Best Buy’s big yellow price tag logo may be easily spotted from a distance, but changes it made in 2022 were hardly as noticeable. So it’s time to update my overview of Best Buy!
Overview
Best Buy is the largest consumer electronics chain in the U.S. It has about 1,000 stores when you combine their Best Buy and Best Buy Outlet locations, and it has another 200 full-size and small/phone-only locations in Canada and Mexico.
Best Buy stocks electronics, appliances (big and small), and entertainment-related items. BestBuy.com expands their selection even further, and they also sell on eBay. They also have services like electronic troubleshooting and trade-in.
Merchandise Selection
Best Buy competes with a variety of retailers. Although they have been largely associated with media, shoppers can buy the latest Blu-rays, upgrade their refrigerators, buy the latest phone, and show off their geek side with a collectible figure. Most locations also have a bit of a showroom aspect to it with sections dedicated to names like Amazon, Apple, and Samsung.
Unlike many of their competitors (Amazon, Target, Walmart), Best Buy does not have third-party sellers on their online store. This means their site is much smoother to navigate with clear pricing and arrival time. They also feature some useful filters like being able to search by brand or studio with plenty of options listed.
On some game accessories, electronics, and appliances, Best Buy may offer open box options. These may be customer returns, displays, damaged boxed, or refurbished products.
Anime & Related Media
Anime fans will find a selection of releases at stores, but the size will depend on the location. Some places will just have a few titles; others may have a full-size rack.
Best Buy puts much more focus on gaming, stocking and heavily promoting the various consoles and new releases. Best Buy will often have preorder bonuses like exclusive trinkets or DLC to get you to buy games in advance from them. They have also teamed up with Limited Run Games to be the only physical retailer to stock releases from them. However, these will only be the standard editions and represent only a portion of Limited Run Games’ catalog (mostly indie games).
Like other stores, Best Buy is carrying more collectible products and toys. You can find anime- and game-related figures like trading cards, Funko POPs, figures, and more. In-store selection will probably focus heavily on Pokémon and similar hot properties.
Pricing
Best Buy puts out a weekly ad on Sundays with various sales and offers. They also regularly have short-term sales, whether it be for a few hours or a few days. These are more often around various holidays or events like the Super Bowl or Mother’s Day, so if there’s something you are interested in, you may want to check it every few days to see if the price goes down (or back up!). There is also at least one “Deal of the Day” that changes every day. Best Buy is also promising more exclusive deals for members, as discussed in a section below.
Sunday also features a lot of unadvertised sales, so it is very common to see games and Blu-rays unexpectedly drop in price. Prices for movies and games are normally around MSRP, but Best Buy can have some very high discounts. I’ve seen Sentai Filmworks releases priced around the same as their own limited time flash sales. Yet in other weeks, there could only be less than five Blu-rays marked down and only a buck or two off each. It just varies. And sometimes, these sales can hang around for several weeks. It just varies.
Game-related sales are usually larger in both the number of titles and the amount of dollars off. However, some weeks will still feature a limp lineup of discounts. But if you are interested in upcoming releases, the chain regularly offers $10 in rewards discounts or a gift card if you buy from them.
Another deal you may want to keep an eye out for is the various entertainment gift card deals, which usually involve a Best Buy gift card. For instance, as of this writing, if you buy a $100 Netflix gift card, you will get a $15 Best Buy gift card with purchase. For subscriptions where there are few options to save, it’s like free money.
The aforementioned open box products can offer some hefty savings. There will be times buying an open or use product is not worth the savings, and availability can be slim, especially if you don’t have many Best Buy stores in your area). But you can get lucky and get a like new item for significantly less than MSRP.
Price Matching
Customers otherwise can ask for a refund if the price drops on their purchase during the return period. Best Buy tries to keep their in-store pricing the same as online. If the online store has a cheaper price, customers can request the lower price with a worker, although it seems like Best Buy usually keeps their online and store prices in sync nowadays. If you do find BestBuy.com cheaper, you shouldn’t need to go customer service and can check out at a normal register. Best Buy stores will also price-match local retailers (and their websites) and a few online sites, most notably Amazon.com.
Price matching is not allowed around the Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday holiday. Clearance items, items from third party sellers, and flash sales are excluded. Go here for the full details.
Shipping & Payments
Best Buy accepts all major credit/debit cards. They also offer their own credit cards: one that can only be used at Best Buy and one that can be used anywhere. Both offer either 5% back on Best Buy purchases or interest-free payments on large purchases.
