How Fry's stole $108.24 from me...

I bought a Gigabyte Triton board from Fry's in Webster, TX for $100 + tax. I ended up not needing the board, and returned it, still sealed, with the plastic straps that they put on all their motherboards (who knows why they do this, but it's their policy). The board has obviously never been touched, but the Fry's employee working the return counter found it necessary to get out his utility knife, cut the box open, and check everything out. In the process, he managed to spill everything short of the board itself all over the table and floor. This merchandise was still brand-new up to this point, but is now used, and I am confident it will go right back on the shelf with a white sticker on it and a discount of $1.25 or so. If you for some reason find yourself shopping at Fry's, DO NOT buy anything with a white sticker on it that says it has been "checked and OK" by a Fry's employee. In this particular case, it was opened and dropped by a Fry's employee, and he didn't check anything. I seriously don't even know why he decided to cut the box open, but it's Fry's - what can you expect?

So after I give them my name and phone number (I have NO clue why they need this, as I paid cash for the item, had the receipt with the item's matching serial number, and wanted to receive cash back - simple transaction, right? NOPE!), the idiot returns person spelled my last name wrong by ONE LETTER, "D" instead of "B". They give me the green sheet of paper that I'm supposed to take to the cashier for my refund, so I take it there.

Thanks to a misspelling of one letter, they won't give it to me, even though I still have the original receipt, and Fry's is actually paranoid enough to record the serial number from the board when you buy it. So unless Gigabyte made two of these boards with the same serial number, there is nobody that this refund could belong to but me, and anyone with half a brain should be able to see that.

After talking to the cashier, she calls a manager, and this is where things start to get ugly. After about 30 minutes of getting the runaround from his underlings, naturally, I'm going to be upset. I calmly explain the situation to the manager and ask him to fix it, and he tells me he isn't authorized to do that, even though he is the active store manager. Apparently you need a notarized document in triplicate from the CEO of Fry's to get a refund if they screw it up. After trying to reason with him for about 30 minutes, I am furious. I ask him what I'm supposed to do with this $108-and-change green sheet of paper, and he tells me it is "not his concern." I have a pretty good idea what "his concern" is, and it probably involves him pocketing an extra hundred bucks for the day. Anyways, since I can't get my refund, I ask for the board back, thinking I can return it again and make sure they spell my name right. The box has been opened, parts dropped, and I don't even care at this point. I just want to walk out of there with SOMETHING since I paid $100 + tax for an item, returned it, and received a green sheet of paper. Apparently the manager isn't authorized to do this either, because the board has to go back to the manufacturer. So an unopened board gets bungled up by a clumsy employee, Fry's is going to RMA it to Gigabyte, and both Gigabyte and the customer get the shaft since this kind of crap is what makes prices rise. When I hear that I can't get my money back OR the motherboard, I start to lose it.

I begin telling the manager very loudly, loud enough for everyone in the immediate area to hear, that essentially they are stealing from me. At this point, the manager calls one of his security goons to stand next to him and try to intimidate me. I won't have any of it, and continue to argue my case, that they are stealing my money. The manager's solution? He tells me I have to leave or he is calling the police and charging me with trespassing. So now I am going to write to Fry's corporate office tomorrow and demand a check for the proper amount, and I doubt that I will receive it, or even a written apology. After that, I have no choice but to write the Better Business Bureau of Houston and add yet another complaint to this Fry's location, which already has an "unsatisfactory" rating. The only other thing I can do is spread my story, and warn anyone against shopping at Fry's at all. If you do shop at Fry's, use a credit card that will allow you to do a "chargeback" when they try to screw you like they did to me.

The bottom line: Fry's STOLE over $100 from me because their employees are incompetent, the management is unreasonable, and the return policy is RIDICULOUS. Seriously, anywhere else on earth, I give the merchandise back, show the receipt, they give me the cash. End of transaction. No green paper involved for some imbecile to screw up so I end up paying a hundred bucks for nothing but an urge to strangle someone. If you have ever been done wrong by Fry's, please do me a favor and spread this message around wherever you can. My experience cost me about $108, but in the end, it will cost Fry's MUCH more than that in lost business. I have spent thousands of dollars there, and will not spend another penny in that dump as long as I live.

I'm really sorry to hear this, write who ever you need to write to.

Yes, stay civil, write a letter to the manager and you'll have your money back in no-time.

Been there don dat... They are very unreasonable, especially about returns. I purchased a CDRW once, It was defective. I tried to exchange it, they told me that since it was broken, I must have done it. (never mind that I had purchased it only an hour before) They told me that I could not take it back or exchange it. I ended up after several days of fighting about it, and calling everyone--including their main office (ABSOLUTELY NO HELP, they think their managers are better than sliced bread) and dealing with BBB (even less help, they actually seem to protect the business not the consumer). I got a new CDRW from the manufacturer itself after they heard what happened. no exchange was needed!

