I had a very disappointing experience at Best Buy, and unfortunately, the way I was treated made me decide that I will not be shopping here again.
We came in about 30 minutes before closing. To be clear, the store was NOT empty or basically shut down when we arrived. It was still lively, with plenty of customers and activity going on. We were not the last stragglers coming in, and we were not trying to waste anyone's time. We were polite, knew our budget, and were genuinely there because we wanted to purchase a laptop.
After looking around for about 10 minutes, an employee approached us and asked if we needed help. I explained that I was looking for a refurbished laptop and that my budget was very limited. He proceeded to search for options, which I appreciated.
He also brought up payment plan options, but explained that applying would involve a credit check. He then implied that getting the financing was a way to improve my credit. I found that inappropriate and unnecessary, especially because he knew absolutely nothing about my financial situation or credit history.
While he was still actively helping us and searching for options, Zack, the floor manager, came over. I assume he was checking on things because the store was getting closer to closing. That's understandable. What wasn't understandable was his tone and the way he handled the interaction.
To be very clear: WE DID NOT STAY PAST CLOSING. The entire experience lasted approximately 20–23 minutes, and when I decided to leave, there were still roughly 5–10 minutes before the store closed.
The moment Zack stepped in, the entire vibe changed. He was dismissive and condescending and spoke about me rather than actually speaking to me. At one point, he literally said I was going to be “paying $200 for a nightlight.”
He also assumed I was shopping for a work-from-home setup, despite me never saying that. I'm not sure where that assumption came from because he wasn't even the employee originally helping us.
He then suggested a Chromebook and said they could install Windows on it, while also acknowledging that it wouldn't actually work properly. After all of those condescending comments, he continued trying to show me things that were outside the budget I had already clearly communicated. At that point, I simply said, “You know what, I'm good, thanks.”
What makes this even more frustrating is that the original employee was STILL LOOKING for something within my budget. If the answer was simply, “We don't have anything that fits what you're looking for,” that's completely fine. Just communicate that. We would have understood and left. Instead, he never actually told us that he couldn't help us. He continued looking until Zack stepped in.
And honestly, the whole situation left me wondering whether we were being treated differently because we weren't going to be making a large purchase. I understand that sales associates may have incentives or commission structures, but that is not the customer's problem. This was a roughly 10–15 minute interaction with the employees, and we were polite the entire time. I don't believe we were wasting anyone's time simply because my budget was lower than what they wanted to sell me.
My fiancé also overheard Zack speaking to another employee shortly before he stepped in. The employee said something along the lines of having just finished a task, and Zack immediately responded, “There's always something to do,” in a very condescending tone. That interaction, followed almost immediately by the way he approached us, really reinforced the impression that his communication style and attitude were simply unpleasant.
Again, we completely understand that employees want to leave on time. I've worked retail myself. If we were there after closing or refusing to leave, I would understand the frustration. But that wasn't the situation. We still had several minutes
Response from Best Buy
September 14, 2026
Hi there,
Thank you for reaching out here to share this review. We hate hearing your in-store experience was far from a positive one, and definitely understand your concerns. We pride ourselves on being an open and welcoming environment, but this sounds far from that. We would be happy to connect with you on this to get additional details in order to ensure this is escalated to the appropriate teams.
To get started, please send us a message on Facebook ( https://bby.me/Px64IG), Twitter/X ( https://bby.me/5B0s9X), or Instagram ( https://bby.me/a6hmAv). Please also include a note stating you are reaching out from a Google review by including this reference number: 222081. We look forward to hearing from you!