The Consumer Complaints Blog

The letters below say it all – in response to my first letter, I was basically told “too bad, we had an ad – but thanks for your input”… If a company like Best Buy doesn’t control the representations of their employees, I have no idea what I, as a consumer, can do besides bluster. I suppose I need to get the name of every employee of whom I might ask a question… I’ve spent a lot of money at BB over the years, but unlike a neighborhood mom’n'pop, there is no way they can truly appreciate these things. I doubt there’s much that can be done, but I am hoping… thanks

W Gregory Stewart
248 N. Saltair Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90049

Best Buy
Corporate Customer Care
P.O. Box 949
Minneapolis, MN 55440

Oct. 28, 2006

To whom it may concern:

This is a complaint about deceptive practices and failure to address customer concerns.

On September 6 of this year, while shopping at a local Best Buy (11301 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA), my son saw a “Pre-Order” package for a game, 2142 Battlefield. Since it had a $10 price tag, he approached a sales associate and inquired if this was a full price or a deposit. He was told it was the full price. I stepped in to make sure – “so once we pay the $10, that’s going to be it? There’s nothing else we’d have to pay? It’s really the full price?”

The associate looked at the box carefully and told us, “No, that’s the full price.”

BASED ON THAT, we decide to purchase the item; we were told it would be available on October 17. It was not, which led to a fruitless trip to pick it up, but 2 days later, the item was in, and we went to pick it up.

Imagine our surprise to be told that what we had previously paid had indeed been just a deposit. If this had been an item I was purchasing for myself, I would have asked for my money back – but it was pointed out that we were past the refund period anyway, as incredible as that seems. Choosing not to disappoint my son – who had been eagerly awaiting the release of the game, and who was pleased with himself for having made such a seemingly good buy – I purchased the item, determining then to write this letter of complaint. (Since I was not able to speak with the manager, having received only his card – and not even his card, since his name (Rick Palese) was handwritten on it – this seems to be my only recourse.)

WHEN A CUSTOMER ASKS A POINT BLANK QUESTION about the nature of a purchase and receives such misinformation, one can only believe that there is fraud afoot, or incompetence – or both. Regardless, if BestBuy does not train OR stand behind their employees, they should post signs saying “Notice, question-askers – we may not tell you the truth, and we don’t care!”

This is not an appropriate way to do business. I have been informed that the sales associate responsible for the deception can be identified by the number 0374930 – when I asked if that was the person at the cash register, or the person who gave us the bad information, I was told the latter, but of course I have no way of knowing what’s true at Best Buy anymore.

An ironic side note – as I stood in line waiting to not talk to the manager, someone beside me was complaining to an employee that someone had sold her a $100 worth of software she didn’t need, since it was already on the computer.

A pattern begins to emerge….

PLEASE NOTE that after originally writing this letter, I decided to fax a synopsis to Mr Palese (using the fax before mailing it out, just in case he remained ignorant of what was going on, with an invitation to call us to put things right. Nearly a week has gone by and no contact has been made – I can only assume that he has no interest in how his customers feel.

Angrily,

W Gregory Stewart

Cc:

Rick Palese
11301 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064

Best Buy Co., Inc. Attorney General’s Office
Corporate Headquarters California Department of Justice
P.O. Box 9312 Attn: Public Inquiry Unit
Minneapolis, MN 55440-9312 P.O. Box 944255
Sacramento, CA 94244-2550

Better Business Bureau of the Southland Consumer Protection Division
315 North La Cadena Drive Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office
Colton, CA 92324 201 North Figueroa St., Suite 1600
Los Angeles, CA 90012

November 11, 2006

Steve Taylor
Best Buy Customer Care
POBox 9312
Minneapolis MN 55440-9312

Steve Taylor,

So let me see if I have this straight.

A father and son come in to look at CDs (in this case). Wandering through the store, the son sees an item with a price that seems like a VERY good deal and asks a question of a sales associate to see if in fact it is what it sounds like.

From your response, it seems that I am now to understand there is no point in asking questions and that it is incumbent upon any potential Best Buy customer to go out, obtain a copy every local paper in a three-city area, and look exhaustively through each for Best Buy ads before making any decision to purchase any item, just in case there is information about that item in any of those ads – AND THAT IT IS NOT NECESSARY FOR YOUR SALES ASSOCIATES to already be familiar with the specific of any such ads, and that additionally those associates cannot be trusted to provide accurate answers?

Such a policy really needs to be made clear to anyone entering your store, don’t you think? Possibly a sign that says “Best Buy takes no responsibility for anything their employees might tell you. No responsibility at all.” And then establish a policy that sales associates should be required to inform the customer that any answer given may not be reliable…

It is the height of arrogance to “thank [me] for making [you] aware of [my] concerns” when in fact you have provided neither real sincerity nor true recourse to an angered customer.

Specific questions asked, specific and incorrect answers given – and Corporate out the door, ignoring it all.

Angrily,

W Gregory Stewart

Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.

What is wrong with Papa John’s Pizza?
Let’s review:

This began on November 6, 2006…

I “plan ahead” ordered two pizzas, four hours early, yet received two cold pizzas an hour late and no offer of compensation when calling the location to complain.

