Hidden camera investigation: Best Buy electronics (Marketplace)

Best Buy says refurbished tech on its third-party seller marketplace is like new at a lower price. We tested that claim and went inside stores with hidden cameras to find out what employees think about the products.
To read more: cbc.ca/1.6201499
#Refurbished #Tech #CBCMarketplace
»»» Subscribe to CBC News to watch more videos: bit.ly/1RreYWS
Connect with CBC News Online:
For breaking news, video, audio and in-depth coverage: bit.ly/1Z0m6iX
Find CBC News on Facebook: bit.ly/1WjG36m
Follow CBC News on Twitter: bit.ly/1sA5P9H
For breaking news on Twitter: bit.ly/1WjDyks
Follow CBC News on Instagram: bit.ly/1Z0iE7O
Subscribe to CBC News on Snapchat: bit.ly/3leaWsr
Download the CBC News app for iOS: apple.co/25mpsUz
Download the CBC News app for Android: bit.ly/1XxuozZ
»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»
For more than 75 years, CBC News has been the source Canadians turn to, to keep them informed about their communities, their country and their world. Through regional and national programming on multiple platforms, including CBC Television, CBC News Network, CBC Radio, CBCNews.ca, mobile and on-demand, CBC News and its internationally recognized team of award-winning journalists deliver the breaking stories, the issues, the analyses and the personalities that matter to Canadians.

[@kayhud8342]

Honestly Best buy shouldn’t have marketplace included with their website, it should be a separate business altogether

[@coolspot18]

@Artax A customer should not have to do that.

[@BRyeEUC]

But then how would bestbuy make money from these third party sellers scamming their customers?

[@monsterrun]

thats bestbuy responsibility to fine those resselers for breach of contract. the reason bestbuy and walmart do those marketplace is because it brings more traffic to thier website. but they are not responsible if you are not taking précautions before buying. still i agree thought that best should adopt a policy similar to ebay or amazon if they want to behave as such.

[@TubeSwarn]

That's BestBuy trying to get into business model like any other retail online giants like Amazon or Alibaba. Selling refurbished product is a different ball game all together.

[@manny7886]

Or it should give you a warning that you are leaving the BestBuy website.

[@dr6770]

What's worse is many of these broken "refurbished" things are only on discount for a small amount. At that point, you might as well just buy new.

[@invinoveritas8704]

Refurbished already broke once...

[@TheAlphapuck5280]

Its like buying from Ebay... Ebay is not selling you the item, Ebay is just the website.

[@jonny-b4954]

@@TheAlphapuck5280 Not really. Ebay has a solid warranty and customer service. They'll side with the customer 95% of the time no questions asked and refund your money.

[@tammyjasonglass-de-poole9928]

Exactly. I wouldn't have a problem receiving some of the scratched items if they were labeled used, photos of the specific items and defects were shown and they were priced appropriately for used items in that condition.

[@curtiswilson4737]

I've learned that trick too. A $5-$10 difference, you might as well buy new!

[@kylethenerd1]

I used to work for Best Buy for almost 7 years, and was in customer service for part of that time. I completely echo what the other employees said about marketplace and used to tell customers the same thing. Two things need to happen. First, Best Buy needs to start making their messaging more clear and transparent regarding the condition of marketplace items. Second, consumers need to start paying better attention to who they’re buying from when they shop online. Research is important especially as we move further and further into this age of e-commerce. Amazon and Walmart have a marketplace section too, so always check who the product is shipped and sold by.

[@brentbeacham9691]

How about Fortune 500 companies use business that are quality checked often. Have a 2 year warranty on all parts and labor. Replace any and all items with outside physical damage. Customers should be required to do Nothing but pay for the merchandise. All items should have listed the remaining time on the brand companies name. Best Buy is a peddler of junk. Never buy refurbished.

[@youthteenager2407]

As a not long lasting employee of best buy, I agree with this fully. Best Buy needs to up their standards but buyers also need to be aware of whom they're buying from and researching about the said buyers like most should. Best Buy as a company is a wonderful company but we all have our flaws. This is something that was clearly swept under the rug and should be brought to attention of the CEO ASAP.

[@TheZogie]

Their "marketplaces " aren't separated.. thats the problem.. im sure the companies do this to draw you into purchasing the items. There are too many overseas companies selling junk..

[@pandastylearmy5938]

i found out best buy also has no customer service dept.

[@TravJam317]

This is even more true now with the revamped Best Buy stores where there is little sales interaction and it's 95% based on doing your own research online.

[@jamesyount2423]

Telling non-tech-savvy people to install freeware diagnostic tools on their pc is dangerous considering all of the malware out there.

[@Claire_bty]

Exactly

[@S3piocomputersCanada]

Have many legal site with free diagnostic

[@brandon8900]

Step 1: turn on sold by best buy Step 2: don't buy refurbished.

[@alexitanguay]

This!

[@tektalk2day]

I disagree with Step 2. If the seller is reputable lets say on eBay and has amazing ratings and whatnot, then id say its worth it, but for someone completely random without ratings or anything, id avoid.

[@JapChaeJan]

step 1 is correct step 2 is to only buy refurbished from companies that back up with a 1 year minimal warranty Call me lucky, but Ive been buying refurbished phones for the past 10 years without a hitch while saving hundreds

[@makemap]

Those days of walking in to shops and buying you see working is long gone. Can't believe this was allowed first place.

[@monsterrun]

almost feel like that marketplace show is an advert to scare people from trusting the marketplace so bestbuy can make more money...

[@Bremend]

Never buy anything refurbished with a battery that you cannot easily replace

[@Danniiboy9119]

I disagree, I have a Samsung galaxy watch I've had for 5 years which I use everyday. It was a refurbished unit. I've never had one issue with it, and the battery still lasts around 6-7 days. Sometimes you can get a dud, but most of the time it's fine.

[@marc-alexandrelaroche6632]

@@Danniiboy9119 which model

[@Danniiboy9119]

@@marc-alexandrelaroche6632 the first galaxy watch, the silver one with the black spinning bezel

[@lailarivero2598]

@@Danniiboy9119 where did you buy it?

[@Danniiboy9119]

@@lailarivero2598 best buy canada

[@DrcJr77]

I'm retired from over 2 decades of working on phones and computers. The only problem I see is the listing. You have A, B, and C stock items. So far the problem I see is the inaccurate listings from sellers. There is no general standard of these grades. It always falls back to, "You get what you pay for" mentality. My opinion of these grades are as follows: A (Mint Condition - works Perfect) B (light cosmetic defects - works perfect) C ( light to heavy cosmetic defects - works perfect ) In summary the grade is only for cosmetics. If it is for sell it should always work perfect or it is to be parted out.

[@funbigly]

Be very easy to clean up with competent management. But like most places, including CBC, it's all talk and no walk.

