My problem is with that specific Best Buy and their disregard for their customers. I heard of many other Future Shops and Best Buy’s respecting their customers on the initial sale day of the PlayBook, however the Best Buy in Ottawa was terrible to their customers.

It must be tough working that section into Christmas and beyond, but I encourage you to keep pushing great products that deserve your sale support.

Those tablets come in very small packages, and are the highest thefted item among EMPLOYEES at best buy, as well as customers. Keeping them locked up helps prevent theft as well as ensure inventory is correct.

And yes, especially during retail times it can be extremely difficult – to do anything really. Especially shopping. But try to be the employee for a second. We come in an hour before you wait outside in line, power on all the devices and make sure everything is functional, make sure everything is downstocked, and sit through a morning meeting. Everyday. And then all of a sudden, BAM. 60 customers running into your department…where most likely only 2-3 people are working right when we open. Everybody wanting that “one” hot Christmas item.

And not only that, you start working with the first customer, and on your way to grab that Blackberry, 2 or 3 other customers grab you or stop you and “i just have a QUICK question” So you have to be polite and listen and it almost never is quick, but they understand your working with  a customer and will wait for you to return and finish up. Which you do. And so you help those other two customers next because they either follow you really closely until you finish up with Customer #1 or just watch you. Thats all. They literally watch you as you talk to Customer 1, eyeball you as you go get the product unlocked, eyeball you when you return, watch you ring out that customer and then they attack.

And thats a typical day in December at Best Buy. 

And yes, the President of Best Buy has addressed this issue and understood your concern and frustration and has since started implementing a ‘number que’ system, in which its first come-first -serve. Like what Verizon does. The first number in line gets the first product, and as much as he/she wants. Best Buy has no right to stop someone(unless stated in the AD or something) from purchasing multiple of a certain item as we are a retail environment and thats how they make money.

PS: I work in the computer and Tablet department.