Hello,
I'm writing to share the details on the experience that I had with getting the screen repaired on my Samsung Galaxy S20+ (non-warranty repair). The difficulty in getting this service complete was unacceptable, with missteps by Best Buy at every stage of the process. I don't think I could ever envision myself making future purchases or do any service work with BestBuy in the future. Below is an outline of each of the issues that I had with my experience:
1.On Feb 25, I call BestBuy to see if the Dunwoody, GA Best Buy has the ability to do screen repairs for a cracked screen on my Samsung Galaxy S20+ and if so can I schedule an appointment. I am told that the scheduling system for that location doesn't seem to be working working, but that yes they can do screen repairs for my phone model and I am welcome to walk-in and drop it off with the Geek Squad. When I arrive at the store and speak with the Geek Squad representative I am told that the Dunwoody location cannot repair any Samsung devices because they are not an authorized Samsung repair location.
2. I asked if they could provide me with the name of another BestBuy in the Atlanta area that is a Samsung repair location and they said that the only one is in Gwinnett, GA and that I am welcome to make an appointment with them online. I logged into the Best Buy Website and scheduled a repair appointment for the next day, Feb 26. (Online I saw that once I inputted my phone model and repair type, that Dunwoody did not show up, but Gwinett did, so I'm feeling good that I'm on the right track) On Sunday Feb 26 - I drive to Best Buy in Gwinnett at my appointment time and am told by the Geek Squad that they cannot repair Samsung devices and that "they never have". I tell them that this seems odd because I was told by the Dunwoody store that the Gwinnett store could, and that the BestBuy website allowed me to schedule an appointment for this specific phone model and repair type online. The Geek Squad representative tells me that the one location in Atlanta that might be able to do this repair is the Edgewood location, but that they have no way of contacting that store for me.
3. I call the number for the Edgewood Best Buy and ask if they can confirm whether they can perform a screen repair on my specific model of phone. The representative on the phone says that yes there are a number of locations in Atlanta that can do a repair like that including Gwinnett or Dunwoody. I inform the representative that they are incorrect, because I am at the Gwinnett store and was in Dunwoody yesterday and they say they cannot and therefore the BestBuy scheduling system online is incorrect. I ask if they can contact the Edgewood store or put me in contact with them so that I can ask them if they can actually do the repair. I am told that this is not possible and that the Best Buy representative that I'm speaking with has absolutely no way of contacting a local store for any reason. I'm told the "phones don't work" for Edgewood.
4. I drive to the Edgewood Best Buy and speak to the geek squad. They say that they can indeed repair my screen there, however I will need to schedule an appointment to drop it off the next week on March 4th. Not ideal, but fine. I make the appointment and then return on March 4th in to drop off my phone for repair. When dropping off my phone, I arrive 15 minutes before by scheduled appointment time in the early afternoon and then wait in line for 20+ minutes (which is fine), but then once I am speaking with my Geek Sqaud representative, it takes approximately 40 more minutes before I can leave the store. Apparently there is some kind of issue with the system that lets the Geek Squad input the information for my drop-off and also a problem with the label printer. So the geek squad employees have to discuss the best path forward and have to fill out a manual order sheet, and hand-made sticky-note stickers with my name, pin code, call-bacl number, etc, to put on my phone, on the order sheet, and on the new screen. About an hour after arriving, I leave the store.
5. Before leaving the store I ask how long the repair is expected to take and am told that it should be completed same day- probably 2-3 hours. I ask if I can have a number to call to confirm when the repair is complete and am told that they don't have a number, but that they can take my number and will be sure to call me as soon as it is ready for pickup. I give them the number for my other phone and I go about the rest of my day and and never receive a call back, a text or an email, so I decide to wait to just pick up my phone the next day.
6. I call Best Buy on the next day, March 5th, at 11:05am, right after the edgewood store opens and ask if they can confirm that my repair is complete so I can know if I can pick up my phone. I am told that they can only look up my order with a specific 14-digit order number. I read off each of the numbers on the receipt that I was given, but apparently none of them are the correct type of order number and it was a differnet number that I was never given while at the store.
7. I then ask if they can look it up any other way - using by Best Buy account, using my phone number, etc. I give them each of my phone numbers (the one being repaired, and the callback number that I has given the employee at the Edgewood store) and the representative on the phone says that neither number is coming up in their system
8. They eventually are able to look up my order by using my home address for some reason. They say that the repair shows as complete, but that they again have no way of contacting the store to confirm if it really is complete. I have no idea if these system issues were related to the technical difficulties at the Edgewood store or by Best Buy's repair scheduling system. I also don't know why the store did not provide me with the correct number that I would need to check on my order, or why I was never given a call back. So I'm again stuck with having no way to contact the store or verify the information I'm beign told ovr the phone, which was incorrect in multiple instances leading up until now.
9. Furthermore, the Best Buy representative on the phone tells me that I should not just go to the store to pick up my phone because "this store only works by appointments" and you can't walk in for service or for picking up completed serviced items. I say thats okay and I ask if he can make me an appointment for later in the day to pick up my phone and am told that the earliest pick up date in is 9 days later on March 14th. I tell him that this will not work and that I need to pick up my phone today. I'm told there are no guarantees that it will be done before the 14th, and that if I go to pick it up today it may not be complete after all and even if it is they may not be able to give it to me without an appointment. It would be absurd to wait 9 days to pick up my phone after a completed screen repair or for them to refuse to return my phone, so I drive to the store.
10. I drive to the edgewood store and pick up my phone. I am told that the order never got entered properly into the system and therefore they are not sure if I can leave with my phone until that is complete even though the repair is complete. I am in the store for 10-20 minutes and tell them that I've already paid for the service during my drop off, and that I have the receipt to show it, I have the phone password, etc. Eventually they have me sign a blank piece of paper for some reason (potentially the back of the initial handwirtten order form) and allow me to leave the store.
So, in summary, the repair is fine, but the process to get it involved hours in my car, 4 trips across 3 different stores, 3 incorrect phone calls, making multiple appointments, technical system difficulties at multiple stages in the stores, unrelaible systems, and a complete inability for me to communicate with anyone who actually knew what was going on at any of the stores other than by physically driving to those locations. This cannot be the way that Best Buy would intend for this process to go for someone looking to pay $300 for a simple cell phone screen repair on one of the most common phone models.
I hope Best Buy can fix some of these issues going forward, but there are almost too many issues to count, in what seems to be a broken Geek Squad Repair business model.
Jack-BBY
