Best Buy to offer free invisibleSHIELD 4fix to aggravated iPhone 4 owners
By Darren Murph 
posted Jul 28th 2010 10:53AM
posted Jul 28th 2010 10:53AM
Update: We've heard from another tipster that the deal is indeed legitimate, and it's for any human with an iPhone 4, not just those who purchased their phone from Best Buy. We'd recommend calling your local store to double check, but things are looking up.
Update 2: Ah, so we've finally received the full skinny from another tipster. The offer only applies to those who purchased their iPhone 4 from Best Buy / Best Buy Mobile or for Best Buy Reward Zone members. Granted, it's pretty easy to sign up for the aforementioned reward program, but those are the stipulations. The official BB name for the product you'll be getting is the Zagg SideShield, which would cost you $9.99 otherwise.
[Thanks, Anonymous]
Best Buy® Mobile Launches Side Shield for Apple® iPhone™4
Solution, Which is Free to Best Buy Customers, Begins July 28 Exclusively in Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile Stores
MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but now customers who shop at Best Buy are eligible for a free Side Shield for the iPhone 4. The offer launches exclusively on July 28, and comes in the form of a clear, unobtrusive shield applied to the outer edges of the iPhone 4. The Side Shield from invisibleSHIELD was designed to address issues with antenna attenuation and has been tested and manufactured by ZAGG™.
"At the same time, we know that customers are always looking for ways to personalize and protect their smart phones. That's why we are so focused on having multiple options-people want to choose what's right for them."
This program will be available free of charge, including installation, to anyone who purchased or will purchase an iPhone 4 from Best Buy and will be extended to all existing Reward Zone customers. The solution will also be available to the general public for the retail price $9.99, including installation.
In addition, all consumers can take advantage of 20% off of any iPhone 4 case through August 7. Best Buy Mobile offers an unparalleled assortment of cases for the iPhone 4, along with a full range of key accessories that serve to protect and personalize the popular smart phone.
"Consumers are looking for immediate solutions and the Side Shield is a great option," said Scott Moore, vice president of marketing for Best Buy Mobile. "At the same time, we know that customers are always looking for ways to personalize and protect their smart phones. That's why we are so focused on having multiple options-people want to choose what's right for them."
Best Buy Mobile has become a leading destination for smart phones and accessories, in part because of the promises the store offers its customers: better choice of phones and networks; impartial, informed advice; straightforward pricing; and someone to be there for the life of the phone.
best buy is amazing
@Nanosman1994 BEST BUY IS A RIPOFF!
@Juggernaut408 HOW ?
@Nanosman1994
Fry's and MicroCenter are amazing
GA is amazing for being the only state in the southeast with them both
@Nanosman1994 DOES JOBS KNOW ABOUT THIS??? because if its true it seems best buy has better PR than apple.
@Nanosman1994
It's pretty damn pathetic that a retailer has to give a free fix to a supposed premier device to insure it actually works at peak performance.
@joshai well at least there doing for free and they should not even be responsible for the iphone 4 and its problems
@Nanosman1994
http://www.ripoffreport.com/Search/bestbuy.aspx
@Nanosman1994
They are not doing something out of good faith
They want people to walk into their store and while they wait they try to sell you junk and warranties
@Nanosman1994
The bigger story here is that Best Buy will INSTALL it for FREE!
Seriously though, Best Buy 9 times out of 10 is a complete rip-off. Much better deals to be had on Amazon, etc etc.
@DefPoet I live in Texas, 5 minutes from both a MicroCenter and a Best Buy :|
@DefPoet
GA has a Fry's? Where?!
@LiqwidZero On the outskirts of Gwinnett Mall.
@joshai
If I was Best Buy I wouldn't offer a fix for anything. Honestly I still think that we're beating a dead horse here. And the iPhone 4 is not pathetic, I'm sorry, it just annoys me when peoeple say that. It's just an issue that has really gotten blown out of proportion. If it was so bad. I'm sure that Apple wouldn't be selling them by the ton or stores would not be creating waiting lists so people could get the phone. And no, I'm not trying to start an Apple FanBoy Comment War either, just my opinion.
@Rick James What is better than free?
Ignore the sell up, take the bumper and laugh as you walk out the door.
