My Reply Letter To Best Buy

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I would agree, it should be a manager. Most people in retail can't do much without taking it to their manager.

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Just an FYI, we are not citizens of a state, we are residents.

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http://www.google.com/search?q=firearms+site:www.bestbuy.com

http://www.google.com/search?q=firearms+site:www.bestbuyinc.com

suggests that it is a double-secret policy that cannot be revealed to the public.

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That is why a polite letter needs to be written to Corporate so they can make a policy or at the very least make their managers aware of an existing policy, either pro or con OC.

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Here is version 2

I have always considered Best Buy to be a valuable resource for many of my IT needs, both personally and professionally. Personally, I have purchased several thousand dollars worth of items from various Best Buy stores across the state of Wisconsin, everything from laptop computers and wireless routers to network cables and ends. As IT manager for a local fortune 100 company, I have purchased multiple laptop computers, all-in-one copiers, and untold amounts of memory, network equipment, and other computer (hard drive, cd/dvd drive) related items.

On June 4, 2009, I was in The Best Buy store #1052 in Plover Wisconsin. I was in the store for only a few minutes when a Best Buy employee approached me, informed me that, “Best Buy has a policy restricting firearms in the store,” and requested that, “I leave the firearm in my vehicle in the future.” As there have been numerous break-ins into vehicles in Wisconsin as of late, leaving my firearm in an unattended vehicle poses a greater risk to public safety than carrying it, holstered, on my person. I would prefer to continue to patronize Best Buy but as a matter of practice and principle will be unable to do so in light of this stated policy. I would also point out that there is not a single documented case of a holstered firearm discharging much less harming another individual.

Wisconsin, like forty-four (44) other states (Michigan, Ohio, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, to name a few) allows private individuals the right to carry holstered firearms for the purposes of security and defense and I would like to verify the Best Buy policy before passing along this information to our eighteen thousand (18,000) member on-line gun-rights community. If this is not Best Buy's official policy please let me know at your earliest convenience as I and the thousands of members of our gun rights organization would like to patronize establishments who support the rights of law-abiding citizens.

Sincerely,

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Not bad. You do say 18,000 members, I would suggest you say what organization that is. In addition, request that they tell their stores what the policy is. Do you have the name of the employee who told you to go away?

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The main page of the opencarry forums reports over 18,000 members, and that is just THESE forums. I certainly would post their reply on additional forums as well.

I think once I get a reply stating what the policy is (hopefully pro) then I should ask them to inform the local establishments. If they come back with a "to each his own" type of response, then there is nothing to inform.

Unfortunately, I did NOT get his name.

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bnhcomputing wrote:

The main page of the opencarry forums reports over 18,000 members, and that is just THESE forums. I certainly would post their reply on additional forums as well.

I think once I get a reply stating what the policy is (hopefully pro) then I should ask them to inform the local establishments. If they come back with a "to each his own" type of response, then there is nothing to inform.

Unfortunately, I did NOT get his name.

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Are you going to send it on letterhead from your "local Fortune 100 firm" or as coming from a private individual?

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This would definitely be as a private individual. Although I sit quite high up in the organization (report directly to the CFO), I do not have the backing of the company for private matters. What I can do though is simply switch to alternate vendors, no questions asked.

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bnhcomputing wrote:

This would definitely be as a private individual. Although I sit quite high up in the organization (report directly to the CFO), I do not have the backing of the company for private matters. What I can do though is simply switch to alternate vendors, no questions asked.

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Why would you switch to an alternate vendor?

Presumably, prior to this incident, you had already picked the best vendor based on quality of products, supply, service, and competitive pricing.

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Best Buy is not necessarily the "best vendor based on quality of products, supply, service, and competitive pricing." It is a matter of convenience. Now that carrying there is an inconvenience, purchasing there is as well.

So as a matter of convenience, I'll just shop elsewhere if their position comes back in the negative.

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bnhcomputing wrote:

Best Buy is not necessarily the "best vendor based on quality of products, supply, service, and competitive pricing." It is a matter of convenience. Now that carrying there is an inconvenience, purchasing there is as well.

So as a matter of convenience, I'll just shop elsewhere if their position comes back in the negative.

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Well, it had to be some set of factors that made the Best Buy your selection as a vendor. And that selection must have been based on advantage to your firm.

