Computers & Tablets

[TheGrumpyGent]

Hi!

I recently purchased an open box laptop from Best Buy:  The condition was listed as "Satisfactory", but it looks practically brand new.  Very happy with the purchase, except I've apparently forgotten my tinfoil hat and I'm a little concerned about if the laptop was messed with in any way before it was returned.

The laptop only comes with a charger - It has a recovery drive if I want to reinstall the OS.  However, if something was messed with (again, tinfoil hat time), installing from the drive wouldn't help anything.

What does the Geek Squad do with returned laptops?  Are they re-imaged somehow?  Scanned for viruses, etc?  

[hockeycanuckjc Valued Expert]

I think that there is a policy in place that when a laptop is returned, the customer is to remove personal data off the machine. Otherwise the Geek Squad will do it and resell the unit based on the condition of the device.

Geek Squad refurbished carry high standards as if you're getting the same quality of repair on a device of your own if you were to repair it. 

Some customers can handle certain conditions better than others so therefore you will see varying conditions on item but never an unsalable item...... 

And if you are not satisfied you are covered by Best Buy's return policy. 

[Dave-BBY Social Media Specialist]

Hello TheGrumpyGent,

I am totally on board with you when it comes to personal security. No tinfoil hat here, although they do look stylish, but the common trend the last few years has been stolen this and missing that when it comes to personal online data. That said, I'd say I'm very well suited to answer this question as I used to work in the Geek Squad precinct as a Repair Agent. I saw these come my way all the time and I had to do all the work to get them customer-ready. 

In any case, the first thing we do is visually inspect the unit for any physical damage. We ensure all the hardware is operating as expected. Once that is complete, we go ahead and format the hard drive, reinstall Windows 10 from an external bootable drive, and then run our own tools which scan the hardware for further operational efficiency, run a virus scan, reinstall all drivers and Windows updates, and then run through everything one last time to ensure the unit is back to like-new condition.