Circuit City thumbs DOWN...

[mayor]

I know this isn't an Internet deal, but I would like to vent just the same.

I bought a big screen TV from Circuit City (whom I never liked before, but they had the TV I wanted). It was a floor model with the same warranty. It's been just 2 1/2 weeks and the thing isn't working. They will not swap it out for a new one since it was a floor model. They want to charge me the difference for a new TV.

I spoke to everyone I could and they were more interested in their "policy" than in helping the customer.

What do you expect from a "Radio Shack" company? So I am returning the TV and going to my favorite electronics store, Best Buy.

I would advise everyone to tread carefully before going into Circuit City.

In my opinion...

Mayor

[ang379]

Shouldn't the warranty have covered the problem? That's a shame - I've always had better experiences at Circuit City than at Best Buy. In fact I'll never shop Best Buy again - I bought an ink cartridge from them, brought it home, it was dried up. Took it back that night with the receipt, and the manager accused me of switching an old cartridge so that I could get two for one. I was so furious. He finally gave me a new one, and I decided to open it in front of him just to make sure this cartridge was good...well sure enough, it was dried as well. I don't think I've ever seen such a deep color red as I did on that man's piggish little face. I've got about 8 other Best Buy horror stories, but this one sticks out the most in my mind.

As for Circuit City, I just called the manager I know at the one in Denver, and he said that unless you received more than a 10% discount for purchasing the floor model, regular return policies apply - company policy he said, so that should apply to where you're at.

Sorry you're having problems - especially with an item that isn't physically easy to return. Hope all turns out well.

[mayor]

Oh, they'll take the TV back. They just won't give me a NEW one since it was a floor model. If I wanted a new one, I'd have to pay more.

Bogus. Nothing but trouble.

Mayor

[ang379]

I'm sorry - I should have worded it better, mea culpa. My precariously vague "take it back" meant that you could take it back and they should give, not charge more, for the same product, or if out of stock, comprable product. Dave said that this was company policy, so the story you're dealing with should adhere to this instead of what they're telling you.

Either way, you're right, what a hassle to have to go through.

[gingerblue]

I have also found Circuit City to generally stink. The people working there are all 15 year olds who know nothing except to try and sell you the most expensive thing they can, half of everything that you buy comes either used or broken (most likely BOTH) and whatever else is in the store is out of stock.

Sort of like the Real Life buy.com

Not exactly a fun experience.

g

[ang379]

I know you said you like Best Buy, Mayor, but Ginerblue's comments sound like my experiences from them, not Circuit City. But, customer service and quality can vary by store as well as by company. Either way, it always sucks when there's problems and the people who took your money have no interest in earning more from you, just want to make your life harder.

[crazycorky]

I had nothing but good luck with Circuit City!! I buy everything there Tv, Dvd player, Computers and ect. I agree with Circuit City on your problem, why should they replace it with a new one! If you bought a new in the first place then they would of haved to replaced with a new. But you bought a floor model and two weeks later your asking them to replace it for a new one. The reason you bought the floor model was to save money, and what you said was you return that TV and went somewhere else. So they done right, they refund your money and you weren't out anything! If they gave you a new TV at the same price as the floor model then they must sell that TV to everyone for the same price you paid for the floor model! That why they could trade it in for a new TV.
I don't see them doing anything wrong with how they treated you.
Corky

[gingerblue]

*shakes head*

I hope you don't run a store, Corky.

I still do NOT agree with the way Circuit City operates.

[crazycorky]

gingerblue,
Hehehehe, no i don't run a Circuit City store. Maybe its what Circuit City you shop at. I never had nothing but good like here. I bought a set of Bose AMBL5 speakers here that cost $599.99, they had them at Circuit City for $499.99 they had none in stock that day so sold me the AMBL6 Model which use $699.99 and Circuit City had them for $599.99 and
sold them to me for the same price as the AMBL5 which was $499.99. Well a week later i seen the AMBL5 go on sell for $399.99 call Circuit City told that they can give be the extra $100. off or i'll bring theseback
and i'll go to the other store. Well they gave me the $100. off. So i got the Bose AMBL6 that was selling for $699.99 for only $399.99. Saved $300. here and i have many more storys like this one.
I do agree that they should of gave Mayor a discount on a new tv but not exchage it for the same price as the floor model. Then again i'm not sure what he paid for the floor model.
But Mayor if i was you, try another Circuit City because they allways treated me great. And you must of got one of those bad Circuit City stores that was privately owned.
Corky

P.S. You have a great site here Mayor!

