[quote name='btw1217']Best Buy doesn't really have a legal foot to stand on in terms of suing, since the merchandise was returned, nor would I expect them to waste additional time and money. But they definitely are well within their right to terminate him as an employee. I don't feel this is illegal in any way, but it is certainly highly unethical and sufficient to lose one's job.[/QUOTE]These sale ALWAYS have the stipulation that the cheapest game must be free. In my lifetime I've seen two incidents where that stipulation wasn't written down the first was way back inthe 90s at a local store and the second was retracted. They put signs up all over the stores. The fact that BB hasn't put signs up all over their stores saying that the cheapest game must be free means that they didn't make a mistake and it IS written that the cheapest game must be free. Therefore while a customer could get away with milking the system an employee has no excuse for not following the written rules.
Got fired over the Best Buy B2G1 promo
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[quote name='Wolfkin']These sale ALWAYS have the stipulation that the cheapest game must be free. In my lifetime I've seen two incidents where that stipulation wasn't written down the first was way back inthe 90s at a local store and the second was retracted. They put signs up all over the stores. The fact that BB hasn't put signs up all over their stores saying that the cheapest game must be free means that they didn't make a mistake and it IS written that the cheapest game must be free. Therefore while a customer could get away with milking the system an employee has no excuse for not following the written rules.[/QUOTE]
I totally agree.
I totally agree.
The morlas are: Don't brag to your fellow employees, and BB management are idiots if they think you're friends will return their games. Though why buy multiple copie sof the same game? Sure it's cheap for you, but very obvious to them. Nobody is buying 20 copies of a game. Least of all with their friends. And now you think you can sue for the games back? games you willingly returned, that you exploited a glitch for, and that you were promised would help you case not get you forgiven? Or your job? If you did get it back, good luck being a perfect employee. Anythign you do wrong will get you fired. They don't trust you anymore.
I wonder which is worse? You exploited a glitch, or actually think you were wronged by Best Buy?
I wonder which is worse? You exploited a glitch, or actually think you were wronged by Best Buy?
RobotSimp
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the actual moral is that this guy was an employee of bestbuy. as an employee you have agreed to uphold company profits and standards.
there was an employment agreement filed and when you signed on the line accepting the job, you also accepted the reponsibility to prevent incidents such as this from happening.
it was your responsibility to report your findings to your manager. you contributed to company loss which in turn leads to stock holder loss. this loss was even expanded by informing friends causing further loss and therefore malicious intent to company profits
you were fired for not upholding your reponsibilities to your employer, plain and simple
you have no recourse, standard loss prevention defines this as theft by deception.
if you were not an employee of the company offering the promotion, you would probably be lauded here as a bargain finding hero. but since you were, that puts you on a different level. grow up and accept your own repsonsibility for your actions taken.
there was an employment agreement filed and when you signed on the line accepting the job, you also accepted the reponsibility to prevent incidents such as this from happening.
it was your responsibility to report your findings to your manager. you contributed to company loss which in turn leads to stock holder loss. this loss was even expanded by informing friends causing further loss and therefore malicious intent to company profits
you were fired for not upholding your reponsibilities to your employer, plain and simple
you have no recourse, standard loss prevention defines this as theft by deception.
if you were not an employee of the company offering the promotion, you would probably be lauded here as a bargain finding hero. but since you were, that puts you on a different level. grow up and accept your own repsonsibility for your actions taken.
breakingcustoms
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[quote name='beakey56']I am just wondering what your guys thoughts are on this and if anyone else from another Best Buy got in trouble over this. I'm going to be talking to a lawyer about either getting my games or my job back. I don't think it is fair that they made me return those games if they were just going to fire me. I also don't really think this is fair since technically I was just a customer at BB, I didn't even use my employee numbers. To me this was just me taking an advantage of a sale and I didn't do anything wrong.[/QUOTE]
You did nothing wrong? Are kidding me? You were basically stealing from them. Exploiting a glitch to get 2-$5 games to net you a $60 game? Yeah, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that!
And you were upset that they wanted the games back?
Wow, CAG is taking a nosedive with these BOGO scammers and thiefs lately...
You did nothing wrong? Are kidding me? You were basically stealing from them. Exploiting a glitch to get 2-$5 games to net you a $60 game? Yeah, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that!
And you were upset that they wanted the games back?
Wow, CAG is taking a nosedive with these BOGO scammers and thiefs lately...
saturnotaku
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My cousin is a human resources attorney, and she would laugh the OP right out of her firm.
change the setting and the merchandise purchases and see how it holds up from your pov and the merchandiser's pov.
You work at a car dealership, you find out that you can buy 2 cars and get one free. you buy 2 stripped down kia's for under 10k each, and the other car is are bentley.
You work at a car dealership, you find out that you can buy 2 cars and get one free. you buy 2 stripped down kia's for under 10k each, and the other car is are bentley.
IAmTheCheapestGamer
Banned
I'm still wishing that I had run up to my closest BB just prior to closing on the last night of the deal and did this glitch, since I wanna play Uncharted 2 but I have a feeling it's gonna hold value like the first one did for a looooong time.
Ten bucks is better than paying $60.
Ten bucks is better than paying $60.
Yea, if you found this out by accident and happened to get a cheap game due to cashier mistake or something, then Id be more sympathetic, but you did a major exploit on a system you were trained to use and technically supposed to protect against, so yea, you shoulda got fired. Sucks, but live and learn man.
shrike4242
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I'm glad Best Buy is taking punitive action towards their employees stealing from the company. They may not be able to do anything to the customers pulling the fast one with the B2G1 glitch, though they certainly can go terminate the employment of their employees trying to pull a funny one over the company. Even worse is that you had other people informed on the situation, so there's more than one count of fraud going on, even if there may be only one count's worth of theft.
