Geek Squad
Reviews and Complaints

Right now there is a huge issue in the Geek Squad. I was actually warned to stay away from Best Buy because of their lack of concern in doing the job right. I should have listened.
What happened to me personally is beyond anything I could have believed unless I went through it. Here it is, ...
I took my computer to best buy to get a wireless pic lan card installed. The geek squad guy said it would be 50.00 and then when I got there he said it was $80.00. So when I told him the difference he changed the price to $50.00. The next day I picked up the computer and the wireless card did not work nor did the router they told me to purchase, $39.00. I then tried everything to get this to work and nothing. So I had to call best buy and they refused to tell me anything and told me that the reason it would not function is because the wireless pic lan card had to be configured to operate correctly they told me that this was only possible if they came out and charged me an in home service fee.
I was angry about this because it was never mentioned to me that this was a requirement of having a pic wireless lan card installed. So I ended up having to bring my computer back into the best buy geek squad which was not a good thing but I did not know what else to do. So I had talked to the manager of the Geek squad and he said to bring it in to test it. I was told it would take about an hour. The manager told me he would place the info in my file and other techs world see it and know what to do.
So I drop off my computer and 3 days later no one has called me back.
I contact the Geek squad and asked them why no one has called me and they told be they were running a diagnostic, which shows nothing in error that they did, of course. So I told them what the manager said to me and none of that info was in the notes of my file and the manager had went on vacation a day after he told me to bring in my computer.
So now I am so upset I take my computer home and call the company that made the pic wireless lan card to ask them what to do. One of their tech support walks me through the process of testing their card and it is found that the drivers were not installed with the pic wireless lan card. It was not recieving a signal because the Geek squad put the hardware in and nothing else. The computer did not recognise the added hardware. I contact the corporate portion of the Geek squad which had "agents" speak to me about this issue. All they did was work to cover themselves while leaving me looking like the one who was at fault. I was on the phone with best buy and the Geek squad for several days, ... more than 4 hours total.
The Store Best Buy and their Geek Squad are only looking to cover their people in wrong doing at the full cost of the customer. I actually had to take the computer to another best buy in order to get information that proved that the first Geek squad was in error. They told me that there was no way that the Geek squad in the other location did the right thing and in saying that I thought I could trust them.
I left my computer there and then when I picked cit up they said that there was a hard drive problem and that was why their pic wireless lan card did not work. So I contacted the corporate office again (4th time) and they refused to give me a refund for the lan card or the router because it was a problem with my computer, not their service or their agents. I forgot to mention that when I talked to their Geek squad agent in their corporate office they spoke extra loud and tried to drown out my statements when they did not agree with what I said about something being very wrong in their Geek squad. Every word out of the mouth of this agent was in a means to say that I as a customer was wrong and their Geek squad was right. I believe the reason they did this was to make sure in the midst of failing companies they would cover their company at the expense of the customer, and to cover their jobs.
I have since cancelled my credit card and account with Best Buy. I will never purchase from this company again because they were willing to steal from me to cover themselves while knowing that their employees are doing wrong.

on [protected] i went to best buy/ G SQUAD to service my computer because a virus erase all the data in my computer and within erase two book that took me a year to write the recommend me to do a data recovery level one with a cost of $249.99 at the store to recovery my documents but they did not have success and then they refer me to a third party i left my computer and they shipped to the third party they contact me by phone and offer me a data recovery level two they did a data recovery an sent me an email with the approximate cost of $499 to $658 + tax.

I accept but my expectancy fails and the recovery where a whole bunch of codes blank pages and many different formats that no one could ever see the data they sent the computer back to the third party to check the computer and the external hard drive but they came up with a level tree solution and $1000.00 down payment with it i accept because i really like to recovery my documents they did a data recovery level tree and sent my computer back but this time the computer did not work anymore the external hard driver never show up any recovery data until still not showing any and they had $1700.00 on their pocket i contact the local office of G Squad At Best Buy for resolution.

They contact the third party the third party send me and email apologizing for the job performance because they discovery that they make a mistake this is what they wrote on the email NOTE) We made a mistake with charging you for your recovery. Your recovery came back as a level 2 and not a level 3. This means we owe you a refund. You will be refunded the entire $350 remaining payment you made as well as $750 from the $1000 lab fee. In order to do this we simply have to have you confirm the refunds with our billing department.

They return my money back to my account at Chase but when i receive the external hard drive the problem continue no pages show up when we open the pages was in blank and the external hard drive show a lot of system files most of the files were corrupted or damages a BIG SCAM a return my hard drive to the store Best Buy 504 to get my complete refund but did not refund my money CONCLUSION i have been charge hundreds of dollars to get my data recovery, they trash my computer damaging the hard drive, nothing show up on my hard drive a this point after 5 month later and on top of it the have not return my money.

