Best Buy White Marsh

I recently visited Best Buy to purchase a phone charging cable for my new car. While I was there, I decided to browse televisions because my faithful 16-year-old TV has finally reached the point where it has fewer HDMI ports than the devices I need to connect to it and my switch box just doesn’t work like I want it to. After 16 years, I suppose it has earned the right to retire. Back in 2020, I purchased a Samsung television that was widely regarded as one of the best models available at the time. Unfortunately, after only six months, the screen went completely black while the audio continued to work. I contacted a repair technician, who informed me that the repair would cost more than the television was worth. Since then, I have continued using my old TV because I was hesitant to invest in another expensive piece of “latest technology” that might not last even a year. While looking at an LG television, I couldn’t find where the box listed the number of HDMI ports. A Samsung representative approached and asked if I needed assistance. After I asked about the ports, he brought over the LG representative, who recommended a different QLED model that was only about $20 more. As we discussed the television, I asked how long QLED TVs are generally expected to last. I mentioned that I believed the television I had previously owned was either an OLED or QLED model and explained that it had failed after only six months. I told them I was understandably reluctant to spend a significant amount of money on another television if there was a chance I would experience the same issue again. The Samsung representative asked what had happened to my previous TV, and I explained that it had lost all picture while the sound continued to function. Rather than acknowledging my experience, he told me I didn’t know what I was talking about. He insisted I must have been referring to an older LCD television because, according to him, there was “no way” a newer television could have experienced that type of failure. He explained in detail that OLED TVs only have individual diodes that may burn out, and never the full screen. He then said, “Why don’t you follow me over to the Samsung section so I can explain in more detail why what you’re saying couldn’t have happened?” There is an important distinction between making a sales pitch and dismissing a customer’s lived experience. I fully expect sales representatives to advocate for their products, and I have no issue with that. What I do object to is being told that an event I personally experienced could not have occurred. Whether my previous television was OLED, QLED, or another model entirely, I know it lost its picture after six months because I was the one staring at a black screen while still hearing the audio, and I was the one who paid the diagnostics fee for a tv specific repairman. A much more effective response would have been something like, “I’m sorry you had that experience. Let me show you some of our current models and explain what improvements have been made since then.” That is professional salesmanship. Telling a customer that their experience didn’t happen is not. I’ve done some investigation, and apparently OLED TVs CAN actually fail in the same way that my QLED TV did. I hope that your managers at this location can remind employees that the customers are actually real people who deserve to be treated with respect. Doing so might actually even help a sale take place. I won’t be buying my next TV from here, but I’m hoping that other people will have a better experience with customer service than I did.

Workers were helpful and friendly no complaints at all !

The worst experience ever. Did a trade in online to receive a substantial trade in offer. Get to check out and the employee that helped me said that the trade in offer disappeared. BS. He didn't know how to fix it. Then tried to return it and have me to repurchase. No No. Needless to say I didn't get my $500 trade in credit.

Service was not helpful at all.