I'm no fan of Circuit City, Best Buy, or any of the chain stores (see my comments regarding Wal-Fart, etc., in other threads). I certainly agree with [b]Lazyshooter[/b] about being hounded ("Just looking, thanks. Just looking, thanks anyway. JUST LOOKING GOD-DAMNIT!!!!!"). The last time I gave Best Buy any business was about seven-and-a-half years ago. They had a microwave oven advertised at a fairly good price, so needing one, I go to one of the Best Buy stores here get my stuff and go to pay for it. The little sales wench rings it up at $30 over what it was advertised. We haggle around about it being on sale, she gets the manager, and I show him the sales flyer that was in his very store. He gives me some cock 'n bull story about it only applying to the floor sample. The sales flyer doesn't say that, but he tells me that I'll get the very same warranty coverage and return privilege if I take the alternate. Can you say bait and switch? About a month-and-a-half down the road, the damned thing quits. I call Best Buy and let 'em know I'm having trouble and who do I need to see about exchanging this for a new one? Can't do it, they say; you'll have to send it in or we can send it in. I tell 'em that'll be fine, how long will that be? Their answer: ten to twelve weeks!!! I haggle around with them about that being unacceptable to me and they just say, too bad. So I get the manager and he starts telling me how he can't accept it as a return because it's been over thirty days and it being a floor sample, etc. I kindly reminded him of what he told me when I bought it about having the same warranty, return/exchange privilege, etc. He comes out with some horseshit about policy, etc. I moved in for the kill at that point and reminded him how Best Buy was advertising customer satisfaction and how they claimed that they were better than the other stores of their ilk and how I had bought my microwave based on their reputation and how I was now trying to make a good faith effort to compromise by only asking for an exchange and further, how would he want to be treated in the same situation? He gave me a new microwave and I left.
Now for Circuit City. About six months ago, I decided to buy my own cable modem rather than lease. Out of all of the online sources and local yokels, Circuit City was the only place that was able to get one in a reasonable amount of time. I place my order and go in to pick it up two or three days later. The little dorky sales girl tries to give me a different modem than what I had ordered (according to the box it was different). She starts telling me that it's the same as what I ordered because so-and-so says so. She refuses to let me open and inspect without paying for it and indicates that there'll be a restock fee if I open and return. I asked to speak to the manager and she starts getting nasty and rude about having other things to do. I pressed on for the manager and she finally called for him. I let him know that I'd driven a helluva long ways and I wasn't going to go home empty handed and I wasn't about to pay any restock fee for any bait and switch garbage. They came around to my way of thinking there, too (the modem turned out okay, but I think it was a rental return since it didn't match the model on the box).
Lesson learned: use the mom and pop stores. We have a few mom and pop electronic/appliance stores here that generally beat or at least get competitive with the chains.