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crotonic

July 7, 2009 12:07 AM

@TuxRug: Judging by your cheeky yet still serious remonstration, you have missed the joke. Allow me to direct you here for explanation:

I believe good citizens of the internet should be familiar with this vidya.

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Gramin

July 6, 2009 2:23 PM

Oh well. This is better than the alternatives. While we don't know why they changed the rewards program, I'm willing to bet it has something to do with the current economic crisis. I'd rather they do this than raise prices or lay-off employees.

4 replies

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Anonymous

July 9, 2009 6:43 PM

@RogerTheAlien: @Gramin: @Gramin: It's not about the economy at all... it's about the age of the liability on their books. There's legislation regarding the liability of \"virtual currencies\" that has been passed, or is about to be passed which regulates/standardizes the treatment of points in all of these loyalty programs. The more liability to customers (\"earned points\") these companies have on their balance sheets. Don't be surprised to see this more often, a lot of companies are very concerned about the risk associated with points/liabilities that have long expirations.

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RogerTheAlien

July 7, 2009 1:54 AM

@Gramin: I'd like to think competitive prices AND good customer service AND non-shady business practices would attract customers. But I'd be wrong.

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Skaperen

July 6, 2009 5:26 PM

@Gramin: I'd rather they just lower prices and try to attract people to their store to buy stuff rather than doing stuff that destroys their reputation.

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AshleyKeen

July 6, 2009 5:53 PM

@Skaperen: Best Buy has a long running habbit of punishing 'bad' customers. Google \"Best Buy Angels and Devils\" for more reference.

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ryan89

July 6, 2009 2:29 PM

\"You will need to use your points in the year they are earned\"
That seems to imply points earned in 2009 have to be redeemed in 2009. That's what I hate about Dick's Scorecard program. You lose all points and start over every February.

2 replies

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NICU

July 6, 2009 4:21 PM

@ryan89: It's a dirty decision by Best Buy. A lot of shopping will be done around Christmas time and customers will forfeit those points a few days later.

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Willmeister

July 6, 2009 2:30 PM

@ryan89: it really pisses me off when everyone blames the economy

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Cant_stop_the_rock

July 6, 2009 2:33 PM

That's actually good news if it encourages you to shop elsewhere. I've never had a problem with their service or anything like that, but Best Buy just doesn't have great prices. They have some decent deals in their Sunday sale flyers, but most other stuff you can get for less elsewhere.

3 replies

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TVGenius

July 6, 2009 2:55 PM

@Cant_stop_the_rock: That's the thing a lot of people miss. I've gotten better prices there than I could find online, you just have to watch the ads and the website, and a lot of times you can combine the RZ rewards or the 10% coupons they're always mailing and it comes out cheaper or so close to online prices it doesn't matter. If it comes down to just a small percentage difference in total price, I'd rather keep sales tax here locally than pay for shipping and still have to wait a week for whatever it is to get here.

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Cant_stop_the_rock

July 6, 2009 2:59 PM

@TVGenius:

Right, you can get good deals at Best Buy. The point of loyalty programs is to encourage you to also buy stuff there when you're not getting a good deal.

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dragonfire81

July 6, 2009 3:27 PM

@Cant_stop_the_rock: I think the reason for the changes is because people aren't using their rewards points as frequently as BB would like, so they are laying down some restrictions to try and force people to use them (by shopping in store or online) more frequently.

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gamabunta

July 6, 2009 2:39 PM

@Cant_stop_the_rock: I only buy from them if I can't wait for an online order. I bought a camera case online for 10 bucks, BB wanted $16.99; I saved 5 bucks and I didn't have to spend $250 to do so.

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ECN2

July 6, 2009 2:46 PM

Good news for me. That Reward Zone card has been taking up space in my wallet, and I hardly ever use it. I'm happy to get rid of it since I don't think I would ever rack up enough points in a year to make it worthwhile.

2 replies

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ester

July 6, 2009 6:01 PM

@ECN2: I never carry mine around, I just give them my phone number whenever I go in, every 5 or 6 months.

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italianscallion33

July 6, 2009 3:48 PM

@ECN2: I bought a $900 laptop there (to replace a broken one), signed up for the program, and got $15 in reward zone certificates. I don't think I'll ever spend a third of that at BB in a year (minimum cashout is $5), so yeah, I see what you're saying.

