To top off my already wonderful week, I thought I'd share my experience with Best Buy...Long but it's a warning to everyone!

I'm never shopping at Best Buy again...here's why:

I bought my mother the Season 4 Sopranos box set for her birthday last week at the Best Buy on Old Country Road. She tried to watch it on Friday, and after struggling to get the thing to play, she gave up, it kept shutting off. When she tried another disc, it was mixed up. What was on the second disc was supposed to be on the first.

I picked it up from her Saturday so I could exchange it for her. Before we did, my DH opened it up to check it out. Before he even put it in the machine he knew the problem..it was a FAKE. The DVD's in the set were consumer dvd's (they are purple, not silver), with computer CD labels duplicated to look like the box set versions. Now, when we bought it, it was perfectly shrink wrapped with a Best Buy sticker on it, no way in hell we would have know it was tampered with, it was factory sealed.

So I call the lovely people at Best Buy to explain, and they had the nerve to tell me that they couldn't take it back because whatever happened to it after it left the store isn't their responsibility. I flipped out and asked to speak to the manager. After waiting 20 minutes on hold, the angel face of a manager tells me that I have to call the Best Buy customer service line because he can't take back fake merchandise. I said "really, so you can sell fake merchandise but you can't take it back?". Then he had the nerve to accuse me of doing the switching! I was really ripe this weekend because my nerves were shot from a lot of other stuff going on, and this guy was on the receiving end so I flipped out.

I call the main number, and they tell me the same thing and say I have to call the merchandiser because Best Buy is not responsible for what is in the package when sold UM WHAT?! I spent over 80 bucks on this boxset and you are going to send me to HBO to work it out...isn't it YOUR problem if someone is tampering with your merchandise?! I freaked again, threatened to call the authorties and every major news organization and expose them as frauds who sell illegal dvd's, and finally got a supervisor. She called the store I bought it in, who told her that there have been a few other incidents of this in the past couple of months. So, they let me go in and exchange it.

After this hassle, I want nothing to do with that store.

Just be warned, check the dvd packages VERY carefully when you pick them up. If the stickers look out of place, the seams on the shrink wrap look out of whack, pick another one. I don't know what it will do, because ours was perfect...but if you have a problem, don't be afraid to get pissed to get satisfaction!

Re: To top off my already wonderful week, I thought I'd share my experience with Best Buy...Long but it's a warning to everyone!

That's awful Glad it worked out in the end. I'm almost positive that another person on this board had that same problem with a game at Best Buy.

Message edited 1/20/2004 5:41:17 PM.

Re: To top off my already wonderful week, I thought I'd share my experience with Best Buy...Long but it's a warning to everyone!

When in doubt, scream bloody murder. Good lesson!

I'm sorry you went through this - I can't believe they gave you such a run around! I'll make sure I buy my DVDs somewhere other than Best Buy from now on!

Re: To top off my already wonderful week, I thought I'd share my experience with Best Buy...Long but it's a warning to everyone!

I will second that they are a slimy shifty company - they don't honor their warranties either. I need my computer fixed what I need done FALLS UNDER my warranty well they tell me sorry they won't fix it - not their problem - well WHAT they are fixing is a crack THEY made when FIXING my computer - they say SORRY it is COSMETIC we don't care WE did it we won't fix it - the warranty is NOT the same one out here they are trying to tell me - BUT my contract is according to the warranty I have- well I call corporate who tells me OH they changed the warranty and they DON"T have to notify me about the changes but they won't fix it - I have to fight with them when my computer comes back UNFIXED after they held onto it for 3 WEEKS. OR I will have to sue them and report them to BBB.

Re: To top off my already wonderful week, I thought I'd share my experience with Best Buy...Long but it's a warning to everyone!

This is the second time I've heard about fakes from Best Buy. I have also heard rumors that the employees are the ones burning quick copies of them.

I am surprised at the problems Best Buy gave you, then again I never call I show up and cause great big stinks when Im not happy. heh


Im a HUGE Best Buy fan. Was so glad to see them pop up here in the Island. Still... it's not just Best Buy that's having this problem. I rarely buy DVD's anymore and when I do I've never had any problems with them.

Sorry this happened to you.

I had an issue this weekend with Jim's car. I gave up and showed up in person to give them a royal scream. Got the car back in less than an hour.. something they've been avoiding for a week. Sometimes having a face in front of other customers screaming really does do the trick.

I know it sounds terrible and whining and *itching and so forth, but hey.. if you tried it their way and got nothing.. what do you have to lose?

Re: To top off my already wonderful week, I thought I'd share my experience with Best Buy...Long but it's a warning to everyone!

wow, im sorry that happened, we've bought so many movies from them and not had that problem.. but employees switching the movies makes sense..ill definately be checking them when i open them up

Re: To top off my already wonderful week, I thought I'd share my experience with Best Buy...Long but it's a warning to everyone!

OMG.. I had the same problem with that store back at Christmas. I bought FH a playstation game and when he went to play it it was a fake DVD disc. I exchanged it and said I would never go back again. I am sorry now that I did not pursue it. They really are pulling some sort of scam over there. Sorry this happened to you too.

Re: To top off my already wonderful week, I thought I'd share my experience with Best Buy...Long but it's a warning to everyone!

I worked in a retail store. Im not sure why the wouldnt exchange it for the same thing. People do do that. There is a machine that u can reshrink wrap DVDS. I bet you anything someone bought that did the switching wrapped it and return and u got stuck with it. That really Su*ks. I would cause such hel*. Why can't they just exchange it for the same thing? Im glad they finally let you exchange it.

ETA: I wouldnt be surprised if someone who worked there did this.

Message edited 1/20/2004 9:28:12 PM.

Re: To top off my already wonderful week, I thought I'd share my experience with Best Buy...Long but it's a warning to everyone!

I WOULD HAVE BEEN INFURIATED!!!!
Good for you for getting pissed and getting what you want! I am just like you, and would have raised he11 myself!

Re: To top off my already wonderful week, I thought I'd share my experience with Best Buy...Long but it's a warning to everyone!

I'm sorry you went through that. I LOVE Best Buy and I've never had any problems with them, so I'm very surprised by this. I would like to think it's an employee that did it and not a scam that the company itself is pulling. But you never know. It's a shame this happened to you.

Re: To top off my already wonderful week, I thought I'd share my experience with Best Buy...Long but it's a warning to everyone!

Wow I've heard other stories like this about Best Buy. It's a shame, I thought htey were such a decent chain.

I would seriously contact the local BBB nearest you. You can put complaints online too. People search the BBB website(s) before they buy something so you know they'll see your situation online and (hopefully) stay far away.

You might also want to alert Channel 2 news. They do a "shame on you" thing on their program.