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HomerSampson

October 19, 2009 2:52 PM

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Dishonestly somehow finds a way to kick you right in the butt at the worst times... I would always work the system as far as i can work it into my favor, but when the balance works too far in your favor in a way that you know you technically 'stole' its time to put your good boy shoes on and return it...

7 replies

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40-40-5

October 19, 2009 5:47 PM

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@HomerSampson: Thirded. No X-Box is worth losing sleep over. Honesty really is the best policy in these situations.

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October 19, 2009 4:39 PM

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@HomerSampson: For me it's a balance between my self-interest and my threshold of guilt. I've ripped off stores like CompUSA and Best Buy in the past, and not only felt zero guilt, but actually felt good about having done so, because of a natural animosity towards those stores and because I've felt ripped off by them in the past.

On the other hand, I just sent back a bunch of pricey comics to Fantagraphics that was a replacement order for one I thought was never sent (turns out it was mis-shipped), because I like Fantagraphics -- they're one of my favorite comics publishers -- and I know they're not a gigantic corporation, and I would feel guilty about keeping those comics, or reselling them.

I don't claim any kind of moral justification for this \"policy\" of mine...I believe it's dishonesty/theft in any circumstances to keep what's not yours. It's just that some situations make me feel guilt and others don't, and I've chosen to use that as my ethical rule of thumb.

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October 19, 2009 4:28 PM

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Amen to that. Stealing is wrong no matter who does it. Two wrongs don't make a right etc.....

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El_Red

October 19, 2009 4:03 PM

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@HomerSampson: Considering Best Buy resold clients information without client's authorization, and profited. I'd say keep the extra Xbox and donate it (or sell and donate money). This is Best Buy's bad karma, not user's...

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Kogenta

October 19, 2009 4:27 PM

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@El_Red: What? Where does it say they resold his info without his consent?

Personally I'd return it rather than have the specter of them realizing their mistake and sending an invoice for it. You know that if it does happen, it'll probably show up at the worst possible moment.

Then again, I'd have never have bought the thing at best buy in the first place.

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pecan 3.14159265

October 19, 2009 3:34 PM

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@HomerSampson: I second this. It's not worth the guilt you feel. And if you don't feel guilt, you should probably check your code of ethics. I mistakenly did this a while ago, and I do feel a pang of guilt over it.

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October 19, 2009 3:52 PM

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@pecan 3.14159265: As much as I agree with not \"stealing\", he could keep it as a spare Xbox given his trouble with the systems already.

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October 19, 2009 6:00 PM

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@Sanspants: He knew that he wasn't entitled to the refurbished 360, but he went and picked it up anyway. So there's no need for the quotation marks. He stole it, plain and simple.

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October 19, 2009 9:02 PM

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@Cyberxion101: Well... they gave it to him. Real theft would be him taking off of the shelf and slipping it under his jacket and walking out of the store. I think there's another thread arguing that he did not break any laws because Best Buy made the mistake.

However, I'm not saying it's morally right. If it were me, I wouldn't have picked up the Xbox in the first place, but I wouldn't call this stealing.

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October 19, 2009 9:32 PM

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@Sanspants: I'm not a lawyer, so I didn't really articulate my idea too well. I just was under the impression that obtaining something through fraudulent means could be considered theft. I may very well be wrong.

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October 20, 2009 12:08 AM

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@Cyberxion101: Now I'm no big city lawyer myself, but as far as I can tell he didn't do anything fraudulent to make Best Buy to give it to him. Hgot his store credit then Best Buy called him to pick up an Xbox because one part of the store didn't know what the other part did. It's not like he told Best Buy he didn't receive neither compensation nor a new system.

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Stile4aly

October 20, 2009 10:53 PM

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@Sanspants: He has received a product that he has not paid for. It may not technically be theft, but it would be \"unjust enrichment\" and he has a duty to either return the product, or pay for it. He has already been compensated for his broken Xbox through the store credit. He is not entitled to an additional Xbox on top of the credit.

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October 21, 2009 3:11 PM

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@Stile4aly: \"It may not technically be theft\"

That's it right there. I understand the ethical dilema, and again, I'm not saying he should not return it, but there were no laws broken and he didn't do anything fraudulent to obtain it. It's Best Buy's fault for giving him twice as much as he should have received.

","

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October 19, 2009 3:03 PM

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This really isn't clear to me: did they give him a loaner while they were trying to fix the one they eventually gave him the credit for? When did he get the extra XBOX? When they tried to give him a credit or an XBOX beyond what they had originally given him that's when it's time to say something and go with what the rep says.

2 replies

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October 19, 2009 6:04 PM

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@crichton007: The OP states that he had already received store credit for his broken 360 \"a couple of weeks\" before picking up the refurbished unit. He knew that he wasn't entitled to it, but he went and picked it up anyway.

Yes Geek Squad did make a mistake, but instead of clarifying it for them, he capitalized on it two weeks after he had already been made whole on his purchase. So there's no great moral conundrum here. He stole from Best Buy, and now he wants to make sure that he's not going to be caught for it, or be held responsible for the refurbished unit.

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October 20, 2009 6:26 PM

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@Cyberxion101: and now he wants to make sure that he's not going to be caught for it

So he sends it to the consumerist :P

","

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JRock

October 19, 2009 3:06 PM

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I would return it. Worst case, they take it back and you feel good about yourself for being honest. Best case, they let you keep the refurb anyway, legitimately.

7 replies

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October 19, 2009 7:33 PM

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Although I understand all the complaints here, the *worst case* is that somewhere near the end of Best Buy's fiscal year, they do the math and realize they issued an incorrect credit, then issue you a bill for the extra Xbox.

When they ruin your credit rating, what is the defense going to be? \"I knew I had already received a full refund, but I kept it anyway?\" Probably not going to fly with bill collectors.

The problem with the \"receipt of unordered goods\" argument is that it wasn't delivered to his house. Being handed an unordered product may not be the same, legally, as demanding a refund then picking up a product that he knows is a mistake.

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Razor512

October 19, 2009 6:18 PM

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Summary
Versions / Amendments: S4931
Same as: No same as
Sponsor: MONTGOMERY (visit nysenate.gov)
Co-sponsor(s):
Current Committee: CONSUMER PROTECTION

Law Section: General Business Law

Prohibits any person, firm, partnership, association or corporation, or agent or employee thereof from offering for sale tangible or intangible goods or services which have not been actually ordered or requested by the recipient; provides that any receipt of unordered goods shall be deemed a gift to the recipient; prohibits the requesting of payment for unordered goods and services; makes related provisions including prohibiting the recipient from waiving any of his or her rights hereunder.

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October 19, 2009 4:19 PM

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@JRock: the odds are good that if you walked into a best buy and told them they gave you the xbox by mistake, one of the employees would simply take it back, click a few keys and take the xbox home with them.

If they don't have your credit card info, sell it and buy a bunch of smaller toys and give them away to charity this year.

