My grandma took my mom and I [and my family] out to dinner tonight to celebrate our birthdays. Our birthdays were three weeks ago [my mom's birthday is just two days after mine] but, since my mom doesn’t live in town, this was our first opportunity to celebrate.

I’ve been slobbering all over my computer screen, admiring the Nikon D40 SLR camera. I used to have a Nikon point and shoot, but the kids accidentally broke it when we were in Chicago last Easter. Ever since then I’ve been borrowing my mom’s camera and she’s been hinting that she wants it back. So I wasn’t surprised when I unwrapped my gift from her and found a new camera.

It was a really, really nice camera, but it wasn’t the camera I wanted. It was a 7.1MP Canon Powershot. Mom said the sales guy showed her some photos taken by this very camera and they were very sharp. Plus you can shoot long videos with it too.

But after my old Nikon went off to camera heaven, I really had my heart set on an SLR.

After thinking it over I decided to return the camera and just pay the difference for the Nikon D40. So I took the camera and my gift receipt in to Best Buy to return it. Before heading to customer service, I checked out their price for the Nikon D40. They were selling it for $599. I had already searched around online and knew I could get it for $534, so I went up to customer service to ask for a refund instead of an exchange.

But they refused. They would give me store credit but not a refund. I said, “But it’s a gift. And I don’t want it. I don’t want store credit. I just want the money.”

I went on to explain that I would buy the camera I want from them but their price was $65 more than I could get it online. He said, “On bestbuy.com?” I said, “No. On Amazon.” He said, “Ok then all I can do is give you store credit.”

I asked for a manager. This little twenty-year-old manager came over to find out what was up. I explained the situation and told him I’d buy the Nikon D40 from them if he’d sell it to me for $534 like Amazon. He said they can’t price match websites, only other physical locations. I said, “Then give me the money.” He refused.

Seriously?!? You’d rather loose out on a $600 sale then just giving in on $65? Is that good business?

I told him, “This is why I never, ever shop at Best Buy and never will again.”

I called my mom. She drove over to Best Buy. She gave them the actual receipt and her credit card so they could credit back her card. She then wrote me a check for the money right there in the store so they could watch their money fly right out of their cash register and in to Jeff Bezos pocket with a short detour in to my bank account.

I would have bought the camera for their $600 price if they would have given me a 4GB memory card or a 1GB card with a second battery for free. I was willing to barter if the manager was willing to offer. After all when I purchased the camera online I bought a 4GB memory card and an extra battery too. So I spent the money. But instead all they were willing to do at Best Buy was watch a customer, who actually wanted to spend around $600, walk right out their door empty handed. A customer whose husband dreams of replacing his big screen TV with a high definition TV. A customer who has children who beg often for games for their PS2, Xbox and Gamecube. A customer who owns a home and may some day wish to purchase new appliances for said home.

A customer who sure as hell will never purchase any of that at Best Buy.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 2nd, 2007 at 10:09 pm and is filed under A day in our life. Comments are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.