Is Best Buy Shady?

[baggachipz]

I recently purchsed my Xbox from a Best Buy store near my house. Couldn't love it more.

When I bought it, though, I went through what seemed to be quite a questionable process. Upon arriving at the register, they pushed their sham of a 2 year product replacement plan on me as they always do. I respectfully declined as I always do. The cashier then goes on to inform me that MS provides "Absolutely No " warranty on the Xbox console. He also said that Best Buy only offers a 60 day warranty on it. I was sure that he was just using scare tactics to try to get me to buy that stupid warranty (they make outrageous money from these, and they give incentives to the employees to sell more). So, I wonder what the real warranty is. Anyway, he looked around, and in a low voice he said "I Really think you need to get the warranty. Tell you what, I'll take $20 off the price of the two games you're getting, and sell you the warranty for $40. That way, you're basically getting it for free." I said, sure, go ahead. So I have my two year warranty, should statistics fail me and my Xbox break. A friend of mine was told the same initial things at the Best Buy he went to, but when he asked them to do the same thing they did for me they scoffed at him.

Seems either Best Buy is trying to make a ton of money off people buying the warranties by giving consumers false information, or M$ is really not offering a warranty. Anyone know?

[LynxFX]

Best buy must have been running a spif contest with the employees. The sad thing is that the manager gets all of the hoopla if his/her store wins. That is why the clerk was willing to take $20 off each game because it doesn't matter what they sell you just as long as they get that warranty on there.

When I used to work at Compusa years ago they did the same thing. Only we were taking $200 off of some products just to put on the tap. It was great for us because we got $10 or $20 for each of those that we sold. We would put it on everything eventually and just kept taking that price away from the product. It was really worthless but it never cost the customer a dime so they didn't care.

As for the xbox microsoft gives you a 3 month factory warranty.

[baggachipz]

Ahh, makes sense. :rolleyes:

How weak that they would do that. Eh, whatever; I got a free warranty :cool:

[Frostberg]

lol, are you sure that was he case, because Best buy had a promotion where the more games you bought the more you saved...maybe he kind of combined the savings...At least I know the reason why they always push the warranties on you...I bought my 32in sony wega there and they gave me 30 days to come back and buy the warranty if I wanted it and I am debating myself if I should get it or not, its for 4 years and $99...and its kind of like I dont think anything will happen to it, but it covers things like if it gets surged or something...I dunno...I can get 2 games or something that will feel like lost money...however if something happened to my $970 TV (w/ tax) you could be certain I wouldnt be too pleased!

[huskerman]

What do you expect, this is a capitalist society. If some of the companies in this world were shady and some were totally honest about it all, who do you think would end up ruling the world market?

[Xbox_Die_Hard]

I recently called Softwear ETC. to see If they would get any XBOX's in stock any time soon. The guy that I talked to said that he didn't know but he did know that they cost 299.99 like everywhere else. But he went on to say that you must buy at least one more game and piece of hardware (controller, adapters, and so on) along with the console. He said that it was a microsoft policy. Couldn't they get busted for that?

[Frostberg]

hey, can you give me an exact location or number of that store? It seems like it should be illegal because they force you into buying more things, which isint a "policy" of MS

[Ninja Scroll]

Originally posted by Xbox_Die_Hard
I recently called Softwear ETC. to see If they would get any XBOX's in stock any time soon. The guy that I talked to said that he didn't know but he did know that they cost 299.99 like everywhere else. But he went on to say that you must buy at least one more game and piece of hardware (controller, adapters, and so on) along with the console. He said that it was a microsoft policy. Couldn't they get busted for that?

Yo kid, it's called a "bundle pack" and no they cant get in any trouble for it cause Microsoft incourages retailers to sell over priced bundle packs.
It sucks but not everyone is doing it.
Try Best Buy, Circuit City, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and stores of that nature if you dont want to spend a truck load for bundl packs.

[Frostberg]

yeah but the store shouldnt force you to buy it after the thing has been released and if you can buy it at a walmart without the other stuff, there is no reason to buy it there...they shoukd give you a deal for buying one of these packs...it was ok before release because your deal was that you would get one...now it is like a rip off if you dont want the extras

[Ninja Scroll]

I totally agree with you. I was just giving you other alternatives to not buying a bundle pack.

But one more thing, dont get upset at me... I may be a Super Hero Ninja, but I need love too! :)

[Frostberg]

Wow...the users at this forum need to all run a website! Cnet just finally realized this...
http://www.cnet.com/electronics/0-6342366-8-8102089-1.html

[Hugh_Jass]

Originally posted by Frostberg
Wow...the users at this forum need to all run a website! Cnet just finally realized this...
http://www.cnet.com/electronics/0-6342366-8-8102089-1.html

I don't understand your comment but the article is good.

