BestBuy.com PS3 pre-order cancellation/no refund

[Merlin2000]

Do you think that I WORK for BB?

- No, not at all. I just wanted to know the steps you took to find your information, because it was not clearly available on any order page, nor any page that gives information about additional information.

The place for the BestBuy Bucks was on the link next to a McDonalds image, so I assume that page is referring to the BestBuy Bucks- and it was. On that page, however, there is no information at all that discusses BestBuy Bucks, it only discusses coupons. BB made it sound like the BB Buck was a coupon, and that the information displayed is the "additional restrictions" area. One of the areas underneath that was called the "Help" section, so I looked through the help section and saw no reference at all to BB Bucks.

 

[moburkes]

You are making this SO difficult. I easily found it twice, with no effort, and its not my care or concern.
Conditions of use
Using digital coupons
Digital coupons
Type "Best Buy Bucks" in the search box.
The 1st of 6 matches clearly states the information that I provided for you.

I'm done with this. Sorry that you didn't read the terms. Sue BB to hell and back. Let us know the results.

 

[Zigner]

While I totally understand Moburkes position...I respectfully disagree. OP did NOT cancel this transaction, and it is not appropriate for BB to not replace the coupons. The "cancellation" referred to is meant as a customer cancellation. BB isn't likely to get away with wordgames in a court room on this one.

HOWEVER, OP's problem is still going to be proving damages. Until you end up paying money that you shouldn't have, there aren't any damages. The only real way I see of doing that is for OP to make a purchase and then attempt to get reimbursed for the value of the "coupons" (whatever phrase you want to use) that you were not able to redeem.

 

[moburkes]

I'm not at all sure why you disagree. A reprint:

Best Buy Bucks™ are valid for one-time use only and must be used only during normal hours of operation in Best Buy™ stores located in the U.S. between 10/3/06 and 12/2/06 OR at BestBuy.com® between 12:00:01 a.m. (CT) 10/3/06 and 11:59:59 p.m. (CT) 12/2/06. Best Buy Bucks™ may be combined and the cumulative total will be subtracted from total purchase amount of merchandise before the calculation of sales and similar taxes. To complete the transaction, you will be responsible for paying any amount owed after the redemption of Best Buy Bucks™. If the transaction is cancelled or merchandise is returned for any reason, all Best Buy Bucks™ redeemed during such transaction will be forfeited and deducted from the total purchase amount of the merchandise, and you will receive refund or credit for the balance only, if any (subject to Best Buy's standard return policy). If merchandise is returned for exchange, all Best Buy Bucks™ redeemed during such transaction will be applied to the exchange transaction (subject to Best Buy's standard return policy). Value of Best Buy Bucks™ may be enhanced for the purchase of select products or services featured in special Best Buy promotions (subject to these Terms & Conditions).

The last part bolded is why I suggested a compromise of an "exchange".

The part that OP bolded is in reference to DIGITAL COUPONS which is not the same as BBB.

 

[Zigner]

Because I feel that the court would agree that the cancellation clause refers to a CUSTOMER cancellation - particularly since it is in the same sentence that refers to a customer return.

Unfortunately, there is no "exchange" to be had, since the PS3 hasn't even been released yet.

 

[moburkes]

Well, I guess that he can sue. I still don't see how. I think that your reasoning is thin. My opinion. However, that is why I suggested an exchange. I know that he is not really exchanging something. I'm suggesting that he ask for consideration to use the BBB towards another item since the cancellation was (somewhat) out of his control. Like was stated earlier, this preorder was NOT listed on the BB website.

 

[Merlin2000]

You are making this SO difficult. I easily found it twice, with no effort, and its not my care or concern.
Conditions of use
Using digital coupons
Digital coupons

- This is where I, as well as most people would stop. The BB Bucks are referred to as Promotional Codes, as well as Digital Coupons. So I would assume that I should read anything relating to both of those. Since BB Buck did not appear, one would think that it was covered under the other two names.

HOWEVER, OP's problem is still going to be proving damages. Until you end up paying money that you shouldn't have, there aren't any damages. The only real way I see of doing that is for OP to make a purchase and then attempt to get reimbursed for the value of the "coupons" (whatever phrase you want to use) that you were not able to redeem.

