Beware Futureshop at dixe and dundas (bit of a long one) | GTAMotorcycle.com

Beware Futureshop at dixe and dundas (bit of a long one)

Venom01

Venom01

Well-known member
*Edit* The wall has been broken.


I've delt with this Futureshop before. To be honest I never had a problem but I guess that's because everything I have bought from there has worked perfectly and I have had no reason to to bring anything back.....until today. I had bought a car stereo from them about 3 months ago. It was a Sony BT3800u, nice little unit with built in bluetooth hands free calling and A2DP function so I can play music from my phone as well. It was on sale for a good price because it was now discontinued and on top of that if I wanted that the only one left was a display. So we struck a deal to take the price down further as it was missing some things like the remote and what not. On top of that I did by a 4 year warranty for about $60. Shake of the hands all is good and I hand my new car stereo.The unit worked well until last night when all the operation buttons died. I decided before I take it back I would deal with Sony costumer service to troubleshoot the problem but it still didn't work. I could have had Sony fix it BUT I did not get a Sony warranty card with the product so I'd have to pay to get it fixed. No problem I'll just return it.

Well I get to the store and first thing I do is show my bill of sale with the warranty on it to the guy in the car audio section. No problem take it to the costumer service desk and we will replace it. So I go to the counter and go through the expected routine of questions and what not trying to figure out if I had done something wrong to make it not function. I was cool about it. Then things started to get plain FU****G stupid. The guy has the nerve to say and I quote "The first year of your warranty is honored by Sony and we Honor the next 3". What!?, I said what does this receipt say? it says 4 YEAR WARRANTY that I payed for. This is YOUR warranty and you have to honor it whether it be you fixing the unit or replacing it. For some reason they did not want to send it out to get fixed. They said "it's going to to take to long". Fine I said replace it then. Well it's a discontinued unit. This went on for a bit. Finally a manager say "we are going to get you the equivalent of this unit". So I'm waiting and waiting and waiting and growing more and more concerned as time passes. Finally they come with a unit and without a word start typing away furiously at something. I get a look at the new stereo they bring up and guess what, they were trying to get me to walk out with a BT2900u! not even half the features and not A2DP. I'm more then a little ****** off now but I manage to keep my cool. How is this an equivalent? I had a freaking 3800u and now you trying to give me this? I ask them what they thing the word equivalent means and their answer? "IT IS.......in price".


WOW I can not believe what I just heard but I'm still keeping my cool somehow but this is NOT going to fly. More arguing and finally I said "just refund me", the response? WE CAN'T DO THAT! I'm telling you I wanted to just freak on them. Not only are they trying to weasel out of a warranty but they are trying to get me to take a lower end unit like I'm a retard and don't know any better. What happened next I'll be honest I'm not proud of, i made a deal...dear god why did I make a deal? The deal was that I would pay the difference ($30) to get the next model up with the same warranty transferred over to it. I don't know why I did. I should have got that unit as a replacement with no charge. I felt like I was getting no where and to be honest I did not know what to do. I feel like I can't even be mad anymore because I did that. The BT3900u has way more features and it is better in quite a few functions and all but I should have got that for nothing. I just want to say If you guys/gals ever buy a warranty have the person selling it to you physical write down what the warranty is good for and have them sign it. I feel like crap now for giving them that extra $30, I really do but I guess that's how you learn for the next time around. Anyway I'm not happy the that store and how they treated me like an idiot. I think I gained some ground but I still feel they won. So let my story of this enlighten you on the practices of futureshop at Dixie Dundas. They got me, don't let them get you. I do like the new stereo and at least I have that.
 
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Same crap happened to me at Walmart. I didn't keep my cool. Was there for a good hour and even had undercover security behind me cause customer service was scared. Had other customers backing me up and yelling at them too. lol

Walked out with my money back:)
 
Extended warranties are a scam anyways. I bought one about four years ago from Staples to cover an HP multifunction scanner/fax/laser printer that I was using mostly for nothing but fax and scanner duty. I bought the printer on sale, and with extended warranty came to $375 or so plus tax. Eighteen months and less than 300 printed sheets later the printer gave out on me.

