Introduction
Welcome to Best Buy® (thebestbuyco.com). Best Buy is committed to protecting the privacy and security of our customers and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, shop at our physical stores, or interact with our services.
By accessing or using thebestbuyco.com, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not access or use our website or services.
Best Buy operates over 1,000 physical store locations across North America and maintains millions of online product listings across seven major product categories including electronics, appliances, laptops, televisions, printers, and refrigerators. As North America’s leading consumer electronics retailer since 1966, we understand the importance of maintaining your trust through responsible data handling practices.
What Information We Collect
We collect various types of information to provide and improve our services, process your orders, and enhance your shopping experience.
Personal Information You Provide: When you create an account, make a purchase, sign up for our My Best Buy loyalty program, or contact customer support, we collect information such as your name, email address, mailing address, phone number, payment card information, and date of birth. If you participate in our trade-in program for old devices, we may collect information about the devices you’re trading in, including make, model, and condition.
Purchase and Transaction Information: We collect details about the products you purchase, including product categories (electronics, appliances, laptops, TVs, printers, refrigerators), order history, payment methods, shipping preferences, and information related to returns, exchanges, or warranty claims. This includes purchases made both online and at our 1,000+ physical store locations.
Account and Loyalty Program Information: If you join our My Best Buy membership program (including Total and Plus tiers), we collect information about your membership level, reward points, purchase history, preferences, and participation in member-exclusive sales events. We track your accumulated benefits, extended return periods, and redemption of reward certificates.
Geek Squad Service Information: When you use our Geek Squad support services for installation, repair, or technical assistance, we collect information about your appliances and devices, service requests, appointment scheduling, technician visit reports, and any diagnostic information needed to complete the service.
Device and Usage Information: We automatically collect information about how you interact with our website, including your IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers, pages viewed, links clicked, search queries, time spent on pages, and referring/exit pages. We also collect information about your shopping behavior, including products viewed, items added to cart, and abandoned purchases.
Location Information: With your permission, we may collect precise location information from your mobile device to help you find nearby Best Buy stores, check local inventory, or provide location-specific promotions. We also collect approximate location information based on your IP address.
Communications: We collect information from your communications with us, including emails, chat transcripts, phone call recordings (with notice), social media messages, product reviews, survey responses, and feedback submissions.
Open-Box and Trade-In Information: When you purchase open-box items or participate in our trade-in program, we collect information about product condition, inspection results, valuation assessments, and eGift card issuance for trade-in credits ranging from $5 to over $700 depending on device condition.
Use of Information
We use the collected information for various legitimate business purposes to serve you better and improve our operations.
Order Processing and Fulfillment: We use your information to process purchases, verify payment information, arrange shipping and delivery (including our free shipping on orders over $35), coordinate appliance installation services, manage our price match guarantee program, and handle returns within our extended holiday return windows or standard 15-day policy.
Account Management: Your information helps us maintain your Best Buy account, manage your My Best Buy membership benefits, track reward points and certificates, provide extended return periods (up to 60 days for Total and Plus members), and personalize your account dashboard with relevant product recommendations.
Customer Service and Support: We use your information to respond to inquiries, provide Geek Squad technical support and repair services, schedule in-home installations (typically $49.99-$250 depending on appliance type), troubleshoot issues, process warranty claims, and resolve disputes or complaints.
Product and Service Improvement: Your shopping behavior and feedback help us improve our website functionality, enhance product selection across our seven major categories, optimize store layouts at our 1,000+ locations, develop new services, and create better customer experiences both online and in-store.
Marketing and Promotions: With your consent, we send promotional emails about new products (like the Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-order available 11/19/26), exclusive member sales, special offers on kitchen upgrades under $900, open-box deals up to 40% off, seasonal promotions, and personalized product recommendations based on your browsing and purchase history.
Loyalty Program Benefits: We use your information to administer My Best Buy rewards, provide early access to sales events for members, offer extended warranties through Total membership, deliver free shipping benefits, and track your eligibility for various member-exclusive perks.
Analytics and Research: We analyze collected data to understand customer preferences, identify shopping trends, evaluate marketing campaign effectiveness, measure website performance, and conduct market research to better serve our customers.
Fraud Prevention and Security: Your information helps us verify identities, detect and prevent fraudulent transactions, protect against unauthorized access, investigate suspicious activity, and maintain the security of our systems and customer accounts.
Legal Compliance: We use information as necessary to comply with legal obligations, respond to lawful requests from authorities, enforce our terms and conditions, protect our rights and property, and resolve legal disputes.
Third-Party Disclosure
We share your information with trusted third parties only as necessary to provide our services and operate our business effectively.