Took my laptop into Best Buys, Geek Squad facility to find out why I could not connect to the wireless internet at my home. They kept the laptop 2 days and told me it was fixed. I had prepaid 199.00 for their service. Internet connection worked IN THE STORE with Best Buys wireless. Got the laptop home and was unable to connect to the internet. Frustrated, I called to let them know that the laptop was not fixed. I spoke with Erin. She said bring it back. I went back to the store the next day, Erin would not talk to me she talked to the sales clerk only. The clerk gave me the "party line"...'it works in the store, so it is fixed'... I said I cannot work at Best Buy, I need to work at home. Long story short, I asked repeatedly for my money back or at least the $130.00 for the non-service, they refused. Michelle, another manager, finally came over and offered me a booster for the laptop. I took and left the store unhappy. I am totally dissatisfied with Geek Squad and will not use their service ever again. I am still unable to access the wireless internet inside my home.

did you bring a computer to Best Buy (or its “Geek Squad”) to have the data on that computer transferred to another computer/drive, and ultimately were told that the old computer drive was corrupt (or some such), so that if you wanted the data transferred the old drive would have to be sent to another location for more in-depth/complex work and it would cost more than you were originally told.

If you would like to recover your losses please contact law firm at 800.511.7037 or email at contact@tripplevy.com

Why would you want this scam service in the first place? Best Buy's "optimization" isn't worth it, and has been known to SCREW UP computers more than helping them. I just bought a netbook and because they didn't have any in stock that weren't already optimized, I was stuck taking an optimized netbook from them (although I didn't have to pay for the optimization, at least). When I got it home, I found that they had deleted the good Trend Micro Antivirus (the brand I've used for years, which comes with most ASUS computers) and instead had installed Webroot, which bogged down the Netbook. They had logged me in (thus robbing me of the "new computer first time" experience, where Windows welcomes you and asks you to log in) and they changed all sorts of basic settings that I tend to tweak myself (and they did it WRONG in half of those cases).

Worst of all, they deleted ESSENTIAL ASUS DRIVERS AND FILES. They removed the ASUS keyboard driver for some reason, thus causing all the system's special switches and keystrokes (Fn+F1, WiFi switch, etc.) to cease functioning. They deleted the ASUS power management "Super Hybrid Engine" which allows ASUS netbooks to dynamically control power settings so the battery lasts longer. They even disabled my ability to enter into ExpressGate, the ASUS fast-boot LINUX-based operating system that's built into all their systems. The did make sure to include their own Best Buy application, though, so I could use their portal to buy more Best Buy stuff! How nice of them, huh?

The end result was that the computer was slow, didn't have all the advertised ASUS functions, had malfunctioning switches and keys, wasn't properly personalized for MY needs, and had Best Buy bloatware/adware installed on it. WHAT A BARGAIN!

This is "optimization"? They screwed up my PC before I ever got my hands on it. I don't even know what might have been missing from the opened box!

As it stood, I had to spend three hours restoring the system to factory settings and loading Windows updates again just to get everything working the way it was supposed to. If it weren't for the Eee PC's restore partition, I'd have been stuck with a crippled, damaged PC, thanks to Best Buy's inept screwing around with it.

Geek Squad is the McDonald's of PC repair. Don't go to them if you have any sense.

@Drahkar

It's always first come first serve.

If you were a "more important" customer who's actually dropping some real money for a service they would have no problems pushing your PC and equipment to the front of the queue or opening up new equipment on the floor to accomplish the task more quickly.

^That shouldn't happen. For an optimization on a netbook (USE A FLASH DRIVE)... we all know cd's/dvd's are a thing of the past. That just seems silly that an agent gave you an excuse about the 1 drive.

Every computer manufacturer does have different A/C adapters. And on top of that they all have a million different series' which all have a million models. Netbooks have a lower voltage A/C adaptor than most standard laptops. So precincts don't carry those adapters or universal adaptors for them.

You are being given a best case scenario as far as time goes for an optimization. You have to understand that you aren't the only person being serviced and there is a limited amount of space for computers to be worked on. It's not uncommon for 50+ computers to need servicing at once even at the smaller locations. As far as power cords go - It's fairly common sense to bring your own, do you really think they'd just have 20 or more cords hanging around just so you can be lazy? You have a cord, bring it. It's *your* responsibility to bring all appropriate equipment for the servicing.

The external drive problem is kind of silly since they sell those in store, if they really need one they can just open one up, but also understand that you're only paying $40. If you were a "more important" customer who's actually dropping some real money for a service they would have no problems pushing your PC and equipment to the front of the queue or opening up new equipment on the floor to accomplish the task more quickly.

Also optimizations include windows updates which if you haven't been keeping up on can take an hour or more by themselves.