If you change that selection based on a personal criterion unrelated to your firm's interests, then, well, that means something...

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I never said I wouldn't talk to the manager, I just thought it best to put something in writing to him/her first. Others here suggested I contact the corporate office in addition to the local manager. I am more than willing to meet with the local manager.

If you change that selection based on a personal criterion unrelated to your firm's interests, then, well, that means something...

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I will reiterate, Best Buy was a choice of convenient location. I could stop off there on the way home and pick up stuff if we needed something. It is no longer convenient to stop there on the way home. It's as simple as that.

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bnhcomputing wrote:

I never said I wouldn't talk to the manager, I just thought it best to put something in writing to him/her first. Others here suggested I contact the corporate office in addition to the local manager. I am more than willing to meet with the local manager.

If you change that selection based on a personal criterion unrelated to your firm's interests, then, well, that means something...

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I will reiterate, Best Buy was a choice of convenient location. I could stop off there on the way home and pick up stuff if we needed something. It is no longer convenient to stop there on the way home. It's as simple as that.

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It's interesting that convenience has now become the discriminating variable for your local Fortune 100 company's purchases. That would be unusual, considering that it spends "untold" amounts of products, presumably involving "untold" amounts of $$.

Of course, if you have the purchasing authority and responsibility, you obviously have the decision-making power to stop in any store you wish. But it seems to me you're mixing personal factors in with corporate factors. S'OK with me. But is it OK with the local Fortune 100 company? Is it in their interest?

And what if you go to another (newly convenient) store and encounter a similar problem? Will that newly covenient store then become inconvenient? It might be wise to consider how you publicly or privatelymention and effectyour company's business purchases vis a vis your personal dissatisfaction with a particular vendor. Especially, since you say that you "do not have the backing of the company for private matters."

Good luck with your efforts.

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If the items were purchased on the individuals time going to or from work, I certainly can see the convenience factor being a primary consideration. That being said, I see this line of inquiry taking the thread off topic.

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This is getting rather ridiculous.

All the OP wants to know (and I do to) is whether an employee of Best Buy overstepped his bounds in denying OC in the store.

Telling them that you would be taking both your personal and professional business elsewhere is a common ploy. As long as the OP doesn't do something illegal or immoral then why are people busting his balls?

It's nodifferent then he mentoning that the 18,000 posters on this group might stop going to BestBuy if they don't allow OC. How is he going to gurantee that? I would use it as an additional data point in my purchasing decisions but I wouldn't guarantee I would NEVER buy from BB again.

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If you mention your business, why wouldn't the manager ask who you work for, then contact the CFO and try to win back their business?

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This suggestion doesn't really hold water if you understand the inner workings of corporations. If a CFO wanted to have hands on control over where IT products were purchased, he'd do it himself. Tasks are delegated.In this case the company Hubert works for is the customer and Hubert is the customer. (people seem to forget these days that the customers has the leverage not the retailer or vendor) Going over the purchasers head is a rookie mistake. That kind of modus operendi demonstrates a naivety that only the most UNseasoned professionals would ever make. The manager of Best Buy would find out REAL fast that tasks are delegated for a reason and you'd better have a REALLY aggregious case of negligence or deriliction of duty to go over someone's head when they are the customer and you are the vendor.

The products that Hubert purchases (computers, routers, etc) are COMMODITIES there are thousands of outlets to purchase these products. MANY MANY likely more convenient than going to best buy.To make the arguement that Hubert is somehow not doing whats best for his company is pithless. Hell, in this economy there are people that would come bang on the companies front door and sell the same products for less than best buy.

Just like my issue with The Shooters Shop. If they were the only game in town. I'm not going to drive to Vermont to buy a handgun. The factors in my decision would be swayed. But given other options on a COMMODITY type purchase, its very easy to shift your buying decision to another source.

So lets refocus on what should be our common goal of utilizing the power we have as consumers to encourage (or in some cases demand) that organizations make smart choices and recognize the rights of law-abiding citizens instead of acquiescing to the myths of the uneducated who end up enabling criminals.

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I received a reply from an attorney with Best Buy. I have attached it.To quote the letter BestBuy"does not restrict our customers who are legally entitled to carry"

I returned to Best Buy, freely exercised my rights, and purchased additional computer hardware.