[gingerblue]

Most stores have a "30 day price guarantee" policy where they guarantee you that if the price drops they will pay you the difference if you bring in your receipt, so they weren't doing you a favor there, Corky. In fact, that little folder/pamphlet they put your receipt in when you check out is all about that.

Most stores are aware of a big sale on certain items a few days/weeks in advance (I'm in the television advertising business, and clients need to get their sales commercials to us at least a week in advance) so when they cut you a deal and gave you $100 off on a product that was going to go down $200, they probably knew that they weren't doing you any favors.

I dunno. If you like shopping there, by all means keep doing it. Circuit City has some low prices, that IS a fact. It's just their customer service and sales team that I despise.

Mayor, you may want to take Corky's advice and bring back the TV to another CC (this is only convenient if you live in a metropolitan area) or try bringing it back without a receipt and say it was a gift from your spouse/family/friend and came damaged. Another thing to do is buy a new one (if you can afford to) and then bring back the damaged one and use the receipt from the new one to get your money back.

<b>Don't get me wrong</b>- I'm **not** advocating deceptive practices, but I think when they are screwing you over with this big a purchase, you need to do whatever it takes to get your money back. They will just send the damaged one back to the manufacturer, but if you want to know for sure, ask them what will happen to the damaged item.

However, in this case, I wouldn't feel bad if CC took the hit because they tried to screw YOU into taking it. These sorts of purchases are really more investments because they do dent your savings a bit.

Again, I want to emphasize that I am not advocating people do these types of returns if THE CONSUMER damaged the item- that's just immoral. But if you get an item that came broken from a store, and they won't take it back, sometimes you need to take action as a consumer.

g

[TheChemic]

Dear Mayor (a.k.a. moron)

I hope someday you start your own retail store and give your customers what you expect Circuit City to give to you. But I think that in reality, if you were put in their shoes, you couldn't practice what you preach. If you could, that would be awsome. Because then, every week, I would come to your store to buy a display item for about 10-20% off. Then 2 1/2 weeks later I would bring it back and demand a brand new one in a box. Therefore forcing you and your lame company to eat hundreds of dollars in mark downs. Then, when your store gets a reputation for being let taken advantage of, hundreds of people will come to your store and do the same thing. Forcing your company into bankruptcy. It's people like you mayor, that take advantage of awsome stores like Circuit City and drive retail prices UP for the rest of us. You bought a display item. You got it at a discounted price. It is under MANUFACTURER WARRANTY and that's how you should resolve your situation. You got exactly what you paid for.

Mayor, next time you have a garage sale let me know. I'm going to buy a used shirt from you for 1 dollar. Then when it doesn't fit right im going to demand you give me a brand new one. Sounds fair to me.

Have a nice day,
TheChemic

[TheChemic]

And for those of you who like Best Buy.

Best Buy is the same store that had a man ARRESTED for price comparrison. PRICE COMPARRISON!! That was a NATIONALLY TELEVISED LEGAL BATTLE. How do you expect to know if you're getting the "best buy" when you shop at Best Buy if you can't even compare prices?

The name "BEST BUY" is just a way for multimillion dollar jerks to take advantage of uneducated consumers. The name "BEST BUY" leads the consumer to believe that you dont have to educate yourself about the products you need and that you dont have to shop around for the lowest price. It's just assumed you're getting all that when you walk in to a "BEST BUY" But I gaurantee you that if you did a little homework before you spent your hard earned dollar, you would find that the best prices and most knowledgable sales people are not at Best Buy. If that isn't true, then why does Best Buy discourage price comparrison by ARRESTING it's customers that do so.

Have fun shopping at Best Buy. I'll come visit you in jail,
TheChemic