Complaint Review: Circuit City - Rockville Maryland

Over the years, I have bought thousands of dollars worth of equipment from Circuit City.

In March of 2004, I purchases a Verizon cellular telephone, on sale, from Circuit City. At that time, I also purchased an extended warranty plan, wherein my telephone would be replaced if and when it ever went bad. The sales clerk explicity said, "Your phone will be replaced, no questions asked." There was a witness to this transaction.

On the afternoon of December 16, 2005, the screen of my cellular phone stopped working. I went into a Circuit City store, where I was told that I had to go to a Verizon store to verify that that phone "went bad." I thereupon went to a Verizon Store on Rockville Pike, where they told me that I had to go back to Circuit City.

I returned to a Circuit City Store at 12017 Ashley Drive, just off of Rockville Pike in Rockville, Maryland. I went to the telephone counter where I learned that Circuit City had ceded its telephone sales to Verizon, who had a booth inside the store.

I went to the customer service counter, where I encountered an individual who barely spoke English who had not been trained, and in fact only been on the job a couple of days. I then asked to speak to the manager. The manager did not dain to lower himself to speak with an actual customer, and instead sent the halpless worker back to me with a customer service telephone to call.

Upon telephoning the number, I was informed that Circuit City no longer replaces phones, and that I would only receive a refund for the amount I paid for the phone, which was less than the warranty. I was told that Circuit City had just changed their policy two days before, on December 14th. Somehow, I imagine that no matter what date I arrived the warranty would have been changed two days prior to my problem.

I then again requested that I speak with the manager. He came over, and was extremely nasty. When I complained that my warranty was not being honored, he smirked and stated, "I guess you did not read the small print that we can alter the warranty anytime we want." This is the first time I have ever been in a store where the manager boasted that they could cheat the customers. His statements were made in front of a number of customers.

I then stated that What the hell good is there contract worth and what good is buying a warranty that costs more than the price of the product? He then got extremely huffy and threatening, and told me that cussing was against his religion, and he did not cussing in his store. Somehow in the paradox of being religious and boasting that the customers could be ripped off did not dawn on him.

I told him that I did not like being cheated, and that was exactly what was happening. He then started to yell that I was to leave his store and that I was banned for life.

I warn everyone never, ever, buy anything from Circuit City. They do not even have respect for their frequent customers.

Jonathan

Silver Spring, Maryland
U.S.A.