Best Buy open-box and clearance: what each condition means
Updated 2026-09-30
Best Buy sells returned and display items as open-box at a discount, and clears discontinued models through regular markdowns. Both can be great deals — if you know what the condition labels mean and how prices move.
Open-box conditions
- Excellent: looks new, with no noticeable cosmetic damage, and includes all original parts and accessories.
- Good: may show minor cosmetic wear, and may be missing non-essential accessories.
- Fair: may have noticeable cosmetic damage and may be missing non-essential accessories.
- Always check the listing's notes — what's included can vary by item.
Open-box vs clearance
Open-box pricing depends on the condition of a specific unit at a specific store, so two open-box units of the same model can have different prices. Clearance applies to new items Best Buy is discontinuing; those prices tend to drop as a model is replaced and stock runs down.
When Best Buy deals are best
- When a new model launches and the previous generation is cleared.
- After the holidays, when return volume pushes more open-box stock onto shelves.
- Around major sale events, when regular prices on current models drop too.
How DealHawk helps
DealHawk tracks Best Buy price drops and open-box listings with price history, so you can tell whether a markdown is actually a low and get alerted when a model you're watching drops.
See live Best Buy deals · Best Buy price drops & history
Frequently asked questions
Is Best Buy open-box worth it?
Often, yes — especially open-box Excellent, which looks new and includes all parts. Compare the open-box price with the current sale price on a new unit, since sales can close the gap.
What's the difference between open-box Excellent and Good at Best Buy?
Excellent items look new and include all original parts. Good items may show minor wear and may be missing non-essential accessories.