David O.

I am writing to tell you about my experience with Best Buy. I purchased a 50" Toshiba television on Amazon.com as a part of a week long special that Amazon was running. Two days after my purchase, i received an email from Amazon stating that the seller (Best Buy) could not ship the package on the expected date. They informed me that my checking account would be charged when the item did ship, and if i had any further questions, i should contact Best Buy.
I called the customer service line and waited on hold for about 30 minutes before speaking to someone in electronics. I explained my situation, and the girl suggested that we cancel the amazon order, i pay with her on the phone, and i pick up the TV at my local store. I accepted her offer and paid for ANOTHER TV. She informed me that i would soon receive an email when my item was ready for store pick up. I was so impressed by the operator that i asked to speak to her supervisor for a kudos call. I talked to supervisor David, and thanked them for solving this.
Nearly an hour later i received an email from BB stating that my phone order had been cancelled with no explanation. I tried to call my local store, but no phone calls. So i called customer service. After another 20 minute wait and explaining the situation to a general operator, and again to an electronics operator, i was told that the operator had no explanation for the cancellation. She told me that she could have a supervisor call me, and i agreed. She said one would do so within 24 hours. That was 5 days ago. No one has calle yet. In the meantime she recommended that i go to my local BB store to see what they could do.
I drove 45 minutes to the closest BB, and told the greeter my story. She tried to help me by looking up the orders. She looked up my original Amazon order by the Amazon transaction number and assured me that had been cancelled, as i had asked her directly to do so. She did the same with my phone order, and assured me that that had also been cancelled. She put me in an electronic queue and sent me to the TV department I waited over 45 minutes for an employee to look at me. At which point i asked very loudly "Hello, does anyone work here?" A man was forced to acknowledge me at this point and tell me that they were busy. Over an hour after i entered the store, a man came to me telling me that he was the manager of the department at the Saginaw store. I explained the situation, and he offered to sell me the TV. I asked for assurance that the online order and phone orders were cancelled. He also looked it up using the Amazon order number, and BBY cancellation number, and assured me that the transactions had been cancelled. He then sold me the TV for cash. At checkout they wanted to charge me $120 more than my original transaction. After another 20 minutes at the register, that was solved, and i paid the original total of $328 and some cents.
I brought the TV home and installed it with a wall mount. That afternoon i received an email from Amazon stating that my package was now being prepped to ship, and my card would be charged when it did in fact ship.
First, i spent 90 minutes on the phone with Amazon. Customer service. They told me that they could not cancel the order, but Best Buy had to do so. They told me that they would email Beat Buy requesting that the item be cancelled before it shipped. Amazon did infact send that email to Best Buy and me, requesting a cancellation before the item shipped. Best Buy never responded and i still have the email dated before shipment. Amazon then instructed me to call Best Buy.
I called customer service, told them my entire story, they sent me to electronics (another 30 min wait) where i was to retell the story again. After another 30 minutes on hold, i was spontaneously hung up on. So, call again, 30 min hold again, tell story to a new department again, 30 min hold again. Finally i was met with someone that told me that there was nothing they could do, and i had to call Amazon.
Exasperated, i accepted her answer. I hung up and called my bank. I transferred enough money out of my savings account, so it would be unable to pay for another $328 purchase.
The next morning i tried to use my ATM card to purchase gas, and it was declined. I looked at my account online and it said that i had overdraft fees for a $328 deduction. My account had been frozen by fraud protection because $328 had been charged so many times by one place (BB) as well. Incidentally, my bank requires appointments for this issue due to Covid. So as of now, i still do not know my overdraft fees and do not have access to a usable ATM card.
Call Beat Buy, 30 minute hold, tell the whole story, get transferred, 30 min wait, re tell story. Then i met Hugo. The customer service rep, whom after a long wait, promised to 'help me out man'. Hugo assured me that he could have the money back in my account in 24 hours. He generated me a return number and a back end investigation number. I thought the problem was solved. He assured me that all was well.
The next morning, the TV arrived at my house. Not knowing what to do, i refused delivery. The Fed ex driver told me that it could be a month before it got back to the warehouse. I told him my story and that Hugo had me covered. He called his boss, took my name, and left without ever taking the TV off of the truck.
24 hours came and went with no refund. I called Best buy at 12:25 PM, and got off the phone with them at 6:35pm! In that time i was spontaneously disconnected after waiting for a manager for over 2 hours, on two occasions! With no calls back! The third time, i could hear the manager, but she could not hear me. Games. My 4th try, after almost 3 hours of holding on that try alone, i got a manager to refuse to take my call according to the rep! But he stayed with me and finally got me a supervisor. I explained it all again. She apologized up and down, and told me that no one could do anything. I would get my money back in a month or so, when "the warehouse gets the TV back". She also gave me the corporate number available online. I havent had the nerve to call that yet. It is getting difficult to keep from yelling at this point. As i believe anyone would feel by now. I believe if any of the phone notes are reviewed, you will find that i remained calm and respectful to everyone that i spoke with.
In total, i have spent $657 on my $300 TV. I have spent over 12 total hours on the phone with Best Buy, and over 5 with Amazon. I spent over 3 hours driving and waiting in store to buy a TV with cash. Best Buy failed to get my item shipped on time originally, lied to me about cancelling the order 3x's on the phone and 2 times in store, lied about when i would be refunded, recommended the whole second purchase fiasco, and still refuses to refund me. I am forced to pay my bank overdraft fees, and i still have no ATM card. I have to find more time to give the situation, as my bank now requires an in office appointment to reopen my account. And no one will help. No one calls me back, and no one answers with anything but lies and misguidance. My family worked to save for this TV, and it meant a lot to us. I simply bought a TV online and followed Best Buy employee's advice. $328 means NOTHING to Best Buy, but it has me wondering how i am going to feed my 2 young children next week. Ill be paid back in 30 days or so. If they are to be believed on this occasion. At this point, rightfully, i should be offered to drive to the store and get my $328 back from the cash register. But, no, 30 days ish, and this time, i should just trust them.
I can not afford legal console, and i am aware that no one is reading this at this point. But i vow to do what i can. I have copied and pasted this story. I am sending it to my local news outlet that does weekly stories about ripping people off. I am hoping to have it printed as i am also sending it to my local news paper and the local paper of the store that sold it to me (Bay City, Saginaw, Mlive) i am doing all i can online to spread this story as well. I am producing a Tik Tok video, and about to instagram this experience I can not recommend enough to family, friends, or anyone that will listen to me, to stay away from Best Buy. It is garbage like this that will make you the next Circuit City or Sears.