Needless to say, they would rather I did not shop there since I now know their game.

Awwww!... Enough flaming of Frys. Just make sure all purchases are on credit card. so you can almost guarantee your money back on a return. Cash has no business in todays society, unless you want a burger from McDonalds.

Read: http://www.accesscom.com/~dave6592/frys.html
and: http://www.pizzazzmagazine.com/complaints-frys-electronics-complaints.html
Also: http://inluminent.com/2003/09/19/how-frys-electronics-lost-my-business/

Your experience is not unusual, It is their way to do (bad) business...

ghettocomp said:

Just make sure all purchases are on credit card. so you can almost guarantee your money back on a return. Cash has no business in todays society, unless you want a burger from McDonalds.

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Yup, just send all your cash to me please and I'll make sure its disposed accordingly.

WOW
thats horrible
had i been in your shoes..heh i mighta lost it
good thing there's no frys anywhere near me

Ouch.....I probably would have tried to call his bluff and told him that I would wait for the Police to arrive, just to see how he would react.

Dealing with Fry's staff is a total pain. I went there a few months back and asked for a Sempron combo that was on sale, but the salesperson kept changing his story when I asked for it, everything from "that's not on sale" to "oh, we're out of stock on that".

Call the cops and file a report if that doesn't work take the manager to small claims court.

That sucks man. They probably have the whole thing on video tape if you need evidence, but you'll have to jump though hoops to get it I'm sure. But if you can't get sombody in upper managment to help you I'd get the police involved.

There have been times I wished there was a Fry's near me. But I think I will stick with the egg thank-you-very-much.

As I've been saying for a while now this is another classic example of how customer service has gone to hell in a handbasket and they'll screw you in a heartbeat just because they can and it makes them a tiny bit happier that they have the authority to make someone at least as miserable as they are for a moment at least. As Ghetto said, ALWAYS pay with credit or debit card, that way when they say scre you, you can turn around and dispute it, get your money back and say, "screw me?"," oh, no, no no. screw you" but then again, make a habit of this and the bank will turn around and cut you off as well. Luckily this kind of garbage only happens to me about once every 2 years.

ghettocomp said:

Been there don dat... They are very unreasonable, especially about returns. I purchased a CDRW once, It was defective. I tried to exchange it, they told me that since it was broken, I must have done it. (never mind that I had purchased it only an hour before) They told me that I could not take it back or exchange it. I ended up after several days of fighting about it, and calling everyone--including their main office (ABSOLUTELY NO HELP, they think their managers are better than sliced bread) and dealing with BBB (even less help, they actually seem to protect the business not the consumer). I got a new CDRW from the manufacturer itself after they heard what happened. no exchange was needed!

Needless to say, they would rather I did not shop there since I now know their game.


Your experience is not unusual, It is their way to do (bad) business...

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Wow! My experience with Fry's returns has always been very pleasant. And I always pay cash if the item is less than $300.

The "banding" is just to help store "shrinkage", where shoppers will open a box and steal parts they want, then close the box back up, and leave it on the shelf.

Naturally, that causes some other customer to get the shaft when they buy something they thought was new and complete. So it's for the customer's protection, as well as Fry's. We all pay for shoplifting, whether we know it, like it, or not.

Why do they open up a sealed or "banded" box? Because some bright guys have the sealing or banding equipment at work, they take the contents, put in some electronic junk, re-seal/re-band the box, and return it to Fry's for their money back. Fry's has caught onto that scam, and now open every box being returned. It may sound absurd and even be absurd in your case, but it's like getting on an airplane these days. Everyone get's the once over - even if you're in a wheelchair or 80 years old.

Fry's has a liberal return policy, which has been exploited by many. Guys have even posted and written in books how to use Fry's liberal return policy to make their independent movie, at Fry's expense. First they buy all the high end camera's, editors, etc., they can find at Fry's, and quickly shoot the movie & edit it. Then they return the equipment within 30 days, and get all their money back!

I'm sorry to hear you got the shaft on your return, but I doubt the manager is pocketing your money. Fry's has a pretty tight control policy and doing that would involve the manager forging your signature. For $108, I doubt if the manager would put his job in jeopardy.

If you still have the green return sheet, I would first go back to Fry's WHEN YOU'RE QUITE CALM, and ask the guy in charge of returns to correct the mis-spelled name on the form. Don't go into the why's and the long story. Just request that you get the correct spelling of your name. You may need a white sheet to give to the cashier for your refund as well. If you need that, get it, and be sure it's got your name correctly spelled, also.

That should allow everything to go smoothly for your refund.

No, I don't work for Fry's, but I have worked in commercial security. I've been shopping at five different Fry's over the last 20 years or so. NEVER have I had a return problem, ever. One thing that will help you out, I believe - get your name and address into their computer database. Then they don't have to spell your name, on any form. They just find it at their terminal, and send the new info along with your name and such, to the printer. So your name is never mis-spelled again.

