My Best Buy Experience with P4P

[Advexure]

Amen to that -- as someone in sales, I never begrudge a company the ability to pay their employees (and pay them well) -- ESPECIALLY when they offer the kind of support we get from Advexure. Would much rather support a small business that cares than save a couple of dollars.. I can do with one less Dunkin Donuts coffee.

Very well said, @dmurphynj, and we appreciate the support

 

[ftttu]

OTOH when I make a return I always laugh when I spend 30 minutes painstakingly returning all packaging to perfect as-new condition (can be a pretty complex task these days) only to have the counter person immediately tear it all apart to inspect the item.

I returned a 65" Vizio TV back, packaging it like it was new...but into the box of the exact model they replaced it with. I'm hoping they didn't stick it back onto the floor due to it being defective, and because the SN didn't match. I did the exact same thing with a surround system back to Best Buy, and again, since I packaged it back like new, didn't put it back out on the shelves to sell as new.

Who here remembers surfing the net with a "modem"?
Back when the Diamond 33.6 modem first came out (very first day), I went to Wal-Mart and paid $150 to buy one to upgrade my 28.8. I checked it in the truck as I left, and it was an old 2400 baud. I went back in, stood in line for 30 minutes, and was told to "get another one". There were 6 more on the shelf. All had been swapped out with various lesser, used modems.
I took all 7 to the front desk and gave them to the manager. I explained the whole situation to the manager, and he gave me a refund.
Then I went to Electronics Boutique and bought the real thing.

Two days later, I went back to Wal-Mart. All 7 crap modems were back on the shelf, for sale. I haven't been in Wal-Mart since.

Come on, what does it matter if it is a 2400 or 33.6? That computer to computer thingy will never go anywhere anyway.

 

[Nate-xt]

So, I bought a P4 last week from my local Best Buy in Brooklyn and decided to return it for a P4P. The P4 developed ESCs errors at 1st extended flight, and I didn't want to have to go through additional issues with it. Got the P4P box home, excited at the upgrade. Well, that lasted for about a minute....

See pics for yourselves.







I guess they added those metal plates for weight..


I actually had to Google Promark VR.

I immediately called Customer Service (store closed at 9m) and gave customer service rep an earful; was advised to take it back to store for a refund. At the store, the "manager" was adamant that I should call DJI and sort out; that they sold me a P4P period!!. Well, I had to call BB Corporate Customer Service. Long story short, I will be shipping this box back to BB for a full refund (and NEVER shop at this store again!!!!). Note to self: always check your sealed box at store before leaving.

The sealing on the box indicates a separate tape was placed over the original tape; I found out after the fact.

My sense is that between DJI and Bestbuy, someone is getting ripped off. I personally do not care, just putting the word out...so someone else doesn't find him or herself in this position.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

that is hilarious that someone did that! i mean its not really hilarious for you, but weird i guess that that happened. I bought my P3s from best buy and it was fine.

 

[Hail Damage]

So, I bought a P4 last week from my local Best Buy in Brooklyn and decided to return it for a P4P. The P4 developed ESCs errors at 1st extended flight, and I didn't want to have to go through additional issues with it. Got the P4P box home, excited at the upgrade. Well, that lasted for about a minute....

See pics for yourselves.







I guess they added those metal plates for weight..


I actually had to Google Promark VR.

I immediately called Customer Service (store closed at 9m) and gave customer service rep an earful; was advised to take it back to store for a refund. At the store, the "manager" was adamant that I should call DJI and sort out; that they sold me a P4P period!!. Well, I had to call BB Corporate Customer Service. Long story short, I will be shipping this box back to BB for a full refund (and NEVER shop at this store again!!!!). Note to self: always check your sealed box at store before leaving.

The sealing on the box indicates a separate tape was placed over the original tape; I found out after the fact.