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October 19, 2009 3:31 PM

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@JRock: Exactly. I had a similar issue with Amazon once a few years back. I ordered a book, they sent me a DVD box set. I called them and asked how we fix it. \"No problem sir, the book will be on the way to you, and in your hands tomorrow. Just keep the DVDs. It's going to cost us more in shipping and time figuring out how to get it back into inventory than it's actually cost us in the first place.\"

And that was a CS supervisor who told me that. Unfortunately, it wasn't a set of DVDs I wanted, so I just sold them on eBay...

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Optimistic Prime

October 19, 2009 10:19 PM

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@Floobtronics: Absolutely. Though I voted give it back, WorstBuy will somehow screw it up. Probably double or triple charge OP. Might be better to just keep it as far as his sanity is concerned.

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pecan 3.14159265

October 19, 2009 4:33 PM

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@Floobtronics: For about four months sometime ago, Barnes and Noble online kept sending me someone else's things. It wasn't even someone who lived in my state. For some reason, the stuff just kept getting diverted. I got a book and two CDs. Every time, I called B&N to tell them what had happened, and all of the CSRs seemed puzzled as to why I was calling them about it. One, I didn't want other people's things to show up at my home and two, I didn't want to keep merchandise that wasn't mine. Even after they were aware of the problem, I think all of the CSRs were puzzled at my insistence that I send the items back to B&N.

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Duke_Newcombe sez íViva la Revolucion de Chihuahua!

October 19, 2009 6:19 PM

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@pecan 3.14159265: Could be someone was using your address to receive products procured via identity theft?

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El_Red

October 19, 2009 4:07 PM

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@Floobtronics: There a huge difference in Amazon's and Best Buy's business practices. Best Buy purchased Canadian \"Future Shop'', got rid of all old employees, and converted it in a Best Buy's clone. (Often, in Canada, you see a Future Shop, just across a Best Buy.) Best Buy lies to its customer's (Oh! no commissions! But if ''Jimmy'' does not sell that service plan, then he'll get fired), and its employees.

For once, sell this ''extra'' Xbox and do some good with the money. Donate it to a charity. Best Buy does not deserve it.

","

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October 19, 2009 3:08 PM

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I say keep it because it's Best Buy, they've easily caused $400 worth of trouble among Consumerist readers so do it for us.

If it was any smaller store I'd give it back. If Amazon I'd say try to reconcile it, but you'd probably just end up with even more extra cash in your pocket.

3 replies

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Kishi

October 19, 2009 5:01 PM

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@Zerkaboid: Wait, so if they've caused that trouble among Consumerist readers- and they've caused me some trouble- does that mean we'll set up a custody schedule?

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mralmostpopular

October 19, 2009 7:37 PM

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@Kishi: Ahaha! You're thinking the same way I am. How does some guy getting an extra free xbox make up for any headaches I might have suffered?

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October 19, 2009 8:12 PM

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@mralmostpopular: Karmically, we are slowly tipping the scales back in our favor. You'll get yours eventually.

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TruthHog

October 19, 2009 10:21 PM

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And so will you...@Zerkaboid:

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LadySiren is murdering her kids with HFCS and processed cheese

October 19, 2009 3:25 PM

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@Zerkaboid: Holy cow, I can't believe I'm saying this but...I hate BB more than I do Walmart, especially after hearing how they treat customers. Normally, I'd say he should march himself back to the store and return the loot, however, I'm finding myself leaning towards him keeping it.

(off to say a Hail Mary as penance...)

","

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Karita

October 19, 2009 3:09 PM

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Ugh. Personally, I'd give it back. Sure Best Buy has screwed people. But we need to get away from the idea that one wrong excuses another. I think a lot of things would get better in this country if everyone tried to make better decisions. I know many will disagree with me, but that's what I'd advise.

And on a totally different level, they may discover your error and bill you at a time when something important, like rent or healthcare, is due. Or just straight up send you to collections. Not worth it.

3 replies

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Brunette Bookworm

October 20, 2009 1:57 PM

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@Karita: Especially since now he just posted the question on the internet.

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Oranges w/ Cheese hates what Christmas has become

October 19, 2009 3:27 PM

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@Karita: Very well said. No matter the circumstance, 2 wrongs does not make a right. Give it back.

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October 19, 2009 3:31 PM

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@Oranges w/ Cheese wants it to be winter already: Rights and wrongs are purely subjective. They gave it to him, he can keep it.

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Duke_Newcombe sez íViva la Revolucion de Chihuahua!

October 19, 2009 6:21 PM

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@Radi0logy: Se habla, \"situational ethics\"?

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October 19, 2009 6:38 PM

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@Duke_Newcombe (now with 50% more feigned interest): I'm reminded of that line of questioning Fat Tony used on Bart once: \"If a man has a large family, is it wrong of him to steal a truck of bread to feed them?\"

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Duke_Newcombe sez íViva la Revolucion de Chihuahua!

October 19, 2009 7:02 PM

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@dragonfire81: It is wrong. Not that the man would fail to steal the bread...just that we'll have no illusions that it is right, proper, or ethical.

BTW. there is nothing new under the sun.

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ludwigk

October 19, 2009 5:23 PM

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@Radi0logy: Right and wrong become less subjective when Best Buy may have a cause of action against you, or at least, the means and right to bill you for the extra Xbox360. Stop taking the easy way out and reconsider your answer.

There are many cases in which you can gain possession of something without having a legal right to it. The fact that it was given to him by a Best Buy employee won't necessarily mean anything to the courts if he understood, or came to the understanding that he did not have a right to take it.

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October 19, 2009 6:16 PM

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@ludwigk: I agree. In fact I think that he'd find it particularly difficult to defend having taken it, given that he knowingly accepted the refurbished unit a couple of weeks after he received a refund for his broken 360.

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jc364

October 19, 2009 5:17 PM

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@Radi0logy: If rights and wrongs are purely subjective, then every criminal out there could argue (correctly) that what they did was \"the right thing to do.\"

Of course, if anyone were to argue that, then they'd be right as well. Then it all gets kind of confusing.

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October 19, 2009 3:55 PM

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@Radi0logy: PURELY subjective. But you've been around here quite some time Radi0logy, you should know that 90% of comments on here are typed by the fingers of living saints.

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October 19, 2009 7:03 PM

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@rocketbear79: HA! That is exactly what I was thinking. Ignoring all the facts that the OP prob knew what he was doing all along, and pretend that I just accidentally came into a 2nd free 360 from BB, I would keep it.

#1 That karma stuff is just talk of people rationalizing when good/bad things happen.

#2 Pretending that karma is real (from the book of Earl) then look at it as you getting some of that good karma back. I don't think Karma has a rollover reward system where you can trade in a 360 for a bigger and better prize down the road.

#3 It would just be a big hassle to go through and explain everything to return it. keeping it would be much simpler and less hassle

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mralmostpopular

October 19, 2009 7:43 PM

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@GyroMight: Not taking it in the first place would've been even less hassle. He created this situation by taking it.

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October 20, 2009 2:25 AM

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@mralmostpopular: Hence my disclaimer at the beginning of just getting a free 360 in a way other than the OP.