I got added to the database through a purchase in the "systems" part of the computer department, where the monitors, video cards, etc., are located.
Just FYI. I've noticed the clerks always look me up in their database for reference.

Ghetto, you've mentioned in the folding forum more than once, how you abuse Fry's sales policy to your advantage, in a flaunting and deliberate way. Kind of funny, but I don't see why you'd now post things which hint that Fry's is scamming their customers. I don't know all the particulars of your return problem, but I'm glad you finally got it worked out. I'm very surprised you had a return problem at Fry's.

Try some of that same stuff with CompUSA, and many other major computer distributors with actual stores, and see how it works there!

To the OP, good luck, and remember to stay VERY calm, business-like, and do all your "venting", here. Berating some low-paid clerk or even the manager, at Fry's isn't going to help. If you have a calmer friend who can do the speaking, that may be the way to go. Clearly this has pushed some buttons with you (and I don't blame you at all). Cool heads rule in this situation, however.

Adak

Adak said:

Wow! My experience with Fry's returns has always been very pleasant. And I always pay cash if the item is less than $300.

To the OP, good luck, and remember to stay VERY calm, business-like, and do all your "venting", here. Berating some low-paid clerk or even the manager, at Fry's isn't going to help. If you have a calmer friend who can do the speaking, that may be the way to go. Clearly this has pushed some buttons with you (and I don't blame you at all). Cool heads rule in this situation, however.

Adak

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I actually agree with this. I also never had problems returning stuff @ Fry's, and actually, that's one of the reasons I still shop there is because they have all these great deals and once something goes bad within 30 days, it was always easy to return. Except maybe that annoying green paper and the need to always wait for that CC to put in his code (always takes them a decade to do that).

I would also strongly suggest being very calm while dealing w/problems at any place. As a matter of fact, it always helped me because reps. of diff. companies feel comfortable talking with you and they actually want to help you compared to being your enemy. Doesn't always work if the person is ignorant and erogant @$$7ole, but 99% of the time it works .

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I think I'll either try another location, or ask someone else to do it for me, even though the last time before this I tried to use a green receipt + cash to buy something and I didn't have my ID, they wouldn't let me. They lost a sale because of that, because of their stupid green paper policy. So I don't know if that will fly at this location, it may just take calling another location or mailing it in or something. If I go back to the location I went to and see those monkeys one more time, I don't know that I can keep my temper, and it's definitely not worth having them really calling the cops on me for assault or something. It was all I could do to leave the store without hitting the active manager and his scrawny security guy the first time around, so I don't really care much to go back there.

On a more positive note, I got my Opteron 165 in from Monarch today, about 36 hours ahead of the promised delivery time, and less than 3 days after I ordered. Pretty good, and I heard that they had really slow shipping. One thumb WAY up for Monarch, and one WAY down for Fry's.

That sucks for you Doug. I always had a good experience with Fry's on the West road in Houston.

I've brought video cards, PSU's, mobos, cameras, RAM, and so much more and also returned so many items as well. They never gave me any problems and the only time when they did something with the refund was when I forgot to add the power cord to the PSU I'm returning (doh!). That was only like 1.50, so I didn't mind.

Actually the Fry's associates here are awesome. We talk about components and stuff, and they know what they're talking about. Get this, some of them know about zalman and thermaltake cooling! I remember talking to them about the best fans and more.

It's not Fry's fault its the monkey boy (AKA the local manager). Thats the problem with ignorant people. Hes the damn manager, hes soposed to go out of his way to help you out.

Flip-Mode said:

It's not Fry's fault its the monkey boy (AKA the local manager). Thats the problem with ignorant people. Hes the damn manager, hes soposed to go out of his way to help you out.

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Maybe but from my experience the one here in Phoenix doesn't have knowledgable employees 99% of the time either. And corprate doesn't work with them at all, for example, they have no idea when a new shipment of items are coming in... not even an approximate date. Horrible. The only thing ill buy from frys from time to time is dvds. (Newegg FTW)

Nathan0490 said:

Maybe but from my experience the one here in Phoenix doesn't have knowledgable employees 99% of the time either. And corprate doesn't work with them at all, for example, they have no idea when a new shipment of items are coming in... not even an approximate date. Horrible. The only thing ill buy from frys from time to time is dvds. (Newegg FTW)

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Oh, the manager knows alright hes just lazy to inform anyone about it "They will just get it when it gets here, uuuuhhh....banana...."

I'll get this fixed.

Do me a favor and scan the original reciept with the serial number and this green sheet credit form with the mispelling, and email it to me
It would also be helpful to scan and send me your licence or some form of identification to show the Fry's HQ's the discrepancy and why you cannot redeem your store credit.

Silversinksam said:

I'll get this fixed.

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Woot! The Powerfull SSS strikes again!

You'll get your money back douglasb, no doubt about it.

SSS to the rescue!