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Why did you insist on returning the gift cards? If the preorders were cancelled, you could have used the cards on your filter. Or you could have used them to pay part of the remaining cost of the two preorders you still have active. I don't get why all the fuss.
 
He said that he posted it on their forums. TheY read all of them, and they assign some mostly useless rep to communicate with people who complain. Their opening sentence is always some canned response, modified to fit the situation. They rarely do anything to remedy the situation. But they always do seem to respond. I filed a complaint back in April. I got a dud iPad 3. The girl at the counter was rude. I didn't have my id with me, as I was not the driver and it was a sudden decision to go down there. Instead of getting a manager to override it and allow the return, she basically told me to just go away. So I had to turn around and leave and come back the next day. Worst part of it was I was not trying to return it, just trying to exchange it.

One other fun fact about the best buy forums - they are populated by best buy employees and fans, and take every opportunity to make you feel like an idiot for bothering to post. I had one bb employee insult me for driving without a license on me. Because every intelligent person knows that the only way to get to the store is to drive yourself.

I still do buy stuff at best buy, because aside from the license requirement, they still have a better return policy than most other retail establishments. I bought an MBA a few months ago with a dead pixel. Returned it after 40 days, no questions asked (silver member). Apple's 14 day return policy is a silly joke. That's not really enough time to put complex electronic products to the test. I know that I could have always brought it in and tried to exchange it. But at worst, they'd say that one dead pixel was within their specs and that I should just go away. At best, they'd replace it with a refurb.

I know that customer service is a mixed bag nowadays. I have had some bad experiences with rude customer service at best buy. But I have also dealt with my share of ignorant people at the apple store.

Best of luck to the OP. they will respond, but you might get nothing more than a weak apology and a bunch of others harassing you for daring to state your case.
 
I happen to be a fan of Best Buy...HOWEVER, several years ago at Christmas time I bought two iPod Touches. There was a promotion at the time where you would get a gift card with each Touch purchase. When I went to use the gift card during an online transaction the following week, I found out it had no value on it. I called the store which had given me the gift card, and was accused of THEFT by the person on the other end.

She told me that there was no way that the cashier could have given me the gift card without placing value on it...and then informed me that the only way I would be in possession of that gift card is if I STOLE it.

I flipped out. By the time I was finished, I had received numerous calls from the store manager; was given a direct line to somebody in Corporate (who then helped me with a few future (minor) problems, and was given a gift card far in excess of the original.

Their "service recovery" was excellent once it went to Corporate.
 
Unsure why you decided to add that you're a "young professional" that runs a mutli billion dollar program (whatever the hell that means) and what that has to do with being treated better?? Should other people that are not "young professionals" be treated lesser than you?
 
the fake $100 bill thing is crazy!
they gave me a hassle about returning the $50 gift card as well, but i had the original receipt with me that clearly states gift cards are returnable.
however, they are supposed to be returned in the same form as purchased, i.e. put back on the same card you bought them with.
good luck. at this point hopefully someone higher up in the corporate chain will help you.
 
Y'all need to quit putting your trust in Best Buy. Plain and simple. I can't complain if McDonald's leaves out an order of fries — it's freaking McDonalds! We expect those types of things from an establishment like that.
 
"Preorder cancellations will not affect your gift card and can be redeemed or returned for a full credit at any Best Buy retail location."

I don't run any billion dollar companies. But.....

credit is not cash. credit: a sum of money or equivalent purchasing power, as at a shop, available for a person's use

The quote above gives you no implicit right to return your gift cards for cash.

You're fortunate you were allowed to return a gift card for cash.

If best buy told this guy to take a grammar lesson instead of trying to help him there wouldnt be a problem here. Instead, they bent over backwards to help OP and it not being good enough, he takes to the internet to trash them.
 
I always go into a Best Buy dreading the experience eventhough I've been a RZ Premier member for many years.

On the iPhone 5 launch day as I was driving around waiting for Mr. UPS I stopped at the Apple store near me and picked up 2 lightning cables. I had already left when my fiancé said he needed a 3rd, so my friend and I popped into BB. Asked the mobile phone guy if they had any and instead of just saying "no" he went on to say " well Apple didn't manufacture any yet so we don't have them in stock yet" I was like WHAT?. I just laughed off his stupid comment and walked away. BB reps know NOTHING about most products they sell and care even less about the customer in my expeience.
 
More accurate timeline:

-Bestbuy accomodates OP by allowing him to pre-order four iphone 5's despite the limit of two. For the pre-order offer OP is required to use a $50 gift card. So $50 x4
-OP learns he wont get phones first day.
-OP finds two phones elsewhere and now only needs two phones from BB
-OP Goes to best buy to return 2 iphone preorders and is treated "rudely". However in the end they accomodate him and allow him to return two $50 gift cards for $100 cash like he wants.
-OP Leaves store
-OP immediatly returns to store with $100 bill he exchanged his gift cards for and spends it on $50 of stuff in best buy.
-Cashier says it's counterfeit.
-After some back and forth Best Buy accomodates him and accepts the counterfeit bill from OP and gives him full change for his purchase.

-OP leaves best buy. Trashes them on multiple internet forums, despite receiving everything he asked for.

EDIT:

To find out the why OP returned BB gift cards for cash to buy things at BB, thus setting the stage for this heroic tale, you have to read the full length version.
 
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that's terrible man...but it does happen though. At my job we have a store downstairs like a deli. One of my co workers was given a fake 20 dollar bill from that store. This is in a federal building too.
 
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