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TVGenius

July 6, 2009 2:51 PM

No big deal, really. I typically use the $5 rewards as soon as I have enough points, since there's no incentive to save up, and they've allowed you to print your certificates instead of waiting for them in the mail for a while too. It sucked when they changed the points needed for a reward a few years back, but at least you don't have to pay $10 a year anymore.

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chris_l

July 6, 2009 2:52 PM

I remember when I first got a Reward Zone membership when I bought my big screen about 4.5 years ago. Here is the chain of events, roughly:

- $5 for every $125 spent including tax
- $5 for every $150 spent including tax
- $5 for every $150 spent not including tax
- $5 for every $250 spent not including tax

So I have to spend a grand to get back $20 in store credit and pay tax. Or I could just go to Amazon.com, spending probably $700 final cost, use my Amazon rewards, and earn almost $25 in rewards right there.

5 replies

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mrm514

July 6, 2009 2:56 PM

@chris_l:
They charged $9.99 to sign up when it was $150 (it was never $125), now it is free. So, going up to $250 made sense on the business side.

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ryan89

July 6, 2009 4:02 PM

@mrm514: 100% sure it was $125. I worked there when it was rolled out.

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mrm514

July 6, 2009 4:24 PM

@ryan89:
I get it, thanks ;) must have changed before I worked there 6 years ago.

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ThomFabian

July 6, 2009 3:50 PM

@mrm514:
Actually it was 125 when I signed up in 2002 or 2003

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July 6, 2009 3:37 PM

@mrm514: It most definitely was $125 early in the program, and I probably have the paperwork in a file drawer somewhere.

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chris_l

July 6, 2009 3:22 PM

@mrm514:

Have to disagree with you here. I'm 99% sure it was $125 for $5, but I may be wrong. But charging $10 for a card when you were routinely giving out $150+ on TVs made sense, and it gives people that false sense of value in the program. What is it they say, you get what you pay for? Spending $10 when they offer you $150 in rewards with your purchase right off the bat sounds great, but dicking down the rewards and giving it away for free makes it sound like every other shitty \"let us get your customer info for extremely shitty discounts\" program out there.

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gaywolverine

July 6, 2009 9:37 PM

@chris_l: From their BUSINESS it is better to find out as much about as many people as possible. If it is only those willing to spend $10, then these are ALREADY pretty loyal customers.

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TouchMyMonkey

July 6, 2009 3:00 PM

This is why my wallet is bereft of store loyalty cards. I don't use them. Period. My left butt cheek thanks me kindly for not having to sit on a wallet stuffed full of useless plastic cards from every store on the block.

6 replies

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eggman131

July 6, 2009 6:48 PM

@HurtsSoGood: My favorite five words at supermarkets and pharmacies: Please Use The House Card.

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outlulz

July 6, 2009 3:59 PM

@HurtsSoGood: Not even supermarkets? There's no excuse in not having and using supermarket cards, especially for someone posting on this site.

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TouchMyMonkey

July 6, 2009 7:47 PM

@outlulz: Hanaford doesn't use them at all, and they're a much better supermarket than the competition, who will remain nameless.

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outlulz

July 6, 2009 9:47 PM

I have no idea what a Hanaford or a Market Basket is. Don't forget that supermarkets are regional. All the supermarkets in Los Angeles other than the higher class markets like Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and Bristol Farms have loyalty cards and I'm not paranoid that the FBI is going to spy on what brand cake mix I bought last week just because I gave them my address when I signed up.

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frank64

July 6, 2009 5:50 PM

@outlulz: Market Basket doesn't have them and is MUCH cheaper than the stores that do. Just that fact alone makes me want to shop there. I hate those cards. I have one and the other store I may go to from time to time scans in a store card.

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rworne

July 6, 2009 4:17 PM

@outlulz:

Especially for the privacy freaks:

Just say you forgot/lost your card and to speed up the line the cashier will usually give you a card and an application to turn in or mail in. The card is good instantly and you never have to mail in the form.

I have several of these cards, some more than 5 years old and working fine.

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Gramin

July 6, 2009 3:09 PM

@HurtsSoGood:

Your left butt cheek should NEVER sit on your wallet. It's horrible for your hips. You'll cause your left leg to rotate higher into the socket. I no longer carry a wallet. Everything goes in my front pocket and my hips and back are very happy.

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rpm773

July 6, 2009 3:11 PM

Some pimple-faced thumbdick cashier at the King of Prussia, PA Best Buy looked at me like I had 10 arms and green skin when I told him (3 times) I wasn't interested in signing up for the rewards program. This article more or less shows why.

