YABBT (yet another bestbuy thread)

[dabuddha]

I have a gateway P6860fx laptop I purchased from bestbuy 2 years ago ( I know i know!) I also got the extended warranty as well.

Well last week, my laptop suddenly froze up when playing wow. I hadn't made any driver changes in months before this. I rebooted and everytime I put in my windows password to login, the screen would go purple. Booting up in safe mode would work fine. I uninstalled the video card driver, rebooted in regular mode, and it came up fine. As soon as I installed the video card driver, it started locking up again when I'd reboot. I then reinstalled windows 7 and as soon as I installed the video card driver, it would lock up and crash.

So I took it to best buy last week. I went in today to see what the status was and they told me they ran their "diagnostics" and everything was fine. They said they wanted to install windows (charge me $30.00). I told them I know for a fact that it wasn't a windows issue since it started happening out of the blue and I tried reinstalling windows only to have the same thing happen. I even booted up the laptop in front of the retard, redid the steps (uninstall the vid card driver, reboot, reinstall the vid card driver, crash) and he said "our state of the art diagnostics say there are no hardware problems". So after arguing with him for awhile, he said he can send it out to their central geek squad location to run extended tests. And it takes 3 weeks to get it back (I'm not in a rush). He said this would be covered by the warranty but if they detect that it's a software issue, they'll return it. I told em fine since I figured this way they can't claim that because I didn't use their "extended" tools, it's my fault.

So I guess my question is, how should I proceed if in 3 weeks, those retards send it back saying its a software issue?

TIA!


EDIT (06/30/2010): Well got a call back from those retards and they said their geek squad folks have determined it's a software issue. They said they want to restore the original OS and if I bring the discs in, they can do so. I said sure that's fine as long as it's covered. He responds that it isn't covered and it costs $130 to install the OS (apparently I had the wrong amount before or the first retard gave me the wrong amount).

I asked him how can 15-20 minutes of actual work be worth $130. And that usually extended warranties cover parts and labor. His response was that it's software installation. I told him that's fucking labor and I shouldn't be charged for it. We went back and forth but pretty much got nowhere. Last thing I told him was that I want a detailed list of all the diagnostic tools they used when working on my laptop. Bleh, it looks like I'll have to resort to plan B. If I had the money to spare, I'd love to take it to a real computer shop and have them diagnose the problem correctly just so I can throw it in their god damn stupid faces.

 

[Cuda1447]

Don't buy an extended warranty and don't rely on the Geeksquad to fix your laptop?

Seriously, how much did that extended warranty cost? My bet is a few hundred. You could put a hefty down payment on a new laptop with that money.

 

[GaryJohnson]

So I guess my question is, how should I proceed if in 3 weeks, those retards send it back saying its a software issue?

You should proceed with learning a valuable lesson about not doing business with Best Buy.

or, if you have an immense disposable income, I suppose you could attempt to sue them.

there's a third option, but I don't think it can be suggested here because I think there's some kind of rule about suggesting to other posters that they engage in violent and/or malicious acts.

 

[mrjminer]

I'd keep everything they give you and document all conversations. Ask for copies of everything. When it comes back from their service center after they run their "state of the art diagnostics" (yea... rofl). When it comes back as a software issue, which it most likely will, take it to a local place with a good reputation. They'll properly diagnose it for you for a fee.

After it gets diagnosed by a real shop, take the diagnosis up to Best Buy and give them an ultimatum: fix or replace this laptop or see me in court. If they decline, get the laptop repaired at the small shop. File in small claims court for the cost of the repairs, plus the cost of your time in dealing with the mess. Also, try to tack on anything you can to be a pain in the ass to them, like asking the judge to make them hand over documentation explaining their diagnostic procedures and their training / expertise that makes them capable of fulfilling the warranties they offer and try to submit some sort of petition to the court to block them from selling warranties they do not have the ability to honor.

I don't think there's any other way to get your money back from Best Buy. Most likely, after you bring them a real diagnosis, they'll just give you the money for the repair or a new system. My brother works at a repair shop, and he collects Best Buy stickers for every time someone goes up to the Geek Squad to get something fixed that they don't fix. He even goes up and screams his ass off at them and gets them to refund money.

