Frank says he wasn’t allowed to complete his purchase at a Best Buy in Des Moines, Iowa unless he signed up for their Rewards card: “He called over his supervisor. In a rather harsh manner, she told him that everyone purchasing items is now required to sign up for a rewards card.” Sounds like somebody had a quota to meet!
You may have heard about this already, but I thought it was rather odd.
I was at Best Buy the other day here in West Des Moines, Iowa. It was the store at the Jordan Creek mall. I went to purchase my items and the young kid working at the register asked to see my rewards card. I told him that I don’t have one. I avoid that card because I don’t like the junk mail coming into my mailbox. I prefer to purchase my items and leave.
Well, he looked confused and called over his supervisor. In a rather harsh manner, she told him that everyone purchasing items is now required to sign up for a rewards card. She said that they cannot let buy things without having one of those cards. I was rather anxious to get back and finish homework for my college courses, so I got the rewards card and left.
Maybe this is normal, but I wasn’t very happy about it. Granted they’ll send me coupons, but I know it’s going to benefit them more than it will me – otherwise they wouldn’t do it.
(Photo: qnr)
Umm… no. That’s a quick way to go out of business. They can require it as a condition of purchases, likely, but it’s a stupid policy. It’s probably not even actually policy.
Well if it’s true, that’s just silly.
Next time just refuse. See if they’re willing to lose a sale to back up a bogus policy. Also, don’t you have to pay like 10 bucks for a Rewards Zone card, or did they stop doing that?
No, no, no. This is absolutely NOT normal. Sure, every time I buy stuff at a Best Buy, the cashier asks if I have a rewards card. I always say no, and I hear nothing else. (Now that I think about it, I really should sign up for a card… man I hate myself sometimes. Damn you, Worst Buy, and your sometimes cheaper prices!)
Not to mention this is extortion. Best Buy is not a membership warehouse like Costco or Sam’s.
Sounds like someone needs to make a quota, indeed.
“What’s the quickest way to get in contact with corporate?” probably would’ve either changed her attitude or made the buyer realize that Best Buy is made of the exact opposite of awesome.
It’s not a Sam’s club. This manager was either misinformed, or more likely, lying to pull one over on you. Had OP staunchly refused, I’m sure Mr. Manager would have backed down.
If he really wanted it, he should have walked to one of their internet terminals and purchased it online and chose in-store pickup. That would have been pretty funny.
Evertime i go there they want to sign me up for free issues of sports illustrated. I hate this crap. I want my stuff and i want to leave.
I will say I’ve got several gift certificates through my reward zone card, mostly thanks to some big-ticket purchases. But to require it … yeesh.
I would have refused. Did you get the manager’s name? Call Best Buy, this is plain ridiculous. Tell them you’ll be shopping at Circuit City from now on.
@Concerned_Citizen: And print off the confirmation email on one of the display printers. Wah-waaaah!
Frank should not have signed up on principle alone. And if he was thinking about it anyway (which he wasn’t) he should have signed up at another store at another time.
There’s a a very specific tool I use in situations like these. That tool is the word “no”. Memorize it. Make it be your best friend. Then use it liberally.
@The Count of Monte Fisto: I like the gift certificate idea, which is why I signed up. Unfortunately they expire soon enough that I can’t stack them so any benefit to me is lost. I’m not about to buy something just because I have a cert.
Ok, so a store does something you’re not happy with, and you have a choice about where to spend your money… and what do you do? – Cave in on the issue and then go complain on the internet.
If only best buy sold spines too.
@catdogpigduck: Sometimes they’ll sign you up without your knowledge in order to meet attachment goals, especially during the holiday rush.
The more you know!
Certain things I will just shrug off like when a cashier asks for a zipcode but i would have refused profusely to sign up for another card. I have enough cards from stores along with my own credit cards so i have made it my own policy to not sign up for anymore of them even if they provide a savings. I’m more of a ‘leave the store if i don’t like the service’ person than someone who will call corporate for every stupid little thing but I think I would have taken the time out to call them on this one. The maanger probably gets a bonus if his store meets a quota and i bet corporate wouldn’t be too happy to find out he’s forcing customers to sign up
@AaronZ:
“If only best buy sold spines too.”
Sorry, you have to sign up for their card first.
@Diet-Orange-Soda: You do not need to print out the confirmation. Best Buy’s site just says you need the order number, ID, and the credit card used in the purchase.
The writer of the email is a fool for signing up. Honestly, what did you need so badly that you couldn’t pick it up at another retailer?
Wow. That’s insane. That’s when you say “no thank you”, calmly place your items on the counter and walk away. It’s not worth getting angry about. You can get whatever you need somewhere else, be it Circuit City, Wal-Mart, Target, online…
I do like that idea about purchasing it on an Internet terminal and selecting to pick it up at the store. Well played.
With that said, I still think the author is, as MrDo said, a fool for just caving in like that.
“..so I got the rewards card and left.”
Huh? I have to second The Count of Monte Fisto‘s comment. I think Best Buy still charges a membership fee for their Rewards program. This story lacks details.
They used to charge $10 for that card. Now its free. Why wouldnt you sign up? The only mail you get is coupons and free money when you spend a certain amount.
I have had it for years back when they charged you $10 a year but its free and you get free money if you spend a lot.
@LatherRinseRepeat: Best Buy’s reward program is free now.
Short of walking out, he should have signed up for the card, bought the stuff, then cut up the card and handed the pieces to the cashier.
