I feel cheated by Best Buy.

In May 2004, I bought an emachines computer M6805 from Best Buy in Milpitas, CA. I never buy any extended warranty, but the folks at Best Buy were trying to tell me that it is worth it. Any damage will be repaired for 3 years, internationally. I was still not impressed. Then, one sales person came to me and said that I can get a new battery every year with the Performance Service Plan (extended warranty).

I was surprised about that, because batteries (especially branded ones) cost $120 or so easily and if you do the math, three years would make it $300-$350. The cost of the plan was $250. So to me, it was a no-brainer. And that is how it was sold to me too - it is a no-brainer, you have to go for it. I went for it.

A few months back, there were some cracks near the hinges on the laptop. I called Best Buy and the first thing they told me was that for the first year, the manufacturer’s warranty is in effect. So I had to call emachines. Luckily, since it was under warranty, emachines fixed the problem for me for free. Best Buy did not care.

Now, since it is getting close to the one year mark, I called Best Buy to ask what the deal was with getting the new battery. They said that they would ship the battery to me at no cost only if I had a service technician’s order number for the battery, and that I could get it only if I went to a store.

So I went to the Palo Alto store one day when I was in the area, and showed my warranty card to them and they said that I need to take my computer to the store, and preferably the Milpitas store. Apparently the technicians there need to see the computer. For what? I don’t know really.

So at another time, I went to the Milpitas store (without the computer) and I was told that I needed to bring the computer for ‘verification’ purposes. Just so that I am not ordering a different battery. I asked if the serial number would suffice, and I was told no. They needed to see the computer and ensure that it was bought at Best Buy, and such. I was not happy at all. It all seemed like a ploy to deny me my battery.

So today I called the toll free number again and after manipulating the prompts, I somehow got to a customer care person, Judy. She was friendly to start, but when she told me that I cannot get the battery unless there is a problem with my existing one, I lost it. I told her that I feel cheated. And she said ‘All I can do is apologize’. She also suggested that I can go to the store

and return my service plan and get a pro-rated refund. Pro rated? Are you kidding me? I was misinformed and made to buy something that I did not want to buy in the first place and now, to return it I have to pay? I have to pay for their misinformation campaign? No way.

I want my new battery which I was told comes with the plan. If they want it as a replacement, that is fine with me. If I am not going to get a battery unless the current one gets broken (and I have to go and show it to them and such), I want to return the plan, and get ALL my money back. All of it. I don’t want to be a victim of misinformation and lack of knowledge on part of company representatives. Again.

I asked her to lodge a complaint on my behalf at Best Buy. I am not sure what is going to happen there. But I also told her that I was going to go to the Better Business Bureau. Want to make sure their unethical practices are made public. And she said she was fine with that and asked me if there is anything else she could do for me. I was speechless.

Something needs to be done about this lack of customer service at such big companies. I mean, who is being held responsible for such acts? Who is monitoring these things? Or are they just too few and far between and I am the one getting trapped all the time? I doubt it.