[@Thedamped]

I agree with this. I don't mind at all if my phone or laptop has some scratches on the case. It'll have them after a bit of use anyway.

[@edwardelric2369]

Even though this makes sense as a general rule, it will fail when it comes to phones and other electronics with a battery. For example, a phone could be in Class C, major cosmetic damage but works well, but the battery is at 20% of the original 100% capacity. That needs to be noted as well. Each individual items need to have its own battery test results attached to the ad itself. Just my two cents.

[@doncardwellJr]

@@edwardelric2369 You are right, it would be nice to know the lifetime of battery and previous users charging habits, however that is irreverent when purchasing a working phone, since it's so easy to replace with a new bat. With that said, I do agree, battery current battery results would be a cherry on top.

[@jamesbones626]

As someone who worked at best buy selling computers, I knew the open box computers were unreliable. I never sold them until my managers basically forced me to and got mad. The open box computers are supposed to be checked over or certified by geek squad to ensure their functionality. Out of quite a lot of open box that I sold, I would say well over 70% of them were brought back or returned with issues. From my personal experience with open box, Ive never had good experiences. I know this is not a refurbished item but if their open box is like this, I cant imagine how good their refurb products are.

[@dansolo360]

thanks for sharing

[@ElaBlu3]

"The open box computers are supposed to be checked over or certified by geek squad to ensure their functionality." So is the certification process just not good? Or is the geek squad just not doing their jobs well? What exactly is the issue? And why would something be "certified by the Geek Squad" if it is not working well?

[@davisbyer4791]

These 3rd party sellers are basically built to take advantage of those who aren’t savvy shopping online, and the retailers like BB and Walmart are profiting off it too, as they are taking a cut of the profit to host the sellers listings.

[@ethanlee9558]

this

[@darkmaster24073]

Walmart has now started carrying refurbished Apple Airpods, Ipads and Samsung and HP Chromebook. Company is gomint I believe.

[@saltdroid]

@Davis Byer You basically know nothing about how retail works.

[@julietteoscaralphanovember2223]

@@saltdroid Idk for sure but I would think Davis is right about these companies making money off 3rd party sales, otherwise why would they do it?

[@HoudiniFontmeister]

@@saltdroid Even compared to a site like Ebay which literally only hosts third party sellers their practices are horrid. Even Ebay offers better guarantees and protections against false advertised products.

[@MichaelRockfez]

Props to the BestBuy employees for honesty and their knowledge.

[@warunaperera3444]

There promoting there own products

[@TimothyStuder]

I used to work in Walmart Electronics, I would always be honest with the customer, most don't know nearly as much as I do and that's not fair to them.

[@jonhelmer8591]

@@warunaperera3444 They're promoting their own products.

[@Smy77y]

@@jonhelmer8591 can confirm that since we aren't on commission, no we are not.

[@ElectoneGuy]

Said absolutely no one ever...

[@mrgoats]

Did you really just do an entire piece on an old couple that complained that their iPad is telling them to charge it every few days?

[@coconutx887]

Hahahaha. Im assuming its even if its fully charged the error still happens

[@roxcyn]

I know when iOS devices have issues it shows that error. It sounds like bad software or bad battery replacement.

[@gabrielshetterley9663]

My thoughts exactly

[@49trades4]

this explains their stock price tho... lol

[@sunnidays]

Rick M that was not their only issue with the ipad and their age has nothing to do with this, they don't look that old to me, just because they have grey hair, I have friends who have turned grey in their 20's & 30's

[@jayc9862]

I love that this show exists and try’s to hold companies accountable.

[@busterobe]

I supported them intill they went after the company that sold the iPad to the old couple, Thats a normal thing, The battery isnt going to last forever

[@Joe_Brown99]

One should already know not to buy used

[@typhfanuwu7526]

@@busterobe yeah puls there no warranty expired and they were having issues in the beginning. Why didn’t you just use the warranty? Why do you have to wait until the end is the anti-ended

[@shinha]

You just make the right point! BB makes money in the selling process but doesn't want to take the responsibility to protect customers. That's the problem!

[@eyuzik30]

Weird how a tablet would need to be charged every few days...

[@rockhard9369]

😂

[@kargudin]

I guess, depending how much you use it

[@pixeldoc7119]

Not at all! I use my iPad for hours per day and need to charge it pretty well at least every other day, if not every day. Been using iPads since they've been around. It all depends on how much you use it, obviously🤔.

[@MrVuckFiacom]

Ever stop to think that it's possible the iPad doesn't hold a charge?

[@jeremypilot1015]

I'd offer ten bucks to take the broken iPad off that couples hands.

[@OfficialGankTownDurt]

Chris standin on the hill staring at the best buy that finessed him

[@tninja1413]

Gottem

[@andrew_koala2974]

Gm Visuals : staring at the best buy that finessed him" What does that mean exactly? Also explain what is 'finessed him" Furthermore, had you been staring at the sign shown in the thumbnail you would have noticed that it is BEST BUY and not best buy -- Pay attention to detail. Make sure you actually SEE what it is you are looking at. Clearly, you are a Zombie - You have eyes but cannot see - ears and cannot hear.

[@easyfarming4314]

))

[@easyfarming4314]

))))))

[@easyfarming4314]

@@tninja1413)))

[@steelsteez6118]

With a lake front house like that, with that view, a broken tablet purchased form a third party seller would be the last thing on my mind.

[@RavenCap0807]

That's what I was thinking

[@Nicholas.610]

What's that have to do with anything?

[@edwardelric2369]

I don't understand this thought process. Just because they are in a villa, it is ok for them to get ripped off? Very poor scammer like mindset. Are you indian?

[@RetrocadePodcast]

First world problems. Apparently they're connected enough to get an investigative report over it, though haha

[@RetrocadePodcast]

@@edwardelric2369 Did they really get ripped off though? They knowingly purchased a refurbished product with no implied warranty that functioned properly for at least three months. It was likely fixable by a third party for $100 or less, too. Big whoop.

[@lucianorosel8128]

Great investigative reporting, I'd rather spend the extra money for new than to struggle with a refurbished unit.

[@UNKA757]

yea, I typically NEVER do refurbished items, at all. the cost is typically not that impressive, and you never know what kind of wear and tear they were put through prior.

[@Morpheen999]

Ive bought refurbished from Apple, buts thats the only place.. Same warranty as the new stuff

[@lowyeeliang7003]

Try buying items that are non electronics, Toys, books stuffs, especially whe nyou can inspect.

[@Raattis]

I routinely buy refurbished and B-stock stuff from a small store that I know I can trust and have only had good experiences. Best Buy has just decided not to bother.

