Worst Buy: The Next Generation (Part 8) - The FINALE!

Well, it's finally resolved...the Toshiba TV is gone! But the conclusion to this story wasn't without any drama...

Friday night, I got Jim A. and Iowa Jim to lend their helping hands with moving the TV from my apartment to the Best Buy. For those of you not familiar with lifting plasmas, they are VERY, VERY heavy. Iowa Jim pulls his pickup truck into the garage and we all head up to the apartment. We lift the television and with much grunting and shifting are able to get into the elevator. We then head out of the elevator and attempt to load the TV into Jim's truck. As set the TV on the ground, Jim A. takes a look at his hands and wrists. They're all bloody! ARGH! The TV cut his hands and wrists. I start feeling sick and awful about this and grab some band-aids for him. I then get a few towels to cushion the apparently sharp edges of the TV and after a bit of heave-ho-ing we get the TV into the bed of the truck.

Off to the store we go...Upon arriving at the store, I feel a little resistance in getting help with moving the television from the truck (which was parked in the front of the store) to the customer service area inside the store.

Even after mentioning that I had a 42" inch plasma television, it's apparently assumed that the Jims and I would bring the television inside the store. When somebody was sent out to help, only one person was sent out and again, he was assuming that it would just be him and the three of us helping him with moving the TV. Not something we were wanting to hear especially after experiencing the scars from moving it into the truck at the apartment...

I am then directed to the customer service desk where I present the receipt along with the letter that corporate had sent me with the instructions as to how to exchange the TV. This is then given to Mike, a customer rep. Mike leaves and disappeares(I believe to talk to the manager) and then returns saying the television's ready to go, but that I'd have to purchase a new PSP plan.

I then explain that arrangements were made to apply the difference between the old and new TV towards the PSP plan. Mike says that I can't do that because it was "policy." I then point out what was said in the letter from you about applying the credit to the PSP plan. He syas again that it was against policy to this. So, essentially he wasn't following what corporate had wanted to do!!! I then ask to see the manager.

Mike disappears for about 20 minutes and he returns finally saying everything was good to go. In the meantime, I overhear one of the representatives behind the customer service desk, Heather, being given instructions as to how to process my exchange. In doing so, I overhear her saying, "I'm sick of these things."

OY...We finally get the TV home about an hour after going to Best Buy. I hook up the new sound system and Iowa Jim and I fire up the new deluxe edition of Queen's "Night at the Opera." Ahhh...sweet music to my ears...

So great to have a working home theater system...but can't believe I had to go through even more hassle...

I'm never shopping at Best Buy again...well, at least after I finish off the gift card that corporate is sending me for my troubles... :-)