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overpriced
When my girlfriend decided to break up with me I didn’t expect for my PC to take the brunt of that relationships demise. I found it partially embedded in the front yard along with my clothes, “my now in more pieces” record collection, “special” pictures of us, my 2 month old laptop, and MY DOG! I loaded up my belongings and found new accommodations. When I finally settled in after a few weeks I decided to fire up the computer and see what damage had been caused. It unfortunately would not load into Windows. It started and got to the welcome screen but would then freeze and got stuck and then restart after awhile. I took it Geek Squad and had them diagnose the problem. In a few days I got a call stating that I needed a new hard drive, to have the Windows operating system reinstalled (+all my programs) and if I wanted any of my old photos, files and music, I would need also to purchase a data recovery service. He then told me what it would cost $650 total to be solvent again. Being a little skeptical at this point, especially because I had just bought the computer for $850 less than two months ago I did a little research on Geek Squad .After finding numerous reviews, with pretty much the same ending, I concluded that it was too expensive to have inexperienced, and overpriced high school students fix my ‘new’ computer. I picked up my machine and went in search of an alternative.
My new roommate then told me about a company called Secure Remote Support. They had been used to help out in his office when a bunch of computers had got virus’ and infections. I looked them up on his computer and called them. I told them the problems and they said before committing to purchase their overpriced services to take advantage of their free diagnosis. I decided that sounded logical so I proceeded with the diagnosis. In 25 minutes I was told that the hard drive didn’t need replacing; the computer just needed to be cleaned and configured properly. And the Windows Operating System would not need to be reinstalled! He did recommend allowing them to perform a Spyware/Malware Sweep as well as an optimization service to speed it up to its full potential. I agreed to have them do it and within 45 minutes it was back in my hands and I was back on the internet. For the entire service it only cost me $104.99 and I even got a “No Fix No Pay” guarantee with it. It’s definitely getting far more for far less than the Geek Squad.
Like lots of people I don’t think about needing a computer repair service until something goes wrong. When something eventually went wrong, it happened to be a virus (or malware?) Basically computer VD. My laptop was infected and I kept receiving pop ups that promised to enhance my manliness and win the hearts of every woman with a pulse. With self-convincing male bravado I decided that I did not need these types of offers and started looking for a Computer Repair Doctor that had the right antidote to cure my highly embarrassed machine. I took it to Geek Squad and from the moment I dropped it off I had somewhat of a bad feeling. The 17 year old kid that took it looked like he was more concerned with brushing away the hair from his face than to actually writing down my PCs symptoms. He then said, “it would be like a week before you can pick it up.” To which I replied, “Aight dude”, trying to speak his prepubescent lingo for maximum detail retention. When a week passes I head into the Geek Squad to pick up my machine when I find out it hasn’t even been started on. After speaking with two managers, I decided it was in my ailing machine (and my interest) to not waste anymore of my time with this place and take my computer home. I called around to some local shops and everyone wanted an arm and a leg to repair it, including charging diagnosis fees (which from my research are included most of time.) I ended up Googling and found an online repair company called Secure Remote Support. I called, asked about rates of charge and how long it would take. I was sold a Virus, Spyware, and Malware Removal Package for $79 and $25 for an Optimization Service (some promo they were offering.) He then connected to my computer through the internet and within 45 minutes my computer was cleaned out and sped up. I didn’t have to unplug anything, take it anywhere and I was able to watch my DVR’s episodes of American Idol while it all took place. How convenient is that? I would have to say to anyone who is thinking about taking their computer to Geek Squad for any reason should visit secureremotesupport [DOT] com first before you waste your time elsewhere.
When the soda I was enjoying was inadvertently shared with my computer and caused its abrupt demise, I was both sad and a bit happy. I was happy not because my frosty beverage now made a carbonated swimming pool out of my computer but because now I finally had a valid reason to replace the old machine. I proceeded down to the nearest Geek Squad after cleaning up the sticky catastrophe. I browsed through the selection of desktop computers as well as some laptops. I finally found one that I was satisfied with and purchased it. I then spoke to someone at the Geek Squad counter to ask about my files on my “Pop Machine” sitting at home. They said they could recover the files and put them on my new laptop for me. All for an additional charge of course. I said okay and left my new laptop purchase with them and went and retrieved my old computer. After a few days pass, I call and ask about my computers and I am told they are not done with the service. I call back again in 4 more days and am now frustrated when I am told it is still not complete. Somewhat frustrated, I ask the ‘technician’ about the normal turnaround time for a service like this. When they tell me it can take anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks, I explain to them that I need them much quicker than that and I am picking them up immediately and to have them ready for me. I pick them up and am somewhat upset about the fact that I have to wait 10 minutes in line, and listen to other customers complaints about time issues and that its their third time there, also another customer said this is the 3rd week his machine has been there. I go home and look online for some recommendations for a data recovery service that will actually help me. In my research I was able to find a company called Secure Remote Support and sent them my computers. Four days later I had both computers back, a few CDs with my data on them and all of my personal files had been transferred to my new laptop. After the experience I had just had, the only thing I can say is WOW. I couldn’t believe how fast and efficient they were compared to Geek Squad they were. I wish I had found them before wasting my time with Geek Squad. Plus they installed an antivirus for my new computer and sped it up by removing all those annoying programs that come on every new computer, too! Thanks again.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
fraud
My husband called the Geek Squad to come out and look at my computer because it was running a little slower than usual and was about time for a clean up.
When we called them we set up an appointment for the 1pm the next day.
At nearly 1:30 we called to find out what the holdup was, and they apologized saying our Geek was on the way.
At 2:15 (or there about) we finally get a knock on the door by the Geek who was names James.
He came in, and got to work.
I was shocked when he answered his cell phone FOUR times throughout the appointment.
That wasnt the only thing that upset me, however.
It took him almost FIVE hours to fix my computer.
I understand if I had some raging virus or something of that sort, but I didnt!
Anyways, he was polite and friendly aside from the phone answering and he did his job decently.
However, upon telling my friend about my experience she told me about a company her husband uses -- Secure Remote Support.
When my son had a problem with his computer we called these guys and they were genuinely professional and were afforable.
From here on out I know where my future business is going - and where my problems will be solved fast.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
geek squad sucks
Last week my computer stopped working as it should so I took it to Best Buy. The Geek Squad representative that i delivered it to told me they would notify me when the diagnosed the problem. Almost a week passed when I called to "check up" on their progress when I was told they hadn't found the source of the issue yet. A bit frustrated I asked what they'd been doing with my computer this whole time. He replied it was waiting on a shelf for the next available technician. Upon hearing this I decided to do some research on their service. Much to my dismay I found endless amounts of complaints. And tons of recommendations as alternatives such as secure remote support. I picked up my computer after another week. So total it took them two weeks to accomplish what seems could have been handled within a few hours.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
wow! what a personal hell!
poor service
I am not what you consider a "computer savy" person. I can turn it on, send and receive email, and purchase to school books. About a month ago I received a call from my bank asking about some questionable purchases. I stated, "No those were not infact NOT my purchases" and was promptly sent a new card. Concerned I traced back my spending and suspected an online purchase was the source. My roommate then suggested that my pc might be infected. UGH!