@LiqwidZero
Duluth and Alpharetta Two of them
Microcenter is also in Duluth and one is also in Cobb county
@profeteer
You would be set if Texas wasnt so big
There are a lot of Fry's in Texas though so the most you would have to drive is 1 hour
@Rick James Best Buy is a physical store and Amazon is not, am I correct?
Best Buy has to pay their employes, the utilities, and possibly their location every month.
Amazon also has to pay something, but it cannot be compared to what Best Buy spends per month.
So it makes sence that Best Buy prices automatically have to be higher than Amazon, or is my theory incorrect?
I personally love best buy, It might be more expensive but at least I can try out almost anything before I buy it, get personal help and or advice on what they might recomend.
Amazons reciews are good to you but, I just prefer something physical.
@joshai
Amen to that.
@profeteer Hah Texas. Here in San Jose I have 4 Fry's and 1 Micro Center within 15 min or less.
@Juggernaut408
Yeap. I can't remember the last time I bought something there.
I look at stuff at the store then go buy it on Amazon.
@DefPoet
i live where the people live in GA (the real metro atlanta, not the boonies like alpharetta that people like to call metro atlanta) and its only best buy here. no frys or microcenter.
@Nanosman1994
And then after you get this free shield put on they will demand you buy a MONSTER iPhone cable........that's $100.....and gold plated and in the coolest packaging ever.
/s
Screw Bestbuy, see u there after work to get my free shield. :)
@WoahWoahWoah
thats a joke right? Gwinnett, Forsythe, Cobb country have more that 60% of Metro Atlanta's population Also the only respectable schools in GA are in Cob and Gwinnett counties
@Rick James I think you'll find that Apple is paying for this, Steve said they were reaching out to other manufacturers to met demand for cases.
So Engadget did any of the people who had this done also claim for an Apple case ? A quick way to tell if Apple is paying for this is to get someone who had this fitted to phone Apple/Go into BestBuy and ask if they can still apply for a free Apple case.
@SskyNnet I can try out anything at amazon too. You just have to pay first. You then have 30 days to play with it to decide. If you don't like it, send it back for a full refund. I would rather save $100's with amazon thank you very much.
@SskyNnet
Honestly I don't understand what you're trying to prove about Amazon vs. Best Buy. Basic economics proves that having less labor and overhead = lower prices. Therefore, it makes sense to anyone why Amazon is cheaper than Best Buy. But when I was shopping for a Nikon D5000, why would I have paid (at the time) 850 from best buy when I could get the same camera from Amazon for 715? To me, it isn't worth Best Buy's lousy customer service just to pick it up in store. Hell, I even paid expedited shipping and I still saved lots of money versus buying from a brick and mortar store. If you're happy with paying significantly more for your electronics, then that's your choice.
Best Buy can be a complete rip-off, yes (Worst Buy might be a more apt name much of the time). Here are some fairly basic tips:
1) BB will usually price match, so if you can find it for a better deal somewhere else, simply ask for the price match and there is a good chance you will get it.
2) If you are unscrupulous, you can haggle if you decide to buy the protection plan. You can cancel the plan within 30-45 days (depending on your RewardsZone membership level).
3) If the item in a floor model, or other open-box item, then you can almost guarantee that you can get a better price if you ask. They simply want to get rid of that stuff, so unless you ask for a ridiculous price you will probably save some money.
4) When things go on sale you can often get a price comparable to online merchants, and sometimes even better. If you have to factor in shipping and handling, the price differential becomes less of a factor.
5) Returns to a brick-and-mortar are still cheaper and less painful that returning something online. I don't care who the retailer is. And yes, I have had to return items online, and while the process was fairly smooth (particularly good vendor) I was still without the item for 2-3 weeks, whereas I have returned items to BB and walked away with a shiny replacement immediately.
Basically, do your homework and pay attention to prices and you won't get ripped off. BB is a rip-off if you let them rip you off. Much like any other large retailer.
@Nanosman1994 friend that works at BB confirmed this to me. But I don't know what "aggravated iPhone 4 customers" there are. I don't own one but everyone I know with it loves it.
