Recently, I decided to to recycle a Mitsubishi 46" rear projection tv I had purchased years ago from Best Buy. I wanted to make sure they would accept the tv before I loaded the very heavy tv on to my utility trailer and drove it 17 miles to the store. So I called the local store in Holland but could not reach a real person. Instead I was transferred to a national customer service line where I posed my question and was told that the Holland store would accept my 46" rear projection tv. I was very clear that this was a rear projection tv and asked the customer service representative twice to confirm that they would accept the TV. After that call, I went one step further because I wanted this verification in writing. I contacted Best Buy's Virtual Sales office to ask the same specific question in a live chat. Again, I received a confirmation that a 46" rear projection tv would be accepted at the Holland store for a small fee and I printed a copy of the verification to take with me to the store. When I arrived at the store, before I unloaded the TV, I went in to speak with the customer service staff person who also informed me that they would accept the tv. I was asked to cart the tv into the store which I did. I should note that I am nearly 72 years old which is another reason I wanted to be certain they would accept the tv before I went through the trouble of loading and unloading this 150 pound monster. When I finally got the tv into the store another staff person was at the front desk who told me they could not accept a rear projection tv. I asked to see the store manager with whom I shared all of the verifications I received even showing him a written copy of the virtual chat document I had received confirming that the store would accept the tv. He did not care, telling me it was my problem, not his. I suggested this was a Best Buy problem with the inconsistent messages I had received. He refused to accept any responsibility and told me I needed to remove the tv from the store. His only offer of assistance was to have his staff cart the tv back to my utility trailer and suggest I go to Padnos recycling where they would probably accept it for a fee. In the end my wife discovered I could take the tv to Ottawa County Recycling for a $20 fee which I did. (Padnos would have cost $90) What is most upsetting is the fact that none of this needed to happen if the Best Buy national customer service representative and/or their virtual sales rep would have properly informed me that they would not accept rear projection tvs for any reason. The fact that I was referred to the national sources because no one answers calls at the local store made the experience even more maddening. Best Buy needs to get their act together and the local store personnel need to learn to accept some responsibility when their corporate or virtual reps are giving out incorrect information. The arduous process I went through, as a 72 year old man, to verify and reverify and then load and unload the TV, drive the distance to the store, only to be treated as if I was lying, was most disheartening. For my part, I will no longer shop at Best Buy and I intend to share this experience with as many people who care to listen.A frustrated former customerDenny Sturtevant
