Complaint Review: Geek Squad - Atlanta Georgia

I previously worked for Geek Squad and when a unit is sent for service the customer signs a Disclaimer that is labeled numbers 1 through 10. Item number 4 says the that the customer understands that all defective parts will be replaced in service. Imagine sending in your computer because the battery is not holding a charge and when you get it back the keyboard wasn't working. Would you expect the repair facility to say, "Yes, diagnostics revealed the keyboard had failed, but the customer only reported the battery problem, so we didn't replace the keyboard." Thus, if the hard drive is failing and this is revealed in diagnostics, the hard drive is replaced under Warranty. Item # 10 states that the custoemr understands that tehy are responsible for back-ing up their data before the unit is sent off and that they waive any claim to loss of data. Item # 10 on the Disclaimer is PRINTED IN ALL CAPS AND BOLD PRINT. to make this point clear. In short, if the customer has not backed up his or her data before a unit is sent for repair, the customer must be prepared for the event that their data will be lost. Companies like Best Buy and Geek Squad are required to send replaced parts for credit, or the Warranty will not accept charges for repairs. For example, if they replace a motherboard, but don't send the old motherboard in for credit, the Warranty won't pay for the repairs and Best Buy will be stuck with the repair bill. This is why the replaced hard drive can't be returned. After replaced parts are received by the manufacturer (or Warranty owner) they are wiped and destroyed. Unfortunately, due to legal issues involving software licensings, repair facilities are not authorized to restore a unit unless the restore disks are provided by the customer. There are exceptions if you send a unit to a Manufacturer Service Center (EX. if you send a unit to Toshiba, Toshiba may have their restore disks on file and may restore the unit while in repair. This solely depends on the manufacturer). This obviously would not apply to a thrid party repair facility such as a Best Buy Service Center

your report is basically accurate... I really feel sorry for you but this is SOP at Geek Sqaud... best buy used to reinstall the OS, using a cracked Windows generic disk.. but since the legal crackdown.. customer's must provide both the media & the product key.. regarding the 1st rebuttal. the problem is the customer signed the form (even with the words highlighted in BOLD letters) that geek squad won't do a data backup and that you might lose all of your data. Some customers have tried to argue that the agent never explained this to them verbally (which of course is easy to deny) or they never read the document before they signed it.. that is why when you look at the new disclaimer customers sign on drop off it says "I have read this agreement &... understand..." in a small claims court case against my Best Buy store my GM asked me to testify in years ago..(I was young and stupid, if I worked there now I would have refused but I was best buy brain washed) One customer tried to argue that he couldn't understand written english or the form he was signing.. The Judge said "do you have a driver's license?" when the customer said yes.. the reply was "perhaps you shouldn't if you can't read english or understand road signs" One other warning to customer's when you pickup a repair from geek squad the agent will imply your signing the paperwork to say your picking it up... when in reality the form says "I..your name.. recongize that repairs have been performed in a matter satisfactory to me" if you sign and get home to find the unit damaged. too bad.. the form also says you will report any issues before pickup or that it's in perfect condition... refusing to sign doesn't work as you don't get your PC back. I suggest crossing this line out and writing "picked up unit.." and inital the change. I agree this was the local store fault.. not as a courtisy to you.. but as a way to extract more $$ from your pocket.. at my old store we always stressed $159 full data backup cost upfront (we could always lower it to $99 if it was under 9.5GB per company policy) by simply saying .. so you have NO Important data on your PC you'd like to keep.. (this gets everyone to say.. well yes I do) this is the start of the costs.. the next step is to land the $199 Adv diag & repair (ADR).. even if your PC doesn't need it.. think of this as a retainer fee for an attorney. this gives geek squad wiggle room.. (say you need a new HD at $100 & $40 install but not the ADR service.. they don't have to ask you for more $$.. or nickel & dime a customer every few days.. ) and in some cases if a backup was less then 9.5gb the store forgot to lower the price to $99 unless the customer mentioned it. Geek Squad agents are trained to view themselves as a cross between a Police officer and a Doctor ..while some of you might think this is funny.. I'm being serious.. when a doctor says you've got cancer (your PC is sick) and writes a precription for medication (tells you what services your PC needs) it stated with confidence /authority.. most of you listen to doctor's .. Geek agents are more professionally dressed then you are ...(especially on the weekend on your day off..) white shirt/tie and in the case of double agents wearing a police style badge ..many times I was out in public during lunch break and was mistaken for a police detective on first glance (although I never claimed to be one) the black & white VW Bugs have similar reactions people have yielded to me on the road, letting me on the freeway... drive slower when I'm behind them etc. -there is alot of Physcology used by Geek Sqaud to get the most $$$ from customers. I'm not happy about it now.. but I remember telling older people or newbies to computers who were getting DSL or Cable installed and needed a wireless setup and didn't want to wait 2weeks.. that is would cost $600 to come out today to fix the problem ($300 for a 911 same day network inhome call + $200 for a wireless card/router) sometimes agents at my store would object to these sales tactics.. as being unethical or shady.. or try to give the customer a break.. I once disagreed said it was a bit much to charge $199 (ADR) to remove cookies or minor spyware.. and was having moral issues with it.. The response from my store manager was.. do you believe in personal freedom? or the Govt controlling people's personal lives? what they are allowed eat for dinner or where to go on vacation etc? I had no right as a Geek Agent to "sell from my own wallet" some people earn $500 a week, others $500 an hour trying to dictate to people was Un-American and actually racial discrimination (assuming a person can't afford your service based on what they look like, how they are dressed etc) value yourself, it might be "easy" for you but to others your worth $200 an hour (of course why Best Buy only pays agents around $10-15 -depending on market/position is another story) It would be one thing if geek sqaud was just overpriced but fixed everything correctly.. but various issues from using old parts from dead laptops to fix yours to units actually being damaged by agents and then charging the customer.

