Best Buy
Manager Kept $25 Gift Card Then Called Police to Remove Customer

Best Buy ran a weekly promotion "Buy $25 iTunes card and $25 Best Buy gift card, you will get $10 Best Buy gift card for FREE". So I decided to buy some iTunes card for Christmas gifts and also for my business. I need about $3000 to $5000 iTunes card monthly for my business. I have purchased them at Costco, Kmart, Toy R us, Walmart, RadioShack, FYE and of course Best Buy wherever has the best price and discount.

I went to Best Buy in Springfield VA to buy 5 x ($25 iTunes card and $25 Best Buy gift card) and paid $250 by my credit card. I needed more iTunes card and I wanted to spend my Best Buy gift cards I got (5 x $25 and 5 x $10).

So I went to another Best Buy store in Pentagon city, Arlington VA to buy the same set. I paid $175 by Best Buy gift cards and $75 by my credit card. The clerk did ask me where I got these Best Buy gift cards and I told them the truth. Both the clerk and the manager stopped by and said they had no problem doing that. The reason I did not want to buy the same set at the same store is because it takes quite a time (around 10 minutes at least) to finish a transaction. You had to load 15 gift cards (5 iTunes and 10 Best Buy), scratch the PIN of the gift cards I used to pay, waiting for activation from Apple iTunes. I didn't want the clear there get mad. So I think just stopped by another store is better since it is on the way to my home anyway.

I got to the next store at Bailey Crossroads, Falls Church, VA. (5799 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041, (703) 671-0184). After the clerk loaded the transaction, I gave my first $25 gift card to her to pay for it. It worked fine and the clerk throwed it to the trash bin. When I gave her a second one $25 gift card (I have total 5 x $25 and 5 x $10 gift cards from my previous purchase), she felt uncomfortable and asked for a manager. A front end lady manager came. Her name is Nadia or something similar. She asked me where I got the cards and I told her the same thing that I got it from my previous purchase. She asked for receipt and I told her it is in my car. So she went to a register for a while and came back telling me that since I already bought at other stores, she did not allow me to buy here. I said it's fine and demanded my $25 gift card back. She picked up from the trash bin and refused giving it to me claiming I was committing fraud. She said all transactions would be canceled and she did not give me back my $25 card which I paid and had receipt.

Then she asked me to leave and I told I would not until you gave back my $25 gift card. She called 911 and 3 officers came. The officer took their side of story and I told mine. The officer demanded my car key and went to get the receipts and cards I got from my previous purchase. They checked for a while and talked to the manager. Then they told me that the store did not want to charge me on anything and I did not commit fraud or anything. However the officers told me that BestBuy has the right to ask me to leave. I agreed on that but I told them I wanted my $25 gift card back. The officers told me it is a civil matter and I could hire a lawyer to sue the front end manager for my $25 gift card that she still kept in her hand but I have to leave now. I am shocked!!! Finally the manager asked the police to ask me sign on a paper that stated I could not come to that Best Buy store in the future. I will not come to any BestBuy store in the future and will donate my rest Best Buy gift cards.

For data point, I am a Premier Reward Zone member until the end of 2011. I spent at least $3000 on Best Buy this year already.

Company: Best Buy
Country: USA
State: Virginia
City: Falls Church
ZIP: 22041
Address: 5799 Leesburg Pike
Phone: 7036710184
Site: bestbuy.com

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