Are your orders getting cancelled because of the all-so-common "Unable to verify information"? Even Gift Card orders have been to known to mysteriously cancel with no reason given of why it was cancelled.
In Summary,
Best Buy Credit/Risk Management can't verify a legitimate transaction from a hole in their, well you know....
Here is how you can help:
1) IP Address/Location Security. This is the single most important security measure used by the website, especially for InStore pickup. Your billing address (City, State) must match the location of your IP Address (Internet Connection). For best results, if your billing address is your home, your IP address must also be a residential connection (such as cable/DSL).
Connection Types to Avoid: Wireless Broadband (such as CLEAR, Verizon & T-Mobile Data Cards, and similar services) AT&T Mobile Broadband is generally OK, as their IP ranges generally are localized to the area in which you use them.
2) Once a Thief, Always a Thief: If you have had an order cancelled because of Unable to verify information, and notice that any subsequent orders are immediately cancelled, you are "blacklisted". Unless you prove to a bestbuy.com goon that you are holier than thou, your e-mail address can no longer be used to place any orders on bestbuy.com
How to correct this: You will need, 1) A New e-mail address 2) A New Credit/Debit card not previously used on bestbuy.com, and 3) A new Phone Number. Your name and address are generally "OK" to re-use, but everything else must be unique to the system.
3) You Got Mail! : Your e-mail itself is also a risk indicator. While it is generally safe to use a "free" e-mail provider like Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc... a private domain email address (such as one provided by your employer, or by your internet provider) can increase your chances of having your order approved. If you have a .EDU or .GOV e-mail address, your orders will almost always be approved (even if you use incorrect billing information on your credit card!). If you have a .EDU or a .GOV, your identity can be easily traced. They like that.
4) Gift Cards : Don't use more then 3 gift cards, or any combination of gift cards that can be considered as possibly stolen. A combination can be: 1) Gift Card purchased from different geographic locations (such as different states). 2) The use of plastic gift cards and e-gift cards together. 3) Any e-gift card that is not at least 72 hours old. A newly created e-gift card is always assumed fraudulent if you attempt to use it before giving the chance for the credit card purchaser to file any necessary charge backs for such transaction. E-Gift Card recipients should always use their cards in store.
5) Friends & Family Store Pickup : If you are using another person to pick up your order other then yourself, that person should have the same last name as the purchaser. If your pickup person has a different last name, expect problems. If your pickup person has a privileged e-mail address (like .gov, .edu, etc) they will be exempt from this security check.
6) PayPal really can be your Pal : If your PayPal account is verified, you can bypass some of these "security checks", especially for Store Pickup, by using this as your payment method. A good benefit of PayPal is that you don't need to show your card when you pickup your order.
7) Check Your Order Status : The order status messages can be somewhat misleading. Here is what they use, and what they really mean:
1) 1 item(s) created. : Order has been received, but the 3-digit CVV Security Code on the credit card was incorrect. After about 20 minutes, Best Buy will charge your credit car.
2) 1 items(s) confirming InStore inventory at - (Store Location) : Your order was successfully charged, but your order is still pending. The store does not have your order at this point.
3) 1 items(s) confirming STORE inventory at - (Store Location) : The little difference between "InStore" and "Store" in the inventory status means a big difference. This means your order has been approved, and is being paged at the store. You should get your ready for pickup e-mail shortly.
4) Any status that says anything about Verifying your credit card information: Your credit card declined. For whatever reason, your card could not be charged. They are not actually verifying anything, but waiting for you to call in to provide new credit card details or ask them to re-attempt your credit card authorization.
Enjoy your frustration with Best Buy, and remember: In God We Trust. Everyone else - PAY CASH!