With limited experience I was weary of some of the advertised computer repair services. So I called the biggest name I could find, the Geek Squad and made my appointment. The technician came to my home a couple of days later and proceeded to work on the infection. $250 dollars later, the technician finished his service thanked me for my business and left. 2 days later I get another call from my bank asking about another $900 charge for on my new card. Again I said, "No". By this time I frustrated and concerned about my rent check bouncing. I called GS to alert them to the recurring issue that their technician failed to correct. Upon calling I was rudely told I must have done something to reinfect my machine. I am 100% that it is still the same intrusion as I only use this for school. The representative was also unwilling to even consider that they didn't fix it properly and I was promptly told they could not help me any further. So I was left with a computer that is sharing my personal financial information with the world.
I started searching the web for an alternative when I found, Secure Remote Support, which offered to fix my issues for less than half the cost of the Geek Squad. Wow! I wish I would have known that before I just gave away $250. And being a college student and being on a budget, I opted for the $79.99 virus removal service. After remotely connecting to my netbook (I didn't even know that was possible), Joe hopped in the driver seat and in 2 hours my computer was operating flawlessly again. The malicious program was indentified and removed and I was given the "No Fix No Pay" Guarantee. A couple of weeks have passed and I am happy to say that I have had no more strange charges to my card and the issue my PC had are no longer mine. :) Thank you secureremotesupport.com.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
attempted to charge me for uneccesary repairs
When I got to work yesterday morning and fired up the Laptop, I got the dreaded blue screen. Not good. I then tried about 10 more times to shut down and restart. Still no luck.
I could have been patient and UPS's the laptop up to our IT people in the bay area. But I have ALL of my work on there and can't afford to be without a computer for a week or so.
So, I decided to go to Geek Squad near my house in Temecula. I have bought many items @ Best Buy over the years and have always received great service so I figured they would treat me right.
Oh, was I ever so wrong to make that assumption!
I had a bad feeling in my gut right when I walked up to the counter when Mr. "No eye contact", head down with no personality quickly told me $70 to diagnose it. To his credit he did on machine, wrote down error code, went to the back room and Googled it, and came back out and said it was most likely NOT a hard drive crash. WHEW! OK, I am thinking, this guy is probably legit. They then said they would run diagnostic and contact me on my cell in a little bit.
At the end of the day, and about 4 calls later (they never called me of course), I finally was told that they had run the diagnostic. The diagnosis? The Geek told me I had over 500 viruses and malware infecting my poor Dell. Hmmmmm? I immediately was suspicious. The laptop was running full speed until that morning. Furthermore, I am somewhat computer savvy - I have a top notch antivirus/spyware/firewall program installed that is monitored by an excellent IT company we contract with. So when I immediately questioned they guy, he stutters a little and says "well, some of the, were cookies and stuff like that". No no no, can't be, I have my settings set to auto remove all of that stuff upon log out each day.
So, I get home and figure, what the heak, let's start it and see what happens! And, low and behold, the damn thing boots right up. Did Geek Squad know that is was fixed, or maybe saw the error on the registry or wherever and repaired and then decided to soak me for another $230?
As I thought about more, I came to the logical and obvious conclusion, OF COURSE THEY KNEW. They would have to have restarted to the laptop after the diagnostic and they would have seen it was running fine, don't ya think? And if not, they are DORKS and NOT Geeks.
I am by far no computer Wiz, or in this case, a Geek. But I know enough to smell a rat here. It is just a shame they are trying to unethically make a few extra bucks under the Best Buy umbrella.
I am going to now really think long and hard before I ever go back to drop down my hard earned money at a Best Buy Store ever again.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I couldn"t use my PC and called the GS. They came out told me that they had to remove everything and they did, but after they finisished it did not work the way it did b/4. The bill was $300. I called them back and was told by this "tech" it would cost another $300 to fix it. I told him to leave! I called someone else and was told it was so screwed up that it couldn't be fixed and should have been told on the first call that I should buy a new PC. This I did for less than $500.
Hi every one out there thinking of using the Best Buy Extended service for the TV that I purchased 3 years ago alone with an LED TV.
My TV broke and I call them, service tech come and told me to wait 2 weeks. Once month passed, I called tech number and they told me that they will give me some thing of equal value minus depreciation. Another week pass and no call from Best Buy, so I called them, I got Britney from Kentucky who hung up on me after she could not find the information. I called back wanting to talk to a manager and I got Britney again who was completely sarcastic telling that in order for me to speak to a manager I have to give her my name and all my information again twice. FOLKS DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE I DID, I BOUGHT 4 IPADS, 6 COMPUTERS, 2 TV ALL WITH BEST BUY EXTENDED SERVICE AND THEIR SERVICE IS REALLY POOR. I ONLY GOT LIP SERVICE AND EVERY TIME I CALLED TOOK 2 HOURS OR MORE TO GET TO THE RIGHT DEPART. TODAY I TALKED TO SCOTT (PR MANAGER) WHO ALSO TOLD ME TO WAIT FOR THE CALL. IF THERE IS ELSE WHERE THAT YOU CAN PURCHASE FROM THE MANUFACTURE ITSELF . DO IT TO AVOID PAIN FROM BEST BUY GEEK SQUAD. THEY DON'T DO SQUAD FOR YOU WHEN YOU NEEDED. I HAD MUCH BETTER SERVICES THAN BEST BUY AND ANOTHER STORES THAT I PURCHASED FROM. IT HAS BEEN OVER 1 MONTH & I STILL DON'T HAVE A TV. SO BEFORE YOU PURCHASE ANYTHING THINK ABOUT IT.. MY EMAIL IS MIMILIU_323@HOTMAIL.COM. I AM THINKING OF PUTTING A COMPLAINT WITH BBB.
they have several incredibly stupid employees and have absolutley no regard for customers data privacy
Beware of Westwood Best Buy/Geek Squad in Los Angeles. They have several incredibly stupid employees and have absolutley no regard for customers data privacy. There are two women at this location... One of which can barely speak english and has absolutley NO IDEA how to even turn a computer on. Additionaly, there is another woman there who is just plain stupid and i have witnessed this girl attempt to leave the store with a customers hard drive. BEWARE OF POTENTIAL IDENTITY THEFT AT THE HANDS OF STUPID GEEK SQUAD AGENTS! I managed to obtain this persons name... it is Anabel Rodriguez. IF you must take your computer here... speak with glen enclan and request that he PERSONALY work on your computer. This person is the supervisor and he, unlike anabel rodriguez and the others, actually knows what he is doing.
Avoid the two women at this geek squad by all means possible. They are both incredibly stupid and are the type of employees that give best buy and geek squad a horrible image.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
didn't fix computer
The week after Xmas, 2009. I took my Gateway Desk Top in to have a virus removed. Best Buy quoted me $200.00 and then called 3 days later to tell me it was going to be another$100. for back up...
Not a nice way to do business... Then on Sunday January 30th I attempted to copy a CD. My CD drive would not function. I then tried my DVD Drive and it didn't function either. Both Optical Drives are not functional.
The CPU doesn't even see them. When I called today, they told., Sorry there is a 30 day guarantee. I am technically past 30 days.
Instead of taking my word and seeing the actual data in the machine they told me too bad.
