A Texas couple’s excitement over a new TV disappeared the moment they opened the box and discovered the screen covered in what appeared to be puncture marks. But the husband says the bigger surprise came when they returned to Best Buy and a Geek Squad employee allegedly refused to take it back because it was “too damaged.”
“Went back to Best Buy and the Geek Squad member refused my return and told me to get a hold of the manufacturer,” Hollowespada recalled. He added that he bought the TV the night before picking it up from the store, all the more reason to be upset over being refused a return.
According to Hollowespada, the employee told him the TV was “too damaged” to return and directed him to contact the manufacturer instead. OP said he “honestly was baffled at his response.” He added that he’s never had an issue with Best Buy up until this point. The Reddit post provides Hollowespada’s account of the exchange, and the Best Buy employee’s version of what happened is not included.
The problem was ultimately resolved when Hollowespada says the couple drove about 30 minutes to another Best Buy location, where employees helped them with the damaged TV.
Hollowespada also claimed employees at the second location told him he was the third customer to return the same TV model with similar damage. That claim has not been independently verified, but it left commenters wondering whether the damage to the couple’s TV was an isolated incident.
Best Buy’s Alleged ‘Too Damaged’ Response Baffles Reddit
“As a manager we were always told that less than 1% of people are trying to steal from you. Don’t treat the 99% like they are the thieves. Seems that’s lost on retailers now,” remarked a commenter, sympathizing with the couple’s situation. “Damaged? More like destroyed….” remarked another in disbelief.
“That’s not shipping damage. That’s been hit hard with a hammer or blunt object several times over, and was then placed back in and the box resealed,” pointed out a third user. Hollowespada replied that the box appeared to be in pristine condition, adding that he “immediately thought it was intentional.”
Some commenters wondered whether the refusal meant employees suspected the couple had damaged the television themselves, although Hollowespada did not say anyone directly accused them of doing so. “I don’t even understand what the thievery here would be,” remarked one commenter. “Buying a TV, using it for target practice, then getting your money back for a net benefit of nothing?”
Hollowespada also pointed to his Best Buy Total membership while expressing frustration with the experience. He said he shared the incident publicly because he was “honestly doing this to get their attention.”
Hollowespada eventually got help from another Best Buy, but his claim that the store had already seen other TVs of the same model with similar damage only added another mystery to the ordeal. Whatever happened to the screen before that box was opened, being told a brand-new TV was apparently “too damaged” to return wasn’t the unboxing experience this Texas couple expected.
