Best Buy & Geek Squad Policies

[jzick]

In reviewing other posts, I see that our story is not unique, but it still must be told.  Right now, we're dealing with two issues with BB - one regarding their Service Plan (and sales ethics), and one regarding Geek Squad's competency and customer service.

1. Our Dell laptop was functioning, but quite slowly.  So my husband took it to the Geek Squad for diagnostics.  $75 later, they called us to tell us that the computer needed more memory, and the hard drive was completely fried.  They wanted to charge us hundreds of dollars to repair those issues.  My husband told them to stop diagnostics/repair immediately, and he would pick up the computer.  When he did, it wouldn't even boot up.  When he called Geek Squad, their response was "unfortunate timing, but that hard drive was going to die sooner or later...not our fault."  So, I asked my little brother to look at the computer for us.  He knows a thing or two about computers - but he's no computer expert!  In one minute, he was able to diagnose the issue (failed memory), and install new memory to the computer, and all issues were resolved.  Now, we want to get our $75 back for TOTALLY bogus diagnostics...and my husband's been told that he has to go back to the store (THIRD TRIP) to speak with a manager.  It's absolutely ridiculous!!!

2. A couple months ago, we were in the market for a new DVD player.  The BB rep talked us into buying the in-store display of a model that would have been above our price range, but was then on discount.  We would not have bought the display product - EXCEPT that the sales rep insisted that with BB's service plan, if ANYTHING was wrong with the player, the store would REPLACE the machine with a brand new model of same price/features/quality, etc.  My husband questioned the rep several times on this point, and we were assured that the plan included REPLACEMENT with a new machine.  Sure enough, we got the player home, and it was missing one of its components.  When my husband returned to the store (TRIP 2), he was told that he had purchased a "Service/Repair" plan, and that they would not replace the DVD player, but would send it in for repair, which may take 3-4 weeks.  Obviously, the sales rep who sold us the plan was either mis-informed (which BB needs to take responsibility for!), or was misleading us intentionally to get the sale.  Whatever the case, this has left us without a DVD player for the past weeks, and requires us to make ANOTHER trip (TRIP 3) to BB to pick up the player once it is fixed (and hoping it will actually be fixed!).

As you can see from the above two issues...We are now 6 TRIPS into BB, with no guarantee of resolution on either of these issues.  And I can pretty much guarantee that if I get a response to this post, it will be a "customer service" rep, responding with "by the book" language about referring to our service plan contract details.  If that's the case, please don't reply. 

If Best Buy wants to have a future in this economy, their executive leaders need to stand up and take notice of the major issues that are trending through this community and elsewhere online.  Responding with curt, by-the-book "customer service" statements and policy jargon is not going to help their business.  THEY ARE LOSING CUSTOMERS.  And if we don't see resolution on the issues I've noted above, I can assure you that we will be in the crowd of customers lost.  And it's too bad - because as Minnesota natives, we'd love to support a locally-based business. 

[CrystalWoW Valued Expert]

From what it sounds like, if they called and told you what they beleived was wrong with your system your diagnostic would be complete at that point, so even if your husband had them stop the repair, the diagnostic portion was already complete. Services are usually never refundable unless you were under warranty and the warranty covered it, then they return it. Since the computer is functioning now, they might be able to work with you but that is all manager discretion. I don't really see it being refundeable since in there eyes they completed that diagnostic portion of your services. 

As for the dvd player there isn't much to say really. The rep made a mistake obviously. The only thing i can really add is that when we switched to our new black tie protection plans it confused a lot of people. Certain items at certain prices are replacements, when a more expensive item that is similar is a repair. It has caused all sorts of confusion for representatives and sales floor. The only person who has anything in front of them to tell them what kind of plan it is is the cashier. With a component missing you should have just been able to return it and get a different product if you were within the thirty days and return the service plan. No excuse for the rep not knowing his product plans but it is rather confusing for us too. 

[justathought]

   I don't think their "diagnostic test" is worth $75.00, especially if it was faulty...

[Starflyer59]

Once again Crystal employee defends BB tooth and nail without putting any thought into her reply. The Geeks said the hard drive was fried (not true), they said the memory was bad (true). The geeks misdignosed the problem and should give them their money back.

It's like going into a auto repair business for a oil change and the mechinic comes out and says you need $800 in brake work done, when you just had new brakes put on six months ago.

BB Geek squad charged them for diagnostics that they did not perform CORRECTLY and then could not pinpoint the problem, so as usual, the geeks just made up some false problems and wanted to charge them for things that had nothing wrong with them.

Crystal...did you ever see the video where this computer magazine disabled a setting in the BIOS and then they took it to several Best Buys, CC's and compusa's?

At every BB store the geeks misdignosed the problem and told the person they needed hundreds of dollars of repairs. they told them the hard drive was bad, the memory was bad, the OS needed reloading. CC missed the disabled BIOS setting and COMPUSA was the only one to catch it.

Wouldn't you want your money back if the only thing wrong was a setting in the BIOS?

The geek squad said the hard drive fried. They misdignosed the problem. They owe them a refund.

The geek did not do the job they promised.

