I was home in Maryland in May and June, eagerly looking forward to using my new camera for a graduation. The matching zoom lens I bought would let me get great closeups.
Wouldn’t you know it? Despite taking some great pictures the day before, and charging overnight, the camera froze just in time for the graduation. Not one picture!
I bought it when I was in California, so when I next visited Sacramento I found the paperwork and original container and took it back to the store. I took it to the Geek Squad at Natomas Best Buy on June 14th. It was still covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, so they said they’d send it off, with an estimated return date of June 26th. An email on June 28th let me know it was still in service.
Due to a family member’s illness, I returned home to Maryland earlier than planned. Imagine my surprise when I received an online survey from the Geek Squad asking for feedback now that I had my camera back. I tried to fill out the survey, but there was no choice for:
“Wha??? I don’t have it back!”
Fast forward through hours of phone calls to the store, “Best Buy Public Defender”, and emails to Customer Care – all lost writing time trying to track down and retrieve my camera.
But…today, over seven weeks after I dropped it off, and five and a half weeks after it was supposed to be returned, I finally picked up a replacement camera, along with the $25.00 gift card I suggested might be appropriate given the circumstances. I was patient and persistent, and it paid off.
When a manager, let’s call him “Buck”, finally spoke with me, he provided the gift card with a sense of humor about its Christmas greeting. He then suggested I purchase the extended warranty for the camera. I’m accustomed to this, having purchased many products from Best Buy in the past. However, I was not prepared for his reason:
“Look how accommodating we have been, replacing this camera for you.”
Grrr.
Fortunately, everyone else I spoke with in the store today was generally kind and helpful. Only “Buck’s” suggestion was that Best Buy had somehow gone above and beyond what should be expected. The camera was originally given to Geek Squad on June 14th. It was estimated to be returned to me on June 26th. Today, August 3rd, I finally received the replacement, not because the store was proactive in tracking my camera when it was late, or contacting me, but because I spent a great deal of time repeatedly contacting the store and Best Buy’s Public Defender.
What do you think?
I thought it was the store’s contractual obligation under the terms of purchase and the warranty, to produce either the repaired camera or the replacement. That’s what they finally did.
So what’s the silver lining this time?
Patience and persistence pay off. Keeping good notes was worth the time. And even after missing so many great shots this summer, the mountains are still calling. There are beautiful photos to be taken every day.