…I manage to get about 5 steps out the door before the door guard catches up to me and grabs my cart, with the “sir” in his “I need to see your receipt, sir” somehow not very complimentary. This is apparently a stalling tactic, as shortly a few more blue-shirted employees make a move to block me from making any more progress toward my car.”

Aaron continues his story of bushwacking through employees to flee Best Buy without showing his slip of paper for his large electronics purchases.

“I ask, still calm, if I am being detained for shoplifting. This suggestion apparently shocks my captor into regaining some of his senses, and he lets go of my cart. I explain that unless he wishes to do so, he has no right to stop me.

Full text here.

Aaron Hopkins sent a write-up of his experience to Best Buy who sent back a typical corp-speak letter saying they were sorry without actually addressing any of the issues he brought up.

“I would like to offer an apology on behalf of Best Buy for the inconvenience and frustration you have experienced as a result of your concern…We certainly do appreciate your patronage and would welcome the opportunity to serve you again in the very near future.”

Serve you with papers, that is.

Apparently Aaron pursued his umbrage from 1999 until 2004, there’s more letters back and forth between him and Best Buy, including shadowy employees and various rungs on the executive chain and fellow consumers and now his story popped up on BoingBoing.

Check out the rest of the story in the epilogue.

We advise that after five years, Aaron eat a cookie or something.

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