I'd be pretty surprised if any lawyer that heard all the details of this situation didn't advise the OP that he did commit fraud and theft, though even though he gave the items back to the store, fraud and theft still did occur. Anyone caught stealing items from a private homeowner, store or other entity and gives the items back doesn't magically have the charges or situation disappear.
Even in a state that doesn't have at-will employment, theft is usually an accepted reason to terminate employment. Plus, since it was a termination with cause, the OP doesn't get unemployment benefits.
Also, when they run an employment verification for his next job, Best Buy can tell the prospective employer that they did terminate him for cause. They can't explain what the cause was, though they can indicate that the OP didn't leave Best Buy's employ on his own terms.
Don't waste time with a lawyer, OP. Best Buy's lawyers are a bit more prolific and more well-paid that whatever ambulance chaser you'd scare up to work on percentage of judgment retainer.
I'd be pretty surprised if any lawyer that heard all the details of this situation didn't advise the OP that he did commit fraud and theft, though even though he gave the items back to the store, fraud and theft still did occur. Anyone caught stealing items from a private homeowner, store or other entity and gives the items back doesn't magically have the charges or situation disappear.
Even in a state that doesn't have at-will employment, theft is usually an accepted reason to terminate employment. Plus, since it was a termination with cause, the OP doesn't get unemployment benefits.
Also, when they run an employment verification for his next job, Best Buy can tell the prospective employer that they did terminate him for cause. They can't explain what the cause was, though they can indicate that the OP didn't leave Best Buy's employ on his own terms.
Don't waste time with a lawyer, OP. Best Buy's lawyers are a bit more prolific and more well-paid that whatever ambulance chaser you'd scare up to work on percentage of judgment retainer.
Actually if he hires a lawyer he will very likely unemployment benefits back. It is a lot less trouble for best buy to pay his benefits than go through it in court. Unless BB is filing criminal charges they wont want to go to court over the unemployment benefits
now hes out of games-money he spent-time-n a job- (wondered if they wanted all their rock revs back too)
but yeah i would have fired you too. you said you did this 10 time n your friends as well-im guessing at least 25 copies of brand new games-
thats about $1,500 worth of games n you guys paid about $125 all in rock rev games. wonder why the r pissed?
should of kept the games to kill time now that you aint got a job. dont mean to be mean but you abused the crap out of a nice glitch. u should have been happy with one or two games, n let your friends buy them for you.
but yeah i would have fired you too. you said you did this 10 time n your friends as well-im guessing at least 25 copies of brand new games-
thats about $1,500 worth of games n you guys paid about $125 all in rock rev games. wonder why the r pissed?
should of kept the games to kill time now that you aint got a job. dont mean to be mean but you abused the crap out of a nice glitch. u should have been happy with one or two games, n let your friends buy them for you.
Squarehard
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[quote name='62t']Actually if he hires a lawyer he will very likely unemployment benefits back. It is a lot less trouble for best buy to pay his benefits than go through it in court. Unless BB is filing criminal charges they wont want to go to court over the unemployment benefits[/QUOTE]
That assuming any lawyer would actually take his case. I don't think umemployment wages from a retail store is exactly going to make a lawyer want to jump up and take the case. Even if it was a family friend and they would do it for free, the time they spend to try and get this case going would be more of a loss than what they will come out with in the end. Unless they are a terrible lawyer and need the work, in which case hes probably still going to lose anyways since BB probably realize there is no case with their crappy lawyer.
That assuming any lawyer would actually take his case. I don't think umemployment wages from a retail store is exactly going to make a lawyer want to jump up and take the case. Even if it was a family friend and they would do it for free, the time they spend to try and get this case going would be more of a loss than what they will come out with in the end. Unless they are a terrible lawyer and need the work, in which case hes probably still going to lose anyways since BB probably realize there is no case with their crappy lawyer.
atomicmudkitten
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On a not so related note. Whats with BB not letting me use DJ hero as on of the Buy 2 games? Me purchasing $200 worth of kit should be good enough but alas no only $59 game counted.
bigdaddybruce44
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[quote name='Squarehard']That assuming any lawyer would actually take his case. I don't think umemployment wages from a retail store is exactly going to make a lawyer want to jump up and take the case. Even if it was a family friend and they would do it for free, the time they spend to try and get this case going would be more of a loss than what they will come out with in the end. Unless they are a terrible lawyer and need the work, in which case hes probably still going to lose anyways since BB probably realize there is no case with their crappy lawyer.[/QUOTE]
Indeed. There wouldn't be enough money in it for a lawyer.
Indeed. There wouldn't be enough money in it for a lawyer.
[quote name='Squarehard']That assuming any lawyer would actually take his case. I don't think umemployment wages from a retail store is exactly going to make a lawyer want to jump up and take the case. Even if it was a family friend and they would do it for free, the time they spend to try and get this case going would be more of a loss than what they will come out with in the end. Unless they are a terrible lawyer and need the work, in which case hes probably still going to lose anyways since BB probably realize there is no case with their crappy lawyer.[/QUOTE]
Actually lawyers will take the case because BB will want to settle it instead of going through court. BB isnt going to look at him being right or wrong but what would cost the company less money. Unless BB is also filing criminal charges he will have no trouble finding a lawyer that will take the case to get his unemployment benefit.
Actually lawyers will take the case because BB will want to settle it instead of going through court. BB isnt going to look at him being right or wrong but what would cost the company less money. Unless BB is also filing criminal charges he will have no trouble finding a lawyer that will take the case to get his unemployment benefit.
