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I paid $17.99 for a DVD Case! (1 Viewer)

Ralph Summa

Supporting Actor
Joined
Nov 6, 2001
Messages
715
I went to BB yesterday to pick up Black Hawk Down and was floored when I found a "A Bugs Life" too. I thought Disney had already "Put it in the Vault" because I had never seen the DVD in any store before. I was so excited to get it for my 2 year old that I didn't notice that it had no cellophane on it. Well, I got it home and the F-ing case was empty! :angry: My bad for not being observant. So, will BB give me grief if I try to exchange it? It's going to sound like a crock when I walk in there. Anyone have an experience like this before?
Ralph
 

Matthew Brown

Supporting Actor
Joined
Sep 19, 1999
Messages
781
Ralph -
Best Buy has a HORRIBLE return policy on software of any kind. Unless the people at the store have souls, they will tell you to contact the company that makes the DVD's. I had bought a computer game there as a gift and when the person opened the box the CD wasn't in the case. Best Buy wouldn't take it back, even with a receipt. I tried to have my credit card retract the payment and they wouldn't either because I didn't want Best Buy to have my money. I wound up contacting the company who was very pleasant to deal with. I would have preferred to buy the game from somewhere else because I don't think Best Buy should be rewarded for selling boxes without the intended product inside.

Matt
 

Jeremy Little

Supporting Actor
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Jun 9, 2001
Messages
770
would have preferred to buy the game from somewhere else because I don't think Best Buy should be rewarded for selling boxes without the intended product inside.
I don't think Best Buy intended to sell the product without the actual product inside. In Fact, I am sure of it. Sometimes stuff happens. I'm sure you realize that people buy DVD's/Software, take it to their car, remove the item, then walk back in and try to return it.
I don't see why people blame the retailer, since it is your fellow consumers that have caused such a stiff policy towards this. It's tragic, but life.:frowning:
 

Mark Zimmer

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Jun 30, 1997
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4,318
Here's a suggestion: take the disc to BB returns, and take your 2-year old with you. That will make you more sympathetic and more likely that they'll cut you some slack---someone with a 2 yr old in tow who's trying to replace a kid's disc with the same kid's disc just seems more inherently trustworthy than some grown guy by himself. Give it a shot.
 

Ralph Summa

Supporting Actor
Joined
Nov 6, 2001
Messages
715
I'm not sure if this was a factory screw up or a theft. The cellophane was removed as were the two anti-theft stickers at the top and bottom. (I'm so pissed at myself!) You'd think if it was theft, someone would just slice the sticker seams quickly and open the case, but there were no remnants of the anti-theft stickers on the case at all. I can't picture a shoplifter sitting down and peeling the stickers off completely. Those things are so damn aggravating to get off! But if this is a case of theft, I'm sure this won't be the only instance of this kind at this particular store. I wonder if that will work in my favor.

I wonder who might have the time to sit and peel of the stickers out of sight of a camera. An employee maybe?

Ralph
 

Ralph Summa

Supporting Actor
Joined
Nov 6, 2001
Messages
715
Mark, I thought the same thing. With my daughter in her mimic stage, a simple "where da buggie go?" could go a long way!:)
 

Matthew Brown

Supporting Actor
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Sep 19, 1999
Messages
781
I do blame the retailer because the problem, whatever it may be, happened on their premises. If something was stolen, it could have been employee theft as well as a non-paying customer. I don't see how the company that makes the software should have to replace the item if it was stolen from a store. If the box was empty from the supplier, than it should also be the store's problem. The paying customer should not be assumed to be a criminal. If the manufacturer wasn't able to be contacted, I'd be out $50.

Matt
 

Scott Kimball

Screenwriter
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May 8, 2000
Messages
1,500
It IS the retailer's problem. If they assume everyone is a theif, NOBODY will shop there. They should take the customer at his word that the package was empty: THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT.

I actually had this happen at Ames once... they replaced the disk, no questions asked.

If a retailer delivers an empty box and does nothing to rectify the situation, they have defrauded the customer. Even if they didn't knowingly sell an empty box, it's their responsibility to make it right.

Granted, retailers lose money due to theft, but that is a cost of doing business. They COULD package their DVD's in theft-proof acrylic that has to be removed by the cashier...

-Scott
 

MartinTeller

Screenwriter
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Feb 26, 2002
Messages
1,721
Ummm... how could you not notice it didn't have the cellophane on it? Didn't you look for a price tag? Or do you just grab things off the shelf that you want and buy them no matter what the cost?

I'm sorry you got screwed, but I have to be honest -- if someone came into MY store with that story, I wouldn't give him a refund.
 

Jamie Cole

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Aug 8, 1999
Messages
211
While I agree this is Best Buy's problem, it's not exactly a first for Disney. I've bought two Disney movies from Sam's Club that were missing discs: Emperor's New Groove and Atlantis. Of course, both WERE sealed. Both were returned and both were replaced.

If you have a receipt, I see no reason why BB wouldn't help you out. They've always been good to me, IF I have a receipt. Maybe it depends on the store???
 

Ralph Summa

Supporting Actor
Joined
Nov 6, 2001
Messages
715
I do have the receipt and I am asking for the same movie in return. I'll be sure to mention that it is not a first for Disney.

