Best Buy & Geek Squad Policies

[txdesign72]

I bought a NEW laptop less than a month ago.  The other morning when I went to turn it on it was blank. I took it back to BB and they said it could be fixed.  Later that day after they called my house number which was not my primary number.  I gave them my cell number for my primary.  So, my computer sat there for hours not being worked on.  And that isn't even the problem. 

I was told it would cost $200 to fix my computer!  What the Freak?!?  It's a NEW computer!  It's not like as if it was six months or even a year old.  They said it was a software issue, so BB and GS are not held responsible and I would have to pay to get it fixed.  What was I to do?  I need my laptop for school, and I lost homework because of this.  They also wanted to charge me $100 for retrieval of my hard drive, whether they got information or not.  Then they said they could not guarantee my files wouldn't be okay.

I am very unhappy and unsatisfied with BB.  My mom was going to by a new washer/dryer set for her house, but I have stopped her from that purchase. My nephew, who is also in school, will be purchasing his new computer somewhere else after being told about this.  Also, I will tell everyone I know to be cautious of BB and Geek Squad with inferior products and overpriced "labor."  I was looking for accessories for my laptop, but I will be buying it elsewhere.  Reward Zone points are not worth the headache and grief I am suffering from this regrettable purchase.  Also, when it comes time for a new computer I will be shopping elsewhere for that, too.

Regrettable buyer,

Chris

[Starflyer59]

Get the laptop back and just do a factory restore. Do not let me them take advantage of you.

[starhelper2587]

The problem is that the MFGs won't cover software issues on PCs with their 1 or 2 year MFG warranties.  Neither do the GS warranties b/c of this.

[Starflyer59]

Another thing to try is call the manufacturer. They will at least walk you through a factory restore or a system restore and they will not charge you to do it.

There is no reason in this world that anyone should have to pay $200-$300 on a month old laptop. How do these geek squad agents sleep at night? If you lived in the Jacksonville FL area I would help you for free.

What kind of software problem would cost $200 bucks to repair? You can roll your laptop back a few days or a week with system restore for free.

[JoshSB]

Normally it would be $129.99, not $200.

However I understand how it would upset you.

[Starflyer59]

When you say "blank screen" does it show your desktop and no icons? Or is the screen just black and you are not getting anything at all? When turn on the laptop do you see any of the boot (POST) information? Do you get anything at all on the screen during the boot time?

[txdesign72]

All I get is a C prompt.  I just spoke with them and hopefully the data will be saved on my computer.  It's a major lesson learned with BB and GS.  And I am not through with the whole situation either.

[Dorothy-BBY Community Supervisor]

Hello txdesign72 -

Aaron, from our Community Connector team, will be reaching out to you regarding your concern.  I appreciate your patience until he is able to contact you. 

[Aaron-BBY Community Connector]

Hello Chris (txdesign72),

The purchase of a brand-new computer is by no means a small investment, so I can imagine how frustrated you must feel to be experiencing difficulties with your laptop so soon after the purchase date.  Discovering that the cause of the problem may be software-related certainly doesn’t make the situation any easier, especially if you have not had the opportunity backup your files yet.  I would be equally disappointed in a similar situation.

Like starhelper2587 mentioned though, I regret to inform you that most factory warranties do not provide coverage for software-related issues.  This unfortunately means that you would be responsible for the costs of any software services you seek, including data backup/recovery and operating system reinstallation.  As Starflyer59 suggested, however, you may wish to contact the manufacturer directly for over-the-phone troubleshooting support if you are not satisfied with the estimate you were provided by your local store – a phone rep may be able to guide you through the system restore process.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to let me know.  You can send me a private message by signing into the forums and then clicking on either my signature below or the letter icon in the upper right-hand corner of the page.