Best Buy Product Service Plan works at Futureshop?

[firehawk12]

Not sure if this is the forum to ask this in, but I was just wondering if I buy something at Best Buy and get the PSP, will I be able to go to a Futureshop if I have any problems?

I'm assuming that their PSPs are seperate, but since Best Buy owns Futureshop, I have no idea.

Thanks.

[shoppingmama]

While both are owned by the same company they operate separately so the answer is no.

[BadDrafter]

What is the advantage of having two similar retail chains owned by the same company. A brand new FS and a brand new BB were recently built right next to eachother where I live. Is that not a waste of space?

[jaigandhi5]

YES
YES
YES


u can go to futureshop if a BB is not close to u.

i work at BB and i know this because i sell psps :lol:

[firehawk12]

Haha, of course one person says yes and another says no... Maybe I'll need to call their customer service or something.

I want to order something from Best Buy, but their stores are always out in the suburbs, so I'll never go to them... it'd just be easier for me if FS does accept BB PSPs.

[Canuck_2005]

What is the advantage of having two similar retail chains owned by the same company. A brand new FS and a brand new BB were recently built right next to eachother where I live. Is that not a waste of space?


No, incredibly smart buisness.

[Flipcyde]

What is the advantage of having two similar retail chains owned by the same company. A brand new FS and a brand new BB were recently built right next to eachother where I live. Is that not a waste of space?

Recently at our store meeting they gave us some stats and they had said before Best Buy came here Future Shop's % of the market was 25 i think (wasn't paying much attention to the manager heh). Last year FS market share was something like 22% and Best Buy's was 10%.

Even though they seem to be directly competing with each other the parent companies market share just went up instead of cannibalzing each other.

Also he mentioned something about them differentiating the two stores more, they want FS to sell more high end items while Best Buy will be the more mainstream items with each store getting exclusive items.

[firehawk12]

Oh, on a related note, are they worth it for digital cameras?
I'm thinking of getting a three year one...

[gqbluez]

Oh, on a related note, are they worth it for digital cameras?
I'm thinking of getting a three year one...

There really isnt much of a point in asking this question. You have to decide. There are going to be those people who bash the PSP/PRP/Extended Warrenty (whatever you want to call it) because they say its not worth it, your camera will never break blah blah blah....and then there are those who stand by it and say that it does work and it is worth it blah blah blah...

The bottom line is I wouldnt let myself be influenced by many posters here. Id take everything with a grain of salt and you should take my advice with the same. But i'll try to give you a run down of what i think of extended warrenties.

For digital cameras, Pro:
If you purchase the extended warrenty you have peace of mind and that basically is what youre paying for.
IF anything does happen they will most likely cover you (extended warrenties dont cover physical damage)
After your first year SHOULD something happen to your camera, shipping, labour, and the cost of part will cost you about $100+ (depending on camera, some brands are more expensive than others cough sony cough) to fix your camera AND there is no garunteed time frame for when they will give it back to you.
FS/BB have a replacement policy. If it is too expensive to fix your camera, ie it costs more than half the worth of your camera the time, they may opt to pay out the full value of your camera including tax to you OR upgrade you to another model of their choosing which most closely resembles the current camreas features and specs.
The warrenty is transferable.

Con:
Extended Warrenties from BB/FS can cost up to 1/3 the cost of your camera if you go for the most expensive one 4yr I believe.
The vast majority if cameras dont have many problems with it based on regular usage but there are those few particular ones...cough kodak cough...If your camera doesnt break within the, say 3 years you purchase, your warrenty cannot be refunded.
Extended Warrenty from FS/BB does not cover physical damage so if you break your own camera or try to pass it as broken you most likely will forfeit any moneies paid for your warrenty.
IF your camera is sent out with the extended warrenty for repair FS/BB can have the camera for up to 60 days (2 months) before they issue you a replacement so youre basically out of a camera for 2 months and no they dont give you a loaner.

Those are just some of the things. IMO if peace of mind is important to you i would go for the warrenty. If you dont think that your camera is going to break then dont go for it.

Hope that helps.