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October 19, 2009 6:14 PM

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@rocketbear79: Yeah, I agree with you. If they had sent him a refurbished unit by mistake, then he could keep it or throw it away for all I'd care. I wouldn't judge him for it.

However, two weeks after being made whole on his purchase, he walked into Best Buy and accepted something that he knew that he wasn't entitled to. That's a whole other ballgame.

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October 19, 2009 7:33 PM

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@Cyberxion101: Yeah I actually agree with you. Ethically, here, he should not benefit from this mistake. That is why I suggested Toys for Tots below, but that is my opinion (subjective). As to those who say two wrongs don't make a right, who (besides the saints) says that the OP needed to make the situation right? Its up to him. Its also up to him to have to recoup Best Buy's losses if they came at him in the future.

I don't own a business anymore (partner was an embezzler), but I made sure I didn't make mistakes like this. I realize that is harder for a large company like Best Buy, but they can also handle the loss better as well. Might as well a charity benefited from their mistake.

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October 19, 2009 5:08 PM

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@rocketbear79: I don't think it's that sainthood is widespread, it's that we're interested in consumer issues because we think things should be fair. And therefore we think that things should be fair to others, too.

I have no problem with his calling them and asking about it rather than schlepping the thing back spontaneously, but just to stay silent about their error? Let's put it this way, if their behavior toward him justifies his keeping it, then his keeping it renders their subsequent misbehavior toward him justifiable as well.

","

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October 19, 2009 3:13 PM

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Toys for tots.

2 replies

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pecan 3.14159265

October 19, 2009 3:42 PM

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@rocketbear79: Two wrongs don't make a right. Best Buy made a mistake in giving him a refurb. He made a mistake in accepting it. Giving it to charity doesn't mean that his mistake is okay.

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October 19, 2009 3:53 PM

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@pecan 3.14159265: Who said anything about trying to make a right? I just typed: \"Toys for tots.\"

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Duke_Newcombe sez íViva la Revolucion de Chihuahua!

October 19, 2009 6:24 PM

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@rocketbear79: Okay, I'll play: Tater tots.

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October 19, 2009 7:26 PM

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@Duke_Newcombe (now with 50% more feigned interest): You win. Now I'm hungry, and I hate you.

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October 19, 2009 3:29 PM

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Is your integrity only worth 400?

If you didn't pay for it, it is stealing.

4 replies

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coren

October 19, 2009 4:35 PM

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@Incredulous1: Not hardly. If a store calls you up and mistakenly offers you something which they shouldn't, it's not theft for you to accept it. It may not be ethically ok, but theft implies a lack of consent on the part of the store - they clearly consented as they initiated this.

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Duke_Newcombe sez íViva la Revolucion de Chihuahua!

October 19, 2009 6:26 PM

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@coren: Incredibly tortured logic. If you mistikenly sent a payment to your energy company, thinking you had not paid them, and then found out you did, you'd certainly expect the money back.

The justifications for keeping the Xbox are too clever by half.

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jc364

October 19, 2009 5:00 PM

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@coren: no, it's still stealing, even if it was their mistake. Consent implies that Best Buy knows the full situation. If you go back to them and tell them, and they let you keep the second one anyways, then it's okay.

Still don't believe me? Next time a bank accidentally adds money to your account, immediately spend all of it and then refuse to repay it when the bank realizes the error. See what happens. (spoiler: bad stuff will happen.)

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coren

October 19, 2009 5:12 PM

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@jc364: They have all the pertinent information. Just because they don't read it all or mislay it or don't properly communicate doesn't mean that they are not in possession of the full story.

And while your bank example is similar enough to work - Best Buy hasn't requested the item back. If they do, then this is another matter and he needs to return it. Or to put it another way, imagine this story on the Consumerist:

\"Hey, my bank seems to have put an extra 400 bucks in my account. Should I let them know/try to give it back? *story goes on*\".

Invariably, there would be advice to take the excess funds and put them in a high interest account or something like that, and then to return the money when requested.

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downwithmonstercable

October 19, 2009 5:20 PM

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@coren: I think you're reeeeaaally making a stretch here. Best Buy made a mistake. Banks make mistakes depositing money. The xbox is not his, the money is not the depositee's. He needs to give it back.

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coren

October 19, 2009 9:44 PM

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@downwithmonstercable: I'm not stretching, I didn't bring up the bank to begin with. But if a bank makes a mistake generally the advice has been \"don't spend it, but the interest is yours, wait for the bank to figure it out\" - rarely \"tell that gosh darn bank\"

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mralmostpopular

October 19, 2009 11:32 PM

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@coren: There's no interest to be earned on the X-Box.

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coren

October 19, 2009 6:34 PM

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@downwithmonstercable: I don't disagree with that. I just don't think it's theft.

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mralmostpopular

October 19, 2009 7:51 PM

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@coren: Well, you're wrong. Theft doesn't just apply to situations where someone takes something from someone without their knowledge. It also applies to situations where someone takes something under false pretenses. When he took it, the employees thought he was entitled to it. He was not.

But to clarify it a little further, we also sometimes call this fraud.

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October 19, 2009 9:34 PM

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@mralmostpopular: Ah, so I finally got one right! Thanks for the clarification. :)

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coren

October 19, 2009 6:33 PM

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@Duke_Newcombe (now with 50% more feigned interest): I'd also ask for it back, and it certainly wouldn't be them stealing if I gave it to them (which it sounds like is the case here - again, if he went in and asked for it after the fact...)

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tbax929

October 19, 2009 4:27 PM

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@Incredulous1:
Bingo. I wouldn't have any sort of moral dilemma about this. Give the thing back.

","

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October 19, 2009 3:29 PM

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I'd give it back, there's no guarantee they won't realize their mistake and come after you for the money or the xbox. Granted, them being a large inept corporation, I'd say unlikely, but you might be screwed down the line.

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October 19, 2009 3:30 PM

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Just because Best Buy is a horrible company doesn't mean someone should be dishonest with them. I would give whatever back that they gave me by accident. That 360 could have been destined for someone else and could have been given to him in error.

1 replies

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nstonep

October 19, 2009 6:21 PM

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@theSuperman: It just raises prices for everybody in the future (granted it may be like a penny...but it's still moolata!)

","

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grandzu

October 19, 2009 3:30 PM

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I once gave back an HP desktop Circuit City unknowingly gave me and wish I had kept it. No harm, no foul.

","

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October 19, 2009 3:30 PM

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My integrity is worth more than a Xbox 360.

2 replies

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October 23, 2009 6:15 PM

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@lemortede: The problem is that your integrity is based off of some random set of values that you have gleaned from any number of sources - religion, parents, peers, teachers, politicians, television shows, movies, video games, music, news, saints, sinners and more. Who is to say that all or any of them are on the mark, and even so, what IS on the mark? I'm not advocating anarchy, per se, but to hinge your entire system of personal ethics and responsibility on a morally ambiguous event like being given an xbox 360 for free and wringing your hands over whether you should or should not return it seems a little superficial, wouldn't you say?