Mospeada_21
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bonehead.
unethical conduct; no further discussion necessary. any argument is pointless.
unethical conduct; no further discussion necessary. any argument is pointless.
Squarehard
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[quote name='atomicmudkitten']On a not so related note. Whats with BB not letting me use DJ hero as on of the Buy 2 games? Me purchasing $200 worth of kit should be good enough but alas no only $59 game counted.[/QUOTE]
That would just be dumb if they let you do it. So you could get 3 DJ Heroes for $80 each? That's $120 difference compared to if each game was $59.99, that's only $60 difference. I would say it was probably a smart idea to not do that, regardless of how much gear you are buying since the accessories are actually where they are making more money than the games, so why should they throw themselves on the dagger for that.
That would just be dumb if they let you do it. So you could get 3 DJ Heroes for $80 each? That's $120 difference compared to if each game was $59.99, that's only $60 difference. I would say it was probably a smart idea to not do that, regardless of how much gear you are buying since the accessories are actually where they are making more money than the games, so why should they throw themselves on the dagger for that.
[quote name='Mospeada_21']bonehead.
unethical conduct; no further discussion necessary. any argument is pointless.[/QUOTE]
Guess what a guy around here was in the same situation and got his employer to pay his unemployment benefit after going to the lawyer, and it was all over the news. It doesnt matter what the "unethical conduct" if Best Buy didnt file charges.
unethical conduct; no further discussion necessary. any argument is pointless.[/QUOTE]
Guess what a guy around here was in the same situation and got his employer to pay his unemployment benefit after going to the lawyer, and it was all over the news. It doesnt matter what the "unethical conduct" if Best Buy didnt file charges.
Squarehard
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[quote name='62t']Actually lawyers will take the case because BB will want to settle it instead of going through court. BB isnt going to look at him being right or wrong but what would cost the company less money. Unless BB is also filing criminal charges he will have no trouble finding a lawyer that will take the case to get his unemployment benefit.[/QUOTE]
Probably half his unemployment that he will get will already be paid to the lawyer for the case. But I guess every penny counts for him. It's not like hes going to find another job for awhile with the stupidity disease and all. That just doesn't go away easily.
Best Buy would have had a cop dragged him out of the store if they did file criminal charges. Thats how they roll. I remember in my 5 years working at Best Buy, thats how they did it, if they were going to file criminal charges, they would wait until the day they had enough evidenec, and then they would have the cop come in on a day that the employee was working and have the cop cuff them and drag them out. It was pretty funny actually. I even remember taking pictures of some of them while they were being taken out. Quite entertaining. Who wants to see pictures!
Probably half his unemployment that he will get will already be paid to the lawyer for the case. But I guess every penny counts for him. It's not like hes going to find another job for awhile with the stupidity disease and all. That just doesn't go away easily.
Best Buy would have had a cop dragged him out of the store if they did file criminal charges. Thats how they roll. I remember in my 5 years working at Best Buy, thats how they did it, if they were going to file criminal charges, they would wait until the day they had enough evidenec, and then they would have the cop come in on a day that the employee was working and have the cop cuff them and drag them out. It was pretty funny actually. I even remember taking pictures of some of them while they were being taken out. Quite entertaining. Who wants to see pictures!
[quote name='62t']Actually lawyers will take the case because BB will want to settle it instead of going through court. BB isnt going to look at him being right or wrong but what would cost the company less money. Unless BB is also filing criminal charges he will have no trouble finding a lawyer that will take the case to get his unemployment benefit.[/QUOTE]
given he was part time, the benefits he may receive would probably not be worth the lawyer fees. The bigger issue would be if there is some kind of permanent record of the termination-that would probably justify the fees. OP is gonna have to check a box that says he was fired on future job applications. Given their was no police report filled, a lawyer may indeed try and help him in those matters, but a competent lawyer would probably not tell him he could get his job back under these circumstances.
given he was part time, the benefits he may receive would probably not be worth the lawyer fees. The bigger issue would be if there is some kind of permanent record of the termination-that would probably justify the fees. OP is gonna have to check a box that says he was fired on future job applications. Given their was no police report filled, a lawyer may indeed try and help him in those matters, but a competent lawyer would probably not tell him he could get his job back under these circumstances.
Squarehard
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[quote name='caltab']given he was part time, the benefits he may receive would probably not be worth the lawyer fees. The bigger issue would be if there is some kind of permanent record of the termination-that would probably justify the fees. OP is gonna have to check a box that says he was fired on future job applications. Given their was no police report filled, a lawyer may indeed try and help him in those matters, but a competent lawyer would probably not tell him he could get his job back under these circumstances.[/QUOTE]
You know what, that is true, lol. I forgot he was part-time. Part-time employees don't even get unemployment! HAHAHAHAHAH! I totally forgot. Not sure how it works in other states, but in my state, only full-time employees get unemployment. AHAHAHAHAHAH! THATS EVEN FUNNIER! LOL!
You know what, that is true, lol. I forgot he was part-time. Part-time employees don't even get unemployment! HAHAHAHAHAH! I totally forgot. Not sure how it works in other states, but in my state, only full-time employees get unemployment. AHAHAHAHAHAH! THATS EVEN FUNNIER! LOL!
[quote name='Squarehard']You know what, that is true, lol. I forgot he was part-time. Part-time employees don't even get unemployment! HAHAHAHAHAH! I totally forgot. Not sure how it works in other states, but in my state, only full-time employees get unemployment. AHAHAHAHAHAH! THATS EVEN FUNNIER! LOL![/QUOTE]
Um you can get unemployment benefit in California for part time
Um you can get unemployment benefit in California for part time
Squarehard
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[quote name='62t']Um you can get unemployment benefit in California for part time[/QUOTE]
I guess you are right. Just looked it up. They just get screwed greatly on how much they are actually getting since they are part time. And I am not sure what other requirements he actually meets as far as how much more they are going to be taking out of his check. Either way, he's still not going to get much from this even if he does end up getting the ruling in his favor if he does go to court.
