Best Buy & Geek Squad Policies

[hydrogenwv]

Yea, Best Buy isn't making anything by replacing your HDD... In fact, the only outcome of replacing a drive that has no problems is wasted time and money. It'd make no sense for them to replace it unless it was defective/damaged.

[CH]

Sorry, but I did not understand. I asked if I bring the disc in will you load them. When he said yes, it would cost between $7-$40, I said your kidding me. I then explained I will pick it up as is and not pay another dime to them. I have contacted Dell and apologized to them for not dealing directly with them, as I had in the past, and to make them aware of Best Buy practices. I have learned my lesson the hard and expensive way. Thing is I should have researched Best Buy online beforehand, seems I am not the only one who has issues with the wonderful "accidental policy." That will never happen again. My blank laptop will be back in my hands tomorrow and I will get it re-loaded myself.

[hydrogenwv]

Best Buy isn't allowed to keep copies of restore discs for your computer, therefore you are required to supply them if you want them to reinstall windows. When you first boot the computer, most systems will prompt you to make recovery discs. If you don't, you have to get them from the manufacturer.

[Mbrguy Trusted Contributor]

Just curious CH, but would you have preferred that they not replace your failing HDD and the next time when the hard drive failed for good, instead of paying $250 for a Data Backup, you would have to pay $1600 for Data Recovery if you wanted to recover your irreplaceable pictures?

They don't just replace hard drives for the fun of it, and they wouldn't make money off of replacing perfectly good hard drives.

[CH]

Dear Mbrguy:

While I appreciate the free time you are using, to reply to my complaint directly, you are not really doing anything but defending Best Buy. I have been through all of this.

A Best Buy representative lied to me from my first visit and the policy evidently is carried on through out the company.

I was mislead and I accept responsibility for not doing an internet complaint search about Best Buy before I purchased. My usual procedure before investing a large amount of money.

How naive was I to think I could trust a large corporation to be honest. The company I work for bases it's entire policy on being honest with it's customers and never misleading them with any fine print or double talk. I have been a technician here for 20 years, guess that's why we are still in business.

What the Repair center should have done is contacted me, made me aware of the hard drive issue and give me the option to have it replaced. Evidently they feel I am not competent to make that decision and decided to handle it for me.

Do not even try to convince they are not making money off of it. $200-$700 to ghost/copy a hard drive? That's the ball park I received because they don't know even though according to them they are the only repair center for best Buy. Sorry but I don't buy it.

Maybe you can sell it to the next fool that walks through those doors, this one learned her lesson the first time.

You aren't really assisting me at all, so you probably can move on to the next person who has an issue with Best Buy, there seems to several..

Thank you for your time.

[hydrogenwv]

The repair center didn't contact you because you gave them persmission on the service order to fix everything. It's also my understanding that, per their agreement with the underwriter of the policy, that they HAVE to fix everything that is found defective in order to avoid repeat visits.

Yes, they will make money off of the data backup if you choose to have it done. It's an optional service, though, which you declined. You could have taken your computer home and backed up before sending it off, especially since you agreed on the service order that your data was your responsibility.

[CH]

Dear hydrogennw:

Duly noted. While I appreciate the free time you are using, to reply to my complaint directly, you are not really doing anything but defending Best Buy. I have been through all of this.

You aren't really assisting me at all, so you probably can move on to the next person who has an issue with Best Buy, there seems to several..

Thank you for your time.

[hydrogenwv]

Just because you don't like what you hear, it doesn't mean it's not correct.

  Defending Best Buy? Nope. The employee shouldn't have misled you regarding the protection plan, but since I do not work for Best Buy, there is nothing I can do about that.

 At the same time, you should have read before you signed. Everything that Best Buy did is within your terms and agreements, which is a binding contract that you entered into. Would you sign a lease without reading it? Would you agree to the terms of a credit card and use it without first reading the contract? I'd hope not.

  People are always so quick to sign whatever someone tells them to, without having any idea what is within the pages of what they are signing.... Read, understand, sign...

[CH]

As I stated up above I am vision impaired, that is why I point blank asked what I was agreeing to. And was told by another best Buy employee "so there are no more misunderstandings, you are giving us permission to ship the laptop to our repair center." Regardless I am screwed, it's an expensive lesson, but it has been learned. Hopefully others will see what I have been through and will shop elsewhere. I found my recovery disk so at least I will have Windows again.

I have been duly chastised by you and br. No more is necessary, please move on.

[Mbrguy Trusted Contributor]

If you are ever incapable of reading a contract, always have someone else READ not Summarize the actual contract to you.