I'm going to BB at lunchtime today to attempt to return it. If I don't get results, I'll go home and get the big (little) gun tomorrow. She was pretty pissed this morning when I got her all fired up for the movie and couldn't complete the deal.
 

Brian_L_Kleis

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Nov 16, 2000
Messages
133
I truly understand the problem and can sympathize, but...
If you're having to pay $15-20 bucks for an empty DVD case, at least be glad it wasn't a snapper case!!!
(Just trying to 'look on the bright side of life') :D
 

Joseph Young

Screenwriter
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Oct 30, 2001
Messages
1,352
if someone came into MY store with that story, I wouldn't give him a refund.
I'll assume you're a pretty good judge of character... Therefore, wouldn't it be a better idea to make judgement calls on a case-by-case basis? Good customer service doesn't always have to be 'the customer is always right.' It can mean just having common sense about policy rather than starching your collar over $17.99.

-j
 

MartinTeller

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Feb 26, 2002
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It would just sound extremely fishy to me. The first thing I do when I pick a DVD off the shelf is check the price. I can't imagine NOT noticing the price tag/cellophane being missing. Well, I can imagine it, but it's pretty odd and I probably wouldn't give a customer the benefit of the doubt in that case unless I knew he was a regular customer.
 

Ralph Summa

Supporting Actor
Joined
Nov 6, 2001
Messages
715
Hey, I admitted I was stupid. Anyway, who puts price tags on merchandise these days? Everything is UPC scanned. I was surprised to see that this DVD was on the shelf and I didn't look closely.

Joseph thanks for the vote of confidence. Apparently the lady behind the exchanges counter thought I was upstanding too. She exchanged it no questions asked and gave me $2.12 back because the DVD went on sale today!

Side note: This lady behind the exchanges counter denied me the pricematch from CompUSA on Harry Potter yesterday because CompUSA didn't have the widescreen version in stock. She would have given the pricematch to me on the Full Screen version but I said "No way". She even called two different CompUSA stores. I thought I was sunk when I saw her there today!

Thanks all!

Ralph
 

DarrenA

Second Unit
Joined
Aug 30, 2000
Messages
311
Ralph,
Glad to hear that everything checked out. What I don't understand is how the cashier sold you the DVD without any cellophane wrapping around it? I have NEVER seen a DVD movie what was not wrapped in cellophane at a Best Buy store. Yes, it would have been nice if you had caught this, but they clearly screwed up by allowing the purchase to go through.
 

Keith M.

Second Unit
Joined
Apr 1, 1999
Messages
486
This has happened to me twice at BB. But both movies had been distributor shrinkwrapped... BB did not give me any hassles for an exchange for the same product.

Be polite, patient, and firm...
 

Randy B A

Supporting Actor
Joined
Feb 11, 2002
Messages
783
this just happened to me with the rambo set, opened the package and disc 1 was missing. also disc 2 was loose in the case. I ended up returning it and buying the individual rambo DVDs.
 

Mike Frezon

Moderator
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What I don't understand is how the cashier sold you the DVD without any cellophane wrapping around it? I have NEVER seen a DVD movie what was not wrapped in cellophane at a Best Buy store. Yes, it would have been nice if you had caught this, but they clearly screwed up by allowing the purchase to go through.
I've posted this story here recently, so I'll keep it short. I was recently at BestBuy when they were having their 10% off all Action movies sale and wanted to pick up both Terminator and T2-UE. I had noticed that the cellophane of Terminator was ripped open, but naively figured it was just an accidental slice with a boxcutter when the case of DVDs was being opened at the store. Luckily, the very observant checker decided to investigate more closely and the movie was NOT there. It was their only copy, but I sure was glad the guy caught it then, before I would have discovered it at home. I can only imagine how I would have felt when I opened the disc. Since then I have seen two other cases in similar conditions on the shelves. Its a shame. But us HTFers need to know to be on the alert for such foolishness so we don't get burned.

I'm pleased to hear BB took good care of you, Ralph. It's the smart thing to do. The stores really do NEED to assume that the customer is always right. But, I sure could see where people would try to take advantage with that kind of story.
 

JJR512

Supporting Actor
Joined
Dec 11, 1999
Messages
619
Real Name
Justin J. Rebbert
Here's what you could have done. Take the pricematch on the FS version. Take it home, don't open it. Wait a day or two. Take it back to that Best Buy or to a different one near you. Take it the the returns counter but do NOT show them your receipt. Say you want to exchange it for the WS version but you lost your receipt. It's not open and it has their tag on it, and it would be an even exchange (except that they price-matched it...).
That SHOULD work. Similar things have worked for me in the past, when I was given FS DVDs as gifts or whatever. Without a receipt, just do an even exchange somewhere for the WS version.
Something else you could try, which is a bit less ethical, but has worked for me the few times I've tried it...which is after my GF has already opened a FS version...is I take it to a store, tell them it's defective, in which case they're happy to exchange it for the same title. But get the WS version, of course. Usually, they don't care that the exact version is different, as long as it's the same movie. If they do care, then I just get the FS version, but it's sealed this time, which means I can do the first trick at some other store.
 

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