I guess you are right. Just looked it up. They just get screwed greatly on how much they are actually getting since they are part time. And I am not sure what other requirements he actually meets as far as how much more they are going to be taking out of his check. Either way, he's still not going to get much from this even if he does end up getting the ruling in his favor if he does go to court.
BingoBrown
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FYI, I am a lawyer, and you're probably 
ed. I've spent some time dealing with employment law, and you were an at-will employee with Best Buy. That means that, at any time, you could end employment with them, or they could end your employment. Now there are some protected classes/reasons for which you can't get fired, but from reading your story, none of those are probably going to apply.
What you did wasn't illegal, it was just abusing Best Buy's computer system. That's enough for them to fire you if they want, and that's obviously what they did.
Sorry to hear about the situation, but I don't know that you're going to get anything out of this.
That being said, every state has different laws, and you may be able to recover under your state's laws. It is a good idea to contact a lawyer and see if one can help you. At the very least, a lawyer in your state will be able to tell you whether you've got any cause of action against Best Buy.
For legal purposes, I need to say that the above is not legal advice. I don't know where you live or the laws of your state, so I'm not perfectly situated to evaluate your claim, nor am I probably licensed in the state where you live. I do suggest finding an employment lawyer to discuss your situation with, as you might find some solution to this problem. The best course for finding an attorney is to contact the state bar association, who can refer you to an employment lawyer near you. Good luck.
ed. I've spent some time dealing with employment law, and you were an at-will employee with Best Buy. That means that, at any time, you could end employment with them, or they could end your employment. Now there are some protected classes/reasons for which you can't get fired, but from reading your story, none of those are probably going to apply.What you did wasn't illegal, it was just abusing Best Buy's computer system. That's enough for them to fire you if they want, and that's obviously what they did.
Sorry to hear about the situation, but I don't know that you're going to get anything out of this.
That being said, every state has different laws, and you may be able to recover under your state's laws. It is a good idea to contact a lawyer and see if one can help you. At the very least, a lawyer in your state will be able to tell you whether you've got any cause of action against Best Buy.
For legal purposes, I need to say that the above is not legal advice. I don't know where you live or the laws of your state, so I'm not perfectly situated to evaluate your claim, nor am I probably licensed in the state where you live. I do suggest finding an employment lawyer to discuss your situation with, as you might find some solution to this problem. The best course for finding an attorney is to contact the state bar association, who can refer you to an employment lawyer near you. Good luck.
sobishop
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How the hell did this reach 123 replies. The OP took advantage of the B2G1 free promo buy purchasing 3 games and then returned the "FREE" copy and profited a penny in the exchange. I don't see what he is upset about nor why anyone is siding with him. If they would have been three different games, guess what, they would have done a return on all three games and then rung it up again so that the two you kept were full price. As long as it says B2G1 promo on the receipt, it doesn't matter what all three are rung up as. The only person you need to bitch to is your own ignorance.
[quote name='sobishop']How the hell did this reach 123 replies. The OP took advantage of the B2G1 free promo buy purchasing 3 games and then returned the "FREE" copy and profited a penny in the exchange. I don't see what he is upset about nor why anyone is siding with him. If they would have been three different games, guess what, they would have done a return on all three games and then rung it up again so that the two you kept were full price. As long as it says B2G1 promo on the receipt, it doesn't matter what all three are rung up as. The only person you need to bitch to is your own ignorance.[/QUOTE]
lol, wrong best buy post...
lol, wrong best buy post...
benjamouth
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You're an idiot but thanks for the thread OP, kept me entertained for a few minutes.
EDIT - Oh yeah, returning the games was devastatingly stupid.
EDIT - Oh yeah, returning the games was devastatingly stupid.
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ZeroFactorial
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This is pretty sad. Was it really worth this much trouble to save a few bucks on a couple new games?
If you had waited even maybe just a month or two, you might have gotten some screaming deals on Black Friday or another holiday sale.
The really sad part is, if you still had your job, it would only have taken a week or two for you to afford to pay full price for the games.
The really really sad part is, life tried to teach you a lesson in ethics here, and you think that somehow YOU have been wronged. Can you, in all honesty, say that you somehow think that because of a glitch in the system, it was okay for you to walk away with $600 in merchandise for only $100? I mean, that's essentially stealing 500 bucks from the store.
If YOU owned a BestBuy franchise (do they do franchising? if not, pretend it's some store that does) would you want someone like yourself working for YOUR store? An employee that's going to rip you off for 500 bucks instead of reporting the problem?
Yeah.... once you put yourself in their shoes it's a little easier to see what a moron you were. And talking about suing them... well... if that were YOUR store and one of YOUR employees tried to sue you after trying to get away with stealing 500 bucks, how would YOU respond to that?
If you had waited even maybe just a month or two, you might have gotten some screaming deals on Black Friday or another holiday sale.
The really sad part is, if you still had your job, it would only have taken a week or two for you to afford to pay full price for the games.
The really really sad part is, life tried to teach you a lesson in ethics here, and you think that somehow YOU have been wronged. Can you, in all honesty, say that you somehow think that because of a glitch in the system, it was okay for you to walk away with $600 in merchandise for only $100? I mean, that's essentially stealing 500 bucks from the store.
If YOU owned a BestBuy franchise (do they do franchising? if not, pretend it's some store that does) would you want someone like yourself working for YOUR store? An employee that's going to rip you off for 500 bucks instead of reporting the problem?
