"Don't ever pre-order from best buy. This is sad but I pre-ordered Forza Motorsports 2 XBOX 360 from best buy back in October. They did keep pushing the release date but that was the manufactures fault. So what happens when the game is finally released? I get an e-mail that the game is on back order for 1 to 2 weeks. Well that's not great news from a big chain. A couple of days after the game is released I went to my one and only local best buy to see if they actually didn't have the game and why. Nobody could answer that question. They checked their computers to see if any games were in transit and the answer was no.

I went one block over to Circuit city and wouldn't you guess, the game is sitting on their shelves. So I went ahead and bought it so I would have enough time to cancel my order from bestbuy.com. Unfortunately that evening when I get home they sent me an e-mail that the shipment was on it's way.

On it's way from where! Mars?! This was June 1st they shipped it out. It's now June 12th and according to the tracking information it's been at the USPS facility in Phoenix Az (2 1/2 hours from my town) since June 5th. This and past incidents have proven that best buy doesn't care about customer service.
Here's the tracking information to prove it.

PackageID: 02849798814012742000
Sequence Number: 100200602070466091
Shipment Control Number: 080000208439
Zip Code: 85350
Weight (lbs.): 0.421


Date Description Location
Jun 1 2007 Mail Retrieved From Shipper
Jun 1 2007 Received at UPS Mail Innovations Origin RPF Carol Stream, IL
Jun 1 2007 Processed at UPS Mail Innovations Origin RPF Carol Stream, IL
Jun 2 2007 Transferred to UPS Mail Innovations Destination RPF R. Cucamonga, CA
Jun 4 2007 Received at UPS Mail Innovations Destination RPF R. Cucamonga, CA
Jun 4 2007 Manifested (Postage Paid)
Jun 5 2007 Entered USPS Facility - BMC PHOENIX, AZ

Don't pre-order. Just a warning. I was thinking of pre-ordering Halo 3 but I will never do so at best buy.
"

"Best Buy is horrible when it comes to customer service. Absolutely horrible. Unless you know EXACTLY what you want and can walk in and out of a Best Buy store with you purchase in hand, DO NOT buy from them. I have nothing against a big chain, it's just that I've never had an issue arise that wasn't handled with complete incompetence.

All things considered, of all the past problems I've had with Best Buy, this is the most tame. However, I think it does a fair job conveying how pathetic their customer service truly is.

On May 29, 2007 I pre-ordered a music CD (release date was June 5, 2007). On June 5th, I called Best Buy customer service and asked if I could do an "In-Store-Pick-Up" rather than having the item mailed to me. I was informed that the order was in the shipping phase and that they couldn't stop the process. I was told to expect my package within 7 days.

Fine. No problem, right? Wrong.

The very next day I receive an email stating the item is on back-order and won't be shipped for 2 weeks. Wait a second...didn't the CSR tell me they couldn't change my order because it was in the process of being shipped?!

So, I went online and verified that all the local Best Buy's around my house (4 of them) had the CD in stock...which according to BestBuy.com, they ALL did.

So, the next morning I called customer service again and re-requested that I be able to pick up my order "In-Store." This time, I was told by the CSR that NONE of the stores had any in stock at all. I told her that I verified online around midnight that the 4 closest stores did in fact have the CD in stock. She told me I was wrong and actually read back the addresses of 6 local stores and told me none of them had any.

So, I immediately canceled my ordered (which Best Buy did without much trouble).

What I didn't tell the CSR when I spoke to her was that I was calling from my cell phone and was driving to my nearest Best Buy as we were speaking. And the very store which she claimed had zero in stock, literally had dozens on the shelf! So, I purchased the CD in-store and walked out of Best Buy.

If Best Buy wishes to dispute this claim, I'll be more than happy to scan & upload my cancellation email AND my in-store receipt showing that the online order was canceled today (June 7) and that I purchased the CD in-store today (June 7) less than 30 minutes after being told by the CSR that they didn't have any in-stock.

In summary: I was lied to and told my order was in the "shipping" phase and would be received in less than 1 week. Just 24 hours later, I found out my purchase was on actually on back-order. Then, I was lied to and told NONE of my local stores had any in-stock (the CSR listed more than 6 local stores as being completely out-of-stock). Only to find out less than 30 minutes after canceling my order, I able to walk into one of the very stores that was supposedly out-of-stock, to find dozens of copies sitting on the shelf.

