I like Bed Bath & Beyond. Their prices can be a little higher than at some places, but there are plenty of opportunities to get 20%-off coupons, and despite what the fine print might say, the coupons never expire. Most of all, here is the reason I love to buy small appliances at BBB:
Three years ago we bought a new toaster oven. I've been very happy with our choice, but early this year I noticed that one of the lower elements had developed a split.
The appliance still worked fine, so dealing with the problem dropped to the bottom of the to-do list.
However, I recently realized that the three-year warranty was about to expire, and the element, much to my surprise, had shown no sign of healing over the last seven months.
I wrote to Cuisenart, and I wrote to Bed Bath & Beyond. Both responded. Cuisenart's response was acceptable, but felt scripted and was not particularly helpful. I was beginning to wonder if it was worth the hassle and postage to return the unit. Maybe I should just fork over another $65 for a new toaster oven. If I were being cynical, I'd be pretty sure that's why warranty returns can be difficult.
But Bed Bath & Beyond's response pushed cynicism out the window. What it boiled down to: There's no limit on our return policy, just take it back to the store. Now that's what I call customer service.
So this afternoon I bundled up the toaster oven, not without a prayer of thanksgiving for three years of good service, and headed off to our local store. Thanks to Porter's meticulousness, I had the receipt, but since I wanted to do an even exchange I might not even have needed that. The cheerful and helpful sales clerk took the old toaster oven and sent me to pick out a new one. I was pleased to note that they are still carrying the same model, slightly updated, and for the same price as in 2012. The clerk made the exchange and sent me out of the store with a smile. Needless to say, I was smiling, too.
As far as I'm concerned, that's more than enough reason to shop at Bed Bath & Beyond. And to keep our receipts!