Yeah.... once you put yourself in their shoes it's a little easier to see what a moron you were. And talking about suing them... well... if that were YOUR store and one of YOUR employees tried to sue you after trying to get away with stealing 500 bucks, how would YOU respond to that?
Yah, that's your bad for exploiting the company you work for. There was a glitch. You figured it out, then rather then letting someone in the company know about it, your rallied your buddies and started exploiting it on an even greater scale.
Kinda think you deserved to lose your job over it. You could certainly waste your money and hire a lawyer, because technically you can sue anybody, but what are you claiming...wrongful termination? Sounds like there was incredibly proper termination, as they've got statements from you confirming what you did, and followed all necessary steps to terminate you.
Poor decision on your part.
Kinda think you deserved to lose your job over it. You could certainly waste your money and hire a lawyer, because technically you can sue anybody, but what are you claiming...wrongful termination? Sounds like there was incredibly proper termination, as they've got statements from you confirming what you did, and followed all necessary steps to terminate you.
Poor decision on your part.
You know that prevention loss sheet in your folder when getting hired for a job. Normally discuss theft, It also includes glitches I bet. Where you are supposed to report the findings to a manager. Not take advantage of it. Otherwise it goes against the clause you signed.
Next time, Don't be a dumbass. You sound like some pissed off 15 year old who caught doing something they know they should not have been doing.
Oh, and the manager getting you to return the games was sooooooooo gooooooood.
Next time, Don't be a dumbass. You sound like some pissed off 15 year old who caught doing something they know they should not have been doing.
Oh, and the manager getting you to return the games was sooooooooo gooooooood.
sobishop
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Are you serious OP? Pull out your shirt tail and wipe away the tears. If I owned a business and you worked for me and discovered a glitch without notifying me then proceeded to exploit the glitch, I would have you arrested, brought up on criminal charges, and sue your ass blind. End of discussion.
archibishopthedoge
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Im stunned he expects sympathy or people on his side for this. While I think Best Buy is a terrible company and I try to avoid shopping there unless there is a deal too good to be true, they were perfectly within their rights to fire you.
Sounds to me like they set you up. Got you to return the games and then dropped the axe. Smart management there in fairness.
Sounds to me like they set you up. Got you to return the games and then dropped the axe. Smart management there in fairness.
Listen.
I agree with the well-thought out post by BingoBrown, Esq. Taking advantage of the glitch was no more illegal for the OP than it was for anyone else. As far as that goes, there were definitely some innocent purchasers, but those who knew about the glitch and took advantage of it were doing something wrong--not illegal, just wrong. As others have said, the free item is always "of equal or lesser value," and it said that in the ad. Heck, we're calling it a "glitch," which is a defect, a malfunction. In this case, the malfunction allowed lots of people to purchase games for next to nothing. Justify it however you want, it's wrong. Getting back at "big business." Not a justification. "Too bad so sad, their mistake." Not a justification.
As far as losing his job, they certainly had the right to fire the OP. I'll take it a step further. I would have fired him even if he didn't buy the games if I found out he knew about the problem and didn't come to me immediately. Think about it; his purchases were small in the grand scheme of things. What about all the CAGs and FWs walking in and taking advantage of the mistake? Can you say "cost your employer thousands of dollars?"
OP, I feel for you, I really do. You are probably young, and I think to a certain extent being treated unfairly here even though what you did was no different than the rest of those who took advantage of the opportunity. Look, it was tempting. Been there. Something for nothing, or next to nothing; hard to say no. I doubt you'll make this type of decision again.
Good luck in your future. It's not as bleak as others are saying. People get second chances. Think about it, even George W. Bush was re-elected.
I agree with the well-thought out post by BingoBrown, Esq. Taking advantage of the glitch was no more illegal for the OP than it was for anyone else. As far as that goes, there were definitely some innocent purchasers, but those who knew about the glitch and took advantage of it were doing something wrong--not illegal, just wrong. As others have said, the free item is always "of equal or lesser value," and it said that in the ad. Heck, we're calling it a "glitch," which is a defect, a malfunction. In this case, the malfunction allowed lots of people to purchase games for next to nothing. Justify it however you want, it's wrong. Getting back at "big business." Not a justification. "Too bad so sad, their mistake." Not a justification.
As far as losing his job, they certainly had the right to fire the OP. I'll take it a step further. I would have fired him even if he didn't buy the games if I found out he knew about the problem and didn't come to me immediately. Think about it; his purchases were small in the grand scheme of things. What about all the CAGs and FWs walking in and taking advantage of the mistake? Can you say "cost your employer thousands of dollars?"
OP, I feel for you, I really do. You are probably young, and I think to a certain extent being treated unfairly here even though what you did was no different than the rest of those who took advantage of the opportunity. Look, it was tempting. Been there. Something for nothing, or next to nothing; hard to say no. I doubt you'll make this type of decision again.
Good luck in your future. It's not as bleak as others are saying. People get second chances. Think about it, even George W. Bush was re-elected.
Wow, OP. Talk about EPIC dumbassery every step of the way. And people complain about retailers like Best Buy and large corporations screwing their employees/customers/anyone and everyone over, jeeze but it's okay to flip the script and do it to them, huh?
And we wonder why we get fewer and fewer quality deals...no doubt Best Buy will NEVER again have such a B2G1 sale, and no doubt continue to have uber shitty deals week in and week out to make up for the losses.
Now make no mistake, I'm quite bitter I didn't learn about the glitch until it was too late to exploit, but still, you pull shennanegans like this, you better be ready to get burned, if not now then in the future.
