I am a former Best Buy employee who got screwed by Best Buy.

June 2010 - I had been employed by BBY for almost 9 months. Talked to my store manager about plans to go to college in a town on the other side of the state in August 2010. Manager asked me for basic info (Employee ID number, positions held within BBY, availability once I'm at school, etc.) I wrote this down on a blank sheet of paper (no form) for my manager. He said he'd take care of things since he knows the manager at the store I would be transferring to.

Also talked to the HR manager at my store. He asked me for the same information, which I provided for him.

July 2010 - talked again with my manager. He again asked for my availability once I moved to the town in which I would attend school. Said he'd forward this information to the store I'd be transferring to. We discussed when my last day of work would be at my current location (sales tax holiday in early-mid August)

August 2010 - Worked my last few days at BBY, my manager told me all I had to do was go into the transfer location and introduce myself to either the store manager or HR manager, there may be some paperwork involved, and I should be working at the new location within a couple of weeks of doing so.

Late August, 2010 - all settled in at college. Go introduce myself at new BBY store. Store manager is busy when I go in, HR manager is gone for the day. The manager I talked to took down my information and promised me I'd be contacted in the next few days. I was never contacted. I called the store back and was met with the same situation (neither manager I needed to speak to was available). For the next few months, I called back on a fairly regular basis. At least once a week, often more. There were a few weeks that I'd try calling every day. Every time I called, the managers either weren't in the building or were "busy". On a few occasions, after hearing the goon phone operator tell me that one/both of the managers was in the store, but busy, and I would just say thank you, hang up, and show up at the store and wait for one of the managers to get un-busy. The first time I did so, the store manager informed me that he had just finished hiring for the holiday season and thus had no room for me, he was having enough trouble giving hours to his current employees. He told me to try back in late winter/early spring. After this conversation, I filed for unemployment (more on that later).

Early Spring - I come in to talk to the store manager again. He tells me I need to fill out an application just like any other new hire (I assumed just as a formality), and he would get back to me within the next two weeks.

After two and a half weeks without any communication with the store manager, I call in and (remarkably) speak to the manager over the phone. He asks me when I'm available to come in and talk to him. I tell him I'm available immediately, and proceed to come into the store. We have a sort of informal interview. The store manager asks me about what I did at the old store, and what my strengths and weaknesses were as far as salesmanship and product knowledge in the areas I had worked. He told me he had a few other applicants to consider (My thoughts: the fuck?), but he'll get back to me within the next few days.

A few days go by, and the store manager actually gives me a call! I was away from my phone so he left a message, but I immediately called back. After about a ten minute wait, he comes on the phone and tells me that he decided to hire a different candidate. I proceed to flip shit, and ask him how it was a good business decision to hire some random off the street, spend the time and money to train and certify them, and HOPE that they can succeed at making money for the store. he has no answer. I tell him I'm considering suing for seven months' worth of lost wages, and he tells me our conversation is over. I ask if he can give me one good reason for doing what he did, and he again says our conversation is over, and hangs up on me.

Unemployment - After the store manager told me to "try back in the spring", I filed for Missouri Unemployment. I was approved for enough money to last me from November 2010-June 2011, with a weekly check of about $180. I soon received a letter saying my unemployment has basically been vetoed by Best Buy. I find out they denied it claiming that I "Voluntarily left the company to attend school", which is the biggest load of bullshit this side of the Mississippi. I try to appeal the claim but between schoolwork and trying to find a new job, I completely forget about the appeal date and it fell through.

Just to give you some background info, I was a great employee at the store I tried to transfer from. I sold plenty, attached plenty of accessories, and sold plenty of the geek squad protection plans and refund agreements. Upon visiting my old store, I am still greeted by fellow employees today. I have even talked to my old supervisors and they have offered me my old job back if I ever want it (I'd love it, but I still need to go to school).

I am now employed at Sears, which is great because I am a commissioned salesperson instead of making money hourly, however, I enjoyed selling at Best Buy a lot more. Selling home theater equipment, TVs and computers was much more appealing to me than selling tools, fitness equipment, and lawn and garden equipment is now, even though I make nearly double what I did at BBY.

Also, I have recently found out that the same situation has happened to at least two other employees from my store attempting to transfer to other stores. I'm sure this has happened elsewhere as well.

What, if anything, can I do now that won't cost me an arm and a leg in legal fees, and cost me more time than I have, being an employed student? FYI this is posted in r/legaladvice and r/askreddit. I'm not trying to receive more karma than I deserve, I just want as much advice as possible. Thanks!

EDIT - tl;dr: Best Buy sucks even if you're an employee