You can bring it in and we will look at it... So they want to charge me for something they broke. These are rank amateurs and not at all professional.
I purchase two LCD TV's, Two Computers, One Internet Radio. Two GPS Devices and Misc other stuff from Best Buy in 2009.
I will never spend anoter penny in that store.
Mike
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
very rude & unhelpful
They forgot to return my power cord. They were unhelpful, etc., about getting me a replacement quickly. I'm leaving out some details, but later, after I called to see when I would get the cord after hearing nothing, I was finally told they would give me a universal one if I cam in. When I came in and told the manager I was going to write a bad review online, he said twice : If you are going to threaten me then I'm not giving you a cord now, you'll have to wait till it gets back from the warehouse. Wow, very, very nasty, rude, and unapologetic. I had even worse problems recently with the Best Buy appliance department.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
can't fix my problem
I purchased a Dell laptop from Best Buy, and about 3 months later noticed the hard drive would start clicking after about 1 or 2 hours of use then the computer becomes unresponsive and shuts down. I take it to Geek Squad as the warranty card instructs me to and tell them about the problem. The first person I dealt with was nice enough, he agreed with me that it would probably be a bad hard drive and would be replaced under warranty. Good enough. When I returned to pick it up, I'm speaking with a different person who told me they ran diagnostic checks on the laptop and found nothing wrong. I told him that the issue happens everytime I use the laptop where I use it for longer than an hour or two and it is definitely a problem. He continued to stand behind the fact that their diagnostics showed no problems. I asked him to take it back and look at it again. I explained the problem as detailed as I could.
Several days later I go to pick it up and get the exact same story. Diagnostics show no problems. So I take it on home, knowing this problem is not just my imagination. I get home, start up the laptop and get messages stating the laptop was not shut down properly and needed to run several lengthy checks before stating up. So not only did Geek Squad not fix the problem, they further screwed it up. I finally get the thing working and sure enough about 3 hours later the hard drive clicking returned, and the laptop shut down on me. Thanks Geek Squad for absolutely nothing except wasted gas for 3 trips to your counter, and ###s in black ties telling me I don't know what I'm talking about.
Currently I'm trying to get the issue resolved through Dell, anybody want to guess what the first thing they ask? Please run diagnostic checks on it.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Not a trusty merchant, beware.
In an attempt to avoid adding frustration to your already non-pleasant experience. Consider handling the issue yourself, or at least by someone qualified to assist you.
With the price of data storage continually declining, I would suggest in purchasing a new hard drive for the laptop. Transfer the data (documents, songs, pictures, movies etc.) from that drive to another media (flash drive or DVD's). Replace the hard drive in the laptop with the new one and reload the operating system.
With the "old" drive out of the laptop, you could either send it for warranty repair to Dell. Personally I would buy an external USB hard drive enclosure case and reformat that drive and use it as data storage. Formatting the drive will flag any bad sectors on the drive and mark them unusable.
Though this may seem a bit extreme, and I understand that the computer is under warranty; however, how good can a warranty be if it gives you un-warranted results?
Good luck to you.
Geeks On Call
[protected]-GEEK
perv/overpriced squad
I took my computer in after a Windows Vista service pack with a corrupt file shut down my computer. I'm fairly knowledgeable about fixing my computer but this was too complex for me. I took my laptop to Geek Squad and had the worst experience. The "agent" was overly flirtatious and it was unwelcome. He wrote in French the word for "sexy" on my information sheet and told me if I knew what it was. I played dumb and uninterested. I just was there to get my computer fixed. After trying to sell me over $500 worth of services and more flirty conversation he rang up my bill for $200. Even though he claimed I should probably just buy a brand new computer. My computer is only two years old and worked fine! I only paid for the $70 diagnostic check and plan to return with my fiance or father to pick up my computer if it even works. If it doesn't I will take my computer else where where they are friendly and PROFESSIONAL and CHEAPER! I also plan to file a complaint with Best Buy for sexual harassment.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
2 weeks ago i took my desktop to geek squad to be fixed. bad video card, they said that they would fix and call me with in 24-48 hours from that day to let me know it was fix. four days later we called, "O" Yes it is ready for your pick up. okay no big deal by the way i'm going to drop off my laptop to be fix too when i pick up my desktop. after dropoff/pick of of the two computers i get my desktop home plug it in and the video card is working great, lovely picture! BUT no, absolutely no icons, startup buttons, or even a curser! nothing! So i called them and they said that we could bring it back up and they would be more than happy to look at it agian and diagnose any other problems it may have! mind you this computer worked like a top before the video card went out but know it suddenly has more issues no thank you not at this time. meanwhile, another 4 days go by and still no word on my laptop that they informed me the day i dropped it all that i could wait on it because it would be done in 1 1/2 hours. I call them on day 5, yep you guessed it, it was ready. i took this one up because it had alot of stuff on it making it slow, extremely slow and to install MY norton 360 (that i already purchased two months earlier for all my computers) and to optimize the performance. i got it home started it up and after waiting 5 minutes to just get to the start page i grabbed my timer. 6 minutes and 39 sec. later OMG! my internet page was going! but wait my norton was not on so i shut it down and slicked on the norton icon and guess what my cumputer froze up! lovely! after restarting the computer and 14 minutes later i click on the norton agian and it won't open! won't run! i give up! being that it is 10:30 at night i called the next day. and of course bring it back up and we will fix what ever is wrong(just don't forget your wallet). What about doing what you where supost to do in the first place that i already paid for! so in two weeks, two computers, $200.00 plus dollars and still no working computers! geek squad is no better that than my 5 year old at fixing computers!
My ex purchased a laptop and an extended 3 year warranty. Never had to bring in my laptop until literally near the end of my 3 year warranty. One day my computer wouldn't turn on one day and pretty much every time after when I tried. I brought it in to the store to have it sent out to be fixed about a month until my warranty was up. My boyfriend would have fixed it but with a warranty what did I have to lose? They sent it out and i got it back 2 weeks later. It seemed to have been fixed but 8 hours after getting it back it wouldn't turn on again. So the day of my expiration on my warranty which was the very next day of getting it back I went back to the store. They considered it a redo so i didn't have to pay for anything. The problem was it is hard to explain it won't start when every time they pressed the power button it started up. Luckily it did exactly what I said it would do at the counter that day. So it got sent out again to be fixed. Already frustrated i waited the 2 weeks to get it fixed. It came back from repair and with little faith i went to pick it up. Before i signed anything i went to turn on my laptop and it wouldn't turn on! At the counter... Now I was irate. The guy who was dealing with me got it to start up but truthfully I wasn't happy with the fact that I might have to come back again because it would do the same thing. Now I give the store credit because I received a replacement computer. However I think the people who "fix" the computers outside of the store don't know what they are doing. I will never bring my computer in to the geek squad to have it fixed again.
The worst customer service experience I have had and it is still not over. I gave my camera for repair and it has been almost 3 months since I have seen it, when it was supposed to have 2 weeks at the most. They are full of execuses as to why it is taking so long. There was even confusion as to how much I owed. An in store associate was charging in addition to the deposit that I made where they had told me that the deposit would be included in the final estimate. I would not recommend this company to anyone.
