- Report: #12455
Complaint Review: Circuit City - Richmond Virginia
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
Circuit City
9950 Mayland Drive Richmond, 23233 Virginia, U.S.A.
Web:
N/A
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good?
Circuit City Richmond Virginia Ripoff CSP for laptops ..agreement under false terms
On September 15th 2001, I purchased a Compaq Presario 1700US laptop computer. The day I purchased my laptop I was also sold a CPS Service Plan which terms I found interesting and to my needs. I was told by your salesperson that the plan I was being convinced to purchase was to cover under all circumstances regarding my laptop. I was specifically told that this planned covered physical damage as laptop computers are subject to easy damage due to the fact they are portable (exact words used in presence of others). So at that point I decided to purchase the service plan for 369.99 and was told that for any problems to call the CPS toll free number or bring it to the Circuit City Store I purchased it from and I would be assisted.
Unfortunately, Saturday evening, January 12th, after opening my laptop which was sitting quietly and undisturbed for an entire day on my desk, I came to realize that the screen had been cracked. At that point I called CPS and then Compaq, getting a bit of a run around between the two, to then discover that my laptop was not covered. Compaq Customer Service suggested I go directly to the store since Circuit City (apparently not the first time) had promised warranty through the CPS on the laptop for physical damage. Sunday morning, I proceeded to take my laptop to the Circuit City Store 3203 in Sarasota, FL, only to be given another round about of calls and to have been insulted by the manager on site. The manager indelicately accused me of probably disliking the laptop and since I maybe no longer wanted it, I could have accidentally damaged it to get a new one in replacement.
I consider this an insult, as I am a professional with many years of experience in huge American and European corporations and have never been treated this way. Furthermore I wish to underline that my intention was exclusively to get it repaired and not replaced it with a new model.
I feel Circuit City employees have not only treated a customer in a detestable way but has induced a customer into undersigning an agreement under false terms.
Unfortunately, Saturday evening, January 12th, after opening my laptop which was sitting quietly and undisturbed for an entire day on my desk, I came to realize that the screen had been cracked. At that point I called CPS and then Compaq, getting a bit of a run around between the two, to then discover that my laptop was not covered. Compaq Customer Service suggested I go directly to the store since Circuit City (apparently not the first time) had promised warranty through the CPS on the laptop for physical damage. Sunday morning, I proceeded to take my laptop to the Circuit City Store 3203 in Sarasota, FL, only to be given another round about of calls and to have been insulted by the manager on site. The manager indelicately accused me of probably disliking the laptop and since I maybe no longer wanted it, I could have accidentally damaged it to get a new one in replacement.
I consider this an insult, as I am a professional with many years of experience in huge American and European corporations and have never been treated this way. Furthermore I wish to underline that my intention was exclusively to get it repaired and not replaced it with a new model.
I feel Circuit City employees have not only treated a customer in a detestable way but has induced a customer into undersigning an agreement under false terms.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Steve
Dallas,Texas,
Reality Check
#2UPDATE Employee
Wed, February 27, 2002
First let me say that I cannot comment on how the Circuit City Store 3203 in Sarasota, FL management were trained in customer escalations. It would appear quite poorly. But I would like to speak to the other issue of you laptop. I am one of the people that decide what is legitimate hardware failure and what is end user damage or abuse. You state that "after opening my laptop which was sitting quietly and undisturbed for an entire day on my desk, I came to realize that the screen had been cracked." Discounting the now obvious fact that CSP DOES NOT cover any of the wide ranges of abuses a customer can direct towards thier computer, the one question you as a consumer would have to answer is "HOW DID THE SCREEN GET CRACKED?" We have heard all the response from gremlins to rough on-line sex. If you worked for a company that provided you with a computer system, called your IT dept. and said that your monitor was cracked the question they would ask is "HOW DID THE SCREEN GET CRACKED?" The fact that the unit is portable is of no consequence when in fact it was " sitting quietly and undisturbed for an entire day on my desk". To assist you in your quest for knowledge, I would ask the following: Do you have children who might be responsible for this issue? Could you or a baggage handler have bumped the laptop? Did you take the laptop from a enviornment that was -32 degrees to +85 degress? Did you use it to reach an item on the top shelf of a closet or pantry? I personally know of a gentleman that logged over 100,000 airmiles in 2001 alone, his laptop spends more time with him than his wife, and it looks like new. To the issue of contract coverage, I submit this: Would you run over a stump w/your lawnmower and expect the retailer to replace the bent blade? Would you run your car out of oil and expect Ford to replace the engine? In short LET THE BUYER BEWARE. READ YOUR CONTRACT BEFORE YOU PURCHASE IT. ASK QUESTIONS. and DON'T WHINE IF YOU DON'T. 1 more question......Why did Compaq punt you? I suggest that you were given the correct response and was dissatisfied with it and decided to try your warranty company.
Rob
San Antonio,Texas,
You can't fight CITY hall!
#3UPDATE EX-employee responds
Wed, February 20, 2002
I used to work for Circuit City Stores and I am familiar with the policy and the tactics to get out of it. But that is not the story I wanted to tell. If you cannot get them to cover the computer in this situation, you may try checking with your home-owners or renters insurance policy. Even without a special "computer endorsement" there may be coverage for the computer. Everyones policy is different, and it may be a dead-end to check, but the worst that will happen is that you will still be in the same place you are now. The best that could happen (besides Circuit City going bankrupt :) ) will be that you have a new computer. (Most insurance companies will pay for a new one rather than fix an old one.) Good luck, either way.
