Best Buy Boxing Day Laptop Scam

[komot]

the one i went to a few months back also did this and they refused to waive the fee for software i didn't ask for, i told them ok i'll just purchase one online at a different store. there is a reason why BB's sales have decreased yearly and to a point where they were rumored to be heading towards bankruptcy protection.

[Binden]

i thought BestBuy and FS got in trouble for this a years back and they said they'd stop this fraud. i thought i even saw news articles on the matter....?

Futureshop is worse for this because their sales people make huge commissions on the setup fees, it's one of their biggest commission items and they make a killing on boxing day by doing this scam.

[akz]

there is really no change, they have been doing this for so many years. A few years ago everyone did stories and exposed this scam however after this BB head office sort of relinquished its power letting the GM have the overall final say on decisions made in the store. Ive had several runins with these GMs and they will gladly tell you to call head office and that they will tell you the same thing that its ultimately the store GMs decision. I guess this is there way to continue the scam while letting corporate get away with it, but we all know who really pushes these incentives in the end.

[danzerino]

Same inquired about a Laptop and told me that OS is not set up on computer and they wanted to charge me... The employee thinks I am so stupid. I just told him I dont want the computer to piss him off lol

[weedb0y]

Staples did that to me a year ago. I took pictures of the sign and escalated upwards. Within 2 days, I got the laptop from another location and additional 50 dollars off.

The hq did express their concerns with the staples near Square one in Mississauga. They didn't even want me to give any business to them.

[boyoflondon]

There is a reason why BBY stock is in the toilet ...

[ephemera]

i thought BestBuy and FS got in trouble for this a years back and they said they'd stop this fraud. i thought i even saw news articles on the matter....?

Futureshop is worse for this because their sales people make huge commissions on the setup fees, it's one of their biggest commission items and they make a killing on boxing day by doing this scam.

Yep I remember that. It was crazy on RFD that boxing day. So many people where furious. It made it to the Toronto Star even. Didn't know they are still doing this. This should be illegal or you should put the 'setup fee' in your advertising at the very least.

[asif9t9]

My jaw dropped reading this thread. I have never purchased a laptop before, and I build my own desktops. Like, I don't even get how this works. So you go to buy a box with a laptop, but it's already been opened? wtflol

[akz]

My jaw dropped reading this thread. I have never purchased a laptop before, and I build my own desktops. Like, I don't even get how this works. So you go to buy a box with a laptop, but it's already been opened? wtflol

LOL pretty much, you would be surprised the amount of saps who actually pay $150 for someone to startup your computer enter your name and burn a copy of the backup discs which can be obtained for free online. (oh! and they also help you install your copy of MS Office, cause apparently its super hard to do so LOL) They do this to be "customer centric" so that customers dont have to wait and computers are pre-done so that customers who pay the extra $150 can leave immediately after they pay for it.

I used to work returns and the amount of angry customers who come back (usually the unsuspecting mom/dad/grandmother/gradfather) asking for a refund on services they did not even want. Some did not even know they were charged the $150, these guys are real crooks they prey on the elderly and the uninformed.

[jvin85]

Do they tack on an extra fee for laptop purchases done online?

My gf just purchased a laptop from BB online yesterday, should I ask to look at her receipt to see if she's been hosed?

[Deal Grabber]

Do they tack on an extra fee for laptop purchases done online?

My gf just purchased a laptop from BB online yesterday, should I ask to look at her receipt to see if she's been hosed?

These sort of things don't happen online. The online store doesn't have half a dozen managers yelling at their staff to sell profitable services.

[cOmAtOaSt]

So Best Buy staff are agreeing to the Windows EULA? They shouldn't be, it should be the purchaser who is agreeing to it.

[hyperion]

LOL, I would have blew a gasket if I waited in line in the cold for something like this.

[j0nny]

So Best Buy staff are agreeing to the Windows EULA? They shouldn't be, it should be the purchaser who is agreeing to it.

This is pretty awesome, I lol'ed.

[annexguy]

LOL pretty much, you would be surprised the amount of saps who actually pay $150 for someone to startup your computer enter your name and burn a copy of the backup discs which can be obtained for free online. (oh! and they also help you install your copy of MS Office, cause apparently its super hard to do so LOL) They do this to be "customer centric" so that customers dont have to wait and computers are pre-done so that customers who pay the extra $150 can leave immediately after they pay for it.

I used to work returns and the amount of angry customers who come back (usually the unsuspecting mom/dad/grandmother/gradfather) asking for a refund on services they did not even want. Some did not even know they were charged the $150, these guys are real crooks they prey on the elderly and the uninformed.

The same case happened to me a few years ago, the line at laptop/TV cashier was moving very very slow. 2 sales people( both of them quite young, probably still in college), they insisted I need that $60 back up disc. I said no twice. they lowered to $40. no again. one of them ignored my words, just added to my invoice. I could see the screen , and pointed out. She then changed to $25. I used very firm tongue to confirm just need the laptop. right now, I will say , it's not my 1st boxing day here, pls do right before I use F***G word to you. that game wasted me about 15 min, at that time I knew why the line was so slow.
I will report this to some regulation agency if happen again.

weeks ago, I filed a compliant about cellphone hardware upgrade fee to CCTS http://www.ccts-cprst.ca/ , my cell C/O called me days ago and waived for me.
Everyone could have done this to stop those legit " robberies" .