OP you screwed yourself every step of the way. I assume you're very young and naive to excuse the utter idiocy of your failings in this case.
First off you no doubt used your employee ID at checkout, I mean how else did they track your purchases at the other stores? Unless they looked it up by a credit/debit card number and matched it to you, don't see how though, but an employee attempting exploits like this, in store, should ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS be paid with cash, don't give them ANY method of identifying you - no Rewards Zone membership, no employee ID, nothing. You didn't do anything illegal, true, but what you were was extremely unethical and unreliable as an employee. Bragging about it to another employee...another moment of failed thinking and your ultimate undoing.
And then you go and fess up, man stupid mistake number 2! The minute they had those purchase records from the other stores you were done and they had everything they needed to fire you with cause. You should have kept your mouth shut. Those two took you into the interrogation room to sweat you and strong arm you, it should have been obvious to you and you should have prepared yourself.
Signing a written statement - NEVER NEVER NEVER!!! Of course you were just a minimum or nigh-minimum wage retail employee so the thought of you lawyering up is hilarious and extremely unlikely, but you should have simply asked flat out, "what seems to be the problem (with these purchases)?", refused to discuss the matter without your attorney present, and basically just put them in the position to fire you on the spot (with cause, of course) or not.
And finally, thinking that all would be forgiven if you simply brought back and returned the games, HAHAHAHA!!! Yeah, not so much, huh? So not only did you bite the hand that feeds you by trying to over your employer, but you gave up your ill gotten gains AND your job. Yeesh, your story is straight up worthy of an Aesop fable...
And we wonder why we get fewer and fewer quality deals...no doubt Best Buy will NEVER again have such a B2G1 sale, and no doubt continue to have uber shitty deals week in and week out to make up for the losses.
Now make no mistake, I'm quite bitter I didn't learn about the glitch until it was too late to exploit, but still, you pull shennanegans like this, you better be ready to get burned, if not now then in the future.
OP you screwed yourself every step of the way. I assume you're very young and naive to excuse the utter idiocy of your failings in this case.
First off you no doubt used your employee ID at checkout, I mean how else did they track your purchases at the other stores? Unless they looked it up by a credit/debit card number and matched it to you, don't see how though, but an employee attempting exploits like this, in store, should ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS be paid with cash, don't give them ANY method of identifying you - no Rewards Zone membership, no employee ID, nothing. You didn't do anything illegal, true, but what you were was extremely unethical and unreliable as an employee. Bragging about it to another employee...another moment of failed thinking and your ultimate undoing.
And then you go and fess up, man stupid mistake number 2! The minute they had those purchase records from the other stores you were done and they had everything they needed to fire you with cause. You should have kept your mouth shut. Those two took you into the interrogation room to sweat you and strong arm you, it should have been obvious to you and you should have prepared yourself.
Signing a written statement - NEVER NEVER NEVER!!! Of course you were just a minimum or nigh-minimum wage retail employee so the thought of you lawyering up is hilarious and extremely unlikely, but you should have simply asked flat out, "what seems to be the problem (with these purchases)?", refused to discuss the matter without your attorney present, and basically just put them in the position to fire you on the spot (with cause, of course) or not.
And finally, thinking that all would be forgiven if you simply brought back and returned the games, HAHAHAHA!!! Yeah, not so much, huh? So not only did you bite the hand that feeds you by trying to
over your employer, but you gave up your ill gotten gains AND your job. Yeesh, your story is straight up worthy of an Aesop fable...
Just to set the record straight, employees couldn't use their discount in conjunction with the b2g1 deal. And employees can NOT have a reward zone card. So half the morons going off on him for those things should stuff it since they don't know what entails being employed there anyway. I feel for you OP, hopefully you realize your mistake and it will make u better off in the long run
DarkRider23
CAGiversary!
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- 10 (100%)
Karkyco summed up everything you did wrong. I can't believe you got away with 10 games and then just did what you did.
[quote name='sobishop']Are you serious OP? Pull out your shirt tail and wipe away the tears. If I owned a business and you worked for me and discovered a glitch without notifying me then proceeded to exploit the glitch, I would have you arrested, brought up on criminal charges, and sue your ass blind. End of discussion.[/QUOTE]
I would love to see you try doing this. The employee is taking advantage of a glitch. It's not illegal to do any such thing so how the hell would you arrest someone and sue them? He paid for the games and as long as he has receipts to prove it, he won't be getting arrested.
[quote name='sobishop']Are you serious OP? Pull out your shirt tail and wipe away the tears. If I owned a business and you worked for me and discovered a glitch without notifying me then proceeded to exploit the glitch, I would have you arrested, brought up on criminal charges, and sue your ass blind. End of discussion.[/QUOTE]
I would love to see you try doing this. The employee is taking advantage of a glitch. It's not illegal to do any such thing so how the hell would you arrest someone and sue them? He paid for the games and as long as he has receipts to prove it, he won't be getting arrested.
Oh man, I guess I shouldn't have told that one girl cashier about the glitch...luckily I paid for the games on my CC so if she kept it on the DL and got out of the store with them, maybe she is still there..she was cute!
Oh well, sucks you got fired man, I guess next time either alert the manager (like they wanted you to do) or just turn a blind eye and when someones questions it, act like you have no idea! Cashiers like that are the best, they know you're exploiting something or getting a stellar deal and just do their job and check you out with no hassle.
Oh well, sucks you got fired man, I guess next time either alert the manager (like they wanted you to do) or just turn a blind eye and when someones questions it, act like you have no idea! Cashiers like that are the best, they know you're exploiting something or getting a stellar deal and just do their job and check you out with no hassle.
spidergraf
CAGiversary!
