Best Buy
We found that they were a different company, Smoliak, in 1966 and rebranded as Best Buy in 1983 to become a consumer electronics store. They have several locations and subsidiaries throughout North America and the rest of the world. Best Buy offers a wide array of products to its customers, including one of the largest arrays of cell phones, including AT&T, T-Mobile, and many more.
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The Good
- Customer service is great
- Replace products that have issues
- Wide variety of products
We liked the Geek Squad approach to customer service. In this medium, we found one of the most robust customer service platforms in the industry. Geek Squad is an owned subsidiary of Best Buy. In addition to providing customer service at every Best Buy store, customers can also get support 24/7 online or over the phone. Best Buy sells support packages with each item that is sold in a store. Geek Squad has a "lemon" policy.
If your product requires three repairs during the life of your service plan, the Geek Squad will turn your lemons into lemonade by replacing the product with a similar model if your model is no longer manufactured.
Here are some other things that we liked about Best Buy:
- The number of Apple computers available: When Best Buy first started selling Apple computers, they only had a few models available. Now, it is possible to purchase Mac Minis, MacBook Pros, and the Mac Pro. Many of the items we looked at were on sale. A basic Mac Mini was available for $459.99, slightly cheaper than what was listed on the Apple website.
- Computer accessories: There were more than enough accessories to make your computer user-friendly and ergonomic. When we looked at the keyboards and mice available through Best Buy, we found more than 164 pages of items, 97 items in total. We found a lot of good wireless mouse and keyboard combos, great for the person who wanted an ergonomic work center or specialized accessories for gaming.
- An easy-to-use website: We liked the website's functionality, especially how it let customers sort through items. Customers could sort through items by brand, price, and other characteristics. Also, each item included a high-quality picture of the item.
Best Buy also had a wide variety of "wearable technology" available. These included sports training aids, sports watches, and activity monitors and pedometers. Some of the companies in the industry lacked the number of items from Best Buy. Best Buy also carried home assistive technology, items ranging from phones to computers that helped those in need live easier at home.
The Bad
- Poor customer experience
- Customer complaints
- Pricing not listed
The in-store experience with Best Buy often leaves something to be desired. Some reviews online, as well as a recent Forbes article, listed this as one of the reasons Best Buy often struggles to keep customers in the store. The Forbes article commented on the typical customer experience at Best Buy. Often, a customer walking into a store for self-service (to purchase the items they know they need) will receive an experience pressuring them to buy more things. This was a trend in some of the reviews we read about Best Buy online.
One 2014 customer complaint involved the purchase of an Apple MacBook Pro from a store. The customer found the 2012 model sticker on the inside of their computer, contacted Apple, and was told that they had purchased an "old-stock" computer. The inventories of some brands in stores are often older models that Best Buy has purchased in stock.
One customer also had purchased a $450 computer, according to a complaint, and it was not working after the 15-day Return and Exchange Promise. The customer was advised to go to the manufacturer or purchase a Geek Squad plan. Electronics are expensive investments, and consumers should have access to the best product available.
Best Buy's Geek Squad does not have pricing listed on its website. In order to get a price, you must get a quote. Also, we found that liquid spills require a special plan, the Advanced Geek Squad Protection Plan with Accidental Damage from Handling. For high-dollar items, the Advanced Protection Plan becomes a necessity.
The Bottom Line
We recommend Best Buy as an online electronics retailer for the following reasons:
- We liked the functionality of the website, which included a "deals" section that changed on a regular basis.
- Overall, we liked the Geek Squad customer service, however, we want to see pricing on the website.
- When we loaded the website on our mobile device, it was just as easy to use as the responsive website.
- Best Buy offers an assistive devices category, which includes amplifiers for hearing issues and large-screen alarm clocks for the vision impaired.
- Geek Squad offers a "lemon" policy, which gives the customer a new replacement item after the third repair of an item protected by the Geek Squad.
Sometimes, we felt like the customer service at Best Buy failed to deliver. We read about the 15-day Return and Exchange Promise quite a bit. Some customers had items break after the promise had expired, leaving the manufacturer's warranty or the Geek Squad as the only viable option.
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User Reviews
Star Rating
91 Reviews
Review Breakdown
Sentiment Criteria
Zac Cannon
I typically buy most of my electronics from Best Buy, specifically video games and films. I can typically get good prices on items every now and then.
Eileen R White
The company is well informed about there product and shipping information is right on time when they say it would be
David Goodwyn
They have fair to good prices (on sale) and available interest free financing and/or points that convert to cash. Used both.
Alan Aler
Purchased an EERO Pro WIFI, a MHT Network & Webroot & had Tech Support come out to help with install. The tech was very knowledgeable...install took a minimal amount of time..very pleased with Best Buy Products & extremely pleased with Tech Support
Bruce Long
I had almost forgot how bad the service was there. I recently bought a 65" Sony TV After 13 days the remote stopped working. I took it back to the store and was told to go buy a universal remote, there was nothing they could do
Aaron Paxman
Love their customer service. I was trying to find a wireless router for my home and the sales rep was very knowledgeable and friendly and helped me find what would work best for my family.
