Best Buy employees purchase Wii U for teen who visited store every day to play Smash Bros.

Here’s a story that has the potential to either restore your faith in humanity or finish it off completely. Last week, some employees at a Best Buy store in Valley Stream, New York, decided to purchase a Wii U for a teenage boy who they noticed was coming in every day to play Smash Bros. on a display model. The act of kindness was greeted with cynicism and vitriol by a large number of YouTube and Reddit commentators.

Best Buy employees purchase Wii U for teen who visited store every day to play Smash Bros.



Personally i imagine this is exactly the time of the year for people to show generosity by doing deeds like this. As to the cynics doing the rounds and leaving such negative comments, the mind simply boggles.

Good luck to the little fellow, i hope he enjoys his Super Smash brothers marathons. Nice "Wii" early Christmas present.

Wonderful story.
Lots of good people in the world...


Oh, bah humbug!

The only thing I have issue with is how they approached and spoke to him. They do not necessarily know his home situation. He could just be trying to forget about things he is trying to get away from, and wants to do so in an environment that he feels is safe and comforting for him. To me the employees approach to him made it seem like he was a burden to them by being there everyday, at least from my perspective.

I have seen kids harassed by security in the laundry at of an apartment complex for no reason other than it was late. But most of us knew the kids had a #ty home life with questionable parental role models and just wanted to be together away from it somewhere safe for them to play on their phones without causing trouble. Security guard chases them and tries to mace them, and all they were doing was playing their phones in the laundry room late at night while being minors.

It makes me feel bad because they are just trying to escape the crap reality they had at home.

I don't know enough about this kid's home life to draw that kind of parallel. However, based on the way they approached him, and how he responded, it seems like to me maybe the kid felt he was not wanted there and they were asking him to stop coming by.

Maybe they should just talk with him more and find out if he is trying to just chill out away from something he does not want to be around.

But other than that, it was a kind gesture. I just think execution could have been better planned out.

Nice, we need some positive vibe's here.
As for the cynic's..some people are not happy and want to spread it around to others.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

Damn man.. You really see the worst in everything, don't you...


Regardless of what the situation may be, they cared about the kid and that's the point that makes this story great. Everything else is irrelevant.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

I don't think there intention was to get rid of him, i mean if that was the case then they could simply have banned the kid from the store and saved $300. I think he responded the way he did down to the shock of being put on the spot more than anything else.

As to his conditions at home, who knows, but its a kind gesture anyway.

a reply to: StallionDuck


Totally agree.
That was a very nice thing that the employees done, the young man was in shock.lol
I hope he enjoys his new present

a reply to: worldstarcountry


Nice gesture by the staff and all but I agree , you never know the story behind the story.

a reply to: gortex

I would say that the very kind staff would not have a problem with him still calling in every day if he has trouble at home, nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors but these employees were doing their upmost for the young man and i applaud that, a bit like that man in your avatar

a reply to: StallionDuck

No not really. I said it was a kind gesture. But hearing the way the employee was speaking, in my mind his choice of words looked like they were being taken in a different way by the teenager himself, and I got to remembering some of the things I have seen in life which I shared.

Hey, for all we know though this kid could be the next tournament winner in major league gaming and end up reimbursing these nice adults.

Maybe I just seen too many kids and teens approached the wrong way in life for doing nothing that harms anyone and inappropriately applied it to this situation. I feel like the look I saw on the kids face was one I have seen too many times before, thats all I am saying.

Too bad he wanted a PC computer instead.

a reply to: Lysergic

Just remember Santa's watching.

I guess there are some on here that grew up with parents with deep pockets. I bet many of you have no idea what it is like to always be on the outside looking in. Believe it or not there are some families so poor that their kids gave up on having things that many take for granted. There are so many families like this in my home town of Detroit that it is hard to wrap your mind around it.
When I was in 9th grade my mom took my friend and I to Wendy's and Tommy didnt know what to say..you could see how uncomfortable it made him and the only thing he could think of was to say... Thank you..Ive never been here before. His family had lots of love but very little money and when you went over to his house that love was extended to all who entered.
Dont assume this young mans home life is filled with vileness. Poor doesnt mean unloved any more than being rich means love run'iths over. If he was living in a home as someof you desribed, chances aree he would be out running the streets.... doing what he needed to do to afford his own Wii..... not quietly sitting in BestBuy playing a game he wished he had.

In my mind what could have been a lovely gesture was completely ruined by them filming it and basically exploiting the kid for youtube hits.

Nice gestures that are sincere dont require video

a reply to: andy06shake


Ummm...WOW...Just WOW...

I'm sitting here on a slow day behind the counter...with tears rolling down my face...

Hope no customers walk in just now to see the big guy crying like a baby...

too cool




YouSir

a reply to: IkNOwSTuff

Although I would be apt to agree with you.......it may inspire others to do something kind. Young people especially need to see other young people doing things besides protesting and breaking things.
Hearts dont get changed by passing laws...... they get changed by acts of kindness.
You can bet that young man will never be out there carrying a sign declaring white people are devils and he may just be able to convince his friends that no matter what other people say...... experience teaches him differently.

Butterfly effect in action...... its a beautiful thing

originally posted by: IkNOwSTuff
In my mind what could have been a lovely gesture was completely ruined by them filming it and basically exploiting the kid for youtube hits.

Nice gestures that are sincere dont require video

Yes, what a great way to capitalize on "kindness" "the holiday spirit" as an advertizing gimmik. It's an old retail strategy.

Best buy is industrial creepy....I won't even go in the damn store.

a reply to: IkNOwSTuff

Is that not what a significant percentage of people do these days? That being document just about every aspect of there life's on video and upload them to YouTube/Facebook or whatever other social media type site takes there preference.

Seems to me YouTube and the like have somewhat managed to capitalize on the notion of a selfless act.

End of the day even if the people responsible for the video done it for the kudos and/or attention hopefully they managed to bring a little happiness to that young guys life.

On the flip side i could be completely incorrect and Best Buys are just attempting to sell there old WiiU stock, hope not all the same.

Ohmygosh, so heartwarming, there must be ninja onions in the house because my eyes forced tears of joy.
I'm overwhelmed and gushing love for those kind hearted employees, I am forever in their debt for filming such a beautiful act.

Thank you so much OP for sharing this story, my heart is glowing and if I was a religious person I would thank the god of love which inspired the kind folk who paid for the consumer item.

I am gushing with joy, beauty and love right now...I'm actually struggling to think of a charitable act which could deserve digital media exposure more than this.

I almost wish I believed in gods because I would pray for the beautiful people who carried out such a life changing act of kindness.


*edit*
I hope every young person in the world who is too poor to have their own games console is fortunate enough to have their dreams come true by the overwhelming kindness of people such as in the OP.
Faith is restored in humanity, ohmygosh I may cry again.

originally posted by: IkNOwSTuff
In my mind what could have been a lovely gesture was completely ruined by them filming it and basically exploiting the kid for youtube hits.

Nice gestures that are sincere dont require video

This.

And im not going to be critical of anyone here. But it does bear reminding that "kind deeds" don't need an audience to be effective. Im sure we can all list the stuff we given to people over the years.

What I like about the video is reminding people to be aware of others, and to try to show love to others. At the end of the day, that happened here. So kudo's all around.