[@Zuraneve]

I buy refurbished from the manufacturer sometimes, or direct from the store. I've bought refurbished Playstations from GameStop, and they worked just fine. It's getting harder to find decently priced refurbished stuff though.

[@catbriggs8362]

Exactly. Nothing lasts forever. I wouldn't buy a used car without a CarFax (U.S., a service that gives you the history of the vehicle, any accidents, repairs, recalls, etc.) It appears buying electronics is high-risk compared to buying a used vehicle.

[@defconone1498]

Quote: "BestBuy says their refurbished devices MAY BE more reliable than a brand new version"... always read all the fine print. This phrase can also mean that refurbished devices MAY NOT BE more reliable.

[@AngelaShiflet]

Exactly 👍🏻

[@IamBananas007]

Not only that, the website verbiage would be for the refurbished in-store products, eg: a Logitech keyboard refurbished by them, sold in brown box..... not for third-party sellers

[@jrbqto]

Didn't think of that! Good Call!

[@cheezst8ke]

the key word is may. They "may" be more reliable than a brand new version.

[@georgeplagianos6487]

@@cheezst8kewow that statement would only confuse the buyer tempting them to buy these used products

[@jimorangecityfl4066]

Most interesting. I've worked in the Automotive industry for over 40 years. In the Automotive industry, there are 4 different grades for replacement parts & products. New, Remanufactured, Rebuilt, and repaired. Remanufactured is considered the highest level below New and is a part or product that has been thourouly disassembled and reassembled replacing anything necessary with new parts to bring the unit back to New specifications. Some examples would include Alternators, Starter Motors, Brake calipers, etc.

[@WEEZlUS]

It’s exactly like shopping on Amazon but when you don’t buy from a prime seller, so third party. Also, almost every single chain does this including Home Depot, Lowe’s, Target, Marshall’s, Kroger, etc.

[@i7rodriguezir]

Yup. Companies should be more clear about third parties on their websites

[@teegreenburg]

Her: “We were pretty pissed off.” Him: “Annoyed.” Her: “Annoyed. Yeah” 🤣😂🤣

[@AdultAuDHDCommunity]

And for THEM $800 isn't a fortune? It is for most people trying to eat and pay rent. And he actually monitored her words..yeah ok.

[@Chass3urTV]

If you buy any electronics, bring it home, turn it on and begin to notice something off. Bring it back right away, don't wait or Band-Aid the issue.

[@njm1971nyc]

Except some issues aren't immediately obvious (to some people), and you can't "bring it back" to Best Buy. You have to ship it back & hope for the best. 😐

[@j.ballsdeep420]

@@njm1971nyc -- You nailed it: Gotta ship it back and these people cry crocodile tears for having to do such terribly difficult things

[@Chumbucketsecret]

I don’t even leave the store with tech till I know it works 😂

[@roxcyn]

I didn’t even know Best Buy had a third party area. Thanks for letting me know, guys.

[@TravJam317]

I used to work at a competing retailer and I felt the same thing about marketplace items on our retail site. I discouraged people from even buying new items, because I'd seen so many customers who were left with nothing because some of the marketplace companies either made returning items difficult, wouldn't accept returns or were unable to be reached for a return at all. I've often wondered if other retailers had this problem with their marketplace, and I can see that (at least in the case of Best Buy) they do.

[@FantasyTeamAdvisors]

I live in the US, no clue how I even came across CBC channel, but I've been waiting for new Marketplace segments for so long!

[@Ak-bh1tj]

Congrats

[@monistermat2093]

Congrats

[@anthony_ros]

Grats

[@HoudiniFontmeister]

Same 😂 idk why they showing me this but I’m just glad. There is so much parallel between us and Canada at least with businesses

[@BiggestNano]

Right to repair would help make it so companies have access to better quality materials to repair items as well as allow people to get their older devices fixed. Hopefully CBC does a story on the issues behind the manufacturers making it harder to repair devices and forcing people to pay a ton for a new device or get a bit of a deal but risk getting something not up to par.

[@Sir.Craze-]

They did about a year ago. And I think one before and after that. Take a look, brother

[@christophermichael7265]

they should do it again

[@brab199]

Glad I watched this. I’ve been on the fence before on buying refurbish products from Best Buy. Now I know not to. To big a risk

[@SteveinSanFrancisco]

Almost everything goes on sale at Best Buy, usually for a pretty good discount... get it new 👍

[@cheryfajamal]

And when you go back to Best Buy, all you will get is a single statement: Best Buy doesn’t have any responsibility towards 3rd party sellers’s merchandise.

[@crazypete3759]

I love how they are allowed to sell a specific item with a generic picture and just say "actual item may differ"...

[@MrShuntking]

A story along the line of this story. Walmart Canada allowing 3rd party sellers on their site selling electronics (ps5) at scalper prices. At time almost $1000 above MSRP.

[@adecree]

A lot of parents don't even realize that's not retail. If phones are $1000 game consoles can seem reasonable at that rate.

[@MrShuntking]

@@adecree Thankfully they aren't hard to spot. Walmart does list them on the same page as their. Not that I have seen 1 for sale by Walmart Canada. But you can spot the 3rd party scalpers. Walmart will have their system with say 2 controllers listed at MSRP. Then the 3rd party scalper with their insane price and the only difference will be something easy to spot like the jacked up price will be 1 controller, or the digital only. But I do find it odd that these 3rd parties seem to have a unlimited supply of ps5. While Walmart Canada has yet to have a single listing since launch. Has me wondering if Walmart Canada actually owns these 3rd party sellers and just trying to get around Sony not wanting regular retailers over charging.

[@RobS282]

walmart will take returns though

[@kd5you1]

@@MrShuntking It may be pointless to list PS5 consoles since they might be still in the process of fulfilling initial orders. I also believe that since there will eventually be PS5 consoles for sale at the stores, 3rd party resellers are advertising consoles that they don't actually have. They might have some because orders do get fulfilled eventually. This is just my theory, but they try to sell at a scalper price and supply them to their customers when they can get one themselves. Walmart might not be paying close attention to what the 3rd party scalpers are posting. I doubt Walmart or any other retailer owns 3rd party resellers because if it was true and the suppliers i.e. Sony in this case found out, the retailers would lose their licensing to sell Sony video game products and maybe other Sony products, and they wouldn't receive any more product to sell. This might affect other vendor partnerships as well. There would be too much as stake to deceive their customers in this manner. All of this is my speculation and simply how I perceive this scenario.

[@jayl2499]

Yes, this 3rd party seller for some reason was able to bypass the seller filter. It still showed up even if I picked the sold and ship by Walmart filter.

[@NoWay1969]

3rd party sellers are ruining Amazon also. It makes sense from a business standpoint. You always want someone else to warehouse your goods and take all the risk, but it hurts consumers. It shouldn't be allowed.

