<rant>Goddamn Sony and fuck Best Buy</rant>

[Glocksman]

Based on what I read on a video BBS (big mistake, I know ) about the Sony TRV-280 being a decent inexpensive digital camcorder, I bought one the other day from Best Buy.

I should have just stayed home that day.

First off, the damn thing didn't come with a i.Link (aka Firewire) cable, so I had to use USB to transfer clips to my PC for editing as Best Buy wanted $35 for a fricking cable.
This made the files about as sharp and clear as a VHS recording because USB only transfers the video over at 320x240 resolution compared to the 720x480 that you get with i.Link.
however, the softness had one benefit in that it somewhat camoflauged how noisy the video was. Even video shot outdoors had a lot of noise in comparison to what I've seen from other camcorders in that price range.

I could have lived with the noisy video and cleaned it up somewhat in processing, but two other things went wrong that made me take the damned thing back.

First off, the Sony USB driver at random intervals made my machine lock up to the point that I had to do a hard reset and reboot.
Second, the colors on indoor shots were really off and there was no way to fix this as fucking Sony didn't see fit to include a manual white balance control.

So off I go this morning to Best Buy to exchange it for another model.
The girl behind the desk tells me to just go over, pick out the one I want, and bring it back for the exchange.
The sole blueshirt in the camcorder area was the one who sold me the Sony and he even asked me if I was exchanging it.
I told him yes, and I had a specific one in mind.
After that, I stood waiting for 15 minutes while he waits on a guy who said he wasn't even sure he was buying today.

At this point, my temper (the damn camera ruined my plans to make a Christmas DVD for the family) began to boil and I walked back to the desk and told the girl that apparently I wasn't important enough for the guy to take one minute and get me a camera out of the case and I wanted a refund.

She said 'OK, but there's a $45 restocking fee because it's not defective'.
At this point, I lost it and literally screamed 'What in the fuck do you mean it's not defective? The goddamned thing locks up my computer and you can't fix the really bad off colors on indoor shots. Get the goddamn manager over here NOW!'

To humor me, the manager takes a short clip with it inside the store.
OF COURSE, the colors are normal then because the store is lit at color temps close to outdoors and she tells me that I'll have to pay the fee because it's not defective.

This is what I get for being honest and not running 20v DC at a reverse polarity through the 7.5v DC adapter input to 'induce a defect' by burning out the electronics.
Their store policy states that 'opened box camcorders may be subject to a 15% restocking fee if not defective'.
I figured they'd waive the fee after my troubles with the thing.
I thought wrong. Being honest cost me $45.
It probably won't do any good, but I'm going to contest the $45 with my CC company.
If nothing else, it'll cost BB some money to respond.

I wound up over at Sears and got a Panasonic PV-GS19 miniDV camcorder that has manually adjustable white balance for only $50 more than I paid for the Sony, and I got it 18 months same as cash (though I'll probably pay it off in a couple of months).
It didn't come with a firewire cable either, but in a really pleasant surprise, my local PC shop had both the 4 pin to 4pin (to connect my laptop to the camera) and the 4 pin to 6 pin cable I needed (for connection to my desktop) for only $11.33 each.

So much for BB and their $32 'Geek Squad' firewire cable.

Fuck Sony and Fuck Best Buy.
</rant off>

[Crabbypants]

Personally, I don't appreciate having my bags searched and receipts checked before being allowed to exit the store. Assuming your guests are all filthy thieves is not a particularly welcoming policy. I always feel dirty and degraded passing through their checkpoint.
If I'm gonna drop my hard-earned cash in your store, you better goddamn well treat me like a queen.

[Trytostaydead]

Personally, I don't appreciate having my bags searched and receipts checked before being allowed to exit the store. Assuming your guests are all filthy thieves is not a particularly welcoming policy. I always feel dirty and degraded passing through their checkpoint.
If I'm gonna drop my hard-earned cash in your store, you better goddamn well treat me like a queen.

They also have that policy at Costco.

[neoolong]

From what I read in the newspapera couple of times, a store can't legally force you to get your bag searched unless they have cause. Except for clubs that can have it in their membership agreement like Costco. At least, that's the way I hear it works in California.

[aerius]

Never had any issues at Best Buy, then again the only thing I ever buy there is CDs. I love it when they blow out CDs for 6-10 bucks, and I know that if I'm patient the album I want will eventually go on sale.

Futureshop is the one I've had trouble with, they tried to shaft me on returns and I had to make veiled threats of legal action before they gave me my money back.

Which is kinda fucked because they're the same goddamn company.

[Crabbypants]

Fuck Costco! Like I'm gonna pay $50 a year to be treated like a criminal.

[Asdeed]

Never had any issues at Best Buy, then again the only thing I ever buy there is CDs. I love it when they blow out CDs for 6-10 bucks, and I know that if I'm patient the album I want will eventually go on sale.

Futureshop is the one I've had trouble with, they tried to shaft me on returns and I had to make veiled threats of legal action before they gave me my money back.

