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Best Buy Offers Bogus "3D Sync" Service

Posted by timothy on from the this-way-to-the-egress dept.

Token_Internet_Girl writes "Fewer than two weeks after Best Buy offered the first Full 3D HDTVs for sale in the US, its latest Sunday circular (3/21/10) promotes a Samsung 3D TV deal consisting of a 55" 3D TV, 3D capable Blu-ray player, 2 pairs of glasses, a Blu-ray movie and Geek Squad delivery and installation. The ad states the service includes TV and Blu-ray player set-up, connection to your wireless network and 'sync your 3D glasses for an amazing experience.' The package price lists the 'geek' services as a $150 value. The offer's only problem is that there is no such thing as syncing 3D glasses. They sync automatically." Here's Best Buy Corporate's response to this hilarity.

8 of 248 comments (clear)

  1. Best buy response (the site is getting slow) by zebadee · · Score: 5, Informative

    Best Buy Responds To “3D Glasses Syncing Service”

    (March 23, 2010) We asked Best Buy’s media relations department last week why Best Buy’s Geek Squad offers a fictional 3D glasses syncing service? (link to our original story). Below is the corporate response.

    “I wanted to address any lingering confusion about the characterization of services support in the Best Buy Samsung 3DTV offer that was advertised in yesterday’s (March 21) insert. We by no means intended to confuse our customers or offer fraudulent services. The offer is new to our stores, and our own employees were trained on it just this past week.

    Let me clarify the services that are included with this offer. Geek Squad will:

    1. Set up and connect your TV + up to 5 components (Blu Ray, Cable Box, Satellite Box, etc )

    2. Add your internet enabled Blu ray/Gaming Console or internet enabled TV to your existing wireless network so you can access online content such as Netflix and Pandora.

    3. Make sure your 3D glasses work – some solutions we sell need TV settings adjusted so that 3D glasses are enabled – there are both 3D and non 3D settings for viewing

    4. Review and teach you how to use all of your new gear.

    We have some customers who aren’t quite sure how the 3D glasses work, or that the glasses automatically sync with their new 3D TVs. So we wanted to convey that they can depend on Geek Squad to answer their questions during installation and set-up. There is no additional charge for this – and the Geek Squad 3D installation and networking services are included in the total price of this offer.

    You know we’re as enthusiastic about 3D as you are, and equally committed to help educate consumers about how to get the most from this home entertainment experience.”

  2. Re:Poor choice of verb. by PsychoSlashDot · · Score: 4, Informative

    Agreed. There are plenty of instances where dumbing-down technical descriptions of what us technology-savvy folk are doing edges into falsehood. Sometimes to explain things to the uninformed you have to condense to the point of being easily misunderstood by others in-the-know.

    The consumer will interpret that "syncing" thing as "doing whatever techno-wizardry is necessary to make sure the purchased stuff Just Works (tm)". The technician will basically test for DOA, or make whatever minor adjustments (ie. take off the packing foam) are needed. Syncing. Good enough.

    No sign of intent to mislead or defraud. Alarmism.

    --
    "Oh no... he found the .sig setting."
  3. Re:Poor choice of verb. by twidarkling · · Score: 4, Informative

    Finally got to read BB's response, and it sounds like a cover. They were full of shit, got called on it, and then decided to go whole-hog and cover their asses. I don't buy it. They already said "We'll set it up and make sure everything works," so they didn't need to mention "syncing" 3D glasses, and the differing responses from employees tells me they didn't fucking bother with any sort of training, or even an explanation.

    --
    Canada: The US's more awesome sibling.
  4. Re:Poor choice of verb. by dangitman · · Score: 3, Informative

    Erm, so you're saying that actually they're not doing anything wrong, because this is a legitimate service they're offering - i.e. charging $150 to tell people they need a clear view of the TV to use their glasses to... watch the TV.

    The $150 isn't just for the "sync glasses" service, it's primarily for delivery and installation of the TV.

    --
    ... and then they built the supercollider.
  5. Best Buy, not the best at all by spun · · Score: 5, Informative

    Best Buy is the worst of all the computer/tv/tech stores I've purchased from. They charge for ridiculous 'products' and 'services' that are little more than outright scams. They have been indicted for some of them. Their prices are terrible, and they outright lie about matching others prices. This IS NOT your usual non-techy "I bought the wrong part" or techy "I know better than you" complaint. The complaints against Best Buy have to do with their criminal behavior.

    http://consumerist.com/2007/05/best-buy-employee-confesses-to-scams-similar-to-ones-outlined-in-racketeering-lawsuit.html

    http://bestbuyscam.blogspot.com/

    http://digg.com/tech_news/Yet_just_another_Best_Buy_scam

    http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/11/04/best-buy-scams-hdtv.html

    http://gizmodo.com/241220/best-buy-admits-they-scam-in+store-customers-with-secret-website

    http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-bar-tender/2009/10/lawsuit-best-buy-lies.html

    http://www.gpsmagazine.com/2007/03/buyer_beware_best_buy_caught_t.php

    Seriously, Best Buy is evil. Do not shop at Best Buy.

    --
    - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
    1. Re:Best Buy, not the best at all by IKnwThePiecesFt · · Score: 3, Informative

      I read through the first two of your links from start to finish and I have to call bullshit. Specifically, I even worked with Steven Byers (the general manager named in the second link) and while he was a total dick, he would never have sent a customer to the warehouse. For that matter, NO ONE would send a customer to a warehouse. Best Buy has a specific process (Customer Fulfillment) that is set up for just such a situation (store has no stock but warehouse does).

      The way it works is, guess what, the warehouse delivers the product to the customer at no charge. Or it gets delivered to store and the customer can pick it up if that's more convenient.

      When you have a customer base as large as they do, of course there's going to be some bad interactions. That said, not everything on the internet is true.

  6. Re:Poor choice of verb. by 228e2 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Checkmate.

    Bestbuy has a constant track record of trying to confuse customers with computer terms so they will fold over and pay.
    Claiming the IP has to be synced is 100% BS because there is no NIC or USB port on the glasses, so saying the BestBuy computer experts (which i use loosely) were confused on the new technology is a cover up.

    --
    Since when does being a Socialist mean 'someone who has a different opinion than me'?
  7. Re:Oblig by theskipper · · Score: 3, Informative

    Yeah, +5 funny but the comments are proof that this type of marketing works:

    NoSympathy from Cincinnati, OH
    "I have two def tech 7006 towers hooked up to a denon 1909 and my TV running into my reciever with this cable to I can get sound from my antenna. Sounds pretty good to me. I know I could go with an M series monster cable that would destroy this cable , but for what I use it for, it works for me!"

    By caramella from san antonio, tx:
    "I just got this from my new home theater system and it's great. Sound quality is awesome. Better than my last cables . Also durable with mesh covering. Won't have to worry about torn cables."

    Ouch.