[Elizabeth-BBY Community Supervisor]

Dear jzick, 

Thanks for posting your concern on our Best Buy® Forum.  Your issue has been assigned to one of our Community Connectors for further review and response, and you should be hearing something within a maximum of 3-5 business days.  Please note that it may be sooner depending on the complexity of your issue and the current volume of posts.  Thanks for your continued patience as we work to assist all of the customers who have reached out to us on this forum.

[ecjrider]

I wanted to reply to your posting because my problem is strikingly similar to yours.  I brought my laptop to the Geek Squad because my Internet Explorer was not working properly (however the rest of my programs were running just fine...).  The geek squad said that my computer had a virus and would do a complete diagnostic and repair of my computer for $199.99.  I reluctantly agreed for the sake of having my computer fixed.  While they were fixing my computer they informed me that my hard drive was bad and that I needed a new one installed.  When I asked how much this would cost, the lady said that it would cost me about $80.00 for a new hard, yet she failed to mention the other $60.00 or so that they were going to charge me for installing the hard drive.  I again reluctantly agreed but figured they would have my computer running again. 

When I got my computer home, I tried starting up my computer.  The first two attempts stalled when my computer would NOT load properly.  This was NOT even a problem before I let Geek Squad "fix" my computer.  After a few more attempts, I was able to get the computer to work about every other try for that first week.  The second week I had my computer back, my computer would not load properly at all, and if I was able to get to the main screen my computer would freeze instantly when I would try to select a program. 

I took my computer back to the Geek Squad and told them the issues that I was still having with the computer that I had just spent $340.00 on to fix.  The man working at the counter witnessed the problems and said that they would look at my computer again.  After I dropped off my computer I didn't hear back from anyone for about a week.  When I called BB, they said my computer was fixed and ready to be picked up.  When I went to BB to pick up the computer I asked if it stopped freezing.  The same man that witnessed my computer freezing the second time told me that they were having trouble replicating the problems that I told them about.  I asked to see if the computer worked and he attempted to turn my laptop on.  On the very first try, the same problems I was having after getting my computer back from BB the first time, occurred once again. 

At this point, the man told me he could reload everything back onto my computer again (for the second time now) and that he guaranteed his work.  However, when I asked if they could help me out and back up my itunes so I would not have to put all my music back onto my computer again and spend more time on this computer, he told me that he could not do that service for free and that it would cost $100.00 to back up files on my computer.  I said to the man, "this is the second time I am back here for a problem that I didn't even originally have and my computer still is not working.  I don't understand why you can't help me out."  The man did not try to make the situation right and just said that he would try to get my computer running. 

Currently my computer is at the Best Buy in Otay Ranch, California again for the third time.  Hopefully the fourth time is a charm...

[CrystalWoW Valued Expert]

I do not defend Best Buy in all their actions. There are many instances on this forum where a Best Buy associate dropped the ball or things definitely slipped through the cracks or were mishandled. My point in my post was that yes they misdiagnosed but they normally reperform the service instead of returning services. They messed up but they normally would continue to  repeat the service until the problem was fixed. The customer had already had their product fixed so at that point its at a managers discretion as to whether they could just cancel the service. I hope they got the situation resolved succesfully and to everyone's satisfaction.

[Allan-BBY Community Connector]

Hey jzick,

From reading your post I will agree that it doesn’t sound like the Geed Squad® diagnosed the issue with your Dell laptop correctly; and I can relate to being upset with being told you were purchasing a replacement plan on the DVD player you purchased, and then finding out you had actually purchased a service plan. I can also imagine that six trips into your Best Buy® store without getting resolution in either one of these matters just makes matters worse.

I know you said that you didn’t want a response to your post that just quotes our policies, or the terms and conditions of your service plan, but I do need to provide clarification on how Best Buy® addresses the described scenarios. Services performed by Best Buy® are non-refundable, but we do guarantee them for 30 days, and if the service you paid for was not performed correctly we would redo the service at no charge to you. It sounds like there was a miscommunication at the time of the DVD player purchase, and I really do feel bad if you left the store believing you purchased a replacement plan when in reality you had purchased a service plan.

I would like to see if I can get both these situations resolved for you so I am sending you a private message. To check your messages you should make sure you are logged into the forum, and then click on the letter icon in the upper right-hand corner of the page.

Thanks for posting,
Allan
Community Connector
Best Buy® Corporate

[justin3323]

You say that services at bestbuy are understandable and that they would simply redo the services rendered if it was done incorrectly.

Wouldn't that be like going to a mechanic and paying for a brake job and getting new spark plugs and not being refunded even though they did not do the work promised ? 

Right now I'm having my own issues with geek squad, false promises of call backs, false follow ups, and flat out lies to get me off the phone.

After reading other posts on the forums I am seriously regretting ever doing business with best buy as they are looking more and more like a massive joke played on the consumer.

Especially in this day and age, if you go in for a diagnostic, and they give you the wrong one, and try to sell you items/services you don't need. And it is proven it was the wrong diagnosis, their money should be refunded no questions asked. 

Since at that point they are not getting what they paid for, and to do otherwise would constitute defrauding the consumer.

Wouldn't it ?