Best Buy & Geek Squad Policies

[KairosDrasis]

Hello all.  I've recently have had a not-so-great experience with geek squad and I was hoping that you could help me out.

About 11 months ago I bought my laptop (employee purchase - worked in computers).  It was a Toshiba A305-S6825.

About 7 months into ownership, the audio jack sounded gargled when you plugged in earphones on the right side (tried with multiple earphones).  I used my laptop for work, and my desktop for play so I waited till I got back from college to use my manufacture warranty (didn't buy an extended) a month ago.

The laptop was expected to arrive sometime after 2½ weeks.  The website told me it was time to pick it up.  I planned on going and getting my laptop the next day.

Well here is where things get odd.  I check my email, and I get another email from geek squad stating that my laptop has a new service order.  I'm scratching my head to figure out why.  Later that day, they call me and tell me if there is any data that they need to get off of my hard drive before they destroy it.  I remind the person that all I need is the audio jack to be resoldered or just a new motherboard (that the hard drive is find) and she insists that the hard drive is now broken so they are giving me a new one.  So I hoped for the best and just went with it.

Finally I get my laptop on the 6th.  It has no operating system loaded, but that didn't surprise me due to the new hard drive.

I took the laptop back home, though in a new windows 7 disk, and let it rip.  It finished installing and I started up my newly fixed laptop.  I pick it up and put it in my lap... and crash.  The whole thing restarts.  Does the same thing again when at the "Windows didn't shut down correctly" message.

So I sit the laptop down, and thinking that it might just be random bad luck, reinstall 7.  Keeping it on the desk, it finishes.  I leave it on the desk try to search google and it freezes.

I then go though the motions of installing Vista (using the original disks)  It still crashes.  Sometime it won't even enter POST, or the screen dies, or I hear apparent parts moving inside.

So after wasting my entire night on the thing I bring it back to best buy in the morning.  My good friend there test it out, and now it would never enter POST.

He told me that they would have to send it out *again.*

Now wishing that I never gave it to best buy in the first place, I reluctantly gave it back for the 2nd time.  The total time at the shop will be at least 6 weeks.

Now preparing for the worst, I'm asking you some questions/conjecture:
1) I believe that they either dropped the laptop, or did something to mess it up because it was fine previously. Would you agree?
2) Is geek sqaud policy to reinstall an OS if a hard drive is to fail (in their hands)?  How about if it was working, but has been determined that a new hard drive is needed?

3) What do you think is wrong currently with my laptop?
4) If I get it back in a sub-par condition, what is the chance that I can get a new laptop?  Will I get one of the same model or the nearest model available?

5) anything else I should know?

Thanks,
Kairos

[hockeycanuckjc Trusted Contributor]

You didnt mention if you had any extended warranties on the laptop or not.

[KairosDrasis]

[quote]

About 7 months into ownership, the audio jack sounded gargled when you plugged in earphones on the right side (tried with multiple earphones).  I used my laptop for work, and my desktop for play so I waited till I got back from college to use my manufacture warranty (didn't buy an extended) a month ago.

[/quote]

hope bbcode works

[hockeycanuckjc Trusted Contributor]

Hmm, thats kind of too techincal for me, maybe someone else experienced with repairs could chime in here. Sorry about that.

[hockeycanuckjc Trusted Contributor]

Ah... I think you might be implying your laptop is a lemon In that case if it goes out so many times before the warranty is up , you might be entitled to a new computer.

[Elizabeth-BBY Community Supervisor]

Hi KairosDrasis,

I've asked Aaron, one of our Geek Squad Community Connectors, to look into this and follow up with you.  You should hear from him within the next few business days.

Thanks for your continued patience,

[KairosDrasis]

Thanks for your help.  ^_^

[Aaron-BBY Community Connector]

Hey KairosDrasis,

Without details of the technician’s findings it’s difficult to say what the root cause of the problem might be. Rest assured though that if any damage occurred to your computer while it was in our possession, we have an obligation under our 30-day service guarantee to address that issue and provide any necessary follow-up repairs.

As far as the O/S is concerned, Best Buy does include O/S reinstallation as a standard service whenever a hard drive is replaced. Customers must provide the necessary recovery and installation discs, however, as they vary from model to model and cannot be ordered on your behalf.

I would like to take this opportunity to gather some additional information from you, so please keep an eye on your private messages (the letter icon in the upper right-hand corner of the page) for further communication.

[KairosDrasis]

Thank you all for letting me know that they don't reinstall the OS (its not a problem).

I'm actually going to pick it up today (as soon as I can get a ride there). I have to go now, so I'll tell you the results later (and I'll PM you Aaron-GS soon after picking it up).

Thanks again,
Kairos

[KairosDrasis]

Ugh...

Sorry for the delay.  Had to wait an extra day but a got my laptop back.

It looks like there hasn't been any changes since I gave it to them the last time.  I can still hear a screw bouncing around (sometimes causing mayhem, sometimes not).  Also I just realized that the CPU fan doesn't work at all.  I'm not sure if this was the cause of some crashes or what... but speedfan told me that the CPU temp was 85 Degrees, then negitive 43, then it crashed.  The fan didn't respond normally (without speedfan), or when I started up speedfan and turned it to 100%.

Looks like I get to take it back... again... Great...

6 weeks (probably 8 when I'm done with the thing) for an audio jack... should have been content like my brother said.  Oh well, c'est la vie.

I'll send all my info to ya Aaron (funny you have the same name as my brother).

Thanks,

Kairos