A little common sense and patience could have easily made your experience better. If you have an appointment somewhere else - leave the computer there and pick it up later. If you don't want to bring your power cord - make sure your battery is charged. If you wanted to make sure it gets done - bring *all* the equipment that may be needed. They'll send you back home with whatever they don't need, it's not that inconvenient, and could very well speed up the process.

Both sides are at fault here. They shouldn't give a time quote unless they can get it out in that amount of time and you should have been more prepared.

-Try a different best buy store.

-Almost every laptop manufacturer has a different style power cord.

-Ask next time what you'll need to bring in with the laptop.

-Why didn't you just leave it overnight?

-Most geek squad places are overwhelmed with pc repairs. You just have to be patient.

I brought my laptap in for repair because it wouldn't connect with the WiFi network at work. I described the problem in detail. At their suggestion, I authorized a software scan, for which they charged me $70, to check for viruses. On their service order they wrote: "Client opted for DIAG to find the cause of the problem client is aware of $130 for repair if software related." After the scan, they said they found one virus, so I authorized the $130 to fix the problem, for a total of $200 paid. But when I brought the computer back to work, it STILL didn't work. Not one thing had changed. So I asked for a return of my $130. They refused and told me to call "corporate" Best Buy. I did, which took forever (three different agents, after long waits for each). Got cut off and had to start all over again. Finally got through and got the runaround. I told them I shouldn't have to pay the $130 because they didn't fix my computer. I could have bought a functioning used laptap for the $200 I paid to them for absolutely nothing! I said I was happy to eat the original $70, but thought paying another $130 for work which did NOT fix the problem was unfair. We got cut off, so I called yet again. This time I was told that only the store manager could authorize a refund. Yet the Geek Squad guy in the store had told me I had to call corporate! What a runaround! Total incompetence and fraud.

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You did indeed void the warranty on your machine by installing the screen yourself. Other than that though, it's generally fairly easy to tell if something happened due to misuse or it actually died of natural causes. A screen that has been manually smashed looks a lot different than a screen that died naturally or cracked due to a fall or other such accident. As an example - I saw a computer that had been "dropped off a balcony" which was "about 6 feet high"...The computer was in about a hundred different pieces, it had obviously suffered quite a bit more trauma than a 6 foot drop could have inflicted.

The prices can indeed be high for repairs, but you have to understand, if you had taken that same computer anywhere else it would have cost you about the same amount or maybe even more since your warranty would have covered the diagnostic at Best Buy at least.

Also if your computer was only 9 months old you still had the factory warranty on it. Which means you could have saved yourself a lot of trouble and just sent it to HP yourself and possibly (Assuming of course that your problem was in fact legit) a lot of money. Why didn't you take that rout?

Great for you. But you also have to remember that you probably voided your warranty by working on your laptop.

Lieing about the damage and then expecting your warranty to cover also a big oops on your end.

Somehow i doubt the a screen cost 120 bucks. Most new LCD screens cost over 200 bucks before shipping charges.

Its not a ripoff. Its a business. Your paying them to do the work. If you work on it yourself..then you save the money. Thats how everything works from cars repairs, electronic repairs, plumbing repairs, etc.

IF 24 hours was the written company policy regarding theft for your cellphone insurance, then the issue of negligence fall on you... Keep in mind: the company itself did not lose your cellphone, nor did they take it! It is not THEIR fault that any of those situations occurred... You may want to read the fine print before purchasing any future protection plans

Geek squad make victims of crime feel like criminals, I was pick pocketed on the bus and because I have had 5 claims in 10 years they wanted to interview me – this would have been fine but then it took 16 days from the report to the day they granted my insurance. During this time I had no access to any of my blackberry services and I had only owned the phone for one month, I have claimed back my access line rental on the basis of not being given a replacement phone asap and I have to wait for a min of 4 weeks for a result. I had to call geek squad to follow up on numerous occasions and it was only after a week they told me I could even have a temp phone. However, when I saw the phone it could only make calls and send texts. Car Phone warehouse has lost it’s lustre and geek squad should be closed, Life line was excellent, you delt with reps in store and they actually gave you advice. NEVER USE THEM THEY ARE OVER PRICED AND HAVE NO UNDERSTANDING FOR WHAT THE VICTIM IS/HAS GONE THROUGH! USE THEM AT YOUR PERIL.

A day after being told by a Geek Squad representative that my data could be saved I received a call to pick up my computer. In the small box they laid on the counter I expected to find my info backed up on DVDs. To my surprise it was my old hard drive! I was never called, as promised, and told the results of the diagnostic test before the switch was made. They said mine was damaged so they replaced it, and the data "could" be saved if I was wiliing to send it out, wait 4-6 weeks, and pay $250.00-$1, 800.00! After arguing the sales rep told me because they couldn't save the data in store he would refund half of my money. I told him I deserved a full refund and demanded to see the manager. Thinking he was ringing up a full refund I was again swerved by Best Buy and only received $75.00. He told me he was refunding half my money, and that we would "split" the rest. I'll NEVER do business with Best Buy ever again, and will tell everyone I know about the bad experience I had there.

