Best Buy TP Exchange Experience... - Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime

Got my TP yesterday from Best Buy, and unfortunately it had few issues, biggest being that the left side was separating (you could see the glass move and could hear a click when squeezing it....) Needless to say I was not going to keep it, so I figured I will give a local Best Buy a try to see if I can exchange it...
I walked up to the Customer Service desk and explained the problem. They said no problem, just go to the computer area and get another one, and they will do an exchange. Went back there, and asked for a Transformer Prime. Got a blank stare, then was told that they are not out yet. I proceeded to explain that I already have one and I'm just exchanging it. Another blank stare, then I was assured that what I must have is the Transformer. I finally got tired of this and asked one of the reps to go back to Customer Service with me.
Upon looking at the box, he looked up the SKU and not finding it in the system, he told me that there is nothing they can do, since it's not in their system and he has no idea how I was able to order one. I politely explained that I have the packing slip from BB.com, order receipt, emails from BB, etc. I had two other people look at it, try to pull up the SKU, then telling me the same thing. It was time to talk to somebody that might have a slightest clue, so I asked for a manager. To make a long story short, after a 25 minute discussion where I was basically accused of "doing something funny", he called somebody else on the phone, and after a short conversation told me that he will "issue me a refund, but this is just not right."
I stayed calm and got the refund, then politely explained to the guy that I can't believe how they can treat a customer in this manner. I don't remember the last time being treated remotely like this, and I will certainly let the corporate office know. He could obviously care less...
Anyway, just wanted to vent. Best Buy lost a VERY good customer, as after this whole TP fiasco I'm just done with them. It's a shame that such a large retailer has so little clue about customer service and competency...

Well the TP is not currently sold in stores yet, its an online only product. I can see why there were confused, but they should've know that though.

Dang! I hope my luck is better. I have a Grey 64GB with dock on pre-order from B&H. It's amazing how lame and helpless these sales people can be. They are slaves to the Point-Of-Sale terminal with no imagination or obvious access to resources.
The correct response would be to accept what you said as true, apologize and issue the refund since they have no units in the store to give you.
Bye.

Hmm, who would've guessed Paul Christoforo would get a job at Best Buy so quickly.

Ludikhris said:
Hmm, who would've guessed Paul Christoforo would get a job at Best Buy so quickly.
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Well obviously since his tablet was only purchasable on wwebsite as on the internet, they couldn't find it.
Mine comes in tomorrow from Best Buy. I hope I don't have any issues that I have to do go through them. Maybe I'll just contact my ASUS rep straight up if I have a problem.

jyan_osu said:
Well obviously since his tablet was only purchasable on wwebsite as on the internet, they couldn't find it.
Mine comes in tomorrow from Best Buy. I hope I don't have any issues that I have to do go through them. Maybe I'll just contact my ASUS rep straight up if I have a problem.
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True. Or he could have sold them all on ebay for $150 so there were none left.

Asus packaging really sucks(only booklets is well protected), and BB mailed it in plastic envelope..No wonder there are a lot of problems....

Sorry to hear about the lousy experience. After working in retail, I can deffinently tell you not to threaten with "going to corporate". Just as you said they probably aren't going to care.
Much better to tell the manager on site that you want their District/Regional managers name and phone number. Call the number on the spot if it's during normal daytime hours. This will get you much better results.
District/Regional managers are the normal top dog of the store area, and if you can relay your distress to them in your treatment/experience, results will quickly follow. The store themselves aren't scared of a veiled threat to someone they never directly interact with ("corporate"). But get in touch with their direct boss (the region/district), and that'll put some fear in them...

That doesn't surprise me one bit. Best Buy customer service and return policy is one of the worst I've ever seen.

Now that the competitors (Circuit City, Silo) are gone some long gone Best Buy brick and mortars feel that they can do whatever they want. "Like where else are you going to go?"
but part of this blame also needs to be shared by ASUS for half-ass launching of their product. You don't launch a product to minimum stores unless you want your product to flop.
strange ASUS never revealed the amount of Primes they shipped to US for launch. My guess is under 3,000 units at best.

I was in BB last week, doing other shopping and for the heck of it, asked if they had the dock in yet (they didn't). But all of the BB guys were insisting that the TF Prime was not even out yet and that it had been delayed until Jan. I was like "Of course it's out, I have one!!". Lol... :/
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

The Best Buy clerks at the retailer in my area knew that they were out but had no idea of when they would be in, they checked their internet computers and only saw what most online-shoppers saw the "Coming Soon" message.
Can someone explain to me again why BB stopped their TFP online ordering nearly 2-weeks before Christmas and put-up a "Coming Soon" banner? Do they not realize how many customers they lost in what I can only see as a dumb move. I mean even if you didn't have any TFP in-stock, you could have at least kept it set up as a pre-order to collect potential buyers, but leaving it as a Coming Soon did no good for anyone, not even their own brick and mortar retailers who also used BB.com.

the_game_master said:
Can someone explain to me again why BB stopped their TFP online ordering nearly 2-weeks before Christmas and put-up a "Coming Soon" banner? Do they not realize how many customers they lost in what I can only see as a dumb move. I mean even if you didn't have any TFP in-stock, you could have at least kept it set up as a pre-order to collect potential buyers, but leaving it as a Coming Soon did no good for anyone, not even their own brick and mortar retailers who also used BB.com.
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With the ridiculous amount of issues that it turns out they've had with preorders, stopping them was ultimately the right move.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium

It is just truly amazing that a retailer the size of Best Buy can have basic issues like this and how unresponsive they are to fix those issues. I think the mentality here is - it is not effecting enough people, so let's just not talk about it.

Related

I preordered, but is this a legit site?

