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Best Buy Open Box Adventures

Topher

Topher

Identifies as young
So my 4070 Ti Super was delivered today from Best Buy. Felt I was getting quite the deal for $740 as they are normally around $900 from what I've seen and they are constantly sold out these days regardless. Only thing was it was "open box", but I had 60 days to return it so no worries there.

So got the thing and I opened the box expecting to see something like this.....

71vPZzrlhTL._AC_SL1500_.jpg


Instead I got something that looked like this.....

cool-img.png


Nothing like the picture on the box. Turns out that's a RTX 3080. The backplate, however, has the model number of the 4070 Ti Super. So my guess is someone returned the 3080 posing as a 4070 Ti Super after swapping out the backplate. Basically they scammed Best Buy.

So I immediately drove to Best Buy today to return it. A bit awkward because as far as the folks working at Best Buy knows, I could be the guy trying to pull one over on them. My wife is friends with the wife of the store manager so I dragged her along as my "I want to talk to the manager" muscle.

But thankfully the return went fine. The clerks were perplexed by it at first but they soon realized what happened and they completed the return.

Anyone else had weird situations like that?
 
jshackles

jshackles

Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
This sort of scam is unfortunately pretty common, at least I hear about it all the time. Glad you were able to get it sorted.

On the flip side, I've ordered things from Best Buy open box and had them deliver a double order (I ordered a monitor a few years ago, and they delivered two!). I actually contacted them and asked if they wanted the second one back, they told me to keep it. Score.
 
Topher

Topher

Identifies as young
jshackles said:
This sort of scam is unfortunately pretty common, at least I hear about it all the time. Glad you were able to get it sorted.

On the flip side, I've ordered things from Best Buy open box and had them deliver a double order (I ordered a monitor a few years ago, and they delivered two!). I actually contacted them and asked if they wanted the second one back, they told me to keep it. Score.
Click to expand...

Not a good look for Best Buy. Their returns department really needs to do a better job verifying what is being returned is what was bought. I've had fairly good luck with open box deals in the past. Only real issue has been the occasional "open box" which is really "no box".

That is a nice score. I'm surprised they didn't ask you to send it back.
 
HeisenbergFX4

HeisenbergFX4

Member
My local Best Buy is very careful about returns as they always make sure whatever is being returned is actually the right item

jshackles said:
This sort of scam is unfortunately pretty common, at least I hear about it all the time. Glad you were able to get it sorted.

On the flip side, I've ordered things from Best Buy open box and had them deliver a double order (I ordered a monitor a few years ago, and they delivered two!). I actually contacted them and asked if they wanted the second one back, they told me to keep it. Score.
Click to expand...
I ordered an open box Mesh Wifi set up just a few months ago from them and got an email saying something along the lines the item was out of stock and could not be fulfilled only to have it show up and never got charged for it

2 Summers ago my wife ordered an 8 piece wicker patio set from Home Depot and one of the chairs was broken and we contacted them and they sent us another set and told us to keep the first set as it wasn't even worth it to them to bring in everything as they couldnt replace just the chair.
 
bender

bender

What time is it?
I had a store employee swap a GPU with an old card and reseal the packaging at CompUSA and had all sorts of issues getting an exchange as they thought I was the scammer.

Ailike said:
Remember the gafguy that stole the Spiderman code?
Click to expand...

David B David B
 
Last edited:
Crayon

Crayon

Member
Okay so if you remember when GT4 came out, there was that fancy logitech force feedback wheel advertised with it. Those were expense but you know... HAD TO HAVE IT.

So I went to the best buy, opened the box and swapped it with a $50 mad catz wheel right there on the floor of the aisle. The mad catz box was much smaller, so I grabbed a ps2 carrying case that was on sale and stuffed the logitech pedals into that. The main wheel still didn't really fit in the mad catz box so that was all deformed and torn by the time I got it in there. I chose the dumbest-looking cashier and rang up the mad catz and the carrying case. They actually opened the carrying case and pulled out the pedals, but they were still in their plastic inner packaging so this seemed to all check out with the cashier.

But then I got home and realized I must have left the ac adapter in the store. Ain't that a bitch. So I drove aaaalllll the way back to the store and went to the scene. There were a few employees standing right where I did it, possibly discussing a sudden stock discrepancy. idk. I actually had to say excuse me so I could duck down under the display and find the ac adapter. Which I grabbed an walked right out with.

This was before stores used to lock up every damn thing. So the next time you have to wait around for someone to come with a key so you can buy a razor, please think of me.
 
Topher

Topher

Identifies as young
sainraja said:
I think stores have to scan the barcode with serial number or add a serial number (I think the system requires it) so you can't do that.
Click to expand...

That's the way it should work, but I've seen the folks at Best Buy get the serial number off my receipt to enter it because the one on the item is hard to find or too small to read.
 
proandrad

proandrad

Member
Topher said:
So my 4070 Ti Super was delivered today from Best Buy. Felt I was getting quite the deal for $740 as they are normally around $900 from what I've seen and they are constantly sold out these days regardless. Only thing was it was "open box", but I had 60 days to return it so no worries there.