@ kleubner86

There wouldn't be a sku for $64. The $64 is the amount owed back to this customer ($99.99 - $34.95= $65.04 [So it should actually be $65 my mistake]). This post definitely shows a problem! Different stores have different interpretations of how services should be performed and charged for. SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) says that for any data backup procedure that cannot be performed in store $34.95 is kept for the store's compensation (for the attempt of the procedure) and the rest is returned to the customer. In this case the store is correct, the store needs to be compensated for the employee's work, but is wrong on the dollar amount. I refer to my previous post in what this customer should do to have this financial error corrected by Best Buy.

I work for Geek Squad and in my store, if we are unable to retrieve data, then we refund ALL of your money, no questions asked. It doesn't make sense to pay for a service that can't be performed. The Best Buy you went to was COMPLETELY incorrect for not refunding your money. As far as refunding $64 and us keeping $35, that's not correct either. We don't have a $64 labor sku AT ALL, so I don't know where he is getting this from. The only time we refund part of a service is if they paid a deposit to sent something off the service ($84.94), then they decline the estimate for repair, they get $50 of it back ($34.95 covers shipping and diagnoses, the $50 would have gone towards the cost of repair). We would also do a partial refund say if they purchased a $299 advanced diagnostic and repair with backup and the backup couldn't be performed, we return the entire ADRB and then ring out a $199 ADR. It's terrible that you had such a terrible experience with Geek Squad because believe it or not there are Geek Squad stores with Agents that know what they're doing and treat customers fairly.

@mooresvillenc

Here's what happened and what you should do:
Defrag is an intense application on your harddrive so if your computer crashed running it, I can bet that the problem is with your harddrive. It sounds like the woman on the phone is wrong. It is harder to diagnose an issue over the phone, so her recommendation on bringing the computer into the local store was correct. I would agree with everything that the agent said about not spending 300 + to fix it and everything and I think you chose the right service which was the computer backup in store for $99.

***Here's how that backup process works***

An agent takes the harddrive out of the computer and plugs it into an external harddrive adapter on a special computer that BB corporate gave them for housing information. IF that computer recognizes the harddrive then awesome, they copy what data you wanted copied and burn it to discs and everything is said and done. IF NOT then what SHOULD happen according to Best Buy SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) is you should be refunded $64 dollars and they keep $35. Different local stores have different interpretations of that rule but, it should be set in stone across all stores.

****Bottom Line**** ---> Take this understanding of BB SOP to the local store and ask for your money back. Make them print you up the clause that says they keep all the money for a backup that cannot be performed (which they can't because there isn't one). If that does not work get your Service order number and call up best buy corporate and they should return the proper amount back to you. 1-888-BESTBUY. Good Luck

@Jhae3650

Sounds like when you brought the computer in the first time it wouldn't POST. POST stands for Power On Self Test which tests individual pieces of hardware prior to attempting to boot your computer up. (When you see the computer MFG logo on your screen after turning it on, that is the POST.) Since you said it's a laptop it's likely an issue with your motherboard. It can also be a problem your LCD inverter. They probably misdiagnosed a motherboard issue (thinking it was the LCD inverter). I've seen missing screws / bad workmanship too many times when a computer comes back from the service center that this case isn't remotely surprising. The technician probably cut the wireless antennae with a wrong size screw and didn't connect the keyboard cable all the way. (All of which I've seen before). So they sent it back out only to disassemble the chassis again and probably forgot to connect the speaker cables or, again, cut them with the wrong size screw.

Everything of course is speculation based on the symptoms you have provided online. But replacing the motherboard of a laptop isn't an easy task. There are many screws, (50+ usually), and they are all sorts of sizes (meaning they have to be put back in the precise location they were taken from). This sounds like it shouldn't be a problem but there are usually 4 different layers of screws and the holes aren't normally marked (making it a bit more difficult).

Anyways call their consumer relations department 1800BestBuy. If you tell any personnel in store or on the phone that you are threatening to sue, they are forced to hang up on you. So if it's an empty threat don't say it because it won't get you anywhere with them.