Expansys is where I got my pre-order. I've never heard of them. I've heard of B&H, J&R, Best Buy, Newegg, and Gamestop having access to preorders, but who are these guys? They seemed legit so I gave them my preorder info. Any thoughts?
I don't think I've ever ordered with them, though if by "legit" you mean if they're real OR a scam in terms of a business, they seem to be an established business.
Site: http://www.expansys-usa.com/ (them, right?)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/eXpansys-USA/336647714042
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/expansysUSA
Reviews: https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=expansys+reviews
If by "legit" you mean they can deliver your Prime by Christmas or this month, that's something you'll find out on the receipt OR your order info, or by calling them. Hopefully someone else here can shed more light for you. (was there a reason you chose them and not the other companies you knew about already? like a special or something?)
Expansys is big for imported phones so they're definately legit. Their inventory systems are archaic and all communication is done manually. They keep bankers hours so they're hard to get in touch with. I'd say they're a poor choice for the Prime because they don't do a lot of business with Asus and communicating with them for a product that's touch-and-go will have you ripping your hair out. If companies that have sold a lot of Asus product in the past are having trouble with inventory I can't see how Expansys would fare any better.
Well, I chose them because they were the only company that still had pre-orders available.
I've heard of all the delays. I don't expect to be seeing my Prime before 2012 . Reeeeeally wish I hadn't sold my laptop/eReader preemptively....
With all the hype around this device, I just wondered if anyone had experience buying electronics from this company because I'd never heard of them before. Not only was I wondering about them as a business, I was wondering about how far down the totem pole they may be.
Thanks for the replies.
BarryH_GEG said:
Expansys is big for imported phones so they're definately legit. Their inventory systems are archaic and all communication is done manually. They keep bankers hours so they're hard to get in touch with. I'd say they're a poor choice for the Prime because they don't do a lot of business with Asus and communicating with them for a product that's touch-and-go will have you ripping your hair out. If companies that have sold a lot of Asus product in the past are having trouble with inventory I can't see how Expansys would fare any better.
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Ahh BarryH, thank you!
they are definitely a legit company, everything is based in the UK though but they are the place to go for imported phones, my friend ordered his S II from their because when it first came out that was like the only place but yes they will not steal your money or anything
My concern is that they dont metion the model number, and they dont show a picture of it and being that there the same name the first and second generation I think there selling the first ones.
ipswitch said:
My concern is that they dont metion the model number, and they dont show a picture of it and being that there the same name the first and second generation I think there selling the first ones.
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That doesn't make sense because the new one is Transformer PRIME. (which is clearly on the order page and title) The new one also comes in two colors while the original only had one.
The order page also describes the Transformer Prime.