Service Providers: We work with vendors who perform services on our behalf, including payment processors, shipping carriers, delivery services, installation contractors (for our Geek Squad services), marketing agencies, data analytics providers, customer service platforms, and IT service providers. These partners are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for authorized purposes.
Brand Partners: We share relevant information with manufacturers and brands we carry (such as Apple, Samsung, Sony, LG, Whirlpool, and Insignia) to facilitate warranty claims, process rebates, provide product support, and improve product offerings. These partners may contact you directly regarding their products or services if you’ve opted in.
Business Transfers: If Best Buy is involved in a merger, acquisition, asset sale, or bankruptcy proceeding, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change in ownership or control of your personal information.
Legal Requirements: We disclose information when required by law, in response to subpoenas or court orders, to comply with legal processes, to protect our rights and property, to investigate fraud or security issues, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the safety of our customers, employees, or the public.
Aggregate Information: We may share anonymized, aggregated, or de-identified information that cannot reasonably be used to identify you with third parties for research, marketing, analytics, or other purposes.
With Your Consent: We may share your information with other third parties when you specifically authorize us to do so, such as when you participate in co-branded promotions or choose to share information through social media integrations.
We do not sell your personal information to third parties for their independent marketing purposes. Our information sharing practices are designed to enhance your shopping experience while maintaining appropriate privacy protections.
Cookie Usage
Best Buy uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience, remember your preferences, and provide personalized content.
What Are Cookies: Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help websites remember information about your visit. We use both session cookies (which expire when you close your browser) and persistent cookies (which remain on your device for a set period).
Types of Cookies We Use: Essential cookies enable core website functionality like shopping cart features, account access, and secure checkout processes. Performance cookies collect information about how you use our website to help us improve site performance and user experience. Functional cookies remember your preferences, such as language settings, store locations, and previously viewed products. Advertising cookies track your browsing behavior to deliver relevant advertisements and measure campaign effectiveness.
Third-Party Cookies: We allow trusted advertising partners and analytics providers to place cookies on our website to help us understand user behavior, deliver targeted advertisements, and measure marketing performance across different platforms.
Managing Cookies: Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can modify your browser settings to decline cookies or alert you when cookies are being sent. However, disabling cookies may limit your ability to use certain features of our website, such as maintaining items in your shopping cart or accessing your account.
Do Not Track Signals: Some browsers include a “Do Not Track” feature. Currently, our website does not respond to Do Not Track signals, as there is no industry-wide standard for how such signals should be interpreted and implemented.
External Links
Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including manufacturer sites, social media platforms, payment processors, and partner retailers. When you click on these links and leave thebestbuyco.com, you are subject to the privacy policies of those external sites.
Best Buy is not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security of external websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit to understand how they collect, use, and protect your information. The inclusion of links to external sites does not constitute an endorsement by Best Buy of those sites or their practices.
Security Measures
Protecting your information is a top priority at Best Buy. We implement comprehensive security measures to safeguard your personal and financial data.
Technical Safeguards: We use industry-standard encryption technology (SSL/TLS) to protect data transmitted between your browser and our servers, particularly during checkout and account access. Our systems employ firewalls, intrusion detection, and regular security monitoring to prevent unauthorized access.
Organizational Measures: We limit access to personal information to employees, contractors, and agents who need it to perform their job functions. All personnel with access to customer data receive privacy and security training and are bound by confidentiality obligations.
Payment Security: We comply with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) to protect your payment card information. Credit card details are encrypted and tokenized, and we do not store complete payment card numbers on our servers after transactions are processed.
Physical Security: Our data centers and facilities employ physical security controls including access badges, surveillance systems, and restricted entry protocols to prevent unauthorized physical access to systems containing customer information.
Regular Assessments: We conduct regular security audits, vulnerability assessments, and penetration testing to identify and address potential security weaknesses in our systems and processes.
Despite our robust security measures, no system can be completely secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you suspect any unauthorized access to your account, please contact us immediately at 1-888-237-8289 or support@thebestbuyco.com.
User Rights and Choices
You have various rights and choices regarding your personal information and how we use it.
Account Access and Updates: You can access and update your personal information by logging into your Best Buy account. This includes updating your contact information, shipping addresses, payment methods, and communication preferences.
Marketing Communications: You can opt out of receiving promotional emails by clicking the unsubscribe link in any marketing email or by adjusting your communication preferences in your account settings. Even if you opt out of marketing communications, we will still send transactional emails related to your orders, account, and services.
Cookies and Tracking: You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings or through cookie preference tools available on our website. You may also opt out of interest-based advertising through industry opt-out platforms.
My Best Buy Membership: You can manage your My Best Buy membership, including viewing your points balance, reward certificates, and membership tier status through your account dashboard. You may cancel your membership at any time.