[@pariscloud2907]

Yeah it should. Just don't buy from 3rd parties unless you know what you're doing. eBay has relatively fine for decades but people know everything is 3rd party.

[@thefuturegamer9451]

I bought a few refurbished iPhone X’s from Amazon and eBay to test this, they cheap out on the screen using a LCD instead of OLED, and the battery health was at 86%

[@candyland4517]

You gotta feel bad for these people, they either don’t know much about these shady scams or can’t afford a new electronic. SMH, I’m hurt watching the guy struggling.

[@2busysecretary]

Owning a home like that on a lake they can afford a new iPad I'm sure.

[@NicVandEmZ]

They would be better off buying refurbish from manufacturers. Apple has A refurbished place for iPhones and tablets

[@candyland4517]

@@2busysecretary It could’ve been passed down and even if they did buy or had it built they were probably saving money. That’s why they want to buy a used/ refurbished item, plus what’s the point of buying a new one when they come out with a product every year??

[@candyland4517]

Assuming people are rich because of their home 🤡.

[@madamec.j7363]

@@candyland4517 and that is how people think until it happens to them ...🥴

[@Earthlink2000]

If scratches on the case are not accepted as refurbished then what is? I wouldn't accept functional flaws but cosmetic damage that is covered by 10$ case is definitely worth saving 200$.

[@xinceras-6542]

If a product is damaged and hasn't been repaired, then it's "used" and not "refurbished." I mean really, if you're willing to call any used item "refurbished" then what does the word even mean?

[@Earthlink2000]

There is nothing to repair on cosmetic damages. There are standards from most manufacturers to what is acceptable as a refurbished product. What this episode of Marketplace covered is small cases of individuals that sell items on the BestBuy platform. I don't defend these people but this is a flea market with no standards and if one goes to buy an item from there because the price is too good to be true, then that is the case. I'm working in the industry for 11 years and we go to a great extend of processes to repair, sanitize, test, and support home appliances, and I stand for the quality of our product. My problem with this episode is that it generalized a whole industry based on a couple of bad actors selling products on BestBuy, but in their case was not BB product or sale but more of an eBay one. People cant be that gullible.

[@11Cent]

he did mention if the customer fixates on that. i agree, cosmetic scratches are worth the $200

[@OlivierCaron]

Like they said, "refurbished" really means what the seller says it means. Apple and Nintendo sell refurbished products with brand new cases and screens and the same warranty as if you purchase a brand new product, but for that reason, you're not getting the deals you might get elsewhere if you're willing to get something that doesn't look brand new.

[@ladiipeaches]

I think the primary issue with the scratches was that the scratches weren’t mentioned in the product description so they could charge more. That’s deceptive.

[@jesusislord2149]

The problem is people believe that they are buying from Best Buy refurbished because they are going to their website. It needs to be stated clearly that it is not a Best Buy product and Best Buy will not accept returns.

[@4dennis]

Best Buy needs to be transparent and to seperate from Marketplace. This could ruin brand reputation and cost them billions in future business with consumers. Trust is everything.

[@Longwing70]

"Refurbished" implies that the original maker has performed repairs/replacements bringing the product back to new condition. These devices are simply in "used" condition and possibly repaired by 3rd party. It's Best Buy's fault for not disclosing this clearly on their website since they don't even guarantee the products in their marketplace the way that eBay does. This "marketplace" is a real blow to Right to Repair because when you consider the costs for the featured refurbish companies to do their investigation of the products (and the potential fixing costs) plus the cost of aggravation to the consumers who got the bad products, it makes the case that there wasn't any money saved, it was probably cheaper to buy new from a legitimate seller.

[@kakurerud7516]

here in the USA, "refurbished" is anything not new and repacked for sale as used. (this is how its marked when reporting use tax)

[@decaprio7421]

...legitimate repair shops

[@Earthlink2000]

@@kakurerud7516 There is no repacked condition. If an item is sold and not SEALED and in the original packaging, the only categories that qualify are refurbished and recertified. This is about most of the manufacturers and brands that exist on the market. On popular platforms that allow third parties to sell some of their repairs/knock offs is a whole another game, but when signing or agreeing on terms and conditions in the shopping card the purchaser agrees that is ok with all of the above and that includes that these are third party items and the platform does not guarantee the quality and service as the other products that sold directly.

[@mikerogers8540]

I used to work in maintenance at NEC and they had a refurb line . If you saw how many motherboards we're jumped out you'd throw away your PC or monitor .

[@kakurerud7516]

@Tom I only know what I know due to owning a computer shop that regularly sold used items and dealing with the various tax boards.

[@sct4040]

Do not buy refurbished or from a marketplace, ever.

[@tektalk2day]

You can buy refurbished as long as the seller is reputable. Orchard which is in this video is very reputable.

[@drink15]

refurbished is ok to buy, you just need to do more research on the product and seller.

[@123RADIOactive]

@@tektalk2day problem is that Ive looked through their site for iPhones. Thing is that they had posted some pictures of their iPhones and some of the speakers looked disgustingly dirty. If they’re so reputable, you’d think they’d clean out their devices from every angle first before posting those pictures…..

[@nigelspaurel8640]

i experienced this first hand. I bought a phone from them that was supposed to be a 9/10 in terms of quality and functionality, but of course it was unusable. Thankfully I returned it before the return period.

[@TheHighKirk]

"3rd part seller" is code for 'taking a risk'. there are no categorical standards for refurbishment so the onerous is on the buyer, not the seller. You are better off buying used tech from a privater seller than refurbished tech from a 3rd part seller. (Been working in IT since the mid 80's including communications, PC's, mini's and main frames)

[@Sherif.1988]

There is a big hole to your story on the elderly couple and their iPad they had 90 days to return it but didn’t that’s a problem you could’ve noticed the first week

[@CaptainLolzIII]

It sounded like they just didn't understand you have to charge the ipad

[@natstar7864]

@@CaptainLolzIII I know like did they come from 200 years in the past where nothing needed energy or fuel to run pretty much the same as a car where you need fuel/gas for it to work.

[@R.U.1.2.]

This isn't exactly the disaster I thought some of them would be in. A few scratches, for me, would not matter at all, if the hardware and software were working properly. I mean you're buying refurbished to save money, they're not going to be as new. I'm on a limited pension so the most salient thing for me is price.

[@claesII]

Yeah and like he said if you drop it, the screen may pop out. Drop a new one and the same may happen.

[@swallowedinthesea11]

They're labeled that way for a good reason. I think it would be best to save up the little extra money to buy something new. If the price difference is steep, there's a high chance of the refurbished item breaking in a short time resulting in more stress and money.

[@chris4485834]

Best Buy should be held accountable for it

[@tokesalotta1521]

Just like Amazon and others, best buy makes it clear when you're buying from someone outside of their company

[@sunriseshell]

Scratches and "a little rough around the edges" are to be expected on refurbished items. The faulty screens are not.

