By Mark W. Danielson
This week I’ll defer my murderous plots to make a public service announcement. Recently, my daughter has suffered a series of unfortunate events. Replacing her car’s catalytic converter was followed by a hit and run and a flash flood that ruined her engine. Then her computer broke, and since the Bank of Dad can’t cover everything, she agreed to buy a replacement while earning personal credit. If only it was that easy. Best Buy may have competitive prices, but obtaining credit is so astounding, it’s worth sharing the story.
My daughter lives in Florida and I’m in Colorado. Normally, it’s not a problem, but for obtaining Best Buy credit, it’s huge. They denied her personal application because she has never had a credit card, so I volunteered to co-sign. The Florida store rep told me to go to Best Buy.com and fill out the joint application on line. The problem is, there is no on-line joint form; only one for individual applicants. Clicking on the help box linked me to a person who couldn’t help, but passed me on. Fifteen minutes later, I was speaking with a seemingly knowledgeable person who said I needed to go to a Best Buy while my daughter was at her Best Buy, she would fill out her portion of the joint form, they would fax it to my store, I would fill out my portion, and after a Best Buy rep verified my information, they would fax it back to the Florida store who would then fax it to the bank. We expected to be approved in five to fifteen minutes, but that was hardly the case.
It seems unlikely that a store that sells electronics would not have compatible fax machines, but that’s what happened. Following numerous failed attempts, we gave up, my daughter going to work; I home. Upon arrival, I immediately called the Florida store, the computer answered, but no one ever came on the line. A second try was the same, but the third time a live person came on. After they confirmed receipt of my practice fax, I sent my joint application. My daughter later returned to the store, filled out her portion, and we were once again denied because we were not in the store together, insisting their policy is we must be in the same store to verify the information. Never mind that our information had been verified by Best Buy reps in our respective stores. Talking to a supervisor didn’t change much, even though her caller ID matched everything on the application. Since I wasn’t calling from a Best Buy store, she couldn’t approve it. She finally told me that “as a courtesy” she would approve my application if I was to go back to the store and call her from there. I was too burned out at that point. She said she would make notations to keep the application open and I ended the call, then I called my daughter telling her to go home. So far, she had been in and out her store four times, and I have wasted a day and a half.
The next morning I returned to Best Buy, confident that this could be resolved. After spending 45 minutes on the phone with three different people, our application was again denied, reciting the policy that both people must be in the same store, so in spite of what the rep told me the night before, I wasted another morning, and over six hours on the phone. Ultimately, the Bank of Dad fronted another loan and she got her computer, but that one proved defective. They gave her another one, but she returned it after finding a more reliable store on campus. After all of our troubles, Best Buy had the nerve to charge her a $70.00 “restocking fee” on a computer that cost $579.00 I should add that my other daughter underwent similar problems with her new Best Buy computer.
So, will I be returning to Best Buy anytime soon? I think not. In fact, I doubt I’ll ever go back. Is the credit issue related to the economy? Perhaps, but my co-signing would certainly cover that. Are these computers breaking because they are made in China now instead of Malaysia? Perhaps. Is Best Buy really your best buy? You be the judge. The bottom line is all stores and computers are not created equal. Explore your options before making any major purchase, and if your kids live in a different state, good luck dealing with issues over the phone.
This week I’ll defer my murderous plots to make a public service announcement. Recently, my daughter has suffered a series of unfortunate events. Replacing her car’s catalytic converter was followed by a hit and run and a flash flood that ruined her engine. Then her computer broke, and since the Bank of Dad can’t cover everything, she agreed to buy a replacement while earning personal credit. If only it was that easy. Best Buy may have competitive prices, but obtaining credit is so astounding, it’s worth sharing the story.
My daughter lives in Florida and I’m in Colorado. Normally, it’s not a problem, but for obtaining Best Buy credit, it’s huge. They denied her personal application because she has never had a credit card, so I volunteered to co-sign. The Florida store rep told me to go to Best Buy.com and fill out the joint application on line. The problem is, there is no on-line joint form; only one for individual applicants. Clicking on the help box linked me to a person who couldn’t help, but passed me on. Fifteen minutes later, I was speaking with a seemingly knowledgeable person who said I needed to go to a Best Buy while my daughter was at her Best Buy, she would fill out her portion of the joint form, they would fax it to my store, I would fill out my portion, and after a Best Buy rep verified my information, they would fax it back to the Florida store who would then fax it to the bank. We expected to be approved in five to fifteen minutes, but that was hardly the case.
It seems unlikely that a store that sells electronics would not have compatible fax machines, but that’s what happened. Following numerous failed attempts, we gave up, my daughter going to work; I home. Upon arrival, I immediately called the Florida store, the computer answered, but no one ever came on the line. A second try was the same, but the third time a live person came on. After they confirmed receipt of my practice fax, I sent my joint application. My daughter later returned to the store, filled out her portion, and we were once again denied because we were not in the store together, insisting their policy is we must be in the same store to verify the information. Never mind that our information had been verified by Best Buy reps in our respective stores. Talking to a supervisor didn’t change much, even though her caller ID matched everything on the application. Since I wasn’t calling from a Best Buy store, she couldn’t approve it. She finally told me that “as a courtesy” she would approve my application if I was to go back to the store and call her from there. I was too burned out at that point. She said she would make notations to keep the application open and I ended the call, then I called my daughter telling her to go home. So far, she had been in and out her store four times, and I have wasted a day and a half.
The next morning I returned to Best Buy, confident that this could be resolved. After spending 45 minutes on the phone with three different people, our application was again denied, reciting the policy that both people must be in the same store, so in spite of what the rep told me the night before, I wasted another morning, and over six hours on the phone. Ultimately, the Bank of Dad fronted another loan and she got her computer, but that one proved defective. They gave her another one, but she returned it after finding a more reliable store on campus. After all of our troubles, Best Buy had the nerve to charge her a $70.00 “restocking fee” on a computer that cost $579.00 I should add that my other daughter underwent similar problems with her new Best Buy computer.
So, will I be returning to Best Buy anytime soon? I think not. In fact, I doubt I’ll ever go back. Is the credit issue related to the economy? Perhaps, but my co-signing would certainly cover that. Are these computers breaking because they are made in China now instead of Malaysia? Perhaps. Is Best Buy really your best buy? You be the judge. The bottom line is all stores and computers are not created equal. Explore your options before making any major purchase, and if your kids live in a different state, good luck dealing with issues over the phone.
