Best Buy

[Steve M]

We just returned from Best Buy to pic up my wife's laptop computer aftet the fourth repair. We bought both of our Compaq 1200 series laptops with the extended service plans back in September of 2001. Mine has been flawless. Her's has been sent out four times for two to four weeks each time. Their "no lemon" policy states in writing that after the third repair, the unit will be replaced. The man at the service counter could only repeat what we were told when we brought it to them for it's fourth repair. We would have to see the manager to see how he would interpret the warranty. Of course the manager is not there or he is in a meeting each time we ask for him. There's really nothing to interpret. It's in writing in the contract.

We have bought two desktops and three laptops, as well as a stove and refrigerator, two digital camera's and a Sony camcorder, two VCRs and three DVD players, two stereos and a small fortune of other items from Best Buy.

I mentioned this to a co-worker this morning and he said he has had lousy service from Best Buy also. He likes Circuit City for their customer service and their new stores are as nice as any. I will be paying them a visit the next time I want something of that nature. Best Buy has lost another customer with a big appetite for electronics.

 

[Okie-Go]

They don't have the sense to realize they will lose more $ In the long run by not giving you a new one than letting you exchange for the new one.

 

[F Simkowski (In Memory)]

should have bought a DELL.

 

[JStordahl]

Should'a bought a Daktech, built in Fargo, ND..... seven year warranty on hardware except the monitor. It'll be obsolete before the seven years runs out, but they build and ship all over the country.

 

[The patriot]

Circuit City

Circuit City's return policy sucks!! If the box is opened, store credit. No exceptions.

Eric

 

[Briar Hopper]

Best Buy has shorted me for the SECOND time on a rebate... . this time on a new computer. Purchase came with two rebates. Received one on a timely basis, still waiting for the second rebate. And I bought the computer over 3 months ago. It'll take LOTS of phone calls and TIME to get it taken care of. No more. I'll shop elsewhere from now on.

 

[klenger]

I like buying from a local generic compuer dealer. They know what they are doing and the units are more upgradable. Of course, this applies mostly to desktops. We have a Dell laptop and have not had any problems with it.

 

[Steve M]

Believe me, I've had thoughts of how I should have bought from a local vendor. On the other hand, We've had several years of excellent service from Hewlet Packard, Compaq and even Packard Bell. My Compaq has been flawless. I restored it once because I jumbled up the software. It only has one memory slot but the modem is a mini pc plug in so it can be upgraded or replaced without changing the motherboard. Like all of them, it has it's plusses and minuses. The trouble with my wife's is the service, not the unit. As petty is it may be, the last trip was to fix the "j" key that they damaged on the second trip. It came back from the third trip with a new J key but it sat low in the keyboard and if you rested you finger on it as when typing you'd get a line of J's. If you typed a J, you'd also get a line of J's. They're service techs cannot replace a single key without technical blunder? So back it went to fix the keyboard. This time we got it back and all is well but the love has died for this unit. The first trip out was for a total failure of the unit. They presumed that the motherboard was replaced. That should have been the end of the problem but the display was jittery like it didn't have enough RAM and it locked up in the parking lot before we got our of our parking space. Off it went to finish the first repair and they damaged the J key. They're customer service is just shy of acceptable.

 

[klenger]

Steve M:



I wonder if you could have it repaired at the factory service center. I would think the techs there would be more profecient.

 

[paccool]

SteveM

We don't shop at best buy for this type reason. We have heard nothing but complaints from friends and co-workers about the repair and return tactics that is used at Best Buy. We use Circut City like your co-worker and have had good luck. It's getting hard to find a place today that will treat people right!

 

[Stranger]

Get rid of it?

Steve M.

If you decide to toss the laptop, toss it my way, please.



I have a Compaq 1247 laptop that I dropped :--) , and the screens's busted. Looks like a 60's tie-dyed shirt.



I'll pay shipping.



Thanks.