 

[mav451]

You know I always wonder - was Geek Squad this bad even before the acquisition by BB?

 

[amdhunter]

A lot of those kids know when there is a real problem, but are forced to not help the customers. Don't blame them. I wouldn't give you a free laptop either if it meant that I'd look bad to my bosses.

 

[bobdole369]

Reference my recentBB thread. In my case I lost my temper and my wife had to finish my dirty work while I left the store prior to a trespass / bar incident.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2077389

The last fellow in the thread had it right. I should have challenged the store manager to a duel.

It sounds like a bad video card.

At one of my local BB locs (the one from which I was ejected) (we have 4 in the county believe it or not), The geeksquad was busy playing paper ball basketball with 7 folks waiting in line for help. It's hard to get them to do their jobs, let alone actually figure something out.

Let this be a lesson.

1. Will you ever purchase anything, especially an extended warranty, from a Best Buy?

2. Will you dissuade all of your friends from doing the same?

Instead you should provide yourself and others a service and use reputable online merchants, thus killing off Best Buy. They bring nothing but garbage to the community and deserve nothing but bankruptcy. Someone else will step up.

This is the only way to proceed.

You must allow the "software" issue to be taken care of. I would have already imaged my machine using the factory or whatever method discs. I also would have been in contact with the laptop makers mfr prior to the BB trip. It sometimes helps to have a tech support agent from the mfr on the cell phone as you walk up.

Best Buy's job is to keep you from getting what you paid for in terms of the extended warranty. They only care about money. Never forget this.

 

[bobdole369]

was Geek Squad this bad even before the acquisition by BB?

BB made them that way. I happen to know of at least one call center supporting GS before the BB acquisition. I used to work in IT (for the company, not specifically GS, the call center had a lot of accounts). They also did Best Buy's inhouse support team at that call center. They ended up merging. GS used to be good.

 

[child of wonder]

Geek Squad is totally worthless. Most of their "techs" are retarded kids or college dropouts who know less about computers than the steaming piles many of us on these forums leave behind after a trip to Taco Bell.

 

[Wyndru]

You know I always wonder - was Geek Squad this bad even before the acquisition by BB?

They were around before BB?

I assume any kind of chain retail style tech support is like this, since it's all level 1 techs willing to fix computers for $10-15 hourly. The local geek squad here is mostly high school kids.

 

[bobdole369]

They were around before BB?

They were a fairly successful independent chain of in-house on-call "geeks" who came and set up Auntie Sue's router for $85 a visit or something. BB bought them out in the early 2k's.

http://www.forbes.com/2008/01/04/pf...clayton_in_sa_0103claytonchristensen_inl.html

 

[GaryJohnson]

It all comes down to what they pay their techs. Anywhere else in the IT industry the standard is for the contractor to get half what the contracting company is being paid. But GS is what $100+/hour and the techs are getting ~$10? That's an insane disparity. And everybody knows about it yet they keep using the fucking service. /rant

 

[dabuddha]

I'm definitely documenting everything as it happens including names of folks I spoke with. Yes I know working with BestBuy and Geek Squad wasn't the greatest of ideas but at the time, the laptop was almost 400 bucks cheaper than it was online.

I'd try sending my wife but she has way less patience than I do lol. BTW I did learn my lesson and just finished putting together my new rig yesterday
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2082696
which is the reason why I'm willing to wait in order to get them to fix it right. If they insist next time that it's the software, I'll bring in my copy of windows 7 and install it right there in front of them wasting their time. Fuck paying $30 to those retards.

 

[Synomenon]

If you have the extended warranty, brick the thing by doing a BIOS update and pull the battery out in the middle of the BIOS flash. Lets see them try to diagnose that.

Do it a couple of times until they agree to replace the laptop with an equivalent model or something that costs as much as you originally paid for it.

PS:
I hate Best Buy.

 

[thescreensavers]

Lol the bestbuy you have over there must suck, the one I worked at was alright, they would easily swap out laptops..ect. Plus they all knew there shit except maybe one or two of them.