As Best Buy reduces the value of your \"rewards\", will they voluntarily reduce number of times they sell your demo information to corporate partners?

3 replies

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Nayrlladnar

July 7, 2009 2:28 PM

@rpm773: thumbdick? Can I use that?

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B-BY-7

July 6, 2009 7:38 PM

@rpm773:

Rewards are not something that the customer is entitled to, it is something that a company offers to generate customer loyalty. That is why when you sign up for a rewards program at just about any company, the terms and conditions state that the company has full right to change their rewards policies at any time. Best Buy has done nothing wrong by fully notify their rewardzone customers before making slight changes in the program. The email did NOT say, \"we have deleted all of your points because we wanted to.\" So why are we complaining about receiving rewards on purchases?

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formatc

July 6, 2009 3:26 PM

@rpm773: I never gave them my email for that very reason, and I got a robocall last Thursday telling me about this change. They wanted me to go to MyRZ.com to register my email address by October 31 or else I would no longer be eligible for the program.

With this on top of the change to annual, I don't know why they're expecting me to give them my email address when the plan is basically worthless to me now. I'd rather just let it expire.

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Shappie

July 6, 2009 3:30 PM

I signed up about a year and a half ago and the purchases I made in the store never made it onto my account. I have never gotten it to work since then, and they always tell me at the counter that I can just put it on my acct online.

Good Riddance

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Radi0logy

July 6, 2009 3:30 PM

Best Buy tightening up on their customer incentives now that Circuit City is out of the picture?? What a shocker!

If they can force Microcenter, Fry's and HHGregg out of business, then they can start charging you to enter Best Buy, kind of like Six Flags. (I was going to add Radio Shack to that list, but no one shops there already.)

3 replies

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rpm773

July 6, 2009 4:18 PM

@Radi0logy: By god, I'll keep my local MicroCenter in business even if it means covering their payroll with the money in my retirement account.

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Gramin

July 6, 2009 3:36 PM

@Radi0logy:

Actually, Wal-Mart is the one to worry about. In fact, they're somewhat responsible for Circuit City's downfall. Two years ago, Wal-Mart drastically slashed prices on flat screen TVs. The price cuts were so deep, Wal-Mart was barely turning a profit on those items. In order to compete, Best Buy and Circuit City had to follow the lead of Wal-Mart. Best Buy is large enough that it survived the hit in sales. However, Circuit City wasn't large enough and now they're gone.

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Radi0logy

July 6, 2009 3:42 PM

@Gramin: Not that I don't believe you, but I'd like to read a reference from where you heard that

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Gramin

July 6, 2009 4:04 PM

@Radi0logy:

[www.msnbc.msn.com]

BusinessWeek article: How Wal-Mart's TV prices crushed rivals

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Radi0logy

July 6, 2009 5:06 PM

@Gramin: Interesting read, but I'm honestly not convinced by that article that there is more than a casual relationship between lcd price cutting and the loss of circuit city and compusa

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endless

July 6, 2009 3:35 PM

the not carrying over from year to year is annoying.

the email required makes a lot of sense.

best buy was sending out unbelievable amounts of paper with little to no effect.

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MitchV

July 6, 2009 3:37 PM

I used to buy a lot from BestBuy. Now, the only time I *might* venture into a store is when my boys want to buy a video game.

Their return policy isn't as good as it used to be with restocking fees.

The warranty policy isn't as good (they used to give you credit for the purchase price if something broke. Now they ship it to the manufacturer if there is any manufacturers warranty left).

The prices have increased relative to competitors.

I use to pay to be a reward member, now the program is worthless.

This retailer has driven me away. I used to spend thousands of dollars with them every year on applicances, PC upgrades, music, games, etc.

6 replies

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Brent Newland

July 7, 2009 5:27 AM

I overheard someone saying that they were getting rid of restocking fees very soon. I saw that our store is getting new signage on July 19th (first official day of back to school shopping), including the register mats and the big signs by the door that state our return policies, I would imagine that is when they're doing it.

And I think they should keep charging restocking fees. If you buy a laptop or camera and don't want to choose a different one, you just want a full refund, you probably were just renting it for the weekend.

