Avoid Best Buy!!!!

[fsstnotch]

I bought a 42" LCD TV from bestbuy on May 27, 2008. On November 1, 2008, the tv quit working. The screen goes black after 2-3 minutes and you have nothing but sound. I contacted the "geek squad" immediately and made them aware of the problem. Luckily i had purchased the $200 insurance best buy offers as a "protection plan." the lady at geek squad said someone would be contacting me to let me know when they would be out to pick the tv up. 4-5 days pass and I hear nothing. I call back to see when I will be getting my 5 month old tv serviced. They advise me that someone called me and told me tey would be out Nov 7th to look at the tv between 8am and 2pm. So I am patiently waiting for my tv to be fixed. The company which was contracted by bestbuy (premier electronics out of Galion OH) arrives at my house. 2 young kids in an unmarked panel van wearing american eagle hoodies and baggy jeans... great!!! they plug the tv in and wait for the screen to go black. Screen goes black and they unplug the tv and tell me they need to take it for repairs because it is under warranty by LG. They advise it usually takes 7-10 days. They hand me a pamphlet with my claim number on it, something I could have easily printed off on my own computer and then as they have done... whited out the phone number on it to put the correct number. The kid tells me it should be 7-10 days and that their customer service rep will contact me every 3 days to let me know the status. 5 days pass... nothing. I call them to get a status report. "It's on the bench today for testing, we will let you know tomorrow." So we are now broken for 2 weeks and it is just getting looked at. WONDERFUL! I call them back the next day to find out when I will be getting my tv back. they advise they have to order the parts from LG. it will take 7-10 days. I advise that I am supposed to be hosting thanksgiving and that I need the tv. they say the tv will be done the first week in december. GREAT!!! i call best buy back to see if they can get me a loaner or something. "Sorry sir, we only provide loaners to people who purchase our black tie protection plan." WTF!!!!! So I was supposed to pay MORE money so that I could get poor service! I get the run around through best buy. I call directly to the store in erie to see if they could help. same story. Well, here it is the first week of december. I call premier electronics (NOTE, they have NEVER called me like their pamphlet says they will every 3 days in big bold red letters.). Premier tells me that the parts are on order and are expected to be in around MID DECEMBER!!!!! "Dec 15-18" she says. Great.. so now I have no tv for November and likely not december either with the holidays. So, I call best buy back and tell them they need to do somehting or i am going to BBB. they tell me there is nothing they can do because it is under manufacturers warranty, I should call LG. I call LG and get the run around. They tell me that they won't do anything until it has been a full month since the repair company took the tv. GREAT! I get to wait another week even though LG has notified premier that it would be mid december before the part is available.

Bottom line.... best buy sucks!!! they could have done something. I have worked in retail and KNOW that managers have those powers. They could have waived the black tie crap and got me a loaner.. they just choose not to.