It’s a tale as old as time: You buy a product only to realize later you no longer want it.
But what happens when you can’t find your receipt to do a return? Will all stores accept your exchange? Or will you be stuck with a product you don’t want?
That’s the conundrum a Redditor recently found himself in. In a recent post to the r/BestBuy subreddit, user @thedarkknight1738 said he wanted to return to Best Buy after realizing he didn’t want his recently purchased tech gadget.
The Redditor said he purchased a Meta Quest 3, a virtual reality headset, through Apple Pay. However, he lost his receipt. What’s worse, he said he didn’t have a Best Buy rewards account to document proof of purchase either.
“I still haven’t opened it,” the Redditor said of his gadget. “Will the store still accept it?”
While some commenters were skeptical, Best Buy’s return policy isn’t so cut-and-dried. As of Sunday, @thedarkknight1738’s post inquiring about the store’s returns and exchange policy had amassed at least 10 comments.
What is Best Buy’s return policy?
According to Best Buy’s website, customers can only initiate exchanges and returns if they’ve had their product for fewer than 15 days. Best Buy Elite and Elite Plus members may get up to 30 or 45 days to make a return, especially if they’re not getting rid of a major appliance or tech gadget, such as a cell phone or tablet.
Notably, this policy does not apply to items marked as “Final Sale.” Best Buy said that all Final Sale merchandise, in addition to items such as personalized items, prepaid cards, and sexual wellness products are also non-returnable.
With a few exceptions, Best Buy said it will reimburse you for returned items in the same way you paid for them. They can also issue an exchange for the same item. Customers can start the return process online or in-store and need a packing slip or receipt and the credit card used to make the purchase. They also advise bringing a valid photo ID.
If you don’t have your receipt handy, you can still make a return assuming that the item is unopened. But in this case, you’ll need to provide the store with your email address and the card used for purchase.
“Reimbursements on returns lacking proof of purchase may require an email address, may be denied or limited, and state sales taxes and fees will not be reimbursed,” Best Buy’s website read.
Common issues with the Meta Quest 3
@thedarkknight1738 didn’t elaborate on why he wanted to return his VR headset. However, the gadget has several documented issues.
For one, some buyers have complained about connectivity issues, meaning that they frequently lose connection to the Wi-Fi network or other users in VR experiences. Others have faced difficulties creating a Meta account or linking their existing Facebook account during the initial set-up process.
Viewers are skeptical
In the comments section of @thedarkknight1738’s query asking whether he could make the return to Best Buy, several users suggested that he might be out of luck.
When asked the simple yes or no, one Redditor put it plainly. “No,” they responded. “[Not] unless you’re real nice then a manager might let you do store credit back.”
Another Redditor gave a similar answer.
“[The] only other way would be if you’re nice and polite,” they said.
However, some encouraged the Redditor to not lose hope and to return his product to Best Buy in person.
“Bring the physical card that’s associated with the Apple Pay method, or just tell them your phone number when you’re there if you have a Best Buy account.”
“Bring the box with the serial number on it,” another advised. “The serial number barcode that gets scanned is for the bundle with the game and won’t match the headset.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to @thedarkknight1738 via Reddit direct message and to Best Buy through email.
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