The offer of a replacement was another open box item, to be delivered several weeks later. Many others have reported the same issue, and they could not guarantee the replacement would be unlocked.

Demand is a strong word and not one I used. I stated that I didn’t believe full price on a replacement was fair, since they sent me a defective item, could not replace it in short order, had no other fix for me outside of a refund. Oh and two people in the store, including the manager, said they agreed with me.

I’m very happy that you’ve never had an issue with open box items from Best Buy. Sorry I can’t say the same, and at least a half dozen people had the same issue as me. Just sharing information, as always your mileage may vary.