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Best Buy review: Unacceptable repair and customer service 53

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12:00 am EDT
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I purchased a 42" LG Plasma tv from best buy approximately 10 months ago. I have been a regular customer for many years and I am pretty sure that is over now.

3 Months ago my TV made a pop sound and the screen went away. I called in to Best Buy repair and opened a repair ticket (Job code 5916582).

I was told the earliest the tech could come to my home was approximately a month away (May 11th). I was told the Technician would call before he arrived and given a 6 hour window.

The day of the 11th the technician did in fact call me, however instead of coming out to my home he asked me a few questions, told me that he knew what it was and would "have to order a part" the technicians name was Norman.

He asked me for all of the model and serial number information off of my TV... even called me back once for additional information and then informed me that it would take 3 to 7 days for the part to arrive, at which point I would receive a return call from "routing" to set up a technician to install the part.

Two weeks later I had still not received a call back so I placed a call into best buy. I spoke with a routing rep named Gary on 5/25 and he told me that he was calling the tech and to please hold.

After being on hold for 10 minutes he informed me that the tech was checking his truck for the part and I would recieve a call back from him that day with an update.

Of course that day came and went with no return call from Gary. So once again I called in this time asking for a supervisor.

A supervisor named Sean listened to my situation and then said he would place me on hold to contact the tech and routing to determine what my situation was. After sever times being placed on hold Sean came back to inform me that he could not get a hold of the tech.

He said he emailed him and left him a voice message. He went on to say that he needed to give the tech 48 hours to respond per policy. If I had not heard back from him or the tech in 48 hours I should call him back. He then gave me his internal extension.

So 48 hours goes by and still I have not heard from Sean/Best Buy or the Tech.

I call back in and ask to be put through to sean, I am informed that he is not in... they can however route me to a different supervisor.

I am routed to Kyle I again explain my situation. Kyle apologizes but then goes on to tell me he doesn't show any parts ever being ordered... further he tells me the best he can do is re-schedule a tech to come out and gives me a date sever weeks out!

I inform him that is not acceptable. He then places me on hold and calls routing. Comes back and tells me he can have a tech at my house Sat the 2nd of June (today). Well here I sit and the tech has still not called or showed up.

Working towards three months of calling for repair on my Best Buy purchased LG HD TV and I have yet to see any Tech, I apparently do not have my part on order yet and I am no closer to watching the HD TV I purchased from BEST BUY.

I have spent on average several thousand dollars a year at Best Buy and was a loyal customer but that is now over.

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53 comments
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Pam Pinney
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Aug 19, 2008 5:35 pm EDT

Same thing! I purchased a 62 inch Toshiba in 2006 and have been fighting Best Buy ever since! FINALLY went thru Better Business Bureau and may have some results, we'll SEE! They say we can exchange the tv, but what about the warrenty we purchased, the stand, my time off work, the rude techs, and they don't show up when they say they will, being put on hold FOREVER, with no results! Their LEMON policy is a LIE! I have been going through this since 2006! I PAID in full and etc etc. The problem I have now is...I can go to the local Best Buy and EXTANGE this LEMON, now I have to deal with Best Buy AGAIN!

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James Ozenne
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Aug 01, 2008 5:56 pm EDT

Called Best Buy for repair on Sony HDTV(7/25/08) 3:30pm, TOLD OPERATOR MAKE AND MODEL # AND STATED THAT I HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND THE LIGHT ON THE FRONT OF TV WAS BLINKING, CLEARING MEANING THE LAMP WAS BURNT. Repairman showed up (7/31/08) with the wrong lamp and stated the first visit for repairs are only for diaognastics check and not for repairs.He order a new lamp to be delivered to my residence and told me to call for installation (another week of waiting).I quessing that Best Buy is charging Sony for each visit made to the customer residence.This is really bad news for Sony as I too purchased a surround sound and dvd recorder all Sony products from Best Buy.Put after this adventure I will not purchase any thing from Best Buy.

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Reggie
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Jul 15, 2008 6:58 pm EDT

I spent $1100.00 for a Dell Computer at the Best Buy in Millville, New Jersey. I'm not very computer savvy so I had some questions about connecting to the internet and such. Further, it appears that the new Windows Vista was not allowing me to log on to my AOL Instant Messenger program and was freezing on videos on youtube.com. Naturally, I called Dell Computer. I was told by their customer service rep that Dell could not help me because they had a contract with Best Buy. So he suggested I speak to someone on Best Buy's Geek Squad about my problems. So I called Best Buy's number at [protected] and was eventually connected to a Geek Squad specialist. When I told her my problems she said that she could help me but I had to pay $29.00. I told her that I just bought the computer and she said that it didn't matter, I still had to pay $29.00. You know, when I bought a Dell laptop at Circuit City a few months ago, I was able to talk to a Dell computer specialist for free. Best Buy's customer service totally sucks.

