Best Buy customer service reaches new high (1 Viewer)

[David Lawson]

They should have called the Secret Service.

http://www.woz.org/letters/general/78.html

 

[D. Scott MacDonald]

But your missing the point. While I agree that it's highly likely that the employee had never seen a $2 bill and hence called the police, the police certainly would know about them before making the arrest. And even if they didn't, the SS certainly would (and they did get involved if you read the article).

The point is that the police obviously felt there was a sufficient reason to arrest this person based on the evidence they saw (I doubt they put any more stalk in a BB cashier than any of us would). If the police felt that an arrest was warranted, then you can hardly fault BB for calling them in the first place.

The real question is what evidence made the police feel that an arrest was warranted. The article is short on these details, although it does mention smudged bills in sequential order.

 

[Glenn Overholt]

That was exactly why I said that, Scott. I agree that the article was lacking in details too, but I'm sure that they didn't call the cops up saying that this guy should be arrested because he wants to pay a bill with $2 bills. Smudged and in sequential order would be more like it, but I know there are lots of people out there that don't even know that we make $2 bills.

As for the SS knowing, that would only work if this WAS NOT the first time he had tried to pass them off. That is an open-ended question, so I'll stop here!

Glenn

 

[Nathan*W]

Just for clarity's sake, I'm sure Glenn is referring to the US Secret Service (whose ancronym is usually USSS), rather than the Nazi Germany Secret Police.

 

[Jeff_CusBlues]

As I understand it, most small time counterfeiters who pass bills at gas stations or convenient stores counterfeit the $20 bill, make small purchases and leave with the change (which is of course real). They do this in several locations and then leave town. Also, this guy obviously went to the bank and got the $2 bills so wouldn't they naturally be in sequential order? I bet a good lawyer could have a field day with this.

Having said that, I'm sure the newspaper didn't report everything and we need to know "the rest of the story".

 

[Seth_L]

So, in this case because he owed Best Buy for $114 they have to take his $2 bills because they are for a legal debt to Best Buy and they are legal tender.

There is some argument about the legality of such signs depending on the timeline. For example... If you walk into a gas station and try to prepay for gas with a $50 they can legally refuse it. However, if you pump the gas first and then go inside and try to pay them with a $50, they may likely have to accept the payment because you now have a debt to the gas station for the amount of the gas purchase.

 

[Holadem]

That's why you should get back into your car and drive away. What the hell kind of gas station lets you pump before you pay?

--
H

 

[BobV]

"What the hell kind of gas station lets you pump before you pay?"

Uh, every gas station I have ever went to in my entire life.

 

[Holadem]

Sorry, the answer would be FULL service ones I guess. That didn't occur to me, as I typically avoid those.

--
H

 

[Seth_L]

Here you can pump before you pay even at self service stations. Only in the really bad neighborhoods, or really late at night do you have to pre-pay.

 

[Eric Peterson]

Nope! It's really on in large cities where they don't allow it. I haven't paid first in over 10 years except when I have to buy gas in downtown Chicago. It caught me so offguard last time when they forced me to pay in advance that I was angered for quite some time. Now, I make sure that I'm filled up before hand. If I find a pre-pay only station now, I avoid them like the plague. I want to fill my tank to the brim, and there's no way to know what that will cost.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

No, the Nazi Secret Police was the Gestapo. The SS was an elite designation of the German army.

 

[Paul McElligott]

[Thread hijack]

Well, if you want to be really technical, the SS was the military arm of the Nazi Party.

[/Thread hijack]

 

[RickER]

What was this tread about again?

 

[Jim Sentry]

The BestBuy Manager and cashier are both morons. I hope this guy gets a damn good lawyer and sues the hell out of them.

As far as the cops go there should an internal investigation as to why they acted so idiotically. Hopefully that town has a civilian review board.

 

[Kirk Gunn]

"Unbiased" and "Objective" have never been used to describe the author of this article, no matter what side of his issues you stand on. His title is probably more "commentator" or "editorialist" than true journalist.

 

[Greg*go]

(another minor hijack)
Eric, you can always pre-pay more then you know it will take to fill up, and just go back in and collect your change when you're finished pumping. I remember a friend from out of town went to a pre-pay station around me and left giving the attendant an $8 tip since he thought he couldn't get change back!

And Holadem, you'd be surprised how some attendants look at you if you TRY to pre-pay in some areas of the country.

(end hijack)

 

[ChristopherDAC]

>>ahem.

SS, or Schutz-staffel {protective formation, i.e. Praetorian Guard}, were the elite of the Wehrmacht. These were the guys in the tight black uniforms.
SA, or Sturmabteilung {Storm Troopers}, commonly known as "Brown shirts", were the military arm of the National-Socialist German Workers' Party, and dwindled in importance after Hitler's 30 June 1934 purge of elements associated with Ernst Roehm. They were closely analogous to Mussolini's "Black Shirts", and did not really constitute a regular army unit.

I hope that clears things up.

 

[Brian L]

No thanks!

On various trips overseas, I HATE the fact that by the end of the trip, I end up with a freakin' huge pile of coins, that in the US of A would be about three bucks, but in certain locales might be worth $75. And you can't exchange them when you do get home, so you need to do something with them while you are still in country.

