Fast240Z

So, I work at Best Buy, and I recently was promoted from the sales floor to Geek Squad. It's been great at work, I got a raise, and after three years of selling stuff, I finally got a chance to work in a position I enjoy.

Last Thursday, I was pulled into the Loss Prevention office by the Inventory Supervisor. At first, I thought he might want to ask me a question, but once I realized I was headed for the office, I knew I was in trouble.

Best Buy changed their employee discount policy in late October; it used to be where the parents, spouse, and kids of the employee could utilize their discount, but they recently changed it to where only the spouse and the employee themselves can use the discount. The Inventory Supervisor sat me down, and pulled out a piece of paper, that had a reciept from a transaction dated November 15th, 2006, with my employee number highlighted. I had bought $14.57 worth of ink. It was at that point I realized I was in trouble: Best Buy is trying to catch me for abusing my discount, which I have never done. The supervisor points at the name on the card that I used to pay for the ink I had bought, and it was my father's name. He asks me if I was the one who bought the ink, or if I let my father use my discount. I told him I had bought it using my dad's business card. I work for my father's family business, and the card is a business card. I bought the ink for a term paper that I needed to print, and I had no money in my account to pay for the ink. I told the supervisor the story behind using my father's card, and he begins to drill me, like I'm lying to him. I'm a very honest person, and have one of the worst consciences, and cannot really tell a lie, so I was pretty astonished at his accusations. He asks me if I'm being straight with him, and I tell him I'm telling him the truth. I didn't think Best Buy would care if I used the business card for the business that my family owns and I work for, but I guess I was wrong. He asks me if I'm on the card, and if it is truly a business card, and I tell him that it is a business card, and that I thought I was on the card. He then got up, and said he was going to call Bank of America to see if I was telling the truth. I'm sitting in the office, freaking out, because I really don't want to lose my job over $15, so every second feels like an eternity. He comes back around five minutes later, and says that he called BofA and they said that the card was not a business card, and that I was not on the account. This information is blatantly incorrect, because the card is indeed a business card; it even says "Clean Tech Pool Service" on the front of it (my father's business). I found out that I was not actually on the card, but the card is indeed a business card, so it made me wonder if he was bluffing to see if I would cough up some kind of answer that would incriminate myself. I stuck to the truth, and told him all of the information he asked for. He ended up having me write a statement as to what happened on the day of the transaction, and I explained how it is a family business card, and I bought the ink for my school paper. He faxed the statement and other paperwork he had to HR, and told me that HR would be the ones who would decide if I were going to be fired. At this point, I'm freaked out, because someone had been fired at my store no more than a month before this incident because he blatantly abused his discount (he bought a large purchase with a friend's credit card), so I'm afraid I'm next.

Today was the first time I've worked since the incident, because I went on vacation over the weekend, and Best Buy is cutting hours for holiday bounceback. I'm still on the schedule, but my hours are lower than everyone else's (I've got 10 hours, whereas the person with the next lowest hours has 27 hours) and I'm wondering if they are trying to put the squeeze on me. I understand that HR controls if I keep my job or not, and I'm just hoping that they see that I'm a good employee, I've never been written up for anything serious, and I'm hoping that they don't throw away three years of faithful hard work over $15 worth of ink.

So, what should I do? I want to call HR, because the suspense is killing me, but I don't want to escalate the issue. Sorry if this seems incoherent or if I'm rambling, I'm just exhausted and freaked out over everything.

Zachrates

Oh man that is the pits. I had a similar problem, revolving around the exact thing when I worked at a fast food joint. One of my fellow employees wanted the 50% discount (You can only use it when your on shift) but he was my senior, shift leader. I didn't think about it, and gave him the discount, since he said it was ok, I thought it was. Anyway, they did the same thing, lowered my hours to almost nothing.

I hate to say it, but I didn't last much longer there. They do that so that you quit, and can't get unemployment etc. Because if they fire you, it looks bad on a manager's record as well as loses money for the company. Stick it out for a few weeks, and try talking to him, maybe bring in the card that was used, show him the logo and such. Unfortunately though, if your manager is like all manager's I've met, it might just **** him off, and wont help.

NismoPick

I'd start looking for a new job. Since you've got experience @ Best Buy, it shouldn't be hard to get a similar job somewhere else. Just don't use that supervisor's name as your employer reference.

Bleach

put a virus on his cell phone

NismoPick

Sneaky snake evil twin!

CraigS

Don't even worry about it, if you lose your job or feel you have to quit to get more hours at a different job, any real person is going to hear this story and just think your employer or supervisor's an ***. Its $15 I know it might be a no tolarance thing, but you've been working there for 3 years, that's gotta count for something, right? Good luck and hope it turns out for the better!


