I went to this Best Buy to purchase a temporary mobile device because my iPhone 13 Pro (128gb) I owned got stolen and just needed something affordable to stay connected with my family and important communications I could have received - specially during these trying times in which we hear so much of emergencies left and right which seem to alter our lives so often these days while we are meant to stay healthy and fit and active in our economy. For all of these three, devices like a mobile device which carries ALL of our lives converted into data via photos. Emails, texts, etc which makes it the more imperative that anybody maintains a way to stay "connected" to say it using a common term used these days.

Unfortunately, the spectacular sign they had at the store boasting they had won an award for their excellent customer service was something that failed my experience from the moment I walked into the store until the moment I left. And, it seems, the karma somewhat persisted until yesterday when I returned to try to get some information about the $486 purchase I made months ago.

First off, I arrived clear on the idea that I needed a device which price was UNDER the $250 price tag of the deductible for my insured iPhone, because at the time, I didn't have that money in my bank account so I needed a TEMPORARY device to stay "connected". I was informed by my carrier, that Best Buy would be my best bet, recommendation I took as this writing shows. A friend of mine had offered to help cover the Temporary phone just to help me cope with the stress of not having access to anything - including bank accounts- since we lose it all temporarily when we lose our devices which carry the SIM cards with the numbers required to receive texts to ac ess any sort of service (specially those that prefer to remain "contactless" and/or "virtual" and/or without a physical location to welcome their customers.

In the store I saw a Samsung A13 which was just under $150 if I remember correctly. We asked a team member who was in that area and I was told to sit and wait while one of the people manning the computers in the section for everything related to mobile devices, was able to see me. I waited a whole 35-40 minutes even though the store was not at capacity. Actually, there were probably 30 customers in the whole store, 3 of which were in the section I was in. When I was finally able to get my "Best Buy customer satisfaction interacrion" (aka "hospitality" in other service industry type of locations), I was presented with a Samsung A53 instead of the A13 I had asked for and had been informed they had in stock.

Just my luck I guess but I hope these key points help management understand how a person in distress is still willing to share ideas for their improvement. Don't worry!I by now I don't expect any positive action coming from that store at 23rd street --- and much less from Best Buy as a whole since, that type of treatment was also experienced at another location near Lincoln Center - a very affluent location which was my biggest surprise of how emboldened their staff were on the discriminatory dismissive behaviors towards a customer who has purchased 2 Macbook Airs, 1 LG OLED television, One Samsung A53 mobile device, and some minor necessities within the past 3 years.

My Action? I arrived at the store to show them an email which held the Best Buy and Geek Squad logos, potential cyber threats to any or ALL of Best Buy customers