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Anne Meek
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Jul 03, 2008 8:43 am EDT

wow let me regurgitate the same you all have been through...
My name is Anne Meek I have been purchasing items from your store for quite some
time. So imagine to my surprise when I do have a problem with a tv and no one
from customer service to the instore manager to your corporate resolutions team
actually wants to help me. If I would have known what I was in for with this
whole fiasco I would have turned the other way instead the street going to Best
Buy. I have written to the BBB/ consumer affairs/my states attorney general/ and
now to you. my next letter is not so much a letter but to a lawyer. I just want
my tv replaced I don't think I am asking all that much, but apparently for 30
days i have been, as that is how long I have been with out a tv. Seng Xiong
supposedly is helping me... RIGHT. I bought this service protection plan so i
have seen for no reason, since it hasn't worked yet. Your company sent some
idiot technician to my house in CT from RI with no tools/parts or clue as to why
he was here that was on June 5th 2008 he was in
my house for 5 minutes made a guess at the part and took them two weeks to get it ordered. Of course what
do you know the part comes in we wait for our new appointment and he shows up
with a part not even for our tv. not that the manager of the service center
cares as i asked to speak with them have they returned my calls?... i think you
know the answer to that question. so i have been told by this Mr Xiong person
that if in 14 days from the original part being ordered that my tv would be
repaired or replaced. it has been 29 days and now we are some how on part two?
what i don't understand is how the rules and policies change everytime i talk
him and to other departments? i have an email stating such policy as well as a
voice mail and documented time and calls with names, to prove all this for a
lawyer if need be. I would like some resolution and you know I am demanding
satisfaction! I was told by your customer service department that " No I could
not escalate this to a supervisor
" and "that if i didn't like the policy I could cancel it" and " that I could cancel my cable service at my own discretion and pay
to have it turned back on" ARE YOU PEOPLE KIDDING ME?
If you as the ceo can't find a way to help me that I am left with no recourse of
action but to retain a lawyer, and as the manager of the new britain st west
hartford store stated " lady we get threatened all the time" i will put it to
you this way. I don't make threats! I have been calm for the last 28 out of 29
days I can't take this anymore. I am literally losing it, I am not sleeping, not
eating as i am so stressed out with this whole situation. I am pleading with you
to please help me.
Sincerely
Anne Meek
[protected]
Bristol CT
LOOK AT ALL THESE COMPLAINTS AND UNRESOLVED ISSUES, this makes your company look
so bad.

http://www.mnd.bbb.org/complaint/view/57126133/c/iszeyu

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/search.html?cx=004616541639631650405%3Auoeingz5lo
8&cof=FORID%3A11&q=best+buy+complaints#0

http://youtube.com/results?search_query=complaints+about+bestbuy&search_type=&aq
=f

www.consumeraffairs.com/retail/bestbuy_exwars.html

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=complaints+about+bestbuy

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=bestbuy+complaints

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Jeff F.
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Jun 05, 2008 12:09 pm EDT

I have a 32in HD paperweight in my living room thanks to the horrible customer service at Best Buy.
The set was purchased on 12/24/2007 and it broke on 4/28/2008. First time I waited for the tech to come to my house and he ordered parts after barley looking at the tv. 2 weeks go by and another tech comes to my house to discover that the wrong parts were ordered. Another 2 weeks and now one of the parts will not be available until July. I call customer service and they can not offer a replacement until after 14 days that the part was ordered, even though they know it will not be there.
My story is the same as above - scheduling service at home and waiting for a servicemen that could not fix the problem, countless phone calls to Customer Service that resolve nothing, and in the end a useless TV and lots of frustration.
Please, please do not buy from Best Buy and tell anyone you know that they will not stand behind their products.
I am behind any organization to make Best Buy accountable for the horrible treatment of their consumers.
-Jeff
-Los Angeles

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Bill Costello
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Jun 03, 2008 1:01 pm EDT

Nest time, don't deal with Best Buy. Fiorst time is not your fault the second time is...and be sure to tell all your friends

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Bill Costello
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Jun 03, 2008 12:57 pm EDT