Best Buy customer service is horrible. They are pathetic and incompetent. Unless you're walking into a store to purchase a DVD, CD, or video game, stay far away from Best Buy."

"I had forgot to update my account to show a new shipping address. Ordered a vaccum cleaner and suddenly seen it was to be delivered to my old address. So I emailed Customer service and they would not respond to emails. Then I had to call and when I did talk to someone they said they could not change my address. They have a UPS account. Whether you are a corporation or an individual if you have a UPS account you can change the address by logging in to your account.
They were just simply too lazy to or incompetent to do it.

I went to the local UPS terminal and gave them the tracking number and they said they would take care of it. They also said that BestBuy could have changed the address and that they got complaints about them all the time.

I will never purchase from them again"

"I had the worse shopping experience in my life when i ordered a panasonic 42" plasma that was delivered cracked. and the store refused to replace it."

"I preordered Lord of the Rings Online game from Best Buy online. I was supposed to get a "preorder" package that included a key that allowed you to play and get certain benefits for being a founding member of the game. Myself and thousands of others have not received that preorder package. In fact, we call Best Buy and ask them about it and they either don't know what we are talking about or tell us they're trying to get the keys and we'll hear back from them in 5-10 days. It's unacceptable to offer a preorder to a game and then leave your buyers actually unable to play the game 6 days after release. Even if we have our LOTRO retail package, we can't enter our codes to play without that original "founder's" code that most of us never got.
Many of us have contacted Turbine, the company that created the game, and they've emailed us keys. That does not relieve Best Buy, however, for their lack of knowledge of a game they offered."

"I first assumed that Best Buy's rating on resellerratings.com was so low because Best Buy does not usually cater to enthusiasts, and the crowd that is its customer base primarily posts a review only when something goes wrong. I was quite wrong. Out of a total of five orders from their website, only one was satisfactorily completed. Other orders ended in cancellations of items that were supposedly "in stock", and others ended in overcharges on my credit cards while at the same time their automated system claims that my credit cards are not valid. Their customer service often means well but is ineffective at reaching a resolution.

Don't do business here. You can find practically anything from their website from stores with better prices and better customer service."

"Fast Confirmation, Excellent Packaging and Delivery was exactly as stated in the tracking link provided.

I ordered the TV show 24 seasons 3,4, and 5 for 19.99 each with free shipping and the product arrived very well protected and in collector case quality.

I felt secure in dealing with their website security, and would easily shop with BB again."

"I placed an order for a Panasonic FX-01S camera with Best Buy because they had a very attractive price. In fact I thought it was a typo. I got an e-mail a few days later informing me that the camera was on back order. About a week later, another e-mail stating that “Unfortunately we are not anticipating receiving any more inventory for this item”. They graciously offered to replace it with a newer & more expensive model (FX-07) at the same original price. I called and happily accepted the substitute. All of my contacts with Best Buy were very courteous and professional. I had my camera a few days later and they did not charge the card until the item was shipped. I can whole-heartedly recommend Best Buy for on-line purchases."

"their computer support is a complete joke. i have a platinum service plan which means that they guarantee that it will be back from service in 7 days. i sent it in on the 13th of FEB and just got it back today the 6th of MAR after calling them at least 10 times and calling geeksquad headquarters only to get an "i cant help you". i am never buying from them again. what a mistake."

"Unacceptable shipping time, non-existant customer service.

I ordered 7 DVDs from Best Buy Online, with a gift card, on 2/17. On 2/18, I received an email confirmation that the items were shipped. I tracked the items, and here is what I have learned:

2/18- order shipped via UPS from warehouse to USPS facility.
2/20- Delivered to USPS, where they sat until...
2/23- Shipped by ground from USPS. No further tracking info available.

It is now 3/5, and no merchandise, yet.

I was charged $1.79 PER ITEM (total $12.53) for "ground shipping", even though the items were all sent in one 3 lb. box. I assumed ground shipping meant UPS, not a combination of UPS/USPS. This is an outrageously inflated shipping charge, and the time of delivery is unacceptable.

I called on 3/3 to the customer service help line, and was transferred to INDIA, to a "customer care representative" who offered to track my package for me. They also helpfully offered to count the days on the calendar to be sure I had waited the required 8-10 business days for ground shipment. I said I had already done that, the package hadn't arrived, and that I wanted my shipping charges refunded. The person said they could not take any action until after I received my package, whenever that may be. A supervisor echoed the same statement.