I have purchased a laptop with an extended warranty. The computer required service and was sent in through the Lafayette Best Buy Geek Squad with a projected return date of 9/15/08. I have checked in regularly by phone and in person and told by representatives that you are sorry, but it has not returned yet. I called today and spoke with Connie and was told she would find out and respond within 48-72 hours. Your service and response has been completely unacceptable. Although Connie seemed to offer the effort to find out what I could expect, more so than all of the other representatives, I should not have had to call and stop in multiple times, nor should it take over three weeks to repair some keys. I guess Best Buy is not the best option for my shopping needs.
After several calls to get a quote on getting an old computer cleaned up and running. I was offer a covert hook up for $169.00. Well the first tech and I couldn't agree on what a recovery disc was, so I called to cancel the order. I was assured that I could use an older version of Windows XP as a back up. Due to miscommunication somehow we deleted my entire computer and when we tried to reboot if failed. I was instructed to go out and buy a new disc to install windows XP and the guy could have cared less! Raymond Proctor
Arranged to be off work today to have TV maintained as specified in my service contract. Had to be home for 4-hour window. Geek Squad blew me off. Subsequent call to Geek Squad produced no semblence of customer service in correcting their error.
I paid good money for my maintenance plan. The Geek Squad couldn't even show me the decency of calling me to say they weren't going to show up. Their only answer was that I could wait another week and commit to another 4-hour time slot.
They got my money...this time. Don't let them get yours.
When my dog, Sketch tripped over my power cord for my laptop I was afraid that the computer was ruined. I started preparing for the worst and promptly grounded the dog. I immediately turned it off to preserve what little of the battery remained in case I needed to transfer files quickly. I noticed that the battery was not charging properly and quickly shut it off. I then started looking up repair services in my area that could handle such a catastrophe. I found a local Geek Squad and dropped it off. They wanted $75 to look at it and diagnose the problem. I told them specifically what it was and that their “diagnosis” was not required. They argued that it was procedure and was unavoidable (but it would be added to the repair cost if we decided to proceed with repair.) Frustrated, I said ok and then asked how much it would cost to repair the power jack when they finally realized I was correct all along. He smugly told me that it would another $150 for the repair. So, reluctantly, I handed him the visa, filled out 10 minutes worth of paperwork and promptly walked out of the store a bit annoyed. In 5 days when I was told it would be done. I returned, half an hour before closing to find… you guessed it… the computer… STILL NOT DONE! The conclusion was, return in 2 days, and it will be complete and ready for you to pick up. 48 hours later I show up, this time middle of day, relatively busy, no one waiting in line at the counter though. I pick up the machine, a 20 minute process in and of itself along with lots of paperwork. I get the machine home ‘excited’ to be able to catch up on work. Im able to use it for about 20 minutes before it dies and shuts off. Try to turn it on, the battery isn’t charging. I look at the lights, they’re all off, and it appears to not be charging. I left it on overnight to charge. Next morning, same thing, no power. I call them back to explain the situation and ask what we are going to do about it when I am told to bring it back in and it should be ready in ANOTHER week. I was completely unwilling to let them keep it on a shelf for any longer and demanded my money back. After a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and many many phone calls later, I landed on secureremotesupport.com. The website of a computer repair company that advertises to oppose Geek Squad and provide a higher level of service. They were able to provide me with the necessary documentation to further pursue a legal case with
I have been waiting for over 2 weeks for them to do a house call after spending unlimited time on hold
giving them my confirmation number, name, phone, email address, all things that are required
due to security purposes? The guy shows up this morning and after spending $266.43 the computer is the same. I then called them back and went through the same old story on the phone and they are going to call me back... their central office is in Atlanta I called them and was on the phone for over 42 minutes. Funny that they are supposedly computer geeks, but they don't have an email to contact them or complain about their services.
To be continued...
I took my computer in to the Geek Squad to have some data retrieved for a project I was doing for work.
I had an all together terrible experience.
First, the employees cared more about selling me different products/servies than the one that i'd initally come in for.
Second, once I made it clear that I was there for one thinig and one thing only it took forever to find an employee who actually knew what they were doing.
And last, on top of all the bad service they charged me an arm and a leg.
Are you kidding me?!
I trusted this company to be better than what they were.
They're backed by a big corporation so I guess that makes them think they dont actally have to please their customers.
I was unimpressed and unhappy with my Geek Squad experience.
After I got home I was looking up reviews (which I apparently should have done in the first place) and this company called Secure Remote Support came up.
I tried them out a month or so later and they provided me with service that was truly quality.
Their technicians were educated and efficient. Not to mention a whole lot affordable.
Do your research before taking your computer to just anyone!
My computer just wouldn't turn on. it shut off one day, and never turned back on. so i took it back into best buy where i'd purchased the computer. they sent me over to 'geek squad'. first off, the kid thats helped me was maybe 22? wouldn't know what customer service was if it hit him in the face, and looked like he hadn't bathed in days. well it was $140 to see what was wrong with it.. an extra $35 for another test.. two and a half weeks later.. they have no idea whats wrong with it. they need to run more tests. they call me every few days, letting me know they're working on it, they're just running tests. well finally, weeks after i dropped it off, they tell me my computer is completely shot. they say i can replace a bunch of parts (they spew off a list of a bunch of words i don't understand) but that it wouldn't be worth my time or money. oh but btw, i owe them $387 for the diagnosis and tests! well i'm fuming angry, i had just purchased the computer a few months ago! so i researched for a second opinion. i came across www.secureremotesupport.com. i called, and the technician informed me they specialized in remote repair and my problem can't be fixed remotely. he told me it could be a number of things, but if it were him, he'd look at the power first. he gave me a few numbers of places i could call, called one and asked if they could check the power. turns out my dc jack was toast, so my battery was just dead! he fixed it in 3 days, charged me $103, and sent me on my way.
Geek squad totally ripped me off, and still didn't even fix my computer! don't use.
customer service
I took in a laptop for repair on a Sunday and was informed that it would have to be sent to service center for repairs that should take about one week. Went online to check status on Thursday(5 days later) and it showed that an estimate was pending and that I should contact local store to approve repairs. I called the store and no one there knew anything. The best they could do was inform me that I would be contacted by the service center for approval and that it normally took about two weeks, not one week as I was told originally. When I asked for a phone number so that I could call the service center personally and give the approval for the repairs I was told they didn't have a number.
On Friday, six days after the drop off day, I was told that the service center had tried to contact me on Thursday, something I wasn't told when I called on Thursday, and that they had left me a message on my voicemail. I never received any communications from the service center at all. Called back on Saturday and nothing had changed so I decided enough is enough just send my laptop back and I will let someone local work on it. Talk about some real crappy customer service. I will make sure and get the word around to all I come in contact with.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Awful customer service at best. They let the phone ring for over 20 times, also was left on hold for over a half hour and then someone hung up and I was disconnected! I have not spoken with anyone yet after receiving a voicemail about calling them about my repair. Do yourself a favor and do not purchase their repair plan. Save a dollar a day and purchase a new computer ever year and not from Best Buy!
Geeks tried to rip me off too. I took my laptop computer in, explained what was going on, and was told that the service plan that they sold me with my computer covered only hardware. They wanted to sell me a complete diagnostic service. That service is now priced at 239.99.