Need Advice-Have a chance to buy a Prime

I possibly, have a chance to buy a Prime tomorrow. It's very possible someone else might buy it before me because I won't have the $ until later morning. Got emailed the pics of it. The seller says to email him when I get the cash.
Of course, I hope that the seller waits for me or that no one gets it before I do. I am concerned about Wifi and I can't return it if it was defective! I would turn it on and test it thoroughly before giving cash.
I doubt that I will get it before another quicker buyer but, Would you girls and guys go for it?
Edit GOT IT!!!
I just downloaded the new software update thingy. Interestingly, Wifi seems to have improved BUT, I will test it some more. Looks good though.
Also, I have a crap cellphone the Samsung intercept, so the videowas atrocious but hopefully, I can upload it from this Prime. The pics are low quality too but will post later!
Gorgeous, super tablet I must say. Very fast. Im sad that my Prime is missing the S hadowgun and Bladeslinger demos! Andy , could go u upload them or where can I get them. The price of getting it early lol! Riptide is amazing!! The water effects!!!! Wow!
Very happy I got it, definitely worth, even with th e wifi issue. Sorry not used to typing on my Prime obviously lol!
I am sorry that I had my private messages off, if anyone wants to PM me, by all means do so. Pics later!
CandyNJ66 said:
I possibly, have a chance to buy a Prime tomorrow. It's very possible someone else might buy it before me because I won't have the $ until later morning. Got emailed the pics of it. The seller says to email him when I get the cash.
Of course, I hope that the seller waits for me or that no one gets it before I do. I am concerned about Wifi and I can't return it if it was defective! I would turn it on and test it thoroughly before giving cash.
I doubt that I will get it before another quicker buyer but, Would you girls and guys go for it?
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Ya do it. I doubt they actually changed anything in their production to "fix" the wifi "issue". No warranty does suck though... But hell, who knows how long some of us might have to wait for this thing, I'd jump on it if I had the chance!
CandyNJ66 said:
I possibly, have a chance to buy a Prime tomorrow. It's very possible someone else might buy it before me because I won't have the $ until later morning. Got emailed the pics of it. The seller says to email him when I get the cash.
Of course, I hope that the seller waits for me or that no one gets it before I do. I am concerned about Wifi and I can't return it if it was defective! I would turn it on and test it thoroughly before giving cash.
I doubt that I will get it before another quicker buyer but, Would you girls and guys go for it?
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I'd make sure you get the original receipt for it so if it needs to be exchanged or needs warranty work you're covered. Other than that, assuming you're OK with what you'll be paying for it, go for it.
P.S. - Do the exchange in a restaurant and get there first. Meeting strangers that know you'll have cash with you is something to be wary of.
Do you know where this person got their Prime from? Is it covered by warranty?
If it is not under warranty then I don't think it is worth it cause if it is defective or it becomes defective then you are screwed.
The seller says he obtained it from through a promotion last week at a technology media event in New York. Lucky man.
It's not from a store, so no receipt. I will ask if he has a paper with it. It's a USA Prime, so warranty by Asus
BarryH_GEG said:
I'd make sure you get the original receipt for it so if it needs to be exchanged or needs warranty work you're covered. Other than that, assuming you're OK with what you'll be paying for it, go for it.
P.S. - Do the exchange in a restaurant and get there first. Meeting strangers that know you'll have cash with you is something to be wary of.
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Good advice because I'm going long distance to a big city. I definitely am meeting in a public restaurant IF I even get the thing
Just my 2¢ on the issue: Don't worry about the warranty. Since it's a brand new product, you don't have to prove when you bought it. I sent in my Transformer multiple times to ASUS directly for service, and they never questioned when/where I purchased it...
There are others who will disagree, and of course, everyone's entitled to my opinions
If it was me...
I would only buy it if the box is still sealed. That's just me though, for my own peace of mind. Goodluck and keep us posted.
ChristoA1 said:
Just my 2¢ on the issue: Don't worry about the warranty. Since it's a brand new product, you don't have to prove when you bought it. I sent in my Transformer multiple times to ASUS directly for service, and they never questioned when/where I purchased it...
There are others who will disagree, and of course, everyone's entitled to my opinions
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My point exactly, since you are getting the device right after it's released (before its released actually), so even if they count it to the day it was released you'd still get 1 full year of warranty.
I personally would not do it. It's just like people who charge close to retail for their used Ipads. If I'm paying close to retail, I may as just well purchase it for the retail price so I can have the peace of mind of going back to the store if anything goes wrong. Don't forget that since it's the holidays, most stores have extended return periods. Also, I know we all are eager to get the new prime but 1 or 2 months from now, if you are having problems with the unit, you have to ask yourself was it worth it to buy it a week early or would it have been better to wait a week and have your own receipt and the ability to return it to the store if you needed to.
ChristoA1 said:
Don't worry about the warranty.
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You could also buy one at a B&M reseller once they're more widely available and return it. Keep the original receipt and return it with a photocopy or do it at BB where they can track the transaction by CC number and you don't need a receipt for returns. Use that to send in should it need repair. And for those with a higher moral standard then mine, it's bending the rules not breaking them.
BarryH_GEG said:
You could also buy one at a B&M reseller once they're more widely available and return it. Keep the original receipt and return it with a photocopy or do it at BB where they can track the transaction by CC number and you don't need a receipt for returns. Use that to send in should it need repair. And for those with a higher moral standard then mine, it's bending the rules not breaking them.
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I didn't get mine from a B&M, so I'm not sure how popular it is, but I know with game consoles etc., most places have the SN on the receipt...
Sent from my ICS Splashed MT4GS using xda premium
ChristoA1 said:
I didn't get mine from a B&M, so I'm not sure how popular it is, but I know with game consoles etc., most places have the SN on the receipt...
Sent from my ICS Splashed MT4GS using xda premium
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Good point. I know Costco doesn't. GameStop's not too sophisticated so they may not. I'm not sure about Target and Walmart. BB probably does.
I guess nobody else is curious or maybe they are just classier than me but how much ya payin for it? Good luck too by the way.
He's asking $600 for the 32GB Amethyst Grey. I know it's $100 over retail. Would I be totally stupid? My pre-order was cancelled by Amazon and don't see how I will get one this month if another buyer gets to the overpriced promo Prime first, but who knows.
CandyNJ66 said:
He's asking $600 for the 32GB Amethyst Grey. I know it's $100 over retail. Would I be totally stupid? My pre-order was cancelled by Amazon and don't see how I will get one this month if another buyer gets to the overpriced promo Prime first, but who knows.
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Honestly, I would pay that right now. After tax and shipping that's what it would cost anyway. My preorder at GS was $544. Go for it. Even if you can handle yourself, take somebody with you for added security anyway. I don't know what it's like in NJ but I'm in Texas and I think I would have a heater in the truck.
I wouldn't do it especially for that price unless you absolutely need to have it now. Then again, I know how it feels to want something so bad that you are willing to pay over MSRP for it. You have to ask yourself, is it worth it to pay a $100 markup on something that may be on shelves in a week. Even if it's released next month, you have to ask yourself if it is worth it to pay more for something that you can't freely return in any store since he isn't giving you a receipt. If you have the money and you need it that bad, then pull the trigger. This thread reminds me of when I paid $750 for the Nokia n95 before it hit stateside. Never again my friend, never again.
Just to reiterate it's not really a $100 markup if you have to pay tax and have it shipped. $544 with tax in Tejas. Add shipping and its much closer to 6 hundo. Plus, waiting an extra month or two is not worth saving $50 - $100; to me anyway.
I would pay for it because at gamestop with overnight shipping charges, mine comes out to $554, but thats just me.
He would get much more on eBay for it. Grab the chance while you have it.

GARY!!! - Where are the Primes?