Cheers

Have the same problem with you guys. I brought my laptop to best buy Geek Squad last July 29, 2010.The problem of my laptop was I can't see the screen when I turn it on.So they said they will fix it.Geek Squad called me after a week and told me the estimate price of the laptop to be fix.On top of that I already paid them $84.95 for just doing diagnostics on my laptop.The customer service from Geek Squad were asking if we want to fix the laptop and if we agree to the price.Ofcourse I have some questions and my wife have some questions to ask.Then this person from Geek Squad rudely answered us "Do you want to fix it or not"?What a rude person.So I finally said yes go ahead and fix it.After another week this time name christine called from Geek squad and saying that it wasn't the screen that has the problem it was the mother board and it will cost me more money than the firs estimate.So to make my story short I told them to go ahead and just fix it.After another week they called me and told me that my laptop is fix and ready to be pick up.So when I pick up my lapotop when I got home and type jkl;''' etc..etc..the right side of my keyboard was not working and my wireless internet wasn't functioning right either.So I returned it to them so they can fix it again.The guy from geek squad said that the reason why my laptop is like that maybe because of the virus.That is bs.I haven't seen anything like it.I told him, I ask him to show me a proof that it was a virus that did that to my laptop and this is the next day after I picked up my laptop from them so he can never lie to me.Then I waited for another 2 weeks and they called me and said my laptop is ready to be pick up.Guess what everything looks fine until I tried to play the music there's no sound.I was really very upset..very upset...it's 8-19-10 now and I have to return it back to them today after work.It's a hussle going back and forth.Do best buy really have a legit computer technicians?or they are what they are called the GEEKS?
I hope somebody can help us with this mess, I hope there is a lawyer out there that will step up and put a stop on this best buy scam and speaking to everybody that posted their problems against best buy and the geeks...

"The people at these stores know their fellow associates and what types of things they would and would not say to a customer."

This is not necessarily true; I can recount dozens of times when I overheard sales associates say, verbatim:

- "This service plan covers anything that might happen to your camera, even spills and drops." - prior to Best Buy offering ADP coverage on digital cameras.

- "If it has to be sent out four times, you get a replacement." - Untrue if you read the fine print in the brochure; another commenter here explained the "no lemon" policy more clearly.

- "Your PSP will cover OS reloads." - Only true if the OS reload is due to a piece of failed hardware, such as the HDD.

- "It covers anything that might go wrong with the computer." - Great, except the ADP service plan only covers HARDWARE, not viruses, backups, data loss due to hardware/software failure, OS corruption, or anything software related. This was before the "black tie" PSP was offered.

Just because policy and training says one thing doesn't mean that the staff always follow it.
Management tends not to care in many cases as long as a sale is made, as they know they can fall back to the written contract to say, in effect, "I'm sorry our employee didn't explain it clearly/that you misunderstood the employee."

As you said, however, written policy is what matters and it DOESN'T matter if the sales guy told you one thing, if that's not what's written, it's not covered.

I can recall being told by several managers to "sell like you're on commission, especially on site", but if confronted later, would deny having said it as it was against policy.

What management at many BBY stores says and what's actually enforced are two very different stories.
SOP is loosely, at best, enforced by corporate and even when it is, the worst that usually happens is the offending manager gets written up (i.e. slap on the wrist).

I'm still in awe that, in all her trips in, nobody explained to her how numlock on a laptop works.

"Now when you brought it in for the number lock issue an agent should have known that it was currently functioning to its manufacturer's intentions and should have shown you how / why it does this and then sent you on your way a happy customer."

^ A thousand times this.
I worked as an in store and in home agent for Geek Squad from [protected], and I would have been mortified if one of the agents we had had not known something this basic.

For an end user, it's not something I'd expect them to know.
For a computer repair tech, it should be basic, common knowledge.

By the time I left the company, computer repair knowledge was not looked at as a primary factory in hiring new agents as far as management at my store was concerned: Sales experience/success was the main attribute, and the quality of GS as a whole has suffered because of that.

@kstewart79

Subdolus is correct. Laptops use different levels of "function keys" to essentially convert a 2 foot keyboard into 14 inches (that's why when you look at your keyboard in the 'jkl' area you will see a number pad, usually in a blue or any other off color and you will also see a key between the left control and alt buttons called "Fn" which means function).

To get the "extended warranty" issue straightened out. It isn't a warranty at all, it's a service contract with best buy geeksquad. So it is treated differently than a manufacturer's warranty. There are different types of this service contract that BB offers. (Since you bought it last year, that was before BB made all laptop Service plans ADH [Accidental Handling]). But we can assume you purchased the ADH plan, which is the most expensive and covers if you drop the laptop and so on and so forth. *Remember these service plans have to go through an insurance company for payment of repairs, so we are dealing with that type of lingo. Which brings me to my next point, the "NO LEMON" clause, which sounds like it was mixed up between either you or the salesman. The NO LEMON clause states that BB will replace your laptop if the unit has undergone four QUALIFIED repairs. So what constitutes a "qualified repair"? This is a gray area but a good rule of thumb is hardware replacement (excluding batteries). The store cannot process a no lemon exchange, the service center does.

With this basic knowledge of the service plan the store should have done what they did and ship out the laptop to have a service center team decide what hardware they need to replace / fix which they did.