( http://www.geeksquad.com/services/computer/detail.aspx?id=1531 )
I couldn't afford it so I went home with my computer hoping to save the money and have it repaired at a later date. A friend told me about the system restore program in the computer at All Programs / Maintenance / Backup and Restore Center. I tried it and it worked. No need to pay the Geeks to perform unnecessary service that they knew could be repaired by using the program that was already on the computer. They didn't even ask if it had been tried. I am so disappointed in the lack of customer service displayed at that time, that I will use them only as a last resort. When I mentioned the incident to a Best Buy store greeter who yesterday suggested I go ask the Geeks about an issue I was having, he gave me a knowing laugh when I told him why I would not go to the Geeks.
joke of insurance
18/10/2009 I cracked the screen on my SonyE' C510, took it to the carphone warehouse were i bought it from. I had full geeksquad insurance so they took it in for repair. 7days later i was told they couldnt repair the phone and i was to be given a replacement. The sony C510 was'nt in stock so they offered me 2 different Equivelant models, a Samsung and sony'E w395. I chose the sony because i had bought car chargers and other accessories which would fit the phone.
When i opened the phone and put my sim card and mc2 card in it, the phone would not reconise any of my own pictures or music, stating my files were to big. All my contacts from sim card had been mixed around no longer in alphabetical order. The phone itself was not THE EQUIVELANT! This phone only had a 2mp camera 'instead of 3.5', wiv no flash. No 3G, it took a long time when any buttons are pressed to get into the menus. I complained to the geek squad in writing to which they replied'' because i had signed on the day of accecping this phone there was nothing i could do'!
NEVER SIGN TO GEEKSQUAD PHONE INSURANCE!
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
rip off/fraud
I live in CT. My 93 year old mother lives in FL. Her life line to her family is her computer. It went down. I called the Geek Squad. It was among the worst business mistakes I ever made. I told th efool on th ephone...by the way they all call themselves "agents, " to have someone go to my mom's and then call me for payment. There wasn't really anything wrong with my mom's computer. She didnt realize the gfi had tripped in a storm. her Nurse found it. In any event, the Geek caled me and told me my mom's machine needed a whole gig of ram. Rememebr she's 93 and only e-mails. i told him absolutely not. He got annoyed and left without calling me for payment. Two days later another Geek called me in CT and told me my Mother refused to pay, and I am responsible. The jerk never calaled me. Instead he tried harassing my mom for the money. She tried explaining I was paying. In any event I like a fool paid the guy who called. My mother tried using the computer and found it was slow. When I came down to see her, I noticed she no longer had 512 K of ram. Just for giggles we playe dback the tape of the time the Geek was there. My mom's room is monitored 24 hours a day for health reasons, mostly because th eNurse cant sit with her all the time. Guess what we saw...The geek holding up the stick of ram and taking it. I caaled and lodged a complaint. Agent dawla, their secret weapon promoised me a refund in 10 days. She lies like the rest of them. The only thing they are allegedly good for is trying to defraud and allegedly steal from old ladies. Dawla told me I'd have my money back in 10 days almost 20 days ago. Anyone who lets these people into their homes is nuts...
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
sorry bunch of ripoffs. i signed up for a $4.95 special. they took the $4.95 out gave me a id number. i requested a session never got any kind of acknowledgement two days later they hit my card for $99.95 totally unauthorized . my wife works at the bank had to hot card our acct. and sent it back. this is downright stealing. called them requesting a return call never heard from them. i hope there will be a class action on them one day. i surely want to be involved !
for everyones benefit you should post that video to youtube .
delayed laptop repair and inconsistent communication
My laptop wireless connection stopped working so I took the laptop (still under extended warranty) to the Geek Squad desk at the Broadway Bestbuy store in Tucson. The Geek Squad "agent" indicated that the wireless card was bad and that the laptop would have to be sent out for repair. He said it typically takes less than two weeks for repair. After my computer was logged in, I browsed around the store a little, finding a carrying case I was interested in. Not knowing whether the case would fit my laptop, I went back to the Geek Squad desk and asked for my laptop from the same "agent". He brought the laptop out, and another agent asked me if I had signed "the waiver". I said I had not been asked to sign a waiver, and the first kid said "sure you were, here's a copy of the waiver I asked you to sign". It was a copy of an unsigned form that indicated I the customer refuses the "data backup service". Basically, the Geek squad will copy your hard drive onto disks for a fee, to prevent the loss of data during repair. Well, at best it was an oversight that the kid thought he asked me to sign the form, at worst he was covering his back side with a mistruth. The following day, I received an automated phone call from the Geek Squad and also an email which indicated that the Geek Squad had changed it's shipping and processing proceedures, potentially extending the time it would take to get my computer back. I called the Geek Squad, and the female "agent" who answered my call had no idea what I was talking about, first blaming the messages on a computer glitch, then on Best Buy. She said it takes up to FOUR weeks for repairs. She asked me to wait a second while she followed up, and I heard her ask an another agent what the status of my computer was. In the background I heard another agent say my laptop hadn't been shipped yet. She came back on the phone and told me that the laptop had been shipped and everything was on schedule. I asked her whether it was the two week or the four week schedule, and why I heard her associate say that it hadn't been shipped. She stamered that what I heard was in reference to another customers computer and that my computer would be repaired within four weeks. The antics of the "agents" I encountered at the Broadway Bestbuy in Tucson don't inspire confidence that I'll see my laptop anytime soon. It seems to me they could be a lot more upfront about repair proceedure and time frame. If it takes a long time for repairs, just say so. Based on my experience with the Broadway Best Buy Geek Squad in Tucson, I probably won't buy any more Best Buy extended warrantys and probably won't be asking Geek Squad for any more computer repair assistance.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Best By extended warranties used to be the best in the business. not anymore.
fraudulant communication
I brought my 4 year old Apple to Best Buy Geek Squad due to sporadic shut downs. After reading information on the internet about similar problems, I informed the Geek Squad that I suspected a bad power supply. They informed me that they charged a $70 diagnostics fee. They also informed me that there would be a $100 charge to add 2 gigs of RAM about which I inquired. After three days, I got a call stating that the problem was in the Operating System and that a $130 services was needed to fix the problem. The 2 gigs of RAM were now going to cost $170, not the $100 originally quoted. Service to fix the problem was OK's, but addition of the RAM was not. I had just updated the OS several months before, and never had a problem, but they are the experts, right? Several more days passed, calls were exchanged, and I was able to pick up the computer. After bringing it home, it shut off just as before. They said it was still under warranty for the services performed, and to return it. After several more days, I received a phone call stating that the problem was the power supply after all, a suspicion I reported when I brought there in the first place. I was informed by the Technician that the power supply was a "proprietary" item, to which they did not have access. "If you can bring us the part, we can put it in." Promises of obtaining the part number and returning phone calls were not kept. I was informed by the Technician that my service charge (prepaid prior to work performed) would be refunded. I informed them that I would pick up my computer and wanted a full refund, including the diagnostics charge because they withheld information about not being able to fix a suspected problem in the first place. The supervisor stated that it is not their policy to refund and that all services were OK'd by me. They offered to find and install the part, which previously was unavailable. By this time, Geek Squad had proven themselves to be non-trustworthy and inept, so further service was declined. The Geek Squad wasted 2 weeks of my time, performed unnecessary work, delayed repair of my computer, and they refused to refund any of my $212. I filed a complaint with their central public relations division, but they reported they could do nothing about securing a refund. They seemed genuinely disinterested that their employees provided misinformation, low-balled estimates, performed unnecessary services, failed to follow through on promises, and showed a pattern of general deception. Resolution will continue to be pursued.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
@Gutlone
All that they care about are sales numbers. That's why they get you to pay for the services upfront because if you pay for them upfront they can "try to keep the sale" no matter how unethical they are.
