Fry's Electronics
Reviews and Complaints

Fry's is a trash

Yeah the service department at Fry's is painfully vapid and very forgetful. They even fix things without fixing what they were supposed to.

Scam to get people to sign up for Fry's credit card. When working there I saw many things that were mind blowing. One of the things that bothered me was the presure to get customers to sign up on the store credit card. These are just some of the things we did to get the customer to sign up. Guarantee a job appliacant an interview if he or she signs up, giving free food if customer signs up, running a contest with no real prize, threatining to fire employees if they did not get 5 people to sign up and giving free delivery to customers on items that already come with free delivery. From talking with other associates from other stores, roseville is the only store like this. Beware of this when you go shopping at Fry's.

I myself and one of my friend bought merchandise from Fry's Electronics in the San Francisco Bay area. We both bought walkie-talkies based on an advertised rebate from Columbia Telecommunications Group and till date neither of us has received rebates for the same.

Once the 14 weeks for processing had passed, I called them regularly. For a while, they were answering their phones and I was told each time they were backlogged with rebates and that the rebate program had far exceeded their expectations. But that my rebate was in their database and scheduled to be sent "this week." They even went so far as to give me reference numbers on both my rebate and my friends. Now I got response from the rebate center. I get a message saying the voice mailbox is full. Today when I called their corporate headquarters and asked for the person at the company responsible for rebate programs and was told by them that the only responsible people are at the rebate fulfillment center to whom should I need to contact in order to get my rebate. When I pressed for a person within the company, I was promptly hung-up on and it wasn't an accidentally hang-up and I got a reply from them after sometime that "There is nobody here that can help you, good bye."

The very next day I have filed a Mail Fraud form with the United States Postal Service. They base investigations on the number of complaints. It might be too late for us, but if enough people fill out the form, maybe we can stop them from continuing to rip people off via the rebate scam.

Purchased a 120g Zune for my son's birthday on 9/01/09. Paid right at $270 and departed store. Please note I wasn't allowed to handle the Zune until after purchase. The following week the Zune didn't work. Wife & son returned the Zune and the return clerk said the serial number on the box and the serial number on the Zune were different. No exchange and no refund. A comment was made we'll just have to "eat it." Manager implied my wife was trying to pull a fast one. When asked why there were several stickers on the box pasted over one another, my wife received no answer. Clearly, Fry's repackaged a refurbished Zune and sold it as new. Still haven't received a call back from the district manager on this subject. I only wish I had read the hundreds of other customer complaints concerning Fry's. If I had, I wouldn't get anywhere near the place. Actually, it's quite amazing that any establishment with absolutely no ethics and this abusive to customers would still be in business. Please accept this advice in the spirit it's given, do not shop at Fry's unless you're will to either lose your money or be willing to face endless hassle. Simply put, you must appreciate the type of people you're dealing with.

Scam pretty much sums up Fry's.

even though I didn't buy those two-way radios like you, I remember how I got the run-around years ago when I bought an internal DVD burner at Fry's and had to wait literally months to get my mail-in rebate check in return.
The company referred me to a fulfillment center which then told me that the stated 4 - 6 weeks in the fine print are referring once they have received and verified with vendor, in this case Fry's about the discount. So in all, yes I assumed that 1 month later I would get my discount but ended up being 4 months.
Since then I stay away from offers like this and see if any other products with cheaper price have good reviews as well.

I ran into something very similar

When they had me sign up, they failed to mention that you can't pay the credit card bill at the store although it has Fry's name on it. The credit card company also has misc. other charges that were not given to me until after I had received the card; charges like a fee to pay the balance over the phone - $6 if I recall correctly. Late on a payment? $29 late fee. Way to high in my opinion. Especially since my balance was less than $190. I paid my balance and closed the account. I recommend to everyone NOT to get the so called FRY'S CREDIT CARD which is actually a FIRST ELECTRONIC BANK credit card.

Today I was looking through Fry's ad and saw the 880gb Seagate free agent go hard drive on sell for $120. I decided to go get it at the Brokaw location. It was the last one on the shelf with no return sticker on it. I thought I was in luck until I got home.

Plugging it in and it did not power up. I tried it on my laptop first then my mediacenter to no avail. Knowing it was the last one on the shelf, I decided to go to the Hamilton store to get an even exchange. The return rep tells me to get one off the shelf and come back. I return only to find that they ripped it open, and found surprise... Nothing but old flat batteries. WTF... They tell me they can't do anything about it and that I should go back to the original store I bought it from. Fine, angry as I was, I really didn't want to be stuck with $120 batteries.