I purchased a Nano I pod in 2006 and with it I purchased a replacement policy. When the I pod failed, I returned it to the store and they promptly handed me a new one off the shelf. After 5 returns, they said they wanted to upgrade me to a 30 gig Ipod and a new contract. After the first failure freeze up, I took it in and they said that they would send me a "refurbished one", I asked why not one off the shelf and they stated that I had a different contract now. So they sent me a refurbished one in about 3 days. On the 12th return for a freeze up, they took it and said I had to wait for 2 weeks to get it repaired. I said what happened to the refurbished one in the mail...they said that they repair them now. They are a bunch of theives. I will never go into another Best Buy Store again...thats firm.
Bill Costello
St George Ut

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Jude Thibault
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May 08, 2008 6:37 am EDT

05/8/08

Seems to me that instead of complaining which only serves to vent out frustrations, solving nothing, if people would get together "UNITE" start a class action suit against BEST BUY or any supplier with such a reputation there may be more clout and pressure to obtain satisfactory results...

Speak soft, Carry a big stick !

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Franklin Sutton
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Mar 11, 2008 12:56 pm EDT

Don't Buy Best Buy

I already knew this, but I had a senior moment.

Let me relate a story. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. (Shakespeare and me)

I must admit. I am a slow learner. I knew, under most circumstances, you were better off buying locally.

Let me back ground this chronicle for you. Senator Frank Eldridge and I owned the first computer to be used in the State Capital. Later after my unsuccessful venture of running for Lt. Governor against Zell Miller, I moved back to Colquitt County. I set about building another computer. I am accustomed to saying that I built the first M.S. Dos computer that I ever saw.

At the time, as far as I knew, the computer jointly owned by Colquitt County and the City of Moultrie was the only other computer running in the county. Certainly it was the first "home computer."

I had to purchase three cabinets to get one. This requires me to build two more. Over the years, I sold a few others. Then the home computer market got saturated and there was little demand for home made entries.

About ten years ago, I assembled my last one. It was old and ugly, slow and steady, pugnacious but dependable. Alas a few short weeks ago, it developed aged computer syndrom. My beloved companion of the past decade was giving up the ghost. Its spirit was broken. It was in dire circumstances.

Its mouse was giving trouble .this is only a minor distraction I speculated to myself. Its mouse board needs replacing. I opened up the cabinet and found that it did not have a separate mouse board. I would have to replace the complete mother board. This ain't good. I mused. As old as this unit is, I need to purchase another one. I then called a local computer expert. My own talents were outdated by massive changes in technology. He didn't call back.

In the mean time, I was in Valdosta and saw the big yellow sign, BEST BUY, I whipped in. This was a mistake. I ended up buying the most expensive Hewlett Packard that they offered. I would have been better off to have donated the money to the Salvation army.

As a rule once a computer is burned in, it gives no problems. This one came with a defective Hard Drive. After the third trip down there, they agreed with me. It had a bad hard drive.

At the point of purchase there were all kinds of promises of reliable store service. The abominable snow man would be easier to find than the promised local service. We'll send it back they said, it's still in warranty. It was purchased 11/27/07. It still ain't fixed. They installed a new hard drive, but I have to jump through the hoops at Hewlett Packard to get an operating system. You know the procedure where you are placed on hold and forced to listen to some caned music not knowing whether you will ever hear from "a people." Hewlett Packard and Best Buy has this thing going for them. Neither knows Franklin Sutton. It is my problem it seems. Best Buy is a large discount house. They have their employment an NBA who has stated in a printed piece that it is possibly to their financial advantage to lose a customer than it would be to satisfy a customer.

Best Buy would be just as likely to pick Adam's House Cat as Franklin Sutton from a line up.

All You Fools . . . As P.T. Barnum said "There is a sucker born every minute"

The new hard drive is $109.00 over the shelf. As I write this, I have been from Ellenton to Valdosta five times. If I were to count my labor, and the cost of gas, I would have been five times better off not trying to have Best Buy and Hewlett Packard fix their error. I should buy the hard drive and install it myself.

Do I expect that the loss of my business will hurt either? Certainly, not. I am foolish but not naive. My patronize does not effect them. The problem in my problem not theirs. There are many more suckers out there, willing to take the chance of getting a sound unit.

Few will show up and stand in line behind others with a personal computer under their arms in a vain and futile hope who believes that a large corporation cares about them or their business.

The only point that I am trying to make is to deal locally where you know the person, where you are familiar with their integrity and expect them to do as promised.