[@MrPontiac005]

@Sideways Singh refurbished is used. Someone can buy brand new, not like the device, return it and then it will be checked, packaged and sold as refurbished as they can't sell as new. Doesn't necessarily mean something is repaired or there is a problem which requires repairs.

[@FlyingPigChannel]

@Sideways Singh what you said was called open box. It does not have to have a defect. If it does have a defect, it might get replaced, but open box is mostly just returned items. Refurbished means used, but the seller cleaned it up and tidied it to the best of their abilities. I know, my brother has an open box iPhone se and I got a 2015 refurbished MacBook Pro and a refurbished iPhone 7, all from Best Buy market place.

[@davidchou1675]

@@MrPontiac005 That specifically would be "open-box," not "refurbished," though both are "used" as anything not brand-new technically is...but refurbished means repaired in some way, not simply that the box was opened.

[@MrPontiac005]

@@davidchou1675 thanks for the clarification

[@shuki1]

@Sideways Singh this is perhaps what refurbished used to mean up to about 20 years ago when the original companies (I bought from Sony once) would sell a previously defective item. Since then, there is a huge amount of used electronics in good condition that can be 'refurbished' and a small profit made.

[@foufoufun]

"Refurbished" is just a cuter way of saying "used".

[@ThatAverageMTBer]

not really

[@foufoufun]

@Jeremy Davidson So if it's a matter of luck, there is no point. You rarely know what have been replaced specifically on the device. When buying a used product, it's only normal to expect it to work as it should with maybe the battery not lasting as long. Say, when buying a used game console at Gamestop/EBGames. All they do is plug it in and check if it runs a game. If it does, of course they won't open it up and check if there was water damage or if a capacitor is leaking. What I'm saying is that the word "refurbished" is used left and right as a more marketing friendly term than "used". But unless the changed/repaired parts aren't specifically stated for the specific device you are buying, you are better off just assuming that it was never opened up and nothing was done to it, even if there is a warenty. That said, like a car, it is waaaay cheaper to buy a phone used. You can get them 2-3 years old and keep it another 4-5 years. If there battery is easily replaceable without tools, it'll be like new. TBH, as long as you don't really play video games on your phone, any phone will do. These things are stupidly powerful for the things most people use them for.

[@carlosk8103]

True it's like when they call used cars "pre-owned"

[@TheRealJellyBomb]

"as far as I was concerned I was on a best buy website." follows hours of why best buy is responsible for people not being able to utilize their autonomy as sentient beings.

[@ranjanbiswas3233]

We need more of this journalism.

[@randomrazr]

thing is walmart, staples and bunch of other places have "third partty" vendors. its kinda like ebay or amazon

[@j.ballsdeep420]

Thank you. Idk why they targeted best buy when almost all retailers have the same now

[@Chahlie]

I believe The Bay is now doing this with 'luxury' goods like handbags and 'designer' things. I have no trust in The Bay anymore. I miss Eatons :(

[@thathurt159]

With Amazon though the third party vendors are more often than not the maker of the product, for example buying Bose headphones on Amazon Bose's official vendor would pop up first. With Best Buy these aftermarket ones pop up first and in larger quantity.

[@randomrazr]

@@thathurt159 well if u buy from amazon yes. but underneath the "Sellers list" theirs a bunch of third party ones too if thats what ur refering to?

[@gobchangbokkeum]

Wayfair is also almost completely 100% this party sellers renting space with Wayfair’ down marketing labels on the products. The only difference is Wayfair enforces mandatory replacements or parts replacements at the sellerms expense in exchange for using their platform.

[@mikerichardson60]

People who buy so called refurbished to save a few bucks really are rolling the dice. The reason someone else returned it speaks volumes. Caveat Emptor

[@KanishkaWijesuriya]

When it's refurbished the functionality should always work. Cosmetic imperfections can be exempted but functionality should remain as a new device.

[@AntonioProla]

"The reason someone else returned it speaks volumes." yeah cause it had a specific problem, once they replace that part (i.e screen) and any other parts that arent functioning properly (required by law) aka "refurbish it" then there is no longer an issue, this is a process known as "refurbishing" also what would you do if your phone breaks? send it back right? what do you think they do with it then? "refurbish" it perhaps?? :) either that or you get a new one right (which never happens) but either way.. by buying new you are directly contributing to the refurbished market, and making my next purchase cheaper so for that i thank you :))

[@reyesarg]

I work in an electronic repair shop and I've had some customers bring in devices from Best buy. One instance this customer brought in a phone that was purchased at best buy. She only had it for a few months but the battery was getting hot. I opened the device just to discover the device had been cleaned of corrosion but not well. There was still corrosion on the board and it was causing short circuits and making the board and battery get hot. She said it was purchased from the Best buy as a refurbished item. White bright spots on an LCD is usually caused by pressure on the backside of the lcd for example the battery swelled up and is applying pressure to the backside of the lcd. Second reason is water. Water can enter the lcd and wet the layers of reflective paper causing the bright spots.

[@CrookedClub]

I currently work for best buy (10 years) I've always recommended that customers spend the little extra to save them alot in the long run. 3rd parties don't always operate in the best interest of the customers.

[@rbk2kpro]

That's why I literally use a phone until it breaks physically or internally. Not gonna fork out 1200+ for a new phone. Still using a pixel 2 from 2017. Laugh all you want

[@RetroCaptain]

Yours is a spring chicken. I'm using a 2014 release of a 2011 BB. Still going strong on original battery.

[@matte8441]

I had an iPhone 6 from 2015 until just recently. The only reason why I stopped using it was because the storage ran out otherwise it would still be my phone today. And before that I had a blackberry from 2007.

[@oliviagreen8853]

I still have my galaxy S8 from 2017 too!

[@matthewskanes7074]

I rocked a 5s from ‘14 to ‘21. RIP.

[@zigafide]

@@oliviagreen8853 the galaxy s8 is a classic i still got it too and it works fine

[@letstalkbig8240]

Why are ppl so surprise about this I don't understand

[@jfn482]

Had an experience like this with Best Buy. I trusted the Brand. One of the last choices to buy my electronics now.

[@CalculatedRiskAK]

I currently work at Best Buy and can strongly recommend that you only purchase new, "open box", or "geek squad certified refurbished" items. Because these categories of items are sold by Best Buy directly, you're more likely to be able to get some form of assistance at the store level.

[@SimpIyIvan]

Honestly feel like this applies to more than BestBuy, so many companies, Amazon, EBay, Walmart, and so many more.

[@wisico640]

Amazon and ebay are clearer about the seller, where the product comes from etc. Most people don't understand there are marketplace product on walmart & bestbuy's sites...

