The purpose of this thread is for Digital Home members to review and relay their experience with Best Buy

This is NOT a discussion thread so please limit yourself to one post which includes your review.

We welcome the input and opinions of all members whether they are good or bad, however, please note that this thread is NOT for rants. Whether you had a good or bad experience with this vendor we want to hear about it but in an OBJECTIVE manner.

If you post a rant or childish comments like, these guys "suck" or they're all a "bunch of idiots", then your comments will be considered trolling and your post will be deleted.

When you post, please try to include the following information:


What product or service you purchased.
Approximate timeframe you ordered the product
What location you dealt with if it’s a company with many stores or service locations
Your overall level of satisfaction
If you had a positive experience, please explain what made it such a positive experience.
If you had a negative experience, please read our guidelines below.


Guidelines for Posting Negative Reviews

The truth is no retailer or service provider is perfect and occasionally even the best companies can disappoint. Our experience is that good companies have problems but they typically make every reasonable effort to resolve problems.

If you had a problem and are posting a negative review, then please note what efforts you made to resolve the problem and the feedback you received. If you think the efforts to resolve the problem were NOT reasonable then please explain why. Saying you phoned up and talked to some idiot, suggests the problem may lie with the consumer and NOT the company!

They change stock quantity or pre-order dates all the time. Some DVD titles are advertised as stock and you order it but you usually get an Out of stock memo 3 days later. Also I believe some products do not even exist yet (ie: Blu-ray version of DaVinci code) and are advertised. Then guess what it is out of stock if your still order!

I ordered several items(360 games, 360 quickcharge kit, SC sat receivers, HD-DVDs) through November and December online for instore pickup (Calgary Northland mall location).

The email received states you will get a notice for pickup within 3 hours. Only twice did I receive these emails within the 3 hours. Of course this was the busy season so I can understand why it did occur.

This is mostly just to warn others that it can happen and normally the order goes through the next morning.

Yesterday, I decided to bite the Bullet, and buy an Open Box Samsung Blu-Ray unit (BDP1000). The sales guy went into the back and brought out all the manuals and cables while someone else took it off the demo stand.

I get the unit home, and discover they gave me the wrong remote. I phoned them and they tell me that they can't find the remote, and to order one from Samsung.

I call Samsung this morning, and they tell me it will cost $50 + Shipping for a remote. I call Best Buy and they say they can't get one for me.

Needless to say, I'm ticked, and am returning the DVD player today.

OpticDisk, I've responded to your thread here:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=62425

You should only be blaming yourself.

And I've replied back. I've calmed down now.

I had a very disappointing experience today. I traveled to Burlington to see the new Tiger direct store and buy myself an external storage box. All went well and while I was in the neighborhood I thought I’d drop in the Best Buy off Brant Street. I listened to a sales boy tell the couple how LCD was clearer then Plasma and LCD is better for playing games because games were developed on LCD displays. I thought I’d wait until he was done and speak to him about the speed of LCD. I was hoping I could instill a sense of curiosity in him about subject of Digital displays. Then a girl who described herself as the Manager of that department inquired if she could help. I explained I thought her sales person did not understand his subject very well and I was going to try to enlighten him. Then she explained how it didn’t matter anyway because Plasma’s were fuzzy looking and all LCD’s have 1080P so they were a better TV. I tried to introduce the thought the deinterlacer In a good 1080I display was probably much better then an Xbox deinterlacer, and that was totally over her head. When I challenged her on the source of bias, she exclaimed from experience. To this old timer she looked twelve to me! I was not expecting this level of total incompetence from anyone’s store in such a bristling community! In all fairness I have never heard this type of fairy tails from the staff closer to my home in Kitchener or the four local Future shops in our area (Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph).

An educated consumer is BB's worst customer.

Read the forums here, Google, and look long before you buy.

If you 'bone up' odds are pretty good that you will know more than that smiling face offering to help you.

If you know your stuff, Best Buy does have some excellent prices from time to time.

I have purchased most of my toys at BB. Computer upgrade parts, SACD's, DVD-A's, DVD's, an LCD TV (which I returned before I left the store. It had been opened), a cellphone etc...... don't walk in blind.

Ever heard of the blind leading the blind ?

I pre-order the Transformer HD-DVD a month ago and today I still haven't receive it! What's the point of pre-order! And they didn't allow me to cancel the order too! I know I can bring it back to refund it but I lost the shipping charge and need the hassle to have a trip to that crappy store!

... I just got off the phone with a friend who I told to buy the DVR-530. He went shopping at Best Buy for cables to connect his sat receiver to his panasonic DVD recorder. While there some little best buy dweeb sales person convinced him that he "needed" to buy an HDMI cable because "the *choice receiver doesn't natively display 1080i and is only capable of 720p... your tv needs to be connected to the *choice receiver via an HDMI cable so the tv can up-sample the image to 1080i".
My friend gets home and wants to know where the the HDMI output port is on the back of his receiver because the best buy sales guy assured him there is one. Now, insult to injury, he got talked into buying the $200 HDMI cable because "it really makes a difference". By the time he had called me he had opened the package and the town we live in is a four hour drive from best buy... so I guess he just learned a $200 lesson.
This was either the most mis-informed sales person in history or it was outright theft... I'm not sure which.

