Best Buy North Riverside

1-Star Review Best Buy North Riverside I am extremely disappointed and disgusted with my experience at the Best Buy North Riverside location. After today, I do not plan on shopping at this store again. I was trying to purchase/preorder a Sony FX5 camera costing around $5,000. Before making the trip, I called Best Buy customer service twice, including the morning of my visit, to make sure I could come into the store and complete the purchase using the payment methods I had available. I specifically called ahead because I did not want to waste my time or money traveling there. After being told I could come in, I spent about $40 getting to the store. Once there, the employee helping me acted like he did not want to assist me. His facial expressions, smirking, laughing, tone, and interactions with another employee made me feel extremely uncomfortable and like I was being treated as a joke instead of a serious customer preparing to spend thousands of dollars. What bothered me even more was the Best Buy Credit Card situation. I repeatedly told the employee that I already had the money and did not want or need another credit card. I kept asking why I needed to apply for a Best Buy card if I already had the money to purchase the camera. Instead of clearly explaining that the card was optional, I was left believing that applying for it was somehow necessary to move forward with the camera purchase. I went through the credit application even though I did not want the card. After all of that, I STILL was not able to complete the purchase/preorder I had called Best Buy twice about. I contacted Best Buy customer service afterward, and their own representative told me that the Best Buy Credit Card should be presented as an optional payment or financing method, not as a requirement to purchase a product. That made me even more upset. If the card was optional, why was I repeatedly being pushed toward applying for it after clearly saying I already had the money? Unfortunately, this is also not the first time I have felt uncomfortable at this location. I have noticed looks, smirking, different tones, and behavior from employees on previous visits that made me feel like I was being treated differently. As a Black customer, these repeated experiences have left me feeling that prejudice may have played a role in how I was treated. I cannot claim to know what anyone was thinking, but I absolutely know how their behavior made me feel. I have also previously heard an employee at this location make what I understood to be a joke involving Black people. I ignored it at the time, but today’s experience was the last straw. I came into the store with a good attitude. I was not asking for anything free, trying to argue, or looking for special treatment. I simply wanted to buy/preorder the camera I had already called about twice and leave. Instead, I left without the camera, after spending money traveling there, after applying for a credit card I never wanted, and feeling embarrassed, disrespected, frustrated, and completely unsatisfied. Best Buy customer service told me my concerns were being submitted for review, and I have screenshots of the entire conversation. I will spend my money somewhere that actually makes me feel welcome and respected as a customer. 1 star. Today was the last straw.

This is my second time at this location in the past two months. Kevin has been extremely rude on both occasions. The first time, because I look Hispanic, he assumed I don’t speak English. Even when I spoke English to him, he insisted he needed a translator. Mind you, I told him there was no need. I speak the language quite well. I let that slide, which I shouldn’t have. However, I went to the store today, and he was extremely rude and condescending for no reason. His attitude needs to change or he needs to change career paths. Also, I tried to call and put a complaint, and apparently, we can’t reach the stores directly anymore. The person on the phone gave me the ethics hotline number, but he gave me the wrong number. That’s why I’m putting my complaint here. Apart from Kevin, everyone else was lovely. The cashier has been kind and respectful on both occasions. The person at the entrance is also very helpful and kind.

So the new scam is that these stores don’t allow returns after 15 days. I bought a fridge for a college student on 7/20/26. It died and leaked 8/7/26. With receipt in hand Best Buy says if you don’t pay for a membership subscription then they only give you 15 days to return it. Scam

Was helped immediately to find what I needed. Found it. Checked out quickly and easily.