I was into the Staples extended warranty period so I called and asked what to do. They told me to take my printer to the nearest Staples, which I did, so they could assess the needed repairs. Three weeks later I get a call. The motherboard is shot and needs replacing, but the cost of obtaining and installing the replacement motherboard would be greater than the deemed depreciated value of the printer. Instead they were going to offer me a $125 buy-out for the printer, that being the deemed current depreciated value.

I explained that the offered buy-out amount was ridiculous given the original purchase price of the printer, the very few pages actually printed during that time, and the current price of a new same-model printer still being up around $300. They upped the buy-out offer to $175. I asked for a manager and expressed my disappointment. They said they would get back to me. Three days later they did, and with a bit more haggling we agreed to a buy-out of $240, payable in the form of a Staples gift card.

I went and used that gift card to buy a Brother multifunction for $189 on sale, and no extended warranty. Reading this thread reminded me that I still have a balance on that gift card, and the gift card is still in my wallet!

But anyways, extended warranties are generally a scam. I doubt I would ever buy another one except maybe on a high-end laptop.
 
turbodish said:
...But anyways, extended warranties are generally a scam. I doubt I would ever buy another one except maybe on a high-end laptop.
Click to expand...

Turbo, I'd say you're better of putting the money into a quality laptop period. If you purchase a Fujitsu or Asus laptop the investment will likely be $1200+. However, the quality and reliability will easily surpass that of other brands. Fujitsu computer products are designed and manufactured in Japan. Asus makes very reliable products with intelligent, aesthetically pleasing designs and brilliant displays.

If you buy one of these brands you wouldn't really need to consider buying an extended warranty, but it is an option. Interestingly enough many or all Asus laptops come with a 3 year warranty and the first year of the warranty will sometimes include accidental damage coverage.

In response to the OP's situation, its unfortunate that you had such a terrible experience. Many people forget that the front line customer service in the stores is just one tier of the system. If you have an issue which cannot be resolved at the store you have the option of escalating to their customer service department operated by the head office.

At the very least if you (un)knowingly encountered a breach of policy or procedure by the store manager the head office CSR's will be able to tell you as much. In the event your issue still remains unresolved the next level is to escalate to executive customer service. Depending on the organization the executive customer service will either consist of a few individuals or a small team of senior CSR's who typically have more power and often more desire to see resolution. In other instances it may consist of executive assistants acting on the behalf of the company executives.

In either case you have options to explore if you have a bonafide customer service issue. If you are respectful, persistent, and resourceful getting the resolution you desire can be accomplished. One avenue worth considering to get your problem heard is social networking. If traditional channels do not work consider voicing your issue via Twitter or Facebook, I have successfully used it in the past.
 
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It's funny how most people don't know that if you buy something with most credit cards, the CC company automatically doubles the manufacture's warranty up to 1 year. Even some (most) debit cards do this.
 
To the OP, paragraphs are your friend!

sundancekid said:
Turbo, I'd say you're better of putting the money into a quality laptop period. If you purchase a Fujitsu or Asus laptop the investment will likely be $1200+. However, the quality and reliability will easily surpass that of other brands. Fujitsu computer products are designed and manufactured in Japan. Asus makes very reliable products with intelligent, aesthetically pleasing designs and brilliant displays.
Click to expand...
I used the same logic when I bought my new ASUS. They make great quality products (still have an Asus motherboard in my 8 year old desktop). I ended up recommending / getting an Asus laptop for both my sister and g/f and they're both very happy with it. I bought an Asus EP121 and it was pretty much DOA, right out of the box. Even the highest quality components will have product failures.
 
The wife bought a MacBook. Just after the warranty ran out, she left it on the kitchen table, one of the kids left a glass of milk beside it and the cat knocked the glass over into it. Instead of letting it dry out, she tried booting it up. Took it in too Apple and they showed us the milk covering the inside. Technician said that they would repair it, but she would have to pay for a new power supply. Later on they told us it was too costly to repair, so they gave us the latest model instead.

