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When it comes to retail, customer service, and everything someone would expect a company to provide, you’d first of all expect a mass retailer would consider the huge securities around being able to run and use your debt/credit card properly. If ever they don’t do it in the secure, trusted process we all expect: we would at least hope they’d provide some compassion and assistance in rectifying the situation. This was not the case in my experience at a local Best Buy store in Nampa, ID.

In November of 2007 I made a purchase of Guitar Hero II at a recently opened Best Buy. I paid by debit card and received my receipt as usual. As completely opposite to my expectations for that kind of an establishment, two weeks later I noticed in my online-banking account summary that I had two exact same amounts taken out of my bank for the Guitar Hero purchase at Best Buy. One was posted the same day of the actual purchase (this was charged as a regular debit) and one three days later (I later discovered this was charged as a credit card transaction, AND was dated the same day and time of my original Guitar Hero purchase).

I immediately called the store at the Best Buy in Nampa Idaho where this all took place to express my concern and get more details. They of course promised the manager would call me back very soon. It didn’t happen. Three days later I called back and asked for the Manager to get on the phone right then and there. I explained my situation and she said that she would “investigate it.” She didn’t call me back.

After a few days I, yet again, called back and asked for her by name. She said, “Oh, I will call you in one hour”. This I was naturally very skeptical of, based on past history. She did call me back a few hours later though and said that she had completed her investigation of it and found nothing out of the ordinary. I asked her what she had done specifically in the investigation to which she replied, “We counted the inventory and it came out as it should.” I erupted and said, “What?!!! Do you think that a double transaction for the same item isn’t worthy of doing some accounting investigation?! What is to stop an employee from taking one, when they know the inventory would be just fine?” She said, “Oh our employees would never do that.” Thinking, and knowing that’s absolutely ridiculous, I say “What planet do you live on?! Employee theft is the number one cause of shrink in a store – I work for a large retailer and employees do take money and products.” Well…… I never got anything from her but a denial and the runaround until she could end the phone call. No more investigation followed on BestBuy’s part..

So, I contacted my bank again (previously I had them explain the two transactions which as mentioned before were done at the same exact time – one debit and one credit) and they said that they would put that transaction on hold and would investigate. Two weeks later I got a resolution letter and a copy of just my debit transaction. I had explained to them what they should be looking for and they only provided one small piece, the debit receipt. I called them back and pushed for a supervisor - this call went into an foreign call center.

By now I have lost patience with the whole thing. I am frustrated. I am trying to find someone to just simply help me by either showing actual proof or realizing how easily recognizable this problem is. I explained that they need to get BestBuy to show me legal documentation (signature of a Master Card “credit” transaction would suffice) which should have been posted to the bank. Full well knowing they need to at least prove the two sales, they say “oh, we are sorry about the last investigation, we will do it thoroughly this time.” They again put my transaction in my account on hold.

About two weeks later I received an official letter from the bank that they were satisfied that I had made two purchases at Best Buy – one a debit and one a credit on the same day yes still didn’t provide me with anything other than lip service. Likely, it was yet again coming down to an ‘inventory count’.

I called up the bank and they refused to do any more work. They never provided me with a copy of a credit receipt with a signature which BestBuy requires for credit purchases. I called Best Buy and asked for a copy of my credit and debit transaction. Yet AGAIN, They only sent me a copy of the debit purchase. As far as they are concerned I purchased two guitar heroes but refused to do anything more for me.

So – as you are now gathering, I have truly gotten the royal run around- all co-ordinated by BestBuy. It seems SO obvious that there is a problem needing a legal resolution with had taken place, but I do not have the evidence I asked for, because they (best buy and/or my bank) won’t produce it. What ever they said to the bank made the bank go to their side: but why still leave the customer in the dark with ambiguous nonsense? Neither has produced a copy of my credit card transaction to at least resolve my part of the dispute.

I think that Best Buy has a very poor method of looking for an accounting problem and if any of their employee’s really catch wind, they could easily (if they don’t already) have some serious issues with employee theft via double charging a random shoppers card. Granted the store was newer so we can assume some stumbling blocks, but this whole thing with BestBuy was ridiculous. “Our inventory count matched our records.” Well of course it does and someone at that store is secretly laughing about how easy it was to get a Guitar Hero probably knowing full well you wouldn’t give a hoot.

I guess one would resort to small claims court, but I don’t have any evidence to prove my case at this point. I would need a lawyer and some subpoena’s to get to the bottom of it. Alas, it is not worth that type of effort and I am sure that this retailer and many others know this. What effort is it worth? Telling my story online. BestBuy sucks. If I had to review BestBuys overall service, it’s probably for family friendly for you to enter the expletives/4 letter words of your choice.

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