Your main problem was taking a Macintosh to Geek Squad. They have no idea how to fix Macs. All they know is how to sell stupid Windows users on things they don't need.
You should NEVER have let them talk you into buying 2 GB of RAM. I'm not sure why you thought that would even remotely fix your issue. I'm running an old G4 Mac with 1GB of RAM and OS X. It doesn't shut down.
That they can't buy an Apple power supply is bull. They just didn't know what they were working on. They're Windows PC scam artists, not Mac.
You should have taken your computer to an Apple Store to be fixed.
rip-off
I brought my laptop to Geek Squad at Best Buy for repair. They told me it would be $122 and took my money. Two hours later they called me at home and informed me it would be an additional $110. I reluctantly agreed to pay. The following day, they again called me and said it would now be yet an additional $125. I insisted on getting all my money back and retrieved my computer. I brought it to a local technician who fixed it perfectly for $45.
Geek Squad is probably totally incompetent and definitely totally dishonest. Never let them get hold of your computer.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I don't care what anyone thinks, these geeks are out to get your money and that's it!. My laptop became infected with the security tool virus...which as they said was a very nasty one, so I decided to take it to them this morning. When they saw what it was and showed me that it was indeed a virus they told me to pay them $200 and they would remove the virus. I'm so glad I got a second opinion! I took the laptop to a little independent store in the city that I live in that specializes in these things and the man there just restored my computer settings to what they were on January 31st, (I guess most laptops have back up systems to restore your computer to what it was before you got the virus, assuming the computer didn't come with a restoring cd when you got it) so now everything in my computer is EXACTLY the way it was before minus the virus. I cannot believe these jerks actually charge people this insane amount of money to do something someone else can do for nothing! I'm so not computer literate and the worst part about all this is that they definately exploited that, I told the guy I couldn't afford that and asked him if there were any other options at all or something he could tell me to do myself and he actually told me that my only options were to pay the $200 or throw the computer away. THROW MY COMPUTER AWAY, ARE YOU FRIGGIN KIDDING ME? I can't believe I was so nieve to think that it really was garbage if I didn't pay them to remove it and because I listened to my gut and not these money hungry ### I'm actually able to post this story tonight. Best Buy needs to cut-off all ties and contracts to the Geek Squad before people associate the store with these rip off scams and assume that Best Buy is just as corrupt as The Thief Squad!
One more thing. My laptop suddenly wouldn't take the password to start up, and I didn't have the Toshiba master password that will open Toshibas - which repair places use to get in to repair locked computers. Hubby took it to Best Buy, and they sent it back opened and ready to use again, removed my password so I could add a new one if I wanted, and didn't charge a thing. It isn't easy to remove battery and CMOS battery to unlock everything like it is on a desk machine, or I would have done this. So I really appreciated their help. Sometimes you get taken advantage of because you LET yourself be taken advantage of. For one thing, clean your machine of viruses by getting a good anti virus program. If you don't have one, you shouldn't have a computer. Reinstall your opersting system, even if a neighbor can do it for you. If you can read, you can do it, because directions are on the disks. You can call the computer maker help line and they can actually take control of your computer and fix things - all you need to do is sit back and watch them move the mouse. This way you also see what is being done. I keep copies of everything on both computers so any time I find one hinky I not only can use the other one until I fix it, I don't worry about lost photos, programs I bought, etc.
What idiot pays in advance? You get what you deserve. You get a WRITTEN ESTIMATE of what it will cost, and you sign saying the max you will pay, and you want proof that whatever they did to the computer was necessary and actually done. If they refuse, don't use them, period. You can ask them to call you and explain what they found is wrong with it, and THEN let you decide if it is worth fixing AND what you will pay for it. It's often better to just get another computer, if simply installing the software again doesn't fix a problem. Just don't get it at Besy Buy. You can also take computer to another place first to verify what was said was wrong is indeed true, then pay to get it fixed by the Geeks or someone else. Do you drop off your car, hand over money, then walk away? No! You get things in writing, and agree to terms, before any money passes hands. AND don't pay unless FIRST you can check to see if computer is working now.Duh.
My 15 year old son took $200 out of his savings account (Christmas and birthday money saved up) to have his computer fixed. We had to "pay in advance" to cover any and all software problems that may need to be fixed. If, however, they found out it was a hardware problem, we'd be charged for the specific piece of hardware and refunded the difference. When we picked up the computer, I was surprised that all they did was "remove viruses" - for $200. When we brought the computer home, we discovered that we had the same exact problem - it was not fixed. We brought the computer back in the very next day and was told that they indeed fixed the problem but now we have a video card going on the brinx. One day after we brought it home. Funny how we have the same problem now as we did before we dropped it off the first time. I never would have paid $200 to fix viruses. My son is out $200 and the computer is still not functional and they insist that they "fixed" it. What options do I have? What can I do? I think it's all a scam. I will never use the Geek Squad again or step foot in Best Buy as they obviously don't have the customers best interest in mind. "How can we get the most money out of them" appears to be their motto.
yea I agree Best Buy Geek Squad is a joke. you can find people to fix your computer cheaper for the prices they charge. its crazy
misquoted pricing
Geek Squad quoted price to fix computer, local store called back to give new estimate for repair. When returned call somehow directed to customer service at Best Buy corporate office. Customer Service advised of balance to repair computer but when asked if deposit already given at store went toward that the customer service agent said yes.
I feel that wrong information was given and instead of Best Buy being liable for the misstake they are standing behind their customer service department and saying that the notes on their end or proof that we agreed to have computer fixed at that price. Not true! Huge misscommunication here...Be very careful taking computer to Geek Squad at Best Buy and trusting them that the price they quote and even call back to approve will be the actual price when you go to return to pick up electronics.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
The Geek Suad is horrible in pricing! You can take your computer to a local shop for nealy $150 dollars cheaper than the GS! (All things being equal) Stay away from GS!
^^ agreed
Your post is really hard to understand. Did you have the computer sent to service? Or was it an in store repair? If it was sent to service then prices change as they figure out what's wrong and try to fix it. You have to approve any fixes the service center does and you won't be charged more than the diagnostic fees if you choose to decline any service. The deposit does go towards the diagnostic fee/repair and that's what it sounds like you said? What's the problem with that?
If it was fixed in store then the prices stay static unless they find other problems (Such as a virus or failing hardware) in which case they will notify you of the problem and ask you how you wish to proceed.
If you speak the same way you type then I would have to agree with a miscommunication on both sides. No offense, but you're incredibly hard to understand.
recklessly incorrect diagnosis
On July 2, 2017 I went to Best Buy in Mission Valley in San Diego, CA. I approached the Geek Squad counter with my desktop computer in arm. I needed service on it because the machine didn't send a signal to the display. The computer worked, and I could hear the fan run when I turned it on, but the monitor for some reason didn't display anything. When I got...