@thesabre: I tend to agree. Let my local Best Buy treat me like that. I can just as easily take my money elsewhere, homework or no. A hearty chorus of “Wal-Mart down the street sells these too; I don’t have time for this” would have been fun.
@midwestkel: Why not? I mentioned above, the Reward Zone certificates expire. On top of that, I can buy (most) anything at Best Buy cheaper or at the same price without feeling dirty.
@LatherRinseRepeat:
Best Buy stopped charging for the rewards card a few years ago.
@Concerned_Citizen: cool. I didn’t know that. Next time they refuse to price match something from their site for me. I will do that. Just buy it online and do in store pick up.
I’m so over the 20 questions game at the check out.
Zip code.
Phone number.
Rewards program.
Do you want to donate a kidney to XYZ charity.
Please hand over your first born.
If you want to be confrontational, then a possible attack is to calculate the post-tax price of your purchases, then place that amount of cash on the counter. Go over by a nickel or dime or so (or even round to the next highest dollar), just to allow some wiggle room. Explain the total you have arrived at. Count the money out for the cashier, so that there is no question about the amount. Then take the items and leave. You will probably tangle with their security people, because you will set off the alarm, but I don’t see what they could possibly accuse you of.
Another option is to play the game, but then pay them in $2 bills. They hate that.
–sarcasm–
Oh come on! Quit your belly aching. You are just feeling out card. I don’t get why everyone is always complaining about showing receipts or IDs. They are doing this in your interest. Really. Just do it and be gone. What is the big deal here?!
–/sarcasm–
when retailers require conditions to complete a sale to you its time to find another store
@cheviot: That’s still playing their game of forcing you to sign up in order to buy something.
There’s nothing wrong with that if you don’t mind signing up but if you already declined then why be bent over like that?
if the items weren’t pertinent to your homework you should’ve just bought them somewhere else. actually you probably should’ve just bought them somewhere else. i’ve never actually seen anything at any chain store than you can’t get easily at another chain store. half the crap on sale at best buy can be bought at target, walmart, circuit city, kohls, sears, etc.
@bravo369: It’s not a store credit card. It’s like those rewards cards at the supermarket, but you (supposedly) earn coupons instead of getting $2 off your cereal. There is no chance they can force you into a credit card. God forbid.
Personally I would have dropped my purchase on the counter and walked out the door and left them to clean up the mess, literal and figurative, that they made.
one day i will make sense. even to myself hopefully.
i think i’ve killed too many braincells…
We bought a TV few months back at Best Buy. At checkout, they asked if we wanted to apply for their Rewards Card. We declined then, and they told us that we could sign up online with the receipt when we get home if we changed our mind later. Well, we did try to sign up online few days later, and it will not accept the receipt for the purchase that day.
“I was rather anxious to get back and finish homework for my college courses, so I got the rewards card and left.”
Moron.
You write in to complain, but you still took the bait and signed up.
Its your own fault, dude.
@kc2idf: No receipt? Could turn into the cashier not actually running it through and you would have no “proof”…
Two sides to every story. I want to hear BB’s side. IF BB agrees with the OP all Hades is about to break loose.
Of course the OP could just be a CC troll.
Thank God I have a Crutchfield in my town, as well as Newegg and Amazon for most everything else.
Best Buy and Circuit City seem to be in a steel cage match for sleaziest electronics retailer– but wait, whats that, its Sears’ music!
Hey kids? How do I print this column out so I can take it to this Best Buy and ask if it’s true. This BB is right down the road from me.
@Okaasan: Ah! Never mind . . . I figured out that it doesn’t want to print the article when I’m in FireFox (might want to look into that), but will if I’m in IE.
Just last week,I went into Best Buy with my cousin who was looking for another PS3 controller.He didn’t find one he wanted,so instead,on the way out,bought a Dr.P and some gum.The cashier asked us if we wanted a Rewards card, saying “you’ll save alot of money on your gum and pop!”
We just looked at her and said no.She badgered us for about a minute about getting one and how much money we’ll save.I soon realised there was manager nearby watching her.When he saw we were not gonna cave in and get one,he gave us a dirty look and walked away.The cashier then said she didn’t blame us and how her job sucked.
I kinda felt bad,but we weren’t about to be bullied into getting a card, espescially since we rarely go to Best Buy (I personally go about once every 3-4 months)
Yeah, I know this isn’t company policy. I agree the store was probably falling short of some quota, and in desperation the manager turned to this to try to make up the shortfall.
@bravo369: FYI: Most likely the reason they ask for your zipcode is so that they can use databases of addresses to match your credit card to an address. See, Visa won’t give them the address of someone who uses a card at their store, but they can get lists of names and addresses and your name + your zipcode is generally enough to match the one to the other.
I’ve never worked for Best Buy, but when I worked on software for another large retail chain, this was *exactly* what it was used for. (Not, as they instructed their cashiers to say, for demographic purposes.)
I spent about $4,000 at BB last year, and I think I got $80 in Rewards.
Granted, I usually don’t need or have an interest in the rest of the coupons they send, and those would add to the value, but their Rewards card isn’t extremely rewarding.
If the card gave you more than 2% back, you might not have to force people like this.
Until I serve legal tender or give access to credit tender. I am under no obligation to purchase at any store.
If it does not serve me.
In the 21st century. The market is to robust to be a corporate shill and go against the consumer.
Yeah, the mega-box is never “in it” for the consumer’s benefit. So give us free information all you can (all we ask more like it) and shut up.
There’s another Best Buy a few miles away from the Jordan Creek mall, near the Valley West mall, that I’d encourage Frank (from the story) to check out and see if they’re also “requiring” these reward cards.