My sense is that between DJI and Bestbuy, someone is getting ripped off. I personally do not care, just putting the word out...so someone else doesn't find him or herself in this position.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

So, I bought a P4 last week from my local Best Buy in Brooklyn and decided to return it for a P4P. The P4 developed ESCs errors at 1st extended flight, and I didn't want to have to go through additional issues with it. Got the P4P box home, excited at the upgrade. Well, that lasted for about a minute....

See pics for yourselves.







I guess they added those metal plates for weight..


I actually had to Google Promark VR.

I immediately called Customer Service (store closed at 9m) and gave customer service rep an earful; was advised to take it back to store for a refund. At the store, the "manager" was adamant that I should call DJI and sort out; that they sold me a P4P period!!. Well, I had to call BB Corporate Customer Service. Long story short, I will be shipping this box back to BB for a full refund (and NEVER shop at this store again!!!!). Note to self: always check your sealed box at store before leaving.

The sealing on the box indicates a separate tape was placed over the original tape; I found out after the fact.

My sense is that between DJI and Bestbuy, someone is getting ripped off. I personally do not care, just putting the word out...so someone else doesn't find him or herself in this position.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

This does happen. In 2004 I bought a $200+ Webcam sealed package from best buy. After the hour drive back home opened the package to find a 5 pound bag of domino's brown sugar.
Ever since I have opened my new purchase with the door security person before leaving.
I hope they do the right thing for you and refund or replace it for the real product.

 

[rbhamilton]

Not just Best Buy and not just drones. I ordered a Huawei Watch brand new from Amazon. It arrived opened with hair stuck in the band and scratches on the face. I return it and the replacement was even worse. Its up to the store to clearly mark an item as "opened box" and likely offer a discount. You cant sell used as new. Thats called fraud.

 

[GMack]

I suspect it was an internal theft-and-switch too at BB. My two Phantom I returned to BB were checked to make sure all the stuff was in their boxes.

Nikon sold coffee cups that looked like their $2,500 lenses. I read where one major photo store shipped a guy a Nikon coffee cup filled with sand to make up for the weight. It was a major mess to sort it out and never heard if it was resolved, no doubt some employee made off with the real lens or sold it to a friend cheap as a cup. Locally, we had a retailer whose employees were switching out cheap BB guns for better rifles in their boxes, and later buying the BB guns which were the better rifles.

I bought some electronic stuff at Fry's in Sacramento and it was the last on the shelf. The girl took it to their shipping department and they wrapped it up in plastic and sealed it as though it were new. Something about if it didn't look newly boxed and sealed, the cashier wouldn't sell it and it caused a lot of trouble on checkout. Sounded like they've had issues with re-boxed merchandise. Need to check those sealed boxes on buying, imho.

 

[Chesapeake]

Do you think you would have gotten a refund from another dealer?

 

[Neon Euc]

Wow sorry about the loss of drone. What made you take pics before you opened it? Good job you did tho.

Reminds me waaaaay back in 1995 when I bought a sealed Amiga CD32 game, got home opened the seal and no game inside. That was hard to explain to the shop keeper lol

But on a plus note I purchased a £100 "10" chrome laptop and ended up getting a "15.5" laptop instead worth £650 [emoji16]

Makes me wonder on the poor guy who paid £650 for a decent laptop and got a crap chromebook instead [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

Neon Euc

 

[Matchlock]

They sure did, and that could spell the end of their "no questions asked" return policy. Whoever the dummy was that took in the return at Best Buy should have opened the box and checked to see if the contents were all there. Obviously someone didn't do their due diligence.

Bud

Wow.
Somebody scammed BB?

Never heard of this before.

 

[Advexure]

Do you think you would have gotten a refund from another dealer?

Yes, why not?

 

[AerialHeights]

The sealing on the box indicates a separate tape was placed over the original tape; I found out after the fact.