Back at the Brokaw store and I explain everything to the lady, she brings her manager to talk to me and basically its the same crap. He looks at me and says we cannot return this item because its just batteries. We argue for a long long time, and he just says "how can you return something like this, it's not a hard drive?" to which I reply,
"how can you sell something like that."

I'm at my wits end, I called my CC company to try to dispute but they say the charge hasn't gone through yet. Has anyone else had a similar problem? I'm so p* off right now and will be calling the store manager tomorrow and possibly try to get a corporate contact.

I purchased a Maytag Neptune Front Load Washing Machine PLU 4356925 on Saturday June 10, 2009. My invoice number is [protected]. It was sold as an open box floor model. I inquired about the warranty and if it had been previously used. I was told it carried a 30 day warranty and was not previously used but a floor model. The product was incorrectly priced also, so when I was at the register it rang up as $359.90, but on floor was marked $259.90. The adjustment was made on my purchase after I inquired and they apologized. I had the unit delivered to my home on Tuesday June 23, 2009 between 9-1pm. I used the washing machine the very next morning and left for the day. When I returned I was astonished to find my whole laundry room floor was completely flooded. Everything on the floor was sitting in 1-2 inches of water. I cleaned everything up myself, which was no easy task, due to all my storage being also in the laundry in cardboard boxes which were completely destroyed from sitting in the water all day. I immediately contacted the store in the morning on Thursday June 24, 2009. I was told someone would call me back to make an appointment for a technician to come out and look at the machine. On Wednesday July 1, 2009 I called again to Fry's and asked to speak to a manager and yet again I was told the manager for that department would have to call me back. I decided at that point and with a house full of laundry to use the machine again under my supervision. I was able to wash a load of clothes with only a minor amount of droplets of water escaping the dispenser where the soap goes. So I tried washing a second load. At that point water started gushing from the dispenser area and also from the door of the machine. I recorded this on camera and turned the machine off. Waiting for a manager to call me back I did not try to use the machine again and took my clothes to a wash house nearby. On July 13, 2009 I phoned Fry's again stating that no one has tried to call me back or contact me, on the various times I have called and I need to speak with someone immediately. They gave me to Robert the head of delivery. He told me that they were aware of the problem and was sorry no one had called me back and he would make sure this is resolved soon. He took my number again and said he would talk to the manager of that dept and call me back. On July 21, 2009 I called again! Sorry by this time I am more than frustrated. I spoke with an associate there at the washing machine area and he scheduled an appt. for Thursday July 30, 2009 between 10-1 after I did not let him hang up without making an appt. Robert came out and inspected the unit and said that yes it had been installed correctly but he was only the supervisor for installation and not a repair tech. He said he did feel bad and could not believe they had taken so long to come to my aid in this matter. He also said that he would talk with a manager to get this unit replaced immediately. I was happy with this decision and felt this ordeal was well over. On July 3, 2009 Robert called me and stated that he was sorry but the manager said she could not replace the unit because they had given it to me at a discounted price and there was nothing on their floor of that same value. I asked for any type of unit comparable and it did not have to be a Maytag. At that time I was put on hold and when he returned he said that she said that she could not do it. I called back after I had time to breathe and asked what other option I would possibly have, Robert said he would do some research and come back out to see if he could see any other problem. He made me an appt on Wednesday August 5, 2009 from 10-1. He checked the soap dispenser and behind the machine and turned it on and it started spilling water out as previously. He said it was definitely defective and he could not repair it. He took pictures and also said he would talk to the manager again. I thanked him for his help and he left. On August 12, 2009 I called the store and asked to speak with the manager directly but was just transferred to the sales floor. I spoke with Cathy and told her all the issues and she said that they could do nothing. I heard someone in the background telling the girl what to say including for Cathy to be nice since she was being very aggressive with me on the phone and so I asked who it was and she said my manager, so I asked to speak to her. Sharon said it was not there problem and now my 30 day warranty had passed, I told her I had been calling to resolve this issue with Fry's for over a month now. She had very little sympathy and said I could exchange the unit then and pay the difference in price. I then called and asked to speak with Fry's District Manager or Head Manager and I was transferred to his voice mail. I left a message with what had happened and my number to call me back. On August 14, 2009 I called again and this time Robert answered and said that the main Manager of Fry's authorized the return and full refund of the washing machine, I asked him for the refund of my delivery cost as well and the washing machine manager said in the background no, so I asked to speak with her and I told her again that I have been given the run around for over a month and that I had called numerous times to get it repaired or exchanged and no one called me back, so forth and so on. To which she agreed and said she would authorize the refund of the delivery as well. On August 24, 2009 the washing machine was picked up, at which time my linoleum ripped off the floor with the machine and the wallpaper was curled and was ripped with the machine as well. The delivery tech also saw that there was mold on the bottom of the drywall behind the washing machine as well. I have tried to spray with bleach but it returns. On September 3, 2009 I went into the store to get my refund. Someone let it spill to me that the unit was not a floor sample and was in fact a returned unit and it had been returned for the SAME exact thing! They also said in the computer there were extensive notes on this machine. I told them of the damage it caused my laundry room and they gave me the number for claims and said I had to handle it with them. I called and opened a claim. I was called back and asked what happened. I related the situation and Connie said that mold could not grow in 3-4 weeks and that I should not have tried to start the machine again. I explained to her that I only started it again to see why it flooded and how it happened and about mold I told her that I would do some research and call back. I did and was told that mold can grow in as little as 3 days. I called back and explained this and then she said that for me to get 2 estimates and that they would send someone out, also she said that she would have to talk to the delivery techs. To find out what neighborhood I lived in and what condition my laundry room was in previously. I was quite amazed that she was so bold as to ask me these questions, due to them violating the discrimination act. It should not matter where I am located or the condition of my home. What should matter is if there was any damage done to my laundry room by this defective machine. No one else ever called or came out. I called her back to inquire of this and she stated that the delivery techs vouched that my home was in good repair and my laundry room was in newer condition so she did not need to send someone out. I faxed her the estimates to which someone else called me back and said they would turn it over to their insurance. They have not paid yet and the insurance says they are not going to pay unless they can send a general contractor who they hire to come and take a recorded statement and photos. I believe this is unnecessary and unfair since Fry's has already sent 3 different workers to do this previously when the damage was fresh and I have sent several letters with statements. I was laso adviced to be careful with them sending someone to my house 5 months after the damage as they might be using this to not pay the claim. Thank you for your help.