Which is kinda fucked because they're the same goddamn company.

I bought a game at futureshop once that kept freezing up during install so I took the sucker back. They insisted I should just take another copy which rather than argue I did. About twenty minutes later I was back, package opened up, once more complaining it didn't work. I asked the lady how many more she wanted me to take before they gave me a refund... and to my pleasant surprise she actually gave in. Sitting in the parking lot for twenty minutes was a bitch, but I think it was worth it.

[TheFeniX]

Sucks about your camera man. I've had similar experiences with Best Buy salesmen. I either get the guy who doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to what he's selling, or I get the guy who knows everything about it and won't shut the fuck up while I try and make up my mind.

But you learned something from the whole ordeal which should make things easier in the future.

Personally, I don't appreciate having my bags searched and receipts checked before being allowed to exit the store.

The solution is easy: say "no" and walk out. It's what I do. If I won't let a uniformed police officer search me without probable cause, I damn sure won't let some guy a Best Buy.

There's nothing illegal about it. You now own the bag and all contents in it. They can no more search your bag with no evidence of theft than they could search your pockets. I'm not sure, but I think this is why many store now tape the bags closed when you buy them. And it's mainly at "outdoor/hunting stores" where'd you have a bunch of guys who would take offense to being searched.

In order to warrant a search, a person has to see you peruse the merchandise, conceal it, then exit the store. And the person can't lose sight of you for one second. If you haven't stolen anything, you have nothing to hide.

The only places I see that get around this are stores like Sam's Club where you signed up and are a member. You agreed to the terms of shopping there.

[Jadeite]

Best Buy always makes me paranoid after one time when the store magnet detectors went off on me because they hadn't deactivated the strip on the item I bought, thus making everyone in the immediate vicinity stare at me like I was a shoplifter.

[Bob the Gunslinger]

Jadeite, you probably wouldn't like the amll, then. I work in a book store in a mall, and our alarm goes off at least 5 times an hour. You see, NONE of the other stores in our mall deactivate their chiklets or sensor strips. NONE! So anytime someone enters our store after a bit of shopping, they are greeted with WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP. If you think it's bad, try working there for 8 hrs a day.

I always tell the customers that I don't think they stole something--I think the guys at the Apple store or Verizon are just lazy. By the Emperor, I hate those Apple store bastards!

[LongVin]

You should contest the 45 bucks with the Credit Card company Best Buy isnt going to devote the time and effort to actually fight the charge. They will in all likelyhood say screw it and write it off.

[Glocksman]

From what I read in the newspapera couple of times, a store can't legally force you to get your bag searched unless they have cause. Except for clubs that can have it in their membership agreement like Costco. At least, that's the way I hear it works in California.

With the exception of private clubs like Costco, Sam's Club, etc., no store can force you have your bags searched. It's all voluntary unless we physically detain you which is illegal unless we have proof that you are stealing.

In most cases though, as long as you were rung up at the front lanes, we'll wave you on through. The main things that we are checking are things that came from the back areas and really expensive items like laptops.

I can see it now:

You at the door in a suspicious tone: "What's that lump under your coat?"
Me: "A 9mm Glock. Any other questions?"

My resentment is based on the fact that I *didn't* buy the thing with the intent of returning it after the holidays for a full refund and I *tried* to exchange it for a different model (and but for the atrocious service mentioned in the OP, I would have), but the asshole manager insisted on charging me the restocking fee and justified it by saying she had to charge it. Nevermind the fact that 'may charge' (as stated on the receipt) and 'must charge' are not synomymous.
Fucking cunt.

My only regret is that I didn't get $45 in yelling satisfaction.
I should have carried on screaming at the bitch for 10 solid minutes.

I've spent thousands at BB over the last several years, but I'll never go back after this.
Sears will price match +10% less any published competitor's price, so I'll go either there or Circuit City for my local purchases.

[Glocksman]

Update:

I went in today and asked to speak to the GM, but the LP guy at the door said he'd 'just left for the day' and didn't know when he'd be in the store tomorrow, and when I told him why I wanted to talk to him, told me I'd be better off calling 1-888-BEST-BUY.

I said that'd be my next step if I didn't like what I heard from the manager I spoke with today.

To make a long story short, the manager on duty tried to say that they had to do it because it said 'a 15% restocking fee will be charged on open non-defective returns' on the back of my refund receipt and that they even would have charged me the 15% if I had bought another camcorder that day from them. However, when I pointed out that it said 'may be charged' on my original purchase receipt, and that 'may' implies that there are times it's not charged on nondefective returns, he backpedaled a bit and offered to refund half of my $45.
I countered with (since I'm not totally unreasonable ) an offer to accept a $45 store credit. He said that'd do and gave me a $45 BB gift card.

I'm not 100% happy with this since I never should have been put through the hassle and BS to begin with, but I'm better off than I was four days ago.

Though next time I return an item subject to a restocking fee to BB, I'm letting loose the Magic Smoke™ before I leave home.