That was 11/27/07 this in now 3/09/08. I don't know how long this saga will continue. Fortunately, my old home built has not let me down. Praise god for haywire

The above is the original of my story published in my weekly article THE X'CHAIRRMAN'S CORNER. this is a sequel to that story. Now several days later, I am more than indignant

I am more than indignant., offended, provoked or annoyed. The policy of HP has antagonized me beyond any level of depiction.

I have spent the better part of two days trying to buy something for which I had already paid. The so called recovery disk. I did not need a recovery disk. The system never worked there was nothing on the disk other than programs which I had purchased and the operation system which I thought I had purchased. The system came back without an operating system. I was not given a copy of Vista when I purchased the unit. It was pre-loaded. I assume that I purchased it. Now I am informed by Best Buy and HP that I must purchse from Microsoft a recovery disk.

That is not easy. Several places on the HP website insist that this is N.A. for that serial. I assume that N.A. means not available. I had to jump through several hoops, never the correct one. At one point two numbers were suggested, one [protected]. (commercial site) the other [protected] was a $.99 cent per minute station.

I gave up and carried it to my technician and instructed him to purchase and load a copy of Vista for me. This will cost me $45.00 per hour plus the cost of Vista.

Perhaps when this controversy reaches the point of discovery, I will be able to gain some modicum of satisfaction.

Franklin Sutton

fsutton@alltel.net

686 Ellenton/Omega Road

Norman Park, Ga. 31771

[protected]-[protected]

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Regina
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Feb 19, 2008 11:46 am EST

I fully agree with everyone's complaints about Best Buy. I purchased a Phillip's 42' flat screen that broke down in September of last year. Despite numerous repair requests I have actually only seen a tech 3 times. Once to turn a screw...didn't work...and twice to take serial numbers to order a part. That part came in but was returned because Best Buy didn't let me know it was in so I could set up an appointment. Now the part has been on back order for almost a month. Calls to Best Buy do no go as it seems no one knows whats going on. After contacting the Better Business Bureau the representatives got more efficient but Best Buys answer to my problem was to send me a $50 gift card to buy more defective merchandise. No thanks Best Buy!
All I want is my television fixed.

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Bootlee Fonzworth
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Feb 07, 2008 11:29 am EST

Best buy leadership

Brad Anderson CEO/Vice Chairman/Director -
brad.anderson@bestbuy.com

Shari Ballard, Executive Vice President, Retail Channel
Shari.Ballard@bestbuy.com,

Kim Motz at 612.291.5332 Shari Ballard’s assistant?
Kim.motz@bestbuy.com

Bruce Chatterley, President and Chief Executive Officer,
Bruce.Chatterley@bestbuy.com,

Steve Delp, Chief Operating Officer, Magnolia Audio Video
Steve.Delp@bestbuy.com

Brian Dunn, President and Chief Operating Officer
Brian.Dunn@bestbuy.com

Julie Gilbert, Senior Vice President, Retail Training,
Julie.Gilbert@bestbuy.com

Jena Lund, Julie Gilbert assistant at [protected]
Jena.Lund@bestbuy.com

David Hemler, Senior Vice President, Best Buy for Business
David.hemler@bestbuy.com

Paula Prahl, Vice President, Public Affairs

Lisa Smith- Best Buy Vice President Customer Care
Lisa.Smith@bestbuy.com
[protected] Office

Sean Skelley, Senior Vice President, Business Group Leader,
Sean.Skelley@bestbuy.com

PR number at (612) 292-NEWS

Susan Busch, [protected] Director, Corporate PR
susan.busch@bestbuy.com

Dawn Bryant, [protected] Manager, Corporate PR
dawn.bryant@bestbuy.com

Mark Paragi
Senior Executive Resolution Specialist
Best Buy Corporate Campus
[protected] Direct
[protected] Fax
mark.paragi@bestbuy.com

Investor Contacts: Jennifer Driscoll, [protected] Vice President, Investor Relations jennifer.driscoll@bestbuy.com

Charles Marentette, [protected] Senior Director, Investor Relations charles.marentette@bestbuy.com

Carla Haugen, [protected] Director, Investor Relations
carla.haugen@bestbuy.com

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Rick Queiroga
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Dec 23, 2007 3:55 pm EST

I am outraged at the service center and its method of solving a consumer's problem. In this case, I paid $400 for an extended 4-year warranty and service plan with outrageous results, careless behavior on the part of the customer service people, and rudeness and repeated inconveniences to me.