Shipping is free on orders of $35 or more and usually arrives in about three business days. Customers also have the option to choose store pick-up on most orders. Depending on availability, items can be ready in as little as two hours, and in-car pickup is an option at most locations. If an item not already in-stock at the store, most products have an option to ship to store for free; usually older items or heavily specialized ones are excluded. Best Buy usually estimates about five days. So generally, unless it’s a small purchase or you need store assistance, it’s usually more practical to ship to home.
My Best Buy
Best Buy has a free membership program called My Best Buy. By shopping Best Buy using your online account or your card/phone number in the store, you earn a $5 certificate after earning 250 points. By default, you must spend $500 to earn a $5 certificate, so a half point per dollar. If you use the credit card (and choose that as an option over special financing), it’s $100 for a $5 certificate. Using the credit card also allows shoppers to save their points for a higher amount certificate (say, every $10 instead of every $5).
While many shoppers won’t be spending $500 at Best Buy on the regular, since My Best Buy is free, it’s worth signing up. Some pricing is limited to My Best Buy members, and on occasion, Best Buy has sent out free bonus certificates (like a free mystery coupon of $5 or more) or other offers (25% off one toy).
Totaltech
Best Buy also has a paid membership program: Totaltech. Highlights include free shipping on purchases, extended returns, free tech support, extended warranty protections, and exclusive sales and pricing.
Totaltech costs $199.99 a year, which puts it well above most competitors’ membership plans. Totaltech is geared more toward the less tech savvy individuals or those with disabilities who may need help installing their new appliances or problem solving error messages on their electronics. To get the up to 24 months warranty, you do need to keep Totaltech active during those extra months, which would be almost $400 for the two years. So if you subscribe to Totaltech to protect your new computer, Blu-ray player, or fridge purchased at Best Buy, make sure you are going to take advantage of the other perks.
Services
If your tech breaks down, you can head to your local Best Buy to see if they can fix it. You can also call or go online for other repair services, like having maintenance done on your major appliances. Totaltech members can contact Geek Support any day, any time for help and can get discounts on repairs and installations not covered by warranty.
Best Buy also has a trade-in program for games and electronics. You can check values and submit trade-ins online or in-store. Some trade-in values are very reasonable, and they do have bonus promotions from time to time. As long as you don’t mind Best Buy gift cards or upgrading right at Best Buy, you may be able to walk away further ahead than if you were trying to resell your old tablet on eBay.
Returns & Exchanges
For most items, shoppers have 15 days to return a purchase. You can return online purchases to the store. If an item ordered online was damaged or incorrect, you will need to call them to cover shipping. Otherwise, items are better off being returned to store to avoid return shipping charges. (And agents may try to push you to return to store anyway even if it’s their fault.) Fifteen days is not a lot, so be sure to return your item quickly if you need a replacement or just change your mind.
Like most other retailers, Best Buy has been offering extended returns during the winter holidays. Otherwise, by joining Totaltech, you have 60 days to take back an item (minus exclusions like cell phones and major appliances).
Final Thoughts
For years, Best Buy was my go-to store for games with their now-defunct Gamers Club Unlocked. Getting 20% off almost all games was amazing!
But while that is ancient history, in 2022, Best Buy frustrated its most loyal shoppers by dramatically changing My Best Buy. The free program used to have three tiers, and by spending $1,500 or more in a calendar year, customers could get free shipping on all orders, extended returns, and more. Instead, most of these benefits have migrated to the paid subscription Totaltech. If you read my original article about My Best Buy Elite ending, many commenters mentioned they were caught completely unaware because of the short, hidden notice. Several said they had no reason to shop at Best Buy to get their big ticket items now — that, or they swore off Best Buy in anger.
I’ve scored some amazing discounts at Best Buy, including sometimes having the best deals of the entire year there. But I generally don’t shop at the chain much anymore. I tend to prioritize manga, which is unavailable at Best Buy, and I don’t need to upgrade my tech constantly. If I find a deal, Amazon usually ends up price matching, and I buy from there to get free shipping with my Prime membership.
I don’t have any interest in joining Totaltech, as I’ll either go somewhere else with a wider selection to get free shipping (Amazon, Walmart) or I’ll pay for a warranty if I’m really worried about an item failing. But that’s going to be rare since extended warranties are generally considered a waste of money. So I’ll mostly stick to shopping at Best Buy when there’s a hot sale or a trade-in special.
However, I do praise Best Buy’s website. The site is clean, and I don’t have to worry about third-party or widely unrelated items clogging up search results pages. And I can easily choose to filter for products that are available for shipping or are in-stock at my local store. If my local store is out of stock, Best Buy will automatically note where the next closest store is. Other chains really could take a cue from their website since it’s simple but effective.