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Zorantor

October 20, 2009 12:59 AM

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@lemortede: Honestly, my first thought was that I'd give it back. Not out of any moral dilemma, but because it's a 360. Imagine the hassle trying to get it fixed when it breaks when your ownership of the thing is already dubious.

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Candle.Jack

October 19, 2009 3:31 PM

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Hmm what to do what to do KEEP IT.

Best Buy is evil.

1 replies

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RecordStoreToughGuy_starcommandseries.com

October 19, 2009 4:12 PM

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@Candle.Jack: Now, honestly, how can you--

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October 19, 2009 3:31 PM

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I'd offer to give it back. Chances are their systems are so screwy that you'll get to keep it anyway.

1 replies

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October 19, 2009 11:07 PM

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@Smashville_now with Monster Energy: I'd like to think that, but most likely, the Best Buy kid will \"put it back in the system\" and then keep it himself.

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AbsoluteIrrelevance

October 19, 2009 3:33 PM

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Keep it! And consider it a payment for something Best Buy will screw you out of in the future.

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TheMugs

October 19, 2009 3:34 PM

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Give it back, karma is a bitch anyway.

Anyway, you loose nothing and in the best case they will let you keep the xbox. Also, we must not forget that if this is an human error, somebody somewhere will pay for it.

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October 19, 2009 3:35 PM

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Depending on local laws, you can keep stuff that is sent to you if you didn't order it.

This stops companies from sending you goods (providing services) and then charging you whatever they like, as though you agreed to a contract. Indeed if they do this, and you don't complain, your actions would signal that you did agree.

So the correct course of action is to contact the sender and offer to send back the X-box at their expense.

They might pay the money to have it sent back. They might let you keep the X-box. But it is their choice, their property.

3 replies

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nstonep

October 19, 2009 6:24 PM

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@consumerfan: Don't confuse LAW and MORALITY. They are two distinctly separate concepts. Just because a law says it's right or wrong doesn't make it right/wrong or moral/immoral, it makes it legal/illegal.

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Karita

October 19, 2009 3:47 PM

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@consumerfan: Unfortunately, this doesn't apply. According to the article, he picked it up - they didn't send it to him.

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coren

October 19, 2009 4:37 PM

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@Karita: While not via the mail, the general thrust of his point may still apply: that is to say, charging him after the fact without his consent wouldn't fly.

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October 19, 2009 6:19 PM

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@coren: It may not though, and that seems like an awfully large risk to take just to find out. Especially as it can be proven that he accepted the refurbished unit after he had received a refund for the broken one that he returned. I'm sure that might complicate things a bit...

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Mr_Human

October 19, 2009 3:36 PM

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If you already feel weird about it, chances are you always will. Playing that Xbox will never seem quite right. Return it, plz.

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robocop is bleeding

October 19, 2009 3:38 PM

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Yeah, I'd look into giving it back, but I would want to be assured that:

1) It wouldn't go into the trunk of a Best Buy employee/manager's car (\"Hey! Free Xbox!\")

2) That they would not try to refund me on the return. That would be too much temptation.

2 replies

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October 19, 2009 5:20 PM

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@robocop is bleeding:

\"It wouldn't go into the trunk of a Best Buy employee/manager's car (\"Hey! Free Xbox!\")\"

I wouldn't give it back based on that reason alone.

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mralmostpopular

October 19, 2009 7:54 PM

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@VagrantRadio: You can make sure you get a signed receipt. I don't think anyone was suggesting he just blindly hand it over to Bob the customer service rep.

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pecan 3.14159265

October 19, 2009 3:38 PM

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Why did he accept the replacement XBox? They had already issued him a $400 store credit, so why was he there to pick up a replacement console?

It seems to me that there isn't really a \"mistake\" here - if Best Buy had its wires crossed and didn't realize it had already issued $400 in store credit, why didn't the OP say so?

It isn't like Best Buy shipped a replacement unit to his house - he went to the store, and they handed it to him. There's no quandry - he could have just explained what the store already did for him. Why he chose to accept the XBox, and then have a \"moral dilemma\" is something very intriguing to me.

2 replies

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mralmostpopular

October 19, 2009 7:55 PM

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@pecan 3.14159265: Sometimes they call that thing guilt.

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October 19, 2009 6:21 PM

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@pecan 3.14159265: Bingo! That's what I thought too. Seems awfully odd that he's playing the \"moral dilemma\" card, when if his moral compass was working from the start, he'd have never accepted the refurbished unit.

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custommadescare

October 19, 2009 3:39 PM

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I think that, if you wanted to feel good about yourself, you can call them and see if they'll send you a return box to send it back to them. I wouldn't extend my time or services to \"fix\" their mistake.

However, having had several Xbox consoles die on me, I would be very tempted to keep it as a back up. I hate not being able to play my own games because of faulty hardware issues. So, you could morally look at it this way too.

1 replies

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1863650

October 19, 2009 5:42 PM

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@custommadescare:

Yeah, I have a feeling it'll be a moot point.

A few years ago, I bought a new Sony LCD monitor on the \"World's Largest Fence\". It was a bit of a \"too good to be true\" deal, and after minimal detective work, I discovered that it was a reasonably elaborate credit card fraud scheme. Basically, folks with stolen credit card info would sell things on the \"World's Largest Fence\", purchase products using the credit card from merchants who didn't bother to verify or ship to the credit cards' billing addresses, and have a 3rd party mule collect payments via \"PayWho?\", and forward a percentage of the transaction amount back to the fraudster.

So, the monitor I purchased was shipped from Best Buy for Business. After unraveling the details of the scheme (aided by the idiot behind it, who shortly after the product arrived, asked me if I wanted to make money accepting Paypal payments for her in exchange for a percentage...), I contacted BBfB. Repeatedly. Their reps either seemed to not grasp the situation, or they simply didn't care. I talked to managers too, but after a few hours on the phone on a few different occasions, it became clear that they didn't want the monitor back under any circumstances. The mule to whom I'd sent the \"Paywho?\" payment to refunded it quickly, and I kept the monitor in its box for three months just in case BBfB decided they wanted it back. I pretty much had to badger one of the supervisors into putting my mailing address into a comment on the transaction, stating if they wanted the unit back, all they had to do was send me a waybill.

The moral of this story: You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make Best Buy take back merchandise that it was mistaken in giving away or that was stolen from it through its immense corporate incompetence.

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tundey

October 19, 2009 3:46 PM

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You gotta give it back for 2 reasons:

* it's the right thing to do
* there's a good chance they'll find out and come for their $400 at a time you might not have the money.

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parliboy

October 19, 2009 3:51 PM

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I file this under unconscionable mistake.

Give them a shot to correct the issue. If they don't care (which is possible), then you've done your due diligence.

My guts says you go to Best Buy, ask to speak to someone with \"Manager\" in his/her title, and let that person know what happened. Bring proof of both the refund and the replacement with you, and have the manager initial and date them. If (s)he's daft enough to not get what you're trying to say, then, well, too bad at that point.

