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The sound on my notebook computer (PC) stopped working. I used the restore CD that came with the (PC). When I was finished and restarted the (PC) I saw a blue screen with the message “ missing system 32 hal.dll.”.I took the computer (PC), restore CD and power cord to Best Buy (Geek Squad) on 8/28/09. The employee told me that they charge $69.99 to Diagnose the computer; the employee told me that the geek squad would call me when they were done. I received a voice mail message from the geek squad 4 days later on 8/31/09. I went to the store and talked to the employee about the (PC). I was told that the Hard Drive was bad. I asked the employee what needed to be done to get the (PC) working again. The employee said, “The Hard Drive in your computer needs to be replaced”. I asked “How much will that cost?” I was told, $129.99 + $49.99 + $69.99 + price of a new hard drive. I was told hard drive price was around $50.00. (Copy of service order included with this letter) I told the employee NO THANK YOU and that I was not ready to spend that much on the (PC). I paid the $69.99 for the diagnostics and took my NOT WORKING (PC) home. I was OK with the $69.99 diagnostics charge at that time. That same night my next-door neighbor and I were talking about the (PC) problem I was having and he told me that his teenage son fixes his computer when it stops working properly. I asked my neighbor to have his teenage son look at my (PC) to see what he can do. I gave him the computer, restore CD and power cord. The (PC) DID NOT work properly anyway. Two (2) hours later that teenager came to my door with my WORKING computer. I asked the teenager how he fixed it and he told me that he formatted the hard drive 2 times in a row. He also told me that he had to do the same thing to his friends (PC) he fixed a few weeks before. He formatted the (PC) then turned it off rite away, restarted the (PC) reformatted again then installed the operating system. I spent 20 minutes checking out the (PC) then I paid him the $50.00 he wanted for fixing it and Thank him over & over again.
I took the WORKING (PC) back to the geek squad and talked to an employee named; Francisco Tapia. I asked to talk to the manager (Andy or Mahmud) and Francisco Tapia said “He is not here and will not be in until much later, can I help you?” I explained the whole story and asked for the $69".99 to be credited back to my credit card for the FAULSE diagnoses/. Francisco Tapia told me that the geek squad was NOT going to give me a refund because the hard drive was bad and the diagnoses found bad sectors in it?. I opened & turned on the notebook and showed Francisco Tapia that the notebook was working fine,. Francisco Tapia said “We could have made the (PC) work by reinstalling the operating system too but it would have cost you more then the $69;.99 we charged you|. All I was told when I picked it up was that my Hard Drive was bad and needed to be replaced:.
I understand what happened here, Best Buy (Geek Squad) wanted to sell a new hard drive to me and make money off me for the Installation Fee, New Hard Drive Fee, Operating System Installation Fee and the HW Install Fee whatever that is'.
I honestly wonder how many people this company has RIPPED OFF?
I am writing this letter to you on the notebook computer that the Geek Squad said needed a new hard drive to work and were going to charge me about $300.00 for.
The wireless Internet, the speakers, the DVD player and everything else works now. 1287214
 Comments (56) |
| 1. Written by Geek Squad is incompetent and on May 6, 2012 from lansing, michigan, US I was convinced to purchase the Geek Squad Black Tie protection plan for my new Samsung PC based on the fact that I was promised a free battery. This extended warranty was supposedly good for one year. I received a renewal letter telling me my coverage would expire on May 6, 2012, so I took my PC in for the new battery on May 6, I was told it already expired and I should have read the terms and conditions of the warranty. When I called the Geek Squad's 800 number, the customer service rep told me the warranty was good through May 6th. Then she put me on hold, and when she came back, she told me the same thing the *** at the store told me; that it didn't expire on May 6, it was already expired on May 6. Add this scam to the two times I contacted the Geek Squad regarding hardware issues and they were unable to help me with the problem, I will NEVER shop at Best Buy again. They push their extended warranties and then do not honor them. |
| 2. Written by Cheese man on March 28, 2012 from phoenix, arizona, US Im the CHEESE MAN! repeat after me scoobie doobie oobie doobie boobie! |
| 3. Written by Cam on February 19, 2012 from long beach, california, US I took my pc into best buy long beach ca to have them remove a virus. Due to family issues and my own health issues, I haven’t been able to completely Access my computer It wasn’t till I was asked to bring up files, that I found that my D drive was gone. I can not recover them and am furious. When I brought the pc in I told them I had a "C" drive and a "D" drive and that I would call them in regard to how to handle things. I advised them that although files named on either drive share some of the same names, that they are completely different. To head with caution and not to save them together as the new ones will over ride the old files. Instead of handling my problem professionally now only the "C" drive shows up under the my computer icon. Among the files are family photos that I can never recover. Music docs etc. all can not be recovered. I remember when I called in to give instructions, also I got 2-3 different people who claimed that they would be handling my computer, rather than one consistent person. One of them told me in order to save info, they would create a yellow folder on my desktop and place 1TB work of info off the "D" drive there, which would theoretically combine both drives and be near to impossible to do, as the "C" drive could only hold 3 TB of info and by putting an additional 1TB on the desktop (which they claimed they would *** of the "D" drive), it would be impossible, and therefore files would be deleted. When I picked up the pc, there was no such yellow folder. I was extremely sick and with 3 family members hospitalized between Dec-Feb 10th of 2012, I had yet been able to sit down and search my pc to even attempt to see where my "D" drive items where. Upon a call about a work project, I was forced to search and after so looked under my computer and came up with nothing, a search through windows, also came up with nothing. What in the world did they do with my files. I