[jaigandhi5]

Oh, on a related note, are they worth it for digital cameras?
I'm thinking of getting a three year one...
I work in that dept. (digital imaging) at bestbuy...

beleive it or not we do get a lot of PSP exchanges now days especially from NIKON!

just on saturday i saw a 4800 come in...(auto focus mech. broken)

2 weeks ago i saw a s3?or was it s2? come in with the battery latch broken.

if u are planning on spending 200-300 PSP is $60 but as for a free case(20$) which they will not refuse (but u HAVE to ask)

200-300 $60
300-400 $79
400-500 $109
(3yr)

u can bring ur camera in for lens cleaning as well...

the part which i like is the fact that if ur camera breaks down they give u a camera that has the same features or a better camera. (now days fixing cameras is out of question, unless its a minor problem)


(im not trying to sell u a psp but im just telling you what i see at our store.)

Also if u camera costs like 400-500 or ++ then ask for a free case plus some discount on a memory card or charger if ur getting a canon A series.



btw i average about 3 psps/4-6hr shift

IF your camera is sent out with the extended warrenty for repair FS/BB can have the camera for up to 60 days (2 months) before they issue you a replacement so youre basically out of a camera for 2 months and no they dont give you a loaner.
we do issue loaners but u have to ask for them...and have to show some greif.

to get a loaner u need to have a bestbuy card which has 3 months no payments to interest therefore u pay for the loaner but u get ur camera back from repairs within 3 months(so they refund ur loaner) if it doesnt come back ur in luck because now u can get a replacement(new) one :)

[firehawk12]

I was actually thinking of getting an A620, but you're saying its worth it to actually go down to the store and ask for free things? :lol:

I'm not that great at this haggling stuff... do I just come out and ask for a charger or case or something? :)

[gqbluez]

I was actually thinking of getting an A620, but you're saying its worth it to actually go down to the store and ask for free things? :lol:

I'm not that great at this haggling stuff... do I just come out and ask for a charger or case or something? :)

You'll notice that many people know how to work the system and use the service plan as leverage to get free stuff. It isnt the company policy but if youre smart about it you can probably get yourself something nice out of the deal. Dont be too greedy though lol.

Most sales associates at FS/BB are under so much pressure to sell you the extended warrenty they'll bend over backwards and do a small dance if you do buy it.

As for the above poster regarding the loaner thing, it was to my knowledge that it wasnt store policy that a loaner would be issued. So technically you arent entitled to one but yah if you pout, shout 'n scream im sure you can get an Open box model as a "loaner".

Canon A620. Great camera I love it. Great features, great manual functions, a tad bulky. Wish I could afford that.

Btw if you want to get a good deal go to Futureshop to buy the thing. You can sometimes talk the associates into giving you "package deals" that include the warrenty to save you some money. Dont talk to the regular Sales Associates talk to the Product Experts. They are the ones with the power to adjust prices. :cheesygri

[firehawk12]

Hrm, well I was only considering BB online because they're giving away a free printer and there's that 20 off 250 coupon... but maybe I'll go to a B&M. I'm not in a huge rush, but kind of want to get it soonish. :)

[boonjaca]

If you can do the service plan at either places, when will the gift cards be interchangeble?

[neptunestar]

Oh, on a related note, are they worth it for digital cameras?
I'm thinking of getting a three year one...

never get extended warranty,lot of bad stories

[blainehamilton]

YES
YES
YES


u can go to futureshop if a BB is not close to u.

i work at BB and i know this because i sell psps


You will find a lot of the staff who are responsible for selling the service plans actually know nothing about them.


Best Buy and Future Shop service plans are NOT interchangable. If you have a plan for FS, you cannot go to Best Buy for service under the plan and vice versa. Same thing goes for gift cards, they cannot be used at the other store.

One thing is true, the service plans sold at bb and fs are a waste of money. Most items won't fail and it's wasted money, for those products that do fail often or have costly repairs, its much better and cheaper to get a plan thru the manufacturer.

Keep in mind that bb and fs contact out the repairs for items to the lowest bidding company and the service plan is a major profit point for them, so they get as much money up front as possible and then try to do the required services as cheaply as possible.