Does Best Buy Charge a Restocking Fee? (All You Need to Know)

Have you ever wondered whether Best Buy charges a restocking fee for returned items? This is an important question to consider before making a purchase because if you change your mind or receive a defective item, you may have to return it and incur additional fees.

Best Buy brings all the best consumer electronics and appliances under one roof. Therefore, you can conveniently buy anything from refrigerators and computers to thousands of tech products.

While Best Buy sells a vast selection of entry-level to luxury appliances, you may buy an item and decide to return it. If you’ve bought a high-ticket item like a computer or video game console, you may ask yourself, does Best Buy charge a restocking fee?

A restocking fee is a fee that customers pay when they return a product for a refund. In this article, we’ll look at whether you’ll pay a restocking fee when you return a product to Best Buy.

Table Of Contents

Does Best Buy Charge a Restocking Fee?

Yes, Best Buy charges a restocking fee for certain items. When you buy items that need to be activated, including cell phones, Best Buy will charge you a restocking fee of $45. Additionally, for items like drones, projectors, lenses, cameras, and special-order products, you’ll pay a restocking fee of 15% of the purchase price.

Best Buy will not charge you a restocking fee for the other items. You should keep in mind that some products are not eligible to be returned at all. Read on to learn more about how Best Buy handles returns and refunds.

Why Does Best Buy Charge a Restocking Fee?

When you return a product to Best Buy, it cannot resell the item as new, but rather, it will be forced to sell it as refurbished or used. Therefore, Best Buy charges customers restocking fees to reduce the lost profits on the selected items. Consequently, Best Buy will not pay 100% refunds to customers who return their products.

How Much Does Best Buy Charge for Restocking Fee?

Best Buy might charge you a restocking fee when you return an unsatisfactory purchase according to Best Buy’s return and exchange policy. You’ll pay a restocking fee of $45 when you return cell phones (except for prepaid phones), cellular wearables, and cellular tablets.

Best Buy customers pay a restocking fee of 15% of the item’s purchase price if they purchase and return items like drones, projector and projector screens, cameras, lenses, premium camcorders, and special-order products. However, you’ll not be charged any restocking fees when you return unopened items. Additionally, Best Buy will not charge you a restocking fee because it’s not legal in some states.

Therefore, Best Buy will not charge you a restocking fee when you buy and return an item in states that prohibit charging restocking fees, including Alabama, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, and South Carolina.

However, you are only eligible for free returns if you purchased the product and returned it in the qualifying state. Best Buy will not allow you to buy a product in a different state and then try to return it in states that prohibit restocking fees to avoid paying one. Best Buy will also not charge you a restocking fee when you were a Best Buy Totaltech member when you purchased it.

Does Best Buy Charge a Restocking Fee for Open Box?

This depends. Open Box items are products that have been previously opened and returned. When you buy an open-box product Best Buy may or may not charge restocking fees. Typically, Best Buy will not charge you a restocking fee for an open box item.

However, in some cases, you may be required to pay restocking fees for open-box products. When returning an open-box product through the Best Buy website, you’ll get a notification on the checkout page informing you whether a restocking fee will be applied. If you return it to Best Buy in-store, you should ask the seller if the item requires a restocking fee.

How to Avoid Paying a Restocking Fee on Best Buy

Unless you live in a state where charging a restocking fee is illegal, then the best way to avoid restocking fees is by not opening the item. You can also avoid restocking fees by buying open-box items rather than new ones.

However, it’s unlikely that you’ll buy an item and not open it unless you change your mind before delivery. This makes it quite impossible to avoid paying a restocking fee for items that attract restocking charges unless you don’t open them.

What is Best Buy’s Final Sale Policy?

While Best Buy charges a restocking fee by allowing customers to return their purchases, certain items cannot be returned and are hence illegible for a restocking fee. Best Buy’s final sale policy mandates that if you purchase a custom or personalized item, you cannot return it.

These include digital subscription content, prepaid cards, vehicle key fobs, and trading cards. Additionally, Best Buy does not allow you to return opened SIM cards and consumable items. Therefore, if you purchased any ineligible items, you cannot return them even when you’re willing to pay the restocking fees.

Is it Legal for Best Buy to Charge Restocking Fees on Returns?

Whether it’s legal or illegal for Best Buy to charge a restocking fee depends on the state you order from. In some states, it is legal for retailers to charge a restocking fee for returned products.

Therefore, when you buy Best Buy products from these states, Best Buy is free to charge you a restocking fee. However, there are states where it’s illegal for retailers, including Best Buy, to impose restocking fees on returns. This means you can return opened and unopened items to Best Buy without paying anything for restocking.

You should, however, keep in mind that Best Buy requires you to return all the items in a like-new condition without missing any major components. If not, Best Buy will deduct an amount from the expected refund to replace all the missing components, whether your return attracts a restocking fee or not.

Conclusion

When there is a problem with your order, Best Buy allows you to return it within 15 days of receipt to request a refund. You can return it either to Best Buy stores or by mail. However, Best Buy customers should be ready to pay restocking fees for various items. Depending on your purchase, you’ll pay either a $45 restocking fee or a fee of 15% of the item’s purchase price. However, some items and states do not allow Best Buy to charge a restocking fee.