Best Buy Mobile Announces “Free Phone Fridays” for Month of October

Best Buy has announced a new promotion that will occur every Friday in October that will have a phone on each major U.S. carrier (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile) on sale for the crazy, ridiculous price of free. Now before you get excited and think you are going to just walk in and get a free phone, I would like to note that a new, upgrade, or add-a-line activation with two-year agreement is required.  Just sign on the dotted line.  Things will kick off this Friday with the Samsung Fascinate and HTC Aria.  Maybe, just maybe, we will even see the G2.  One can hope! Hit the jump for the full press release!

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 28, 2010 – Best Buy Mobile announced today at its Holiday Preview event in New York that it is giving consumers another reason to be thankful for Fridays in October: Free Phone Fridays.  Beginning Friday, Oct. 1 and running every Friday in October, Best Buy Mobile will feature four free mobile phones (one from each carrier) in all Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile specialty stores, as well as online at BestBuy.com/Mobile. Each week this new promotion will feature at least one high-end, in-demand smart phone. The free phones require new, upgrade or add-a-line activation with two-year agreement.

To launch this effort in style, Best Buy is featuring the following phones for free on Friday, Oct. 1:

• Samsung Fascinate (Verizon)
• BlackBerry Curve (Sprint)
• HTC Aria (AT&T)
• Samsung Gravity 3 (T-Mobile)

“We are seeing an amazing amount of curiosity and demand for mobile phones right now, especially smart phones, and we want to give consumers another reason to visit Best Buy Mobile in October,” said Scott Anderson, the head of merchandising for Best Buy Mobile. “While we already offer a number of free mobile phone options for our customers every day of the year, launching ‘Free Phone Fridays’ with a great smart phone like the Samsung Fascinate shows that Best Buy Mobile is serious and committed to bringing the best mobile technology and best deals to our customers.”

The specific weekly deals will be announced in stores and online, including Best Buy Mobile’s Facebook page and Twitter account, at 1 p.m. central time on the Thursday prior to that Friday’s one-day specials. The free phones require new, upgrade or add-a-line activation with two-year agreement and minimum quantities will vary by store. There are no rain checks or price matches and the offer is not valid on prior purchases.

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.

In addition, Best Buy Mobile offers an array of services aimed at improving the mobile phone buying experience, including:

§   Upgrade Checker: A quick and easy service that gives customers the ability to see when they are eligible for their next phone upgrade. When the upgrade time is nearing, customers receive a complimentary reminder call, e-mail or text message.

§  Walk Out Working™: Free in-store smart phone setup by a Best Buy Mobile Phone Specialist who will sync personal email accounts, set up Bluetooth headsets, transfer contacts and activate other services to allow the customer to leave the store with a fully functional new smartphone.

About Best Buy Mobile

Best Buy Mobile was founded in 2006 with a goal of changing the way consumers shop for and purchase mobile phones in America. Today, Best Buy Mobile is in every Best Buy store and also has 120 Best Buy Mobile specialty stores around the country. Best Mobile features one of the largest selections of carriers, handsets and accessories available anywhere. Employees undergo at least 80 hours of intensive training, as well as continuing education on mobile phone technology and trends to help customers get the most of their mobile phones. For more information about Best Buy Mobile, visit www.bestbuy.com/mobile or www.bestbuymobile.com

About Best Buy Co., Inc.

With operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, China, Mexico and Turkey, Best Buy is a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and services with a commitment to growth and innovation. The Best Buy family of brands and partnerships collectively generates more than billion in annual revenue and includes brands such as Best Buy; Best Buy Mobile; Audiovisions; The Carphone Warehouse; Future Shop; Geek Squad, Jiangsu Five Star; Magnolia Audio Video; Napster; Pacific Sales; and The Phone House. Approximately 180,000 employees apply their talents to help bring the benefits of these brands to life for customers through retail locations, multiple call centers and Web sites, in-home solutions, product delivery and activities in our communities. Community partnership is central to the way we do business at Best Buy. In fiscal 2010, we donated a combined .2 million to improve the vitality of the communities where our employees and customers live and work.  For more information about Best Buy, visitwww.bestbuy.com