[@HoudiniFontmeister]

Amazon and eBay have stricter rules than Best Buy or Walmart on this. And they both hold the seller at fault way more over even small imperfections. My sister got a full refund on a $500 tablet from eBay over a scratch on the screen and it’s because the seller falsely labeled it as refurbished (it was supposed to be used - very good condition) and was told to keep it too. So let’s not throw eBay or Amazon into this. Let’s at least be honest lol

[@wisico640]

@@HoudiniFontmeister ebay buyer protection should be an industry standard 👌

[@mrsmith8737]

How the hell could a “refurbished” product be more reliable than a “brand new” one?????? That should be the first RED FLAG……

[@Thohean]

It can be the case in the sense that every product is supposed to be thoroughly tested, were-as a new item might only have a small sample size tested for each batch. Most companies don't test every single item they make, so a defective item could make it into the hands of the buyer.

[@redrock861]

It happens. I bought a new Galaxy S5 (obviously awhile ago), and it wouldn't accept a sim card. The lady tried 3 new Sim cards, before suggesting a replacement device. I was pissed that I paid full price for a new phone and was given a refurbished phone as a replacement, but it still works like it should, and I still use the ir blaster for a TV remote.

[@mrsmith8737]

@@redrock861 I’m not surprised at all considering it was a “Samsung”, your actually lucky it didn’t start smoking and catch on fire….

[@redrock861]

@@mrsmith8737 seriously? That was one model. And the S5 predated that, so there's no way that would've affected my buying decision.

[@canidconsulting5118]

All the big box stores are doing this now. I think many of the sellers provide marginal products and then deliberately make the return process difficult and costly, discouraging people from making returns, especially for products that are simply marginal. Between unresponsive sellers, long waiting periods, exorbitant shipping costs and outrageous restocking fees, it's easier to put up with problems than return the item.

[@hermangroenewald8751]

I work for another online shopping company, which i shall not name, on tech support. I can honestly tell you there is two sides to these stories. I find that at least 50% of the time , customers screw up devices by bad use, like using the wrong chargers etc. Then they complain that the battery died. Its time someone tells the other side as well. I have to deal with these cases every day and more often than not , its customer stupidity that is the cause

[@MrRedtaco11]

Refurbished used to mean something to where it got sent back to the manufacture and would get a look over, things would get repaired and it get’s sent back to you. They couldn’t sell a refurbished product as “new”. This was long before Marketplace existed. I remember a little over 10 years ago I had bought a Open Box from a store. As soon as I got the product home, after doing some digging I had realized that the store hadn’t done anything. The previous owners information was still on the device. Even though it was set up a display model when I bought it. I ended up reformatting the device and all was fine. Now with products being sight, unseen the liability get’s thrown onto the Customers. Companies can hide behind their warranties because they are considered a legal binding document. If online sellers make it harder for Customers to return a defective device, by putting high restock fees etc. A Customer is going to be less likely to want to return that product. So people need to do their homework. Buyers need to take responsibility too.

[@facundocampos]

So I used to work retail for a store that only sold refurbished tech and do I have stories for you… Everything was supposed to be given the once over. Except the Bluetooth earpiece that had earwax on it. The blender that still smelled like onions. And the blackberry that hadn’t been wiped still had messages about hotel numbers and customer “date” lengths… you get the idea.

[@TheEightBitLink]

The problem is that all these brick and mortar companies are going to the marketplace model, which confuses people since they merge their brick and mortar/online offerings with marketplace offerings.

[@MrNb22]

I bought a laptop in 2004 that had some defect that wouldnt stop charging the battery at full. Luckily, when i went to buy it, the employees highly suggested getting the extended warranty plan. It took sending it in 5 times before they finally replaced it. Unfortunately, the 2 year warranty goes when you get a replacement - so you need another $200. I ended up not going that route - luckily the replacement was newer, nicer, and lasted a long time.

[@Turbo-fz4gk]

Got a refurbished cell phone from the marketplace. Was 'certified refurbished' and works well to this day. Its been a few years. Still good to be cautious, especially buying using electronics

[@katz734]

I always wondered about refurbished electronics and how good they are. This was an eye opener for me.

[@ChandraNYC]

Refurbished from the manufacturer seems the way to go. These 3rd. party sellers are more hit or miss.

[@AggressiveLemur]

@@ChandraNYC 3rd party is almost always a miss

[@ThatAverageMTBer]

i only buy refurbished tech from the manufacture

[@jairtzinio]

the real takeaway here is that it's important to be an informed consumer. if you don't know what to look for, dont know where to buy good quality used electronics, don't buy used. i buy used electronics from time to time and even i know better than to buy from a third-party seller that doesn't talk about the physical condition or have a grading system. (the people in the video just didn't know any better)

[@mrrandomperson2017]

I'm sorry, why did the first couple literally describe needing to recharge the iPad as a problem???

[@the_kombinator]

Adults that use tablets are a special breed.

[@dreamrabbits5072]

They were selling computers from 2012 that had amazing specs, but were in and out of office buildings for the entire 10 years, and still they were asking for 500+ for it.

[@fredinwhiterock]

Quite a few large online retailers have third-party "marketplace" type catalogue shopping now. The same caution that one would use buying from third-party sellers on Amazon has to be followed.

[@CrybKeeper]

I totally agree! I used to get nice products from Amazon. Now? We get the wrong product, broken products or no product at all!

[@chiefkeyes5359]

I know Amazon is not perfect but they even tell their customers to not buy from third-party vendors that aren't fulfilled by Amazon which gives you the option for a refund

[@MsDc52]

Especially anything like health supplements, etc. I go to Amazon for the reviews but always go directly to the source to buy just about everything I buy online. I do this for safety and peace of mind but also because Bezos is rich enough, the companies that produce the products are more deserving of the purchase than Jeff is.

[@roypowell6681]

@ChiefKeyes I disagree. In December I bought a phone on Amazon and within months it started giving Issues, when I reached out to Amazon and the seller I was told my 90 day warranty expired so I'm on my own. Took the phone to a repair shop and was told it had a faulty board. So not only was I sold a faulty product, but I'm stuck with it and out of money.

[@OK-td7oe]

@@roypowell6681 it's not Amazon's, phones have manufacturer warranties...you should have called them. Not Amazon

[@angelaengle12]

You might as well buy second hand from Ebay, the results are basically the same.

[@Jose-rj6oe]

The dealers sell on both sites to get max sales too

[@metube9541]

At least on ebay you know it will be knackered or stolen so no surprises.

[@TrueJoeyBowie]

I was just about to buy a replacement battery for my laptop from Best Buy Marketplace. The third-party format, however, gave me a bad feeling about it. After watching this, I've decided to take my money elsewhere. Thanks for the heads-up!