[quote name='beakey56']The way they had it set up you could buy 3 $60 games therefore getting each game for $40, you could buy 1 $60 game and 2 $50 games therefore getting each game for $33.33, you could buy 1 $60 game and 2 $40 games therefore getting each game for $26.66, you could buy 1 $60 game and 2 $30 games therefore getting each game for $20, you could buy 1 $60 game and 2 $20 games therefore getting each game for $13.33, you could buy 1 $60 game and 2 $10 games therefore getting each game for $6.66, and you can buy 1 $60 game and 2 $5 games therefore getting each game for $3.33. Now where is the threshold when is it considered exploiting? On average people weren't buying 3 $60 games, this "exploit" was happening with every customer and nobody was doing anything to stop it. Best Buy themselves were at fault for not stopping the deal, fixing it or informing their employees about it. Nobody who rung me up told me what I was doing was wrong.[/QUOTE]
At the bottom of that particular ad it DOES state that FREE items MUST be of EQUAL or LESSER value, and it also says limit 5 per customer and NO DEALERS. With 20 copies of rock revolution you could be considered a dealer. I would also assume that you it was shady when you actually brought back the games. If you were confident that it was not illegal you wouldn't have used cash only and ultimately returned the games. If you are going to get over be smarter. you could have just bought 3 games and returned the 2 non-free games to get your full money back. IF you go to the Cust. serv desk and tell them that you WANT to buy another game but don't know what then they will just refund your money and then let you shop. whoo hooo free game , no firey!
At the bottom of that particular ad it DOES state that FREE items MUST be of EQUAL or LESSER value, and it also says limit 5 per customer and NO DEALERS. With 20 copies of rock revolution you could be considered a dealer. I would also assume that you it was shady when you actually brought back the games. If you were confident that it was not illegal you wouldn't have used cash only and ultimately returned the games. If you are going to get over be smarter. you could have just bought 3 games and returned the 2 non-free games to get your full money back. IF you go to the Cust. serv desk and tell them that you WANT to buy another game but don't know what then they will just refund your money and then let you shop. whoo hooo free game , no firey!
sobishop
CAGiversary!
[quote name='DarkRider23']Karkyco summed up everything you did wrong. I can't believe you got away with 10 games and then just did what you did.
I would love to see you try doing this. The employee is taking advantage of a glitch. It's not illegal to do any such thing so how the hell would you arrest someone and sue them? He paid for the games and as long as he has receipts to prove it, he won't be getting arrested.[/QUOTE]
I have every right to do so thanks to signing a contract explaining that this type of recourse will be taken if you were to commit said crime which I'm sure was the case when he was hired.
And you can't sit there and tell me it isn't considered stealing knowing what he was doing and what he discovered and not notifying management immediately.
I would love to see you try doing this. The employee is taking advantage of a glitch. It's not illegal to do any such thing so how the hell would you arrest someone and sue them? He paid for the games and as long as he has receipts to prove it, he won't be getting arrested.[/QUOTE]
I have every right to do so thanks to signing a contract explaining that this type of recourse will be taken if you were to commit said crime which I'm sure was the case when he was hired.
And you can't sit there and tell me it isn't considered stealing knowing what he was doing and what he discovered and not notifying management immediately.
[quote name='token2k6']Oh man, I guess I shouldn't have told that one girl cashier about the glitch...luckily I paid for the games on my CC so if she kept it on the DL and got out of the store with them, maybe she is still there..she was cute![/QUOTE]
I wouldn't worry too much. I think one of the primary reasons the OP got fired was that he abused the glitch. He bought 10 games, and told his friends (who I guess bought another 10). I think if an employee did this once and then kept their mouth shut, they'd be fine.
I wouldn't worry too much. I think one of the primary reasons the OP got fired was that he abused the glitch. He bought 10 games, and told his friends (who I guess bought another 10). I think if an employee did this once and then kept their mouth shut, they'd be fine.
InnerOblivion
CAG Veteran
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You definitely should have kept the games. How did you not know they were going to fire you anyway?
[quote name='BingoBrown']FYI, I am a lawyer, and you're probably ed. I've spent some time dealing with employment law, and you were an at-will employee with Best Buy. That means that, at any time, you could end employment with them, or they could end your employment. Now there are some protected classes/reasons for which you can't get fired, but from reading your story, none of those are probably going to apply.
What you did wasn't illegal, it was just abusing Best Buy's computer system. That's enough for them to fire you if they want, and that's obviously what they did.
Sorry to hear about the situation, but I don't know that you're going to get anything out of this.
That being said, every state has different laws, and you may be able to recover under your state's laws. It is a good idea to contact a lawyer and see if one can help you. At the very least, a lawyer in your state will be able to tell you whether you've got any cause of action against Best Buy.
For legal purposes, I need to say that the above is not legal advice. I don't know where you live or the laws of your state, so I'm not perfectly situated to evaluate your claim, nor am I probably licensed in the state where you live. I do suggest finding an employment lawyer to discuss your situation with, as you might find some solution to this problem. The best course for finding an attorney is to contact the state bar association, who can refer you to an employment lawyer near you. Good luck.[/QUOTE]
I second this post. I am not a lawyer, nor do I claim to know the law, but you need to seek legal advice or council on this one. From my basic understanding of the story, you knowingly used a known glitch in the system to legally purchase merchandise. That, to me anyways, is not theft. You have receipts to prove that you purchased the merchandise as evidence.
However, since you were an employee, you had a conflict of interest in purchasing the merchandise using a known glitch. That's why you were fired. Also, they screwed you in the end even more by demanding that you hand over the games that you legally purchased. Those were your games once you paid for them. Did they refund you the money when you handed them over? If not, then you might have a claim.
