A Best Buy customer was left underwhelmed by the retailer’s effort to make up for a delivery delay.
Redditor @FearlessSeaweed6428 posted a screenshot of a message they received from the chain. The correspondence indicates that because the package is late that they would receive credit to their account.
While many would probably agree that this is a fine way to retain customer loyalty, the amount left much to be desired. That’s because, according to the message, the shopper was only going to receive a single penny for the inconvenience.
Hope this helps
The screenshot reads as follows. “Your order is delayed. It’s taking longer than expected to get your order ready. And it’s now schedule to arrive by 12/19.”
It went on: “We’ll apply a $0.01 credit to your order when it ships. You’ll find out more info about the delay and your options in the What you should know section of this email. For up-to-date info about your order, you can visit your Order Details page.”
Additionally, the Reddit user stated that they’ve had their orders delayed from Best Buy in the past. Previously, they’ve never received a credit from the retailer, but receiving the lone cent felt insulting.
“I’ve had many of things delayed in their shipping and not received any credit for it and been fine but this almost feels worse. How exactly is this penny going to be returned to me? Do I have to ho to best buy and use my penny there? I’d give them my 2 cents about the situation but I only have 1.”
Reddit reacts
Numerous folks in the comments section of the post also said they disapproved of Best Guy’s gesture. “That’s like someone tipping you a penny and saying thank you,” one wrote.
Someone else chimed in: “Or someone saying keep the change when the change is a nickel.”
One commenter said that the penny consolation prize was better than what happened with one of their orders. “Well crap. They completely canceled one of my items and didn’t offer me anything. Except an opportunity to place the order again, at the new (higher) price.”
And another joked: “Don’t spend that all in one place man.”
One person also expressed their delivery woes with Best Buy. “I ordered a Nintendo controller on December 1. They printed a label and FedEx didn’t receive the package yet (got it shipped because the stores near me had none). Now stores already have stock and my controller doesn’t move. I am trying to cancel the order tomorrow and just walking and getting one myself.”
Late delivery compensation
Another Reddit user in a separate post questioned other folks on the platform about credits for late deliveries. They purchased a $1,300 cooktop that was delayed several months. Consequently, they wanted to know if they could expect to receive some money from Best Buy for the inconvenience.
Some replies indicated that the customer shouldn’t hold their breath. “Your compensation is to cancel your order and go somewhere else, where you will wait just as long,” one penned.
But there were others who said that the shopper’s gripe should be with the manufacturer and not the retailer. One user indicated that Best Buy, indeed, does offer $100 credits for delayed shipments. “Most are 100 but your issue is with the manufacturer not Best Buy. The manufacturer is delaying because of shipping issues. You should reach out to the manufacturer for compensation not Best Buy.”
However, another commenter retorted by stating that as the retailer, facilitating and fulfilling item sales is Best Buy’s job. I.e., it wasn’t cool for the store to sell a product. Then, profit off of a product and not ship it out to the customer in question. “Clients should always reach out to BBY. There’s not one reason as to why a customer should personally reach out to a manufacturer while BBY is facilitating a product.”
Someone else, however, recommended that they just cancel the order. That’s because the type of product the redditor ordered was notoriously delayed. They also added that they shouldn’t hope for any type of money, either. “Just cancel the order go to Lowe’s or Home Depot or a local vendor and forget it. People have been waiting 20 months for a 50k in Viking Appliances. You will not be getting any compensation.”
Money back?
Retail Wire is one among many outlets that discussed if folks should be given credits for delivery delays. The piece cites a survey of 1,000+ shoppers who believed they should receive compensation for a delayed package. Fifty-three percent said they expected to get a discount on their next order with the retailer following a delay.
The Money Saving Expert blog delineated how folks can go about securing money if their package wasn’t brought in a timely fashion. The website says according to Consumer Contracts Regulations that shoppers have 14 days to get a refund on an order. However, they may have to front the cost of shipping said item back to the retailer.
Furthermore CCR states that patrons are “entitled” to a “full refund” if a package arrives past the promised delivery date. And if there is no specified delivery date, then you can legally cancel an order and get a full refund. This doesn’t apply, however, to products that were ordered inside of a physical retail location for home delivery.
Additionally, if you’ve taken time off of work in order to receive a delivery that never showed up, there’s compensation to be had. The outlet delineates how folks can go about arguing that point here. And if you relied on a delivery for your business and lost out on money as a result of a delay, you might be reimbursed.
Amazon Prime members also discussed potential compensation in this Reddit post here. Many remarked that if a Prime member reaches out to customer service, they will also try to make the situation right. This is often in the form of credits, refunding a month of Prime service, or other compensation.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Best Buy via email and @FearlessSeaweed6428 via Reddit DM for further comment.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