McKinzie Figueroa
A lot of times when we have gone to Best Buy their products are a little pricey, but the people they have on the floor are very knowledgeable about the products. It is a good place to go if you have questions about what you are wanting to buy.
lawpm
great buy on electronics and gadgets but many items to pricey
Tanner Cook
Best Buy can price match on many items, which makes shopping there just as effecient as online, without the wait time! Plus you can actually look at what you’re purchasing at first - sometimes I’ve bought things online, only to have buyers remorse because the description wasn’t fitting. That’s not a problem here and I can always return the item directly back to the store. Win-win!
edward reese
Best store for electronics and has nearly every vendor products either in store or online.
Nishita
Got a great price for my Dell Laptop. Good service
Eric
Best Buy is a great place to go if you would like to get somewhat good prices on electronics while also getting expert advice on said electronics. I do prefer online shopping but going into a store like Best Buy can really help if you're not sure what you want.
Randal hyde
I dont think I have gone anywhere else to get my electronic supplies. I really like the environment of the store, i even go there to to look around even if i dont get anything.
Angie L Hanzel
My husband loves Best Buy but I feel like it is overpriced. They do run some good sales around the Holidays and you can get movies for really cheap. I have also found it is hard to get someone to help you when you need assistance. Overall, not my go to electronic store
Mark
Great. I used the online service as well as instore and both were great service.
Shari Evers
I have bought a couple of computers from Best Buy and regardless of how many bells and whistles we get for the computers the get crumby really quickly!
Dylan Findlay
Great selection of high quality electronics. I have purchased many items from Best Buy and will continue to shop here
Preston Fowler
I love best buy they always have the devices and accessories I am looking for.
Thomas Hullinger
I have bought tv's and computers, and printers, and many other electronic items from Best Buy. They have a great selection of products in all price categories and have helpful salesmen that can help answer my questions and guide me to the right product. Also I like their financing options and warranties.
Lesa Burgess
Customer service at Best Buy is always friendly, knowledgable and very accommodating. The Geek Squad is very helpful & the salesperson at Best Buy told me I would get a pride reduction on the purchase price if I got the Geek Squad plan. Huge bonus!
Sara Jane
Good quality products. Associates are pretty well educated on the products.
Chase Rohner
The electronics sold here are very high quality.
Tysen Rohner
Great deals on electronics and reliable products.
Tom
I have bought a tv, computer, and many other asesories. They have a great selection at a good price.
Jani Crawley
Was able to get a refurbished iwatch for a great price. I had it held at the store and the pickup was easy.
Easton Fowler
Best buy has provided my electronic needs for the past couple years. Their products are quality and provide me with what I need. The customer service is amazing and the staff is great. I wouldn't shop anywhere else for my electronics.
CAROLE SCOVILLE
I bought a TV on clearance here a couple years ago, and it is still working like a charm!
Noelle
Everyones so nice and super helpful. They have good quality products.
Kip Fowler
I have an account with Best Buy. I have purchased a large number of electronic equiptment from Best Buy over the years. I appreciate their return policy
Preston Fowler
Best Buy always has a great selection of electronic devices, when I go there, there are always workers ready to help me find what I need, and I always find it.
Amy Crawley
Poor warranty and geek squad service. Why not just buy electronics directly from apple, etc.
Jim Crawley
Best Buy works to provide excellent customer service and that's what I've experienced each time I shop at BB. Staff members proactively offer assistance and seek to understand what product(s) will best suit your needs within your price range.
Joanna Hester
I bought a Roomba vacuum. Three weeks later it died. I brought it in and they exchanged it no questions asked. Great customer service!
Brooke Hester
Love the service they have here. Good quality items too!
Martha Sensiba
I buy our electronic equipment here and have always found their customer service to be great.
Sadie Scoville
The tv we bought from Best Buy works great and is in great shape.
Tim Vaughan
Best Buy has a partnership with Vivint home security that did a classic bait and switch and Best Buy does not itemize your receipt when you buy Vivint products at Best Buy , as a loyal Best Buy customer of many years they did not help when I was baited and switched .
Amelia Gibson
I like this company because they are super diverse and it is fun to go inside and shop.
Nana Asiata
Best Buy has great quality of electronics, they have great customer service that are always kind and ready to help
Kristin
I enjoy shopping for electronics here because of the customer service as well as their warranties .
Avery Fowler
Great selection of products that have a nice return policy.
H Moore
We've bought quite a few of our electronics at Best Buy. They have great customer service.
Noelle Crawley
The customer service is great and products are easy to find.
Ashley
My favorite part of Best Buy is the geek squad! So helpful.
Samantha
Someone is always so quick to want to help you find what you need! The layout of the store is easy to navigate!
Alex Lewis
My experience with Best Buy has always been positive. They have a wide variety of products and lots of knowledgeable staff to help you find exactly what you're looking for.
Tom Rhoton
Nice to have a showroom where you can see things before purchase. The salespeople aren't on commission so they don't follow you around the store.
K Robison
Enjoy going to best buy. A lot of options and prices are decent
RJ
They have always been helpful and are very knowledgeable about anything I had questions about. They also were easy to work with when I had returns.
Dallin Smith
I buy things at Best Buy from time to time. There customer service is always really good and helpful. There prices are about the same as everyone else but they do have really good deals every once in a while.