The Source CC,The Source Circuit City Extended Warranty Laptop Deal With It Yourself Burlington Ontario
I bought my Acer laptop at the Source in Mapleview Center in Burlington. The sales rep sold me the extended warranty for it and the main reason I bought it was that he told me that then you don't have to deal with Acer support. Since I have dealt with them in the past and so have others I know I decided to buy it. From past experience I know that Best Buy fixes all their own stuff so you don't have to send theirs out. I would have bought it there but the source was cheaper.
A couple months ago my laptop started acting up. The battery would not charge and then it started to make the fan go all the time because of extra heat. I stopped using the battery and just plugged it in. I took it to the store and told them the issue and they told me to backup my stuff and bring it back and they would send it in. I did that.
It took me a month to do because I use it to work on too. I took it back for them to send it in. At that point they say they cannot. There is a code on the account. The manager was out for a coffee and gave the clerk a hard time because he had to rush back from his coffee. When he got back he told me that the code meant that I had to deal with Acer. I complained and he gave me a phone number in bc to call. I called it but they kept sending me to different departments.
I need my laptop sent off to Acer by them like they promised or a refund of the extended warranty. They are offering neither. So before you buy that extended warranty at the source remember, they are most likely ripping you off.
Chris
burlington, Ontario
Canada
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Daniel
Beverly Hills,California,
U.S.A.
Best Buy?
#3UPDATE Employee
Wed, October 22, 2008
Best Buy works the same way as CCity. Their Geek Squad actually pales in comparison to firedog, who actually wins awards for Customer Service. To that extent, Geek Squad hardly does work on your computer in store.
Laptops are too much of a liability. Either the technician you deal with is extremely skilled at servicing a laptop and magically conjuring parts for it so he can fix your laptop right there or you are receiving service on your laptop that is limited.
If you have a mobo problem with your laptop, I will guarantee that Geek Squad has to send it out for service just like firedog.
Smitty
Halifax,Nova Scotia,
U.S.A.
The Source CC Return Codes and Proper Procedure;
#3UPDATE Employee
Tue, July 29, 2008
Good Day,
I am a regular sales Associate at the Source CC on the east coast. Here is how the warranty is supposed to work. The manufacterers warranty will always take precedence over our own warranty...though this is usually not a problem because we can usually honour the manufactured warranty in store.
Warranty Codes:
V: We can replace the product over the counter, and we simply send the defective one back to the company.
D: We eat the cost of the item and simply replace it over the counter.
W: Head office eats the cost of the item, and we simply replace it over the counter.
E: We send your product away to the manufacterer, for them to repair.
H: We repair the item and charge the manufacterer for the repair cost.
*** C: The manufacterer wants to deal with you directly, and we are not supposed to touch it. Our warranty only applies after the manufacterer's warranty ends. NOTORIOUS CODE C Products: Apple Products, GPS, Most Notebook Computers, Some Desktops Computers, some televisions/monitors.
What we are SUPPOSED to tell you: "This notebook/Ipod/GPS comes with a one year warranty through the manufacterer, we can cover it for an additional two years for 199.99. Acer/Apple/Garmin will take care of you for the first year, we will cover your for the last two."
There are 3 things that can happen:
1) The associate is new/stupid/rushed and he/she just doesn't explain it properly.
2) The customer misunderstands the explanation, forgets the explanation,or iknows it but is trying anyways.
3) The associate is actually a d**k and is lying to you to sell the warrant.
Usually it is 1 or 2.
In your case I would have thought you could have argued and gotten your money back on the warranty. If you cannot get proper assistance at store level (especially because the warranty department is outside of store-level control); you could ask to be put into contact with the district manager or head office.
Usually our warranties aren't half bad, and I actually have an extended warranty on my Acer notebook I purchased recently. However, I now that my store warranty only kicks in on years two and three.
If you have any other thoughts/questions/complaints about our company's practices; just post a rebuttle to this message...and I will see if I have any other insight.
Sorry for your poor experience, it sounds like the sales associate frigged up in your case; but head office or the DM might have been able to rectify the situation.