I haven't had many problems with Best Buy either but I've only made one order. I got a Sony digital camera from them and service was friendly but not without hard-to-understand accents and it arrived before the estimated delivery date (Canada Post).

Ordered a wireless router and a couple of USB adapters to go with it during the online 'boxing day' sale on the 24th. Shipment arrived today, talk about a quick turnaround.

I bought a Hitachi 50V720 and matching stand through FS last year in June. It was a floor model and at the time I liked the package price of $1400 with the stand. Being that it was a floor model I opted for the 3 year extended warranty. They also threw in the $9000 dollar three foot HDMI Cable I would never buy under regular circumstances.

After about 2 months. Blue dot. Now blue glob. More blue glob, everywhere blue. Quick internet searches revealed that this was a common problem on Hitachi's. I called their line and was told in the first year, Hitachi would handle the claim. Gave me the number. I called, the tech came out and determined the whole light engine needed to be replaced. It was put on order. 10 days. 30 days. 45 days. I called Bestbuy and they informed me after 60 days, if the TV can't be fixed it falls back onto them to replace it. 60.0001 days later I called them back. I was given a code, and that code was forwarded to the store of my choice ( Surrey, King George ). I took my TV and stand down and waited for 2 hours. Now this part I rate as bad. It was more the line of people than my particular problem, but even at the counter it took a while to sort it out.

Now the good.

Hitachi is dead. BB stopped carrying them. So they have to give me an equivalent TV, based first on size. So the worst rear projection they have is the Sony KDS-50A2020 which at the time ( Nov 07 ) was $1899. Then I said my Hitachi had a matching stand and that’s why I bought it, so they had to give me a stand, and it turned out to be a $299 unit from whatever their house brand is. Glass, nice. Also, because BB had to replace it during what should have been the manufacturer’s period, the 3 year warranty that is normally consumed by this process was transferred to my new TV. Nice!

So I went from $1400 worth of Hitachi 720P floormodel to ( at the time ) $2200 worth of Sony 1080p and retained my 3 year extended warranty. Plus, the correct Sony TV and stand prices are on the new receipt so should anything go wrong a few years down the road, the bigger value will be warrantied to.

The waiting for the manufacturer’s repair was not fun, but once BB got going it went well and I couldn’t be happier with my free upgrade.

I've purchased a number of items from BB over the years 57" Toshiba TV was the biggest ticket item. In the first week I thought I noticed an audible hum from the set and best buy sent a tech to my house to check it out (no charge).

'She who must be obeyed' bought me a nice mp3 player from there with the extended warranty, after about a year it went bad...I went in to the store flashed the receipt and mp3 player, they just glanced at the receipt (didn't look at the player) and said..go pick another off the shelf. I ended up with a slightly better player since they didn't carry the same model anymore...in out 10 mins.

They've always been helpful not pushy and I like going in there just to browse around.

My experience with Best Buy so far is incomplete - I hope it has a happy ending.

With the Olympics starting on Friday, I thought it'd be a good idea to finally spring for an HDTV. I decided on a 40 Samsung LCD for $969 (in store and online). Then via email I received a notice of BB's online sale of $100 off for spending $1000. I figured a cable and a DVD and I'd be over the top.

The Samsung says that it's available for online ordering and in store pickup. It also said that it was available in both London South and North locations. Great. I ordered it and it said that in store pickup was not an option. The first glitch. It said that I could have it delivered Aug 6th or 8th - both for $55. Fine. It's big and probably best to have it delivered anyway. I ordered a cable and DVD. Even though they were available for in store pickup it would not let me do this (I guess since I also had the TV coming) and charged me $3 for regular delivery. This is strange since the cable and DVD are coming through the mail and the TV via big truck.

Anway, this was Sunday night. Today, Tuesday, I check my order status and beside my TV it says OUT OF STOCK. It doesn't say this on the product page. Even though the email said I could cancel products not yet shipped, my page does not give me this option. Nor does it give me the option to substitute another product, or give any indication how long I may have to wait.

I called Best Buy and after three tries got a human being, although the reception was horrible. I did understand them saying that I had to wait five days and if it wasn't IN STOCK by then they would give me an estimate. When I asked if I could cancel or change to another product I was met with silence.

Will the TV get here before Friday's opening ceremonies? We'll see.

My other option is to buy a TV somewhere else and simply return this one unopened when it arrives. Or call my Credit Card company and ask them not to accept the charge and for me to refuse order when they ship. I guess I'll give them a couple days. But it's annoying to be sold something that they don't actually have and have no idea when they are getting. It seems unethical somehow.

