Best Buy extended warranty?

[Tx Challenge]

I will try to make this brief. In the past 18 months, I have bought 6 computers thru Best Buy. 2 Macbook Pro’s, 2 Dell’s and 2 cheap Asus… Usually I never take out the extended warranty but did on the Macs, because of the expense. Both Dells failed right off. One with a motherboard, in about 4 months. The other with a hard drive within 6 weeks of purchase. ( Last 2 Dells I will own) The Asus are running great….. One of the Macs runs awesome.
The problem is with the other Mac. For those who know me, I travel a lot. Anyone who goes thru Airport security knows you have to put your computer in its own bin. Mine got flipped off, hit the floor, and the screen got busted…No worries as Best Buy replaced it at no charge… I got the computer back. 2 weeks later the screen went out….Back to Best Buy.
Now my computer has been in the shop for a month. Best Buy claims Apple keeps sending the wrong parts…They have ordered the screen 5 times now. For those who use Mac, I use them for video editing with Final Cut pro. This is a $1400 dollar program.
The service center blames Apple for sending the wrong parts. The store is no help. I had a meeting with the manager tonight and he says I do not qualify for a replacement…WTF? He says my computer has not been in 4 times. I get the run around. The service center tells me the store makes the call. The store tells me the service center has to deem the computer a waste.
Bottom line..How do I beat this?
Anyone have any suggestions?

[LE Dad]

Originally posted by Tx Challenge
I will try to make this brief. In the past 18 months, I have bought 6 computers thru Best Buy. 2 Macbook Pros, 2 Dells and 2 cheap Asus Usually I never take out the extended warranty but did on the Macs, because of the expense. Both Dells failed right off. One with a motherboard, in about 4 months. The other with a hard drive within 6 weeks of purchase. ( Last 2 Dells I will own) The Asus are running great.. One of the Macs runs awesome.
The problem is with the other Mac. For those who know me, I travel a lot. Anyone who goes thru Airport security knows you have to put your computer in its own bin. Mine got flipped off, hit the floor, and the screen got bustedNo worries as Best Buy replaced it at no charge I got the computer back. 2 weeks later the screen went out.Back to Best Buy.
Now my computer has been in the shop for a month. Best Buy claims Apple keeps sending the wrong partsThey have ordered the screen 5 times now. For those who use Mac, I use them for video editing with Final Cut pro. This is a $1400 dollar program.
The service center blames Apple for sending the wrong parts. The store is no help. I had a meeting with the manager tonight and he says I do not qualify for a replacement***? He says my computer has not been in 4 times. I get the run around. The service center tells me the store makes the call. The store tells me the service center has to deem the computer a waste.
Bottom line..How do I beat this?
Anyone have any suggestions? Get online and find email addresses for every Best Buy exec from CEO on down, get a list of board members e mails and send them all emails detailing your issue. I bet you will have a resolution rather quickly.

[Tx Challenge]

Originally posted by LE Dad
Get online and find email addresses for every Best Buy exec from CEO on down, get a list of board members e mails and send them all emails detailing your issue. I bet you will have a resolution rather quickly.

Thanks! That is my next step. The local manager actually seems to be working with me now. I think he will follow up as he says. He wants until Tues since the service center is closed the weekend.

What is strange is that Best Buy has on their web site a link to file for a replacement...It does not work! I have tried from various computers and it always gives me an error on page!

[Blastoderm55]

Originally posted by Tx Challenge
I will try to make this brief. In the past 18 months, I have bought 6 computers thru Best Buy. 2 Macbook Pro’s, 2 Dell’s and 2 cheap Asus… Usually I never take out the extended warranty but did on the Macs, because of the expense. Both Dells failed right off. One with a motherboard, in about 4 months. The other with a hard drive within 6 weeks of purchase. ( Last 2 Dells I will own) The Asus are running great….. One of the Macs runs awesome.
The problem is with the other Mac. For those who know me, I travel a lot. Anyone who goes thru Airport security knows you have to put your computer in its own bin. Mine got flipped off, hit the floor, and the screen got busted…No worries as Best Buy replaced it at no charge… I got the computer back. 2 weeks later the screen went out….Back to Best Buy.
Now my computer has been in the shop for a month. Best Buy claims Apple keeps sending the wrong parts…They have ordered the screen 5 times now. For those who use Mac, I use them for video editing with Final Cut pro. This is a $1400 dollar program.
The service center blames Apple for sending the wrong parts. The store is no help. I had a meeting with the manager tonight and he says I do not qualify for a replacement…WTF? He says my computer has not been in 4 times. I get the run around. The service center tells me the store makes the call. The store tells me the service center has to deem the computer a waste.
Bottom line..How do I beat this?
Anyone have any suggestions?

Call them on the no-lemon policy and push for a replacement rather than a fix.

[LE Dad]

Originally posted by Tx Challenge
Thanks! That is my next step. The local manager actually seems to be working with me now. I think he will follow up as he says. He wants until Tues since the service center is closed the weekend.

What is strange is that Best Buy has on their web site a link to file for a replacement...It does not work! I have tried from various computers and it always gives me an error on page! Too many managers get that "final authority" complex, but once you let them know that they aren't the final authority and that you are going to contact the final authority you tend to get results. Good luck on a solution.