I did have an issue with Apple when I bought an iMac and it was stolen from the UPS delivery truck.
Apparently they do just in time inventory, and could not get me the same computer before Christmas, after some negotiation they cancelled the order and sent me an iPod nano for the inconvenience. I ended up getting a lower end model from the Apple store.

I don't buy anything at Futureshop, Best Buy, Canadian Tire or Walmart that I don't consider disposible.
Their customer service is so excrutiatingly frustrating that I can't deal with them.

MEC, Costco and Apple on the other hand have customer service that has been great to deal with.
 
Venom01 said:
I've delt with this Futureshop before. To be honest I never had a problem but I guess that's because everything I have bought from there has worked perfectly and I have had no reason to to bring anything back.....until today. I had bought a car stereo from them about 3 months ago. It was a Sony BT3800u, nice little unit with built in bluetooth hands free calling and A2DP function so I can play music from my phone as well. It was on sale for a good price because it was now discontinued and on top of that if I wanted that the only one left was a display. So we struck a deal to take the price down further as it was missing some things like the remote and what not. On top of that I did by a 4 year warranty for about $60. Shake of the hands all is good and I hand my new car stereo.The unit worked well until last night when all the operation buttons died. I decided before I take it back I would deal with Sony costumer service to troubleshoot the problem but it still didn't work. I could have had Sony fix it BUT I did not get a Sony warranty card with the product so I'd have to pay to get it fixed. No problem I'll just return it. Well I get to the store and first thing I do is show my bill of sale with the warranty on it to the guy in the car audio section. No problem take it to the costumer service desk and we will replace it. So I go to the counter and go through the expected routine of questions and what not trying to figure out if I had done something wrong to make it not function. I was cool about it. Then things started to get plain FU****G stupid. The guy has the nerve to say and I quote "The first year of your warranty is honored by Sony and we Honor the next 3". What!?, I said what does this receipt say? it says 4 YEAR WARRANTY that I payed for. This is YOUR warranty and you have to honor it whether it be you fixing the unit or replacing it. For some reason they did not want to send it out to get fixed. They said "it's going to to take to long". Fine I said replace it then. Well it's a discontinued unit. This went on for a bit. Finally a manager say "we are going to get you the equivalent of this unit". So I'm waiting and waiting and waiting and growing more and more concerned as time passes. Finally they come with a unit and without a word start typing away furiously at something. I get a look at the new stereo they bring up and guess what, they were trying to get me to walk out with a BT2900u! not even half the features and not A2DP. I'm more then a little ****** off now but I manage to keep my cool. How is this an equivalent? I had a freaking 3800u and now you trying to give me this? I ask them what they thing the word equivalent means and their answer? "IT IS.......in price". WOW I can not believe what I just heard but I'm still keeping my cool somehow but this is NOT going to fly. More arguing and finally I said "just refund me", the response? WE CAN'T DO THAT! I'm telling you I wanted to just freak on them. Not only are they trying to weasel out of a warranty but they are trying to get me to take a lower end unit like I'm a retard and don't know any better. What happened next I'll be honest I'm not proud of, i made a deal...dear god why did I make a deal? The deal was that I would pay the difference ($30) to get the next model up with the same warranty transferred over to it. I don't know why I did. I should have got that unit as a replacement with no charge. I felt like I was getting no where and to be honest I did not know what to do. I feel like I can't even be mad anymore because I did that. The BT3900u has way more features and it is better in quite a few functions and all but I should have got that for nothing. I just want to say If you guys/gals ever buy a warranty have the person selling it to you physical write down what the warranty is good for and have them sign it. I feel like crap now for giving them that extra $30, I really do but I guess that's how you learn for the next time around. Anyway I'm not happy the that store and how they treated me like an idiot. I think I gained some ground but I still feel they won. So let my story of this enlighten you on the practices of futureshop at Dixie Dundas. They got me, don't let them get you. I do like the new stereo and at least I have that.
Click to expand...

