Best Buy Store #951; Val #1611-1852-7297-0941 paid cash, corporate cancelled order, unnotified, gift card as refund, corporate policy, NO CASH RETURNED Valparaiso, Indiana

Stopped at Best Buy on December 10, 09, hoping to find a long searched for and unusual CD as Christmas present for husband.  They claimed to have 2 copies left "in the warehouse" which will ship between 12/23 and 1/9/10.  Paid cash which included shipping charge of $.99.

Contacted store on 1/12/10 to inquire about shipment.  Was told "corporate cancelled the order but charges were removed from my credit card."  When told I did not use a credit card, "manager" was called to phone.  After some attitude from him, I told him I have a receipt proving cash was paid.  "You have a receipt?  No problem.  Just come on in to the store and we will refund your money."

Made the round trip of 84.3 miles, solely for the purpose of retrieving my money on 1/13/10. This is when I was informed that my purchase was made with a gift card and company policy is no cash given on gift card purchases.  They had a convaluted rationale for putting my cash on a gift card, then processing my purchase.  I was not informed of any of this at the time of purchase or I would have run out of the store.  I left the store being told I would not receive my cash but a gift card in the amount from corporate.  Even the shipping charge would not be refunded.  Of course corporate policy being such, I will not get my money back, but be forced to spend it in the store for any satisfaction. I never purchased a gift card and feel this is probably happening at every store, which leaves a healthy "unapplied cash received" account for corporate folly at the end of each year.

A bad accident in 1986 left me with severe spinal damage and "mobility challenged" to say the least.  The quarter tank of gas to make these trips aren't free.  I get to Valparaiso maybe twice a year, once for Christmas shopping.  Mobility is extremely painful which is why I don't get out much.  Living on disability payments is not easy.  So being told I won't get my whopping $13.89 cash back was insulting enough.  To then be told I would need to make this trip again is more than unacceptable.  So, cha-ching to the "unapplied cash received" account and coporate policy of greed and rip-off.