Trade-In Program: Participation in our trade-in program is voluntary. You control what devices you trade in and can decline trade-in offers at any time during the valuation process.
Location Services: You can disable location services for our mobile applications through your device settings. This may limit certain features like store finder and local inventory checking.
Account Closure: You may request closure of your Best Buy account by contacting customer service. Upon account closure, we will deactivate your account and delete or anonymize your information as required by law, though we may retain certain information for legal compliance, fraud prevention, or dispute resolution purposes.
Protection of Minors
Best Buy is committed to protecting the privacy of children. Our website and services are not directed to individuals under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent.
If you are under 13 years old, please do not provide any personal information through our website or services. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at support@thebestbuyco.com so we can delete such information from our systems.
For users between 13 and 18 years old, we recommend obtaining parental consent before making purchases or providing personal information. Parents and guardians should supervise their children’s online activities and help them understand the importance of protecting their personal information.
CCPA Compliance
For California residents, Best Buy complies with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and provides additional rights regarding your personal information.
Right to Know: You have the right to request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the sources from which information was collected, the purposes for collection, and the categories of third parties with whom we share information.
Right to Delete: You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions required by law or necessary for business operations, fraud prevention, or legal compliance.
Right to Opt-Out: While Best Buy does not sell personal information in the traditional sense, if our data sharing practices qualify as a “sale” under CCPA, you have the right to opt out of such sales.
Right to Non-Discrimination: You have the right to exercise your CCPA rights without receiving discriminatory treatment, including denial of services, different pricing, or reduced quality of services.
Authorized Agents: You may designate an authorized agent to make CCPA requests on your behalf by providing written authorization and verifying your identity.
To exercise your CCPA rights, please contact us at 1-888-237-8289 or support@thebestbuyco.com. We will verify your identity before processing your request and respond within 45 days as required by law.
GDPR Compliance
For individuals in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, and Switzerland, Best Buy complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and provides enhanced data protection rights.
Legal Basis for Processing: We process your personal data based on various legal grounds including: performance of a contract when fulfilling orders and providing services; legitimate interests in operating our business, preventing fraud, and improving services; your consent for marketing communications and optional services; and legal obligations requiring data processing.
Data Subject Rights: Under GDPR, you have the right to access your personal data, rectify inaccurate information, erase your data (right to be forgotten), restrict processing, object to processing, and receive your data in a portable format. You also have the right to withdraw consent at any time and lodge complaints with supervisory authorities.
International Data Transfers: If we transfer your personal data outside the EEA, we implement appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission to ensure adequate protection.
Data Protection Officer: For GDPR-related inquiries, you may contact our Data Protection Officer at support@thebestbuyco.com with “GDPR Request” in the subject line.
To exercise your GDPR rights, please contact us using the information provided in the Privacy Questions section below. We will respond to your request within one month as required by GDPR.
How Long We Keep Your Information
Best Buy retains your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.
Account Information: We retain your account information for as long as your account remains active. After account closure, we may retain certain information for legal compliance, dispute resolution, and fraud prevention purposes.
Transaction Records: Purchase history and transaction records are retained for accounting, tax reporting, warranty administration, and legal compliance purposes, typically for seven years from the transaction date.
Marketing Data: Information used for marketing purposes is retained until you opt out of communications or request deletion, after which we will remove you from marketing lists while retaining minimal information to honor your opt-out request.
Cookies and Analytics: Most cookies expire after your browsing session or within one to two years. Analytics data may be retained in anonymized form for longer periods to identify trends and improve services.
Legal Hold: If information becomes subject to legal proceedings, regulatory investigations, or pending litigation, we will retain that information until the matter is resolved, even if it would otherwise be eligible for deletion.
When retention periods expire, we securely delete or anonymize your information using industry-standard methods to prevent unauthorized access or reconstruction.
Policy Updates
Best Buy may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or business operations. The effective date at the top of this policy indicates when it was last revised.
Notification of Changes: For material changes that significantly affect how we collect, use, or share your information, we will notify you through prominent notice on our website, email communication, or other appropriate means before the changes take effect.
Your Acceptance: Continued use of our website and services after policy updates constitutes acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the changes, please discontinue use of our services and contact us to close your account.
Review Regularly: We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information and your privacy rights.
Previous versions of our Privacy Policy are available upon request by contacting support@thebestbuyco.com.
Privacy Questions
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, we encourage you to contact us through any of the following methods:
Email: support@thebestbuyco.com
Phone: 1-888-237-8289 (Monday-Saturday: 8 AM – 11 PM CT, Sunday: 9 AM – 9 PM CT)
Address: Best Buy Privacy Office, 181 Curtner Ave, San Jose, CA 95125