Best Buy review: Not given full refund, kept recycling fee on defective chrome book return

On September 13, 2023, at 6:48 PM, I made an online purchase from the Best Buy website for a new unboxed "Acer Chromebook 314 Laptop." It was on sale for $149.00, with $120.00 off, for grand total of $164.55. I arrived at the Best Buy store located in San Marcos, CA, on Grand Street at 7:17 PM to pick up the order after being notified by text that it was ready. I also spent about 10 bucks in gas to pick it up and return home. I immediately unboxed it because I had an urgent use for it, and it would not power on. It was a dud, and I immediately went back to the Best Buy store to return it just before they closed at 8:40 PM (less than 1.5 hours later). I was told by the manager, Jordan, that I had purchased a bundle, which I did not understand and it was NOT clear on the order receipt emailed to me.

A total of 8 emails were sent to me for a single purchase from Best Buy so far, and I was apparently offered 3 months of Youtube Premium in one of them, but I have had a Youtube Premium account for years now. I was also offered some anti-virus software from Webroot that I used years ago (it's awful), but I have a subscription already from BitDefender for 1 more year on all our computers, tablets, and phones.

The return counter, or the manager Jordan, told me that I would only get a refund of $134.56 on a defective item that I had just purchased less than 1.5 hours before retuning it. Jordan also tried to turn the laptop on, and it was the last one in the store. He was also very condescending to his other 2 young employees who obviously needed more help, training, and better leadership. Not only did I have to pay for worthless "bundle" teasers that I already own, I was also charged a $4.00 computer recycling fee that Jordan also refused to return. How does that work, won't the product go back to the manufacturer if its defective? This is nothing short of consumer theft by itself.

I was refunded $29.99 less than what I paid for the defective laptop. I also spent another $10.00 on gas to return it. Altogether, I lost $50.00 tonight from Best Buy on a defective product that they sold to me and could not replace. I was of course upset and mentioned to Jordan that I may go to small claims on this just over the principal of it and to help others who will also most likely be victimized by this business practice. I also did mention that I will write a few reviews too. Jordan did not care and told me to go ahead and do that, it was obviously not his concern at all. So here I am, and I am most likely going to start a small claims action in the Vista court because of how I was treated and essentially victimized by an unethical and corrupt corporation that openly and brazenly stole 50 bucks from me tonight. I find the whole thing bizarre, and I still can't believe a company like Best Buy operates this way. They are clearly having financial trouble if they are now resorting to this sort of business practice bordering on outright consumer theft.