You can put a virus on a cell?

skittle

Well get the credit card from your dad again to prove it is a buisness card. Band of America never gets anything right any how. Thats the worst bank ever. Do you live in a "right to work" state like Nevada? Where they can fire you for no reason?

z-hag

banc of ameriKa-----bad bad bad bank--not at all into individuals or small businesses--only into their own bottom line----and thieves----they are.....start looking for a nother job, sweetie--the reference that is given by the old employer is by law not spozed to mention reason for anything--just yes, worked there, no will not rehire or yes will rehire. which means nothing.... so-------i knew best buys was evil.......their warrantee says so......it sux...............i wont go there again--and that was BEFORE yr problems......i still have a cell phone that cannot be activated because of best buys practices of recycling phones for warrantee--so i get some phone with someone elses name all over the record and cannot have it activat3ed----i wil not go bACK......good luck, friend-----i hope that everything works out for you-----find another job............whatever you do............good luck......


put a sneaky virus in his computer........connect it to his cell.........oops.........

i8acobra

Jobs that pay like Best Buy are easy to find. I used to tell boses to shove it all the time. I never got fired though because they knew I worked my *** off and I could find a new job in a couple of days. So, firing me would hurt them more than me. If a boss is giving you a hard time, explain to him that this job isn't important enough to you to listen to his crap. If he wants to give you a hard time about somthing you told him you didn't do, tell him you're giving him your two weeks notice. That usually worked for me. Most bosses are pretty spineless once you stand up to them.

Now, this only goes for jobs that pay under $20/hr. Bosses for higher paying jobs usually have a bit more spine because they had to work harder to get there. Bosses at lower paying jobs usually were bullied in high school and have a bit of a power trip thing going until someone tells them to shut the hell up.

emo236

I have two friends that work at best buy, one being my housemate. David (my housemate) has resigned and gotten rehired by best buy time and time again. I think it's like 3 times now. He hates it there for the most part. For the same reasons that you're talking about now. managers suck. I'd bring in proof (the card, something that shows your ownership of the printer that said ink was bought for, a copy of the term paper with the date last edited the same as the day the ink was bouhgt--or close, etc) and make sure it gets forwarded to HR. Make the supervisor look like a douche.

Fast240Z

Thanks for the support and ideas guys. My immediate manager is an awesome guy, he's got my back, and he has nothing to do with the investigation. At Best Buy, there are the HR people at the Corporate Campus that handles these investigations. They sit around all day and search for "red flags", such as an employee abusing his discount. The supervisor that is doing the in store investigation is a good guy, and I think he at least has my back in the slightest bit, so I'm hoping that they report the facts just as I have laid them out.

I've offered to bring in the card, and the supervisor said that it was not needed, and he would ask me if it was. I want to try to plead my case, but I don't want to make the situation worse. I asked my dad what to do, and he said to just wait it out and hope for the best, but from what I hear from everyone else at work, the employee discount policy is zero tolerance, but I'm just hoping they take into consideration the logic behind my actions.

I don't want to lose my job, because I like the people I work with, I like the store I work at, I like my job, Best Buy somewhat works around my schedule, and I've got over three years invested into a job that I don't want to throw away.

But, as I keep telling everyone at work... "There's always Firedog."

Fast240Z

Something else that also weirded me out was that they looked up a few more recent transactions that I had made. There was a Samsung 19" LCD on the black friday ad that I had wanted (a 931BW, a sweet monitor) but unfortunately we ran out before I could buy one on black friday. I needed a monitor, but I kept putting it off until after the holidays. I went gambling on Christmas evening, and I won $250, so I decided I'd go buy a LCD monitor comparable to the 931BW I wanted. I bought the Samsung 940BW the next day with my casino winnings. As fate would have it, the day after I bought the 940BW, one of my fellow Agents found a 931BW that a customer had returned. He knew that I wanted the monitor, so he set it aside for me. Since the 931BW that we had was the only one in the state of California, I decided to buy it on my credit card, and just return the 940BW that I had sitting on my desk at home the next day. I bought the 931BW, returned the 940BW, and all was good, until I realized that the 931BW had a dead pixel in the middle of the screen. I was going to let it slide, but a week later, we had another return of the 931BW. I wanted to exchange the two, but unfortunately I did not have enough time to go home, get my original 931BW, and return it for the other one, so I just decided to buy the second 931BW on my credit card, and just return the original the day after. I returned it, and all was good.

When I got called into the office and drilled about the ink, the supervisor also asked me about the purchases of the monitors. The report that he had in his hand did not have the list of the returns that I had done, it only had the purchases. I explained the situation to him, but now I'm wondering if Best Buy is "red flagging" that situation as well.

apollo

Just remember to contact the california labor comissionor if you get fired or even now to let them know the situation. They got your back and if they even think you're being ****ed with they will go after best buy. If you get fired over this and you can prove your purchases are legit you will have them by the ***** with the CLB to back you up.

