Big Mess with IPAD 2 and best buy

[Mei]

In addition to going higher up the chain as others have suggested, if you want to get the word out even more --- Best Buy has a forum on its website that is monitored by BB employees. There's a customer service board that gets a lot of traffic.. Good luck getting it sorted out, I cannot believe you were treated that way.

 

[dmaul1114]

They can take a report. This IS A CRIME. The guy stole an iPad 2.

It is not a civil matter anymore than shoplifting is. Try walking in with an iPad and swapping it for an iPad 2... then tell security as they stop you that it is a "civil matter."

And it's not a desire to call the police... only to show the willingness to do so. If I was the manager I would not think the real thief would want to do that.

It's a fraudulent return, and the store is trying to screw vinnan by blaming him.

It's just not a police matter (I do research with police for a living). If it was a criminal matter like shoplifting don't you think Best Buy would have called the cops and tried to press charges against the original person or vinnan?

Fraudulent returns just aren't something police deal with unlike shoplifting. The store security has to build their case on such matters, police won't waste their resources on that kind of stuff, or helping a customer the store is trying to screw over like vinnan.

I'll give another fraud example that happened on one police ridealong I was doing. A woman called because her nephew was stealing her mothers (his grandmothers) social security checks somehow and depositing them into his account. The cop told her there was nothing he could do and she would have to go to the bank and have the bank start an investigation.

Not the same situation, but just a way to show things that we think would be crimes that police could deal with often aren't. They don't really deal with fraud, fraudulent returns and some other white collar crimes. Most of this kind of stuff you have to take to civil court on your own, or go to the better business bureau etc.

Even things like this they technically could deal with the cop will often blow off as they don't want to waste their time on small crap like that when they can be out patrolling and trying to catch more serious criminals. You may have more luck on that front in smaller city that doesn't have much crime of course.

 

[Futurebird]

Wow. This SUCKS. Keep us updated-- They need to catch the criminal!

 

[Tinman]

They can take a report. This IS A CRIME. The guy stole an iPad 2.

It is not a civil matter anymore than shoplifting is. Try walking in with an iPad and swapping it for an iPad 2... then tell security as they stop you that it is a "civil matter."

And it's not a desire to call the police... only to show the willingness to do so. If I was the manager I would not think the real thief would want to do that.

It's a fraudulent return, and the store is trying to screw vinnan by blaming him.

It's just not a police matter (I do research with police for a living). If it was a criminal matter like shoplifting don't you think Best Buy would have called the cops and tried to press charges against the original person or vinnan?

Fraudulent returns just aren't something police deal with unlike shoplifting. The store security has to build their case on such matters, police won't waste their resources on that kind of stuff, or helping a customer the store is trying to screw over like vinnan.

I'll give another fraud example that happened on one police ridealong I was doing. A woman called because her nephew was stealing her mothers (his grandmothers) social security checks somehow and depositing them into his account. The cop told her there was nothing he could do and she would have to go to the bank and have the bank start an investigation.

Not the same situation, but just a way to show things that we think would be crimes that police could deal with often aren't. They don't really deal with fraud, fraudulent returns and some other white collar crimes. Most of this kind of stuff you have to take to civil court on your own, or go to the better business bureau etc.

Even things like this they technically could deal with the cop will often blow off as they don't want to waste their time on small crap like that when they can be out patrolling and trying to catch more serious criminals. You may have more luck on that front in smaller city that doesn't have much crime of course.

I fully understand the police would not do anything. Believe me. But the psychological effect of being willing to call them can be a tool to convince the manager that he or she is wrong.

That said we don't really know anything about the OP. This was his first and only post. So perhaps we all need to wait for more info before rushing to judgement.



Michael

 

[Mtnmedic]

In addition to going higher up the chain as others have suggested, if you want to get the word out even more --- Best Buy has a forum on its website that is monitored by BB employees. There's a customer service board that gets a lot of traffic.. Good luck getting it sorted out, I cannot believe you were treated that way.

Tin man and freebird offer good advice. Yes, a crime HAS been committed. It's called Theft by Conversion. And if over $500 in value in some states, that's a FELONY.

By all means, take a multi-pronged approach: the BBB, Best Buy corporate, their forums, the news. In Sacramento, we have a TV news consumer action reporter named Curtis Ming who takes cases like this, investigates, gets it all over the news and often gets good results by communicating with the vendor or the vendor feels the PR heat. If you have witnesses, the better. And get in touch with freebird.

Dude, that totally sucks. Yeah, if "new" ain't in shrink wrap, it's probably not new. But some stores get "the switch" and they blithely re-shrink wrap a return without paying attention. The BB employee who took the return did a terrible job. But that's nothing in comparison to the store staff's attitude toward your situation. Be vocal, get others to hear you. What's a few hundred dollars to shut someone up than losing customers who want to make big ticket purchases (particularly the iPad)?

I rarely buy anything from BB, anyway. I go to Fry's. Better selection, better prices and no-hassle returns. On occasion I'll buy an open box item for a good price from BB, but that's about it other than to go in and personally get a hands-on look at some stuff.

I'm glad my iPad 2nd coming straight from Apple.

Michael "Spam, spam, bacon, eggs and spam. Hold the bacon and eggs." Sent from my iPad using iPF

 

[Kenworth]

Unfortunatly...........Buyer beware!

 

[dmaul1114]

I fully understand the police would not do anything. Believe me. But the psychological effect of being willing to call them can be a tool to convince the manager that he or she is wrong.

