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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.
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
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!
Great selection of high quality electronics. I have purchased many items from Best Buy and will continue to shop here
I love best buy they always have the devices and accessories I am looking for.
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.
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!
Good quality products. Associates are pretty well educated on the products.
Great deals on electronics and reliable products.
The electronics sold here are very high quality.
I have bought a tv, computer, and many other asesories. They have a great selection at a good price.
Was able to get a refurbished iwatch for a great price. I had it held at the store and the pickup was easy.
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.
I bought a TV on clearance here a couple years ago, and it is still working like a charm!
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
Everyones so nice and super helpful. They have good quality products.
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.
Poor warranty and geek squad service. Why not just buy electronics directly from apple, etc.
The tv we bought from Best Buy works great and is in great shape.
I buy our electronic equipment here and have always found their customer service to be great.
Love the service they have here. Good quality items too!
I bought a Roomba vacuum. Three weeks later it died. I brought it in and they exchanged it no questions asked. Great customer service!
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.
Best Buy has great quality of electronics, they have great customer service that are always kind and ready to help
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 .
I like this company because they are super diverse and it is fun to go inside and shop.
I enjoy shopping for electronics here because of the customer service as well as their warranties .
Great selection of products that have a nice return policy.
We've bought quite a few of our electronics at Best Buy. They have great customer service.
The customer service is great and products are easy to find.
My favorite part of Best Buy is the geek squad! So helpful.
Someone is always so quick to want to help you find what you need! The layout of the store is easy to navigate!
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.
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.
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.
Enjoy going to best buy. A lot of options and prices are decent
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.
I like Best Buy. Customer service has always been good at our store. Always willing to help you find a product.
Easy to find what I need or find help finding what I need. Helpful find items at other stores. Price match is on point.
Always has the items I’m looking for. Great customer service with knowledgeable staff that is not incentivized on high pressure sales.
Best Buy is a great place to buy electronics. Their staff is knowledgeable and they also price match to any other stores.
We will choose to go to Best Buy over other stores because they always have what we need and someone who knows how to answer our questions. The only complaint I have is that we sometimes have to wait a while for someone to help us because they are so busy. We have had a good track record with the products we have bought at Best Buy and they stand by their warranties.