Read full review of Geek Squad and 3 commentsgeek squad needs help — badly!
Best Buy offers to "optimize" laptops/netbooks to make them run faster. Supposedly the optimization takes 30 minues. I bought a netbook a couple of weeks ago at Best Buy and have tried twice to get the optimization. I still don't have an optimized computer.
The first time I went in for optimizaton, I was told my battery didn't have enough power and they couldn't do the optimization since they didn't have a power cord. Okay... So why doesn't a computer repair service have the power cords for at least the computers their own store sells? Since nobody told me to bring my own power cord for the optimization, I didn't bother to take it with me. After all, one of the main reasons you get a netbook is its lightness compared to a laptop. Why would you want to weigh yourself down with accessories you're not likely to need for the task at hand?
The second time I tried to get the netbook optimized, I was told to leave it for an hour after paying the $40 fee. While I was gone, I got a call on my cell phone from the geek squad saying they needed another hour because their one external drive was being used by another technician. And, of course, the person I talked to before this last unsuccessful attempt to get the optimization didn't tell me I needed to bring my own external drive for the optimization. Okay... So, why doesn't a computer repair store have more than one external DVD/CD-ROM drive anyway?
Unwilling to hang around for another hour because I had an appointment on the other side of town and didn't want to drive home, back to the store, and then back home later, I retrieved my computer and got a refund for the optimization that never occurred. Before leaving, I complained to the geek squad supervisor. He told me they used to have more than one external drive but that the other one "had gone out." Okay... So what kind of computer repair store depends on a single one of the most common pieces of equipment in modern computing? And what kind of computer repair store can't repair or replace its own equipment?
Hey, Best Buy, take a page out of the Apple Store play book. They know how to run an efficient onsite repair service, which is something you seem to need a whole lot of help doing. Be assured that I'll never waste my time trying to get service from your geek squad again.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Right now there is a huge issue in the Geek Squad. I was actually warned to stay away from Best Buy because of their lack of concern in doing the job right. I should have listened.
What happened to me personally is beyond anything I could have believed unless I went through it. Here it is, ...
I took my computer to best buy to get a wireless pic lan card installed. The geek squad guy said it would be 50.00 and then when I got there he said it was $80.00. So when I told him the difference he changed the price to $50.00. The next day I picked up the computer and the wireless card did not work nor did the router they told me to purchase, $39.00. I then tried everything to get this to work and nothing. So I had to call best buy and they refused to tell me anything and told me that the reason it would not function is because the wireless pic lan card had to be configured to operate correctly they told me that this was only possible if they came out and charged me an in home service fee.
I was angry about this because it was never mentioned to me that this was a requirement of having a pic wireless lan card installed. So I ended up having to bring my computer back into the best buy geek squad which was not a good thing but I did not know what else to do. So I had talked to the manager of the Geek squad and he said to bring it in to test it. I was told it would take about an hour. The manager told me he would place the info in my file and other techs world see it and know what to do.
So I drop off my computer and 3 days later no one has called me back.
I contact the Geek squad and asked them why no one has called me and they told be they were running a diagnostic, which shows nothing in error that they did, of course. So I told them what the manager said to me and none of that info was in the notes of my file and the manager had went on vacation a day after he told me to bring in my computer.
So now I am so upset I take my computer home and call the company that made the pic wireless lan card to ask them what to do. One of their tech support walks me through the process of testing their card and it is found that the drivers were not installed with the pic wireless lan card. It was not recieving a signal because the Geek squad put the hardware in and nothing else. The computer did not recognise the added hardware. I contact the corporate portion of the Geek squad which had "agents" speak to me about this issue. All they did was work to cover themselves while leaving me looking like the one who was at fault. I was on the phone with best buy and the Geek squad for several days, ... more than 4 hours total.
The Store Best Buy and their Geek Squad are only looking to cover their people in wrong doing at the full cost of the customer. I actually had to take the computer to another best buy in order to get information that proved that the first Geek squad was in error. They told me that there was no way that the Geek squad in the other location did the right thing and in saying that I thought I could trust them.
I left my computer there and then when I picked cit up they said that there was a hard drive problem and that was why their pic wireless lan card did not work. So I contacted the corporate office again (4th time) and they refused to give me a refund for the lan card or the router because it was a problem with my computer, not their service or their agents. I forgot to mention that when I talked to their Geek squad agent in their corporate office they spoke extra loud and tried to drown out my statements when they did not agree with what I said about something being very wrong in their Geek squad. Every word out of the mouth of this agent was in a means to say that I as a customer was wrong and their Geek squad was right. I believe the reason they did this was to make sure in the midst of failing companies they would cover their company at the expense of the customer, and to cover their jobs.
I have since cancelled my credit card and account with Best Buy. I will never purchase from this company again because they were willing to steal from me to cover themselves while knowing that their employees are doing wrong.
on [protected] i went to best buy/ G SQUAD to service my computer because a virus erase all the data in my computer and within erase two book that took me a year to write the recommend me to do a data recovery level one with a cost of $249.99 at the store to recovery my documents but they did not have success and then they refer me to a third party i left my computer and they shipped to the third party they contact me by phone and offer me a data recovery level two they did a data recovery an sent me an email with the approximate cost of $499 to $658 + tax.
I accept but my expectancy fails and the recovery where a whole bunch of codes blank pages and many different formats that no one could ever see the data they sent the computer back to the third party to check the computer and the external hard drive but they came up with a level tree solution and $1000.00 down payment with it i accept because i really like to recovery my documents they did a data recovery level tree and sent my computer back but this time the computer did not work anymore the external hard driver never show up any recovery data until still not showing any and they had $1700.00 on their pocket i contact the local office of G Squad At Best Buy for resolution.
They contact the third party the third party send me and email apologizing for the job performance because they discovery that they make a mistake this is what they wrote on the email NOTE) We made a mistake with charging you for your recovery. Your recovery came back as a level 2 and not a level 3. This means we owe you a refund. You will be refunded the entire $350 remaining payment you made as well as $750 from the $1000 lab fee. In order to do this we simply have to have you confirm the refunds with our billing department.
They return my money back to my account at Chase but when i receive the external hard drive the problem continue no pages show up when we open the pages was in blank and the external hard drive show a lot of system files most of the files were corrupted or damages a BIG SCAM a return my hard drive to the store Best Buy 504 to get my complete refund but did not refund my money CONCLUSION i have been charge hundreds of dollars to get my data recovery, they trash my computer damaging the hard drive, nothing show up on my hard drive a this point after 5 month later and on top of it the have not return my money.
