Customer proves Best Buy's accidental damage warranty is a scam

bardfinn

#1 – 6:28 AM November 5, 2008

Yet another example of the principle caveat emptor replacing uberrima fides in consumer retail - even in contracts of adhesion.

Anonymous Anonymous

#2 – 7:36 AM November 5, 2008

Now that Comp USA has closed their brick and mortar along with 1500 Circuit City, sheer economics have placed "best buy" at the top of the consumer electronic stores. It is comparable to the bully beating up all the neighborhood kids and then the police giving him a pistol to guard the only entrance to the neighborhood.

I will NEVER buy a computer, tv, printer, cell phone, sound system, etc., at Best Buy. As the article states their "Geek" Squad is untrained and uncaring. The supervisor and managers simply will decide whatever is in the best interest of the company. It should be called "Less than Best Buy." Customers should look to alternative sources for these high dollar items. If ENOUGH of us say no then they will either dig in their heels or they will change.

laffmakr

#3 – 9:27 AM November 5, 2008

Want my great Geek Squad story?

I received some files for a photo gallery we update at the office. There were 20 photos in 8 folders totaling about 42megs.

Since our galleries only display 445 pixels wide, I had to resize them with an app called "PhotoResize500." The idea is to rename this tiny app to the size you need. In other words, I renamed mine PhotoResize445. Then it's just a matter of dropping the photos on it and it resizes them proportionally.

So I called him and explained how to download the file and rename it. Then I said all he had to do was drag and drop the photos onto it.

A couple of days later, I got another folder full of files, each one about 2megs in size. I emailed and asked why he didn't resize them and he said he didn't have time. I asked aobut the PhotoResize app and he said he got the file but couldn't figure out how to make it work. He also explained that his computer didn't have a "dragon drop" application.

I explained again how to make it work and explained the difference between "Drag & Drop" and "Dragon Drop." And I did it without laughing.

The next time he said he couldn't find the resized files. PhotoResize puts them all in the same directory as the originals, renamed as "xxxxx-445.jpg."

A third time he said he'd lost the app and didn't have time to download it...it's about 15k.

The last note from him he sent from his office computer and I noticed it had a small logo attached. Opening the logo I saw that it was a Geek Squad logo. I asked him about it and he proudly told me he was one of their field supervisors.

Amazing.

Anonymous Anonymous

#4 – 7:33 PM July 21, 2009

Here's MY Geek Squad Story:

In April of 2009, I went to Best Buy and bought a Nintendo DSi. At checkout, I was offered the Geek Squad's Black Tie 2 year extended Warrenty. A month later, I bought the Simpson's game from Best Buy. After saving another game I was playing, I shut down the DSi and inserted the Simpsons game, hoping to get to play. But upon inserting the game into the cart holder and upon starting up my DSi, I noticed that the top screen was just blank--all white with vertical colored lines. I took out the game, inserted my "Deal or No Deal" game in and the screen was still the same--white with colored vertical lines. A few days later, I called Geek Squad and asked them if they could fix my DSi as it was broken and as I do have a warrenty with them. The lady on the phone said "Yeah, just bring it in and we'll have a look at it." Twenty minutes later, I was at BestBuy, at the Geek Squad counter, telling them what happened to my DSi. I even showed them my Geek Squad protection plan I bought. The guy at the counter just said, "Well, that's not covered under the warrenty" I then said, "Well how much will it cost for you to fix it because I'll pay out of pocket." And the guy was just like, "We can't fix it because we don't even have a service plan for DSi's. You should try contacting Nintendo."

I came out of that store all mad because What was the point of offering Geek Squad protection for something that Geek Squad can't even fix? I spent $30 on the protection. (it may not be a lot for some people but to me, that is A LOT. I'm a college student.)

Anyway, I later contacted Nintendo and they offered to fix my screen for me, FOR FREE, so I'm happy but I'm still mad for spending $30 on a stupid Geek Squad Protection Plan that isn't even a PROTECTION PLAN at all!!!!!!!

Anonymous Anonymous

#5 – 3:14 PM September 27, 2009

I bought my HP media center computer back in 2006, and due to what I'm going to college for, I had to have the Geek Squad modify it for me (I know how to ride the horse, just not how to take care of it). It went all good, got done in about 3-5 days. Earlier this year, about the end of January, I had to take my computer in because the motherboard was fried and the video card went to crap, and a couple other minor complications. My warrantee luckily covered the majority of the cost, and I asked them approximately how long it would take to get repaired (since I desperately required the computer for class), and they said about a week since they had to send it out. One week passes by. Two weeks pass by with no call. I come in, and lo and behold it wasn't done yet. In the end, it took a MONTH, two videocards, and four return trips later to get it completely repaired since they couldn't do it right the first time. I had to talk to the store manager to get things straight and they finally got it done overnight.