[Frostberg]

people like baggachipz find out these stories, but cant really tell anyone, and a big site like Cnet finally finds out about it and its a hot story. If more people found about it it might of been interesting to see a lot of people complaining at MS like they usually do at any company if something is remotely wrong. But I think that this just isint right. People dont want or need extended warranties, and places like CompUSA force you into buying it just because they know it nothing will happen to the xbox, and its straight profit for them. The guy at the article is right, its extortion.

[Ground_Pounder]

We just bought a 52" RCA hdtv... it came with a 2 year warranty, in home and all. BUT the store gives you the option of paying $300 for an extra 2 years, but here is the catch. IF you don't need the extra 2 years, you get your money back. You get a $300 store credit that you can use on anything in the store...

How sweet is that! Bad part is they only offer it on purchases over 2 grand (it wasn't offered for our surround stereo for example)

[Plewis]

I guess I'm just lucky. I went to Circuit City three days after the XBox came out (took me that long to get my mom to let me! She wanted me to get something that enriched my mind, body, and soul, What a load of crap):D . Well I went to Circuit City, and they had plenty of XBox's and no bundles, well, they asked about the $30 thing, but I wasn't paying attention, and said no. I didn't care, I had an XBox, and I havent had any problems with my Box! So the moral is... you should probably try Circuit City if you are looking for an XBox

[Hugh_Jass]

Originally posted by Ground_Pounder
We just bought a 52" RCA hdtv... it came with a 2 year warranty, in home and all. BUT the store gives you the option of paying $300 for an extra 2 years, but here is the catch. IF you don't need the extra 2 years, you get your money back. You get a $300 store credit that you can use on anything in the store...

How sweet is that! Bad part is they only offer it on purchases over 2 grand (it wasn't offered for our surround stereo for example)

Well...now that's cool! I wouldn't mind extended warranties so much if everyone did that.

[l Maximus l]

I actually didn't get the extended warranty...quite honestly, I wasn't presented with it so I forgot. Yeah, I know...I know...I know...it was probably foolish of me to forget, but, how can anyone blame me? I was in a state of euphoria holding that black and green box filled with scrupteous goodies :D

[Xbox_Die_Hard]

Originally posted by Ninja Scroll


Yo kid, it's called a "bundle pack" and no they cant get in any trouble for it cause Microsoft incourages retailers to sell over priced bundle packs.
It sucks but not everyone is doing it.
Try Best Buy, Circuit City, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and stores of that nature if you dont want to spend a truck load for bundl packs.







Yo tard. I know what a friggin bundle pack is you idiot. Thats not what it was. I am buying the 500 dollar bundle pack! (from a different store) but he said two *ADDITIONAL* purchases was the policy. So untill you figure out what someone is talking about keep your mouth shut.

[ShannonX]

I work at best buy, for awhile longer anyways..... No we dont get any money or anything for selling prp's, we just try to get as many as possible....for example, on an average day we might get about 6% of people to purchase the PRP and PSP (product service plan) PSP's are for more expensive items.....and whatever else the prps dont cover..... The warranty i believe is 90 days. After that, your SOL if it breaks. I personally got the PRP cause i'm not stupid, especially with a new release of a new console. Maybe a year from now, i wouldn't have gotten it, but now, yes.

Actually, if that cashier got turned in to the manager by somebody, he'd loose his job. Only employee's can get that big of a discount on PRP's (i get about 50% off). He should be careful.

[kirkyg]

All xbox's have a 90 day manufacturers warranty...MS offers a warranty of 2 or 4 years for a fee.

kirkyg

[baggachipz]

Originally posted by Shannon-XBA
I work at best buy, for awhile longer anyways..... No we dont get any money or anything for selling prp's, we just try to get as many as possible....for example, on an average day we might get about 6% of people to purchase the PRP and PSP (product service plan) PSP's are for more expensive items.....and whatever else the prps dont cover..... The warranty i believe is 90 days. After that, your SOL if it breaks. I personally got the PRP cause i'm not stupid, especially with a new release of a new console. Maybe a year from now, i wouldn't have gotten it, but now, yes.

Actually, if that cashier got turned in to the manager by somebody, he'd loose his job. Only employee's can get that big of a discount on PRP's (i get about 50% off). He should be careful.

Funny enough, the cashier had to call the supervisor/manager over to put the key in the register in order to give me the "discount". Don't believe what they've brainwashed you with; PRP's are a sham! Unless you get them for free like me :D

[smack119]

all stores care about is money... they will do whatever they have to to get it

[Supperdog]

sad but true

[ShannonX]

hmmm..... depends alot on the managers...alot of best buy stores litterally suck in the management department....one of the reasons they are probably ranked 470 out of 472.