Recently I needed to buy a portable HD video camera. Based on the recommendation of some trusted friends and the realities of a recession-limited personal budget I opted to try a Kodak Zi6. I used it to record video from a special San Antonio Mayoral debate held at my company. The recording seemed straight forward but I could not get the content transferred to my MacBook.

Before I go on, let me say this post could very well be about my experience with Kodak, its subpar online chat support and my decision to switch to the more expensive Flip MinoHD. Except for one problem this blog post could be a story of my frustration with a product and that product’s manufacturer. Except for one obstacle this post would not include any information about Best Buy, the retailer, other than a passing comment on their willingness to accept the return graciously.

When the Kodak Zi6 failed to transfer the video to my MacBook I contact Kodak chat support. Eventually (and I mean e_v_e_n_t_u_a_l_l_y) we mutually agreed the USB on the Kodak was not working; I was to return the unit. I drove to the Best Buy from which I bought the unit 3 days prior and Best Buy verified the unit was not working and let me choose another. Since the Kodak Zi6 uses memory cards I thought to try another and move on. This transaction was quickly approved and I left the store, driving back the few miles to my waiting family. An inconvenience? Sure, but these things happen.

However, the second unit also would not connect to my MacBook. Same symptom – it was not recognized by the Mac at all. Bum USB again! I made the first post on Twitter about this experience at this time:

rjamestaylor: I bought a Kodak Zi6 to record the #sa4mayor forum @Rackspace. USB failed – can’t upload. Returned it; 2nd one also has bad USB. Not happy.
2:42 PM May 2nd from Tweetie

A few minutes later I posted some exchanges about my experience with the Kodak Zi6 amongst friends I was chatting with on-line and off:

rjamestaylor: @kr8tr asked me (off-line) “why you are buying a camera from a film company?” Won’t make that mistake, again
2:46 PM May 2nd from Tweetie

johndstrunk: @rjamestaylor You should just get a Flip MinoHD or Flip UlraHD, best evah!
2:46 PM May 2nd from Twitterrific in reply to rjamestaylor

rjamestaylor: @johndstrunk I really liked the Flip MinoHD that I borrowed from @kr8tr. Got the Kodak due to friend’s rec. Love the friend, not the Kodak
2:50 PM May 2nd from Tweetie in reply to johndstrunk

Karoli: @rjamestaylor I’m loving the flip mino too. lots of fun.
3:00 PM May 2nd from TwitKit

rjamestaylor: @Karoli the Crapdak was recommended by a friend I trust. Love the friend, not the Kodak.
3:07 PM May 2nd from Tweetie in reply to Karol

This spontaneous hate-fest (on my part) and love-fest for Flip MinoHD continued on for a while as I got out my frustrations on-line. I left to return the second failed Kodak Zi6 and made it to the Best Buy 30 minutes later (traffic in my part of San Antonio, known as Stone Oak, is abysmal all the time). Had I been able to simply return the Kodak Zi6 and move on with my life this blog post would have been done.

But we’re just getting started. Once at Best Buy I explained the predicament and stated I didn’t want yet another Kodak Zi6 nor did I want to upgrade to a Flip MinoHD; I wanted to get my money back and just forget the ordeal. The counter agent passed the Kodak Zi6 to another person who came back and said, “It worked in one of our machines.” The counter agent meant that I would not be able to return the unit without paying a 15% restocking fee.

I explained that I really didn’t care if the unit worked in one of their machines at this time. It didn’t work in mine just as the other one hadn’t. Counter agent said that the first one also did not work in any of their test machines which is why she could accept the return. To have the restocking fee, she told me, I would have to provide the MacBook and prove it didn’t work. Thus my first Best Buy tweet ever:

rjamestaylor: BestBuy requiring me to get my MacBook to prove the replacement Kodak doesn’t work. Really? #fail
3:42 PM May 2nd from UberTwitter

At this point I was tired. I had made three trips to the Best Buy regarding the Kodak Zi6 and my family was home waiting for me to spend the day with them. I smiled and said, “Please get me your manager.” I understood that she was not empowered to help customers outside of narrowly defined policies — don’t agree with that business decision, but I understand it. Surely the manager will be able to make this right. Thus my second Best Buy tweet:

rjamestaylor: Now getting a BestBuy manager. He’ll help me understand why after three trips to BestBuy I need to prove that my MacBook can’t see Kodak Zi6
3:45 PM May 2nd from UberTwitter

He wasn’t. Instead of realizing that I had understandably lost confidence in the Kodak Zi6 and that I had made two too many trips to get a working video camera and then waiving the restocking fee (meant to discourage “free rent” use of such equipment), he said I needed to provide my MacBook and prove it didn’t work. Yes. He repeated the same by-the-book policy requirement. Thus my third and fourth Best Buy tweets, ever:

rjamestaylor: BestBuy requiring the %15 restocking fee to get money back.
3:48 PM May 2nd from UberTwitter

rjamestaylor: BestBuy stood by policy and required re-stocking fee on a product that did not work for me. “Maybe MacBook driver need updating” #fail
4:00 PM May 2nd from UberTwitter

I told the manager that I understood policies and why they are helpful guides but that also there are times that circumstances warrant favoring the customer over the policy. He did not agree and demanded I pay or provide the MacBook. I was not going to make yet a fourth trip to accommodate this insult, so I paid the fee to rid myself of not only the Kodak Zi6 but Best Buy.

Needless to say my friends on Twitter responded. Even people I didn’t know who were watching the public Twitter feed picked up on this and began a lengthy, impassioned trashing of the Best Buy brand based on my customer service (hah!) experience and their own. Here are two other posts I made on Twitter summing this experience up from my perspective:

rjamestaylor: I may buy a Flip minoHD to replace two defective Kodak Zi6′s, but it won’t be via Best Buy.
4:18 PM May 2nd from UberTwitter

rjamestaylor: If the Manager would have considered my 3 trips and waived the fee I’d be a promoter of Best Buy – unempowered workers breed detractors
4:28 PM May 2nd from UberTwitter

(To be continued…)