I must have replaced the real monitor with the brick taped to the wood. At the end, Best Buy decided not to take the monitor back.
By this time, I was alaredy stressed for the mal-theratment I was getting. I was being accused of having replaced the content of the box.
Best Buy DOES NOT CARE IF ONE IS A FREQUENT CLIENT. Best Buy for example didn't take into consideration my history as a customer for them. I had bought so many items at this store—each year. I have bought several laptops, even bought a washer and countless electronics and software. I am a software developer—computer hardware and software is something that it is a necessity for me. FURTHERMORE, I spent so much money at Best Buy that I decided it was worth buying membership in their reward zone. But, to Best Buy--all these meant nothing…and they instead went with what the cashier told them—that the box she ‘lifted' was heavier that the one I was returning.
The store manager gave me the number of the corporate office and said to call them the following day (Thursday). That night, I came back home—so humiliated.
The following day I called the corporate office and talked with Leanda, the consumer relation. At least it didn't take her almost an hour, as they did in the store, that Best Buy couldn't take the merchandise back. She told me that it was not their problem and that I had to call Samsung for shipping me a defective item. Keep in mind, I bought the monitor in Best Buy and not from Samsung. Eventually event if Best Buy was the direct sales for Samsung, Best Buy didn't want to do anything to help. So, here I am stuck with a $1,244.86 piece of brick taped to a wood.
, this is bs man, make em take it back! That ladie that said it heavier is bsin you just to save her job, plus how should she know bc she rings up hundreds of people a day! This is total bs, im shure sss can help ya more then i can.
