While checking my favorite non-gaming blog, the Consumerist, I stumbled across an interesting Best Buy customer experience. Over the weekend, a 21 year-old walked into the Best Buy in Orland Park, IL with his 15 year-old brother in hopes of purchasing Assassin’s Creed and an Xbox Live Gold Membership with $100 in Best Buy gift cards.

While the two were at the cash register, the older brother asked for his gift cards that his younger brother was holding. Somewhere during the process, the cashier refused to sell the game to the older brother since she was under the assumption that the older brother was purchasing the game for the 15 year-old.

After the cashier refused to sell the game to the two brothers, the story takes a complicated turn for the worst. In an attempt to better understand the situation, I have included the brother’s first-hand account of the entire ordeal. I also had a chance to speak with a Best Buy employee regarding the various store policies in question.

Thanks for sticking around! Here is the older brother’s version of the story:

I stepped up to the red haired, slightly obese cashier and she immediately gave me a look of disgrace as if I did something wrong. I replied with a “hi” to make the tension less awkward. She immediately asked me for my ID. I’ve never been carded for a video game before so I politely handed it to her while asking my brother for my gift cards I gave him while I was busy shuffling through my car just 20 minutes earlier.
She then left the the register booth with my ID and video game and went to her manager. The Best Buy cashier then came back and shouted that I’m purchasing a video game for a minor in front of everyone in line behind me and her fellow cashiers. She even had the nerve to ask, “Is that even your brother with you?!” Hell yes he is! I was embarrassed! It’s like she was condemning me for purchasing alcohol for a minor.

I quickly responded back that I am 21 year old and that the video game and peripheral are for me. She shook her head with a menacing grim and said that she saw me take gift cards from my brother and that what I am doing is illegal. Enough of this obese 17 year olds shenanigans! I demanded a manager. Unfortunately the manager was probably about 18 years old as well.

In front of the store again he told me that I am illegally purchasing a video game for a minor. I responded back that they are my gift cards! I want to make a purchase. That’s when he picked up Xbox Live GOLD. I then asked if I couldn’t buy that either. He then took a few minutes to scrutinize the box looking for an online peripherals rating. He never found it and said to me, he’s not sure, I might not be able to do that either (Xbox Live was also rated E for everyone mind you). I continued to repeat that these are my gift cards, I’m 21 and I want to make my purchase. The cashier and manager continued to condemn me in front of all that I’m illegally purchasing the game for a minor.

I brought up two ultimatums. “So I have to go drive miles outside Orland Park, IL to another Best Buy to purchase the video game then?” The manager shrugged and said, “I guess so.”

I also brought up the option then that if I left the store with my brother, came back in by myself and made the purchase, would that be legal then? The manager replied, “Technically, yes, that will be OK.”

I then told them to hold on to the Xbox Live Gold since it was the last one left. I left the store with my brother, told him to go to the car. I then walked back into the store. The manager earlier told me that I can’t use the old video game I originally had in hand because it was deemed under “penalty.” I then had to walk all the way to the back of the cavernous store, pick up the video game then walk back to the line I was originally in. I stood in line for another 10 minutes waiting. I finally got back up to the obese red head cashier where she smirked and looked at me and said, “Yeah, we can’t sell you that video game.” What?! “Those gift cards are illegal.”

How the hell does she know someone didn’t just give me the gift cards on the street or if I had more of my “OWN” gift cards from the car. They just told me that I was able to purchase the video game once I walked my brother out.

Just a few moments ago, I had a chance to speak with a Best Buy employee, who coincidentally enough, just happens to work for the Best Buy in question.

Even if there is a younger kid next to the purchaser, we wouldn’t just assume that the product was for them [the minor]. The only reason why a situation like this would be initiated is if in fact the younger brother came up by himself to buy the game and was denied. Then we are not allowed to sell the game to the older brother that came in to buy the product because he is not the legal guardian. The cashier only did her job. Best Buy has a strong stance with the ESRB in which we do not sell to somebody younger than 17 unless they are accompanied by a legal guardian.

I tend to side against the store in these types of cases, but in this situation, I am having a hard time believing that every detail in the brother’s account is 100% accurate.

The brother’s side of the story sounds like something that he fired off to the Consumerist a few hours after the entire situation occured, and his anger is echoed throughout the complaint. When somebody writes a quick email out of anger, it’s easy to leave out a few details. My best guess is that the cashier tossed up a red flag when the older brother asked his younger brother for the gift cards. If that is true, then the cashier was just doing her job by refusing to sell the game at the time.

The brother mentions that the cashier and manager claimed that buying games for a minor is illegal. This is false, as there are no laws in Illinois that prohibit a minor from purchasing a Mature rated game. However, most retailers have a strict policy set forth to enforce the ESRB ratings.

Does this explain the shabby treatment that the brother claims he received from the cashier? No, but I have an extremely hard time believing that a guy who describes a person as a “red haired, slightly obese cashier” as a completely innocent person who handled the conflict in a calm manner.

The Consumerist