INDENT!!!!!
Use paragraphs!!!!
WOW. I have just awaken from my seizure.

i dont think this is a location specific problem.....i think its a problem in general.

they didnt have another exact unit to give you.
you said it yourself, it was discontinued.
discontinued products cant be replaced nor will they spend the time to fix it (despite your warranty)
they did what they could and attempted to rectify the problem by offering you another product.
granted....it was a lesser model at first attempt (stupid them)....but they didnt have the same model to give you as a replacement.
they werent about to give an even better model for the same price ( which could be argued and i will even say that they could have in 'good faith)

but the question is....why would you buy a 4 year warranty for a discontinued product?
the very fact that it is discontinued should negate the warranty.
they dont have another unit that is the same to give you......so you get a lesser product for nothing or a more expensive product for the difference in price.

to the point about not giving you a refund......they never do.
the best you could have could got was store credit.

i really dont see too much done wrong by the store.

as other have said........CC cover the warranty....never use the store warranty.
 
First off thanks braving the "wall" no more tapatalk long post. Ill fix it when I get to my laptop.

[/QUOTE]

but the question is....why would you buy a 4 year warranty for a discontinued product?
[/QUOTE]

I took that risk at the actually advice of the salesman who told me to do it because it was discontinued and that if it broke they fix it or replace it with an equivalent model. They refused to do either. I'm not one for extened warranty myself. However when you are told how the warranty would cover me vs. what ended up happening you would be pretty upset yourself.

The fact is the store itself put the unit on sale and sold me the warranty due to THEIR recommendations. So as far as I see it that's their problem. Perhaps they should review store policy and not offer their costumers warranty's on discontinued products if they don't know how tl handle it. On top off that being told different things from employees of the same store raise further issues. In my line of work I'd be fired if I didn't know my companies operation policy and Mis-lead a costumer.

Lets forget whether or not I should have got a warranty, I got it. To be told that the first years is handled by Sony and tux next three years by them is compleate b.s. and there is no doubt about that. It say I bought a 4 year. How about the salseman (when I bought it telling me that's how my warranty would work, the salesman in car car audio department telling me that when I showed him my bill of sale and then three more people giving me the run around? How about trying to give me a unit that cost less then the one I bought even on sale and that had half the features and telling me its the equivalent of the one I bought?

Your telling me they did nothing wrong? They screwed themselves as far as I see it. They don't even know what products have in features as they all looked blankly at me when I told them that their equivalent isn't even A2DP compliant which is one of the reasons I got that unit in the first place.

Fact is the only reason I got the warranty is because I was told it would work one way and they changed thier story when it came down to it.

So tell me what was the warranty good for when they did not want to even fix it which I said I would accept? You don't think they did anything wrong?



Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk
 
Venom01 said:
First off thanks braving the "wall" no more tapatalk long post. Ill fix it when I get to my laptop.

I took that risk at the actually advice of the salesman who told me to do it because it was discontinued and that if it broke they fix it or replace it with an equivalent model. They refused to do either. I'm not one for extened warranty myself. However when you are told how the warranty would cover me vs. what ended up happening you would be pretty upset yourself.

The fact is the store itself put the unit on sale and sold me the warranty due to THEIR recommendations. So as far as I see it that's their problem. Perhaps they should review store policy and not offer their costumers warranty's on discontinued products if they don't know how tl handle it. On top off that being told different things from employees of the same store raise further issues. In my line of work I'd be fired if I didn't know my companies operation policy and Mis-lead a costumer.

Lets forget whether or not I should have got a warranty, I got it. To be told that the first years is handled by Sony and tux next three years by them is compleate b.s. and there is no doubt about that. It say I bought a 4 year. How about the salseman (when I bought it telling me that's how my warranty would work, the salesman in car car audio department telling me that when I showed him my bill of sale and then three more people giving me the run around? How about trying to give me a unit that cost less then the one I bought even on sale and that had half the features and telling me its the equivalent of the one I bought?