On page 31 of the "Geek Squad CIA Handbook" it read: 6.10.3 - FORMAT INSTALL OF WINDOWS 98/SE/ME/XP A Format Install of Windows 98/ME/XP deletes all data on the drive. THE CLIENT MUST KNOW THAT ALL DATA WILL BE DELETED FROM THE DRIVE. All programs will have to be reinstalled by the client, or we can install them for an additional fee. A Format Install of Windows 98/ME/XP should only be used as a last resort after all other options have been tried. So go tell them that you were not notified of this and they violated they're own rules by not telling you. Hope this helps

On page 31 of the "Geek Squad CIA Handbook" it read: 6.10.3 - FORMAT INSTALL OF WINDOWS 98/SE/ME/XP A Format Install of Windows 98/ME/XP deletes all data on the drive. THE CLIENT MUST KNOW THAT ALL DATA WILL BE DELETED FROM THE DRIVE. All programs will have to be reinstalled by the client, or we can install them for an additional fee. A Format Install of Windows 98/ME/XP should only be used as a last resort after all other options have been tried. So go tell them that you were not notified of this and they violated they're own rules by not telling you. Hope this helps

On page 31 of the "Geek Squad CIA Handbook" it read: 6.10.3 - FORMAT INSTALL OF WINDOWS 98/SE/ME/XP A Format Install of Windows 98/ME/XP deletes all data on the drive. THE CLIENT MUST KNOW THAT ALL DATA WILL BE DELETED FROM THE DRIVE. All programs will have to be reinstalled by the client, or we can install them for an additional fee. A Format Install of Windows 98/ME/XP should only be used as a last resort after all other options have been tried. So go tell them that you were not notified of this and they violated they're own rules by not telling you. Hope this helps

On page 31 of the "Geek Squad CIA Handbook" it read: 6.10.3 - FORMAT INSTALL OF WINDOWS 98/SE/ME/XP A Format Install of Windows 98/ME/XP deletes all data on the drive. THE CLIENT MUST KNOW THAT ALL DATA WILL BE DELETED FROM THE DRIVE. All programs will have to be reinstalled by the client, or we can install them for an additional fee. A Format Install of Windows 98/ME/XP should only be used as a last resort after all other options have been tried. So go tell them that you were not notified of this and they violated they're own rules by not telling you. Hope this helps