Took my laptop into Best Buys, Geek Squad facility to find out why I could not connect to the wireless internet at my home. They kept the laptop 2 days and told me it was fixed. I had prepaid 199.00 for their service. Internet connection worked IN THE STORE with Best Buys wireless. Got the laptop home and was unable to connect to the internet. Frustrated, I called to let them know that the laptop was not fixed. I spoke with Erin. She said bring it back. I went back to the store the next day, Erin would not talk to me she talked to the sales clerk only. The clerk gave me the "party line"...'it works in the store, so it is fixed'... I said I cannot work at Best Buy, I need to work at home. Long story short, I asked repeatedly for my money back or at least the $130.00 for the non-service, they refused. Michelle, another manager, finally came over and offered me a booster for the laptop. I took and left the store unhappy. I am totally dissatisfied with Geek Squad and will not use their service ever again. I am still unable to access the wireless internet inside my home.
did you bring a computer to Best Buy (or its “Geek Squad”) to have the data on that computer transferred to another computer/drive, and ultimately were told that the old computer drive was corrupt (or some such), so that if you wanted the data transferred the old drive would have to be sent to another location for more in-depth/complex work and it would cost more than you were originally told.
If you would like to recover your losses please contact law firm at 800.511.7037 or email at contact@tripplevy.com
Why would you want this scam service in the first place? Best Buy's "optimization" isn't worth it, and has been known to SCREW UP computers more than helping them. I just bought a netbook and because they didn't have any in stock that weren't already optimized, I was stuck taking an optimized netbook from them (although I didn't have to pay for the optimization, at least). When I got it home, I found that they had deleted the good Trend Micro Antivirus (the brand I've used for years, which comes with most ASUS computers) and instead had installed Webroot, which bogged down the Netbook. They had logged me in (thus robbing me of the "new computer first time" experience, where Windows welcomes you and asks you to log in) and they changed all sorts of basic settings that I tend to tweak myself (and they did it WRONG in half of those cases).
Worst of all, they deleted ESSENTIAL ASUS DRIVERS AND FILES. They removed the ASUS keyboard driver for some reason, thus causing all the system's special switches and keystrokes (Fn+F1, WiFi switch, etc.) to cease functioning. They deleted the ASUS power management "Super Hybrid Engine" which allows ASUS netbooks to dynamically control power settings so the battery lasts longer. They even disabled my ability to enter into ExpressGate, the ASUS fast-boot LINUX-based operating system that's built into all their systems. The did make sure to include their own Best Buy application, though, so I could use their portal to buy more Best Buy stuff! How nice of them, huh?
The end result was that the computer was slow, didn't have all the advertised ASUS functions, had malfunctioning switches and keys, wasn't properly personalized for MY needs, and had Best Buy bloatware/adware installed on it. WHAT A BARGAIN!
This is "optimization"? They screwed up my PC before I ever got my hands on it. I don't even know what might have been missing from the opened box!
As it stood, I had to spend three hours restoring the system to factory settings and loading Windows updates again just to get everything working the way it was supposed to. If it weren't for the Eee PC's restore partition, I'd have been stuck with a crippled, damaged PC, thanks to Best Buy's inept screwing around with it.
Geek Squad is the McDonald's of PC repair. Don't go to them if you have any sense.
@Drahkar
It's always first come first serve.
If you were a "more important" customer who's actually dropping some real money for a service they would have no problems pushing your PC and equipment to the front of the queue or opening up new equipment on the floor to accomplish the task more quickly.
^That shouldn't happen. For an optimization on a netbook (USE A FLASH DRIVE)... we all know cd's/dvd's are a thing of the past. That just seems silly that an agent gave you an excuse about the 1 drive.
Every computer manufacturer does have different A/C adapters. And on top of that they all have a million different series' which all have a million models. Netbooks have a lower voltage A/C adaptor than most standard laptops. So precincts don't carry those adapters or universal adaptors for them.
You are being given a best case scenario as far as time goes for an optimization. You have to understand that you aren't the only person being serviced and there is a limited amount of space for computers to be worked on. It's not uncommon for 50+ computers to need servicing at once even at the smaller locations. As far as power cords go - It's fairly common sense to bring your own, do you really think they'd just have 20 or more cords hanging around just so you can be lazy? You have a cord, bring it. It's *your* responsibility to bring all appropriate equipment for the servicing.
The external drive problem is kind of silly since they sell those in store, if they really need one they can just open one up, but also understand that you're only paying $40. If you were a "more important" customer who's actually dropping some real money for a service they would have no problems pushing your PC and equipment to the front of the queue or opening up new equipment on the floor to accomplish the task more quickly.
Also optimizations include windows updates which if you haven't been keeping up on can take an hour or more by themselves.
A little common sense and patience could have easily made your experience better. If you have an appointment somewhere else - leave the computer there and pick it up later. If you don't want to bring your power cord - make sure your battery is charged. If you wanted to make sure it gets done - bring *all* the equipment that may be needed. They'll send you back home with whatever they don't need, it's not that inconvenient, and could very well speed up the process.
Both sides are at fault here. They shouldn't give a time quote unless they can get it out in that amount of time and you should have been more prepared.
-Try a different best buy store.
-Almost every laptop manufacturer has a different style power cord.
-Ask next time what you'll need to bring in with the laptop.
-Why didn't you just leave it overnight?
-Most geek squad places are overwhelmed with pc repairs. You just have to be patient.
laptop repair
Totally lacking in professionalism, coordination, customer service or business sense of any type. Simply high school drop outs in white shirts with a skinny black tie. No training. No ability. A waste of time and money to even enter their store.
Beware of:
General Manager, Edwin Smith.
His name is given out by underlings often, because he simply doesn't return calls, so it doesn't matter.
Beware of:
Operations Manager, Todd Harmon
He was trained by Edwin at how to blame other departments.
Beware of:
Night manager, Zach Ferrell
He was trained by Edwin at customer avoidance skills.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I brought my laptap in for repair because it wouldn't connect with the WiFi network at work. I described the problem in detail. At their suggestion, I authorized a software scan, for which they charged me $70, to check for viruses. On their service order they wrote: "Client opted for DIAG to find the cause of the problem client is aware of $130 for repair if software related." After the scan, they said they found one virus, so I authorized the $130 to fix the problem, for a total of $200 paid. But when I brought the computer back to work, it STILL didn't work. Not one thing had changed. So I asked for a return of my $130. They refused and told me to call "corporate" Best Buy. I did, which took forever (three different agents, after long waits for each). Got cut off and had to start all over again. Finally got through and got the runaround. I told them I shouldn't have to pay the $130 because they didn't fix my computer. I could have bought a functioning used laptap for the $200 I paid to them for absolutely nothing! I said I was happy to eat the original $70, but thought paying another $130 for work which did NOT fix the problem was unfair. We got cut off, so I called yet again. This time I was told that only the store manager could authorize a refund. Yet the Geek Squad guy in the store had told me I had to call corporate! What a runaround! Total incompetence and fraud.
hi,
suggestion -copy/paste yr comment on this site as well -
www.telloscar.com
see other best but/geek squad complaints there
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we fix lots of laptops that the Geek Squad says are unrepairable or that their estimate exceeds the actual cost of repair by hundreds of dollars. I just did a power jack repair on a Toshiba that took me about an hour plus a few dabs of epoxy and the GS was going to ship it off to Toshiba depot and charge the client almost as much as the laptop cost initially. They are SALESMEN first and Technicians second, because they are commission-driven. Unfortunately they have huge advertising budgets and great brand recognition—something a small-town PC repair shop cannot afford. Also the GS charges about 2.5X what we charge for "nuke and redo" where the operating system is reloaded and data is backed up and restored.