Best Buy Scans Drivers License For Returns — No More Allowed For 90 Days

rullywowr writes "A customer with a defective Blu-Ray disc returns to the Best Buy store where he purchased it. After having his driver's license scanned into the system, he is now banned from returning/exchanging goods for 90 days. This is becoming one of the latest practices big-box stores are using to limit fraud and abuse of the return system — for example, the people who buy a giant TV before the big game and then return it on Monday. Opponents feel this return-limiting concept has this gone too far, including the harvesting of your personal data."

Comments

When people abuse prices go up

[CoderExpert]

It's quite obvious that people are abusing the system and that results in increased prices for everyone. As someone who doesn't abuse that, I welcome the move so we honest people get things cheaper. Screw those who ruin things for everyone else.

Re:When people abuse prices go up

[Soporific]

I can see this as a good thing if it's for similar or big ticket items, but a bad thing if it's for DVD's, etc. -DNRTFA

~S

Re:When people abuse prices go up

[Ferzerp]

You assume that the store has the right to refuse a return if you refuse to provide this information or if you're a frequent shopper that has more than one purchase of faulty goods. The agreement with the store is to exchange your money for a working product. If the product doesn't work, and the store refuses to refund or exchange it, they may have issues.

They may have a leg to stand on if it were refunds only, but the summary specifically includes exchanges in to this mix.

Re:When people abuse prices go up

[AvitarX]

Interesting,

When I last purchased a bluetooth ear piece, I went to Best Buy because of their good return policy. I had went online and narrowed my potential list to 3, and was buying them one at a time and returning until I found one I liked. I only had to return one, but had the second sucked I would of returned it too.

They are really eating into their advantage vs the internet here.

Re:When people abuse prices go up

[Githaron]

It's quite obvious that people are abusing the system and that results in increased prices for everyone. As someone who doesn't abuse that, I welcome the move so we honest people get things cheaper. Screw those who ruin things for everyone else.

The policy is unnecessarily invasive and it will easily hurt legitimate customers. While it might be rare, it is completely possible that a legitimate customer will purchase at least two items in a 90 day window and more than one of them ends up being defective.

They need to find a better way to prevent fraud.

Re:When people abuse prices go up

[Caratted]

Your drift is caught. However, this isn't really about anybody screwing anybody. The undertones of TFS should be pretty clear: Their business model is failing - creating more invasive measures against fraud is exactly what they need to focus on last if they've any fantasy of staying afloat. Which they don't (have this fantasy - as evidenced in the relatively complete ineptitude of their management). So, they will continue blame their customers again, and again, until the mirror is gone because the stockholders broke it in a fit of rage, and all that is left is the smoke.

Re:When people abuse prices go up

[cpu6502]

Well said.

If the item is genuinely defective, stores have credit card agreements that REQUIRE them to accept the item for return or exchange. No exceptions.

Even if the store still refuses, you can just mail the item back to the store, use delivery confirmation, and then provide the DC number to your credit card. You will get refunded the money. And the store will lose the money regardless of any 90 day or 3-strike policy.

BTW this is why I like amazon and ebay/paypal - no hassles. Though I've received a lot of junk over the years from dishonest sellers, so far I've not lost any money (except for return postage). Just recently I bought a used Wii that was never delivered and amazon gave me a $105 gift card only two days later. I already spent that cash on another item (kindle w/ web browser).

Re:When people abuse prices go up

[mcavic]

The store may not have to take a return, but then I can go to my news station and report my experience with the store. Honoring the return would be cheaper than negative publicity.

It's true that the manufacturer is responsible for their products. But then again, I'm not doing business with the manufacturer. I'm doing business with the store.

Re:When people abuse prices go up

[countach]

I don't know where you live and what the law is there, but I think this is a fable that stores would like you to think. Imagine if you had to research what little manufacturer in western China made the widget you bought, and you had to contact them to get your widget fixed. Nope, that's not what the law says.

Re:When people abuse prices go up

[pla]

Actually, stores aren't required to take returns - if an item is defective it's the manufacturer's responsibility to honor the warranty.

Most US states have non-disclaimable "warrant of merchantability" laws for anything represented as "new" - Which means, in summary, that the store guarantees that they have sold you new, fully-functional merchandise. So yes, they have to take it back, end of story.

That said, good luck getting that enforced this without paying more in court costs than most consumer goods.

Re:When people abuse prices go up

[kagaku]

I'm sorry, but this is abuse. I wish there was an easy way to try before you buy on many products (there isn't), and I understand the logic behind what you're doing - but it's still abuse of the returns system that many stores have in place. You're buying an item at full price, trying it out and returning it. Great, but even if you return it with all parts and in like-new condition the store cannot sell it as new any longer. They'll either need to send it back to the manufacturer or resell it as an open box item (I see Best Buy do this all the time). Sure, you bought another headset from them - but the $50 headset you bought and returned can now only be sold open box for $30.

People really wonder why stores are getting more strict on returns?

Re:When people abuse prices go up

[Xeno man]

Actually they don't say. "send to us for replacement", they say, "call us for support." Do you know why they do that? The reason is because most of the there is nothing wrong with the product. People can't be bothered to read set up guides or manuals and just figure that it must be broken. People expect to open a box and start using something not realizing that there may be some packing tape or plastic over a battery terminal that need to be removed.