[mwynn05]

worked for a few yrs in reatail and LE Dad is 100% right...the store manager will cave really quick if there is any way it could be construed as his stores fault if you start talking about going to coroporate

[BullsFan]

Is there a local newscast that has some kind of consumer advocate? There are a few here, and people call them all the time with stuff like this. Sometimes when they're being embarrassed on the news, companies are a whole lot more willing to help out.

[sinton66]

For future reference, if you're going to buy a Dell, buy it directly from Dell, not one of the retail outlets, especially not Wal-Mart. The brand name computers they carry are NOT the same quality you get from the manufacturer.

[Tx Challenge]

Now if the online status is correct, My computer got the 5th parts in, they ordered for a 6th time, those came in and got installed and my computer is supposedly "awaiting final inspection and shipment" All this in a mater of a few hours yesterday. Did that make your head spin? Lol... I will believe it when I actually have it working in my hands.

It is true but sad that you have to raise havoc. I am more angry now than I was. I have taken 3 computers to Best Buy for repair and I stated. The other 2 were under warranty covered by Dell. They were reparied and returned in a week. This one is covered under Best Buy's extended warranty. I can't be convinced that this was not put on the back burner. It's ok when it is on someone elses dime. Now I see how it works..

[Tx Challenge]

Originally posted by sinton66
For future reference, if you're going to buy a Dell, buy it directly from Dell, not one of the retail outlets, especially not Wal-Mart. The brand name computers they carry are NOT the same quality you get from the manufacturer.

I never have heard this. I bought mine there because I could actually see it, take it home and not have to wait. Also it helped that I used reward zone and other gift cards I couldnt use at Dell!

[sinton66]

The retailers like Wal-Mart and others demand Dell produce computers much cheaper for their markets. Basically, you get what you pay for. (I have an insider at Dell in my family.)

[SWMustang]

I'm not buying warranties anymore. Haven't in a long time. You're story isn't unique - they give you the run around even when you did take out the warranty.

[BaseballUmp]

Yes, dell has been having some problems for a while...they knowingly put in a part that was known to malfunction and when/if you send it back to them to have it repaired, they replace it with the same piece that in the end will just malfunction yet again

[MUSTANG69]

Originally posted by sinton66
For future reference, if you're going to buy a Dell, buy it directly from Dell, not one of the retail outlets, especially not Wal-Mart. The brand name computers they carry are NOT the same quality you get from the manufacturer.

We have about 20 Dells at work that came direct from Dell. Very few problems at all.

[BullsFan]

My last three computers were all Dells I bought from Dell, and the only problems I've ever had have been external viruses.

[Pmoney]

My dell's hard drive crashed and it was under warranty with them so they sent me a new hard drive within days...btw I bought it from Dell.

[LE Dad]

Originally posted by BaseballUmp
Yes, dell has been having some problems for a while...they knowingly put in a part that was known to malfunction and when/if you send it back to them to have it repaired, they replace it with the same piece that in the end will just malfunction yet again My Toshiba DLP has an issue that the bulb that has a one year warranty burns out every 14-16 months. I have replaced 4 at a cost of $200 each. This one is supposed to be improved?? I will never buy another Toshiba product.

[LE Dad]

Originally posted by Tx Challenge
Now if the online status is correct, My computer got the 5th parts in, they ordered for a 6th time, those came in and got installed and my computer is supposedly "awaiting final inspection and shipment" All this in a mater of a few hours yesterday. Did that make your head spin? Lol... I will believe it when I actually have it working in my hands.

It is true but sad that you have to raise havoc. I am more angry now than I was. I have taken 3 computers to Best Buy for repair and I stated. The other 2 were under warranty covered by Dell. They were reparied and returned in a week. This one is covered under Best Buy's extended warranty. I can't be convinced that this was not put on the back burner. It's ok when it is on someone elses dime. Now I see how it works.. It is sad to say that at least 50% of the time you will get no action unless you are rude to customer service people.

[jason]

we have literally thousands of dell computers at work, some at least 5 years old and we have a very small percentage, probably less than 5%, break down on us - i would say that 50% of computer issues are caused by environmental concerns - placed on hardwood floors where they get dust in them, crammed in small desks where heat can't escape, or kids knocking them off tables or spilling cokes on them...

we will have an occasional issue with a hard drive crashing or a fan go out...


all the major brands are basically the same computer just with a different log - western digital hard drives, intel processors, basic ram, etc - anybody who says otherwise doesnt know what they're talking about - and that includes macs.....


i have people come to me all the time for recommendations for home computers and i just tell them to get a standard set up but set aside some extra cash for the extended warranty, something that is basically next day on site service by a technician...

[Emerson1]

Originally posted by LE Dad
My Toshiba DLP has an issue that the bulb that has a one year warranty burns out every 14-16 months. I have replaced 4 at a cost of $200 each. This one is supposed to be improved?? I will never buy another Toshiba product.
That isn't Toshiba, that is DLP. We have a Samsung DLP and our bulb goes out more often then that. It's gonna go out after about 1500-2000 hours. Always just turn it off when you aren't watching it.

We got the 4 year extended warranty on the TV and it covered bulbs and we have already come out ahead with new bulbs.

[sinton66]

I will NEVER ever buy anything from Conn's again. Their "warranty" is an in store replacement. Only problem, if you bought your device on sale, don't expect to get the same unit back unless you pay an "upcharge". Conn's sucks IMO, and I'll never spend another dime with them.

[Blackcat1954]

We have extended warrantys on on all our Best Buy products

2 HD TVs

computer monitor which they fixed

microwave and one other item

They have been very good