My sense is that between DJI and Bestbuy, someone is getting ripped off. I personally do not care, just putting the word out...so someone else doesn't find him or herself in this position.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

That sucks man, I guess it feels good knowing i'm not the only one... Last year I bought a Yuneec Typhoon G from Best Buy Online (Canada). It arrived and the box was opened, the styrofoam was damaged, and there were parts missing, it didn't look like it was flown, but still, not what i paid for. I messaged them and got a robotic reply telling me that it's impossible because BestBuy doesn't sell opened box items online... lol. They told me if I'm unhappy with my purchase I can just send it back for another one, but they don't have any in stock so I'd have to wait. I said screw it and ordered the Typhoon Q500 4K instead. It came a few days later and surprise surprise, same thing, opened, missing parts, the aluminum case was all scratched up, and this one had definitely been flown. I emailed them again, told them the problem and they said to send it back. I really wanted the Typhoon G as I had the GoPro already, so I called the local bestbuy, told them what was going on and said that I'd like to keep the first one if I could take the parts I was missing from the second one so I at least have one full unit that hasn't been flown. The manager agreed and I went and returned the second one with a list of the missing parts. Two weeks later I get an email from BestBuy corporate, telling me that I'm banned from purchasing from bestbuy online because of my "questionable online habits".

Bestbuy is so shitty, they have no quality control in their warehouses to the point where they think "it's impossible" for customers to receive opened box items...

Needless to say, I'll never shop at another BestBuy again.

 

[cardboard66]

When I bought my p4 from best buy.
I asked how do I have that I can return it.
They said if you don't crash it. You have 14 days that you can return it.

 

[danny lewis]

So, I bought a P4 last week from my local Best Buy in Brooklyn and decided to return it for a P4P. The P4 developed ESCs errors at 1st extended flight, and I didn't want to have to go through additional issues with it. Got the P4P box home, excited at the upgrade. Well, that lasted for about a minute....good luck, I ordered an iPhone 6 Plus at Walmart. Lucky for me they opened the box at the counter to find out the box was empty

See pics for yourselves.







I guess they added those metal plates for weight..


I actually had to Google Promark VR.

I immediately called Customer Service (store closed at 9m) and gave customer service rep an earful; was advised to take it back to store for a refund. At the store, the "manager" was adamant that I should call DJI and sort out; that they sold me a P4P period!!. Well, I had to call BB Corporate Customer Service. Long story short, I will be shipping this box back to BB for a full refund (and NEVER shop at this store again!!!!). Note to self: always check your sealed box at store before leaving.

The sealing on the box indicates a separate tape was placed over the original tape; I found out after the fact.

My sense is that between DJI and Bestbuy, someone is getting ripped off. I personally do not care, just putting the word out...so someone else doesn't find him or herself in this position.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

 

[Mac Drone]

So, I bought a P4 last week from my local Best Buy in Brooklyn and decided to return it for a P4P. The P4 developed ESCs errors at 1st extended flight, and I didn't want to have to go through additional issues with it. Got the P4P box home, excited at the upgrade. Well, that lasted for about a minute....

See pics for yourselves.







I guess they added those metal plates for weight..


I actually had to Google Promark VR.

I immediately called Customer Service (store closed at 9m) and gave customer service rep an earful; was advised to take it back to store for a refund. At the store, the "manager" was adamant that I should call DJI and sort out; that they sold me a P4P period!!. Well, I had to call BB Corporate Customer Service. Long story short, I will be shipping this box back to BB for a full refund (and NEVER shop at this store again!!!!). Note to self: always check your sealed box at store before leaving.

The sealing on the box indicates a separate tape was placed over the original tape; I found out after the fact.

My sense is that between DJI and Bestbuy, someone is getting ripped off. I personally do not care, just putting the word out...so someone else doesn't find him or herself in this position.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

Woww!! I bought mine from bb Thursday and all was fine and brand new. I shopped at the bb in newport news Virginia

 

[Skyler King III]

We've had the same exact situation occur in years past with returns. One instance I can remember was a Phantom 2 Vision+ was purchased, buyer chose to return as it was "no longer needed". That unit came back into our warehouse the next day, all retail packaging was intact, retail sleeve was placed nicely around the inside carton, all looked brand new. Luckily our staff checking in returns that day decided to open up the inside carton even though everything appeared completely like new. The unit that had been returned was a Phantom 1. Everything for the Phantom 2 Vision+ had been removed from the carton and substituted with a complete Phantom 1. Needless to say the gentleman was charged with return fraud by local authorities and both the original Phantom 2 Vision+ along with everything he subbed ended up back in our hands.

