Diary of a Bad Golfer

EDIT: I’ve added a link for this story on Digg, if you have an account please, please dugg the story - if I can help someone else avoid problems it’s more then worth it! I had been looking for a car starter for awhile now, originally I wanted to get a nice 2 way starter with alarm off of Ebay and have it installed locally. I called around to a few places to see if this was possible and how much it would cost and every place I called said they only would install products purchased from their store (this included Best Buy). So I set out to a few places to start looking, I originally went to a small custom audio place in town, then I went to Circuit City. They both had ones I wanted, but after the price of the starter and the cost of installation I was looking at over $500 total…more then I really wanted to spend. Then I went to Best Buy, and decided on a pretty basic Viper model with keyless entry (I didn’t want to have to carry 2 things on my keychain). The salesman told me there was free installation with the unit, and there was even a sign next to the model saying the same thing. Great, good deal I thought, I wasn’t really excited about having Best Buy touch my car but for the price this really couldn’t be beat. I bought the starter and scheduled the install for the following week.

When I showed up to have it installed, there on a sign right next to the window says they will install any aftermarket product…fantastic, there is lie #1 that I was told (don’t bother keeping count, it would be almost impossible) Before I begin the next part, I should note 2 things. I bought the keyless entry model because I didn’t want to carry the factory keyless entry, and my SUV’s passenger mirror will rotate down when in reverse (I think for seeing the curb - who knows). So I brought it in to have it installed, they had me fill out a sheet and sign it - I started to look over the thing but there were people behind me and I was told I could read it later since I will get a copy of it. Fine, no big deal I signed it, got my copy and went back to work. After work I went back to pick up my truck, they informed me that the install charge was $152.00. I tell them that I already must have paid for this when I bought the unit because the salesman told me there was free install included in the purchase. They ask to see my receipt and I show it to them, they said they don’t offer any type of free installation and that their “professional” installation fee was $152.00 which I had to pay - great, what do I do at this point? The stupid thing is already in my car, the ONLY reason I bought it at Best Buy was because I thought it was going to be much cheaper, and now I am stuck and it’s too late to go back.

Originally on my keyless entry it was one click to unlock the driver’s door and two clicks to unlock all the other doors, now it just unlocked every door but the driver’s door after a click. And my mirror no longer rotated down when in reverse. Not a big deal I figured, but something I needed to get fixed. I had a pretty busy week so I put off calling them (this turned out to be a mistake). As I said before I assumed this was pretty minor so I didn’t put it very high on my list of priorities, when I called the person on the phone was very helpful, and apologetic that there were problems with the install. He setup a time for me to bring it in and said they would get it fixed.

 When I brought the vehicle in I was told that these two issues were not their problem - and that they could maybe check and see if there was a blown fuse and that was it. I was on my lunch break so I quickly explained that both of these things were working immediately before bringing the vehicle in and stopped working immediately after. I went back after work and was told “the fuses are fine there is nothing we can do”. At this point I explain again how everything was working beforehand, and he states that the door locks never worked, that the motor was bad. I ask how that can be when my factory keyless entry still works and he told me “no it doesn’t”. I laughed and said it did, and he repeated that it did not. I could see this was going nowhere so I asked what would be involved in just returning this thing. He said if I wanted to return it I would have to pay them to take it out and would only end up getting like $20 back. I asked why I would have to pay to get this thing removed when it isn’t working 100% and I’m unsatisfied with the product. He stated again that everything is working fine, the mirror was not their fault and the door locks never work. Fine, ok, he’s stubborn, and so am I - I can see this is going nowhere so I ask to speak to a manager, he tells me there is nothing the manager will be able to do, I can pay to have it removed if I like. I ask again to see a manager and wait until he shows up.

About 5 minutes later a very young, small man wearing a tie comes in, goes into the install area and talks with the installer for a few minutes, comes out and introduces himself to me and asks what he can do. I state the problem, and say that the 2 things aren’t working, the starter doesn’t seem to be that great, I’d just like to have it removed. He as well stated I can pay to have it removed but it really wouldn’t be worth it. I’m starting to get annoyed at this point (ok I’m probably past that point) and I tell him that this product isn’t working as it should, and also is now in need of repair (for the mirror). He looks at the second receipt (the one that was filled out AFTER it was installed) and says, did you read on here? It shows that the technician said your door locks weren’t working, its right here. At this point I’m upset, this was filled out after it was installed, that proved nothing, he could have easily wrote that on there to cover his own ass after he broke it. I explain this to them and their response is “no see, it’s written right here”. Now I realize I’m dealing with people with the intellectual level of a 4 year old, and not that of an 8 year old - which is what I had previously thought. I asked them how the motor can be broken when my factory keyless entry still works? (This is a good one) The installer then tells me I am lying, and that my factory remote does not work. Also - what happened to the customer is always right?

This put me on edge, I really didn’t appreciate being called a liar to my face, especially on something they wouldn’t know. I again explain how these things aren’t working, and ask if they would just remove it and refund me the price - I say I will accept the cost of the installation I just want it taken out and the starter refunded. This was not acceptable to them and they stated again I would have to pay, I ask again how the door lock motor can be “bad” when my factory keyless entry still works - again the installer tells me that it doesn’t work (at this point I wanted to punch him, little did I know what would happen later). I tell them I can prove this, and if I bring in my factory keyless entry and show that it opens fine, that I either want it fixed, or I want it back to factory condition and the unit returned. Amazingly neither of these were acceptable to them, and they actually started to question why I waited so long to bring it in, why I wouldn’t have called that night, etc etc. I tell them that I noticed it right away, however I thought it was such a minor issue that I didn’t worry about it right away, it wasn’t like the car starter itself didn’t work. The manager asked to see my receipt and looked at it, at this point I finally have a little faith that something might happen. Then he looks up and tells me there is nothing they can do for me, I say (verbatim) “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, I can prove the original keyless entry works, and this one doesn’t and you still won’t fix it?” Again the manager brings up how the installer wrote down that it didn’t work, so I ask him - if that was the case why wouldn’t he have said something? After all he was installing a KEYLESS entry remote starter, it would seem like if he knew it wasn’t working he would have mentioned this. The manager holds up the receipt and points to it, and asks me if I read the fine print on the back about how they aren’t responsible. I know at this point nothing is going to get done so I ask for me receipt and start to grab it, he actually pulls it away from me, and says “no, really sir, did you read this? any of this?” in a very sarcastic tone, I say (again, verbatim) “Just give me my fucking receipt” and I tried to forcefully grab it from, as I did this I hit him the face with my elbow as I was going for the receipt. Being a short, smaller guy he stumbled back a little (it wasn’t very hard contact). The installer informs me I need to leave the premises or security will be called.

Cliff Notes: Even after being able to PROVE Best Buy damaged my car and also proving that the installer lied, they are unwilling to fix the problem. I didn’t want to go there in the first place, I knew it was a bad idea, but I thought it was going to be cheaper (and it wasn’t anyways) so I did. Life lesson learned I guess, I can assure you that I will never step foot in a Best Buy store again in my life, I realize all stores will have their problems, but Best Buy really seems to be one of the worst companies out there in terms of customer service.

EDIT: Forgot to add, at this point I am trying to do a chargeback on my credit card for the installation charge since I was initially told it would be free and also because it was the installer that damaged my vehicle. If that doesn’t work I am planning on writing a letter and hopefully getting the cost of having it fixed covered. Should that not work I will take it to small claims court - even though it will probably cost more then having it fixed - it’s about the principle of it more then the money.