Best Buy & Geek Squad Policies

[OscarNelsen]

This morning at 2:38 AM my wife and I became two of the many BB customers to receive the $1000 gift card spam text.  Verizon was not much help suggesting I block the sending phone numbers (duh); they were not the same number, so they are probably bogus.

The reason I started this new thread on an old topic is to ask what can/is BestBuy doing about this? 

How many people have no idea that the text that woke them up in the middle of the night was not from BB?  I know that I was so angry, I lay in bed for an hour plotting what I would do when I unleashed Project Mayhem on BB.  Once I discovered this forum and all the posts on this subject, I put my plutonium back into its lead case, but what of the thousands of people who will never go to BestBuy again because of this early morning intrusion?  Is BestBuy just writing them off to the price of having such a large and popular business name?

[hydrogenwv · Accepted solution]

If you've read other threads, people (myself and others) have explained that there isn't much that can be done. They are using different numbers, different domains (registered in china, probably to fake names), etc. Shut down one domain and one number, they start up another doing the same thing. And, do you think China will work with Best Buy in stopping them? (Hint: No, for many many reasons)

They didn't get the numbers from Best Buy, either. I got the texts and Best Buy does NOT have my mobile number. Several other people have stated the same thing.

[zztoluca]

Also its not just related to BBY,

Its like random stuff,

Another thing is that I have texting blocked for non regular numbers like (2653), but i keep getting them.

So I think their is more to this problem then we are being told.

[Blake-BBY Community Connector]

Hello OscarNelsen,

Welcome to the forums!

Thank you for bringing this to our attention.  This isn't one of our promotions.  Please don't send any personal information to the phone number or website.  I apologize for the inconvenience.  

[OscarNelsen]

As soon as BestBuy becomes aware of a problem like this invasion from China, I think it would be greatly appreciated by your customers if you send them an e-mail warning of the pending disaster.  I am aware that you do not have my cell phone numbers, but you have had my e-mail address since probably before I had a Rewards Zone account.

[arizzio]

BestBuy should be able to do something about their website address domain:

http://bestbuy.mygiftcardsnow.com/?t_id=Y9DwhX8AAAEAAAIPbCsAAAAH&spid=260055&sub=4096&uid=449950624&...

And:

http://bestbuy.mygiftcardsnow.com/p2.php

This is a VARY clever phishing scam that should be given top priority by Best Buy; they even use detailed 10-pt disclaimer language at the bottom of their web site:

This Gift Redemption Program is an independent rewards program for consumers and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any of the listed products or retailers. Trademarks, service marks, logos, and/or domain names (including, without limitation, the individual names of products and retailers) are the property of their respective owners.

THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. SEE TERMS & CONDITIONS FOR COMPLETE DETAILS. Members are being accepted subject to the following Program Requirements: 1) Must be a legal US resident; 2) must be at least 18 years old or older; 3) must have a valid email and shipping address; 4) Eligible members can receive the incentive gift package by completing two reward offers from each of the Silver and Gold reward offer page options and nine reward offers from the Platinum reward offer page options and refer 3 friends to do the same. Various types of reward offers are available. Completion of reward offers most often requires a purchase or filing a credit application and being accepted for a financial product such as a credit card or consumer loan. The following link illustrates a Representative Sample of reward offers by group along with monetary and non-monetary obligations. Failure to submit accurate registration information will result in loss of eligibility. This promotion is administered solely by this website. The manufacturers and retailers of the gift items offered through our programs have not endorsed this promotion and are not affiliated with the promotion in anyway. Please read the Terms and Conditions for complete program details. Your information will be shared with our marketing partners. Please read the Privacy Policy for more details.

Copyright © 2012 bestbuy.mygiftcardsnow.com All rights reserved.

[hydrogenwv]

They aren't using Best Buy's address domain. They are using a sub-domain to make it appear as a Best Buy site. Notice the URL of the forums here is "www.forums.bestbuy.com".. bestbuy.com is the Top-level domain (that no one else can use). The "forums" part of the URL is a sub-domain, which anyone can make anything they want.

  There is nothing that BestBuy can do about it. Read my first post on here (second post in the thread) that explains why.

[hydrogenwv]

If I start a website.... www.hydrogenwv.com, for instance, with the click of a button, I can make a subdomain and have the address to a page be "www.bestbuy.hydrogenwv.com"

  If this is still unclear, I suggest reading this wikipedia entry... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top-level_domain

[hydrogenwv]

Actually, I feel silly.

  .COM is the Top-Level domain. Point still stands though...

Then what is the term for the "bestbuy.com"... just, domain? Bah.

[hydrogenwv]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_name

 That's the one you need.