Best Buy to review third-party marketplace after CBC investigation finds damaged products
CBC
Despite Best Buy offering refurbished devices it claims can be "like new" on its third-party marketplace, a CBC Marketplace investigation found some products were anything but.
Following repeated complaints of faulty devices from viewers, CBC's Marketplace purchased 12 of what Best Buy calls "Grade A" refurbished devices from its third-party marketplace and had them independently reviewed by industry experts. Five of the devices were found to have cosmetic or functionality issues.
In response to CBC's findings, Best Buy said in an emailed statement: "Your investigation prompted another round of scrutiny and development on [Best Buy's] Marketplace content." Specifically, "enhancing product descriptions to ensure consistency so that customers are clear on what they are purchasing."
Markus Giesler, an associate professor of marketing at York University in Toronto, said for consumers to comfortably purchase refurbished devices, companies like Best Buy need to take more responsibility for its third-party sellers.
"The number one rule is underpromise, overdeliver," said Giesler, after CBC shared the results of its investigation. "Today's case was about the exact opposite."
Best Buy's Marketplace hosts a variety of third-party sellers offering new and refurbished devices. The company claims that all sellers featured on its site are thoroughly vetted and approved, offering only "Grade A" refurbished products that can be "more reliable than a brand new version" of a device.
It's a claim that Giesler finds problematic.
This story is a collaboration between the Investigative Journalism Foundation and CBC Saskatchewan.
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