1 replies

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mralmostpopular

October 19, 2009 7:58 PM

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@parliboy: How awkward of a convo would that be? So I accepted this X-Box after you gave me store credit. Now I'm feeling guilty about taking it under false pretenses. Can you help me out?

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CompyPaq

October 19, 2009 3:52 PM

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If many people start gaming the system, BestBuy won't be as generous with their warranties in the future. Therefore, he should at least attempt to give it back. Since BB is often staffed by incompetent people they probably won't be able to figure out how to take it back.

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Kimaroo - 100% Pure Natural Kitteh

October 19, 2009 3:58 PM

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Did they credit him before or after he took the Xbox home?

I would probably try to solve the situation with them.. I wouldn't feel right about keeping the Xbox and the money. One or the other. Not both.

2 replies

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coren

October 19, 2009 4:40 PM

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@Kimaroo - No Stars Upon Thars: Before, by about two weeks

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Kimaroo - 100% Pure Natural Kitteh

October 19, 2009 4:57 PM

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@coren: Are you Ian the OP? If so, how did they go about giving you an Xbox when you already had recieved the credit? That sounds very strange.

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coren

October 19, 2009 5:06 PM

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@Kimaroo - No Stars Upon Thars: I'm not the OP, I'm just going by the quote which pecan was so kind to provide.

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pecan 3.14159265

October 19, 2009 5:04 PM

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@Kimaroo - No Stars Upon Thars: From the post:

Today I went and picked up a refurbished Xbox 360 Elite from my local Best Buy that they gave me as a replacement for the one I brought in a couple weeks ago which was broken. The only thing is, I had already returned the broken Xbox and received $400 in store credit for it.

Presumably, the OP brought his first XBox into Best Buy and they couldn't fix it, so they issued a credit weeks before he (for some reason) went back to Best Buy, in w hich they issued a replacement.

I'm still not sure why he decided to go back to Best Buy, why he approached the customer service desk to specifically inquire about his XBox (he had already received his store credit) and why he then accepted an XBox from Best Buy, knowing that he had already received a store credit.

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Kimaroo - 100% Pure Natural Kitteh

October 19, 2009 5:17 PM

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@pecan 3.14159265: I guess my reading comprehention isn't that great early in the morning. Thanks : )

It does sound quite shady.. but I guess he sent in the story because he's starting to feel guilty.. He was hoping we would all say, \"Aww it's a gift, keep it!\"

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coren

October 19, 2009 5:08 PM

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@pecan 3.14159265: It almost sounds to me like they called him in to come and get it, not he thought \"oh hey, I bet I could get TWO Xboxes!\". If it's not a matter of him being notified but rather him trying to scam, it totally changes things.

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Duke_Newcombe sez íViva la Revolucion de Chihuahua!

October 19, 2009 6:47 PM

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@coren: It still doesn't explain why, if BB let him know to come pick up the XBox, why the words, \"but I've already been credited for one\" didn't immediately fly out of his mouth, nor does it explain why the XBox was picked up AFTER the credit was given.

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coren

October 19, 2009 6:54 PM

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@Duke_Newcombe (now with 50% more feigned interest): Because he has a poorly developed sense of ethics/morals is my guess.

Assuming I have the story right.

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Kimaroo - 100% Pure Natural Kitteh

October 19, 2009 5:18 PM

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@coren: Yeah, we need more of the story to see for sure whether the intent was there or not.

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pecan 3.14159265

October 19, 2009 5:24 PM

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@Kimaroo - No Stars Upon Thars: Yeah, and that was something I brought up on the first page. It seems to me that he knew exactly what he was doing, felt a pang of guilt over it, and appealed to the internets to slap him on the back and tell him what a good job he did of bilking Best Buy. He's not going to get that from me. It's obvious to me that he knew what he was doing.

Best Buy didn't just send him a replacement unit, he approached them at the store and accepted it without telling them he had already been compensated. If they had no idea he had a store credit already, and they called him to tell him they have a replacement unit, he should have told them the truth - the fact that he didn't means that he knew exactly what he was doing.

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October 19, 2009 4:06 PM

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Go return it, but don't have the xbox on you though. Leave it in the car or something. No point on walking into a store with a console that you might not even be able to return.

2 replies

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mralmostpopular

October 19, 2009 8:05 PM

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@montusama: How is he supposed to return it then? Teleport it from his car at just the right moment?

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AbsoluteIrrelevance

October 19, 2009 9:15 PM

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@mralmostpopular: Or just walk back outside and get the Xbox. That's probably easier than teleportation.

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unimus

October 19, 2009 4:11 PM

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Can you tell me exactly (steps, timing..etc) how you got yourself into this dilemma :)

OK, I WAS JUST KIDDING....RETURN IT!!

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October 19, 2009 4:14 PM

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Send an email to corporate describing the circumstances and offer to send it back to them if they provide a shipping label since going to the store to fix their error would be an inconvenience. Probably 50/50 as to if they actually want it back.

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W10002

October 19, 2009 4:16 PM

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You know, with all the complaining about companies screwing the consumers over, wouldn't it be hypocritical if the consumer screws over the company? I believe that maintaining integrity and upholding good ethics is important. As much as it probably sucks, I would say, give the 360 back.

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Cruc

October 19, 2009 4:21 PM

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I have to say I'm a bit confused as to what exactly occured by the story. But I'll use my understand of the the OP's description, which was that he got another XBOX and received store credit, meaning he's duped Best Buy out of several hundred dollars.

That said, the OP already knows the right thing to do here, but wants support for doing what he's already done-stealing, albeit because of the incompetence of their employees, their sales/support systems, or both.

Best Buy or not, this is stealing, and its not okay. Its not okay no matter how shabbiliy the last cashier treated you, or how stupid the last salesman you spoke to was, or....

C-

2 replies

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coren

October 19, 2009 4:55 PM

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@Cruc: It actually isn't stealing - he got his cash refund then they said \"oh here, have an Xbox\". Which they shouldn't have done, but if they're giving it to him, that's not him stealing it.

Now, ethically, very much not ok, but that doesn't make it theft.

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October 19, 2009 6:25 PM

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@coren: I think a strong case can be made that it was theft, given that he accepted something that he knew that he wasn't entitled to. If it had been a mistake on both sides, then that's a whole different ballgame, but he took what wasn't his.

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coren

October 19, 2009 6:34 PM

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@Cyberxion101: But it was offered to him, it's not as if he walked in, yanked an item from the shelf and walked out.

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Duke_Newcombe sez íViva la Revolucion de Chihuahua!

October 19, 2009 6:50 PM

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@coren: You're right: he walked in (AFTER being compensated for his deceased XBox), it was HANDED to him, and he walked out. Much different, of course.

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coren

October 19, 2009 6:56 PM

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@Duke_Newcombe (now with 50% more feigned interest): It is, in the sense that it was offered to him. He shouldn't have taken it, but...

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October 19, 2009 9:12 PM

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@coren: I totally get what you're on about, but what I think stands the chance of bringing the OP's actions into theft territory is the fact that he obtained the 360 fraudulently, which is something he freely admits to having done.