You could also think of it this way; if it was theft, why didn't they contact the local authorities and report it? If someone is caught stealing, the police are usually called and a report is taken for company records. That doesn't make sense to me.
Again, you need to seek legal advice on this matter.
ed. I've spent some time dealing with employment law, and you were an at-will employee with Best Buy. That means that, at any time, you could end employment with them, or they could end your employment. Now there are some protected classes/reasons for which you can't get fired, but from reading your story, none of those are probably going to apply.What you did wasn't illegal, it was just abusing Best Buy's computer system. That's enough for them to fire you if they want, and that's obviously what they did.
Sorry to hear about the situation, but I don't know that you're going to get anything out of this.
That being said, every state has different laws, and you may be able to recover under your state's laws. It is a good idea to contact a lawyer and see if one can help you. At the very least, a lawyer in your state will be able to tell you whether you've got any cause of action against Best Buy.
For legal purposes, I need to say that the above is not legal advice. I don't know where you live or the laws of your state, so I'm not perfectly situated to evaluate your claim, nor am I probably licensed in the state where you live. I do suggest finding an employment lawyer to discuss your situation with, as you might find some solution to this problem. The best course for finding an attorney is to contact the state bar association, who can refer you to an employment lawyer near you. Good luck.[/QUOTE]
I second this post. I am not a lawyer, nor do I claim to know the law, but you need to seek legal advice or council on this one. From my basic understanding of the story, you knowingly used a known glitch in the system to legally purchase merchandise. That, to me anyways, is not theft. You have receipts to prove that you purchased the merchandise as evidence.
However, since you were an employee, you had a conflict of interest in purchasing the merchandise using a known glitch. That's why you were fired. Also, they screwed you in the end even more by demanding that you hand over the games that you legally purchased. Those were your games once you paid for them. Did they refund you the money when you handed them over? If not, then you might have a claim.
You could also think of it this way; if it was theft, why didn't they contact the local authorities and report it? If someone is caught stealing, the police are usually called and a report is taken for company records. That doesn't make sense to me.
Again, you need to seek legal advice on this matter.
[quote name='atomicmudkitten']On a not so related note. Whats with BB not letting me use DJ hero as on of the Buy 2 games? Me purchasing $200 worth of kit should be good enough but alas no only $59 game counted.[/QUOTE]
They specifically note that the sale is on games $59.99 or less.
They specifically note that the sale is on games $59.99 or less.
[quote name='sobishop']I have every right to do so thanks to signing a contract explaining that this type of recourse will be taken if you were to commit said crime which I'm sure was the case when he was hired.
And you can't sit there and tell me it isn't considered stealing knowing what he was doing and what he discovered and not notifying management immediately.[/QUOTE]
It is not a crime. You can fire him for making a mistake but I dont see the police doing anything even if he refused to return the game.
And you can't sit there and tell me it isn't considered stealing knowing what he was doing and what he discovered and not notifying management immediately.[/QUOTE]
It is not a crime. You can fire him for making a mistake but I dont see the police doing anything even if he refused to return the game.
[quote name='karkyco']And we wonder why we get fewer and fewer quality deals...no doubt Best Buy will NEVER again have such a B2G1 sale, and no doubt continue to have uber shitty deals week in and week out to make up for the losses.[/QUOTE]
I agree with everything you said but I really want people to think about this one statement. I really don't think this will stop BOGOs at all. I think if anything this will cause Best Buy to finally fix a glitch that has been used in two separate occasions. Everyone needs to remember that there are too many companies that successfully complete BOGO sales for Best Buy to not to remain competitive. The world keeps moving, and so will they.
Back in the day Target used to have their games outside of a case (NES days). They would get stolen. That didn't stop them from selling games, it just started the revolution of locked up merchandise. Same thing for condoms and cold medicine.
This situation does nothing but create a shakeup that will happen internally within Best Buy. No consumers external to the company, except the worst offenders, will potentially be sued. Those that did this to more than $1000 worth of merchandise have the chances that it could be considered grand theft, but its grey and hard to press in court, although not too costly as it would be the police that would front the lawyers. Remember that we are their customers, even after this sale, and they don't want to loose that.
I went delinquent on a credit card once and didn't make one payment for 6 months. I was pissed at them for something. It got sent to collections and my card cancelled. I paid if off. Guess what? One week after paying it off they sent me a preapproval to get another card again with a letter stating that I have cleared my collection and they want me back. Don't underestimate the greed of capitalism.
I agree with everything you said but I really want people to think about this one statement. I really don't think this will stop BOGOs at all. I think if anything this will cause Best Buy to finally fix a glitch that has been used in two separate occasions. Everyone needs to remember that there are too many companies that successfully complete BOGO sales for Best Buy to not to remain competitive. The world keeps moving, and so will they.
Back in the day Target used to have their games outside of a case (NES days). They would get stolen. That didn't stop them from selling games, it just started the revolution of locked up merchandise. Same thing for condoms and cold medicine.
This situation does nothing but create a shakeup that will happen internally within Best Buy. No consumers external to the company, except the worst offenders, will potentially be sued. Those that did this to more than $1000 worth of merchandise have the chances that it could be considered grand theft, but its grey and hard to press in court, although not too costly as it would be the police that would front the lawyers. Remember that we are their customers, even after this sale, and they don't want to loose that.
I went delinquent on a credit card once and didn't make one payment for 6 months. I was pissed at them for something. It got sent to collections and my card cancelled. I paid if off. Guess what? One week after paying it off they sent me a preapproval to get another card again with a letter stating that I have cleared my collection and they want me back. Don't underestimate the greed of capitalism.
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