 

[Bob Wagner]

what's wrong with Costco

Costco sells Compaq HP emachines etc etc



Great prices and first class customer service and a great return policy

 

[DGFoster]

Just build your own and forget it

 

[Steve M]

Build my own laptop? Do people do that? I haven't looked into that but it does get my interest up. Mine doesn't have to be thin and lightweight. Just portable so I can haul it around. My Compaq unit is great but there will always be a next one. My wife's is also working good so far after four trips to somewhere to be repaired. But she's not as content with her Compaq as I am. The JBL speakers are great with a DVD in it but she doesn't care for the keyboard layout too much for typing. I know the feeling. Every time I reach to hit "backspace" I hit "home" by mistake. Her previous HP laptop was more to her liking but the speakers wouldn't even make good earbuds.

 

[rrausch]

A buddy of mine, who is an MD bought a big-screen TV from Good Guys and had them deliver it on a Friday afternoon. Came delivery time, and 2 tough looking minority types bring it in, and my buddy can't help but notice that one of them is doing all the work while the other seems intent on casing the place, (The Doc had a very expensive antique clock collection). So my friend says nothing, gives the guys a tip and gets them out of his house. Later he & his wife go to bed and in the wee hours he is awakened by screaming and scuffling sounds coming from the back part of the house.



Seems the two minority crooks had come back, intent on robbing the place and had sneaked in through the doggy-door, assuming, since they had seen no doggy around earlier, there was none. Wrong! My buddy had put Daisy, his 100# white German Shepard into the garage right before the appointed delivery time, as she was so vicious.



She was a cunning hound: no bark but plenty of bite! The first time I visited him, I couldn't get a response at the front door so I walked around to the back and walked past a 5 ft. high fence to the gate. It was locked and so I peered over the top to see if I could unlatch it from inside. What I saw next was Daisy rising up at my face, all teeth and plenty of attitude. Luckily I pulled back in time.



The crooks weren't so lucky. The Doc found lots of blood all around the

doggy door and on the kitchen floor and a blood trail out across the back

yard and over the fence, but it wasn't Daisy's! He said she was real happy.

 

[DieselDoghouse]

Hope someone in local law had the opportunity to check with area emergency rooms for large dog bite wound cases matching ol' Daisy's dental records. Funny thing about dogs, really doesn't matter what your ethnicity is (as it shouldn't) dogs can always tell what the H*ll you're up to!! You say they were supposed to deliver a big scream tv??? Good girl!!!!

 

[Koa Man]

Re: what's wrong with Costco

Originally posted by Bob Wagner

Costco sells Compaq HP emachines etc etc



Great prices and first class customer service and a great return policy

A friend of mine bought a computer at Costco, after 3 years it crashed and wouldn't boot up. He took it back, they gave him full refund, walked in store, picked up a new computer with about twice the power and paid for it out of the refund. He walked in with a 3 year old broken computer. Walked out with a new one plus $300 leftover. I think I will buy computers at Costco from now on.

 

[DGFoster]

Man that is a great deal

 

[JR2]

Another Costco story.....

I bought a digital camera from Costco.com (Nikon Coolpix 950) about a year and half ago. About two months ago it broke so I took it back to the local costco store with the reciept from my online transaction. The guy at the customer service desk looked at the camera, verified it did not work. Checked to make sure I had returned all the parts and then gave me back all my $$ plus the shipping cost.

Needless to say the next day I bought a Nikon Coolpix 885 from Costco.com (they did not have one at the local store) for for 550 bucks. When it arrived it did not have the compact flash card that was susposed to be in the box. I went to the costco website to send them an email and found that the price had dropped. Now I am angry and send off an email telling them I want a compact flash and 50 bucks. Less than a week later I get a email saying no problems, we are crediting your account and the CF card is in the mail. Airborne express shows the next day with a card and the $$ is refunded.



I love costco, The $45 dollar membership has saved me hundreds of bucks.



By the way, the local compusa has the same camera I bought for $595, $96 more than costcos price.

 

[HEYBOSS]

Circuit City

I've had my bad runs with Circuit City too, I bought in the past a least four computers and other electronic stuff. Their service sucks and they don't really value a customer, they have these young kids with an attitude that don't care at all, they too lost a good customer, my lap top as been in four times for the same problem and it still isn't fixed.



Steve M, you may want to contact Compaq it self and see if they can refer you to another service facility, I think Radio Shack just became an authorized dealer and repair facility for Compaq.