Best Buy Maplewood

04-13-25 Maplewood Best Buy. I was given some of the worst customer service that I have ever had in my life. I purchased a TV through the Best Buy website for curbside pickup at the Oakdale location and went and got it an hour later. I brought it home and my wife and I carefully unboxed it and set it up. Once we powered it on we saw that the screen had been damaged at the very top in the middle. It was completely unnoticeable until the screen was lit. Disappointed, we tried calling the store but instead the number is automatically sent to their call center. So we spoke to someone at their corporate customer service department to figure out what could be done and we were told to bring it back to the store and they could exchange it for us and that there is a 15 day return window. I brought it back right away and was helped by a nice guy at the Oakdale location where it was originally purchased. He was doing his best to help me but unfortunately they didn’t have another TV like ours at their store to exchange it for. The options I was given was either to return it and they could order a new one and have it delivered to our home in a few days or I could bring the TV to the Maplewood location that day and have them exchange it because they had the same TV in stock. I went for the second option. I drove to the Maplewood location and went to the sales desk since the customer service desk was closed and explained everything to the lady working there. She called to another associate who I retold the issue to. He asked me if the other store did the return already and when I explained that I was told to bring the TV for the exchange to their store he rolled his eyes and tilted his head back and sighed while chuckling. He then told me that Best Buy doesn’t return or exchange broken TV’s per company policy because it is extremely unlikely to have been damaged in the box and that almost all damaged TV’s are caused by the customer. He then lectured me about this for about 5 minutes while also flip flopping about how fragile they are and that even touching the bezel could break it. He ended up saying that he would exchange it for me “this time” and that he couldn’t say for sure that I broke it but that most of the time it is the customers fault. So basically accusing me without directly saying it. I feel 100% confident that we didn’t damage it. So I was upset and irritated but he is going to exchange it. He asks me to go get the broken TV and bring it in while he gets the new one up to the sales counter. He doesn’t offer to have anybody help me so I go out to my car and lug it back into the store. As I walk in he’s standing at the Loss Prevention desk in the front entrance with 4 or 5 coworkers who are all talking as they watch me awkwardly duck-walking back to the sales counter with the big box. No one helps. The sales lady does the computer work and as she is doing it I asked her why their store policy was so different than what the Corporate or the Oakdale location had told us. Her explanation was that the Corporate customer care is just a call center in India that works for multiple large companies and that they don’t really know the policies and the give bad information to customers. She advised me not to ever call corporate but to just call the store. Wow! However, all store numbers go directly to the call centers as we found out when we initially called to figure out what to do and were immediately connected to corporate. When I pointed this out she mumbled something that I couldn’t make out. Once she was done with the exchange she simply pointed over to the end of the counter and said “it’s over there” where the new TV was on a cart kind of off to the side about 10 feet away and proceeded to help the next customer without getting anyone to help me move it to my car. I decided I will just take care of it myself. As I start moving the cart she tells me very loudly that I can’t use the cart. WTF! The other associate then came over after I got in trouble to offer some help. Masterclass in horrible customer service.

The shop experience was great, we got assisted well. However, I was taken aback when the dryer door is facing a different direction to that of the washer. And was told that if I would need the door flip to face the same direction to the washer, I would have to call for service and be charged for it. Also, I would like to get my BestBuy credit card to pay the bills. I haven’t received it yet and would like to complete the payment before the deadline.

Watch out for the car installation guy or guys. They don’t know what they’re doing. Bombed out on my new speakers. You can’t install on a 2004 Silverado!?

I have come here off and on over the years and appreciate the local in-store option, so that I don't have to buy everything online and keep giving Amazon money, and can actually see the device before I buy it. I've gotten some good deals on audio equipment and computers. They recently redid the store interior and things are a little easier to access and see where they are. It does seem like there's less in store though and some things like DVDs are only available online, which is disappointing. I've had a good experience with a Geek Squad appointment, where a knowledgeable associate offer to schedule me with himself directly so that the problem could get solved well and explained the different options clearly. Thanks!