March 28, 2024

Best Buy Apologizes for ‘Big Mistake’ after Price Gouging Texans for Water


$43 pack of bottled water being sold at a Houston Best Buy (Photo via Ken Klippenstein)


By Bob Brigham / 08.29.2017

Electronics retailer Best Buy is apologizing to outraged consumers after a social media storm of complaints against a Houston area store charging $42 for a case of case of bottled water.

The image, which raced across the internet, shows $42.96 cases of Dasani bottled water, next to a “limited supply” of “Smart Water” for $29.98 a case.

“As a company we are focused on helping, not hurting affected people,” Best Buy told Business Insider. “We’re sorry, and it won’t happen again.”

The company claims the “big mistake” was caused by an employee multiplying the price of a single bottle. The company says the price-gouging signage was only up on Friday and that the Cypress, TX store in question is now closed due to Hurricane Harvey.

Best Buy stock fell 11 percent Tuesday, in heavy trading.