A phone call to the company that MAKES THE PRODUCT will give people more information than some sales guy that only maybe know a little about every product. Maybe the sales guys favors another brand and his fix is to return the device and sell another brand that he does know. Calling the manufacture helps keep the sale instead of loosing it.

Re:When people abuse prices go up

[bmo]

and they are literally losing Billions to a pretty damn widespread abuse of their extremely friendly return policy

Citation needed. Citation needed to prove that bad management practices are not the real cause of the 1.7 billion dollar loss.

That being said there are a lot of people who are going to legitimately miss them if they do go out of business

They earned the epithet "Worst Buy" through customer abuse and stupid sales practices. So much of what has happened is self inflicted. Do you remember when they fired all their knowledgeable long-term floor sales staff because they were "too expensive?" Go ahead, walk into any Best Buy and try to find a sales clerk that actually knows what he/she is selling and isn't trying to be a bullshit artist. They are few and far between.

Return customers (not customers that return things) are a business' bread and butter. Best Buy went on the "quick cash now" binge to "satisfy investors" while ignoring the long term implications of pissing off the customers. Sure, people are using online retailers. They wouldn't if the brick&mortar service didn't outright suck.

There are electronics retailers that don't suck. One is MicroCenter. You can walk in, talk to knowledgeable sales people, get what you want for a decent price (sometimes cheaper than Newegg), and not hard sold on hundred-dollar HDMI cables and extended warrantees. And I find myself continuing to go back there. Repeatedly.

Best Buy *can* turn the ship around, but they have to abandon the practices that got them to this point to do so. Most businesses in this situation can't or won't because few in upper management are willing to accept the fact they fucked up.

--
BMO

Re:When people abuse prices go up

[DarwinSurvivor]

I would have asked them why they are re-stocking a broken T.V.

Re:When people abuse prices go up

[no_such_user]

It's high time that USA also gets "All sales are final" rules, like most of the world. Having people return fully working items that then have to be sold cheap drives up prices for all of us who don't play that game.

Liberal return policies make customers more likely to buy items due to the perceived safety net of said policy, resulting in greater sales, driving down prices for all of us. Plus, restocking fees exist expressly to discourage those who "borrow" items. The only time ID should be requested is when the customer cannot present a receipt.

Re:When people abuse prices go up

[rolfwind]

What if the people at the store don't understand the customer's complaint about the item?

I once returned a CD/MP3 player (back when people still used such things instead of digital MP3 players) to Fry's because resuming an MP3 at greater than 256 seconds would resume it at (time mod 256). Anyone with even the slightest bit of computer training should have been able to figure out that the firmware was saving only one byte of resume data and that therefore every one of that model on the shelf would have the same problem. The customer service droids did not comprehend this and made me exchange it with another one anyway, which I had to then return (I did get a refund then).

You explain to them, in English: "This item doesn't seem to work correctly. When I pause any song a little longer than 4 minutes and start it back up again, it starts at a seemingly random place." Then demonstrate it to them.

If they insist on an exchange, insist that the new unit doesn't have this flaw as it's unacceptable. If need be, try it in the store and most of them will realize it's better to give back the money than to keep opening new packages. Never go into geek speak with muggles if you want them to understand you.

They're on their way out anyways

[rmac1813]

..just another reason to go to Frys. Until they cross the line .

Well gee..

[Tridus]

This kind of anti-customer behavior couldn't possibly have anything to do with Best Buy crashing and burning, could it?

Nah. I'm sure the MBAs must have thought the policy through carefully.

Best Buy fails again

[Golgafrinchan]

With all the problems Best Buy has been having recently, it's hard to believe that they think this will solve anything.

A customer who knows they can't return a defective item at Best Buy will simply go shopping somewhere else like Walmart, Target, or Amazon, who have more lenient return policies and/or are just more customer-friendly altogether.

I don't expect this particular decision will hurt too much, but with these kinds of stupid decisions Best Buy will be out of business within 5 years.

Re:How is this legal?

[rgbrenner]

Is it illegal to have an "all sales final" policy? Generally, NO... there are many stores with such a policy... including stores going out of business

Re:fraud

[SJHillman]

If it's defective or was misrepresented on the package or by the store, then yes. If you decided you just didn't want it after all then they should have no obligation to take it back.

Legality?

[alaffin]

Easy solution - don't buy product from there for 90 days.

In all seriousness - how is this even legal? I know in Canada any goods sold must be of merchantable quality - which means they must work. If they are defective than the sale is void and the merchant must take them back. Even if I've returned another product within the last 90 days. Is there some kind of American consumer protection loophole they're exploiting here or do the laws not protect consumers at all south of the border?

Re:How is this legal?

[Frosty Piss]

A lot of people seem to operate under an ethic of "whatever I can get away with".

Yes, that seems to be Best Buy's position...

Re:License scan?

[tripleevenfall]

Obviously, returning Blu Rays is more dangerous than casting a fake vote.

Re:License scan?

[Ranger96]

Way more people abusing return policies than casting fake votes in person.