One of the most popular shopping destinations for home electronics and entertainment is Best Buy. You can find just about anything you need from laptops to gaming systems, televisions, appliances and every accessory you can imagine! Of course, these items are some of the most pricey, which can mean that you may not always get the best price you want.
If you shop at Best Buy very often, you know that finding coupons are pretty rare. In fact, the only way most people believe that they can save is shop sales. But, knowing some simple ways to save money when shopping at Best Buy can come in handy.
Other store hacks:
SECRET TIPS FOR SAVING MONEY AT BEST BUY
1. Coupons
Although rare, they do pop up from time to time. In fact, it is has been a few years since we’ve seen one that you can print and use in the store. What may work best when shopping at Best Buy is to see if there is a free shipping code or other online discounts. That is the best you will do when it comes to tracking down a coupon.
2. Check out refurbished items
You can also shop the Best Buy Outlet (both online) where you can find some deep discounts. You might even try the Best Buy eBay store where they offer some of their same discounts as on their website (even if the regular site shows that it is out of stock).
3. Shop Wisely During The Holidays
Black Friday (and now, actually Black Week through Cyber Monday) is when you will find the best deals of the year. The reason that we don’t see them very often is that electronics manufacturers rarely allow retailers to discount products below a set price. What Best Buy will do is add a gift card with purchase.
4. Price Match
Did you know that Best Buy will price match online retailers? They will match the following stores: Amazon, BHPhotovideo, Crutchfield, Dell, HP, NewEgg and TigerDirect. When you are in the store, just do a quick search to see if the item you need is priced lower online and they will match it.
A few things to keep in mind when price matching at Best Buy:
- It must be the exact item (search by SKU to make sure), and they will only do one price match per customer.
- They also suspend price matching during Black Week and Cyber Monday, so you will need to check with your store to know the policy before you try to match.
One other little-known secret is that sometimes, Best Buy will retroactively price match. That means if you purchase an item and the price drops during the eligible return period (see below), they will refund you the difference! Take your receipt to show verification of your purchase.
5. Join Best Buy Rewards Programs
Best Buy offers the My Best Buy Rewards Program. It is entirely free to join, and you earn rewards points on every purchase made. When you accrue 250 points, you will receive a $5 reward certificate (or gift card) which you can redeem on anything at Best Buy.
Best Buy Cardholders get even more from this program! You will earn 5% back in rewards when you shop using your card. There are also exclusive invitations extended only to cardholders which will get you early access to sales and events.
If you are a frequent Best Buy Shopper and happen to spend anywhere from $1500 – $3500 in annual purchases, you will get an upgrade to the Elite or ElitePlus membership. Elite members enjoy additional perks such as free expedited shopping, extended return policies, and increased rewards points.
6. Special Discounts for Gamers
Gamers will also want to make sure they sign up for the My Best Buy Gamers Club to get even more benefits including double points on new video games, accessories and digital content. A 2 year paid membership scores even additional perks such as 20% off of new video games, 10% off of pre-owned games and even a 10% bonus trade-in credit.
Know the return policy. Best Buy will allow most items to be returned within 15 days for a full refund, even if you have opened it. Make sure you have your receipt, ID and all of the packaging and contents. There are, of course, a few exceptions to this policy:
- My Best Buy Elite and Elite Plus members receive an extended return and exchange period of up to 45 days.
- Cell phones and other devices sold with a carrier contract may be returned within 14 days.
- Holiday returns included an extended return period. Purchases made between November 1 – December 31 have an extended return period through January 15 of the following year.
- Opened software, movies, music and video games can only be exchanged for an identical item.
- Special Order items will be refunded at 85% of the original purchase price.
- Custom orders are non-returnable.
- Bundled items or promotional discount items can be returned individually. Best Buy will refund you only what has been returned, less the discount or freebie amount.
- If you’re missing items or packaging, you can still return for a small deduction on your refund.
- Other non-refundable purchases include digital content, prepaid cards, memberships, completed services, and items that are damaged or missing major components.
7. Shop Video Games in Bundles
To get a game deal, watch for bundle offers. They often toss in multiple games and sometimes, even accessories. If you price them out individually, you will pay more than if you purchase it in a bundle.
8. Purchase discounted gift cards
The simples Best Buy hack is to shop with discounted gift cards. When you purchase a gift card at a discount, that is instant savings – right in your pocket!
Sites such as Gift Card Granny sell discounted Best Buy gift cards. For example, you may find a $100 gift card for $95. That is $5 instant savings!!!
9. Get your HDTV here
If you want to find the best pricing on HDTVs, Best Buy is most often the place to go. They usually will meet or beat competing sites, which gets you the best possible price for the television you want.
10. Use Site to Store pickup
When you find a hot deal online, you can get the item the same day. Not only that, you can avoid paying shipping charges as well, which is an added perk.
11. Watch the price tag
You can learn a lot about the discount, just by reading the price tag.
Price ends in .92: One-time drop that is at or below Best Buy’s cost. A deal to grab.
Price ends in .96: Price adjustment to match a competitor.
Price has a “C” on it: Look for the C in the lower right-hand corner. That means it is on clearance and no longer stocked.
12. Negotiate
Believe it or not, you can negotiate the price at Best Buy. Here are a few ways to do do this:
- Try using cash. Retailers have to pay credit card fees, so if you offer to pay with cold hard cash, you might be able to save as much a 5% on your purchase.
- Shop the last day or two of the month. Stores have sales goals they are trying to meet, so they are more willing to reduce prices to reach them.
- Bundle. Offer to buy two items, such as a computer and printer or HDTV and Blu-ray player together. Ask for a discount of 20% and go from there. You may be able to save 10% or more.