P.S.: While reward programs do indeed give you benefits back, the biggest one in my opinion is that all your receipts are linked to your account. If you come in the store and give us your phone number, we can have any purchases you've ever made pulled up in less than a minute, as long as you used your rewardzone membership. So if you purchased your laptop three years ago and got the black tie, and now it's broken, you don't have to jump through hoops to prove you bought it.

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wellfleet

July 6, 2009 4:00 PM

@MitchV:
Best Buy no longer has restocking fees on anything.

The regular reward zone program is changing to make sure that customers remain engaged with the store. We have tens of thousands of lapsed members, i.e. people who haven't shopped with us in a long time. It costs millions of dollars in paper and postage and transportation to mail the certificates and coupons to people who never redeem them. Making the certificates available online saves trees and time, the certificates arrive faster and don't get lost in mail.
Also, the Silver Premier tier is going to expand a lot, with tons more rewards and perks, to reward the most loyal shoppers.
As an employee of the company and an environment enthusiast, anything we can do to curb the wanton use of mailers is a good step forward.

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jamar0303

July 6, 2009 9:02 PM

@wellfleet: My big gripe is cross-Pacific compatibility. I have one Reward Zone card that I signed up for at a Chinese Best Buy (yes, there are Best Buys in China) and I was told at sign-up that I can't accumulate or redeem points in the US. Do something about that and I'd be a happy camper. Don't and I can't be bothered, especially if the program is going in this direction.

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wellfleet

July 6, 2009 9:59 PM

@jamar0303: We have several stores in China, actually. And also own Five Star. That said, I'm not sure how we would go about moving purchases back and forth what with different taxation systems, different holding companies, etc. When I purchase stuff at Gap in the US, I can't return it with my receipt to Gap in Canada or the UK. I also can't use my BBY employee discount in other countries, they run on completely different systems. That said, I will pass this along to the powers that be as in our area, we have many business people who travel to China frequently.

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jamar0303

July 8, 2009 1:29 AM

@wellfleet: That would be lovely. And if you can, also pass on to the powers that be that I, as a regular Chinese customer, wouldn't mind if they switched over all the Five Star stores to the Best Buy brand and store format. And maybe the US stores could learn a little about how the Chinese stores implement extended warranties. Local claims processing is always a plus.

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JuliaJolie

July 6, 2009 7:12 PM

@wellfleet:

\"Best Buy no longer has restocking fees on anything.\"

Um, that's a complete lie!! From your company's website (and from the mouths of the employees of the Danvers, MA store):

Restocking fee
A restocking fee of 15% will be charged on opened notebook computers, projectors, camcorders, digital cameras, radar detectors, GPS navigation and in-car video systems unless defective or prohibited by law. A restocking fee of 25% will be charged on Special Order Products, including appliances unless defective or prohibited by law.

Apple® iPhones
We accept iPhone returns or exchanges within 30 days from the original purchase. A 10% restocking fee will be applied.

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wellfleet

July 6, 2009 9:56 PM

@JuliaJolie: Our store charges restocking fees on absolutely nothing, the registers don't even prompt for it anymore. They may be rolling it out in stages across the country. iPhone is separate deal, it's part of Apple's contract with BBY Mobile because Apple will not take back any iPhones for credit. We eat 100% of the cost of every return.

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MitchV

July 6, 2009 6:03 PM

@wellfleet:

\"Best Buy no longer has restocking fees on anything.\"

The fact that I don't know that should be an indication of how long it has been since I shopped there. Best Buy stuck me for a restocking fee once and I started buying electronics elsewhere. It was a poor policy change that put me in mind of places like CompUSA.

I've got no problem with changing the delivery of RZ certificates. My issue with RZ is that the program went from something worthwhile and easy to understand (that I used to *pay* for), to a program that has become a nuisance. For example, I bought a defective headset and used a $5 RZ certificate while making the purchase. I returned it and couldn't re-use the $5 certificate on another headset... I had to wait for another one to be issued to me a month later.

I used to rack up some nice rewards and as a result, Best Buy got more of my business. These days, I get better rewards using a cashback credit card to purchase from other vendors. The Silver Premier tier may be great and I'm sure I would have qualified, but I'll never know now.

BTW, I'm not a kid/teen or a \"demon customer\"... I'm a gadget/electronics junkie with disposable income. I held BBY stock for a while, but I eventually sold it based on my store experiences.