In a gesture of “good will”, the delivery person showed up to our dimly lighted house at 830pm two hours after the pizzas finally arrived, to drop off 4 Cokes (btw, we only drink Diet Coke), in the process woke up my kids and dogs.

I send an email to Papa John’s to complain and get a format email in response suggesting I take it up on a local level.

I explain that I have done that already with no satisfactory resolution.

Shane Little, a franchisee in Tallahassee, Florida calls me three days later and we exchange several voice mails. When we finally speak on the phone, he explains that he is actually in Florida and was forwarded my complaint in error but understands my frustration, assuring me someone will get in touch with me who can help.

Still waiting. Welcome to my country. This is turning in to “service” economy–good luck! Good news is this is only a $24 meal, nothing more.

Thanks?

Mike Gelman
Silver Spring MD

Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.

What is wrong with Papa John’s Pizza?
Let’s review:

This began on November 6, 2006…

I “plan ahead” ordered two pizzas, four hours early, yet received two cold pizzas an hour late and no offer of compensation when calling the location to complain.

In a gesture of “good will”, the delivery person showed up to our dimly lighted house at 830pm two hours after the pizzas finally arrived, to drop off 4 Cokes (btw, we only drink Diet Coke), in the process woke up my kids and dogs.

I send an email to Papa John’s to complain and get a format email in response suggesting I take it up on a local level.

I explain that I have done that already with no satisfactory resolution.

Shane Little, a franchisee in Tallahassee, Florida calls me three days later and we exchange several voice mails. When we finally speak on the phone, he explains that he is actually in Florida and was forwarded my complaint in error but understands my frustration, assuring me someone will get in touch with me who can help.

Still waiting. Welcome to my country. This is turning in to “service” economy–good luck! Good news is this is only a $24 meal, nothing more.

Thanks?

Mike Gelman
Silver Spring MD

Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.

Maybe I am just wasting your time, but even up here in Northern Ontario we have complaint issues, and no place to post them. I thought I would give your site a try. I apologize if this is not the type of complaint that you wish to post on your site, and please do not post if you feel it doesn’t fit your criteria.

Up here in the great white north, we only have 2 choices for long distance providers – Northern Telephone and Ontera, and other than the 200 phone numbers in our small town, everything is long distance. We had been with Ontera for the last several years.

In July of this year, our long distance service was interrupted. I called to find out what the problem was, and were told that it had been cut off due to an unpaid bill which belonged to a different phone number. I complained that the second number was not even in our name, and we had no control of the account, nor did we receive billing for it. The extremely efficient (!) operator to whom I was speaking informed me that because we shared a post office box (the only way to get our mail here in a small town, other than general delivery, and there is a waiting list to get a box number) with the person responsible for the bill (we are related, though we live over 17 km. apart) that we were therefore responsible to pay for the outstanding bill of $12.54.

I asked how I could be sure if this amount was even legitimate when:
1. We have never had access, information or communication regarding this bill, and
2. The phone number had been reassigned about one year ago to another customer.

She informed me that all of their information comes from Northern Telephone (for addressing) and that was why our service was cut off to enforce payment on this outstanding amount. Obviously if you share a mailing address, you must live in the same location, right? Well, not up here! They could get the mailing information from the other company, but not the physical locations of the actual telephones! Amazing efficiency. Even though it was not our phone number, our service was cut off, and no arguments could change the decisions of the company.

I hung up, extremely upset, and called my husband and told him what the issue was. Because we run a farm, it was imperative that our service be reconnected as soon as possible, regardless of the costs. So, because I had no choice and no other options, I called Ontera back and offered (under duress, you understand) to pay the outstanding bill in order to reconnect our service. Once that transaction was done, I was then informed that we would have to pay another $75.00 reconnection fee! I was livid and almost yelling into the phone that IT WAS NOT OUR PROBLEM, OUR BILL OR OUR PHONE! I was quickly put on hold, which was probably the smart thing to do, before I exploded! When she returned, I was informed that the reconnection fee would be waived in this case – how totally generous of them.

My daughter worked for a collection agency at one time, and they will not take collections under $20.00, and I know that all businesses have bad debt write-offs, so I wonder why Ontera would hold innocent parties liable for accounts that do not belong to them, based solely on a post office box number which is shared. By this logic, and Rural Route or General Delivery address holders could be held liable to pay for outstanding bills of another Rural Route or Gen. Del. customer. That is a little scary for all rural customers.

I emailed to Ontera with a complaint letter, which I followed up with a regular mail copy. I have heard nothing from the company, either by letter or by phone call. I am still upset by this whole issue, and have been telling everyone that I know exactly how we were treated by Ontera. I know that they pride themselves on being a Northern company, serving the needs of the North, but that is not how I see it. They are a company who don’t care about their northern customers, and are willing to “steal” from other customers to feed their bottom line.

Sorry to have been long-winded, but I hope that your site can help to address unfair billing issues like this one. Thank you for your time.

Marilyn Wilkinson
Box 159
Elk Lake, Ontario P0J 1G0

Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.