Best Buy's New Rewards Program...thoughts? (1 Viewer)

[george kaplan]

Well I called and got through quickly by saying I didn't have my member number. Unfortunately it wasn't much help. I was told that my first coupon was mailed to me back in August, but not to worry cause it would take 6 to 8 weeks, so I shouldn't expect it until late October. I said, you mean issued, but not yet mailed. He said no, it has been mailed out. It was mailed out in mid August.

If it's actually been sent in the mail, does the post office actually take 6 to 8 weeks to deliver it? It seems that it may have been approved to be issued, but it can't have actually have been mailed out and take that long, can it?

 

[nolesrule]

If it's actually been sent in the mail, does the post office actually take 6 to 8 weeks to deliver it? It seems that it may have been approved to be issued, but it can't have actually have been mailed out and take that long, can it?

They are probably batch processed and delivered in bulk to USPS. They are likely not first-class but bulk-rate and left to USPS to sort. At the reate Best Buy is paying for postage, USPS will take their sweet time. Hence 6-8 weeks.

 

[Dome Vongvises]

Still waiting.....

 

[John Berggren]

The Good:
Since Enrolling on August 8th, I've earned $30 in certificates.

The Bad:
I have not yet received any of them.

 

[nolesrule]

John, do you remember when the first certificate was processed? Not earned, but processed.

I enrolled on 8/5. So far for me, according to the RZ website $5 on 8/20 and $10 on 9/12. Six weeks from 8/20 would be tomorrow.

 

[Malcolm R]

My first was also supposed to be processed on 8/20. Haven't seen it yet.

 

[Jeff_HR]

It is more restrictive than Media Play's program & not as good IMHO.

 

[Dom P.]

Not the worst deal...

We bought a refrig. there... added the card on for $10, and we're getting $45 back in $5 dollar coupons.

It's a nice thing to add on if you are already making a large puchase of some sort.

 

[Dome Vongvises]

Still waiting.....

 

[Carlo_M]

Me too Dome (signed up first week of August). It's time to give the 800# a call and sit on hold for 20 minutes...

 

[TonyD]

i got my first $5 within 3 weeks of earning it. but have not recieved the last 2 after well over 1 month.

 

[Scott Bell]

When I joined back in July, BB was having the Friends seasons1-4 package deal. So after paying $10, I earned $5 instantly. 2 weeks later I bought a washer & dryer, so I earned another $35. It takes a little while to get these in the mail, but they do get sent out. I have received both of these reward certifs. and have another $10 on the way. This program is fantastic. If anything its helps to convince the wife that we are getting money back for all of my purchases.

Also...you can use them together on one purchase; I did.

 

[Carlo_M]

For all the people who have never received a coupon yet, give Best Buy's 800# a call and make sure your account is valid. I just got off the phone with a rep who informed me that there was something wrong with my account, that they had a record of all the purchases I had made with the card, but that those purchases hadn't translated over to points. My account had a note that said "suspense" and the reason was "member not found" - I have a feeling that the cashier who rung me up for the free Rewards Card messed up in putting in my information. Anyway, they have escalated the situation and said that in 10 business days my account should be fixed and my coupons will be in on their way. The rep also said since I was so polite and understanding (I've done my share of customer service in high school jobs so I'm fairly easygoing on the phone) that he asked them to give me some extra points on my record. We'll see if that comes true...

 

[David Lambert]

Well, I talked to them today about this whole business of the site saying I had been "issued" $35 worth of coupons, but only having gotten 1 $5 coupon.

In their vernacular (dictionary, if you will), "issued" means "this is the day we looked at your points and decided you should get a certificate for $5". The computer processes the -12500 points and shows that you have earned a single $5 certificate for that.

