When did Best Buy devolve into Radio Shack, circa 1995?

It's disgusting. Stores want home phone numbers, addresses, and zip codes. They act as if you owe it to them, your personal information. Then they sell it to other companies. Assholes. Too few people push back or complain. Thanks for doing so.

Hell, Radio Shack may have pestered you for your phone number and other personal details, but I never had them ask for ID. Which was helpful, because I always gave them fake personal details.

Yeah, I find that a casual but firm "you don't need that" -- works in most cases. With the right intonation, no Jedi mind trick hand wave is necessary.

The latest innovation in the "Your Papers, Please" category is asking for birthdate and/or ID when customer attempts to purchase a can of *computer duster*. This is in response to an innovation in the "Inhale Anything That Is Bad For You" category.

This store policy is especially annoying when they only sell duster with bitterant. A month ago, a while after cleaning out a keyboard, I walked through that part of the room again, and could suddenly taste the bitterant on my tongue, like I'd been drinking extremely bitter coffee. Earlier this last summer, a female friend and I had each taken a few target shots with a duster gas-powered Airsoft gun. A short while later, we kissed. Fortunately, this was not our first kiss, as the bitterant suddenly in our mouths tasted like death must taste, and we both would've run away in horror.

Was it a violent game? If it had a higher rating they would be justified for asking for your id.

On the other hand I am very familiar with the operations of Best Buy (at least the base of it, I was very very familiar with it 4 years ago Im sure its gotten worse) and would not trust their associates with my contact info beyond my name. I remember for a while they were getting caught signing people up for free trials without their knowledge because the store would get X number of dollars for every X number of trials pushed on people. The most risky time for that is when your buying a computer, they will make you think you have to fill out and sign half the stuff they have you fill out and sign when you really dont. My favorite thing was when they would be selling someone a product and when they found out the person had no interest in buying service or accessories the associates (with major prodding from management) would tell the person that it wasnt in stock (when it was.) The second step to that was then pulling it up in the system and telling them the store in the next town over had it in stock and the person should go there. Rinse, lather and repeat.

Needless to say Best Buy was not one of my favorite places to deal with. Its awash in corporate craziness that manifests itself in an overzealous workforce that will do anything not to get yelled at by the management. It also helps that their store management gets paid very well (A GM goes upwards to 100,000 and more, thats pretty damn good in retail world below the regional level.) So lots of these people think they will make it there someday.

Best Buy does this for video games with certain ratings. If you look at the register you'll see it flash to check ID or something after they scan certain games. They just do it for everyone instead of kids. They've done it for years.

Oh, about the time they started calling the cops to arrest their customers for buying something, or taser them for not buying something, or simply arresting them themselves (illegally).

A couple of months ago, when I bought a new video game for my PSP, the cashier tried to pump me for magazine subscriptions and scratch protection. She was exuberant and a little pushy, but by the second time I said "No," she calmed down and gave me my item.

These days, all I do is scan for stuff at Best Buy, and when a blue-shirted employee asks me if I need anything, I just say no. Then I buy it elsewhere cheaper.

Radio Shack is a little less pushy, but not by much. They still ask for addresses and if I want to buy product protection, but 99% of the time they leave me alone if I say no.

They were entirely right in asking you for ID if your game was rated as such. Regardless of how old you are, or think you look, the employee is prompted to enter a date of birth into the computer to verify the age of the customer buying media rated accordingly, and was just doing his job. Best Buy is actually a really good company. Unlike other electronics retailers I've worked for, they don't pressure their staff with disciplinary action for not meeting unrealistic sales goals, and the non-commission environment is better for everyone than a commission-based pay system used by other stores.

Let the kid do his job, or take your holier-than-thou attitude somewhere else.

Can we calm down with the "They Have To Check for ID" rhetoric? There is no law requiring stores to check ID, and the ESA's rating system is voluntary, not government imposed. Best Buy is CHOOSING to check ID so they look good to the public. I would have done the same thing: questioned the policy and asked to speak to a manager. There is no chance they would get my ID.

Other stores, like Bed Bath & Beyond have started doing this foolishness, perhaps in an effort to cull demographics info for marketing purposes. It's tedious and it's insulting. The clerk makes you feel like you're this ogre for not acquiescing to their perfectly 'normal' request. There's nothing normal about it.

I, as a consumer, should not have to jump through hoops to make a purchase. These policies will only work to push people to shop online even more than they are now, if only to avoid these intrusive practices.