Over the years I've bought several items from B.B. with no problems. However, the last three times I've been to their stores (one in Burnaby and the one in New West) they had music playing so loud from a boom box that I had to leave in a hurry. You could actually feel the deep hyper bass notes hitting your chest it was that intense!

I do not shop from BB any more neither from their brother FS. Few weeks ago went to BB in Langly BC, Saw a PN52A650 for a sweet deal of $2199.00, So I told them I want it.


I asked three times if it is brand new??? if it is in the original Box and they told me yes. yes and yes. I also recorded the guy. Trust me due to experience. LOL

SO got ready to pay they keep push for Ext. Warranty and they guy wa snot happy that I did not want it.

Before I pay I asked them to bring the merchandise. One told me is in the Factory and I have to drive there!!! and the 2nd sales guy told me no no that is the warehouse!!!

Never the less, I was told by sales the remote control and the papers [guide etc] are sent by the factory separately to BB and Unit comes in the box. However, they were going to open it up to show it to me before I take it home, so to make sure everything is fine. I repeted I want a unit in a box that is not opened. The sales [ three of them] assured me that the Unit is brand new and never opened. However, they want to make sure there is no problem with the unit b4 I take it home.

That ring the bell to watch out, I might have an accent but ain't stupid. that was never a policy before. :rolleyes:

I said ok please process the purchase and I took the my card out, when the sales person asked for the card, I told the guy with a nice smile, no thanks I changed my mind and walked away.

I did buy a PN50A550 from London Drug, and save a bunch. London Drug have a small selection but a nice place to shop.;)

I've bought numerous items at BB, and have also walked out of the store upset a few times. What really prevents me from making BB a vendor of choice is the inconsistency of customer experience.

BestBuy is completely hit and miss. I wanted the iPod shuffle headphones, the ones by Monster where the Shuffle sits on the headphones with no cables. Apple has them for $59, BestBuy is $89. I know BestBuy has price protection so I go to the one near my house Warden and Eglinton.

I pick them up ask for price protection they say go to Customer Service and they can do it. I get there she says sure, so she loads the Apple Website. I'm waiting, waiting, 2 other guys come over the finally find it there so great. Then the manager comes over, says at Apple it's minimum $75 or so for free shipping, so to get them for $59 from BestBuy I have to pay $15 more in other items. I say forget it I'll buy it at the store. The guy goes ohhhh they have them in stock? If so then that's fine. I'm like I imagine so, so the girl CALLS the Eaton Centre store to find out. They say they don't have them, and that headphones by Monster are only sold online. She says sorry can't match the price then so I told her to stick it and left.

The next day, I figure I'm being stupid I'll just buy something for $15 since I needed blank DVDs anyway. This time I go to Downsview near Yorkdale which is near my work. I pick them up go to Customer Service, tell her I want price protection. She looks funny and goes, oh you just go to the front cash and tell them that? I'm like okay, so I do.

I get up there tell the girl I want price protection from Apple. She asks how much they are, I say $59, she says who approved it? I'm like the girl at Customer Service said come here. She goes okay, marks it down to $54.99 and tells me to have a nice day.

No idea, first store had me never wanting to buy from them again but second was much better.

We purchased a Sony DLSR camera a 2 years ago, a floor model, that was discounted so much, that I just couldn't resist. The salesman was nice, and explained the +'s and -'s of the cameras being sold, and we ended up buying it, even though it had more features than we really needed.

Fast forward, we have been visiting the BestBuy on a weekly basis, looking to purchase a new LCD, for sure, and maybe a receiver and speakers. The salemen so far have been pretty helpful, even admitting to me that Sharp Aquos sometimes have an issue with Banding. One of the last salemen we were talking to, was saying how you cannot get a tv cheaper, as they have a price match guarantee, and if you can find one cheaper, bring them the ad, and they will beat it, + 10%.

I friend told me that Gibby's had a sale on, and there was a Samsung 52 LCD on sale for $1599. I went into Bestbuy, with the flyer in hand, and confirmed that BB price was $1799, so I pulled out my flyer, and asked the saleman to check if any were in stock, and to price match it, as I wanted to take it home tonight. He says he will have to check with his manager... I notice them talking, and pointing to the computer screen, so I ask if there is a problem. The section manager tells me that their return policy is different than BB's, so the Price Match Guarantee is void. I ask for him to explain, and he says that Gibby's only has a 14 day return policy, and that BB has a 30 day return policy. I decide to go and talk to someone at customer service...There, I am told, that the Price Match Guarantee won't match sale prices, no mention of the different return policy... I argued, to no avail, as they refused to price match. I said I understood not matching a door crasher special, but this seemed to be misleading advertising. Needless to say, I didn't buy from there, and will be taking my money elsewhere from now on for my electronic purchases.:D