I tried to use BestBuy.com for some Christmas shopping, and the results were dismal. I needed a Sony Clie TJ-25, a Kodak DX4530, and a Kodak Printer Dock 4000. First, I ordered the Clié. I got back an email saying they were out of stock. I tried again later and got another email telling me it was ready for pickup, so I ordered the dock and camera on a separate transaction.
When I went to the store, they found the Clié but couldn’t close the order in the computer. The sales rep’s advice was simple: buy the Clié, camera, and dock together and ignore the orders; they’d automatically expire after seven days of not being picked up. But that’s not what happened…
I bought the stuff I wanted and left. The next day, I noticed that BestBuy.com had taken $500 or so out of my bank account– I’d ordered the camera and Clié with my debit card. Big mistake, obviously. I went back to the store the day after Christmas and asked them why this was; they said that they pre-authorize orders by placing a hold on the order amount, and that it would be refunded. Yesterday, I got email notifying me that my orders had been canceled, and a quick check of the bank revealed that they’d refunded my money for the camera… but not the Clié. The best I could get from the (Indian, unless “Sunitha” is a common name in the US now) phone rep I spoke to today said that their credit department would investigate. I think I may sic 53’s credit department on them first, though.
Paul's Down-Home Page 