Now when you brought it in for the number lock issue an agent should have known that it was currently functioning to its manufacturer's intentions and should have shown you how / why it does this and then sent you on your way a happy customer.

I can't speak for everything that happened after because the store was trying to handle it per your request without having to follow SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) and ship it back to the service center.

***Bottom Line*** --> A computer tech to your computer is like a mechanic to your car. Do your research, find someone you trust, and stick with that person. You will find out very easily that they know what they are doing if you ask questions and stay on top of your repair.

"When I got it back I discovered that when you hit the numbers lock, numbers would appear when I typed "jklghf" instead of the actual letters."

You do realize that that's what's supposed to happen on a laptop keyboard when numlock is pressed, right?

I'm guessing not, since you go on and on about it being a "problem".

Most laptop keys don't have a number pad on the right side (though some 17" models do), and in order to give a 'number pad' of sorts, you'll notice that the keys that you're thinking are "malfunctioning" likely have numbers on them in a smaller font (the laptop I'm on shows them in blue squares).

Pressing numlock is SUPPOSED to make those keys type numbers.
It's quite sad that nobody at Geek Squad was able to tell you that, as it's pretty basic tech stuff.

While I don't disagree that you were treated very rudely by the store in question, the reason the numlock "problem" wasn't ever fixed is because it's NOT a problem, it's designed to have that behavior.

I, too, bought the extended warranty. After my HP laptop was returned 3 times for motherboard issues - only once was I allowed to even touch the returned machine - Geek Squad reps couldn't get the machine to boot and sent it right back, I was told the Geek Squad was "branding" my motherboard so they could tell if it had been swapped out.

I do NOT like ANY insinuation that I am committing FRAUD. When I pointed it out to the service tech that his own department is the culprit who'd returned the machine, he showed me the logs where it said it wouldn't boot upon delivery. But I'm still insulted - you insinuated *I* was swapping out the board. Unacceptable, and no, I didn't get an apology, just the "here, it's in the records, see?"

I, too, was told I'd get a new laptop with the "lemon law" applied. Brought it back with an HP update turned the machine into a brick, and the Geek Squad techie plugged it in... and proceeded to tell me right there that it was a memory issue because "blue light didn't come on." OMG! The machine didn't even POST! I was desperately wanting to snatch up my machine and run for the hills.

That time, the machine stayed away for 3 weeks. I asked for a new computer per the lemon law. NOPE. I asked for store credit (I paid $2500 for the then-top-of-the-line laptop) and was denied.

I asked for a refund of difference between the service agreement I'd purchased and the basic, as it said CLEARLY in my agreement that if service kept my laptop for over 7 days, that was the process, and I was told it wasn't the service agreement I'd purchased. I HAD THE BLOOMING RECEIPT AND CONTRACT.

Lie, lie, lie... I am shocked Circuit City (who'd always was cheerful, even went not helpful) went belly up while these yellow bellies, er, thieves continue to suck the life from customers.

No more BB for me! Stay away from buying any service agreement or product that needs one from Best Buy.

@Cathy

They are not scammers, it seems like the internet and conspiracy has gotten to you.

When they run a diagnostic they run a program that they refer to as FACE. What it does is run 10 different programs at once and posts an easy to read log screen of what it did. The 10 different programs consist of hardware tests and virus / spyware detection programs. The log screen on this program posts the number of traces total from all of the virus/spyware detection programs. So it seems that an agent told you that "he detected 198 trojans on your system" which is not "technically" correct verbage (he really meant that his scanning software detected 198 traces of infection on your machine).

Now you took the liberty of running some of the software on the cd for whatever reason. I'm sure you maneuvered your way to the diagnostic section of the agent toolbox and ran a program called system analyzer. That program gives a nice customer facing snapshot of the operating system condition of the computer. It also displays virus/spyware information in a different way. Instead of totaling up the number of traces what it does is take the detected traces and compares them to its internal database of names for them and posts the number of known infection names.

If the above paragraph wasn't the case and you actually ran the same FACE program that the agents used here's another possibility.

The FACE program is very automated and can be configured to remove the infections that it detects as well. They could have forgotten to uncheck the checkbox that says "removal" and the program could have removed all 198 traces. The agent that called you could have seen that and tried to remedy the situation by getting your approval for O/S service ($129.99) so that they didn't perform free work. The program doesn't clean every trace every time so then when you ran that program it only had 2 traces of infection left.

****Bottom Line **** --> Both situations are very plausible and I'm pretty sure the first one actually happened because FACE is a bit harder to maneuver to and correctly run if you aren't very familiar with the MRI. They didn't do anything wrong except forget to take the MRI disc out of your computer.

