Argh, Why doesn't Bestbuy.com accept gift cards?
 

I got a $50 gift card in the mail today and figured I would buy The Office. I checked and none of my local stores carry it... at all. Bestbuy.com has it, but they don't accept gift cards. How do I get the DVD(assuming I don't want to shelll out cash) if the B&M won't get it in stock and the online store won't take my GC?

It's just plain dumb that BB.com wouldn't accept gift cards online while its competitors would (eg, CC).

Couldn't you get a raincheck at your nearest store so that you can buy it at the sale price later using your gift card?

No, from what the stores told me, they won't be carrying The Office period. Of course, I could have been talking to morons on the phone.

I think you have been talking to morons on the phone. According to bestbuy.com, the Office can be available at the stores. Otherwise it would have said "Store Availability Not Available" (like a number of Criterion DVDs).

GiftCards are not accepted on BestBuy's site because American Express probably does not want to spend the money to back-end their system into BestBuy's website. Those giftcards that they sell are American Express stored value cards. BestBuy does not keep track of the balances themselves and has contracted American Express to do all the work. It could be that American Express doesn't want to spend the time or money to do it, or BestBuy figures they can get you in the store and hopefully buy more if you have a Giftcard.

The stores in my area don't have it available though. The website said one store had it, but there weren't any on the shelves.

I stopped out a Best Buy to pick up some other stuff and asked if I could special order the disc. They said I could order the DVD through the website, return it to the store and rebuy it with my gift card. I think that's what I'll do.

Majorjoe23, you better double check it with the manager first before ordering online and return/rebuy it at the stores. I heard stories that people couldn't rebuy the stuff that they returned at the store just because they said their online and instore inventories are separate and they are separate entities. What a BS!

If that's the case I'll just return and not rebuy it. I want The Office, but chances are Best Buy will stock it with the second season when it comes out next month.

Yeah, I can't see any reason why they would just cease to carry such a great dvd, they'll most likely restock when the next season comes out.

Just a note though, when I went to buy Curb Your Enthusiasm at my local best buy, their instore inventory said they had 3 in stock.

But there were none on the shelf where they should have been.

It turned out they were on an end cap hidden behind some other DVD.
So, if their store inventory says they have, there's a good chance they do and it's just misplaced.
Not saying it would be an easy find or anything, but just that it's probably there somewhere.