Due to the growth of ecommerce websites like Amazon, electronic retailers need to evolve to stay in the game. Best Buy knows this and considers one way to stay relevant is by improving consumer care. Following this concept, Best Buy has made various acquisitions throughout the past few years, one of them being the medical alert company, GreatCall.
If you browse Best Buy’s website, you’ll notice that it only offers GreatCall’s phones and not the medical alert system devices. However, this doesn’t mean that GreatCall has reduced its product range. Despite the acquisition, GreatCall continues to function as its own company with the same CEO, and therefore users won’t notice significant changes. If you go to the medical alert system’s website, you’ll see that the ever-popular Lively devices are still there, as well as the team behind the service 5Star.
As an electronics retailer, Best Buy sells medical alert system devices from various companies. However, we advise you not to purchase the equipment through them, for multiple reasons.
First, of course, is the price. One of the companies you’ll find on Best Buy is Medical Guardian. The Home Guardian equipment costs around $200, which is not a bad deal since it offers the home station, a wristband, and a necklace. However, with a quick visit to Medical Guardian’s website, you’ll see that you’re spending unnecessary money as, like most other companies, Medical Guardian offers the required equipment themselves. Bear in mind that even if you buy the equipment from Best Buy, you’ll still need to sign up for a subscription plan with the medical alert system company you’ve chosen, and the price will still be the same. In the end, it just makes more sense to get in touch with the company directly.
Another reason is the level of service and the customer path you’ll take. If you buy the equipment through Best Buy, any problem you might experience will have to be solved by Best Buy themselves. On the other hand, if you go straight to the source then everything will be handled by the medical alert company instead. Not only that, unlike Best Buy, you’ll be talking with a company that focuses entirely on providing medical alert systems. We’re not saying that Best Buy has bad customer support, but it’s a no-brainer that having everything concentrated in one place by a company that is an expert is going to be less of a hassle.
The acquisition of GreatCall for $800 million is undoubtedly not a way to make a quick buck. Quite the contrary, Best Buy is thinking in the long-term and although the purchase is already paying off, the bigger picture is how society is going to function decades in the future. It’s not surprising news that we are emerging into a worldwide reverse pyramidwhere there’ll be a higher concentration of seniors and fewer younger people.
It’s impossible not to notice the evolution of technology in the past few years and these days everyone is connected. Years from now, many of us will reach our golden years and the need for connection will remain. In other words, the market for accessible devices that enable the elderly to stay connected will increase exponentially. So, the move of acquiring the creators of the popular Jitterbug phone is not only a smart move but will expand Best Buy’s sales in the years to come.
Share your thoughts, ask questions, and connect with other users. Your feedback helps our community make better decisions.
©2012-2025 Best Reviews, a clovio brand –
All rights
reserved