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Cesar Vazquez

July 6, 2009 10:12 PM

@MitchV:

well its not really true, they are testing having a no restocking fee return policy in some areas, its not nationwide yet

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Coyote

July 6, 2009 5:13 PM

@wellfleet:

one question: if RZ is annual, what happens to all the points earned right around Dec 25th? Sometimes it takes a week until points even post to my RZ. Will we forfeit all of our xmas shopping points before we can use them, or will points earned be good for a year from the purchase that earned them?

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HDC989

July 6, 2009 8:06 PM

@Coyote:
I'm going to take a guess and say that any purchases that post in December are going to expire in january. But if you buy anything in December you'll be ok since points do not post until at least 30 days after the purchase.

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lawnmowerdeth

July 6, 2009 3:41 PM

Yay, one less card in my wallet. This is just useless now, unless I'm buying a huge appliance that needs installation. Games and small items can be bought online with no tax.

1 replies

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gaywolverine

July 6, 2009 9:41 PM

@lawnmowerdeth: If you fail to pay taxes on items you purchase online you are a tax evader. If your state charges sales tax they have placed the burden on businesses within their state. Online companies do not collect for the states, but you as a law abiding citizen are required to pay that sales tax.

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godai

July 6, 2009 3:47 PM

Also sometime late last year they changed gift card policy to close the giant eagle loophole.

I used the following steps in jan 08 and it worked but not in feb 09

Go to Giant Eagle.
Purchase $1000 in Best buy gift cards with Amazon.com Credit card.
($1000 toward CC reward program)
($4.00/gal off gas with Giant Eagle reward program)
Purchase $1000 computer at BB
($1000 toward BB Rewards)

When I went to do this more recently they asked if the gift card came from giant eagle and if so it wouldn't count towards my BB RZ.

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Zclyh3

July 6, 2009 3:50 PM

The only time I would shop from Best Buy is if there was a good sale on a particular item. In regards to the rewards zone, I only use this with my Worst Buy credit card to get in on the interest-free purchases. Buy myself a Dell laptop for $899 with no interest for 18 months. =).

Of course, you'd better watch those statements like a hawk. The second you miss a payment you can kiss your interest free plan good bye.

2 replies

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pupu

July 6, 2009 4:10 PM

@Zclyh3: Of course, you'd better watch those statements like a hawk. The second you miss a payment you can kiss your interest free plan good bye.

Yup - If u have online bill pay you can set up a recurring monthly payment to make sure that you never miss a payment.

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Zclyh3

July 6, 2009 7:09 PM

@pupu:

The problem with that is sometimes they might pull a fast one and say you've never set it up...or they work for a few months and then yank it. I know Worst Buy and their tactics.

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Anonymous

July 6, 2009 4:18 PM

I just called Best Buy (obviously a call center in Philipines) and was told by a supervisor (Gonzalo) that point will roll over from year to year and \"the email I got was not from Best Buy.\" The e-mail I did get is identical to the one posted above. Clearly, there is some confusion even within the Best Buy organization.

I still haven't been able to get clarification on what is actually changing. This is most frustrating and irritating since I use the program frequently.

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robotrousers

July 6, 2009 4:55 PM

That explains why my \"birthday present\" from Reward Zone was triple points when I spend money at their store. \"Hey! Happy birthday! Listen, I didn't get you a gift, but if you come by and buy some stuff you don't need, I'll give you some extra points that'll net you a $5 coupon, as long as you spend it this year.\"

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Skin Art Squared

July 6, 2009 4:55 PM

I haven't been in a Best Buy since 1996. Went into one once, and never returned.

2 replies

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Coyote

July 6, 2009 5:14 PM

@BZMedia: Good for you, don't you feel all self-important now.

If you haven't shopped at BB since 1996, why are you bothering to comment on this?

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Skin Art Squared

July 6, 2009 6:16 PM

@Coyote: \"If you haven't shopped at BB since 1996, why are you bothering to comment on this?\"

Was attempting to illustrate and suggest my recollection of how I felt that BB had nothing to offer that would entice me to return to one of their stores for 13 years, and that any form of \"rewards\" card, changes or no changes, is essentially meaningless when the fundamental customer service principles of the company are broken to the extent of alienating their customers on an initial experience without, of course, delving into an in-depth diatribe to the level of vigorously belaboring the point and belittling the forum's end-user implied understanding of cutting to the chase.

Clearly my self-importance established dominance over substance and my attempt at concise innuendo was a complete and utter failed tactic across the board. I think I will sit in the corner and cut myself now.