I'm not a lawyer, but I imagine that it wouldn't be too tough to make the case that he engaged in theft, knowing as he did that he was not entitled to the 360.

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coren

October 19, 2009 9:18 PM

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@Cyberxion101: I figured it was just fraud, he's not exactly got any sort of moral high ground

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October 19, 2009 4:27 PM

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My daddy always said, \"If you're gonna steal, steal big.\"

This ain't big enuf...

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leastcmplicated

October 19, 2009 4:34 PM

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dont lower yourself to their level. I've returned items for much less that ended up in the bottom of the stroller or my child put in the cart and i didnt notice until i got to the car. Or I simply walked out without putting it on the belt. yes, they're evil, yes they're greedy but dont be like them. If you keep it you're no better IMO

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October 19, 2009 4:39 PM

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Decide which would be more hassle - keeping it, or trying to explain the situation to Best Buy in hopes that they understand it and act appropriately. Who knows, you might wind up with no Xbox 360 and now no warranty.

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nirvaeh

October 19, 2009 4:41 PM

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isn't >$300 a felony?

1 replies

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nstonep

October 19, 2009 6:46 PM

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@nirvaeh: The thing is that it was re-furbed so it's probably not worth 400 bucks. Used stock you generally can't resell (breached seal means value plummets) that probably has scratches, dings, etc. Probably worth about 250 tops. You can get one new for 300 now I believe.

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MurKam

October 19, 2009 4:51 PM

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If Consumerist.com exists to promote fairness, honesty, fair play, etc.--why on earth would it pose this question in the first place? Solicitng the feedback of readers who can vote to not return the merchandise, at minimum, tactily condones dishonesty. Suggesting that manufacturers are not entitled to the same fair play undermines the integrety of this website.

And yes, all of you folks who want to hate some big bad company--go ahead and bust my chops about this posting.

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intellivised

October 19, 2009 5:09 PM

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Call Best Buy, make them aware of their mistake, say you'd like to keep it since it was their error and tell them you are going to donate it to an after school program or something.

Then do that. You don't need two Xbox's. A disadvantage youth program could use something like this as a gaming machine, DVD player, etc.

1 replies

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October 19, 2009 6:11 PM

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@intellivised: As a person who's on his 3rd Xbox, I can tell you that \"You don't need two Xbox's\" is factually incorrect. You need AT LEAST two Xbox's if you want to rely on having a working one.

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October 19, 2009 5:10 PM

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I would give it back, they gave him $400 in store credit which is more than the Xbox 360 costs now, so he could buy a new one and probably a couple games or accessories.

1 replies

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October 19, 2009 5:35 PM

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@Outrun1986: I agree. The OP had a 360 Pro, and upgraded to the Elite when that system died. He'll be upgrading yet again to the Modern Warfare 2 version of the 360. I'd say he's stretched his $400 pretty effectively without gouging BB for a second console.

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October 19, 2009 5:10 PM

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PTB315

October 19, 2009 5:11 PM

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Consumerist, not to nit pick, but slim down the poll options and keep the joke options out. I'm genuinely curious as to what people would do here. The only two options should have been keep it or return it, don't worry about passing judgment on the guy for taking it. He's asking what to do, not what should have been done. You basically have 2 choices for \"keep it\" between options 1 and 4.

1 replies

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PTB315

October 19, 2009 5:12 PM

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@PTB315: Forgot to add, let people justify their answers in the comments. I love ethics questions; they have to be black and white options. Let the gray be in peoples reasoning and explination.

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Crovie

October 19, 2009 5:18 PM

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I would keep it. Worst case is they figure out they sent you a freebie and ask for it back.

If you return it, someone else might smuggle it out, or they might never note that they received it and then come after you for that xbox they mistakenly handed out.

Point is, I wouldn't trust Best Buy to acknowledge a customer did something right.

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October 19, 2009 5:19 PM

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Easy solution.

Best buy is perfectly capable of determining how they want to give away their property. Head down there and explain the situation to a manager (take the xbox with ya). If they say \"keep it\" you can do so with free conscience as the company rep has decided thats what they want to do and you would've explained that you were already reimbursed.

I echo the earlier sentiment that you can then go one step farther and donate it to a worthwhile organization.

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downwithmonstercable

October 19, 2009 5:21 PM

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Give it back. It's the honest thing to do. Karma doesn't exist, but integrity does.

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FDCPAGuy

October 19, 2009 5:24 PM

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For all you people advising to keep this I hope you have trouble sleeping at night. From the OPs story BestBuy has done nothing to harm him and he even stated that the extended warranties have worked out great for him and in his favor. I really think those of you with personal vendettas (including Phil) need to get over it.

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Xerloq

October 19, 2009 5:31 PM

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Give it back, definitely.

That said, if you can figure out how to get HP to take back an extra laptop they gave me, I'd like to know. I sent it back to the repair depot, and they returned it to me. I called the case managers and executive customer service six times and they wouldn't respond. That was a year ago.

Sucks having an extra laptop I can't use.

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Southern

October 19, 2009 5:32 PM

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Sorry, I'm of the \"Why did you pick it up in the FIRST place\" mentality. The customer already knew he had returned the broken one for store credit so he should have known the replacement offer was a mistake.

All in all it comes down to morality.

Locks on a house or a car doesn't keep a true thief out. They just serve to keep the honest people honest.

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sucram65

October 19, 2009 5:44 PM

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In the poll I advocated keeping the xbox because MS and BB are evil. Instead, I think you should give it back and take your $400 and go buy your replacement at Costco. There you will have a lifetime warranty and walk out of the store with a new one the same day. no questions asked, no waiting period while they attempt to repair it. In fact, if there has been a price reduction you'll also pocket the difference in cash.

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October 19, 2009 5:50 PM

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I feel compelled to be the Nth person who has to ask... Why did the OP even pick it up in the first place? He had already received the $400 refund plus a prorated refund on his warranty. When they called saying they had a refurb for him, why didn't he just say, \"You refunded me $400 for my bad 360, this must be a mistake.\" If they then had said, \"Well, it's here waiting for you and we don't have a way to put this back into our inventory, so pelase come pick this up\" it would be a very different situation. If that had happened, he has no reason to give it back to the store. In this case, I would bring it back, because stuff like this ends up costing other customers in the form of higher prices.

2 replies

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nstonep

October 19, 2009 6:39 PM

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@ganzhimself: Best buy doesn't stock re-furbed units; the delivery to store inventory from the repair facility is likely one way. Still they could keep it in the back for the next 360 fail parade.

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October 19, 2009 7:01 PM

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@nstonep: I wasn't saying it would go back into the store's inventory, it would go back into Best Buy's (either the district warehouse or repair facility). Not sure how it's handled. I already have a creative solution: send it back into the repair queue as a RROD, once it hits the repair facility, it's back in their inventory once it's \"fixed\" even though it's not broken.

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October 19, 2009 5:58 PM

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I don't get why the OP is playing at making this some sort of moral dilemma. If he really cared about doing the right thing, then he wouldn't have accepted the refurbished 360 a couple of weeks after he had already received a refund for his broken unit. The issue had long since been resolved by then, and so the responsible thing to do would have been to refuse it.

