I'm all for giving charity to people in need... heck I could use a little charity myself.
I was looking through some old notes and found this essay I had written about my attempt to make a donation for tsunami relief through Best Buy.
It was right around the time of the tsunami disasters, and tsunami relief donation centers were en vogue for many businesses. Best Buy seemed to have the best program set up - donate to us and we'll match up to a million! I saw this advertised on their website. I went in to a store and figured my best chance would be to ask the greeter, since it wasn't an "item" I was purchasing, and I ASSUMED that those in charge would have informed him that people will be coming in and would wanting to be donating.
(for those overseas, Best Buy is like an HMV cross pollinated with a John Lewis)
No such luck.
He "thinks" he's supposed to send me to customer service.
After waiting in line behind the people returning their CD player and a DVD that skipped, it was my turn. When I asked where I was to donate, the customer service rep kind of fumbled, and stuttered that she "uh...don't.,uh...know what..what...to do...someone else...uh...came in...uh...today and wanted to ....ah...don't but we don't...don't...have a barcode. Sorry." and sent me on my way (I say "stutter" as she was fumbling with the words, not pointing out a verbal disability). I went back to the greeter and asked for the manager. The "manager" came over, and I guess I'm getting older, cause she to me she looked like she was doing a high school work program. I presented my dilemma to her, and she asked where I saw it advertised. I read the Best Buy Sunday circular religiously every Sunday morning, so I thought mabye it was in there. The manager browsed through the ad, but didn't see it. Then I remembered that it was online. "Oh!" she exclaimed knowingly, "then you're supposed to do it online," and brushed me away. Since I was there, I suggested they let me use their computers. They sent me in the back, and went to their website. The webpage said to "go in to any of our stores to make the donation." I went back up to the front, and asked for the teeny bopper again. A few minutes later, she came armed with a piece of fax paper. She said after I had left she looked in the office and found the directive from corporate. It said for the customers to make the check out to "Best Buy" and leave it at the front. I was a bit leery, so I had them write 'Tsunami Relief" on the check. It really made me wonder how many of donations are REALLY going to Tsunami Relief...and how many are lining people's pockets.
So here I am, two months later, and an UPS 2nd Day Air came to me...addressed from Tustin, 3 miles away. As a matter of fact. The UPS truck had to pass by our house to get to the airport!
Anyhow...in this envelope was my check, uncashed, with a vague note that said "SORRY WE WERE UNABLE TO PROCESS YOUR DONATION FOR TSUNAMI RELIEF" (caps and lack of punctuation theirs).
My feelings about Best Buy's goodwill and charity are nil now. You just KNOW they set up this "goodwill program" to get people into their stores so while making out their donation, they see a stereo, CD, or DVD that is on sale that they want and buy it. As I was going through the aisles to the exit, I actually stopped to fondle a DVD I wanted.
Now you see how they earned our nickname, "Worst Buy".