@4u2nv
I have three Fry's and a Microcenter all within 30 minutes here in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
@Juggernaut408
way to back up your statement, just because a store would return something or wouldn't give you credit doesn't make them a rip off, in that case every store is a rip-off to someone cause there are always reasons not to return something to anyone and products go defective from ANY store. Best Buy is great, there is nothing wrong with them, anything you say about them can be said about ANY RETAIL STORE ANY WHERE, any bad experience you personally had at bestbuy is a story I'm sure someone else has about some other retail place, it's retail quit bitchin about the small stuff and look at what they are offering, you can buy a camera at bestbuy and a warranty that covers you if your clumsy ass drops it ... thats fantastic.
@sirwallyc
OK you just mentioned a list of things that make best buy better than other places, why is it a bad thing if you can get the price even lower or match to any other price (there for you can not get it cheaper else where cause they will match)
I don't see how this is a "rip off" please explain how this is "ripping" some one off or just shut up because you had a bad experience probably because you wanted something for nothing or wanted to return something that NO retail store would have let you return. just shut up if you don't have anything to back up your statement.
@EagleyeSmith Apple release a flawed product and people buy it sight unseen and despite widely reported issues? NEVER!
@DefPoet
Agreed. I've got both stores here in Houston, though I have yet to walk into a Microcenter. Both have amazing prices on computer hardware.
@DefPoet
Damn right you are! Micro Center Rules!
@Nanosman1994
Best Buy is hardly amazing.
They are offering this as a cheap way to get you back into the store. I'm sure that each "free" install will lead to a sales pitch about how you have to get InvisibleShield for your entire device (normally about $25) or it will get scratched up and damaged. Then, once you commit to the upgrade, they will explain how difficult it is to put on (true - BTW). So, you'll want them to install it.
They eat probably $5 worth of product for the chance to make $15+ off you coming in. They aren't looking out for you - they are looking out for their bottom line. Not that there is anything wrong with that - just don't mistake their policy for an altruistic gesture.
Also - to those who go to BB to get technical advice ... wow is all I can say. You realize that the average BB employee is a bonehead right? There is no gadget knowledge requirement for employment. They don't receive decent training. I've heard more than once a BB employee tell a customer that Monster will provide better sound/picture quality. Or that one USB cable manufacturer is superior to another. Morons.
@bjsguess Could not agree more! Once I walked into an Apple Store, I was interested in purchasing a 17 inch Macbook Pro with Core i7. The GENIUS nor the salesman could not tell me if it was a 620 QM, 720 QM, or an 820 QM. In my head I told them to go fuck themselves. Don't go to work for an Apple Store not knowing what the hell you are selling. I'm happy with my iMac at home, I'll just go buy an ASUS.
By the way, I'm try not to be bias. But seriously, how could you not know that?
@DefPoet Both GA Fry's stores and Microcenter are about 1.5-2hrs away from me. :(
@bjsguess
Gee it's like they are a business or something, it's almost as if they would like to make money ... thats so dumb, they should just give you everything for free, it's your right to have everything, business should not make money, so that they can expand and hire people...... catch the sarcasm.. I'm laying it on pretty thick
From what I've heard, the invisishield doesn't fix the problem. Is this like a new material they're using?
@SilverSurfer Ya, that looks to be the case with this video here...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCxTDyxVVho
@SilverSurfer The material HAS to be conductive for finger presses to register on capacitive screens. So it is the same old conductive, bumpy, fingerprint showing material it has always been.
@mryuk
Did you miss something? This only goes on the sides. It's a non-conductive material.
@mryuk
Look at you trying to be smart, did you not read the entire post? It clearly says that it's for the SIDES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Read before you post something!!!!!
Not bad best buy not bad. I actually would prefer this over the free case bumpers.
@Ninetysix Agreed!
But, I picked up my free invisibleShield today and am not that impressed. These things are thin strips of rubber that just don't quite completely cover the metal. I give it 8/10.
BTW, bring your Best Buy rewards card if you didn't purchase your phone at BB, or else they'll cost you $9.99.
@Ninetysix
Yeah you probably will steal your free case from apple. best buy will order your case from apple repackage it and sell it for twice as much.
I can see it.
@Atkins Yeah, same here. I thought it was invisible..
@Atkins
Then close your eyes