Your telling me they did nothing wrong? They screwed themselves as far as I see it. They don't even know what products have in features as they all looked blankly at me when I told them that their equivalent isn't even A2DP compliant which is one of the reasons I got that unit in the first place.

Fact is the only reason I got the warranty is because I was told it would work one way and they changed thier story when it came down to it.

So tell me what was the warranty good for when they did not want to even fix it which I said I would accept? You don't think they did anything wrong?



Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

i agree, the "we dont cover the first year warranty" is bull.
if you bought the 4 year warranty, it should be honoured by the people that sold it to you (unless otherwise stated in small print somewhere on your receipt)

i think given the situation you were in, they did the right thing.
they offered you a replacement for a defective product that was discontinued.
they were not going to fix it (not worth it)
they were not going to replace it (out of stock)
the fact that you had the above options was b/c you bought a warranty.

i think they did a ****** job of thinking this through.
warranty on a discontinued item is tricky.
i think you got ****** advice from a salesperson too.
all of this convo should have been had prior to the purchase of the discontinued item.

i agree they should honour the warranty and they did.
another unit (of lesser value)
another unit (of greater value - you pay the diff)
store credit (equal value)

i can see why you are upset.... but i can also see the point of view of the store.

at the end of the day....you ended up with a new unit that you are happy with and they did a ****** job of explaining the warranty for a discontinued item.
 
But would I have even gotten that if I didn't fight for it? I was more then prepared to put my old stereo back in while they fixed it and they didn't want to do that. So in fact my purchased warranty would have been rendered useless. Paying the difference to get the higher model was my input, but giving me a model that was cheaper then the I payed for even on sale is an insult!

Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk
 
Baggsy said:
The wife bought a MacBook. Just after the warranty ran out, she left it on the kitchen table, one of the kids left a glass of milk beside it and the cat knocked the glass over into it. Instead of letting it dry out, she tried booting it up. Took it in too Apple and they showed us the milk covering the inside. Technician said that they would repair it, but she would have to pay for a new power supply. Later on they told us it was too costly to repair, so they gave us the latest model instead.

I did have an issue with Apple when I bought an iMac and it was stolen from the UPS delivery truck.
Apparently they do just in time inventory, and could not get me the same computer before Christmas, after some negotiation they cancelled the order and sent me an iPod nano for the inconvenience. I ended up getting a lower end model from the Apple store.

I don't buy anything at Futureshop, Best Buy, Canadian Tire or Walmart that I don't consider disposible.
Their customer service is so excrutiatingly frustrating that I can't deal with them.

MEC, Costco and Apple on the other hand have customer service that has been great to deal with.
Click to expand...

My wife returned a Macbook that she bought at the Apple store. There was nothing wrong with it. She had used it for a week before her company's IT department essentially said they wouldn't be able to support it for her. She bought a windows laptop instead, and figured she'd try to sell the laptop back to Apple. Maybe they'd take it back at a discount or something.

Went into the store, told them honestly what the situation was. They said, no problem, took the computer back and gave her a full refund on the spot. Opened box, opened (and installed) software, the whole 9 yards. No questions asked, no hassle.
 
Splash said:
It's funny how most people don't know that if you buy something with most credit cards, the CC company automatically doubles the manufacture's warranty up to 1 year. Even some (most) debit cards do this.
Click to expand...

I must disagree with you on this. It is true that some credit or debit cards offer automatic extended warranty on electronics and other items but to say most cards offer it would be rather risky and presumptuous. Anyone considering using a credit card for an electronics purchase should check first with their credit card company prior to making that purchase. How silly would you feel if you learned you have no coverage the hard way? Plus you can't merely assume that just because you have a Gold or Platinum card that you have this perk, once I held a basic credit card and a gold one, believe it or not the basic card had the extended warranty for electronics and the gold card did not.

EngineerJoe said:
I used the same logic when I bought my new ASUS. They make great quality products (still have an Asus motherboard in my 8 year old desktop). I ended up recommending / getting an Asus laptop for both my sister and g/f and they're both very happy with it. I bought an Asus EP121 and it was pretty much DOA, right out of the box. Even the highest quality components will have product failures.
Click to expand...

