Best Buy "Rewards"

[Moonraker]

Has anyone else tried to get the Best Buy Rewards program to reinstate a voucher/certificate/piece of !@#$...? We recently found $45 worth of expired coupons so we went to Best Buy to try to use them on a dryer - the store manager said to contact the Rewards Program. So we did - no go - the Rewards Program says that Best Buy will not allow them to reinstate the coupons... Does Best Buy think the public will still want to do business with a company that pushes these worthless programs and then hires another company to enforce its hostile rules? This is why people go to Walmart and Sams - no worthless snake oil, just better prices.  
Best Buy is not the best buy.  

[TURobY]

quote:Originally posted by Moonraker

Has anyone else tried to get the Best Buy Rewards program to reinstate a voucher/certificate/piece of !@#$...? We recently found $45 worth of expired coupons so we went to Best Buy to try to use them on a dryer - the store manager said to contact the Rewards Program. So we did - no go - the Rewards Program says that Best Buy will not allow them to reinstate the coupons... Does Best Buy think the public will still want to do business with a company that pushes these worthless programs and then hires another company to enforce its hostile rules? This is why people go to Walmart and Sams - no worthless snake oil, just better prices.  
Best Buy is not the best buy.  

So let me make sure I understand this correctly...

You tried to use a coupon/voucher that had already expired? And you wonder why they didn't accept it? Is that correct?

[sgrizzle]

Yes, the Best Buy Reward Zone program issues certificate in increments of $5, $10, etc as points are earned. Once that certificate is issued, the points are deducted from your account. You have something like 90 days to use the certificates before they expire.

This is all in the documentation, but you are right on one aspect, they are counting on people letting the certificates expire.

[cannon_fodder]

Best Buy has really cracked down on their policies.  They actually enforce their rules now. many other stores are doing similar things with expired coupons, returns, ect.  Too many people were scamming the stores.

Best Buy, in particular, used to subscribe to a "loss leader" philosophy.  The Rewards Program lost money.  The $1 DVRs lost money.  Half their Xmas promotions lost money.  But they intended to make up that money while those customers bought additional items.

Unfortunately, their core market segment (college kids, young professionals) can just as easily buy such things online later.  So they come in, buy the $1 DVRs, look at the new XBOX, and then buy the $1 DVRs and go online to get everything else.

Expect few freebies or favors from Best Buy from now on.  They made that change ~ 2 years ago now.

[DM]

I dont like BB anyway. You can never find someone that works there and when you do, they dont know nothing about the products in the store. I like Circuit City and Ultimate Electronics.

[BKDotCom]

quote:Originally posted by DM

they dont know nothing

At least they know something.  Seems the help at most stores don't know anything.

[TURobY]

No, I know about Rewards Zone. I used to work at Best Buy. []

I guess I'm just having a hard time understanding the outrage about a store not accepting an expired coupon. []

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by DM

I dont like BB anyway. You can never find someone that works there and when you do, they dont know nothing about the products in the store. I like Circuit City and Ultimate Electronics.

Midtown BB had a guy we called the "DVD Oracle" but he hasn't been in there the last few times I went. Ultimate spent 3 days and about $400 trying to correct a mistake they made when selling me a car alarm. I had a similar issue at circuit city and I ended up paying partially for their mistake just to get it over with. I also tried shopping for a PC for a family member at circuit city but they had one sales guy working, 7 customers, and no prices or spec sheets on the PC's.

All 3 have major issues as far as I'm concerned.

[YoungTulsan]

I don't take coupons from giant chickens.   Not after last time...

[jne]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

quote:Originally posted by DM

I dont like BB anyway. You can never find someone that works there and when you do, they dont know nothing about the products in the store. I like Circuit City and Ultimate Electronics.

Midtown BB had a guy we called the "DVD Oracle" but he hasn't been in there the last few times I went. Ultimate spent 3 days and about $400 trying to correct a mistake they made when selling me a car alarm. I had a similar issue at circuit city and I ended up paying partially for their mistake just to get it over with. I also tried shopping for a PC for a family member at circuit city but they had one sales guy working, 7 customers, and no prices or spec sheets on the PC's.

All 3 have major issues as far as I'm concerned.

Yeah, they're all terrible.  The exception to your 1 sales guy to 7 customers is Christmas time.  Then you are preyed on by a swarm of sales guys trying to up-sale and scam you on extended warranties and accessories you don't need.  I find myself using tiger direct and newegg.  With car alarms and stereos, I'd rather use crutchfield and try to do it on my own.

[sauerkraut]

I'm not a big fan of "Best Buy" everyone working there is under 25 years old, most are just teens working part time & returns are a hassle. I like to get electronics at a store like Wal-Mart with a simple E-Z return policy no questions asked. In fact most all electronic stores are not friendly toward returns.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by YoungTulsan

I don't take coupons from giant chickens.   Not after last time...

[Rowdy]

I never understood the philosophy of rewards like CC and BB.  Just like previously mentioned, give me a good one-time deal, right then and there and Ill walk away a happier customer.

[sauerkraut]

quote:Originally posted by Rowdy

I never understood the philosophy of rewards like CC and BB.  Just like previously mentioned, give me a good one-time deal, right then and there and Ill walk away a happier customer.

I agree, all those gimicks with strings attached, just like buying an extended waranity policy on a product. I also don't like those stores that require you to have those "Customer discount cards" -like "HomeLand Foods" does in Tulsa and up here in Ohio stores like "Giant Eagle" & "Kroger" and many drug stores like CVS require you to have a card to get the cheapest prices. They have a two price system one price for card holders and another price for people with no cards -and courts have said it's legal.. To get a card you have to give the store all your personal info so they can track your buying habits. I always just give them fake info, but the card is free. Paying money to get into some discount program where you earn points  is also not for me. In the long run you loose unless you really do alot of shopping at that place, some bookstores like to have stuff like that..

[Goodpasture]

quote:Originally posted by sauerkraut

Originally posted by Rowdy

I also don't like those stores that require you to have those "Customer discount cards" -like "HomeLand Foods" does in Tulsa

Those cards certainly changed my buying habits. I go to those stores, buy ONLY what is on my list that is discounted, then head over to Wal-Mart and Conrads for everything else.