Instead of pretending that he's concerned about doing the right thing, maybe he should have been honest about what it was he wanted to know. It's clear to me that what he really wants is to know is whether or not there's a chance that he'll be caught for having accepted the refurbished 360 in spite of not being entitled to it, as well as whether or not he'll be on the hook for the cost of the unit if/when he is. Being honest about it might not have gone over as well, but it would have been far less intellectually dishonest then this was. This shit is just insulting.

Now I'm not judging him for doing what he did. I just don't appreciate this disingenuous clap-trap is all.

1 replies

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nstonep

October 19, 2009 6:40 PM

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@Cyberxion101: Agreed in retrospect. He wants to know if they're going to charge him moolata or put him in jail.

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Hawkins

October 19, 2009 6:01 PM

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Send them a letter, explaining the situation, and asking them what they want to you do about it. Tell them that they have 60 days to respond.

Send it certified, return receipt requested. Send copies to the store and to the regional manager. Retain a copy.

Wait 60 days.

You now have a backup device.

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pengajim

October 19, 2009 6:15 PM

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They'll both break anyway so keep it to play twice as long as any other xbox owner.

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nstonep

October 19, 2009 6:18 PM

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I wouldn't have taken it in the first place. People follow their own codes, but morality isn't learned; it's either there or it isn't.

Should he return it? Heck yeah, it's probably going to break in a week or two anyway. (Murphy's law)

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October 19, 2009 6:30 PM

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Many years ago, I bought a top-shelf Texas Instruments graphing calculator and a $20 cassette Walkman clone at Circuit City.
The calculator was hanging on the pegboard, but the tape player wasn't. After I paid for both items, I went over to the service desk to pick it up... and they gave me another $120 calculator.

So, I put the second calculator in a box, and shipped it to a young woman majoring in mathematics in Yaroslavl, Russia. She used it for the last year of her studies... and made extra money creating, checking and grading tests for the entire math department at her college. (After she graduated, her first job paid $40 per month, so she would never have owned something like that in her life). Fourteen years later, I bet that thing is still in use somewhere on the steppes.

All of Russia thanks you, Circuit City. Your \"generosity\" went to a good cause.

1 replies

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October 19, 2009 11:49 PM

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@oldgraygeek: COMMUNIST.

;)

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October 19, 2009 6:32 PM

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Ethically, the best thing to do is to (attempt to) return it. However, Best Buy's infrastructure is so disjointed, that it may not even be worth taking the time to explain the situation to a manager, who probably has no clue what's going on, no way to take back the extra Xbox, and no way to reconcile the different departments' overlapping refunds.

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October 19, 2009 6:35 PM

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For the number of times Best Buy has screwed me over in one way or another I'd keep it. If you somehow overpaid and never noticed do you think Best Buy would call you and give your money back? Doubt it.

1 replies

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Duke_Newcombe sez íViva la Revolucion de Chihuahua!

October 19, 2009 6:59 PM

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@parad0x360: It's an important thing not to base one's ethics upon how a company would conduct itself in a similar situation, don't you think? Especially Best Buy's ethics.

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Bob Lu

October 19, 2009 6:53 PM

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Send a email to BB to let them know the situation. In the meanwhile, open, set up, and enjoy the Xbob 360. When BB asks you return the Xbox 360, charg them $199 for \"extensive optimization of the unit\".

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October 19, 2009 8:03 PM

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This is the OP. I will admit that my first thought upon picking up the Xbox was, \"Hey, sweet! A free Xbox!\" to use as a back-up, because Best Buy is evil, etc. etc. I will also admit, that for someone like me who believes in morality and ethics, that even accepting the Xbox was something I should not have done. Hindsight is always 20/20. But the issue is now, if I try to return the Xbox, will some employee just end up driving off with it a the end of the day? I have already emailed Best Buy Customer Service through their normal channels, and am considering sending an EECB to ask what Corporate thinks I should do with the Xbox.

3 replies

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October 19, 2009 9:28 PM

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@Stupidone0: If an employee makes off with it, that's on their conscience/karma/whatever. Not yours.

I'm not sure what you want corporate to say in this, either. Especially if you admit to taking it on purpose.

I get the sense you feel bad about it, and there's one way to fix it: Take it back to the store, today.

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Bob Lu

October 21, 2009 6:54 PM

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@lalaland13: And don't forget to charge them for your service. No you didn't open the box. You optimized it!

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October 19, 2009 8:59 PM

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@Stupidone0: I would think that since the 360 is technically not yours in the first place, it shouldn't matter where it ends up once you get your shit together and return it.

That's just me though.

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October 19, 2009 8:05 PM

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It never surprises me to see the human capacity for justification and self delusion.

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October 19, 2009 8:22 PM

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I actually got a free XBOX 360 from Microsoft. What happened was my 360 was out for RROD (refurb) and I got a new one in the mail. Then, 2 weeks later I got an email saying my 360 was being sent to me, the first thing I did was call Microsoft and tell them I already received my 360, the person on the line said \"they would look into it\". A week later the 360 arrived and I called them again and they said \"guess it's your lucky day\" Not for one second was I planning to keep that 360 and I called them as soon as I found out so perhaps they could reverse it. If I can be honest with no qualms whatsoever (I even had a reason to be angry, this was my 4th RROD 360), this person should have no difficulty either. I was honest and in the end I still got to keep the system.

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October 19, 2009 8:34 PM

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Stick it to bestbuy every chance you get. They do it to their customers all the time anyway!!

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October 19, 2009 8:54 PM

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They gave you a refurb as a replacement with a 90 day extended warranty - basically, the same warranty you'll get from anyone doing a crappy reflow on an RROD. Consider it your replacement when it RRODs in a few months.

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viqas

October 19, 2009 8:57 PM

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you took the xbox knowing they are making a mistake, i dont think you should mention it again.

reason for this is because they can charge you with theft. It was not a simple mistake to take it, giving it back will be admission of guilt and it is not worth the trouble to get yourself into and out of trouble. if you are feeling guilty, buy a tv with those warranties and monster cables, it will balance out.

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cmdrsass

October 19, 2009 9:00 PM

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I'm surprised at how unethical most Consumerist readers are. Maybe you deserve to be screwed by megacorps?

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sroemerm

October 19, 2009 9:31 PM

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In EVERYTHING, do to others what you would have them do to you. Period

No ifs no buts, because as we all know: If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a merry Christmas.

Send it back!

1 replies

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October 20, 2009 4:10 AM

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@sroemerm: Bravo.

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October 19, 2009 9:47 PM

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I just had to go with \"push a button on an internet poll\" Since I couldn't give an honest answer.

I want to say \"give it back\" but if I was in your position I would keep it.

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October 19, 2009 10:09 PM

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KEEP IT.

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October 19, 2009 10:46 PM

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Nice to see that moral relativism is alive and well...

I can't believe this is even a question. Give it back. Your personal honor is worth more than some cheap piece of consumer electronics. Or am I going to have to send a squad of Klingons after you?

