Complaint Rating:

Company information:
Best Buy
Coconut Point Mall
Fort Myers, Florida
United States

On Thursday March 13, 2008... My friend and I went to Best Buy around 8:30 P.M. to purchase a new music CD. We entered the store and went directly to the music isle. A young man asked us if we needed help finding anything. We replied "yes" and told the man what it was we wanted. He found the location of the product but they were sold out. So we kept looking for another CD to buy. My friend immediately found something he wanted to purchase.

I myself was looking at another music artist to see what they had in stock. We approached a second time by a young woman and another gentleman and were asked if we needed any help. We replied no thank you we found what we were looking for. I did notice the staff members crowding the isle around us. We then proceeded to the register to pay for the merchandise. My friend paid the young attendant. As we turn to walk we were met buy at least seven to ten employees. The same woman that was in the isle with us immediately told us to take all the merchandise that we had just put in our pockets. I quickly asked her "What the hell are you talking about?" She replied "We have you guys on camera and we found plastic rappers in the isle that we were in." I first told her we didn't steal anything and I want to see the video. They immediately refused to show us the video. I the told her I'm calling a lawyer. So she told us to leave the store and that we are not permitted to enter the establishment ever again. This whole fiasco took place in front of numerous customers and employees. We were in the store no more than ten minutes and there was a staff member within ten feet of us the entire time we were there. I asked them which employee witnessed us shoplift and they replied no one saw us conceal anything. So they threatened to call the police. We walked out of the store and I called the Lee County Sheriffs Office and explained to the dispatch what had taken place, apparently Best Buy had placed the call first. We waited for the Officer to arrive and explained to him in detail exactly what took place in the last fifteen minutes. We were detained inside the police vehicle and when we asked to get out, we were denied. The officer gave us a written citation or ticket stating if we came back to the store we would be arrested. My party is seeking legal council in this matter and will pursue this issue to the fullest extent. This was a very emotional matter that will never be forgotten. Every time I enter a place of business I feel that I am being targeted. My friend doesn't even live in Florida, he is visiting me from New Jersey. This is his first time in Florida and he is now banned from a Best Buy that he spent no more than ten minutes in. Something needs to be done about this matter. And for the record, we offered to strip down to our bare skin to prove that we were innocent of the accusations.