We’ve told you a bit about what BestBuy.com is, but is it really your “best buy” when it comes to shopping for electronics online? Here are some things that we liked and disliked about the website.
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Pros
- For here or to go? — When you shop for items on BestBuy.com, you can choose to pick them up at a nearby Best Buy store, or have them delivered right to your door.
- Fortune favours the thrifty — You can sometimes use promotional codes to reduce the costs of your orders. Plus, Best Buy has reward programs and other ways that you can get your electronics on the cheap.
- Geek Squad to the rescue! — If you need help insuring, installing, setting up, or repairing something that you bought from Best Buy, their dedicated technical support team — the “Geek Squad” — is just a phone call or Internet chat away.
Cons
- Be careful not to get squeezed on shipping — Best Buy is still a brick-and-mortar enterprise at heart, so their shipping options are limited compared to other marketplaces that are completely online. Plus, shipping options can be a tad expensive (though there are sometimes ways to get free shipping) and/or slow.
- How much do you need the help? — Though Geek Squad’s services are fast and convenient, they are somewhat pricey. Consider how much you’ll be using your product or whom else you know and trust who can help you with technical issues before purchasing an extended warranty or getting help with installations, setups, or repairs.
The bottom line: 7.5/10
BestBuy.com is like many other Internet offshoots of traditional retail chains, in that it balances the convenience and immediacy of the Internet with the competitive pricing and loyalty programs of brick-and-mortar outlets. You can see this in the option to get your orders delivered to your door, or pick them up at a nearby store. It’s also embodied in the various ways that you can save money on your BestBuy.com orders through promotional codes and points programs. Another plus for Best Buy is its dedicated technical support team that can help you with any of the bulky or technologically-advanced products that Best Buy sells.
As novel and convenient as BestBuy.com’s dedicated technical support services are, though, they’re comparatively expensive. High shipping costs can also drive up the price of shopping with BestBuy.com, so you might have to rely on promotional codes or other loyalty rewards programs to keep your shopping bills manageable.
Overall, BestBuy.com can be convenient and cost-effective if you live near a Best Buy store and like to shop at Best Buy frequently anyways. If not, you might want to go for the larger selection and expanded shipping options of an online-only store.