It is NOT the time when the coupon is printed and mailed. Printing and mailing, I was told, happen on or about the same time. It's done in batches (for their convenience and saving of money, I'm sure), on what I'm guessing is a monthly basis for the period two months ago (i.e., you buy it in June, they wait all of July to be sure you don't return the product, then in August you get the coupons printed and mailed). That's why it's a "6-8 week wait", based on how I interpreted the explanation (which kinda went off in different directions, but I made sure of the parts that led to my conclusions).

The thing is that you will have approximatley 3 1/2 months from the day the coupon is ISSUED (not printed and mailed) in order to redeem it. So you really have to waste half the time of the coupon's "life" waiting for it to arrive before you can think about redeeming it.

I asked if there was ANY way I could get my outstanding coupons in time for the Oct. 21 releases of stuff like Indy Jones and Battlestar Galactica. I was told "no", they will be printed and sent around the 2nd week of November. And that I should expect them possibly in two separate batches a few weeks apart, since I had one day where "5" were issued to me (when they caught up to all the problems they hadn't corrected yet) and then a week later I earned 1 more. So I might not have the 3rd "batch" until after the 1st "batch" expires just prior to Thanksgiving!


Also note that I asked for the card to be switched to either be completely in my name or share my name, since I use it and my wife rarely does. "I'm not authorized to do that". She didn't tell me who was, if anyone.

So I requested a 2nd card, so my wife and I have one at the least. Can you do that? "Sure, it will be sent out with your next Quarterly Statement...which is in January". I can't get it before then? "No, they are only printed quarterly".

So what do I do during Christmas when we're each buying gifts that are secret from each other? "just give the cashier your phone # if you don't have the card with you, and she'll look it up at the register". Uh-uh, I told her...this past weekend I tried to do just that, and made sure the cashier understood that per the RewardZone website FAQ it stated they were able to do that; she replied that they did NOT have live lookup capability at the register and I can feel free to check with her supervisor about that. "Uh-oh; Sounds like there's a training issue at that store". Uh, yeah.


I mean, she was quite nice and tried to do whatever she could. She's obviously restricted by BB's policy on the way this works.

To that point: discussing the length of time it takes to get coupons printed & mailed after they are issued, I asked will it ever be quicker than that? "This is a fairly new program rollout, and we intend to get quicker on these things but right now it takes that long".

I encourage everyone to call and complain about these things, esp. the last item. We are all sick of waiting for the coupons we earn. Waldenbooks sends out their coupons on a far more efficient basis, so BB is capable of doing the same! The squeaky wheels will hopefully get greased!

 

[Carlo_M]

HAHA! Dave I think I was on the phone the same time as you! In between talking with the rep, I could hear another rep explaining to someone in the background about purchases going to his wife's card, etc. etc. Was that you the other CSR was talking to?

 

[Malcolm R]

The question is, did you stay on the phone long enough to hear what that CSR said after Dave hung-up? :wink:

 

[Chris_Eff]

I had a store by me look up my number close to when reward zone started. It crashed the terminal but then worked fine on a second. I received my first batch of coupons. But have been waiting a while for a second. I noticed that the web site was not accurate for about a month but now seems correct. I hope I don't receive my coupons after they expire.

 

[David Lambert]

Carlo, I don't think that was me, because the CSR never used that exact phrase or anything too close to it with me. What time were you calling?


Easy Malcolm...lighten up. You're hurting my feelings. :frowning:

 

[Carlo_M]

Probably around 2pm PST. I see my post was 2:25PM (I think the times I see on HTF are native to my region, which is Pacific time) and I had just gotten off the phone, so I was probably on there from 2-2:15 my time.

I'm kinda bummed that my coupons will get to me in a few weeks. I just got that 10% off coupon for this weekend's sale, and I was considering getting the Pioneer 563A. Would have been nice if I could get that 10% off + coupons (I'm sure I have like 5-6 coming). Don't know if they would have let me use them all in one transaction, or even combine them with the 10% off preferred customer sale, but I won't even get the chance to find out. :frowning:

 

[Malcolm R]

Definitely not my intent. Sorry if it came across that way.