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gaywolverine

July 6, 2009 9:45 PM

@BZMedia: How can somebody who has not entered a store since 1996 make any intelligent comment about the customer service at that store. Is anything in the world different since 1996? it is this same stupidity that causes companies not to change anything since if they improve things people like you don'd respond. Best Buy dominates in its realm, so why would they care about your $10 a year.

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Brontide

July 6, 2009 5:14 PM

Never again will I voluntarily buy stuff at Best Buy after this Christmas nightmare of shipping charges ( ~20% of the order total was S&H ), screwed up orders ( sent me the wrong items ), return nightmares ( I'm sorry you can't just exchange the item in store for the right one, we have to credit the gift card that was used for the purchase and you will have to fight with bestbuy.com for a new card ), being ignored by \"customer service\" ( we'll get back to you ), jyping me on a return for $10, and in the end I still don't have the movie that I ordered last December.

/can you tell I'm a little miffed

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RB_Bhoy

July 6, 2009 5:58 PM

i remember like 5 years ago when you had to accrue 12,500 points for a $5 rebate check. back then $1 = 100 points, thus you only had to spend $125. then they changed it, and worded it that they'd be doing you a favor by dropping it from 12,500 points to only 250!!! but they also dropped the 100 points per dollar to 1 point, thus making it $250 for $5. wow. a 2% rebate. that's intense. careful you don't break the bank, BB.

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Anonymous

July 6, 2009 6:08 PM

To my understanding, the reason for the annual renewal is for the premium reward zone account that offers more benefits. This account requires $2500 annually for the benefits provided which are actually quite nice. Many of my family members are apart of the program and reap the extra benefits. The second part is the paper amount. They obviously will move to email to conserve on paper.

To the retail haters:
Yes, all corporations are evil, even if they locally employ your son or daughter, give them great benefits, donate to local charities and reimburse into your local economy. Wanna know why I shop at best buy? Because my shoppng there pays a college students tiution, it brings competition to the market, and because I don't walk in there expecting to be treated like royalty. Policies are there for a reason, and the fact that your 1 bad shopping experience caused you never to shop there again is not only making you look naive, but certainly makes you look conceited. I would like to thank the amazon shoppers that say screw best buy for evading paying taxes (we all know you don't record those purchases on your tax statement) and for not paying your local community back. Oh yah... A company is so evil for not bending over backwards for your wants. If you still believe in not shopping there, then good riddance, you won't find many people feeling sorry for you when you can no longer walk into a brick and mortar store to test products, be around people, and actually may find an associate you like.

My overall point though is don't set yourself up when shopping anywhere, you will be a lot happier.

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NotEd

July 6, 2009 6:35 PM

Pardon, but if reward points don't carry over from year to year are they planning on screwing over everybody who buys Xmas and other generic holiday gifts with their Reward Cards?
'Cause I know that December and late November are probably the only times I shop at Best Buy and if my rewards expire 1 week after I earned thyem that is kind of a cheap shot on Best Buy's part...

1 replies

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sakanagai

July 7, 2009 11:40 AM

@NotEd: Points don't log to your account for about 30 days after the purchase, so Black Friday points have the greatest potential of loss.

What you should remember, though, is you won't necessarily lose all of your points. At the end of the year, your current balance will be cashed out to certificates automatically and only the excess is lost.

From the RZ Program Rules page:
Program Annualization
At the beginning of every calendar year, the points in your account (except Premier Silver members) will be changed into Reward Certificates down to the $5 level and any remaining points balance will be forfeited.

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July 6, 2009 6:40 PM

Reward Zone also has trouble with adhering to do-not-call regulations. Early this year I had an automated call telling the RZ certificate I'd gotten would expire \"soon\", soon being 60 days from the date of the call. I told them immediately and in no uncertain terms to never call me and yet I got another call 30 days later about that \"soon\" to expire certificate. After a few more email go-'rounds (and being told how many days it takes them to process simple requests), I thought it was all taken care of. I also went to my profile and changed the number to my Grand Central (now Google Voice) number, then proceeded to block the RZ number in Grand Central.

In early June I got another call about a certificate that was going to expire in July. When I logged in, I also noticed that the phone number had been changed back to my landline.

It's in the hands of the FCC now.

3 replies

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LoadStar

July 7, 2009 3:34 PM

@larrymac: Do not call regulations generally do not apply when you have a \"pre-existing business relationship.\"

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July 7, 2009 4:30 PM

@LoadStar: When the customer has explicitly told the business not to call, that trumps the \"existing relationship\".