Its true there is among electronics manufacturers an accepted percentage of DOA units. It used to be about 30% in the late 1990's, which sounds high and it is to some extent but I suspect it is probably about 15-20% now. What I like about Asus products is their quality, if by chance you get an unit with an issue you can take it to their repair depot in Markham for quick friendly service. Unlike many other companies the Asus HQ actually operates this depot which makes a tremendous difference vs. an "authorized 3rd party".

anth1414 said:
but the question is....why would you buy a 4 year warranty for a discontinued product?
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The logic in your rhetorical question is flawed. Every product will eventually become discontinued; therefore it is impossible for anyone to have a warranty (extended or not) on an item and have it replaced with the identical model. People fail to realize that when companies like Futureshop sell extended warranties, the actuarial numbers are in their favour. They have statistical evidence which allows them to predict the likelihood of a product failing or needing repairs.

From there it is just a matter of factoring their replacement cost (at wholesale not retail) of the item and making a profit. Usually they pool the extended warranty funds and the claims which draw on it are relatively insignificant comparatively speaking to that of the size of the pool. They make massive profits from extended warranties hence why Futureshop and other companies push them so hard. Plus since there is a healthy profit involved, the sales associates often take home an additional commission from it. Often when a warranty claim is refused (outside of abuse, neglect or other special circumstances) it is because they are trying to protect their bottom line.

anth1414 said:
...the very fact that it is discontinued should negate the warranty.
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No it should not. What if the item was discontinued just days or weeks after the OP purchased the item? That would be incredibly unfair to the consumer. Companies would purposely discontinue products just to mitigate any liability on their part and give them a loophole by which to decline honouring their responsibility. As it stands now, laptop production runs are, for example, typically 90 days. After which that model is discontinued and they produce an entirely different unit or a slightly updated model. How then reasonably would anyone obtain warranty service after 90 days? By your statement they would essentially be SOL.

anth1414 said:
...they dont have another unit that is the same to give you......so you get a lesser product for nothing or a more expensive product for the difference in price.
Click to expand...

Where would that leave California consumers as it relates to their Lemon Law? The American market is absolutely massive, I highly doubt they would risk jeopardizing it.

"The Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (beginning with Civil Code section 1790) provides protection for consumers who lease or buy new motor vehicles. The law requires that if the manufacturer or its representative in this state, such as an authorized dealer, is unable to service or repair a new motor vehicle to meet the terms of an express written warranty after a reasonable number of repair attempts, the manufacturer is required promptly to replace the vehicle or return the purchase price to the lessee or buyer." http://ag.ca.gov/consumers/general/lemon.php

If a consumer purchased a vehicle in the last production year before a redesigned version makes a debut where would that leave a person? Should they be obligated to downgrade from a Cadillac to Pontiac Sunfire just because it is still in the GM family? I think the Caddy owners might have something to say about this.

anth1414 said:
as other have said........CC cover the warranty....never use the store warranty.
Click to expand...

The onus is on the retailer and the manufacturer. Why would the credit card company want to pay out on a unit still within warranty with another party? I have dealt with this on the administrative side and can tell you getting the card co. to pay out even when the unit is out of any factory or extended warranty is like pulling teeth. I'm quite certain that they will tell you to pursue the store and or manufacturer of the product before they will even consider a claim if the item is under regular warranty.
 
FS extended warranty is useful if you are buying an inkjet printer. these things are almost guaranteed to die after 1 year lol
 
Duster929 said:
My wife returned a Macbook that she bought at the Apple store. There was nothing wrong with it. She had used it for a week before her company's IT department essentially said they wouldn't be able to support it for her. She bought a windows laptop instead, and figured she'd try to sell the laptop back to Apple. Maybe they'd take it back at a discount or something.

Went into the store, told them honestly what the situation was. They said, no problem, took the computer back and gave her a full refund on the spot. Opened box, opened (and installed) software, the whole 9 yards. No questions asked, no hassle.
Click to expand...

couldn't she just install windows on her macbook? lol
 
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