Bought my first Prime from Gamestop in January, returned mostly because of light bleed, but also WiFi/GPS was horrible. Bought second Prime beginning of February, but it has WiFi/BT issues, so I'm going to return it also.
I've read so many positive reviews that I'm hoping my next Prime will be great, and looking forward to exchanging it... not just a refund.
BUT I CANNOT FIND PRIMES ANYWHERE LOCALLY!!
Given the fact that the Primes have an awesome less then 1% failure rate, why are they not on the shelves at retailers? Why are the retailers not sure when, or even if, they will get more stock?
Thanks in advance for your answer.
acidus. said:
Bought my first Prime from Gamestop in January, returned mostly because of light bleed, but also WiFi/GPS was horrible. Bought second Prime beginning of February, but it has WiFi/BT issues, so I'm going to return it also.
I've read so many positive reviews that I'm hoping my next Prime will be great, and looking forward to exchanging it... not just a refund.
BUT I CANNOT FIND PRIMES ANYWHERE LOCALLY!!
Given the fact that the Primes have an awesome less then 1% failure rate, why are they not on the shelves at retailers? Why are the retailers not sure when, or even if, they will get more stock?
Thanks in advance for your answer.
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I'm not Gary, but I sure am interested to know.
Best Buy couldn't even order me one. I was able to order mine from Tiger though and it should arrive tomorrow after being on backorder for a week.
Sent from my Incredible 2 using XDA App
if you want a prime go to nowinstock.net and resister and get notified when its in stock somewhere online
far and away the easiest way
Thanks knives. I thought that site was only for online vendors, who are moving whatever inventory that managed to get their way through the supply chain.
I had no idea that site provided local retail availability!!!
It is an interesting question though... Where are the primes? It seems as though availability is getting worse, not better. Has Asus decided the beta period is over, and is now switching to produce production models?
No joke... I sent mine back to Amazon after soft bricking, for a new replacement... ****, 64GB Primes are 4 -6 weeks out.
I hope they are doing some big time quality control improvement, and the new ones, when they do come out will be problem free.
Norway gave up...
krifos said:
The biggest online retailer in Norway has removed the TF201 from stock, only 2 weeks after release.
http://www.komplett.no/k/ki.aspx?sku=652778&cks=ASS&assoc=D17C9206-4ABF-4D73-94BE-9D52E5984D4D
They claim it is because that they don't know when they get more in stock so they don't want to fill in more orders.
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acidus. said:
Thanks knives. I thought that site was only for online vendors, who are moving whatever inventory that managed to get their way through the supply chain.
I had no idea that site provided local retail availability!!!
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no idea why anyone would want to buy it locally, unless you like wasting time and money. no tax with amazon and the easiest return system ever.
i order with amazon prime and get it the next day for 3.99...truly amazing service
If you go to Staples website and search for Asus transformer prime, you won't get results. The only way to find the tablet is to use google and search for staples asus transformer prime. I think that Staples is gearing up to stop selling the device completely.
Couple that with my 2 local staples returning all of their stock to the warehouse and I'm starting to think that asus is going to slowly stop selling the prime. Would make sense with all of the issues it has.
It makes business sense to stop selling the device and get out the new units with "improved wireless" ASAP so they can stop eating all the costs of having to deal with their mistake on the TF201.
knives of ice said:
no idea why anyone would want to buy it locally, unless you like wasting time and money. no tax with amazon and the easiest return system ever.
i order with amazon prime and get it the next day for 3.99...truly amazing service
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Seems I was a bit premature giving thanks to Knives. (By the way, I'm an Amazon Prime member)
NowInStock.net only shows online retailers. Given enough margin, online retailers will sell anything.
What is strange is every local retailer that carried the Prime is now telling me the same story:
They've heard of problems with the Prime
They've had a lot of returns of the Prime
They have no estimate of when, or if, they will get new stock
Not just one, but all of them: BestBuy, HHGRegg, GameStop and even Staples!
Since Gary has confirmed the Prime has less than 1% failure rate, which is AWESOME, it just seems strange that no local retailers are expecting new stock. If these things are flying off the shelves, why don't any retailers have them or at least an ETA?
The TFP is exactly what I want. For me, higher resolution "2048xwhatever" is just too small on a 10" display, plus it will be slower.
Even Apple products are not this constrained after two months, where people camp out and wait for them.
Its been two months, and retailers are saying due to problems we're not sure when we'll get more?
Ofcourse, there is always the extermely remote possibility that Gary is not telling us the truth. That retailers have suffered from such a high return rate, they have decided not to carry that SKU anymore.
Which I'm sure is not the case. I'm sure Gary will post here tomorrow and clear things up.
Swiftks said:
No joke... I sent mine back to Amazon after soft bricking, for a new replacement... ****, 64GB Primes are 4 -6 weeks out.
I hope they are doing some big time quality control improvement, and the new ones, when they do come out will be problem free.
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@Swift, howdy , I see your located in C-Stat. I actually called the BB here in C-Stat today to see if there were any Primes available after returning my 2nd one last weekend. The rep told me they could have 2 avail by tomorrow and to call in the morning. Just a heads up if your looking bro.
Also guys, I called the BB in my hometown and on 2 different occasions they told me they were waiting on the "new batch" of primes b/c of all the problems they have been having with them. No info as to when this "new batch" is hitting stores though.
xIC-MACIx said:
@Swift, howdy , I see your located in C-Stat. I actually called the BB here in C-Stat today to see if there were any Primes available after returning my 2nd one last weekend. The rep told me they could have 2 avail by tomorrow and to call in the morning. Just a heads up if your looking bro.
Also guys, I called the BB in my hometown and on 2 different occasions they told me they were waiting on the "new batch" of primes b/c of all the problems they have been having with them. No info as to when this "new batch" is hitting stores though.
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HOWDY!
Thanks, but I'm replacing my 64GB Grey, which as far as I know BB doesn't carry. Besides, I'm getting a full replacement from Amazon... whenever they get some again.
With the law suit happening (and probably winning), it'd be smart for Asus not to ship any new primes.
maretus said:
If you go to Staples website and search for Asus transformer prime, you won't get results. The only way to find the tablet is to use google and search for staples asus transformer prime. I think that Staples is gearing up to stop selling the device completely.
Couple that with my 2 local staples returning all of their stock to the warehouse and I'm starting to think that asus is going to slowly stop selling the prime. Would make sense with all of the issues it has.
It makes business sense to stop selling the device and get out the new units with "improved wireless" ASAP so they can stop eating all the costs of having to deal with their mistake on the TF201.
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BINGO! Exactly what i did. I was like WTH cant i find it on their site. Light bulb went off & i used google & it came up. Did a store check and what do you know..... 2 stores locally just got a stock. I grabbed my jacket, & GF and ran! LOL. Actually the guy held it for me.
Oh also when i returned my original to BB the lady said they were not selling them anymore because of the high return rate.
knives of ice said:
no idea why anyone would want to buy it locally, unless you like wasting time and money. no tax with amazon and the easiest return system ever.
i order with amazon prime and get it the next day for 3.99...truly amazing service
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I'm an Amazon Prime member too.
I guess you missed the seperate paragraph, which was in ALL CAPS, that said:
"BUT I CANNOT FIND PRIMES ANYWHERE LOCALLY!!"
Some people don't mind spending a little extra money and time, to buy something locally. But since you have no idea why that would happen, its not valid. Guessing you have no use for GPS or BT also.
Vcolassi said:
BINGO! Exactly what i did. I was like WTH cant i find it on their site. Light bulb went off & i used google & it came up. Did a store check and what do you know..... 2 stores locally just got a stock. I grabbed my jacket, & GF and ran! LOL. Actually the guy held it for me.
Oh also when i returned my original to BB the lady said they were not selling them anymore because of the high return rate.
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I Googled Staples and TF201 and found it on their site. Checked local availability a couple days ago, and there were a couple stores with stock. Returning my Prime tomorrow. Re-checked Staples, no local availability. Plus if you check their main site, they don't even acknowledge TF201 as an item.
Must be because its so poplular, they don't want to sell it.
We can't help but feel that we're being lied to by Asus. These things are f'd up and being sent back as fast as they can ship them. Very disappointed in Asus for this massive f'up. 1% failure rate my a$$. I was totally ready to accept a unit w non functioning GPS (as I won't use it), but screen bleed out the a$$! no. And still a locked bootloader!
NastroGlide said:
We can't help but feel that we're being lied to by Asus. These things are f'd up and being sent back as fast as they can ship them. Very disappointed in Asus for this massive f'up. 1% failure rate my a$$. I was totally ready to accept a unit w non functioning GPS (as I won't use it), but screen bleed out the a$$! no. And still a locked bootloader!
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I know how you feel (except I would use the GPS). But I'm sure local retailers are wrong, and a boat-load of fully functional TFP's are on their way to retailers.
I bet the retailers got caught up in reading XDA posts and didn't pay attention to their actual return rates, which are less than 1%, like Gary said.
Seriously looking forward to Gary's reply. I know he has a couple PM's, but with less than 1% defects, spending 30 seconds addressing this thread will clear things up for a lot of existing and potential customers.
NCIX in Canada shows >53 in stock of 32 and 64 gb versions. I bought one there last month and it was such a hassle returning. I had to demonstrate all issues to the service guy and he was very reluctant to take it back until he got the ok from ASUS. I won't be buying my next tablet from them. Their return policy is horrible.
I am awaiting confirmation on this forum that a new batch is on its way.
West coast.

