I hate Best Buy.

Nubclear · December 22, 2006, 00:38

Okay, so I have some Best Buy store credit. Because I won't do anything with it, I want to split it into two pieces for Christmas.

They say "no."
I ask the manager, and he says no.
I ask: If I buy items and then return them individually, I would recieve individual credit, right? The manager confirms the viability of this idea.

Its frustrating because this is just a longer, more frustrating way of achieving the exact same thing.

Verto · December 22, 2006, 00:43

Why do you have to be so difficult?

Victor Galis · December 22, 2006, 00:49

Honestly, they more than make up for this by actually having games I want to buy when I want to buy them.

Nubclear · December 22, 2006, 00:55

Usually a local store (one that trades games and has an utterly massive selection of older computer games) or EB Games has what I need.

I typically don't shop at Best Buy due to horror stories of their customer service and, now, my own experience

Victor Galis · December 22, 2006, 00:58

Yes, but when a new game comes out, and I don't feel like preordering, Best Buy has enough to supply my needs. The specialty stores create artificial shortages.

reds4ever · December 22, 2006, 01:12

You sound like a cheapskate, pain in the arse!

Buy your friends some proper presents and keep the credit for when you want to spend it.

Nubclear · December 22, 2006, 01:15

A) I don't have money to buy them any gifts
B) I don't believe in buying gifts for people - I'd rather give them money and perhaps something homemade so that they can get something *they* want, not something I think they want.

reds4ever · December 22, 2006, 01:32

Then:

A) Stop trying to blame BestBuy.

B) Bake a pie.

Nubclear · December 22, 2006, 01:42

A) No.

B) No.

reds4ever · December 22, 2006, 01:45

Cancel Xmas?

Qwertqwert · December 22, 2006, 01:46

Originally posted by reds4ever
Then:

A) Stop trying to blame BestBuy.

B) Bake a pie.

He's blaming them for having stupid policies, not because they don't have stuff he can get as gifts for his friends.

reds4ever · December 22, 2006, 01:59

Store credit is generally non-transferable (for whatever reason). I'd suggest he asks his friends what they want from BestBuy and then buy it for them from his credit.

Nubclear · December 22, 2006, 02:16

Store credit is generally non-transferable (for whatever reason).

That is not the issue here. They don't really care who gives them the piece of paper.
In fact, they don't really seem to care if the piece of paper is split up into smaller pieces.

Hence why their actions on this matter are puzzling and frustrating.

reds4ever · December 22, 2006, 02:18

wasn't?

Ben Kenobi · December 22, 2006, 03:06

B) I don't believe in buying gifts for people - I'd rather give them money and perhaps something homemade so that they can get something *they* want, not something I think they want.

I'm with Reds on this one. Bake them a pie and spare Best Buy the hassles you are causing them.

Or you could just ask your friends what they want, buy them with the credit and go home. Let them worry about the returns.

Not hard.

snoopy369 · December 22, 2006, 04:38

Tassi, the policy of not allowing store credit to be exchanged for gift cards is an industry standard.

For many stores, Store Credit is "merchandise equivalent", while gift cards are "cash equivalent". They're important from an accounting point of view. Also, many stores have different policies with the expiration of gift cards as opposed to store credit.

More importantly, however, Store Credit has a significance to loss prevention. A decent amount of theft is actually theft of easily stolen product, which is then returned to that store, or a different one in the chain, for store credit, which is then used to buy something that is easier to resell. Imagine someone stealing lousy DVDs that the store left out of keepers due to their cheapness and lousiness. Then, return a few dozen of them, and return it for store credit, and then a few days later buy an iPod. It happens all the time... Thus, it is important to be able to track store credit purchases. Thieves often want to make this more difficult by lengthening the trail. (And this happens even with receipts sometimes, as a thief can easily find a receipt on the floor, go find what's on the receipt, and then later return it... they're crafty, those thieves)

So don't expect to be able to exchange store credit for a gift card at any retail store you go to. Some may allow it, but it's very common not to, for the above reasons (and quite possibly others as well, I don't work that high up to know all of the accounting type issues).

Nubclear · December 22, 2006, 04:52

Tassi, the policy of not allowing store credit to be exchanged for gift cards is an industry standard.

Interesting. I am not attempting to get a gift card, though.

Wezil · December 22, 2006, 09:48

Originally posted by Tassi
I typically don't shop at Best Buy due to horror stories of their customer service and, now, my own experience

I had great customer service at Best Buy. They were out of an advertised DVD but had the more expensive "Deluxe Release Blah Blah.." version. I only wanted the movie, not the extras and told them so. They gave me the Deluxe for the lower price.

(Dr. Strangelove if anyone cares).

dudemanjack · December 22, 2006, 10:27

www.bestbuysux.org

DanS · December 22, 2006, 10:38

The customer is always right.

snoopy369 · December 22, 2006, 10:42

Originally posted by Tassi

Tassi, the policy of not allowing store credit to be exchanged for gift cards is an industry standard.

Interesting. I am not attempting to get a gift card, though.

Yes you are. That's the only thing that they can give you, as they undoubtedly have no ability to sell store credit directly. Our registers simply don't allow it, and I see no reason why theirs would.

Honestly I'd probably *suggest* what you suggested - buying something with half of it and then returning that something - if someone wanted to do what you want to do. However, 99% of people want 'regular' gift cards, not store credit. (Does Best Buy give you a gift card or certificate for the store credit? If they don't, it may not be transferable anyway...)

Dinner · December 22, 2006, 11:53

Best Buy has good deals on flat panal TVs.

Dis · December 22, 2006, 14:08

Originally posted by Victor Galis
Honestly, they more than make up for this by actually having games I want to buy when I want to buy them.

not for me. They are always sold out. I almost always have to go to fry. Very little shelf space devoted to PC games anymore.

Best Buy

Frys

Dinner · December 22, 2006, 14:42

Frys is paradise for geeks and techies.

snoopy369 · December 22, 2006, 23:16

Originally posted by Oerdin
Best Buy has good deals on flat panal TVs.

Other than thanksgiving/christmas specials, or discontinued models, this would surprise me greatly ... though I suppose I am not in the market for this sort of thing very often. However, it was my understanding that the walmart ad on TV right now is pretty much targeting Best Buy ...

But maybe i'm just taking their usual overpricing of cameras, computer goods, etc. and assuming

LordShiva · December 22, 2006, 23:18

B&M stores generally don't have good deals on TVs.

Jack_www · December 22, 2006, 23:38

Originally posted by snoopy369

Other than thanksgiving/christmas specials, or discontinued models, this would surprise me greatly ... though I suppose I am not in the market for this sort of thing very often. However, it was my understanding that the walmart ad on TV right now is pretty much targeting Best Buy ...

But maybe i'm just taking their usual overpricing of cameras, computer goods, etc. and assuming

Someone I know from work was able to get a 42 inch plasma tv for 999.99. I dont remember the brand, but I think that was a good deal.