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July 6, 2009 11:41 PM

@larrymac: In case anybody is still reading ... thinking about this whole phone call thing prompted me to log in to my RZ account. They'd once again changed the phone number in my profile to my landline, without permission or notice. Interestingly enough, there was a 1000 point credit listed on my account for \"customer satisfaction\", dated in early June. That's a $20 cert, which means they're getting off cheap since I don't live in a state that allows me to sue for violations of the DNC regs.

And of course I've never heard a single word from them about this.

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Radoman

July 6, 2009 7:44 PM

Rewards Certificates online only = Less Rewards paid out. How often did you used to find an extra few bucks waiting for you in your mailbox from rewards points you'd forgotten about? Don't worry, that pleasant surprise will never happen again.

Personally, for me this is a dealbreaker, and I won't be using my Rewardzone card ever again if this is to be the case. So, I suppose it's had the desired effect of thinning the ranks of Rewardzone members, but I think Best Buy may be surprised by just how much this thins out the ranks of their customers.

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Double J

July 6, 2009 7:55 PM

Eh. Whatever. I've been printing out my RZ certificates anyways. I don't pay for the car, and it's where I buy my anime from, and that stuff adds up quick. It's no wind out of my sails. I don't even get annoying phone calls from Best Buy. Just the occasional mail that has coupons I'll never use.

2 replies

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brendahamLincoln

July 6, 2009 10:34 PM

@Double J: Thank you. I thought I was the only person in the universe that *likes* the RZ program. I never get robocalls, either. Could it be because I was never careless enough to toss out my number to stores anyway?

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Christie Porter

July 7, 2009 3:03 PM

@brendahamLincoln: You have to give a phone number to sign up for the rewards program.. so unless you gave a fake... yes you did 'toss out your number..?' o.O

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Jeremiah Hendon

July 6, 2009 8:07 PM

I got the same letter as the OP, with the expiring points, the paperless certificates, etc. Honestly, I could accept almost all of those changes as a product of the economy. Combined, those two traits mean less certificates going out overall, as people forget to cash out. That's part of the idea behind rebate systems, after all.

What kills me, however, is the \"You have to buy something once a month\" requirement. This is a terrible way to try to drive business into your stores, and it eliminates any desire I had to maintain my card. Until now, it's been a free bonus.

The stores in Northern VA must be nicer than most Consumerist readers have, because I have few problems here. I periodically walk into a Best Buy to browse around during lunch. I would frequently pick up new video games, cd's (well, I used to), blank media, and little things like that. Most of it didn't cost any more than it would online. I'd flash a little card at the register, and every month or two, I'd get a little card in the mail for $5-15 off the next time I wanted to go buy a game.

It was an incentive to go to the store, to check and see if they had something prior to ordering it online, if I didn't want to wait for delivery. But I can't always buy \"something\" every month, and I certainly won't do it just to maintain a marketing flag. If they want to drive business, then they need to offer more than their competitors, who are increasingly internet vendors like Amazon.

This isn't it.

2 replies

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July 6, 2009 8:20 PM

@Jeremiah Hendon: One purchase every 12 months, not one purchase a month.

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coren

July 6, 2009 8:42 PM

@larrymac: But if you do that and don't make a purchase of 250 dollars at that time, you'll be rewarded Willy Wonka style (You get nothing. You lose. Good day sir)

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coren

July 6, 2009 8:38 PM

Worse - I know that I've been piling points up from purchases over years and getting certs, so this sucks.

Also, I never got an email, but they called the house to inform us - which is my father's account, not mine, so *technically* I am uninformed as of yet to these changes. Kind of slipshot, but hey, that's Best Buy

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Swearengen

July 6, 2009 9:10 PM

They screwed up and gave me too many rewards points. I cashed them in for $75 in coupons and used them to buy a new iPod. I now have a minus 2500 point balance.

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Cesar Vazquez

July 6, 2009 10:08 PM

except that would be HSBC not Best Buy, so you dont know them or their \"tactics\" at all

1 replies

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July 6, 2009 11:42 PM

Cesar Vazquez: Reply fail.

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geoffhazel

July 6, 2009 11:25 PM

Perhaps they could start a \"battery of the month\" club and give away a free carbon/zinc battery every month to keep people coming in. It's sure worked for Radio Shack.

