Dear Best Buy Reward Zone: You suck.

Best Buy Reward Zone Program
PO BOX 949
Minneapolis, MN 55440-0949

December 3, 2011

Dear Sir or Madam,

In September 2011, I bought kitchen appliances from Best Buy. The total purchase price was around $2700. The customer service representative who worked with me signed me up for the Best Buy rewards program, where for every $250 a customer spent they would in turn receive $5 certificates to be used towards future Best Buy purchases. By my calculations, I should have received close to $50 in certificates.

The appliances were delivered a few weeks later; however, at delivery we realized that the gas range we had purchased would not work in our kitchen as there was no gas line. We returned the range and purchased an electric range later that day. I mentioned that my reward zone points hadn't appeared to one of the customer service reps and was assured that the points would eventually show up.

In the meantime, the second stove was delivered a few weeks after that. It appeared with a large dent in the side. I sent it back to the store and a few weeks after that, a third range, in perfect condition, was installed in my kitchen.

I periodically checked my reward zone account and the points did not show up. There was even an option where you could submit a pin number that would track and add your missing points, which I did multiple times. The points did not show up. I went into the store several times to speak with service reps and the points did not show up. I was told to keep waiting. I sent two emails to the reward zone customer service. Each time I received a form stating that the reward zone people knew there were technical difficulties and that they were working on the problems.

On November 20th,I made yet another trip into the store and got someone in customer service to call the Reward Zone department. She was on hold for 40 minutes but was finally able to get through to someone. She explained the problem. I was informed that someone would call me with an explanation. A few days later, Tuesday November 22, someone did contact me but they left a message on my phone so I called the number back (it was the Reward Zone number). I called customer service at the reward zone myself and finally someone told me I actually had two accounts and that the accounts would have to be merged. This person also found that a $35 certificate had already been awarded to me but it had been used to purchase a laptop computer online. I had made no such purchase. It appeared someone had stolen points out of my account.

I went online to view the second account and activate it and then I called customer service back. I got a second representative and informed him of the whole problem AGAIN and explained that someone had stolen my points and he assured me that my accounts would be merged in 7 - 10 days and that he would alert the fraud department and try to track down my points.

Today is December 3. My accounts were still not merged so I made another phone call to the Reward Zone customer service number. I got a woman named Marie who was fairly helpful. I explained to her the problems, she quickly merged my accounts and added my points up. I was still missing points. She looked over my purchases, we went through the return and the new purchase of the stove. I told her a few times I had spent over $2500 and by my calculations I should have $50 in certificates. Finally, she saw
the $35 certificate that had been issued. Again I explained that I had not used or been issued the certificate, and further stated that another service rep had told me it had been used for another purchase. During her research, Marie found a fraud and wrote up a statement to the fraud department.

Suddenly she realized we had been on the phone for 41 minutes and that she had to wrap up the phone call. She gave me my points (FINALLY) and pushed me off the phone as fast as she could.

The question is, am I satisfied?

NO. I AM NOT SATISFIED AT ALL. If it hadn't been for my perseverance over the past three months, I would have completely lost those points I fought so hard to recover, points that were lost THROUGH NO FAULT OF MY OWN. I have spoken to at least four different customer service agents on the phone, submitted pin numbers from receipts numerous times, as well as sent two emails, AND went into the original store three times to get this taken care of. How much time have I spent trying to get this taken care of? A RIDICULOUS AMOUNT. All to get something that already belonged to me! Not to mention the fact that I helped your company uncover A FRAUD. How many accounts got hacked? How many service reps associated with Best Buy have passed the buck?

This is terrible customer service. I have spent over $3000 at your company over the past 12 months, including the purchase of the kitchen appliances. I have also bought an LG soundbar and I bought a Samsung netbook in March. I can’t believe this is the way your company treats customers. I can assure you that in the future Best Buy will be the last store I consider for purchases.

Sincerely