I have come to dislike Best Buy -- they do occasionally have some decent pricing but it is all loss-leaders and the savings usually come in the form of a mail-in rebate that takes forever to be processed if at all and if you buy more than one of the item, the rebate is generally limited to "one-per-household." For the most part, their prices are MSRP. They seem to pay their sales staff a minimal amount (judging from the knowledgeably and training levels) and the stores are horribly laid out -- it is a discomfort to browse there. I think that CircuitCity is a better brick and mortar store and NewEgg is an awesome online-only retailer both from a pricing standpoint and from a customer service and after-sale support one.
Anyway, WorldNetDaily has this great story about Mike Bolesta who was handcuffed to a pole in the Cockeysville, Md. Best Buy store.
His "crime" was to pay a bill using US Currency -- legal tender. Two Dollar Bills...
Man arrested, cuffed after using $2 bills
A man trying to pay a fee using $2 bills was arrested, handcuffed and taken to jail after clerks at a Best Buy store questioned the currency's legitimacy and called police.
The fee in question and the $2 bills:
After Best Buy personnel reportedly told Bolesta he would not be charged for the installation of a stereo in his son's car, he received a call from the store saying it was in fact charging him the fee. As a means of protest, Bolesta decided to pay the $114 bill using 57 crisp, new $2 bills.
As the owner of Capital City Student Tours, the Baltimore resident has a hearty supply of the uncommon currency. He often gives the bills to students who take his tours for meal money.
"The kids don't see that many $2 bills, so they think this is the greatest thing in the world," Bolesta says. "They don't want to spend 'em. They want to save 'em. I've been doing this since I started the company. So I'm thinking, 'I'll stage my little comic protest. I'll pay the $114 with $2 bills.'"
Yeah -- another reason to shop at BestBuy and what's with the name anyway, most of the merchandise there is selling at Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price, there is no Best Buy at BestBuy...
I have found the exact opposite to true. When I go to circuit city the clerks have no clue what i'm talking about or even where items they stock areocated. The store is set up in a completely random order (home audio chords NOT in home stereo section but in the television section). and best buy has always had better prices and very knowledgable staff and are rarely rude. But a stores quality differs from manager to manager.