Best Buy Credit Cards: Buyer Beware

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Just in time for the holiday season, shoppers are often tempted to get more credit by adding another credit card to their wallet. Consumers are lured with the promise of low or even deferred interest. But buyer beware when it comes to Best Buy credit cards: a law firm is currently investigating Best Buy's credit card practices.

This isn't the first time the electronics super retailer has been in trouble, nor will it likely be the last time. Over the past several years, the company has been the defendant in several lawsuits (below).

This time the allegations involve poor customer treatment related to the company's deferred payment credit cards. Customers who chose to use deferred interest on their Best Buy credit card have customer service "issues" and allege the company's deferred payment credit card practices are illegal.

History of Bad Business Practice

In 2003, a lawsuit was filed against Best Buy after customers claimed they had signed up for MSN services without their knowledge or permission. According to the lawsuit, Best Buy was sending Microsoft its customers' information, which Microsoft was then using to activate an MSN account and charge the customer a monthly service fee without the customer knowing about it.

Then there was the Employment and Discrimination class action lawsuit filed in December, 2005 in federal court in San Francisco, CA, entitled Holloway et al. v. Best Buy Co, Inc., charging Best Buy with violating federal and state laws against race and sex discrimination in employment.

In May, 2007 the Connecticut Attorney General took Best Buy to task for a system he described as a "bait-and-switch scheme" that deceived customers—advertised items had two different prices, allegedly to overcharge customers.

This is how it worked: Customers who found an item online would go into the store and request the item, only to be told the price was higher than that price online. When sales staff were asked to check the product price online, they apparently went to an internal Web site that listed the price as being higher than the customer thought it was. Apparently, the customer was then told he was mistaken about the price and would have to pay the higher price in order to purchase the item.

In yet another lawsuit, The Wisconsin Department of Justice filed a civil action charging Best Buy Co. Inc. with misleading consumers about rebates, service plans and other services. The state of Ohio and the state of New Jersey both brought lawsuits against Best Buy for similar cases. The New Jersey lawsuit was settled out of court.

In one of these service "scams", customers claimed the company charged them for unauthorized magazine subscriptions. When a customer made a purchase at Best Buy, they could receive a "free" eight-week subscription to Sports Illustrated. However, customers alleged they were not told that their credit card or debit card would be charged for a full subscription before the eight weeks was up, nor that it was their responsibility to cancel the subscription.

The most recent allegations related to Best Buy's deferred payment credit cards are just the latest in a long string of questionable consumer practices interest.

Best Buy Deferred Payment Articles

Best Buy: Don’t Fall into Their Trap
Best Buy is coming under fire for a number of unfair consumer practices. One of the Best Buy complaints that LawyersandSettlements hears about most often is that the company applies payments to credit cards late, even if the customer has paid well ahead of time. This is the complaint that Tony (not his real name) has about Best Buy since he purchased a digital camera from the company.

Best Buy: “Watch Out if You’re Using Credit”
Wayne Markle just wanted to purchase an HP Compaq Presario from Best Buy. What he did not realize at the time was that the computer purchase would become a huge headache for him; one that would eventually damage his credit rating and result in him receiving dunning letters from a collections agency. Best Buy deferred credit card payment is deceptive.

When Paid in Full Is Not Enough
When Jamie E. walked into his local Best Buy store with $3,800 in his pocket, he had no idea his purchase would continue to cost him money month after month after month. But after putting the remaining few hundred dollars of his total purchase price on Best Buy's deferred payment, no interest credit card, Jaime has been getting a bill every single month.

Best Buy Credit Cards: Buyer Beware
Best Buy: Shady Dealings and Deceptive Business Practices

Best Buy Deferred Payment Credit Card Legal Help

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