I will take small denomination paper money any time, thank you.

As for the original story, while I truely hate the thought of frivolous lawsuits, if they really put this dude in shackles in public view for paying with $2 bills, I think he is entitled to some compensation.

If Best Buy did not offer something upfront, I would seek out some legal advice.

Brian

 

[Lynda-Marie]

No thanks. I had laundry change in my pocket and freaked out airport security [10+ years before 9/11].

In addition, if you had a couple hundred dollars in your pocket for a night on the town, either your pants would split, or you would be exhausted carrying all that coinage around.

By the way, anyone ever read this? The byline reads Peter Leppik, but I have seen it on the net with other bylines on it, such as Captain Sarcasm. True? I don't know. Funny? Hell yes!

******************************
Taco Hell

by Peter Leppik

The following is a *true* story. It amused the hell out of me while it was happening. I hope it isn't one of those "had to be there" things.

On my way home from the second job I'd taken for the extra holiday cash I need, I stopped at Taco Bell for a quick bite to eat. In my billfold is a $50 bill and a $2 bill. That is all of the cash I had on my person. I figured that with a $2 bill, I can get something to eat and not have to worry about people getting pissed at me for trying to use the $50.

ME: "Hi, I'd like one seven layer burrito please, to go."
IT: "Is that it?"
ME: "Yep."
IT: "That'll be $1.04, eat here?"
ME: "No, it's *to* *go*." [I hate effort duplication.]

At his point I open my billfold and hand him the $2 bill.
He looks at it kind of funny and

IT: "Uh, hang on a sec, I'll be right back."

He goes to talk to his manager, who is still within earshot.
The following conversation occurs between the two of them.

IT: "Hey, you ever see a $2 bill?"
MG: "No. A what?"
IT: "A $2 bill. This guy just gave it to me."
MG: "Ask for something else, THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A $2 BILL."
IT: "Yeah, thought so."

He comes back to me and says

IT: "We don't take these. Do you have anything else?"
ME: "Just this fifty. You don't take $2 bills? Why?"
IT: "I don't know."
ME: "See here where it says legal tender?"
IT: "Yeah."
ME: "So, shouldn't you take it?"
IT: "Well, hang on a sec."

He goes back to his manager who is watching me like I'm going to shoplift, and

IT: "He says I have to take it."
MG: "Doesn't he have anything else?"
IT: "Yeah, a fifty. I'll get it and you can open the safe and get change."
MG: "I'M NOT OPENING THE SAFE WITH HIM IN HERE." [my emphasis]
IT: "What should I do?"
MG: "Tell him to come back later when he has REAL money."
IT: "I can't tell him that, you tell him."
MG: "Just tell him."
IT: "No way, this is weird, I'm going in back."

The manager approaches me and says

MG: "Sorry, we don't take big bills this time of night." [it was 8pm and this particular Taco Bell is in a well lighted indoor mall with 100 other stores.]

ME: "Well, here's a two."
MG: "We don't take *those* either."
ME: "Why the hell not?"
MG: "I think you *know* why."
ME: "No really, tell me, why?"
MG: "Please leave before I call mall security."
ME: "Excuse me?"
MG: "Please leave before I call mall security."
ME: "What the hell for?"
MG: "Please, sir."
ME: "Uh, go ahead, call them."
MG: "Would you please just leave?"
ME: "No."
MG: "Fine, have it your way then."
ME: "No, that's Burger King, isn't it?"

At this point he BACKS away from me and calls mall security on the phone around the corner. I have two people STARING at me from the dining area, and I begin laughing out loud, just for effect. A few minutes later this 45 year old guy comes in and says [at the other end of counter, in a whisper]

SG: "Yeah, Mike, what's up?"
MG: "This guy is trying to give me some [pause] funny money."
SG: "Really? What?"
MG: "Get this, a *two* dollar bill."
SG: "Why would a guy fake a $2 bill?" [incredulous]
MG: "I don't know? He's kinda weird. Says the only other thing he has is a fifty."
SG: "So, the fifty's fake?"
MG: "NO, the $2 is."
SG: "Why would he fake a $2 bill?"
MG: "I don't know. Can you talk to him, and get him out of here?"
SG: "Yeah..."

Security guard walks over to me and says

SG: "Mike here tells me you have some fake bills you're trying to use."
ME: "Uh, no."
SG: "Lemme see 'em."
ME: "Why?"
SG: "Do you want me to get the cops in here?"

At this point I was ready to say, "SURE, PLEASE," but I wanted to eat, so I said: "I'm just trying to buy a burrito and pay for it with this $2 bill."

I put the bill up near his face, and he flinches like I was taking a swing at him. He takes the bill, turns it over a few times in his hands, and says:

SG: "Mike, what's wrong with this bill?"
MG: "It's fake."
SG: "It doesn't look fake to me."
MG: "But it's a **$2** bill."
SG: "Yeah?"
MG: "Well, there's no such thing, is there?"

The security guard and I both looked at him like he was an idiot, and it dawned on the guy that he had no clue.

My burrito was free and he threw in a small drink and those cinnamon things, too. Makes me want to get a whole stack of $2 bills just to see what happens when I try to buy stuff. If I got the right group of people, I could probably end up in jail. At least you get free food.