Terrible Experience Pre-Ordering Note at Best Buy!

When i found out Best buy was taking pre orders for the Note and offering a free case i went down and tried to pre order. I was buying the phone outright for retail as im not elgible to upgrade. When i got there i found the phone was selling for $749.99; $100.00 more than at&t, however ive had no problem with getting them to price match before hand. So i asked the employee if they would and he confirmed with the manager however he said i would not be able to pre order due to the price match descrepency and that i would have to come in on launch day to get one and i would still get the case just let the manager know the situation. So when Sunday came i was the second person there. First of all i had to wait about 30 minutes for 3 of Mobile Dept employees were tending to the only person before me, then when i asked the employee about the phone he didnt even know what it was!!! He went to the "manager" and the manager came out and showed me the phone and started telling me about it. This is where i started getting p!ssed off. He first tends to tell me they dont have the phone in blue... only black... :-].. HUH?? secondly he starts talking about how its "cool because it has a stylus like the nintendo DS"... I kinda told him it was an S-Pen and what it could do and he just looked at me and said "same thing" and walked away!!!. At this point i was annoyed after waiting and the employees lack of professionalism/knowledge so i wanted to get the phone and just leave. I told the other employee i would be buying without contract, about the price match policy and that i had still wanted the free case that i was promised. He called the manager back and the manager said the most they could do is give me the case for 50% off since i waited for so long!!! We argued back & forth as i felt i was lied to and jipped. I told him i was paying $700+ for a phone choosing to go thru them only for the black tie protection plan and it was crap that I was told otherwise about getting the free case. He kind of chuckled at me then told me "i was free to go elsewhere but thats what he could do"!!! Then when they finally opened my phone and activated it all 3 employees and the manager were looking at it and playing with it for a good minute or 2 before even giving it to me! It got to the point where the manager was like "ohh sorry but weve never seen one of these things powered on and we wanted to look at it"... This particular location used to be awsome. Im a Silver Rewards Zone member and i would know all the employees by name... i knew as soon as i walked into a dept i would be harassed by that dept rep if i needed help. They were knowledgable and friendly. Those days are sense gone and now they have a whole new slew of workers that dont know anything, and look annoyed to even do their job. Its impossible to get them to even help you out if you need it without having to chase one of them down. Did anyone else have any issues with Pre-ordering or price matching?
Please use the return key.
jthornton71707 said:
When i found out Best buy was taking pre orders for the Note and offering a free case i went down and tried to pre order. I was buying the phone outright for retail as im not elgible to upgrade. When i got there i found the phone was selling for $749.99; $100.00 more than at&t, however ive had no problem with getting them to price match before hand. So i asked the employee if they would and he confirmed with the manager however he said i would not be able to pre order due to the price match descrepency and that i would have to come in on launch day to get one and i would still get the case just let the manager know the situation. So when Sunday came i was the second person there. First of all i had to wait about 30 minutes for 3 of Mobile Dept employees were tending to the only person before me, then when i asked the employee about the phone he didnt even know what it was!!! He went to the "manager" and the manager came out and showed me the phone and started telling me about it. This is where i started getting p!ssed off. He first tends to tell me they dont have the phone in blue... only black... :-].. HUH?? secondly he starts talking about how its "cool because it has a stylus like the nintendo DS"... I kinda told him it was an S-Pen and what it could do and he just looked at me and said "same thing" and walked away!!!. At this point i was annoyed after waiting and the employees lack of professionalism/knowledge so i wanted to get the phone and just leave. I told the other employee i would be buying without contract, about the price match policy and that i had still wanted the free case that i was promised. He called the manager back and the manager said the most they could do is give me the case for 50% off since i waited for so long!!! We argued back & forth as i felt i was lied to and jipped. I told him i was paying $700+ for a phone choosing to go thru them only for the black tie protection plan and it was crap that I was told otherwise about getting the free case. He kind of chuckled at me then told me "i was free to go elsewhere but thats what he could do"!!! Then when they finally opened my phone and activated it all 3 employees and the manager were looking at it and playing with it for a good minute or 2 before even giving it to me! It got to the point where the manager was like "ohh sorry but weve never seen one of these things powered on and we wanted to look at it"... This particular location used to be awsome. Im a Silver Rewards Zone member and i would know all the employees by name... i knew as soon as i walked into a dept i would be harassed by that dept rep if i needed help. They were knowledgable and friendly. Those days are sense gone and now they have a whole new slew of workers that dont know anything, and look annoyed to even do their job. Its impossible to get them to even help you out if you need it without having to chase one of them down. Did anyone else have any issues with Pre-ordering or price matching?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The moral of the story is, order directly from AT&T next time. Best Buy always jacks up the off-contract price. It has never been worth it to buy a mobile phone from them. They could give me a free case studded in diamonds and I still wouldn't buy the phone from them.
Also, paragraph breaks are your friend.
Sorry to hear your issues in getting your GNote. I have bought at Best Buy and always had good service. Looks like Best Buy and ATT borked up the pre-ordering for this phone. I heard stories of people who had pre-ordered from both finally give it up and walk in on launch day and buy the phone.