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Traci
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Jun 11, 2007 9:49 pm EDT

On May 22nd our TV was picked up by Precision Electronics through a protection service with Best Buy. This was the third time they had tried to fix our TV and this time they had to take it to their store. They told us that it could take up to two weeks before they brought it back. On June 4th we had not heard anything from Best Buy or Precision Electronics so I called Precision Electronics and was told by Kris that she had only contacted the parts place at the end of the previous week and should would call them again that day.

The next day my husband called Precision Electronics and he was told by Kris that she had just called the parts place the previous day (the day that I had called). That Thursday, on June 7th, Kris from Precision Electronics contacted us and told us that they were unable to repair the TV and that Best Buy would be doing a buy back, or an exchange. The same day, at 9:34 am, Cindy from Best Buy called and left a message on our machine telling us that we had been approved for the exchange and to wait 24-48 hour and contact our local Best Buy store.

Monday morning, June 11th at 10:22 am my husband called the Best Buy 888# and was told that the number had been sent to the Best Buy store’s tool kit and we could go ahead and drive up there to exchange our TV. We drove 75 miles to Precision Electronics, picked up our old TV and then brought it to the Best Buy store where we were told to go home because they hadn’t received any approval for the exchange. We asked that they call the people we had talked to and it is my belief that no one at the Duluth Best Buy store made any effort to contact or obtain any useful information from anyone, they just repeatedly told us to go home despite the fact that my husband had taken the day off of work and we had driven 75 miles for the specific purpose of making the exchange. We left the Best Buy store and I called customer care where I spoke with Liz. Liz was very helpful and contacted the repair place where she got a verbal approval for the exchange, at which point she contacted the Duluth Best Buy store where she spoke with Eric. Eric told her that he would go ahead and let us exchange the TV and put the paperwork through tomorrow (June 12th). Eric had even told Liz that he would let the person who was coming in to work after him what was going on in case we didn’t make it back to the store before the end of his shift, which was at 6:00 p.m. The time at this point was 3:45 p.m. At this time we were in Superior but drove back into Duluth and up to Best Buy because it was shorter than going home and coming back the next day. When we entered the store we asked to speak to Eric. Instead of Eric, a Tom came out and told my husband “I told you that you weren’t getting a TV today.” I tried explaining to this Tom that I had contacted Liz with customer care and she had worked it out so that we wouldn’t’ have to make two trips (we had our 4 week old daughter and our 5 year old daughter with us) since we were told to go up there by Best Buy to begin with. After going and sitting behind a screen for the better part of ½ hour and pretending to look for some number (which I had tried explaining to him wasn’t there) he proceeded to call my husband a liar about Best Buy ever contacting us and said the only call logged was the one that my husband had made at 2:30 that afternoon. I once again tried explaining to him that when I spoke to Liz, she had gotten verbal approval from the repair company for the exchange and had talked to an Eric who had approved the exchange and agreed to put off the paperwork until the next day. Tom then told me that Eric never approved any such thing and he had been standing right next to him during the phone call, yet only a few minutes before he claimed to know nothing about any phone call. By now I no longer trusted Tom and felt he was lying to us and playing games for some reason and I asked him who his manager was. He responded, “the 800#). I then used my cell phone to once again call the 888# to contact customer care. Liz had already left but I spoke to someone else who read Liz’s notes right off the screen and they were exactly what I had been trying to tell Tom. I handed my phone to Tom so that they could repeat to Tom what I had told him several times already. Tom proceeded to argue with customer care and smirked as he handed my phone back to me. By this time my 4 week old was getting fussy and we had been in the Best Buy store for the better part of 5 hours. The person on the phone (who’s name I did not get unfortunately) said he would have to speak with his supervisor and get back to me. My 5 year old had started climbing on boxes and my 4 week old was screaming because she was hungry so out of respect for the other customers in the store (certainly not the employees as most of them clearly had no respect for us with the exception of one girl working behind the customer service counter that checked on us several times and asked if she could get us water or anything while we were waiting) we took our daughters to sit in the van while we waited for the phone call. When the call did come we were told that Tom had the authority to make the exchange but for some reason would not.

Twice in one day we were told we could exchange the TV we paid $2100 for and were jerked around when we arrived in the store. Three weeks we have been without a TV. When we tried to resolve a conflict we were treated like low life lying ###.

I have never been so disappointed or disgusted with anything in my life. We drove 75 miles home (gas is $3.11/gallon where we live) and will have to wait for a phone call from someone who seems to be on a power trip and is rude and condescending towards formally good customers. If we are lucky the next time we are told we can make the exchange it will actually happen and we won’t be the brunt of Best Buy’s sick joke.

I will never shop at Best Buy again and I plan on telling everyone our story so that they know to shop elsewhere.