Don't buy a support contract from Frys. I live in Plano Texas and have had the worst experience of my life relative to support and service from a retailer. Seven service tickets in less then a year and they use every excuse and loophole to avoid taking responsibility.

The most extreme example I have every had of incompetence and lack of concern.

As far as escalating to someone with brains, forget about that too. They are so well organized to divert complaints that you are constantly directed back to a lower level manager that lacks the foresight or authority to make a decision.

Trust me - spend your money elsewhere!

Beware of the false information offered by salesmen in this store. We bought a 55" LG Flat Screen TV from the Alpharetta store a few months ago. The Salesman and the Sales Manager assured us that the wireless feature of the TV was very popular and no problems..."we have it working perfectly in our store..." the sales team stated. "Our 'professional' installation team is the best and really does a nice job..." the assured us which ofcourse was all false and only stated to sell us a TV and installation service which both were poor. The wireless feature has never really worked as presented and the installation was incomplete which we ended up finishing ourselves. Full payment was made to Frys so they really dont care to make any kind of effort to fix their lies. Our advice...if you dont have thousands of dollars to waste, just buy your products from anyone other than Frys. The management does not care, the sales team is weak and the installers are incompetent.

I have a warranty from frys on my Lenovo y560. I took it in for repair and was told that the hinge was not covered because hardware damage is not covered and I was charged $78.

How can a warranty NOT cover hardware defects.

However is this clearly a Manufacturer defect. Many people are having the exact same issue with the Y560

How can i get this resolved?

Here are just a few people with the same problem.

http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/IdeaPad-Y-U-V-Z-and-P-series/Y560-screen-hinge-broke/td-p/736915
http://forum.notebookreview.com/ideapad-essential/543887-y560-hinge-issue-explained.html
http://leshcat.blogspot.de/2012/01/article-y560-repair-of-hinges-by-martin.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/78767-35-y560-hingle-broken

This store doesn't seem to know what they are doing! I pre orderd a product and it is not until the very day of the release that they realize they didn't order enough of the product to fulfill the orders that were placed two months in advance! Your lack of seriousness and costumer commitment completely sucks!

This is still going on. I sent in a rebate request, heard nothing and now they not only want copies of everything, they also want a denial notice/rejection letter (which I never received) and an exact postmark date for when the rebate was mailed to them.
I guess the era of rebates being real is long gone.

After 3 months my rebate request based on a D-Link camera purchased at Fry's does not even show on rebatepromotions.com website. Is this rebate game a scam? Do they just throw away the submissions?

I've actually had good experiences with rebates. I have yet to see one fail or be returned to me. And I've had experiences with Fry's and their "rebate receipts". Those work for me as proof of purchases.

I agree with your complaint, however. And here's why:
They take forever. You'll see your money next quarter.
They are processed by a third (and something fourth) - party companies with no relation to the original retailer.

And you usually end up cutting your boxes/packaging for UPC codes, so you lose any potential to return your merchandise.