To the OP, @ebi718, locate the serial number on the drone you have received, contact the manufacturer to have them locate the vendor to which that unit was originally shipped. Depending on the manufacturer, the vendor should be tracking all serial numbers for which they sell and can trace to whom that unit was sold. You also have the S/N of the P4 Pro that was removed from the box and DJI can investigate the location of that unit along with the DJI account to which it was activated with.

Best of luck and I'm sorry you had to be involved in such a situation.

I am not surprised, given what we have as the water level for society.

 

[stitch0852]

Way back when Palm Pilots were all the rage, I purchased a new one from Best Buy in Greenbrier Mall Chesapeake, VA.

I got it home and turned it on to find it had the name and address of someone else already in. I know it wasn't an example because it had rank and rate of a military person.

I returned it. I then carefully check anything I purchase from there, which is rare because I no longer live near one.


I work in retail auto parts and it is amazing the people who try to return tools they used and claimed they didn't. OEM parts off their car as warranty, nope, not doing it.

Had a guy come in a few weeks ago. Had molten remains of a lower radiator hose heater demanding to know who was going to pay damages to his car. (Seems quite a few items around the hose also joined in the melting party). He went into a store and asked for a 2" radiator hose heater. They sold it to him. (You should ask. No, we get many who come in and we sell them what they ask for. Most don't like parts counter people questioning their mechanical abilities - what do we know, we just sell parts?). Had he told them his vehicle, they could have looked and told him that was not recommended. There are six auto parts stores in our town. He did not buy from us, checked sales history compared to his story. He was walking the stores along the main drag hoping someone would pay for his stupidity. He wanted the phone number because he used to be a Sgt (E-5) in the Army and can yell. Not impressed, I retired as an ENC (E-7) from the Navy and pretty sure I could yell louder, BUT when YOU make the mistake, YOU must accept the responsibilities for your action. He also let it slip a local shop "told him" he needed the radiator hose heater, but he put it in himself. Had he allowed them to, either the error would have been discovered or he would have a course of action against the shop, not us, though.

It is a sad state of affairs, though, when someone trying to cheat the system believes they can get their way by yelling at the person not paid enough at the other end to deal with their stupidity and crap. Just saying....

Someone swapped it and hoping they do the right thing by you now. Inspect CAREFULLY anyplace you shop, trust me. It happens in every place where products are sold.

 

[ebi718]

Update: After giving me the run around for weeks, Best Buy 1.) refused to accept any responsibility for this issue , 2.) would not honor its return/exchange policy even though I am eligible for a 30-day return time frame and 3.) refused to offer an any reasons as to why they refused, stating "..While we would be unable to elaborate as to why, please know this case was fully investigated".

I had to file a dispute with my CC company in order to get a reversal of the charge. Thankfully, I got a P4P from another local retailer (which I made sure to open before leaving the store).

 

[stones]

Update: After giving me the run around for weeks, Best Buy 1.) refused to accept any responsibility for this issue , 2.) would not honor its return/exchange policy even though I am eligible for a 30-day return time frame and 3.) refused to offer an any reasons as to why they refused, stating "..While we would be unable to elaborate as to why, please know this case was fully investigated".

I had to file a dispute with my CC company in order to get a reversal of the charge. Thankfully, I got a P4P from another local retailer (which I made sure to open before leaving the store).

I have to give you credit for handling the situation with such a positive deamenor and tact. If my local BB gave me the response you just posted... someone's neck would have fingerprints around it.
Glad you appear to have it resolved.

 

[Lescenatt]

And now...... flyyy