Beware of Potential Pick-up in store Scams and Inadequate Service at Best Buy Atlantic Center
I feel compelled to share a deeply troubling experience I had with Best Buy at their Atlantic Center store in Brooklyn, which raises serious concerns about potential fraud and how inadequately the store handles such incidents.
Incident Overview: On September 4, 2024, my $3,265.16 MacBook Pro order was fraudulently picked up, despite the fact that I was at home and had not authorized anyone to collect it. I received a notification while I was working from home that my order had been picked up at 11:26 AM. Immediately alarmed, I contacted Best Buyās customer service via phone and live chat at 11:30 AM. Both representatives assured me that the only way someone could have picked up the item was by presenting a valid ID and the order number. They advised me to visit the store in person to investigate further and file a police report.
Store Experience: I arrived at Best Buy Atlantic Center, 625 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn around 12:18 PM, and the situation took an unsettling turn:
Suspicious Store Response: As soon as I introduced myself at the pick-up counter, the employeeās reaction seemed unusually tense. She immediately called for urgent assistance, which made me question whether they were aware of something suspicious happening behind the scenes.
Dismissive Managers: Two store managers arrived, and their response was both unhelpful and dismissive. The first manager informed me that someone with my ID had already collected the MacBook Pro and nothing they can do. and the manager can event clearly describe The individual who picked up my order. This revelation raised significant concerns about how easily this person was able to commit this fraud using my information.
Refusal to Show Security Footage: I immediately requested to see the security footage of the pickup to identify how this happened. Shockingly, the manager outright refused, citing store policy and claiming that I was not allowed to view it. Her abrupt refusal and dismissive attitude only deepened my suspicion that something was seriously wrong with how the store handled my case.
Meeting Another Victim: While filing the police report, I met another customer who had experienced the exact same issue at the same store on the same day. She had also purchased a same MacBook Pro and used a Best Buy credit card, just as I had. The similarities in our casesāboth involving fraudulent pickups and unhelpful store staffāstrongly suggest there may be a larger issue or scam affecting customers at this location.
Concerns of a Scam or Security Breach: The circumstances of this experience suggest either a serious flaw in Best Buy's pickup process or, more disturbingly, an organized scam. The fact that someone was able to present an ID with my name but their photo to pick up my order raises serious red flags about Best Buy's security protocols. The store's refusal to let me view security footage, combined with the dismissive attitude of the staff, made me question the integrity of their response to this situation.
My Advice to Future Customers: Document Everything: Keep thorough records of all communications, order numbers, and conversations, including timestamps, in case you need to escalate the matter.
Be Persistent: If you face a similar issue, do not hesitate to escalate your concerns to higher management or even corporate offices. If necessary, involve law enforcement to ensure your case is taken seriously.
Conclusion: This was a profoundly disappointing experience that left me feeling vulnerable, unsupported, and concerned about potential scams or breaches in security at Best Buy. I urge others to be extremely cautious when picking up high-value items from this location, and I hope Best Buy takes the necessary steps to address these serious issues and prevent others from enduring a similar ordeal.
Stay vigilant and protect...
Ā Ā Ā Read moreHere to detail my experience at this store as I felt I was profiled 3 times under some prejudice thought that was going to do something wrong. As I high theft store I can understand why this is so insecure about people but I spoke them the first time about the unwelcoming presence they reinforced on me and continued to show the same behavior.
I came on on Saturday to buy some collectible steelbooks as well as a clearance 65ā inch. First I came into use the warranty on a vacuum
I went to home theater & told the salesman the two items I wanted. For whatever reason she called the a manager over. I assume bc the item I wanted was literally free or maybe she couldnāt find the specific tv I was looking for . The manager and initial salesman began to communicate in Spanish like I wouldnāt understand. The manager had an issue with one product being free and told me I canāt get itā¦so I said whatever, can I get the tv. She then asked for me ID to use my Best Buy card. I said āwhat do you need my ID for its not an employee purchase, im not picking up anything, nor am I looking up Best Buy card. I literally have physical Best Buy card.
I couldnāt order the tv as it was a clearance tv and only available at this specific store.The manager told me I couldnāt order the tv for delivery but I could do a pickup. Not what I wanted as I donāt have a car and. It was a 65ā inch.
[ ] During the process another manager came over and I spoke to him and he was cool about it. While I was speaking to him the manager Louisa pulled my information on another computer under the guise that I was doing something suspicious. She was going back and forth between computers which I donāt care too much bc they canāt find anything . I buy a lot of stuff here, have the membership, and credit card. I buy all my stuff my from Best Buy to get my 5%
I then told the managers the energy they were showing was very unwelcoming and the manager Louisa was being condescending telling me āwe can continue or you can leaveā. Ultimately I got my tv and felt a type of way
I came back the next Thursday to use a warranty on my toaster and the same manager Louisa saw me. Next, I went to home theater to get another tv and I could the manager on the walkie telling the salesman to help other people in department and not me as there was one person working there and a lot of customers. Iām not here to throw the employee under the bus but I even asked if him and they were talking about me on the walkie for confirmation
Fast forward to the next Saturday I go to pickup my screen protector and tv. I then I go to customer service to return the tv and rebuy it with my store credit to preserve my capital instead of using my Best Buy card
The same manager Louisa tells the employee to check the UNOPENED tv that I literally just picked up from store pickup and that aggravated me bc you literally just saw me pick up the tv two...
Ā Ā Ā Read moreOrdered a laptop, wanted to cancel pickup. Someone impersonates me and steals it upon pickup. How does BB respond? I called customer service, they say I HAVE TO go to store because itās showing that I picked up. Thereās no way to contact the store over phone to view camera footage. I didnāt want to go but they were insistent. So I went. I get there, wait about an hour for them to look at footage from the day. They come to me and say someone with a white hoodie came in and had the same name on ID and picked it up. They didnāt see his face on camera footage. They say theyāre going to refund me. All seems resolved. Itās a big purchase, two grand. Itās been four days⦠no refund. I try to contact the store via phone again, same answer, thereās no contact number for store. Have to go there, AGAIN. Which is absolutely absurd if you think about it. THEY HAVE A PHONE NUMBER. You think every Best Buy employee managing the stores needs is physically going there for every little thing? No way. They say itās due to āmass volumeā. Yea⦠I wonder whyā¦
So now Iām going there a second time because the only email the manager gave me to contact him is no longer being responded to. Thereās no update on my refund. To top it off, he only gave me a phone number of an employee who worked there TWO YEARS AGO. I talked to him, he said he was 62 and retired from there. And so I have zero way to contact the store via phone. This is absolutely the worst experience Iāve ever had with an online order. When someone gets robbed, this should not be the process. I may have to file a credit card dispute because Iām not sure if they will do the right thing and refund me or not. They said they would when I went there but actions speak louder than words and it has yet to be been done. Iām guessing this was an inside job as well. Someone from this store knew the order was there and set this up. DO NOT order from this store. Itās super shady and sketch. Perhaps other locations are better but man this is really making my life stressful because itās still on my credit bill and I have to pay it soon. Super unprofessional of BB. Will not be ordering from here ever again. Will see if I get this resolved later today. Regardless, customer service is terrible in this specific situation of stolen goods. Management hides behind their grunt workers like cowards. Simply canāt be bothered via the phone. Sorry to Ken, I talked to her on the phone and told her to pass along the message. This is ridiculous that I simply canāt check up on my refund without having to go to the store again. The store is far for me me just to give context. Itās about an hour away. Which isnāt a lot but there and back is two hours plus the wait. Thatās half your day gone doing something you shouldnāt have had to do in the first place. Time is money. And theyāre wasting a...
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