..Selling returned and malfunctioning Merchandise AS NEW! After reading your front page story on the Rip-Off Report, I need to tell you I've had the same experience! Over a 2 year period I bought computers, printers, a scanner and even a video camera and realized most of these items came from a box that seemed to be re-taped. My IBM computer, HP Scanner, Brother fax Machine, & JCV Video camera all had to be returned because they were malfunctioning. Circuit City tried to insist that I should call the manufacture! I insisted they take it back! Not at first did I realize, that when I had originally opened the boxes back then I had said to my girlfriend, "this stuff seems like it was re packed or had been opened" hmmm? This happened to me with several Circuit City stores in California. Buyers beware!

I purchased a P.C. at Best Buy and the extended warranty. After a while the hard drive crashed. We called the 800 number to get it fixed. When they found out we put in a card, they told us it voided the warranty. Theyll sell you the computer, theyll sell you the warranty, theyll sell you the upgrade but when you put it in, theyll void your warranty.

Circuit City Extended Service Policy ..they really don't come to your home, over 1 Hour 40 minutes waiting time on their 800# LIARS, 12 DAYS LATER, STILL NO PRINTER DELIVERED About 2 years ago I bought an Extend Service policy for about $400 with my $4,300.00 worth of computer equipment setup. The sales people said, all my equipment would be completely covered for 3 years, for any problems whatsoever. just call the 800 number and a service man will come to your home within 24 hours. NOT TRUE. My HP printer went out, so I called the 1-800-555-4615 number, it took 1 hour and 10 minutes to get through. They connected me with a technician, and for about 40minutes we tried to fix the printer. So I asked what will happen from hear since it will not work, willsomeone come to my home? He said no, I don't think so, we'll probably send you another one, but I will call you back. He verified my telephone number. Two days later no phone call, so I called back to only wait another 1 hr and 45 minutes! I insisted on speaking with a supervisor over the supervisors. I yelled and screamed! He insisted he would get to the bottom of things and he would get a technician to call me back!, ..I said BS, we already did that, the printer is broke. You send me a tech to my home like I was promised or send me a new printer overnight delivery. He said we only do 2 day air. I said OK. Four days later, no printer, so I called the 800# (waited 55 minutes) and I was told it would take up to 10 days for that printer!Twelve days later, still no printer. The people who own the contracts and provide the service is GE .. that's right, General Electric. If your thinking of buying form Circuit City stores anywhere, as one employee said to me and my wife, we are all taught to Lie, I just work here and I need a job, if we don't lie we loose on commissions. Need I say anything more? Lonnie Hill Tampa, Florida

My friend and I each purchased a new IBM computer just about 2 years ago. We asked specifically 3 times, "Is the computer Y2K problem free?". The sales people said yes. You guessed it. They lied. Anyone out there surprised? test40

My company which is located in 11 cities buys over $100,000 worth of merchandise a year from the Circuit City stores. My company staff at one store in Atlanta noticed that merchandise had been consistently defective and the products were from opened boxes or boxes that were carefully re-taped closed so it would look unopened. The Atlanta office told the Dallas office about the incident. The Dallas store told the Atlanta store that they had just seen people handing out flyers saying that Circuit City was a Rip-off. The Dallas staff member retrieved a copy of the flyer which stated, They're selling returned merchandise as new, one Circuit City sales person said, ...I always wondered why there were not more open box sales, that people return too much defective merchandise. Another sales person was quoted as saying, that store managers make more money when they sell the returned merchandise as new, this way they do not have to discount it or spend money on labor to repackage and ship the merchandise back to the manufacture. I was told the president of the company W. Alan McCollough refuses to make any more reimbursements to dissatisfied customers. He denies the allegations although he admits that its not impossible that this could happen because his company is so large. He also stated that when they take returned merchandise, that they instruct their staff to throw away the box! My staff and I have bought open box merchandise over the years and the box was always included! Buyer beware! Look carefully. See if there is another piece of tape either on the bottom or the top going over the original tape. Look for tear marks on the box where the tape goes. Any defect return the merchandise. Don't you hassle with the warrantee outside of Circuit City. Get new merchandise. Demand extra money back for your inconveniences. Paul A. Watson Oklahoma City Click here to read other Rip-off Reports on Circuit City test2 test40