This one person did come in with a Asus laptop with a GPU that was a year old and they wanted to swap them with a laptop that had an integrated chip since the value of the Asus laptop was like $755 , I had to take care of that for them and make sure they got a laptop with a GPU, but other then that they generally dont dance like you are talking about.

OP Is your store really busy? Mine was all the time and thats prob why they just send it out and or replace it with little fuss.

 

[BoomerD]

If the laptop is 2 years old, did it come with Vista pre-installed? Is it possible that the problem is Window's 7 related?

That's the kind of thing that Geek Squad will probably push at you. You're not running the original OS and the upgrade is causing the problems. (I realize that may NOT be in any way related to the problem, but remember, this is Best Buy/Geek squad, not qualified repair people)

Perhaps you should reformat back to the original OS and replicate the problem before you send it in for repair...

 

[shortylickens]

You should proceed with learning a valuable lesson about not doing business with Best Buy.

or, if you have an immense disposable income, I suppose you could attempt to sue them.

there's a third option, but I don't think it can be suggested here because I think there's some kind of rule about suggesting to other posters that they engage in violent and/or malicious acts.

Only against women and non-whites.
Violence against white males is ALWAYS acceptable on Anandtech.

Seriously though, Best Buy is one of the worst places to buy a computer. Despite what their TV spots tell you.

 

[dabuddha]

If the laptop is 2 years old, did it come with Vista pre-installed? Is it possible that the problem is Window's 7 related?

That's the kind of thing that Geek Squad will probably push at you. You're not running the original OS and the upgrade is causing the problems. (I realize that may NOT be in any way related to the problem, but remember, this is Best Buy/Geek squad, not qualified repair people)

Perhaps you should reformat back to the original OS and replicate the problem before you send it in for repair...

It did come with vista x64 installed. I probably shoulda restored vista x64 before giving it to them but as far as win 7, I've been running it since January without any problems. It just froze up and started crashing out of the blue on me :/

I'll give their central Geek squad "state of the art" crew a chance but if they give me that software excuse again, I'll take my OS dvd into the store, pull up a chair right to their counter, and proceed to install the OS in front of them.

 

[Number1]

I have had good luck in all my dealings with BB up here in Halifax including:

Bought a Sony receiver and returned it a week later because I was not happy with the sound.

Bought a Onkyo receiver and returned it because I found a better deal on the internet. BB matched the online price on a new unit plus shipping wich was fine by me. The manager tried VERY hard to sell me the extended warranty but I did not buy it and walked out with the new receiver and very happy.

Bought a monitor and returned it a week later because they had a better deal on another unit.

Got a good price on a car deck

Purchased a Sirius receiver (Sportster 5, $100.)with the extended waranty ($20.00) for one year, the reviews indicate this receiver is prone to malfunctions.(there is not much choice on satellite receiver). I have to say the sales kid was completely useless and had no clue what he was talking about while hanging on for dear life to his shiny IPad.

Of course, I have not dealt with Geek Squad and would not buy extended warranty on any expensive items.

That is all for now.

 

[GaryJohnson]

Only against women and non-whites.
Violence against white males is ALWAYS acceptable on Anandtech.

Seriously though, Best Buy is one of the worst places to buy a computer. Despite what their TV spots tell you.

We can't be sure the techs are white males. I mean it's highly, highly likely that they are, but we can't be 100% sure.

So I am definately not recommending that the OP burn down the local BB or shoot up the joint, possibly taking all the GS people hostage and killing one every hour till they fix the laptop. Yessiree, that would be a bad wrong thing to do.

 

[dabuddha]

Updated in OP
Fuck Best Buy

 

[Terabyte]

Updated in OP
Fuck Best Buy

That's all you need for cliffs, and everyone will understand.

 

[BoomerD]

So, based on your update, pick the laptop up, take it home and restore it to the original OS...THEN, if you continue having the problems, take it back.

If you don't have a copy of the original Vista 64 bit OS, I'm sure there are tons of copies floating around from the "Feedback Panel" giveaway a couple of years ago. I know I have 2 copies myself.

 

[nick1985]

Ask for the general manager of the store and tell him/her your story.

 

[DougK62]

You did a clean install of the OS, not just install over the top of the old?

If so, it's probably a hardware problem.