I did not pre order, but I get mine on launch day. It seems like these phones are launching so quickly that all employees are not up to speed on all the phones, specs or even that they are launching that day. That is why once you get someone good, stick with them!
jthornton71707 said:
When i found out Best buy was taking pre orders for the Note and offering a free case i went down and tried to pre order. I was buying the phone outright for retail as im not elgible to upgrade. When i got there i found the phone was selling for $749.99; $100.00 more than at&t, however ive had no problem with getting them to price match before hand. So i asked the employee if they would and he confirmed with the manager however he said i would not be able to pre order due to the price match descrepency and that i would have to come in on launch day to get one and i would still get the case just let the manager know the situation. So when Sunday came i was the second person there. First of all i had to wait about 30 minutes for 3 of Mobile Dept employees were tending to the only person before me, then when i asked the employee about the phone he didnt even know what it was!!! He went to the "manager" and the manager came out and showed me the phone and started telling me about it. This is where i started getting p!ssed off. He first tends to tell me they dont have the phone in blue... only black... :-].. HUH?? secondly he starts talking about how its "cool because it has a stylus like the nintendo DS"... I kinda told him it was an S-Pen and what it could do and he just looked at me and said "same thing" and walked away!!!. At this point i was annoyed after waiting and the employees lack of professionalism/knowledge so i wanted to get the phone and just leave. I told the other employee i would be buying without contract, about the price match policy and that i had still wanted the free case that i was promised. He called the manager back and the manager said the most they could do is give me the case for 50% off since i waited for so long!!! We argued back & forth as i felt i was lied to and jipped. I told him i was paying $700+ for a phone choosing to go thru them only for the black tie protection plan and it was crap that I was told otherwise about getting the free case. He kind of chuckled at me then told me "i was free to go elsewhere but thats what he could do"!!! Then when they finally opened my phone and activated it all 3 employees and the manager were looking at it and playing with it for a good minute or 2 before even giving it to me! It got to the point where the manager was like "ohh sorry but weve never seen one of these things powered on and we wanted to look at it"... This particular location used to be awsome. Im a Silver Rewards Zone member and i would know all the employees by name... i knew as soon as i walked into a dept i would be harassed by that dept rep if i needed help. They were knowledgable and friendly. Those days are sense gone and now they have a whole new slew of workers that dont know anything, and look annoyed to even do their job. Its impossible to get them to even help you out if you need it without having to chase one of them down. Did anyone else have any issues with Pre-ordering or price matching?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry those people sucked haha it does happen sometimes. I work for BBYM and I can tell you that some are not the most knowledgeable.. Hell my boss has absolutely no idea on different specs or upcoming phones. But he's not really supposed to. Do you know how many new phones come through every couple weeks? The ATT rep will hand him a spec sheet with highlights and thats it. He certainly wont do any outside research. Its the sales people that should be the ones trained on phones. So for their incompetence I apologize.
As for the other stuff, our pre-ordering system blows. Know that. But, it can also reap some pretty good benefits if you are a little patient with it. The price matching thing does work on pre-orders as I have done it for a couple customers with the galaxy nexus.
So knowing what you do now, would you still get your phone from best buy? Just curious. As one of the top 50 performing stores in the company this past quarter, I like to gauge outside response on peoples experience.
Oh and enjoy your note!
imitenotbecrazy said:
Sorry those people sucked haha it does happen sometimes. I work for BBYM and I can tell you that some are not the most knowledgeable.. Hell my boss has absolutely no idea on different specs or upcoming phones. But he's not really supposed to. Do you know how many new phones come through every couple weeks? The ATT rep will hand him a spec sheet with highlights and thats it. He certainly wont do any outside research. Its the sales people that should be the ones trained on phones. So for their incompetence I apologize.
As for the other stuff, our pre-ordering system blows. Know that. But, it can also reap some pretty good benefits if you are a little patient with it. The price matching thing does work on pre-orders as I have done it for a couple customers with the galaxy nexus.
So knowing what you do now, would you still get your phone from best buy? Just curious. As one of the top 50 performing stores in the company this past quarter, I like to gauge outside response on peoples experience.
Oh and enjoy your note!
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Click to collapse
If it wasn't for the black tie protection program I wouldn't go back there period. I got my iPhone 4 4s and nexus S with the protection and have loved it. But this particular location has gone down hill.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
jthornton71707 said:
wtl;dr
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Click to collapse
Dude that sucks.. I know alot of the bbuy employees in my local one by name and get alot better service there compared to at$t/tmobile stores. You should have asked for the store manager not the bbym one.. And known the name of the one that said he would give the case to you for free.
Btw you know there was a 3x rewards coupon active for release day, should have been in your email.. Would have been almost 45 back in reward points.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using xda premium
This is why I opted to buy the phone through at&t. BB is not a good place to buy phones at a full price. Good for upgrading though, which is what I use them for.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA App

