Slow Learners

For the SECOND TIME in a year, our family is shipping another Xbox 360 back to the people who manage Best Buy's warranty program.

My first experience wasn't particularly enjoyable.

It was partially my fault. I was stupid enough to return the product to the store where I bought it. The salesperson thanked me for visiting, but told me that I had to return it to the 3rd party warranty claims provider - as stated in my extended warranty.

Okay - that's on me.

But then I went to their website to enter a claim. Pretty easy, except that as I was completing the claim, I was given the option of having a postage paid mailing label mailed to me or I could choose to get one via email. Since I was already online, which do you think I chose?

That's right -except the email never came that day. Or the day after. Or the day after that.

In all, it took 4 calls to finally receive a mailing label - by snail mail! Once I got over the hurdle of getting to the starting line....the rest of the process went pretty smoothly. About 2 weeks later, I received a Best Buy card, with the amount of my purchase loaded on it.

Needless to say, this time I was hoping for a better experience - after all I had spoken with BB's people four times on the last return - surely they have made some improvements in the process!

As it turns out, they have. And they haven't.

Once again, I submitted my warranty claim online. Good news! They knew who I was and what I had purchased. This time I was offered 3 options for receiving a mailing label.

I could print one out immediately or I could have one emailed to me (which I would have to print out later) or I could receive a mailing label by snail mail.

I chose to print a return mailing label immediately. Lo and behold, everything worked!

Sort of.

On my previous return, I had instructions to photocopy my receipt and my warranty registration brochure and to include them in the box with the defective goods. No such instructions this time. Just a mailing label. No instructions in the brochure. No instructions on the website.

Given my last experience, I thought I had better call - just to be sure.

I got through pretty quickly and was informed that there must have been some sort of "glitch" and that YES, they still required all the photocopied documentation to be returned with the damaged goods...

Does Best Buy ever test their processes? (or third party processes?) Since they seem to be such slow learners, here's a couple of suggestions.

1. If I'm submitting a claim online, give me two options - save the mailing label to my PC or print the mailing label. If I'm online, I'm not a candidate for snail mail.

2. Get rid of the requirement to photocopy or mail in copies of receipts. You already know how much I paid for the damn item and you've already accepted my warranty as being valid. Stop with the additional paperwork.

3. Give me two refund options - either send me a Best Buy card via snail mail or better yet, once you've received the damaged goods, setup a Best Buy certificate to be picked up at the local store (about 1 week faster than snail mail). Then you have me IN THE STORE with money in hand.

Oh, and tell Microsoft that they make crappy Xboxes...