By Christopher Elliott | Problem Solved
Q: I’m a long-time Best Buy customer and a Total Technical Support member. So when I had a problem with my computer recently, I expected Best Buy to help me.
My computer was not working with the printer I bought from Best Buy. I spent five hours on the phone with Best Buy trying to get it fixed, but they could not help me. Worse, I was left with a computer that no longer connects to the internet, making it basically worthless.
Since then, I have called multiple times and spoken to four more computer technicians, and they all had me try the same steps to try to fix the issue. When it did not work, I was clearly told by three different employees at different times that they would escalate my issue and I would hear back from someone in 24 to 48 hours. That has not happened.
I wrote an email to their corporate office (per the addresses on your website) and have not even received an acknowledgment that they received it. Their customer service rep could not give me any way to call the corporate office. Can you help me? — Janet Fried, El Cerrito
A: Best Buy should have done better than this! Its Total Tech Support promises its members it “has your back” with comprehensive technical assistance. But your experience makes me wonder how dependable the guarantee is.
Look, at the risk of stating the obvious, it’s unacceptable for a paying customer to be left with a nonfunctional device — especially after asking for help from a service they are paying for.
Your decision to document every interaction, including names and timestamps, proved to be a wise move. This meticulous record-keeping created a thorough paper trail, which was important for establishing the timeline of events and demonstrating Best Buy’s lack of responsiveness.
I list the names, numbers and email addresses of the customer service managers at Best Buy on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. I can’t believe they didn’t respond to you.
Could you have avoided this? Maybe. There are printers that connect to a computer more seamlessly (for example, Apple makes it super-easy). But I’m also wondering if spending $180 a year on a technical support program like this is worth your money.
I contacted Best Buy on your behalf. A representative from its executive offices contacted you and arranged for a technician to visit your home at no additional cost and fix the issue. The technician’s diagnosis suggested a problem created by your first technical support call. If this ever happens to you again — and I hope it doesn’t — maybe you should request an in-person visit the first time there’s a problem.
Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy (https://elliottadvocacy.org), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him at https://elliottadvocacy.org/help/