Amazon refunding Primes!

Based on the "Not a Best Buy Prime" thread, I called Amazon about my Prime (purchased Feb 2012) and complained that it had gotten steadily worse and that Asus wasn't helping any. I demanded a new unit.
They found that Prime was out of stock and they had no timeline for return of stock. So I asked them to refund, and they agreed. Its not even going to be store credit! I just got the return labels emailed to me, and I'll soon get back my 650$!
I'm one thoroughly satisfied Amazon customer who'll gladly say goodbye to Asus!
ir87 said:
I'm one thoroughly satisfied Amazon customer who'll gladly say goodbye to Asus!
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Click to collapse
Considering all the Prime issues. Asus should have just put out their own Trade Up program. I don't think many people would have had an issue trading in their Prime + some $ for a TF300 or TF700.
Great if true, between BB and Amazon....this product should have a 80+% return rate.
Thanks ir87 for the tip-off. I was just able to get a return/refund granted for my January Amazon order as well. However, this was not a standard procedure. For what its worth, here are the specifics of my experience:
First, I am a Prime member. I think that grants you some leeway. This was a 20-minute conversation with them. The call had to be transferred a couple times and supervisor approval was required to "bend the rules". All I did was explain all the problems that I have had, that I had already returned one TF201 within 30 days and that after the second one I tried resolving the issues with the manufacturer and that they stalled and gave me solutions that were worse than before (firmware updates and the GPS dongle). I told them that the manufacturer was unwilling or unable to fix the problems and that I was simply tired of dealing with them, and that I hoped to get a refund and never deal with Asus again. I remained friendly, and courteous throughout the call, never made demands, and was grateful for anything they could do for me. I did not tell any white lies like many in the Best Buy thread have done, and simply told it how it was. I do not believe that Amazon will continue to grant refunds for these once they see a pattern, but it never hurts to ask! Amazon ultimately wants their customers to be happy.
I am still looking at options, but I will probably replace my TF201 with a Samsung Note 10.1 combined with a Bluetooth keyboard. My Nexus S phone is made by Samsung, and I believe that they make a reliable well-thought-out product. I will never give money to Asus again, no matter what, and I will be steering clear of this Tegra chipset crap as well.
ebuyer
Ebuyer told me
1. Call Asus on 0870 1208340 with your date of purchase and the serial number of the product.
2. Explain the problem and tell them you need a fault log number for Ebuyer.com, they will ask you to do a few tests depending on the product. In most cases Asus will solve the problem directly with you and/or send out any replacement parts that are needed.
3. If Asus are unable to do this for you they will then provide you with a fault log number.
4. Please forward this onto our email address [email protected] with your RMA request number in the subject line (e.g. subject: 0781234).
5. We will then authorise your return and you will be sent the necessary emails needed to book a courier to come and collect the faulty item from you, once we receive this back we will turnaround your request within 3 - 5 working days.
However as I am over 6 months - I would not get a FULL refund by prorata (about -£50)
Wish there an easy option - such as a trade up program -as it is not a nice feeling with everyone returning theirs... or the impression at least!
cmccracken said:
Thanks ir87 for the tip-off. I was just able to get a return/refund granted for my January Amazon order as well. However, this was not a standard procedure. For what its worth, here are the specifics of my experience:
First, I am a Prime member. I think that grants you some leeway. This was a 20-minute conversation with them. The call had to be transferred a couple times and supervisor approval was required to "bend the rules". All I did was explain all the problems that I have had, that I had already returned one TF201 within 30 days and that after the second one I tried resolving the issues with the manufacturer and that they stalled and gave me solutions that were worse than before (firmware updates and the GPS dongle). I told them that the manufacturer was unwilling or unable to fix the problems and that I was simply tired of dealing with them, and that I hoped to get a refund and never deal with Asus again. I remained friendly, and courteous throughout the call, never made demands, and was grateful for anything they could do for me. I did not tell any white lies like many in the Best Buy thread have done, and simply told it how it was. I do not believe that Amazon will continue to grant refunds for these once they see a pattern, but it never hurts to ask! Amazon ultimately wants their customers to be happy.
I am still looking at options, but I will probably replace my TF201 with a Samsung Note 10.1 combined with a Bluetooth keyboard. My Nexus S phone is made by Samsung, and I believe that they make a reliable well-thought-out product. I will never give money to Asus again, no matter what, and I will be steering clear of this Tegra chipset crap as well.
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Click to collapse
Several points here match my experience. I'm a Prime account holder too (Amazon Prime, that is), and I use it pretty heavily. As such, I usually have purchases worth about 30$ with them every month.
Second, I also remained courteous and friendly. I straightaway acknowledged that I knew this was well past the return window. I made that point that the device had become worse since that 1 month period, especially with new updates. I was asked if Asus was not willing to help. I told them that several users online could back up my claim that many issues remained unresolved even after RMA.
I also started the conversation with making a request for a replacement, not a refund. Before they found out that they were out of stock, replacement with a new Prime was what I was offered. If they do get it back on stock, I think they might just replace, instead of refunding. This is worth keeping in mind.
I was never transferred to a new person, but they did discuss this with a supervisor. At no point was I asked for specific problems that I had (which indicated to me that they were aware of these issues), and at no point was I asked to justify or argue for my request. The entire process was smooth, which strengthens my opinion that Amazon is aware of these issues with the Prime.