Fast240Z

good idea, I didn't even consider that. lol, watch HR be reading this now.

emo236

so I talked to my housemate and he siad it's basically your fault. I guess they drive the policy of not making purchases with any card that doesn't have your name on it pretty consistently and hard. It's simply the rules apparently, and you broke them. I don't know from experience, but apparently, they're very strict on this, very clear that they're strict on it and when they're broken in the least bit, it's very clear that you will get fired.

SHADY280

ive found that sometimes staying low for a few weeks and gliding under the radar is the best bet, then after a month or so, then speak up if things dont change.

Carl's Z

Yeah, that's a good idea. Lay low, accept whatever blame they give you (as not to stir the ****), and see what happens. I'll bet they will just counsel you on the policy and let it go. It was after all a $15 purchase, and a first time offence, for Christ sakes!!

thxone

F#@K THAT and F#@K BEST BUY!!! It should not matter what method of payment was used as long as it was the employee making the purchase...What the F#@K should Best Buy care where the money came from, they still made money!!!! It's a bunch of F#@KING BULLS#@T, the loss prevention guy probably didn't meet his quota that month and needed a fall guy...C#@KSUCKERS!!!! Tell that ****** TO SUCK YOUR D#@K!!!! Hell, tell them all to blow you!! Oh and it's worse than you think, it's not over $15, it's over the amount of the discount which I bet is way less. I guarantee you have all eyes on you every time you are in the store now. Oh, if they are cutting your hours back, consider yourself fired already. Most of the time they figure you will just quit, less paperwork for them.

Man I totally would have handled that situation differently, for one I would have walked out of that office fired like a mother f#@ker for spitting in the loss prevention guys face or hitting him in the head with a chair when he suggested I was lieing and steeling. Oh man would I have acted like a fool. Why would they not let you defend yourself by bringing in the card or hell even bringing in your dad with the card? The truth is they don't want to hear your side because you are fired already, I am sorry to say that. You have no more room for advancement at that job, this will always be on record with them even if you are vindicated and nothing more comes of it. Move on before they fire you and find another job in the field you like or start your own computer fix it business. My friend did it for a long time and still does on occasion and makes good money doing it.

emo236

thxone, I think you may have anger problems.

z-hag

Fast240Z

yeah, you're right, and I totally understand that. My only issue is that it's a whopping $15, and it was bought with a business card that I happen to work for. I see it as the same as if someone had another job on the side and bought it with the money that they made with the other job. But, as you said, my name was not on the card. Lets just hope HR is logical about it.

RodMoyes

This is a bullshit situation. They know they have gone over the line. If anyone contacts you about it again, tell them you will not answer any more questions and that they can refer all other questions to your lawyer. That will shut them up. Also, DON'T SIGN ANYTHING. If they give you something to sign... Tell them you will have to have "Legal Counsel" Read it and approve or disapprove. Don't let those corporate wind bags walk on you.


Rod.

skittle

yeah good idea rod... they get scared if you bring in a lawyer for something so trivial. In the mean time have your dad add you to the card. That should only help you.

Riz Z Speed

Rod beat me to it. i was gonna say that. lol
and I agree w/taste my rainbow over there, this situation is super trivial. I could see if this was a major purchase of some significant value or multiple transactions. $15 is crap and u shouldn't stress over it. If they can't see the valuable loyal employee that u are, some other place will.

Fast240Z

So, I think I'm fired.

I went into work today, like it was any other day, working hard as usual. No one had said anything to me, I was able to clock in, so I thought the best of it all. I had gone into the break room to grab a chair for a customer to have a seat while I was doing some work to her PC, and my GM was in the break room. I said hi to him as I passed, and he said "Jeremy, there is a check waiting for you in the admin office." As soon as he said it, my heart lept into my chest, and I had no idea what to say. I walked out, and grabbed one of the Operation managers to help me out. We went into the office, and I took a look at the check. It's a pink check, that has money for hours from the 14th to the 27th...so the pay period it was for ended today. This seems weird, considering I have direct deposit, and BB didn't mess up on my last paycheck. Also, the check I got was pink, whereas normal paychecks are black and blue. No one had any idea as to what the check was for, because the Admin manager, who is in charge of firing people, payroll, etc., had the day off. I had the girl who got me the check to try to call the admin manager, but he never called back. I finished off the day, but I still have no clue as to what is going on.

I'm going to go into BB tomorrow and talk to the admin manager, and see if I'm really fired. The check I received had just come in earlier today, so we're (me and the people at work) thinking that the check was supposed to be delivered, but the admin manager was supposed to handle the final proceedings. I'm just hoping for the best.

Best Buy is an at will employer, so would any of your guys' suggestions work for me?

Thanks again for all the support, and thanks for not flaming me. I know if I posted this on Zcar.com (when I used to frequent that site) the people there would flame me left and right, and blame me for all the poverty in the world, etc etc etc. That's why I'm still loyal to Zdriver after all this time.