GEEK SQUAD THEY SUCK, WHEN I PICKED-UP MY COMPUTER THE KNOBS WAS BROKEN WHERE YOU PUSH TO START THE COMPUTER, THEY WIPED OUT ALL OF MY FILES, HAVE TO RESTART MY COMPUTER SEVERAL TIMES BEFOR I CAN GET ANY I CONS. I WILLNEVER USE THEM AGAIN MY COMPUTER WAS WORST AFTER PICKING IT UP FROM THEM AND THEY CHARGED ME A LOT OF MONEY AND THE COMPUTER STILL WASN'T WORKING PROPERLY.

Over the last few years, my family has spent thousands of dollars buying products at Best Buy and usually buying the extra insurance. Something has certainly happened to cause their so call Geek Squad to lie to customers about repairing items. My wife uses a laptop in the living room, a Gateway and recently the hard drive failed which apparently is common with the 250 Gb SATA hard drives for laptops. We knew it was the hard rive since it would not Boot Up, showing just a few lines on info on the screen. It was returned to Best Buy since we had bought the $159 2 year extra coverage. In a few days, we received a phone call from them who told us the computer had "Liquid Damage" and it wasn't covered under our warranty but said they could fix it for $199. This shocked us since food or drink is never allowed in our living room. We complained to Best Buy but that doesn't do any good, so we declined the repair offer. When picking it up, we were shown several photos on the hard drve out of it's case. They then had the nerve to charge $34 just for looking at it. The computer was then looked at by a reliable technician who works at another large retail facility. He said it was not liquid damage but solder flux which is normal on many circuit boards, especially this Hitachi hard drive. We certainly learned a lesson dealing with Best Buy and never thought they would cheat people like this. We were told by many people that Best Buy hires young people just out of high school since the Government gives Best But a break on taxes who are not qualified to deal with the public. So----Goodbye Best Buy and hello E-Bay where we found a new replacement 250 Gb hard drive for $39 and the computer is same as new.

Yea, those guys are idiots. I know people that work at Certified Nerds in the valley, they charge less and actually know what they're doing.

Geek Squad,
the worst service, wasting our money don't buy three years warrenty

thats [censor]... they run a diagnostic on computers... wich should be able to pinpoint any problems... i have my computer there now... not only are they taking 1 week to run a simple diagnostic... but i spoke to 3 guys who all told me different about it... they are [censor]in snakes... so what im trying to say is tht you dont have to tell them [censor] about ur computer... cause they run an exame on it... you can disagree all you want... but im getting [censor]ed over right now as we speak...

I am a computer systems analyst and I have to disagree with your assessment on the Geek Squad. However, I do see why you would be upset. Boycotting or telling others not to take their computer to a place that you had a bad experience from is expected when you had such a bad experience but I'm a bit concerned about the service that you have received. It seems that there may be a more underlying issue that they may not have been aware of when you brought the computer to them in the first place.

Did you give them all the information that they needed to diagnose the issue? Did you inform them of your activities with the computer? Did you get on a questionable website that may have affected your performance?

These questions may not have been asked by the Geek Squad, but sometimes, like with cars, if the person doing the service isn't aware of these issues, they will continue to happen without their knowledge. Surfing the internet alone, viruses, trojans and adware bombards the computer the moment you click on the browser to start it up. What you should also be aware that by legal standards, like mechanics, the Geek Squad is not authorized to fix any issues without the permission of the customer. With this said, if they found an issue, it should be documented. If there are none, there is nothing to worry about.

Exactly what was the issue to begin with and when did it start?

First, a hardware issue such as "sticking keyboard" is not an irreparable issue. Geek Squad technicians are actually not computer techs. They have a diagnostic program that they run on your computer and then if they can't figure out how to fix the problem, rather than figuring it out like any other comp tech would, they reformat because it takes less time. A sticky key is easily replaced, or cleaned.

Before learning all of this I was a Geek Squad client. After numerous $60 payments for them to run a program and them not fixing viral issues, reformating when it wasn't necessary, and not knowing simple computer things that even I knew, I found someone who was an actual computer tech and not just someone who knows how to reformat a computer.

DumpTheIdiots, I agree with compulsive back ups. I learned the hard way through Geek Squad. While I now backup on a regular basis, my computer tech has NEVER had to reformat my computer, even for some pretty nasty viruses. Yes, it may take a little longer than with Geek Squad, but I know that when I get my computer back, it is running like new with ALL of my information. Also, when he does have to reformat, he STILL backs up the information AND puts it back on the computer before returning it ALL included in the price.

Don't go to Geek Squad, ask your friends to refer you to a real computer tech. If you're in South Florida call Preemo 305.669.6049 they're amazing.

