Normally, I enjoy shopping at Best Buy. They have a nice store, people are friendly, quick to ask you if you need help and very polite and knowledgeable. Online store is ok and everything is fine.
Until recently.
I have a Best Buy MasterCard hooked to my Best Buy Rewards Zone account so that when you make a purchase, you earn points. Much like Staples with their business and personal account to where you order things and you earn Staple dollars to spend in their store. Very nice!
So, I wanted to order an iPad and the assorted accessories so I decided to pay down that money on the Best Buy Master Card and then use it to purchase everything. I sent in the money on the 21st, it posted to the MasterCard and I called to confirm and then I went online and placed my order that was already saved in my cart. I chose for everything to arrive at the local store for me to pick up and they would send me an email to let me know when it was ready to be picked up. It said that the accessories were all in stock but the iPad itself would not arrive at the store until 1 June or after. That was fine, I didn't mind.
So I received the email later that day that my items were there ready to be picked up, except for the iPad of course. I didn't go in on Friday, but instead, chose to go in there on Saturday. Of course, Saturday morning, I get a reminder email to go pick up the items or they would restock them although I had until June 1st to get them. So I picked them up, no problem, except I had to ask to see the items they quickly put into the bag before I signed them. No big deal, she showed me and that was that, paid for with my card that I had to bring in with me.
Next thing I know, I get this email this morning:
Action required, billing problem encountered
Order Number: XXX
Hello Wanda,
We're sorry, but one or more of the payment methods used for your order has failed to process. We need to hear from you before we are able to process your order any further.
Please call us at 1-888-BEST BUY (1-888-237-8289) to help us complete your order. If possible, please have your order number handy. If we don't hear from you, and are unsuccessful in processing your billing information, your order will be canceled.
We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Lisa Smith
Vice President
Best Buy Customer Care
So I was like uh oh...so although today is Memorial Day and a holiday, I called right away because I didn't want anything to go wrong with my order of the iPad. Mistake to have done this on a weekend/holiday but hey, I want to be sure nothing is wrong!
After being transferred around, I finally get someone. He verifies who I am, and then says we should do a 3 way call with Best Buy MasterCard and asks me for the customer service number. I thought this was a bit sad he didn't have it, but eh, no big deal, I went and got my card and gave him the 1-800 number and he told me he would call them and I would input my information to them and then he would be back online to talk with them with me as well and we can find out what is going on. Ok sounded good so far!
This nice lady gets on the phone and I explain to her who I am, she verifies who I am and then the Best Buy rep interrupts and jumps in and she is surprised and asks who is this? I can tell she is a bit annoyed right off too as I am trying to talk with her and yet he interrupted a couple times. So anyway, I explain to her the email and then he interrupts to explain what they did.
Here's where I get annoyed.
It seems that Best Buy charged my card for the iPad at the time of my order. (Ok that's cool and fine)
But since it was not going to come in with the other items, they went and sent a credit back to the MasterCard for the iPad amount on Friday.
(I KNEW when I purchased it online that it would be delayed in shipping to the store for pick up as they said so on the site and gave me a date as to when it would arrive)
THEN! Best Buy decided to recharge my card, I guess Saturday or Sunday or Today? for the iPad amount and they weren't able to do so on my credit card because it showed there was not enough funds and he tells me that my account was showing as "delinquent"?!?!
Not likely as they just received the money and it posted and it was several hundred dollars! DOH!
So now I was told they would have to wait to charge the card back again until the credit that they sent to the MasterCard went thru and posted in a few more business days!?!
Oh man...I had to interrupt at this point and told them, Sorry, but this is stupid. That is a stupid practice and why in the world would you do that? Charge it, credit it and then recharge again?! That was dumb!
The rep tried to tell me that "every business does this" and I stopped him and said, No, they do not. Don't even try to hand me that, because I order a lot of things online and in fact, you are the only company that has ever done that!
So I go back to the lady to find out how long of a wait and I ask him if it would delay my order or would it just get cancelled then and I'll have to reorder it now? I told him this was just stupid and so now my order is delayed and being held?
He again tries to tell me that 'all businesses do things this way" and I again stopped him and told him, no, they don't. Don't try to tell me that when I know that is wrong! No other company does this so stop telling me otherwise.
I did tell them both, sorry, I am not taking this out on you both and I know it's not your fault but that's just plain stupid.
I asked him so what happens from here? (not wanting him to go on about this and argue with me or try to convince me) He said the system would just automatically try to recharge the card again. I said ok, so I just wait then? He said yes.
I thanked the lady for her help and said bye and they both hung up.
What kills me too is that email. They are threatening to cancel the order if they don't hear from me? And yet they were the ones who caused the issue to begin with?! DOH! Real nice!
I wrote back a reply to the email, explaining what happened and that I am very dissatisfied with Best Buy right now.
And you know? I could have had everything set up to be picked up at the Grapevine store and picked up my iPad on Saturday as they have the one I wanted in stock instead of wanting it to be sent to a more local store.
So this blog's first warning:
Warning:
Do not order something online from Best Buy to be delivered to a store that does not have the item in stock at that store.
Answer:
Choose another store that does have the item in stock.
Consequence:
Otherwise they will screw around with your credit card!
Very poor business practice. The reason I know this is not how other companies do business is that I order many things online. Most companies will not charge your card until the item ships when you order it online. That's only fair. You have to have the amount available on your card, which I did, and then they will charge the card as it becomes available and ships.
Best Buy would do well to take note and change their current practice to that.
It is ashame as I have ordered quite a lot from them but now, I may not do so in the future.
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