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Imagine what would have happened if he payed in Susan B Anthony Dollars...
Published on April 9, 2005 By Zoomba In Current Events
In Baltimore, MD you can evidently find some of the nations dumbest store clerks AND law enforcement officials.
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The short summary, man buys car radio at best buy, has it installed, later finds out it doesn't work with his car returns to Best Buy for a replacement. He is told the installation fee is waived because they put the wrong stereo in. He goes home satisfied over the resolution. Later he receives a call from Best Buy demanding payment for the installation, which he was told was free. They threatened legal action if he did not come in and pay the bill. He was pissed off a bit to say the least, so in protest he payed the bill entirely in $2 bills. He had always made a habit of having the bills on hand for novelty value. Remember that these bills are legal tender and you can obtain them at any bank.

The cashier, in their infinite wisdom said they weren't real money and would hear no argument to the contrary. They marked them as counterfeit and called the police who came in, arrested the man and handcuffed him to a pole. The worst part however is how the police justified their behavior...

""It's a sign that we're all a little nervous in the post-9/11 world." - Police Spokesman

I must have missed the announcement that using uncommon denominations of money is a sign of being a terrorist. Would he have been shot on the spot for using Susan B. Anthony dollars perhaps?

No report yet on whether or not Best Buy management pulled their heads out of their asses and apologized to the guy yet.

Comments (Page 1)
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on Apr 09, 2005
I use 3 dollar bills personally.  And if they object, I call them a homophobe!  Works every time!
on Apr 09, 2005
Yeah, it's pretty frustrating that there isn't a real competitor in the retail store arena to them
on Apr 09, 2005
Yeah, it's pretty frustrating that there isn't a real competitor in the retail store arena to them


Circuit City?
on Apr 09, 2005
Circuit City?


NOOOOO! Circuit City is just as evil as BestBuy is.....!!

Where exactly is the crime here? I don't see one...they wanted him to pay, so he did. The money was legal tender....it's not the guy's fault that BestBuy has employees who don't know legal tender when they see it. The 9/11 comment that the cops made was lame....
on Apr 09, 2005
I smell..LAWSUIT!
on Apr 09, 2005
I use 3 dollar bills personally. And if they object, I call them a homophobe! Works every time!

rotflmao!

Bestbuy treats everyone like criminals

Service is top-notch at the one nearby me here in Toronto.

on Apr 09, 2005
Great article Zoomba. I'll spare the long version thread hi-jack of my own current dealings with morons at B.B, and just offer the short version. I'm still trying to get points in their reward zone program fixed and am having to pursue every possible avenue to get it fixed. They've finally given back the -75,000 points that they errantly hit me with, but along the way have forgotten to give me the 75,000 points that they were supposed to have given me. I'm amazed that I can do enough math to determine that -75,000 + 75,000 = 0, and not +75,000 as it should be.

Meanwhile, to the cops involved in this one, and the cashiers, what a bunch of morons. Cuffing a guy because he's using currency that is questionable is a bit stupid. (But then again, I've been cuffed for similar issues, when the Deputy Dawg was too stupid to be reasonable and wait for confirmation from his dispatcher. It was great fun sitting in his car and then later being driven off to jail on "new charges" that weren't even made clear until arriving at the jail -- all after the idiot had gotten confirmation from the dispatcher that he had no reason to hold me. The "new charges" eminated from my "disturbing the peace" while yelling out several "I want an F-ing apology" after hearing the dispatcher correct the idiot's mistake. Some cops are just not very bright though )

I hope the individual involved here gets a huge payout from B.B., and a reasonably good sized one from the cops (even though it comes out of taxes I may be paying). Sounds like the guy deserves it.
on Apr 09, 2005
I smell..LAWSUIT!


Lawsuit, eh? Excuse me while I go to my local bank to load up on 50 cent coins...Hehehehehe! I'm rich!
on Apr 09, 2005
A great deal of this is due to the fact that everytime something big goes on, all you hear is PRESIDENT RAISED THE TERROR ALERT SYSTEM TO NEON PINK or whatever stupid color it is. We live in a society of fear, people who are afraid consume more, and it is good for business. If anyone ever sees the terror alert drop to green which means no threat of attack, please let me know, because the gun shop where I live will probably go out of business.
on Apr 09, 2005
... the police arrested him? Basically, for paying a bill that he wasn't suppossed to pay in the first place because it was their mistake.

Stores make mistakes. That is fine, but calling the police for not knowing what is legal tender in the US seems a little more off.

I would think he would NOW get that stereo system for free. He might sue, but I don't think he would win. Stupidity is not a reason to sue. (well, he might go for small claims court)
on Apr 09, 2005
I love the fact that they cuffed him to a pole, that violates so many human rights laws.
on Apr 11, 2005
Sue for billing? Nah but sue police for chaining to the pole? Hell, yes! And He better win too. Like Wise American said, that violates so many human rights.
on Apr 11, 2005
It's like the freaks who accepted the bogus phony $200 bill, the one with Bush's face on it and a photo of the white house with little signs on the front lawn, saying "we like ice cream!".
on Apr 11, 2005
Best Buy is vulnerable to legal action because they refused legal tender in payment of a bill WITHOUT stating that they would not take certain forms of payment. If they have posted a notice saying they do not take certain forms of payment or certain denominations of money, that's fine... but they must have it posted. Which they did not.

The police could probably be hit with something along the lines of incompetence since it should be known that a $2 bill is in fact real. Blaming it on 9/11 makes the matter worse. Oh, but sorry no human rights were violated by being handcuffed to a pole. They were just keeping him in place for a bit. Embarassing, yes. Violation of human rights, no.
on Apr 13, 2005
And NO DAMMIT, I DON'T WANT 6 FREE MONTHS OF SPORTS ILLUSTRATED! Stop asking me that!


ahahhahhahhaha

I went through the same line 3 times in one day, with the same cashier.....

she asked me the same thing each time.

I replied on the 3rd.... "I have been through your line 3 times in 5 hours, are you that blonde or do you not pay enough attention that you don't recognize me?"
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