I'm also happy that this happened at this time. The tablet market is exploding, and a huge number of options are becoming available.
I can confirm I also got them to give me a full refund, I am ordering the 700. I got transfered to an Indian woman who refused, I then asked for her to transfer me to a supervisor in the US, she did. I explained I contacted Asus and that there wasnt any fixes for my issues that it was hardware related and the only reason I kept the tablet was Asus promised to fix, which they can't. He said there are exceptions to the rules, hes send me the return label now. Printing label now!
Edit:My prime was from May and I am not a Amazon prime member, I made it a point that Asus can't fix the issue with the Prime even after contacting them, there is no fix, period.
Woohoo! Finally get to say goodbye to this POS! Amazon just approved my full refund! Hopefully it doesn't take long to process. Not really sure if I want to buy another ASUS product but the Infinity is tempting. I have been reading bad reviews on the Note 10.1.
Purchased December 2011
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using XDA Premium HD app
SFG said:
Woohoo! Finally get to say goodbye to this POS! Amazon just approved my full refund! Hopefully it doesn't take long to process. Not really sure if I want to buy another ASUS product but the Infinity is tempting. I have been reading bad reviews on the Note 10.1.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using XDA Premium HD app
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Click to collapse
Did you say Asus can't fix it, thats its a hardware issue not software and then they said ok? I just don't trust Samsung and their ypdates, the abandon their products pretty quickly.
PS. My infinity will be here tomorrow, I ordered overnight shipping and they deliver on Saturdays here.
Ready2Mosh said:
Did you say Asus can't fix it, thats its a hardware issue not software and then they said ok? I just don't trust Samsung and their ypdates, the abandon their products pretty quickly.
PS. My infinity will be here tomorrow, I ordered overnight shipping and they deliver on Saturdays here.
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Click to collapse
I really didn't say too much other than Asus support never provided. They initially offered me a 50% discount and I told them that was unacceptable. When I asked for a supervisor, they put me on hold for a few minutes and then came back and said it was authorized for a full refund.
Only reason I am a considering a tf700 is the dock and resolution. The Note just seems to gimmicky. Is there another comparable tablet not made by asus?
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using XDA Premium HD app
Has anyone of you unlocked their prime?
Sent from my HTC Desire Z using XDA Premium HD app
demster said:
Has anyone of you unlocked their prime?
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Click to collapse
My Prime was rooted but not unlocked. I unrooted it and did a factory reset before shipping it back to Amazon.
Anyone done this on an unlocked Prime from the UK Amazon?
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using XDA Premium HD app
Well it looks like my infinity is a dud right out of the box. It boots to nvidia logo then shuts off. I'm hoping it just needs to charge for a little bit. @&*()(*#&#)(@_)(@*[email protected]*@_)*@&#&$$
Looks like it just needed to get some juice, but it does have some light bleed, I will continue to post as I use it
Edit: Update on my Infinity. Looks like Amazon has pulled them because of the quality of the item. Mine has a problem where it doesnt seem like the screen is seated properly on the bottom left hand side. I don't have to use any force to make it move in and out about an 1/8of an inch. It's right next to the micro hdmi, headphone and speaker hole, it's like it's hollow there or something.
They know about the issue and thats why its pulled.
Just wondering, for those who were successful in trading it in, did you guys call or did online chatting with their rep? Does it matter?
daniel60104 said:
Just wondering, for those who were successful in trading it in, did you guys call or did online chatting with their rep? Does it matter?
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Click to collapse
I had them call me feature, first person was in the US, she transfered me out of country and the Indian lady refused, I then asked to be transfered to a US supervisor who listened, made an exception to the rule and here I am with an Infinity that the screen moves on, and now Amazon has pulled their whole inventory because of customer complaints. They stated it could be up to 2 weeks before the issue is resolved, and if they can't get it resolved it will be removed from their inventory.
Ready2Mosh said:
I had them call me feature, first person was in the US, she transfered me out of country and the Indian lady refused, I then asked to be transfered to a US supervisor who listened, made an exception to the rule and here I am with an Infinity that the screen moves on, and now Amazon has pulled their whole inventory because of customer complaints. They stated it could be up to 2 weeks before the issue is resolved, and if they can't get it resolved it will be removed from their inventory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Update: Just called them and Amazon rep said that an exchange is impossible and a refund will be given once I return the product. Quite speedy, didn't have to get transferred or anything!
I just told them about the weak WiFi/no GPS issues (and how ASUS did not solve anything) and immediately the refund is approved. The reps apparently are told to just process the refund for us as the rep pretty much implied it.
I did it for mine and my friend yesterday over Amazon chat. Told them about the manufacturing defects and asked if I could get it exchanged, they said they could not exchange it but they could refund me if I return it. Both our primes were purchased from the warehouse back in March.
daniel60104 said:
Just wondering, for those who were successful in trading it in, did you guys call or did online chatting with their rep? Does it matter?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I called
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
3 weeks ago I got them to give me a full refund for my prime purchased back in march. They made an exception as well. After receiving it they charged a 20% restocking fee. I called them back up and they refunded the rest no problem. Good luck to anyone else who tries.

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