paid $ 281.74 for virus removal and data backup, and had purchased an external HD from best buy, for $163.11, which incidentally was BAD and they had to do an in store exchange for another HD before they could attempt the service. of backing up data. Paid for a data backup and deletion of a virus but they deleted my D drive My D drive is gone from "my computer" even if they copied and save everything to the ext HD it should show up. They left a disc in the drive and didn't tell me they said there would be a yellow folder on the desktop with files from my C and D drive, nothing is there. first they said all the programs will have to be reinstalled. but when I called for pick up, they said I wouldn't have to re-install them, they were still on the pc. but when I looked for them under "programs," they were not there. CHECK THE HARD DRIVE AND ADD TO THE LIST OF COMPLAINTS I am not happy with the service; I would like a Refund to my credit card. When calling Best buy, they said that they do not give refunds at 60 days, so the Geeksquad guy lied to me. When I called another Best buy and told them (GS) the problem, no D drive, they said I had a virus or a corrupt OS. Hmm so after $444+ spent in Long Beach, they never removed the virus or then corrupted my OS. They are the worst store and if they don’t make good, I will spread on every blog and person I come in contact with. Should be called “WORST BUY,” not Best buy. |
| 4. Written by Mike on February 5, 2012 from bel air, maryland, US The Geek Squad came to fix my TV and charged $150.00 on the initial visit. They came back a two weeks later to install the part and charge for the part as well as the $150.00 servioce call for a second time. I spent two and a half hours on the phone trying to get a refunde for the second service fee, they never could transfer me to the coorect dept. the next day another call and I was told my check would arrive in 7 to 14 days. Big surprise day 18 and no check. |
| 5. Written by acidcdb on November 29, 2011 from ottawa, ontario, CA I had failing hard drives before, according to a program ( I do not trust programs written by a company to tell you if something works or not. They are usually written by the same company that made your product, they want you to spend, spend, spend) . Maybe, my hard drive will fail further and further (doubt it), but the thing is I am still using all of them. (I use them for backing up all my files) I have never lost any data in the time. I have been using one for 7 years now and its an 8 year old hard drive. |
| 6. Written by Sachin on November 28, 2011 from milwaukee, wisconsin, US I took the Lenovo laptop as part of Black Friday deal.. that included some $69.99 charge for Geek Squad. I wanted to return that laptop and get a different one (a better deal online from different site). But they say they won't return the $69.99 as its a service... I have not even opened that laptop. And they indirectly forced me to keep the laptop... Geeksquad is a such a rip off.. I am not going to buy anything from Bestbuy ever again.. and I will ensure none of my friends or family are going to that such a store!!!! |
| 7. Written by Jessica on September 19, 2011 from denver, colorado, US I have an HP notebook that does automatic updates. After one of these updates I was unable to log on and get my homepage. After I would turn it on and log in there was just a black screen. I took it to Geek Squad and they told me there were going to have to reinstall everything and that it would cost me $200. I am somewhat clueless when it comes to computers, but this price seemed high even to me. I went and picked up my computer and took it to a local PC repair shop. All they ended up having to do was a system restore. He also walked me through everything he did and informed that Geek Squad lies and rips people off all the time. He didn't have to wipe my computer and it ended up costing me $40...compared to Geek Squads price of $200. It makes me sick to my stomach that they actually knowingly overcharge people. Always get a second a opnion....mine ended up saving me $160! |
| 8. Written by Spurgeon Hill on September 19, 2011 from tampa, florida, US The Geek Squad and Best Buy Co. are both (one and the same) reprehensible in their customer satisfaction. The Gek Squad has a ladder of success and apparently the higher (by hook or crook) the more aloof and belligerent you and afford to be. I have had a $2,000 Samsung with 650 Harmony remote (which I did not need-causes confusion without support) and absolutely no concern for my 2 minute problem. Only a CALL on my service call and only an aggravated Geek that said I had been instructed on the 650 and it would cost $99.00 to help me. This is not only unfair but very unprofessional. This individual hollered at me and then hung up. This did not help my situation and I am ONE frustrated $2,000 investor and will report this to the BBB and my attorneys. Thank you for the forum and I hope you change your company, otherwise the $3,000,000,000 can disappear quicker than Bernie Madoff because your business tactics are nothing but a PONZI scheme of which I am a victim. Shame to say that about a company but Best Buy/Geek Squad is just corrupt. I am so tired of spending hours on the phone and writing about this that it makes me sick at my stomach because it costs me $300 a day to teach 18 kids to be honest and good citizens. Your employees are neither! My e-mail is since you ask if I want to be contacted by e-mail. I noticed you left no place for e-mail or phone so that tells me this is useless. Why do you do business so dishonest and unfair? Money? Oh, that's it. Well it can be made honestly and fairly and much more profitable by referrals, if you care! |
| 9. Written by matthatesjohn on August 22, 2011 from new york, new york, US isn't* |
| 10. Written by Matthatesjohn on August 22, 2011 from new york, new york, US Guessing you're a best buy employee, as am I. The geek squad is a complete ripoff and you're probably better off taking it to a teenager or someone who is going to gouge your wallet for all its worth. The geek squad people are far from professional and use a bunch of software to run there diagnostics instead of taking the components out and testing them individually. They usually lack the knowledge needed to troubleshoot a computer without this software they rely so heavily on. There have been numerous times when the geek-squad employees have been made *** out of due to me correcting their "diagnoses." Don't trust geek-squad, look up a local technician who isn't going to gouge your wallet. You're much better off. Also black tie protection is a complete rip off. |
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