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UESC

October 19, 2009 10:50 PM

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give the console back, use the 400 in store credit for the new MW2 console. it's got the new chipset, better cooling, bigger HD and it comes with MW2!!

You've already gotten a great deal by exchanging your Elite for a new console, and somebody soon at best buy will have to answer why there's 1 missing 360 console...

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October 19, 2009 11:37 PM

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Give it back. Your integrity is worth more than any xbox. On the note of whoever asked for a signed receipt if they gave it back, I'm pretty sure such a thing would be impossible. No receipts are made for those refurbed xboxes as far as I'm aware, just a repair tag in the system that tracks where the unit is at.

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October 20, 2009 1:26 AM

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Hari kiri?

1 replies

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Sifl

October 20, 2009 1:58 AM

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@Jesse in Japan:

Hari! Hari Krishna!

;)

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October 20, 2009 2:21 AM

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It's Best Buy.

I don't wrestle with guilt over Xbox 360's. Granted, stealing outright is wrong, but large corporate oversight that misses store inventory mistakes like this are really nothing you've done wrong.

If you return the console, they replace it back into inventory and the shrink budget grows a little so the store can afford for some kid to try to steal Xbox 360 point cards or some derilect employee can walk off with 3-4 Blu Rays. Whoopee. Good for you.

Or you can keep the Xbox knowing full well you didn't pay for it and just know in the future when your system breaks, for once, you're not feeling like you've been screwed over once again by Microsoft for their supremely defective hardware.

If anything keep it because the extended warranty is a massive profit center for Best Buy with very few redeeming qualities to it.

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October 20, 2009 2:25 AM

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At the very least, I'd let them know. Why keep the crappy refurb Elite when you're going to get a new one in about a month anyway? Also, I'd be worried that they took away my store credit by giving me the refurb.

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October 20, 2009 2:29 AM

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Ian, while I appreciate the sentiment (and I'm honest to a fault) Best Buy screwed me over like no other company, and trust me, they have it coming. For any other company I'd say give it back, but in this case I say it's Karma.

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Scatter

October 20, 2009 3:03 AM

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I find it ironic that so many people on this forum get butthurt when the Best Buy door man wants to check your receipt on the way out but then they encourage this guy to keep the Xbox 360.

You can't have it both ways people.

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kstagg

October 20, 2009 3:20 AM

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Buy a PS3 and stop worrying about returning a gaming console.

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Grrrrrrr, now with two buns made of bacon.

October 20, 2009 4:27 AM

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Keeping it is stealing. You might as well have thrown a brick through the window. Who knows, you might even get a conscience as you get older, and this could gnaw at you for many, many years.

Yep, it's tempting. After all, Best Buy has been screwing people for years. The question is, do you want to sink to the level of Best Buy?

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eXo

October 20, 2009 3:28 PM

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I have tried to do the right thing in the past, and then been treated like a thief over THEIR mistake. I was given a loaner laptop and then when i tried to bring it back they started giving me a refund for the loaner. I explained that it was a loaner, and I was just dropping it back off - at which point they started acting like I must have stolen it in the first place since their system didn't log it properly. They started questioning me and acting like I was out to get them. Pissed me off so badly. I could have kept the damn thing AND avoided being insulted.

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October 20, 2009 6:46 PM

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God loves you.. obviously. Keep it. it's not Dishonest... it's youre reward for being an Awesome human being.

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sinfuly Delicious

October 20, 2009 7:21 PM

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While I would normally say return it and such. If you have ever dealt with the best buy repair black hole of never ending unhappyness and all things fuzzy. Then id say keep it.

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narq

October 20, 2009 7:54 PM

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Would I give Gamestop back a game they accidentally gave me free? NO! These specific companies thrive off screwing people day in and out. They deserve to pay if THEY screw up and give you something free.

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October 21, 2009 4:03 AM

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I work at bestbuy in new York, I say give it back for a few reasons. 1) its morally right 2) its shrink and at bestbuy we get blue crew bucks every quarter if our store sells well. If we have shrink and $400 is alot that could keep that bestbuy from giving its employees extra money in their pay checks. And as the only main electronics store left we work hard for thoes Blue crew bucks. 3) it would be Devoed out and sent to microsoft it wouldnt end up in some employees car. The only thing we get for free is the display cardboard cutouts. 4) get a ps3 its alot better. with the 360 your paying $400 for a system that has no blueray no WIFI and its about $50 a year for online, not to mention the 33% failure rate. 360 is also $299 now

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octoSink

October 21, 2009 6:50 PM

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I had a similar experience with Best Buy. I ordered a hard drive from BB and due to the holidays I wanted it shipped overnight. The next day I received an email stating that they made a mistake and it wouldn't be shipped as I requested, so they gave me free shipping.
Next day I receive the package. Open it and it's a DSLR camera, and a very nice one (not saying brand due to paranoia). I freak. Moral dilemma, yes. Two days later my conscious get the best of me and I call Best Buy.
First, the BB CSR apologizes and tells me she's sending me the hard drive, then asks me to take the camera to the closest BB. I live in a large urban area so I use public transportation and getting to BB was a hassle. She then asks if I can send it via UPS and they'll reimburse. I was starting to get indignant. I told her it's BB's problem. They should send someone from the store to pick it up. That's not BB policy. She then started explaining that there is no deadline to when I have to take it in. I told her I would never return it that it's their problem. She wasn't phased. Just went on with the \"there's no deadline on when you need to return it.\"
The next day I got my hard drive. Right after that I sold it and used the money for a trip to Vietnam.
I hope this helps you with your decision.

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morsteen

October 21, 2009 6:53 PM

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why the hell give any sympathy to best buy? on a daily basis they swindle thousands upon thousands of people out of time, sanity, and money. FUCK THEM!

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sielo_X

October 23, 2009 6:53 PM

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If Ian is truly questioning giving it back then for the sake of his morals, he should hand it over to Best Buy. However I know I wouldn't give it back. Why? Because I am a former BBY employee and I know their inventory system.

When the inventory controller (aka SWAT) does his biweekly counts he will notice that the xbox is missing. Getting the gift card is essentially the same thing as returning an item. The quantity goes up by one. Now if someone calls Ian and tells him that the Xbox is ready for pick up, he basically just walks out with it and that is not tracked in the system. So now BBY is missing the Xbox.

Two things normally happen in this case depending on the store's size and current shrink percentage. If it is a large store, they can afford to just \"key out\" the item from the inventory. The same can be said if the shrink number is low and they want to focus on other items that are more valuable. Now if the store can't afford to take a hit on the shrink budget, a very easy search of recent returns will turn up Ian's receipt. If he was naive enough to sign up for the Rewards Zone Program then the SWAT will have his phone number and address.

I have run into this issue in the past and my product process manager called the customer asking him to return the item. (We know they have it because they signed a release for when they pick it up and we also know that they have a gift card sign since we can see when the Xbox was returned to our inventory.) After a few calls he leaves a message saying that we are going to notify the cops but that never happened at our store. We just took the hit and moved on.

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