Polk at Fry's-say what?

jrausch

Fry's has the worst reputation in the Northern part, if not the entire state of California. The fact that Polk is letting these guys deal in their products is a slap in the face! The Fry's corporate suits make Sergeant Bilco look like Radar O'Rielly. There must have been enough of a cover up in that place to make it look like a reputable dealership to rival even the Kennedy assassination. If you know what you want ahead of time and are possibly willing to pay three times as much as the advertised price in the paper. It’s a great place to shop. If you are dissatisfied with your purchase or it does not work, God have mercy on your soul. You can ask anyone here that has had a return and their experience. They will bow their heads and won’t stop cursing for 5-10 minutes, it’s just automatic.

For those unfamiliar with this west coast chain. The stores sell everything from refrigerators to resistors. They build warehouse’s twice the size of Wall-Mart with different elaborate and worldly themes to them. They purchase everything in bulk for as cheap as possible, hire the cheapest help the can find (literally just off the boat.) and sell 90% of their products at full retail. You might be asking yourself how you might catch yourself going into such a place. In one word “Advertisement”. The other 10% of their stock is made up of bottom of the line Chinese remakes of the real products used as bait.

For instance a 56k V.90 PCI modem for $9, sounds like a great deal. You get there and find out it’s made by Finhuei and is actually $19 for the new ones. The ones for $9 are store returns that have never been re-tested to see if they work and are shrink rapped, so then you decide to buy the one for $19 just to be safe. You get out of there proud you bought something for a fairly decent price, only realizing when you get it home that the only drivers that work for it are for Windows 3.1. You then decide to return your product thinking that the rumors are just fairy tales told by irrational people.

Here is what you are in for, bare minimum.
1)Once you make it through the line of people returning their stuff. You must first give an explanation as to why you are returning your item.

2)Then the explanation you gave will be entered into their system by someone who cannot type or has never seen a keyboard before.

3)Next, all returns big and small cash or credit must be signed off by the manager who’s out on his/her smoke break.

4)When they finally return from their break and approve your return.
You must then fill out a return policy form that is signed by you and the manager.

5)The person that was helping you must then enter the amount to be returned to you in the computer and have it again checked by the manager.

6) Last but not least and just when you think your going to get your refund and leave. The clerk hands you a receipt for your refund. You must now take that receipt to another cashier up front and wait in line for another 15 minutes to get to the cashier.

7) When you finally get to the cashier He/she must call over another manager to approve your refund receipt. If your purchase was over $250, you can expect a refund check in the mail in 4-5 weeks, it does not matter if it was cash or credit.

The products themselves are treated the same way as you treated that sack of garbage you took out last night. These places will have hundreds if not thousands of people in them at one time thinking the same thing you are. To Fry’s you are merely cattle with money and the sooner they get you out their hair the better.


I could write a book on how bad the service is there. If Polk made a deal with them thinking they have an acceptable staff and service. I can honestly say that you were taken and deceived. With the conversion from High end to Middle end audio stores to Circuit City chains. I would say you did burn some bridges with those who would have normally carried the Polk Lsi’s and now you have given the Polk name to someone that may give you a bad name because of poor service. I say protecting your name is just as important as the big bulk sales you made to these guys. I have lived here in California for 5 years now and everyone I talk to about Fry’s has a horror story to tell. Don’t just take my word for it, check out these dedicated links that have been out there since before my arrival.

http://braith.best.vwh.net/frys.htm http://www.doofus.org/frys/other2.html
:eek:

Micah Cohen

Those are great links! I will actually bring them to the attention of people involved with the Fry's account.

See, I believe that what put us in Fry's was nothing you guys talk about. Bottom line is they move product in droves. That's all a business needs to hear and see. We wanted to be one of those moving products, I'm sure. That's all there is to it. Period.

Again, if you don't like them, don't shop there. I don't. And as for their bad rep rubbing off on our brand name, well, that's an interesting concept. I have to think on it.

MC

hoosier21

This is getting very boring, so here is my 2 cents to add to this dead horse.

Polk is in the business of moving product, and I assume the more the better $$. Polk must be making the decision to sell the product at ANY retail outlet. Is this a bad thing? time will tell. Joe six pack don't give $hit if he buys Bose at a Club warehouse, CC, BB, Sears, Online ... so why do we care if Polk sells from these same places?? I am not sure I give a rats **** myself.

BUT there is another example, PARADIGM speakers, This is a great speaker, great company. Just try and buy these speakers anywhere other than an Authorized Dealer, it is very hard, if you can find them somewhere else good luck in getting a warranty. Paradigm has made it clear to the dealer, if you do business via mail order they will pull the line from the dealer. This makes it so you must walk in to the dealer and buy the speaker.

Does this make Paradigm a better speaker than Polk, well to the "Audiophiles" out there it does, to the serious listener maybe 50/50, to J6P "I've never heard of Paradigm"

Ron-P

Well said jrausch.

It's sad to see such a classy company like Polk dealing with such seedy criminals. Doesn't sit well with me, but oh well.

Peace Out~

Micah Cohen

Just try and buy these speakers anywhere other than an Authorized Dealer, it is very hard, if you can find them somewhere else good luck in getting a warranty...

Hmmm. Sounds like the way we do business. If you don't like a particular authorized dealer, do not shop there.

Next topic?

wangotango68

thank you im glad somebody said it

scott:cool:

eaadams

regarding frys hiring stupid people... I once applied for a job at the sac store. I did not get it. I have worked almost everywhere in california politics but I couldn't get a lame **** job at frys.

It was by far the most demoralizing event of my life.

jrausch

Your posted reply tells me that you can read and write. Please don't feel bad. You were just over qualified for the job!!

Aaron

Don't feel bad; I got rejected from Circuit City a few summers ago! Their loss. Heheh.

Aaron

ntculenuff

i too was rejected from cc. i think it might of had something to do with me telling him that i know more about audio and vid then most of his employees. i didnt really want the job. was just hoping to get the employee discount for new polks:D