Best Buy

2025-05-20T15:20:09Z

2600:4040:5F78:8300:40D5:5FD2:727B:368D: Added a section to Anti-consumer practices

{{StubNotice}}{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = Best Buy
| Type = Public
| Founded = 1966
| Industry = Electronics
| Official Website = https://bestbuy.com/
| Logo = Best_Buy.png
}}
[[wikipedia:Best_Buy|'''Best Buy Co., Inc.''']] is an American multinational chain of stores that specializes in retailing consumer electronics.

==Consumer impact summary==

===User Privacy Concerns===

*Collects extensive personal data (including sensitive information like fingerprints and health data)
*Tracks users across devices/browsers without honoring "Do Not Track" requests
*Shares/sells data with third parties by default
*Opaque privacy policy with difficult opt-out process

===Business Model Issues===

*Discontinued app support, rendering products partially functional
*Limited compensation (partial gift cards, max 10 devices) with short 56-day claim window

==Incidents==
===Discontinuation of Insignia Connect app===
On November 6, 2019, Best Buy discontinued support for their Insignia Connect app,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Welcome to the Insignia Connect Product Validation Site. |url=https://bestbuy.symphonysummit.com/insignia.web/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105124635/https://bestbuy.symphonysummit.com/insignia.web/ |archive-date=5 Nov 2019 |access-date=13 Apr 2025 |website=[[Best Buy]]}}</ref> resulting in major functionality losses for affected Insignia products that used the service. Best Buy did provide compensation to affected customers, however, this was only in the form of a partial refund, issued in the form of a virtual gift card that was determined by the product type.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=FAQs |url=https://bestbuy.symphonysummit.com/insignia.web/Help_FAQ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212130853/https://bestbuy.symphonysummit.com/insignia.web/Help_FAQ#collapseNine |archive-date=12 Dec 2019 |access-date=13 Apr 2025 |website=[[Best Buy]]}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Customers were also only able to redeem up to a maximum of 10 serial numbers for product refunds, even if they owned more than 10 affected products.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Statt |first=Nick |date=7 Sep 2019 |title=Best Buy is leaving smart home users in the cold, but its Wi-Fi freezer will still mostly work |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/6/20853671/best-buy-connect-insignia-smart-plug-wifi-freezer-mobile-app-shutdown-november-6 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241125000759/https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/6/20853671/best-buy-connect-insignia-smart-plug-wifi-freezer-mobile-app-shutdown-november-6 |archive-date=25 Nov 2024 |access-date=13 Apr 2025 |website=The Verge}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> Refunds for affected products has since ceased, as the window to apply for compensation only lasted for 56 days from the discontinuation date.<ref name=":0" />

==Anti-consumer practices==

=== '''Lie's to costumers''' ===
Bring in a computer with a bad Ethernet port they will tell you the motherboard is fried buy a new one. Instead of just recommending a 10-20$ pci-e or USB card or dongle.

Same thing if your pc is running slow or what ever they will try to convince you that it is broken and u need a new one instead of just offering a cleaning service or reinstall of the operating system.

===Data privacy concerns===
According to Best Buy's privacy policy,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Best Buy Privacy Hub |url=https://www.bestbuy.com/site/help-topics/privacy-policy/pcmcat204400050062.c?id=pcmcat204400050062&intl=nosplash |url-status=live |access-date=13 Apr 2025 |website=[[Best Buy]]}}</ref> the company may collect, sell, and share information that users willingly provide, as well as information gathered through various tracking technologies.

In general, users may be asked to provide the company with their name, various forms of contact information, and payment information.

'''In "certain situations," users may also be asked to provide:'''

*Driver's license number
*Social Security number
*Demographic and lifestyle information
*Health information
*Fingerprints
*Facial/wrist geometry (although the policy states this occurs in real time and the data is not retained)

'''The company may also collect data that users do not knowingly or explicitly provide:'''

*Camera and sensor data (from physical store locations)
*User IP address
*User browser information, browsing history, and referring URL
*The unique IMEI/UDID or MAC address of users mobile device
*The IDFA (Apple ID) or AAID (Google ID) of users mobile device
*Location information

This data collection can occur directly through users browser/device, or through third party web tracking technologies such as cookies, pixels and tags.

All of the above information can be sold or shared with third parties, including Best Buy's "subsidiaries" and "affiliates."

'''The policy exhibits some additional traits that privacy-conscious individuals would likely find concerning:'''

*Users are opted in to data collection/sharing by default.
*The company does not honor the "do not track" request some browsers are able to set.
*It is not easy to quickly read the policy and understand exactly what is collected and how it is shared.
*Opting out may require users to provide some information that the user doesn't want collected.
*Opting out must be done per browser/device, and is stored with a simple browser cookie. If the cookie is erased, the user must opt out again.

==References==
<references />
[[Category:Best Buy]]

Consumer Rights Wiki - User contributions [en]

Best Buy