So got the thing and I opened the box expecting to see something like this.....

71vPZzrlhTL._AC_SL1500_.jpg


Instead I got something that looked like this.....

cool-img.png


Nothing like the picture on the box. Turns out that's a RTX 3080. The backplate, however, has the model number of the 4070 Ti Super. So my guess is someone returned the 3080 posing as a 4070 Ti Super after swapping out the backplate. Basically they scammed Best Buy.

So I immediately drove to Best Buy today to return it. A bit awkward because as far as the folks working at Best Buy knows, I could be the guy trying to pull one over on them. My wife is friends with the wife of the store manager so I dragged her along as my "I want to talk to the manager" muscle.

But thankfully the return went fine. The clerks were perplexed by it at first but they soon realized what happened and they completed the return.

Anyone else had weird situations like that?
Click to expand...
They didn’t look at you funny because this shit happens all the time in retail stores. There is a good chance one of the employees were the ones that pulled that scam. Back when I was in high school I had the same thing happen. My parents purchased a computer for me, but the moment I turned it on I knew something was off. I checked the my computer properties and the pc had a CPU 2 generations old and half the system ram it should have had. Returned it that day and wasn’t even questioned.
 
Last edited:
ShirAhava

ShirAhava

Plays with kids toys, in the adult gaming world
This is why I only buy used electronics from the GAF marketplace
Where quality products can be found from trustworthy sellers!

searching-for-pic-of-peter-griffin-v0-z6x3slh7jdlb1.jpeg


Act now while supplies last
eyes-dog.gif
 
Codes 208

Codes 208

Member
StereoVsn said:
Yeah, I do buy Open Box stuff from Best Buy and Amazon in “like new” condition sometimes. Haven’t had too many issues but it’s always a crapshoot.
Click to expand...
Even then you can get unlucky. My rog ally was a ‘excellent condition’ open box but i found out after buying it that it had a broken fan.

Fortunately best buy has one of the better return support and i exchanged it for another excellent condition with no issues
 
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flying_sq

flying_sq

Member
I recently bought a brand new Dyson vacuum from Best Buy, pick up in stock at the store. Got home, opened it up and it was used and full of someone else's dirt. I took it back to a different Best Buy, the employees started going through the process for me to get a new one.

The SN didn't match the one on the box, and the employee said they couldn't take it back. I Implored that I didn't do this and had no idea. A manager came over, took a look at everything then checked their return system. It doesn't seem to require an SN for a return, so I was able to return it, and they had a new one shipped to my apartment. I was so worried that I was about to get screwed out of $900, but it all worked out, nothing but good things to say about their customer service.
 
ReBurn

ReBurn

Gold Member
I bought an open box laptop there a few years ago and when I powered it up I found that it had been connected to a domain by the person who bought it and it hadn't been reset, just sold open box. The return took a while but they did it. Now if I buy something open box I inspect it before I leave the store.
 
HeisenbergFX4

HeisenbergFX4

Member
Topher said:
That's the way it should work, but I've seen the folks at Best Buy get the serial number off my receipt to enter it because the one on the item is hard to find or too small to read.
Click to expand...
Had a couple of guys get fired from my local Best Buy because they were helping their friends score open box buys

People would buy something they wanted but return it and as soon as it cleared their geek squad or whatever they called themselves the Best Buy employee would call his buddy to come back and buy it at a discount.
 
Topher

Topher

Identifies as young
proandrad said:
They didn’t look at you funny because this shit happens all the time in retail stores. There is a good chance one of the employees were the ones that pulled that scam. Back when I was in high school I had the same thing happen. My parents purchased a computer for me, but the moment I turned it on I knew something was off. I checked the my computer properties and the pc had a CPU 2 generations old and half the system ram it should have had. Returned it that day and wasn’t even questioned.
Click to expand...

This was ordered online and delivered so the local employees were not part of it. But yeah, I imagine swapping out PC parts and then returning the PC is common as well.
 
sainraja

sainraja

Member
Topher said:
That's the way it should work, but I've seen the folks at Best Buy get the serial number off my receipt to enter it because the one on the item is hard to find or too small to read.
Click to expand...
I had to double-check and I was mistaken... console boxes used to have, or at least the Xbox 360/One boxes did, a section of the box visible where the serial number/barcode on the console was, which the store associates had to scan or look at to complete the return. The newer console boxes don't have that. But yeah, it would help fight scenarios like this.
 
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Kings Field

Kings Field

Member
Best buy is all fucked up. Back in 2019 when I was in my 4k moving buying phase, my wife ordered me like $300 worth of black Fridays 4k movies and she was never charged for them but they showed up. Tried contacting them but they pretty much her off and never charged her for them. 🤷‍♂️
 
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