If you DO attempt to return your merchandise, the rebate price is "subtracted" from the price you paid. So a $50 item with a $10 rebate only refunds you $40, minus another "restocking" fee.

Rebates aren't worth the hassle in my opinion. You save maybe 5-10% of your purchase price, but the amount of effort expended far outweighs it.

Myself: I just ask for a discount off my purchases. I ask for a manager. You'd be VERY surprised in speaking with a retail management how lenient they can be with discounts. On average, I'd say I walk away with 15% off total purchases. Some items are 40% off, others are 0%. It really depends on the store, stock levels, and how you speak to management. Items with rebates usually won't be discounted, however.

Almost all retailers/etailers outsource their rebate processing, or provide rebates through the manufacturer's rebate program. Fry's is no exception, and isn't completely at fault for using a rebate processing center that doesn't provide the best customer support. My experience with rebates is you have to read every rebate carefully BEFORE you buy anything. Also make sure to document everything (what the rebate requires, what was mailed in, UPC codes, etc), track and keep records of all your rebates that you submit, and photocopy the stamped envelope (if your USPS office lets you) or use a metered stamp with date. Of course you need to always followup with the rebate processing center by phone to make sure you correct any problems and ensure a valid rebate check!
As always, Good Luck!

I also disagree with this complaint.

You need to provide everything that was in the original item you purchased - box included when you return items.

You should count yourself lucky that they allowed you to return the items at all. They probably did so because you were irate, and wanted to move you out of the store and provide you at least with an amount of money you'd be happy with.

$5.00 is really nothing. Compare it to not being able to return the item at all. Compare it to say... your time that you spent writing your complaint. Or the time you spent driving back to Fry's. Or the time you spend arguing with the returns rep.

"I will tell everyone to watch out for the rip off from Frys. Unfortunately for them, I have lots of computer geek friends."

Veiled threats do your complain no justice. If you have a lot of "computer geek friends", they'll probably tell you the same thing I have. Restocking fees are a standard practice.

Without the package the store usually can not get any credit from the manufacturers and the item is absolutely worthless. Even sometimes with the package the store gets absolutely nothing for it, the manufacturers will still not take it back and give the store it's money back. But the store does take it back and barely charges you a fraction of the cost. You actually cost the store the entire value of the item when you don't have the packaging and they bargained with you and did you a favor by buying it back from you at a reduced value(YES BUYING BECAUSE THEY GET NOTHING) and you're spitting in their face.

I had similar experience with Fry's online payment. As a result I had to pay late fees in the next bill even though I spoke with someone over the phone and mailed a check covering the original bill and new outstanding bill. The snail mail did not get to them on time. Their claim is that they recommend mailing payments 7-10 business days before the due date. In general it takes 3-5 business days to deliver a first class mail. My guess is that US Postal Service will disagree with Fry's position. I think these folks are less than honest and try to charge anyone whose payment arrives within 5-6 days of the due date. I suspect they blame US Postal Service and claim they received the payment after the due date as one can not prove when the payment was actually received by them. Or they are not smart enough to manage a process to assist customers who are trying to pay their bills on time. It is better to retain customers who may spend thousands of dollars at their stores rather than frustrate them with "absurd" and "no holds bar" late fee collection strategy. I canceled my card and will never buy anything from them. I'll gladly buy my electronics from others, even if the sale price is 20% higher. The simple reason is do not give your business to a company that is not customer centric and do not know how to develop meaningful relationships with its customers. They rather focus on crafty ways to supplant their cash-flow with "little late fees". This type of company essentially is not competent, well managed or run. They should fail as a business so that consumers are left with competitive and value creating companies. Just look at some of the banks that sunk the world economy. Their only strategy is to nickel and dime everyone to wealth and creating shareholder value. I say dump this type of companies and institutions and not bail them out. Let’s all demand competitive sound companies by supporting the current administration’s drive for better consumer protection laws. Get involved and help build a better country.

FRY'S CREDIT CARD CUSTOMER SERVICE, ONLINE AND BY PHONE:
I was trying to pay for my Fry's Credit Card online. I logged in successfully. Then, the system asked me for my security question. I answered. I was in the screen where you see your account balance, activity, payment due information, etc. I choose to pay for my bill and then I am told that my account access was limited because they could not authenticate my information.

I gave the correct information, but I was not able to make a payment. I went by phone to make a payment. I was charged $6.95 to make a payment by phone, on an automatic system.

My payment will be late because of not being able to access the account online. I have tried several times to pass that message, but to no avil. Now, I will surely be also charged about $40.00 for a late payment on top of the $6.95 for making a payment by phone, because that will be posted between 1-3 days later.

I was not late making my payment, but the system made me late making my payment. This should be illegal.

There should be a way for the consumer to be protected against these scams.

LRP