Recently, The Mobile Report released exclusive documents revealing a new pilot program at Best Buy. In various select locations across the country, Best Buy locations are testing either AT&T or Verizon carrier exclusivity.
Instead of a conversation on your best fit with a Best Buy Mobile Expert, AT&T and Verizon have external vendors in locations to get you connected instead. If a pilot location has AT&T vendors, the location cannot sell any Verizon service, and vice versa.
In the case of Verizon, Best Buy might even be testing whether a permanent exclusive relationship is in the cards. Customers still get a normal cell phone buying experience on Best Buy’s website.
Known Locations Involved In The Pilot
The Mobile Report has now received information on locations involved in the pilot. We have combined the known store list into an interactive map. That map is embedded below.
You can open the map in a new tab here if desired.
Since this information is coming to us pretty early in the process, this map may see future updates to include additional locations. We’ll be sure to update this article if we learn of new locations.
Many major cities are involved in the Verizon pilot list including New York City, Austin, Las Vegas, and Tampa Bay. For AT&T, Denver, Austin, and Miami are chosen as prime locations.
Verizon appears to have the edge here, with nearly three times as many pilot locations as AT&T. Is this a potential nod to how far along a potential Verizon vendor relationship is for Best Buy? Only time will tell.
It appears that no city has a conflicting pilot situation, so you won’t get bounced around multiple stores just trying to get help. Many of the workarounds for the pilot involve buying online or going to another location. This was likely deliberate to minimize customer impact.
Is your local Best Buy location in a pilot? Have you had a purchase experience with a carrier vendor? Let us know your thoughts below.