- Think about this, you go buy a car, and are entered into a drawing for a coupon that gives you $80,000 any vehicle. You win the drawing, and receive a coupon. You go to the dealership to use the coupon for a $90,000 Lexus, $10k on your credit card, and then $80k using the coupon. They say it will be available in 4-7 days and then you leave. Later you find out that the system was a glitch, and that car you selected was actually not available- so they cancel the order and refund the $10k back onto your card. So you don't sweat it and go to apply the coupon toward another car. The dealership says "sorry, we can't accept that coupon because the coupon is automatically void whenever it is applied to an order that is cancelled." The coupon says "restrictions apply", and throughout the contract for the new order (for the car), it has a picture of the coupon you used, and next to it calls it a Super Coupon. Then it lists the restrictions of the Super Coupon, and in those restrictions it says nothing at all relating to having the coupon void if you cancel the order.

However, the dealership does have paperwork somewhere in their store (that wasn't visible at the time you used the coupon), that states if you use the coupon and the order is cancelled, that the coupon is then void.

The part that OP bolded is in reference to DIGITAL COUPONS which is not the same as BBB.

- Keep in mind that the digital coupons are also called promotional codes. The BBB is something from McDonalds, so I clicked the link that has the McD image, and it brought me to a page for the BBB called promotional codes. It also describes what a Digital Coupon is. Since it accepted the BBB on the promotional code page (the only place to use the BBB online), I assumed that it was also called a promotional code, and a digital coupon. So when I clicked on the links for more information (on that same page), it took me to a screen with information about the coupons. This is where the additional restrictions would come in.

 

[moburkes]

I just looked at the website again. I don't see where BBB are referred to as digital coupons. That was simply the closest thing that I could find to what I was looking for. The definiton of a digital coupon is:
Digital Coupons

Digital Coupons are one of many great money-saving offers available on BestBuy.com. Periodically, we provide Digital Coupons as special promotions or as a bonus for purchasing select items. These promotional offers are for one-time use only, and can only be used toward online purchases.
BBB are not limited to online prucahses, which would be MY first clue. It also reads:
Digital Coupons are good for one-time use only; any remaining balance will not be saved for future use. You cannot "save" BBB. My 2nd clue.

It does refer to them as a promotional offer (or something like that). My eyes are tired.

 

[averad]

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/744/744363p1.html

Again the link the OP followed was not something openly avalible on the bestbuy.com site and was basicly taking a risk when pre-ordering.

 

[Merlin2000]

I just looked at the website again. I don't see where BBB are referred to as digital coupons.

- The "Promotional Code" text is right next to the McD logo, and since I got the coupons from McD, I would assume that they are talking about the coupons that I got from McD. That is the ONLY place that you can enter the BBB. Once I tried to enter them, they went through just fine, so I figured that was the page I was supposed to enter them on. If it isn't, where do enter these codes?

Again the link the OP followed was not something openly avalible on the bestbuy.com site and was basicly taking a risk when pre-ordering.

- Except I did not know that it was not openly available.

 

[Zigner]

- Think about this, you go buy a car, and are entered into a drawing for a coupon that gives you $80,000 any vehicle. You win the drawing, and receive a coupon. You go to the dealership to use the coupon for a $90,000 Lexus, $10k on your credit card, and then $80k using the coupon. They say it will be available in 4-7 days and then you leave. Later you find out that the system was a glitch, and that car you selected was actually not available- so they cancel the order and refund the $10k back onto your card. So you don't sweat it and go to apply the coupon toward another car. The dealership says "sorry, we can't accept that coupon because the coupon is automatically void whenever it is applied to an order that is cancelled." The coupon says "restrictions apply", and throughout the contract for the new order (for the car), it has a picture of the coupon you used, and next to it calls it a Super Coupon. Then it lists the restrictions of the Super Coupon, and in those restrictions it says nothing at all relating to having the coupon void if you cancel the order.

However, the dealership does have paperwork somewhere in their store (that wasn't visible at the time you used the coupon), that states if you use the coupon and the order is cancelled, that the coupon is then void.

Please explain what the damages would be...

 

[Merlin2000]

The item that would allow you to save $80k is lost, thus you end up losing $80.

Or do I have to spend $80k in order to prove that I have damages?

 

[Zigner]

Now you're catching on...
You didn't lose $80,000 in the hypothetical situation.

 

[Merlin2000]

But I lost the coupon for it, which is worth $80k.

This is very good information, because if I went to small claims, I would have come without having any damages. However, if I buy an item now that is worth the amount coupons I lost, then I show damages.

But what I don't understand, is that I still suffered from damages when the coupons became void. To me, a coupon is worth the value printed on it, if you lose the coupon, you lose the money it was good for.

If anyone else has anymore information to add, I would love to hear it.

 

[moburkes]

The "cash" value of a coupon is NOT the "face" value of it. The "cash" value is 1/100 of 1 cent.