Best Buy & Geek Squad Policies

[CrystalWoW Community Veteran]

How about when someone buys something, then goes back to the store to steal some more of them? You don't have to agree. That is the policy. They have to offset the cost of ending restocking fees for all of the thieves and renters out there.

[hiblet]

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enuf wrote:
Really simple fix for the "good customers" if your return or exchange with a receipt and have a RZ card # on the receipt the should ask for ID ONCE. From that point on their should be an icon/asterisk on the receipt indicating that the DL is already on file, give the cashier option to continue w/o re-requesting the same info. Problem solved, BB has so many other issues there's no need to create new ones by outthinking themselves.

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enuf - 

Your idea is a really good one - it makes a lot of sense. 

But, then I started thinking about it and I'm guessing that there are issues with people finding others' receipts and using them to "return" something they haven't purchased. For example, a receipt could be found on the ground in the parking lot of a Best Buy store. Let's say it was a receipt for an item purchased by a RZ member and it had the icon/asterisk on the receipt. That person takes the receipt, goes into the Best Buy store and grabs the same item off the shelf and "returns" it, using that receipt. No ID is required, because of the icon/asterisk. 

Sorry to poke holes in your suggestion - I really think it's a great option, but one that thieves would discover and use to their advantage. 

The more I think about the whole issue (retail fraud and how to prevent it), the more I empathize with retailers who are trying to find ways to address it, while not alienating their customers. It can't be easy and must feel like a catch-22 at many times.

I certainly don't have the answer. Maybe these kinds of discussions will help bring one to light. 

[enuf]

A "found" receipt will alert the customer who really purchased the item when they lose the points on their RZ. All BB has to do is check the camera at CS during the time of the transaction...caught on camera redhanded.

[Nokia]

So they have a blurry photo of the back of the person's head? How long will it take them to notice those points are gone? I doubt the store saves every video feed, and for the ones they do save, a very short amount of time.

[hiblet]

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enuf wrote:
A "found" receipt will alert the customer who really purchased the item when they lose the points on their RZ. All BB has to do is check the camera at CS during the time of the transaction...caught on camera redhanded.

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I would guess it takes less than a minute to ask for and scan an ID during a return.

If this scenario plays out - the "found receipt" scenario - that fraudulent return would be stopped in that timeframe.

Going with the scenario you presented, there are a number of factors:

- The RZ customer has to be monitoring their RZ account closely enough, and frequently enough to notice the fraudulent return.

- That customer then needs to contact Best Buy about the inaccuracy on their RZ statement.

- The customer needs to convince BBY that they in fact did NOT return the product. Given the customer service complaints I've seen on this site, this may not be an easy process.

- Best Buy needs to track the return to the location/register that it occurred and review video footage to determine whether the person making the return can be identified (assuming the video footage still exists).

Given that it can take time for RZ points to post, the dependency on the diligence of the RZ account owner to notice AND report the discrepancy, the time to determine whether video footage exists and whether a person can be positively identified (which assumes that person has a criminal record and could be matched against a mug shot)... well, I'm guessing the process to identify the person who committed the fraud would take anywhere from 1 week to infinity.

I think the 1 minute process is more efficient.  

[Your_Conscience]

Bottom line, the OP is just e-raging because he/she failed to see this whole situation from the company's viewpoint.  I don't even know if it's worth going into the reasoning behind how checking ID helps customer's with regards to pricing because quite honestly, I don't think you even care and are too unwilling to be open-minded enough.

Think your receipt is proof of purchase? sure you're right about that.  Think a receipt is proof that YOU bought this item? ooooo I don't know about that...

Pay with cash? yea good luck tracing that to it being YOU that paid.

Oh you paid with a card perhaps?  Well how do I know that's your card? Oh you have it? well how do I know this is even your card without a valid photo ID?

Rewardzone member? that's awesome, but how can you verify that?  Easy way, simply show your Driver's License.  You can provide an address? Phone number? Name? Date of Birth? lmao so can a lot of other people most of whom may be the very ones this policy is working against.

You make such a big deal about showing your Driver's License, you spend the time to make a huge stink about it on the public forums, yet anybody with a sense of empathy and understanding will simply look at your ranting and realize that you're simply just mad that you don't feel like you're in control of the situation because you can't get exactly your way, whenever you want it, and how you want it.

It really isn't about the Photo ID after all, I think your issues are a bit more deeprooted than simply a Driver's License request and I encourage you to talk to the appropriate person for that.

Besides, how upset would you be if you actually tried to return whatever it was you were returning and the customer service associate told you that item has already been returned?  I'm sure THEN you would be a bit upset that Best Buy failed to verify it was actually YOU who was returning the item.  Alas, how is Best Buy to do that without a valid Photo ID?

Best Buy has placed this policy to help customers, to help YOU.  Likewise, Best Buy has this policy to help their earnings as well, which in turn helps the investors, which in turn also helps the customer as margin doesn't need to be inflated to turn profits when losses can simply be reduced.

I'm sorry that you feel upset about having to show your ID, but it's nothing personal and I'm sure the customer service representative isn't jumping with glee at the chance to ask people for their ID.

[Jaegur]

Haven't read most, or hardly any, of the other posts...

But what if someone knocked you over the head in the parkinglot, took your laptop and receipt, and then returned it for the cash? You'd have a headache and be out a laptop!


But seriously, from what I've seen walmart has done this for years.

[Nokia]

WM requires ID for no receipt returns, as does BB.

[TJ89]

You are right to be worried. Others responding apparently do not realize that in most states a DL is a "primary" ID. It is all that is required to obtain a new birth certificate (which doesn't have a photo). After that,  there is no limit to the damage they can do. Government benefits, replacement social security card, new credit cards, new loans in your name, and even a DWI in your name after they hand the "fake" to an out-of-state cop who probably won't recognize it as fake, and his database inquiry will show it as a good license. Good luck getting all that cleared up.

Best Buy did this to me without my permission and said they could not remove it. They asked to "see" ID, but after I handed it to them they entered it into the system before I could stop them. Not cool. Legality? They are pushing it. Most states let retailers use a DL to verify ID, but many laws don't go further than that with regard to capturing that info. Some specifically state they can't use it for other purposes without your permission. I believe they have crossed the line in many states since they are using it for TRACKING returns. I'm sure their lawyers advised "just do it" and we'll change the policy and pay the fine if sued (easier than having to interpret the laws of 50 states). So bad move Best Buy. I am no longer in your rewards program and no longer a customer. And I'm filing a complaint with the state AG.

[CrimsonRain]

Don't you think a group of corporate lawyers of a multi-billion dollar company made sure all this stuff was legal before they rolled it out?