[@swallowedinthesea11]

Aren't you taking a huge risk buying refurbished items? They're labeled that way for a good reason. I think it would be best to save up the little extra money to buy something new. If the price difference is steep, there's a high chance of the refurbished item breaking in a short time.

[@daughterofyah6209]

True but, if they have been fixed and “tested” to appear to be as good as a gentle used product than it should work.

[@jeevandhillon00]

@@daughterofyah6209 Nobody said they're tested.

[@anoukc6928]

I had a good experience with buying a refurbished iPhone 7 from a local company in my province. But I wouldn't buy from a Best Buy third-party vendor

[@Awesome_Aasim]

This is another case of "you get what you paid for".

[@brianlynch994]

As the saying goes "Buyer beware"

[@joeymcguire6011]

I like the idea of recycling and reusing old tech specially for lower prices. But there isn’t much incentive simply because products are so hard if not impossible to fix due to the manufactures not making parts available. Not only that, software support is so short that its obsolete in a year or two.

[@vedritmathias9193]

Manufacturers don't even like making parts for their own products. I won't name names, but I was a field tech for a company that rhymes with Bell Pomputers. Everything but batteries were refurb, and the number cases where I was sent to work on a device that had been sent to the repair depot and came back the same or worse... too many to count.

[@mejhon6592]

So you do not recomment to buy refurnished?

[@arahman56]

@@mejhon6592 Actually, you're probably better off buying from eBay. Their buyer-focused return policy isn't perfect (some sellers have complained about people buying, reporting as faulty, and the seller being out of both money and the product), but still a step up from BestBuy.

[@good-tn9sr]

not apple macbooks though

[@patmcbride9853]

Same problem with Amazon. I bought a camera stabilizer there that was supposed to be new and it had a "refurbished" sticker on the box, and it never worked.

[@faithm9284]

Great job! Thank you for real reporting!

[@rickd438]

Just buy new and you eliminate this issue for yourself. Spending $800 on a used ipad, no thanks.

[@shaheedmohammed8369]

True my as well buy new one no chance for that amount

[@junito1008]

Ppl don’t buy these refurbished products…it’s better to buy “open box” product…You get a brand new product with a discount.

[@coloradotesla]

@Joe Moses Lmao what. Open box is something that has been brought back in the return period and actually looked over by bestbuy, not a 3rd party.

[@junito1008]

@@coloradotesla Yes, it’s exactly the way you said !! There’s no 3rd parties involved. These are items that ppl return with minimal use, and you get them at big discount…15-50% off…I have no problem to get an open box item with a 30% off. 😁

[@xGodWontSaveUx]

@@junito1008 "minimal use" with minimal damage enjoy the 50% off 👍

[@laryanryan9170]

No. Always buy it new. Spend the extra money.

[@carlosk8103]

Open box is still used.. They just returned it under 30 days.. You don't know why they did.. and you don't know whatever minimum wage kid was working at BB that day took care to make sure it was fully functional with zero issues..

[@alj7094]

I mean first of all buying a cheap couple years old electronic device is taking chances, don't matter if it's refurbished or not, theres even a chance of failures when you buy it brand-new. And secondly sometimes it's better to get a brand-new mid grade budget friendly model, works better and has a reasonable price tag.

[@RoyalCustomHomeTheat]

Having sold many refurbed products over the years from manufacturers like SONY, PANASONIC, JVC and others I can tell you this, There are 3 categories of electronics, "A"" stock which are brand new factory products, "B" stock which are products that may or may not have been serviced but were returned by major retailers and checked out (many of these items were returned because of customer operated error). The BEST "B" stock product was carton damage (brand new product that could not be sold as "A" stock due to cosmetic carton damage. This class of product often carried the FULL 1 YEAR WARRANTY vs. 90 DAYS for regular "B" stock. Then there was "C" stock which is "B" stock that was returned for repairs (perhaps more than once) and carried a 30 DAY WARRANTY. I would never sell "C" stock as these were usually products that were beat up and would NEVER WORK RIGHT. Back around 1999 manufacturers stopped selling these products in the U.S. because the found out that they could dump them in other parts of the world (like Mexico) with NO WARRANTY.

[@MustyHippo69]

So happy to see another CBC Marketplace, I love this show!

[@teresamiles5929]

Me tio

[@lloydchristmas4547]

Me too!

[@johnames6430]

they dragged this on for nearly 30mins

[@TheAmishElectrican]

@@johnames6430 It was barely 22mins

[@LightPink]

It's mind boggling how much bloat cable tv puts in their shows

[@craigweaver5671]

Right? This should be a 6 minute video.

[@_HMCB_]

Thank you 🙏🏼

[@johnames6430]

They have lots of money and time to fill. This is why even my 70yr old parents don't watch cable TV anymore. They are out of ideas too. They hire based on diversity and all the good people have been chased out.

[@johnames6430]

@@craigweaver5671 They dragged this on for nearly 30mins. All nonsense. The whole issue was that there are 3rd party sellers. Best Buy should sue for this nonsense. Wasn't CBC the same company that insisted Subway's chicken wasn't chicken with a DNA test and got sued for it?

[@FleeceNRun]

Mind boggling how we wont ever see a show called CBC Governmentplace

[@RSGill1903]

I bought a refurb once. Had nothing but problems. Went to return and just like this video, "Sorry. No can do. Your 90 day return period is up!" Never again. No more refurbs.

[@ajb7530]

Bestbuy needs to start policing their marketplace of 3rd party sellers and stop the bad actors that are reselling bad products that don't work.

[@lukek8357]

In Australia we're covered by a better consumer law system so refurbished products are a lot more reliable and customers are protected even after the 90 days warranty.

[@Oxjawa]

The tone of this piece doesn't sit right with me. It seems like they really wanted something major to be wrong with the decides they bought, which is why they leaned so heavily into cosmetic issues when all the devices work. I'm not saying marketplace is amazing but I think that minor cosmetic damage on an otherwise working device fits the significantly discounted price. If you want a product in brand new condition, buy a brand new product; if you want a product at half price, expect lower quality.

[@dex2531]

Then don't call it refurbished, because saying it's refurbished is misleading. Just sell it as USED.

[@therealbuba]

@@dex2531 I guess it’s a language thing, to me refurbished doesn’t mean looks brand new

[@dex2531]

@@therealbubaApple Fully refurbished used to mean that it's factory restored to like-new condition. This is what these 3rd party are trying to mislead people to believe and pay more for their product, which means it's borderline scamming. Watch the video, the iPad is not acceptable, nor is the iPhone XR.

[@therealbuba]

@@dex2531 do you hear how ridiculous you sound lol, just cause apple does something doesn’t change the definition of the word refurbished.

