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Comment by kinsomo | Hacker News Reader

> People just assume Amazon is the cheapest for some reason

They were for a long time, especially when they didn't collect sales tax. Many people just stopped comparison shopping and haven't realized the situation's changed.

> but they’re just the most convenient.

Not necessarily. Oddly enough, Best Buy is the most convenient for me (for electronics), and it's usually not any more expensive than Amazon, at least for the stuff I buy. Amazon less convenient due to the hassle with their delivery delays and packing materials.

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> Best Buy is the most convenient for me (for electronics), and it's usually not any more expensive than Amazon

They will also price match Amazon in most cases. I hear a lot of people complain about Best Buy but I’ve made a few big purchases at my local Best Buy store and their employees were super helpful and friendly. I’d much rather shop there and get the item immediately rather than wait two days, personally.

I used to have a very low opinion of Best Buy but I’ve recently found myself going there for the majority of electronics I buy...no shipping or filtering through counterfeits like on Amazon, and there’s one that’s open 24/7 within walking distance of my office in NYC. Employees are friendly and helpful if not extraordinarily knowledgeable. Hard to beat on the convenience front.

Best Buy refused to price match Phillips Hue bulbs for me because they were apparently a "prime" only price.

Made no sense for me to pay more ($20 across 4 bulbs) to get them that day in person.

There are some things I just try to buy local... laptops and displays (TV/Monitors). In the end, if you get a bad one, it's usually apparent within a day or two, and it's far easier to deal with in a store. I think I just have bad luck with TVs and Monitors though. Despite doing research, about half the time I order either via Amazon/Delivery, I regret it (last time 42" 4K monitor was DOA).

Almost everything else, I tend to favor Amazon though. But I find myself looking locally more and more.

But does Best Buy still have a restocking fee? I found their return policies unfriendly given that they charge a premium for the physical store experience.

No restocking fees, and pretty much a no questions asked return if it's within the time window which changes depending on your reward level. I can return anything except software within 45 days of purchase and they price match Amazon.

Keep in mind that Best Buy will ban you from returns if it is a frequent thing or other factors (type of items, etc). Obviously this won't affect most people but if you tend to try things and return then don't do it with Best Buy.

http://www.businessinsider.com/best-buy-punishes-customers-f...

But apparently, so will Amazon. https://slate.com/business/2018/05/amazon-is-banning-custome...

And if they are more expensive but I wanted something fast, Best Buy has always price matched Amazon for me without question.

Almost a little bit embarrassing, but to share an anecdote -- I bought a higher-end TV late last year (>$2k) and the price difference on Amazon was $2.

I half-jokingly asked the gentleman helping me if we could price match, and how long that would take. He said that if their automated system "accepted it" then it'd be instant.

Their system did accept it pretty much immediately, and so I saved $2 for about 90 seconds 'delay' (half of which was borderline laughter/seeing if I was serious; I was only half-serious).

Made for a positive experience for me and my wife, and I now won't hesitate to consider Best Buy, via price match, in the future if I'm ordering something that they stock locally. It was also the first time I'd ever asked for a price match in the last 10+ years, if ever. :)

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