Don't order appliances from Best Buy

[solarbird]

So the washing machine at murksouth died for the third time two and a half weeks ago, which means it's time to order a new one. And that's fair enough, the broken one is a bit old at this point, and well past the "repair this/replace this" border as described by Consumer Reports, and all that.

I shopped around a bit and ended up ordering from Best Buy, for delivery last Wednesday, which was the soonest their online form would give me. Wednesday came and it didn't happen; I found email in my junk folder saying "we've cancelled your delivery, call to reschedule." An hour-fifteen or so later, I was finally off the phone with some idea of why delivery had been revoked - their computer system had somehow managed not to include sales tax, which put a stop on the order - and got delivery rescheduled for this Wednesday.

This morning I got mail saying they'd cancelled delivery AGAIN, and to call their support number to reschedule AGAIN, and when I did, after 15 minutes on hold, the person I got didn't know anything, couldn't tell me anything, couldn't transfer me to someone who would, and wouldn't take my case number from last time to see whether there was any relationship. The closest she could give me to an answer is that somehow the delivery date was "too close to" the order date, which is pretty laughable even if you consider it to have been ordered last week, because week-later delivery is not exactly a rush job.

And all she'd do was re-dispatch it for delivery to some delivery agent who would eventually send me email. Supposedly. Not being interested in playing this game a third time in order to still have no washing machine, I told them to cancel the order and refund my money.

So, 35 minutes on the phone later, it's no washer last week, no washer today, no washer tomorrow, and no idea why not. I'll be talking to Sears and Home Depot in a few minutes - they're not great, but they've managed to deliver appliances on time in the past with pleasant regularity. The moral of the story: don't order appliances for delivery from Best Buy. So noted.

eta: Oh, I think I get it.

I think I ordered last year's model and they don't actually have it anymore. And instead of saying that they were jerking me around because the replacement model costs more. Because finding the model I ordered isn't happening, but finding the new model ($50 more) is easy.

Fuckers.

Comments

[mysticalforest.livejournal.com]

Wait, Best Buy sells appliances? I always wondered what was over there but kept getting stopped by the awesomeness in the games and a/v departments. ;)

[nimbrethil.livejournal.com]

I didn't even know Best Buy sold washers.

[galbinus-caeli.livejournal.com]

I assume you are not in Atlanta, or I could offer some resources/assistance.

[solarbird]

I am far, far, away from Atlanta, but thanks. ^_^

[peristaltor.livejournal.com]

Good to avoid the "best" buy. Sears may suck in many ways, but their appliances are still some of the best mid-range priced goods you can get, and their customer service was recommended to us . . . by a Home Depot floor person.

I would also highly recommend buying used. Washers are pretty basic and can last for decades. There's a rehab shop on Lake City Way that rehabs and sells used stuff, some of it pretty high end.

[solarbird]

I have in fact bought from them before. And the Kathryn who reviewed them on Google is a friend of mine.

[kathrynt.livejournal.com]

Next time, I will read the whole thread before replying!

[solarbird]

They have btw moved to Mukilteo (what?!) and are changing their name and no longer have a storefront. I don't know what's up with that. This makes me sad.

[peristaltor.livejournal.com]

The place just South of 145th?!? That sucks. I'm not driving to Mukilteo for, well, any reason.

[solarbird]

Yes, and it does, in that order. I'm sad. ;_;

[maellenkleth]

wholly concur with last poster: refurb machines, especially older ones with fully-manual controls (stepper dials, etc.) are built like tanks and will last forever in a household inhabited by adults.

and also concur with thumbs down on Best Buy; we tried to get appliances delivered from there (for Fir-Garden) and it was awesome classical FAIL all the way; had trouble getting our money back, too. They so DESERVE to go bankrupt, early and often.

[kathrynt.livejournal.com]

I have had FABULOUSLY good luck with the Discount Appliance Depot in Lake City. Not only did they deliver me a fridge on the DAY I ordered it, that day was the fourth of July.

[peristaltor.livejournal.com]

That's the place. My dishwasher simply screams THE SEVENTIES!!!, but it runs, and well.

[flashfire.livejournal.com]

That stinks. Fortunately my experience getting the washer/dryer/TV from them was as smooth as can be.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

We had very good luck with Lowes, I think we used the one on 125th and Aurora... we bought a Bosch front-loader, reasonably priced, and quality German engineering. AFAIK the Monster folk have had zero trouble with it, other than the fact that the "I'm done" beeper WILL NOT SHUT UP until you physically set the washer to "OFF".... annoying as hell, but a damn fine washer otherwise.

But they delivered on time, politely, hauled our old crappy washer off, and IIRC cleaned up the mess.

I have also owned a Sears Kenmore, like my mother before me; the new ones have a bit more plastic on'em but I think are otherwise good quality machines. (IIRC they outsource to one of the major brands' house-brand facility, Whirlpool I think..) The Kenmore we picked up at Sears' scratch-and-dent place in Tucker, GA, with jenkitty's pickup truck, so I can't comment on their delivery. (The load'em'up guys were quite helpful, though, supplying us with polypropylene rope to secure the load and helping us tie it into place....)

But, yeah. Worst Buy. Won't do business with the main company, ever. (Speakeasy, OTOH, if they haven't been totally trashed in the last six months, is still a good place to get your bitpipe... pricey, but good.)

[blues-kun.livejournal.com]

Best Buy is a shitty store in every respect. The best mood I've ever left that store in is "annoyed".

[flit.livejournal.com]

If you buy from Sears, do NOT give them your phone number.

We gave them ours for *delivery* (checking the "do not send us special offers" box) and got called and called and called and called and CALLED, sometimes twice a day, by a machine (which is illegal in CA) trying to sell us a warranty *we had already bought*, and when I called their customer service and asked to be removed, they said that it would take up to three months to be removed. They had no good explanation for why they could not simply remove me. They also claim that this telemarketing is actually "customer service" so they don't have to abide by FTC regs. Six months after that, we were still getting called. A year after calling and complaining I think they are finally giving us. Thank god for Caller ID. But I'm never buying from Sears again.

[flit.livejournal.com]

They are giving up, too. My rant impeded my spelling. ;)

[silussa.livejournal.com]

I've a few nightmare stories of customer service from friends using Best Buy. One reason I was sorry to see Circuit City go, despite some of their stupidities. (fire the expensive help, then offer to rehire them at lower wages? Please....)

[callibr8]

Have bought appliances from both Sears and Lowes with entirely satisfactory results in terms both of delivery and of appliance performance and life.

Don't care for the Kenmore front-loader washer because its seal is such that you WILL have to fight it for every piece of wet laundry you're trying to move from washer to dryer. The Bosch *is* better in that regard, though the annoying BEEP BEEP BEEP did drive us crazy until it wore itself out a few months ago; now when the thing is done it just stops.

The friends I know who have Maytag Neptune washers have acknowledged that they're pricey but have had NO complaints re functionality. Sears definitely sells Maytag as well as their own brand, and I think Lowes sells Maytag as well.

As for Worst Buy? My digicam is from there... and my battles with them to get acceptable "customer service" for its problems left me TOTALLY unimpressed. I've stayed away in droves since. :-)