Also, you can easily make it part of the deal that IF your computer can't be fixed, you want your info transferred to the new laptop before giving it to you. For a reasonable fee for the time, they will do this, it's a common service. Often people badmouth a company or group because THEY didn't understand what was going to happen. They did no wrong by following the letter of the contract. Heck, even when the salesman told me all the "great" things I'd be protected from if I bought the insurance for my laptop, I insisted on noting every claim and verifying each was really in the contract before I got it. And I refused a 3 yr contract because by then the computer isn't worth much, so the extra money for the coverage would be paid to cover something not worth fixing.

YOU decided not to backup, a no brainer any time you even THINK something is going wrong. YOU signed the contract, and shouldn't need to be verbally told anything you signed as agreeing to. Your signature says you understand every word written there. You could have written an addendum to it, saying YES you see they can destroy the hard drive, but YOU WANT TO BE ASKED FIRST in case you 1- want to retrieve info first, and 2- you may want to keep the computer and have someone else fix it, voiding the warranty but keeping the computer and your info. Hard drives are destroyed to protect you from having sensitive info retrieved from it. I always make it known in writing that NOTHING is to be done without a call first to let me know what my options are. That computer is your property and remains so even in their hands, and shouldn't have been destroyed UNTIL YOU HAD A NEW ONE IN YOUR POSESSION, but you let it happen by agreeing to the contract terms without questions. There is no reason you should be angry they didn't call you because they probably assumed you were smart enough to backup, and also to not sign anything you really didn't understand.

Apple warranty does not guarantee they will send back your data intact, ask the millions of people who have no way to get their iPod data back after a battery replacement. I don't know of a single repair shop on Earth that does not have a clause stating that backing up data is the responsibility of the owner. The moral of your story is 'back up your data before having work done', not 'don't buy Best Buy warranty'. Oh, and of course 'read what you sign'.

I had a similar problem with these guys and getting my digital camera to talk to my computer. I bought both from them at the same time. It was one of those buy one get one type deals. If I bought this special HP computer, it came with a very nice, higher end digital camera. I was one of the last customers to be able to take advantage of this 'awesome' deal. Turns out the operating system (os?) that was on the computer was too new for the digital camera and the two would work or talk together. The guys at Geek squad told me to bring both of them in and they would work on it. $60 diagnosis fee later, they told me I needed to purchase a new media card reader and have it installed. This would cost a couple hundred. Instead of doing that, I took the advice of another customer standing in the best buy purchase line who had overheard my conversation. They mentioned a service and repair company called secureremotesupport.com (long winded I know.) Upon speaking with a technician there, at 10pm at night, he connected to the machine and fixed the camera problem for me. No extra money, and I got to use the existing equipment that came with the computer and camera! I can now see my families pictures!

Moral of this story, and all of these horror stories, is not to use geek squad at all. Look for a more reputable company, Secure remote support is atleast US based, and affordable. Explain your situation to those guys and see if they can help you out.

I had same problem and after speaking with manager i was issued and new computer everything monitor and all. I even got a better one because they did not have the one i had and were not carrying it anymore so maybe u need to try again

@ Harvey

Geeksquad receives numerous calls daily about computer questions / problems / sales ect. Most of those calls are 'quick fixes' (very simple issues that can fixed by walking you through it over the phone). Now it sounds like the initial description of your issue would fall into this category, but after attempts of what sounded like: resetting ip settings / flushing dns / resetting access point settings didn't work. Your problem no longer would be able to be diagnosed over the phone. Phone diagnostics are not an exact science and it is always better to have a tech in front of the electronic that is giving you issues. Auto mechanics do not fix cars over the phone but with computers there is a bit of leniency in reference to car mechanics. However, the principle is still the same. I am fortunate to hear that you were able to resolve your issue. It could have been different though. The symptoms you explained initially with the tests the agent walked you through over the phone could also point to a hardware issue with your WNIC.

I just had a similar problem with best buy in melbourne, FL ...they won't get anymore of my business or my family or friends business. I took my laptop in because it wouldn't start up. They charged a 70.00 diagnosis fee. I wanted them to retrieve the important files off of my computer so agreed to the 70.00 diagnosis fee and a 35.oo retrieval fee. Paid it up front as requested. They then told me it was a virus caused my hard drive to go bad and said the data was not retrievable. and that hard drive and cost to fix this was too high and said to basically get a new laptop. Took it home and went back and bought a new laptop a couple weeks later from them. Well my sister came to florida for a visit a few months later and she works on computers. I told her the problem so she looked at it and in a couple hours had it up and running and all the data was still there and retrievable. Hard drive working just perfect i had gotten into some malware she was able to run trojan remover and it started up after reboot and has been running ever since. So then I made a trip back to best buy mad because i was told my laptop couldn't be fixed and i went out and bought a new one. They felt they didn't owe me a thing. I felt they owed me the diagnosis fee back and an apology for there incompetance and maybe even a little discount on the new laptop i bought from them that I really didn't need. Instead they said i got what i paid for.