That I can agree with. Though I'd still say just going up to the regional manager of Best Buy would get things resolved more quickly probably.

 

[vinnan]

Hi guys,

Thanks a lot for all the comments & Suggestions..this incident happened on 3/11/2011 7:23 PM MST (Time of purchase) to 8:05 PM MST (driving back to store after the shoick) in Best Buy West Jordan, Utah

Below is what i tried in the last 12 HR window


1) i called apple they said they cannot do anything however they said i can call the apple's customer relations on Monday to see if they can do anything (Highly Unlikely that apple can help)

2) best buy customer service sucks and they have no clue about any process and they said take it directly with the store manager

3) posted in multiple forums (Including apples and best buys customer service forum) help is minimal but lot of suggestions

4) Called credit card company and filed a dispute

5) Launched a complaint in BBB against best buy MN office

6) Posted a letter to best buy head quarters about the incident


Action Items for today

1) Go back to the store and talk to the manager and possibly call the cops as per the suggestions in this forum to see if they will give a search warrant for the previous guy who returned it (And also keep in mind i have some one elses IPAD 1 with me and i dnt want to have someone else's property even though i paif 640 $ for it)

2) possibly check with the lawyer

3) Complaint to a TV channel (though i don't how to do it)

Please suggest if there is anything else i can do

i do not care about the money (Even though i was saving this money for last 11 days with eating only once a day or the product...the only thing that hurts me is they made me look like a thief in front of every body with no sympathy what so ever

worst experience of my life time...

 

[dmaul1114]

Tin man and freebird offer good advice. Yes, a crime HAS been committed. It's called Theft by Conversion. And if over $500 in value in some states, that's a FELONY.

Even if the state in question has such a law, it doesn't help the OP. It just means Best Buy could charge him or or the original person who returned the iPad 1 with that offense.

The cops aren't going to help the OP prove he wasn't the one who did the fraudulent return. He's on his own on that front, and his best bet is doing what you and others suggest and taking the multiple angle approach with Best But corporate, the BBB, local media etc. to get the store manager to relent and refund his money/exchange for a new iPad 2. Then it's the store's problem if they want to try to find a way to press charges against the original person.

 

[iPadCharlie]

Here is a list of TV stations that serve Salt Lake City -- Salt Lake City Television Stations - Station Index

I would call the three major network affiliates and even the Fox station and briefly explain the situation to the person who answers the phone and they might pass you on the person on their news staff who might help you.

 

[Tinman]

It's not like having access to a shrink wrap machine is all that hard. If it happened as described the BB employee simply saw it "still" shrink wrapped and "ass"umed it was unopened. Anyone with access to a shrink wrap machine could have done that.



Michael

 

[Mtnmedic]

It's not like having access to a shrink wrap machine is all that hard. If it happened as described the BB employee simply saw it "still" shrink wrapped and "ass"umed it was unopened. Anyone with access to a shrink wrap machine could have done that.

Michael

Yep.

Michael "Spam, spam, bacon, eggs and spam. Hold the bacon and eggs." Sent from my iPad using iPF

 

[Mtnmedic]

Here is a list of TV stations that serve Salt Lake City -- Salt Lake City Television Stations - Station Index

I would call the three major network affiliates and even the Fox station and briefly explain the situation to the person who answers the phone and they might pass you on the person on their news staff who might help you.

Good advice. THIS is going for the jugular. Electronics stores feeling the bite of the recession are deathly afraid of bad press that will drive away customers. Especially if there are other big-box electronics stores (ahem...Fry's, etc.) nearby.

Michael "Spam, spam, bacon, eggs and spam. Hold the bacon and eggs." Sent from my iPad using iPF

 

[Mtnmedic]

Even if the state in question has such a law, it doesn't help the OP. It just means Best Buy could charge him or or the original person who returned the iPad 1 with that offense.

The cops aren't going to help the OP prove he wasn't the one who did the fraudulent return. He's on his own on that front, and his best bet is doing what you and others suggest and taking the multiple angle approach with Best But corporate, the BBB, local media etc. to get the store manager to relent and refund his money/exchange for a new iPad 2. Then it's the store's problem if they want to try to find a way to press charges against the original person.

It's worth making a report, though. Even a desk report. Generate a case file. Really...what does this guy stand to lose? SURE BB could accuse HIM but then, in a court of law, the burden of proof is 100% upon them to show that HE made the "switch". Really...it's probably a simple matter of tracking the original iPad to the original owner and asking HIM why it suddenly shows up in some stranger's hands right after being in Best Buy. Few people who commit crime will turn around and involve the cops in anything else for fear of getting caught for their earlier crime.

Of course, that didn't stop one lady on COPS who hailed a passing police cruiser to report that she'd just been involved with someone regarding buying a bag of weed and felt she was ripped off and wanted her $20 back. Priceless.

Michael "Spam, spam, bacon, eggs and spam. Hold the bacon and eggs." Sent from my iPad using iPF

 

[SweetPoison]

I read a story pretty much like this, here, when the first iPad hit. The news did get ahold if it I think ~ do a search here and see what the outcome was.

My iPad is my very first Apple product. My experience at the Apple store was amazing! Even for a few days after when I called them for so much help, they are wonderful.

I would never buy an Apple product anywhere but the my Apple store. I love going in there!

I hope things work out for you! Keep us posted!