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
145 Reviews
Review Breakdown
Sentiment Criteria
April Jones
I always go to Best Buy for my Electronic, and find they have the best support team when I have a problem also!
Mila Vilesova
A lot of companies help those who are affected by COVID19 and cannot make a payment because of lost jobs and income, buy BestBuy does not offer this option on their website, and their customer service is not working. Very disappointing.
Yordan Urrutia
Best electronics out there! I recently bought a Samsung TV and I love it. Great quality and great prices!
Odao Ogbonmwan
I got my first MacBook Air from here and it was definitely a good deal! Still working on paying it off from the credit card I used to get it but I’m very satisfied with my purchases from here so far.
Austin Stelmach
I bought my MacBook Air from Best Buy and got a great student deal that included a pair of beats studio headphones. The staff was super helpful and nice! I highly recommend for any electronic needs!
Pekeiydra Williams
I come to BestBuy a lot for maintenance on my apple products since there is not a Apple store near me. The staff are always respectful of appointment times and they work fast. They always try to help in the best way as possible.
Chaveli
Great customer service and usually support is very efficient and fast! Good deals too!
Ashphile Baptiste
Best Buy always has what I am looking for at a great price that I can never refuse. The electronics are always in the best condition and has never given me any problems.
Anita pea
Best buy was an awesome choice for my electronics. The employers helped me find everything for pretty good prices
Katlyn Hockman
Best buy, especially their geek squad, is incredible. I feel like their stores could be a little more organized but other than that they have a fantastic selection of electronics.
Jakob barre
I’ve Bought a plethora of My home tech from the store definitely some of the best workers I’ve seen in a while really Want to help the customers and to help them get what they need.
Jadon Barre
This store has any tech I might need. It’s very reliable, and the staff is so helpful.
Jacobrobot321
The technology is amazing and always up to date, and the staff knows what they’re talking about!
Jackson Barousse
Best buy is my favorite electronics store, as they have frequent deals on the hottest products. I have purchased all my TV's from Best Buy, and their customer service has always been excellent. Their Geek Squad service is also extremely helpful and is conveniently located inside many stores.
Eric Gagnard
Knowledgeable staff ontop of a cornucopia of options for any and all of your electronic needs
Cole Bailey
Best Buy is great to go to when looking for technology but their price is pretty expensive.
Brayden Ibert
Best Buy is one of the worst run stores I have had to deal with. When I would go in to deal with my electronics or get a new one, it would always turn up broken or something missing. The prices are higher then they should be. Nobody looks like they want to be there. If I can avoid going I do.
Brandon Scott
Best Buy ALWAYS has great products. They have all the new products and all the high quality.
Azrienne
the employees are extremely knowledgeable. i bought my laptop for school from Best Buy and the salesman knew all of the answers to my questions and gave me a great deal!
OwenE.
Every time I have shopped at Best Buy, their customer service has been great. They make difficult decisions regarding expensive items much easier, and they make my shopping experience very enjoyable
Janie Dennis
I freaking love Best Buy!! I have bought all of my electronics from them and I have never been unsatisfied! Maybe one damaged part on my laptop but overall they are great! They wouldn't still be around for as long as they have!
Cole Warnick
Fun store but their return policy and service was not good. I would look at other electronic stores first.
Annie Chow
Best Buy is my go-to store in regards to anything electronic; from television sets to video game controllers and electronic accessories like cases. Their price-matching deal is amazing as well.
Richard Brito
I bought my computer from here and it was such a good price. I am so happy about my purchase with them.
Natalia Correa MDTribe
I recently bought a samsung monitor from here and it was on sale. I got an awesome price for a very high quality product and I am so happy!
Randi Nelson
Best Buy always has the latest in the electronic world and has great prices for any of their product.
Zabsanti
Best buy has been a decent company for me. I can find multiple products that I need however what turns me down a lot is the prices. Much of what they sell I can buy cheaper and in better condition in other stores
Shirley Mitchell
Bought several TVs and one was broken but replaced with little effort by them as were helpful.
MaryAnn Hagblom
They have just about everything you need. I love I can go in and find what I need from employee’s help and be out quickly.
Lkastner
Best Buy always has the up to date technology in stock. They also have very knowledgeable sales people that help with a purchase.
London Larson
they have amazing electronics products! very wide variety of anything you need! phone cases, tvs, phones, watches, headphones, etc.
Mandi Smith
I have bought almost all of my my Iphone's from Best Buy, and let me tell you, The prices were amazing and the phones were in perfect condition.
JD Dunklee
Going to any Best Buy is such a joy. The employees are super helpful, and the products that they have are always quality!
Tj Black
We got our TV from Best Buy a couple years ago, and the Customer service was excellent. They were really patient and helped us make the best decision possible.
Cade Boudreaux
I love Best Buy. I’ve bought TV’s and my Macbook that i both still use to this day. They are very helpful and the products are fairly priced. The Geek Squad has helped me with multiple problems i’ve had with previous computers.
Nicole Sohm
I am always super happy when I shop here. Customer service is amazing! I do think they are more expensive though.
Molly Keogh
Best Buy is a great place to go and look at electronics but we have not had good luck with their customer service. Usually we will wait forever for someone to help us.
Nicholas Genes
I love going into this store and checking everything out. I usually talk to the staff and see what they recommend and compare the items there. Not a bad place to pick up electronics
Emiliano Galeano
I’m not the most tech savvy person but I got my wife a Apple Watch for our anniversary and they helped me with everything,
Imani Monroe
All my products from Best Buy have been exceptional and I will always and continue to get my products from Best Buy. Geek Squad has also been amazing helpers in fixing my laptop or tablet. I highly recommend them as a warranty protection plan for your devices and appliances.
Lori Fletcher
They were very helpful when looking for locations to recycle computer batteries. They always seem to know the answers!
Lindsey Newman
My husband absolutely loves Best Buy! And I agree. It is such a fun store to wander and there is so much accessible technology for good pricing.
LoertscherL
Great selection of electronics and knowledgeable staff on most things. Have been a few times when it’s hard to find someone
Michelle Rios
I love that when I walk into Best Buy I am going to be greeted with a friendly, knowledgeable staff that will help me find whatever it is I am looking for. I think that they have a good selection of electronics and that they offer quality brands at reasonable prices. The stores are clean and well organized.
sam vawdrey
We have bought almost all our tv here. Little pricy but they will except returns.
Kimsreview
Good store with everything you could need from an electronics store. Only complaint is that sometimes it is hard to find someone to a help you.
Eddie Rios
Hands down-Best Buy is simply amazing. Their TVs and electronics are unmatched in price and variety. I have purchased all types of home electronics and have never been disappointed. The opposite- I've been ecstatic. Their services like install and repair, financing, or store customer service are all exceptional!
Angelina Hamilton
They usually have the things I need when I’m in a bind. I do like that they will price match with Amazon on most things.
Beverly Schacher
Bought a computer on the Best Buy website during very busy Black Friday sale weekend. Picked up in store and avoided long lines. Very pleasant and efficient way to shop!
Tiffany I
They have sale pricing on big major electronics. Also have a good selection of open box items. However, when it comes to small accessories, I prefer Target or Amazon. That stuff tends to be overpriced.