[@dex2531]

@@therealbuba How so? I'm pointing out why these people are being tricked, not saying I would be. That's the whole purpose of this video, to bring awareness and to resolve these problems. Why is that ridiculous? These people are buying Apple products and they are being mislead by BestBuy's reputation and by these 3rd party sellers claiming it's refurbished(when they are not). These are Apple customers that may have purchased Apple Refurbished products in the past. Do you guys even know what refurbished means? It's definitely and should be better condition than used..

[@AskRemy]

I was a 12 volt tech at Best Buy - these are criminals. I was scolded for not selling a 4 year warranty on a lifetime warranty car alarm. When another customer did not want to buy the warranty, I was scolded by a manager. The products best buy carries are not the same quality as originally designed. I am not sure about the Apple products - this was years before Apple became popular. All I knew is Best Buy was ripping customers off. Those warranty purchases were used as bonuses for the managers.

[@rdawg404]

If you notice, all of the victims are elderly. In fact, the only people I know that still shop at Best Buy are my grandparents. So I think this is a way to exploit the older generation that are on fixed incomes and are attracted by the lower cost of these products.

[@d3itchd355]

“Work your magic” *Restarts phone*

[@GoogleUser-po3gs]

Probably plugs it in too

[@handokoliamrianto8020]

In Australia even seller says only 3 months, there is this law that's called ACL that required seller to provide reasonable time to use that item (pretty much any items). Thus a $800 ipad may be 2 years, regardless what seller says. a $500 ipad maybe 1 year. Doesn't apply to private sales/auction. A TV there was once disputed and the customer won for 8 years ACL.

[@zimboiii9025]

It's a 1 year minimum on all new products

[@Boby9333]

​@@zimboiii9025 Here in Quebec Canada we have a gov agency that deal with costumer issues. They set "standards" for how long a specific product should last without any issue. If your product break after like 4 months all you have to do is hassle the manufacturer and they'll usually repair it for free even if base warranty is 3months/90days. In some case it has to go in court but you win most time if your product is not really old (full replacement/repair or reimbursement). Many product have faulty design which aren't communicated to the costumer and it's not your damn fault if your product break because of faulty design. Company should be held responsible for bad design that lead to premature breakdown.

[@bobbyvee8941]

Any large, reputable company CEO who endorses third party marketplace sellers under their brand, should be immediately replaced. It just simply doesn't make sense to compromise the brand's reputation for the small profit they make.

[@CeleryStalk1]

Most Managment is out of touch. Have you ever read the book Put My Numbers On That?

[@AshenDemon]

7:58 I don't want to defend BestBuy on this but they said "it may be better" not "it will be better".

[@ben10nnery]

2:14 Isn't that just the device telling you the battery's low and needs to be plugged in?

[@crand20033]

Yes and the device works fine.

[@Sir.Craze-]

Yeah. It's adorable her husband won't tell her what electricity is xD

[@mp00293]

If right to repair had passed they could probably get it fixed for like $50

[@TheKurtsPlaceChannel]

Very nicely put together video and very entertaining and informative as well. Thanks for posting this.

[@calripplebear1293]

I never buy anything 'refurbished'. To me, 'refurbished' is another word for 'defective'

[@xTheRedShirtX]

My problem with this is they don't show them getting the devices, opening them up to show us what it came like. We are having to take their word for it. So I don't really trust Market Place on this one.

[@andrews3642]

In all fairness I have bought brand new stuff from the store itself, had nothing but problems, and was told to kick rocks as soon as the warranty was over. Never mind the fact that it had spent more time in the shop than I ever had it working correctly to be able to use and it was the same part that was having the problems every time. My best advice, avoid the store and everything to do with it all together. #$5000laptop.

[@yaweno9555]

Just like with a used car, buyer beware. I've seen "refurbished" computers to mean ones that were picked out of a recycling bin. "refurbished" systems and phone usually come with only a 30 or 90 day warranty. Even with those short period warranties you need to understand what the cost will be to get the device to the vendor for repair. I've purchased many refurbished computers over the years, most were factory refurbished. I've never had a problem with a Dell computer refurbished by Dell for example. I would say that a Dell factory refurb is as good as new system. I've also purchased refurbs directly from big box electronic stores but never from marketplaces. In my opinion if you buy from a marketplace you should be considering that your device is sold "as is" and that you need to rely on yourself for support. If that scares you, then don't buy from a marketplace unless you have built in recourse like that from using Paypal for payment. Basically, you need to cover your bases and talk to people to protect yourself. Also, let your government officials know about companies that don't do what they advertise - consumer affairs and your members of parliament. I'm for tech device lemon laws being instituted. At the end of the day, if you need a laptop to just do email and browsing, and want to save money, then consider a Chromebook versus a gaming system. Buy the features you need or will use versus the ones marketing departments promote. And always understand how you will get support when something goes wrong.

[@Matt-zp1jn]

How about INSTEAD OF taking ALL THESE ISSUES on as purely customer responsibility/accountability, WE ALL as customers just take our business to a more ethical company?? Best Buy was given many chances to fix all these issues and replaced 1 ipad on a cbc TV show just for improving their image somewhat. An alternative business is a wiser choice, one that doesn’t hoodwink or trick it’s customers like BBuy into believing Best Buy Marketplace is protected, warranteed, or accountable under the Best Buy label, brand, images, vague or hidden disclaimer advertising ?? How about customers decide to not waste all their valuable time, research, and hard-earned money on Best Buy’s sneaky legalese wording on their websites and just AVOID BEST BUY ALTOGETHER?? There are MANY shopping options out there much better than sticking around for another 2-3 bad product/service experiences from sneaky big businesses like Best Buy. Great prices, deals, customer service, on refurbished or new products can EASILY be found online or in other tech stores with better reputations, guarantees and quality service to backup the products they associate with on their website. Just END the ongoing journey that requires all this leg work with (Ever) “Quest Buy”, Pest Buy and keep peace of mind and your purchases going towards more reputable businesses.

[@jbmorris2893]

I generally just go new every time, no matter the price. I’ve never really had a good luck with refurbished products… 1st and 2nd hand experience. More hassle and eventually spending than it’s worth.

[@knection1986]

Unless I'm buying a refurb from an independent repair shop I have used in the past I have absolutely zero trust its good quality.

[@Carlos2400]

Everytime a person I knew bought used the product died in 3 months or less

[@Markyroson]

The word “refurbished” is a red flag for me…always has been. I see it and I run…the other way. Don’t touch it with a ten foot pole because I know the industry generally is shoddy/inconsistent.

[@numberone7674]

I once got a refurbished laptop and a 4 months later had to replace the screen cable. A year later the entire screen assemble completely fell off and a couple of the keys were hard to press. I bought a brand-new laptop and so far its still going after 2 1/2 years

[@mejhon6592]

I think you just fix electronic and thats why you say that.