If you purchased a digital converter box at a local Best Buy electronics store, you may have a refund check coming your way.
Customers who purchased digital converter boxes using a government rebate coupon were accidentally overcharged state tax in California, Connecticut, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin. In a statement released by Best Buy to customers, the electronics giant says sales tax was accidentally deducted from the coupon instead of the tax being applied after the coupon was used. This means customers were overcharged for sales tax.
"We have calculated the difference and are refuding this to (customers)," Susan Grafton, Chief Accounting Officer of Best Buy, said in a statement to customers. "We are treating this matter very seriously, and we are taking steps to reduce the risk of this occuring in the future."
According to Public Relations Officer Brian Lucas, Best Buy has calculated the overcharge and will be mailing customers a check for the difference if customers used either their credit card or the store's Reward Zone program. Customers who use either have their names and home addresses on file at time of purchase; those who used cash will need to visit a Best Buy location with their proof of purchase. In California, customers can expect to receive around $2.95 per coupon used.
Best Buy is asking anyone with questions to contact their Customer Care line at 1-866-764-6979 between 8AM and 5PM Central Time, Monday through Friday.
Comments (4)
Can anybody verify if this actually applies in California?
I had paid with a gift card, so I had to go down to my local Best Buy for the refund. When I talked to them, they had no idea what I was talking about. I showed them a print-out of this story.
Long story short, they spent an hour on the phone with their corporate offices, and eventually told me that this does not apply in California, only a few other states.
If this should apply in California, how do I convince my local Best Buy?
Posted by David | July 19, 2008 9:56 AM
Posted on July 19, 2008 09:56
David: I can assure you that this rebate DOES apply in the state of California. I work for Fox40, I live in California, and I received a rebate check, thus I was able to write an article on it.
That rebate check that they showed on-air? That's my check.
Posted by Matthew K - Fox40 | July 19, 2008 12:31 PM
Posted on July 19, 2008 12:31
Thanks for the reply...now I'm very displeased with my local Best Buy and whatever corporate offices they telephoned.
I guess I'll wait until Monday, call the telephone number provided in the article, and see how I can get this settled... It's only $3.30, but there's no reason to let Best Buy keep it.
Thanks again.
Posted by David | July 19, 2008 12:49 PM
Posted on July 19, 2008 12:49
I called the 1-866 number listed in the article today. They took my name and address, and said a check would be in the mail.
They also seemed to say that most Best Buy stores wouldn't know how to deal with this issue, since their system isn't set up to deal with it...so, if anybody else paid with cash or a gift card, it might be easiest to call the telephone number to get your $3 back.
Posted by David | July 21, 2008 3:02 PM
Posted on July 21, 2008 15:02