Brian has an enviable but confusing problem. He has received a $50 Best Buy gift card from a mysterious benefactor. Has he done something pleasing to the overpriced electronics gods? Has he received a gift from someone he knows who wishes to remain anonymous? He doesn’t know. But, as a Consumerist reader, he’s suspicious.

I wanted to write in about a bizarre occurrence with Best Buy. Today in the mail we opened an envelope from “Returns Center” with a $50 Best Buy Gift Card inside. It had a Best Buy packing slip, but no information as to who it was it from…or better yet, WHY we were getting it. We are silver members in Reward Zone, but there was no letter, no explanation. Just a $50 Gift Card in a discreet manila envelope with no Best Buy logo on the packaging. I was thinking maybe it was a scam, or a empty gift card encouraging me to buy one, or maybe a gift from someone who forgot to put their name on it. I called in to Best Buy Reward Zone to get to the bottom of the mystery. After all, if someone sent a gift, I would like to know who to thank. The first person I got on the phone had no clue.

I got transferred to another individual who also had no knowledge and could not verify the card’s value. I was then transferred again to Customer Relations who asked for the gift card number. They indeed verified it had $50 on it, but again, could not verify who it was from or why I was getting it! I was then put on hold. She said she needed to check a “white board” that explained these things (huh?) and when she came back, she was now 99.9% sure it was from Reward Zone. Still baffled, I asked if she knew why, and she said “Well, it’s probably because we like you.” I asked if this was normal or if there was a promotion and she said “As far as I can tell, no.” Keep in mind, this is NOT a reward zone gift certificate that I earned. I’ve gotten those before and this is an actual gift card with a Christmas theme (see picture). Left with no answers other than that the card is real, I’m off to best buy to spend some free money. I guess….thanks….mystery ghost corporate best buy god.

As long as Brian checks the fine print on the card’s packaging and makes sure that he hasn’t promised his firstborn into a live of indentured Geek Squad servitude, the card should be OK to spend. Our guess is squarely on “anonymous gift.”

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