I then wrote a complaint online, and again stated that I never recieved my shipment, and that I wanted my shipping charges refunded. I received a complete blow-off form letter stating that I should expect at least 8-10 days for delivery via ground, which has come and passed. Also one should consider the fact that Saturdays are indeed a business day for the USPS.

A funny thing- the next day they sent me a survey asking how my online experience was with the response to my complaint.

My next step will be to complain to their corporate headquarters, which is aparrently still located in the USA.

This may sound petty on my part, but in this current day and age, where so many online merchants offer low or even free shipping on items ordered, I am outraged that I was charged much more than the going rate for snail-low delivery.

And, let me say that nothing is more of a direct reflection of a companies regard for its customers than the way it handles its customer service. The last thing ANYONE wants to hear while trying to resolve a problem, is that ther call has been answered by an overseas call center in India. This is offensive to me on several levels. It is creepy and unnerving to report a problem, not to mention giving out personal information, to some anonymous person halfway around the world who has just learned barely enough English to sit in a chair at a call center.

So, still I wait............. I'll update this with a final date if I ever receive my package...
This will be my last transaction with Best Buy.
"

"I got a few Best Buy giftcards as gifts so I could purchase a new digital camera. I've been shopping at Best Buy for awhile, both in-store and online and the majority of my experiences have been good, like this one. Camera was on sale, order processed quickly. With the regular shipping, I ordered the Camera, a memory card and a USB memory card reader on Sunday, and they were at my house on Wednesday.

Only thing I would say in retrospect, I could have gotten a better deal on the memory card ordering elsewhere, but I wanted to get everything at once so I could immediatly start using it.

Great experience, fast shipping."

"Best Buy is actually Worst Buy. I will never shop in Best Buy in Ames, Iowa any more. Two managers (one female, one male) I met there were so rude. They would not take care of a bad DVD recorder I bought from their store. The third male manager was not rude, but he said because the DVD recorder was not expensive, so I got a bad DVD recorder. "

"My comment is in regard to the Magnolia section of Best Buy only. I had a previous bad experience when buying an XBOX 360 at Best Buy, but this time the service was way above the usual.

First, the attention and care displayed by the salesperson and administrative/finance girl were above any expectation. The salesguy really listened to my needs. The financing process was easy and amicable.

Still, since I walked out spending more than 3 times what I was expecting (kudos to the salesperson) I had buyer's remorse. That, until I talked to a good friend that works in the industry that told me what a good deal I did.

But, for personal reasons, all the boxes sit in my house for 6 weeks. And when I unpacked, the Pioneer Elite 50" screen was broken in 3 places!

So, 6 weeks later I walk into the store believing that this would be a real nightmare. And guess what? I didn't finish explaining it when the girl asked me if all I wanted to do was to exchange by the same model. YES! And 15 minutes later I was loading the car with the exchanged TV.

Today I started installing everything. The TV is done. And let me tell you, the combination of a DISH HD DVR with the Pioneer Elite 50 is a TOTAL BLAST.

The colors, the contrast, the everything...
I just can't wait to connect the home theatre.

So, for Best Buy aisle for the 360 I give a 2.5.
For Magnolia, a 9.5, if not a 10."

"The Order Process was Great. No Errors in any way shape or form. I ordered a "" NETGEAR SUPER G WIRELESS PCMCIA 108 MB CARD "" It was Shipped out the Next day and Arrived when Stated. For the First time Ordering from Best Buy they Did a Great Job. It was also Well Packed with NO Damage at all. Worked Perfectly on my Laptop. So I think I would Try them Again. "

"I ordered a 250G Western Digital hard drive after seeing it on sale in that week's sales flier. Because I was rather busy that week and wasn't sure when I could get to the store, I decided to order it online for in-store pickup.

Within a few minutes of placing my order, I received a email confirming my order, that the item was in stock and was being processed. A short time later, I received another email stating that the hard drive was ready for pickup.

When I finally got to the store a few days later, customer service took my confirmation email/receipt, verified my order, and went and got the hard drive from the store room. As soon as I got home, I installed it; I am happy to report that the hard drive is working fine.

I would definitely consider ordering online for in-store pickup again."