So here's the story. This past summer I made a purchase from Bestbuy.com and opted for in-store pickup. To anyone who has done this, you make the purchase online with a debit/credit card and choose a store you would like to pick up the item at, and they email you when it is ready to be picked up. So I ordered an item, and watched my email and my on-line banking, in about a day the card transaction had gone through on my debit card, and the next day I recieved an email saying the item was ready. In my excitment I went to the store that evening and picked it up(only about a 20 min drive, and I wanted my toy).
When I got there I went to the servvice desk and got my item. The girl there fiddled with the computer for awhile, walked off, talked to someone, disappeared and came back with my box, she then said that best buy was in the process of re-vamping their website and she couldn't check it out via the computer, so would I just sign this form and I'd be all set. I said sure no problem, and filled out the form. She then ran my debit card on one of those old-school devices that slide over the card with a loud CHA CHUNK and makes an imprint of the card on the slip. Handed me the box and said I was set.
On my way out I realized I never got a recipt, but didn't think much of it since their computers were down, I figured that was why. So that was that, or so I thought. About a week later I was short on cash and stopped at my bank's ATM, I got some money and looked at my balance, it was to high, to high in the amount of the item I had just purchased a week past. I got home from my excurions that evening and got online to check my bank, and ba-da-bing it says BEST BUY.COM REFUND and the amount in my checking. I was taken aback, since the item was sitting not 5 feet from me. I checked my email and there were several "pickup reminders" in there saying I needed to pickup my item, all dated AFTER I had indeed picked it up. Then one final one saying since I had indeed never picked up my item the amount had been refunded. I was shocked, and didn't know what to do. I told my father, who said it was probably just a hangup in the paperwork and leave the money be and it would probably dissappear in a few days again once they caught it. I had been thinking the same so I let it go. Days, weeks, and now months have passed, that debit card has since expired (got a new one with the same number, different expo date) and still the money remains.
So my question is, is the money now 'mine'? Is there some law that if they don't charge me for it for so long then it's over? Or have I technically stolen this item? I'm an honest guy here and I have no foul intentions, but I was afraid to call technical support at best buy on this as I didn't want to end up being charged twice, once by support and once again once the store figured it out.
Any advice?
Pardon the long post, and a cookie for whoever reads the whole thing