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h0mi

July 6, 2009 11:29 PM

\"and any remaining points under 250 will be forfeited\"

So if I buy something that costs $300 (300 points) I lose 50 points when the certificate is sent? This makes it totally not worth my time to buy anything at best buy instead of anywhere else unless I absolutely need it that day and best buy is actually the best price of this.

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Psychosocial

July 7, 2009 1:00 AM

Reason # 1,298,739 why Best Buy SUCKS. When will people ever learn. I'd rather go to Circuit City STILL, and they no longer exist. ;)

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Anonymous

July 7, 2009 1:42 AM

I got the same as the original OP.

Your Reward Zone® program is changing on October 31, 2009
• Get reward certificates faster online
• Receive benefits more safely and securely
• Be more environmentally friendly
Visit MyRZ.com for the full rules before the following changes take effect:
• Reward certificates will only be available at MyRZ.com
To help reduce the amount of paper we use, certificates will no longer be delivered via mail.
• Reward certificates will no longer be transferable
This safety measure helps prevent others from redeeming your reward certificates without your knowledge.
• Lastly, for the following two conditions, points will be cashed out, available certificates will be sent, and any remaining points under 250 will be forfeited:
- You will need to use your points in the year they are earned. Reward Zone is becoming an annual program, which means that points no longer roll over from year-to-year.
- You will need to make one purchase every 12 months to remain in the program.
We appreciate your membership, and we want to help you take full advantage of the Reward Zone program.
Please visit MyRZ.com.
Thank you from the Best Buy® Reward Zone program.

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Anonymous

July 7, 2009 5:03 AM

I have used my rewards card during every purchase for the past 2 years and agree that the reward has been little in regards to cash value. I did however get a real benefit when I lost my receipt for digital video camera that I purchased that was still under warranty and died a week before vacation. When I called tech support from Insignia (at midnight with no troubles) they said I was entitled to a replacement with receipt. I was faced with having to buy another before my trip but since I used my rewards card at the time of purchase, customer service was able to verify my purchase and reprint my receipt. This saved me an easy $150 or so. I would say my payoff was well worth any hassles of using the rewards program!

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Bush2008

July 7, 2009 5:17 AM

How dare they alter a free program intended to reward people for spending money in their stores? This is terrible?

I have to print out coupons now? Well, I never!

1 replies

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Christie Porter

July 7, 2009 3:14 PM

@Bush2008: Thank You! Since when does something that's free have so many \"requirements\" and \"expectations\" from people. There's no such thing as a free lunch, everyone just needs to get over it and this idea that Best Buy is an \"evil\" entity.

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sakanagai

July 7, 2009 11:31 AM

Looks like most of these changes are only for the regular RZ members. This is the first time I've seen the changes concerning forfeiting points, so I went through my emails and the full program rules page to confirm. The emails, like C.W. said, had nothing relevant, but the rules page has been updated.

There is no mention of forfeiting excess points when a certificate is issued; the closest I found was when you terminate your membership, any points that can't be redeemed for a certificate are lost. Can anyone confirm or refute the original claim?

The annual rollover forfeiture does not apply to Premier Silver members, nor do they have to make a qualifying purchase every 12 months (the Silver exclusion is explicitly stated in these sections).

I'll try calling the RZ help line later today to get some more answers.

1 replies

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Anonymous

July 9, 2009 6:48 PM

@sakanagai: \"The annual rollover forfeiture does not apply to Premier Silver members, nor do they have to make a qualifying purchase every 12 months (the Silver exclusion is explicitly stated in these sections).\"

Well, to keep the Premier Silver status each year, you have to spend a certain amount each year anyway ($2,500?)... so you'd already have to make a purchase there (in most cases). It's a moot point.

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Michael Bauser

July 7, 2009 5:13 PM

I didn't get the e-mail. I got a robocall informing me of the changes, along with the warning that my account will be deleted if it doesn't have a valid e-mail address. Which is weird, because I just checked the account, and it's got my e-mail address.

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Deezul_AwT

July 8, 2009 2:43 AM

I remember when people would post on Consumerist threads that actually had to do with the topic, and not simply, \"And that's why I won't shop at Best Buy...\"

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Anonymous

July 8, 2009 1:33 PM

Yup, I can confirm the new changes. I just got an automated call about it and when I logged in to check, there's a notice of the updated (restricted) reward zone.

Guess I need to start looking at other stores to see if they offer any better rewards for returning customers.