BestBuy Charges $1,700 for CD Drive Replacement?

BoogerBomb said:
Finally got it through my brother-in-law and sisters head to get an external hard drive to store photos,, music, documents, etc... on instead of the interal one. They took a laptop in for screen repair once and got a formatted system in return. They were told its their policy to wipe all hard drives clean regardless of the repair. This was years and years ago so I would think they have changed that.

They took a desktop in for warranty work and were told it would be $100 to back up the data. I told him fuck that, bought a data cable and transferred all his files to my laptop in about 10 minutes and told him that is what BB was going to charge him a $100 to do.
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The hard drive wiping policy is plausible if these machines are sent somewhere else for repair, but come on is this somewhere in the contact you sign when you give the geeksquad a PC for repair....."Your PC is being sent to TIMBUCKTOO for repair and the HDD is being WIPED"....knowing this how many people would be inclined to use best buys geek squad....
 
Climber said:
If you take your car in for an oil change generally they'll also check your spark plugs, air filter, etc..etc..They then come let you know of any possible "defects" and ask if you want it changed. If they just started replacing all that stuff without your permission they wouldn't be able to get away with it and they would be held liable. I don't see this as any different. A cd drive does not need the HDD looked at it nor should the HDD be replaced or tampered with in any way shape or form by BB since it wasn't what it was sent in for.

IMO BB did every thing wrong here and they should be held liable for the cost and whatever other damages may be incurred.
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Unfortunately it is different, unlike your car you sign a document saying that they aren't responsible for lost data and when you have a computer sent in under warranty repair all its parts are repaired or replaced.
 
I'm assuming this person has geek squad's PSP/black tie protection.

The warranty terms they sign when they bought the plan state that Geek Squad has the power to replace anything found to be defective to return the computer to 100% working condition. If you take a PC in for a bad CDROM, and the hard drive fails post-testing - it's going to be replaced. However it's not true that the hard drive is destroyed after 2 days. When a hard drive is replaced, they keep it in a caged off secured area of the service center (geek squad city isn't the only one btw, there's one in Chino, Chicago, and New York if I remember right). The customer is then called to see if they want the data recovered. Unfortunately, there's no way to get the physical hard drive back. You can tell the in-store agents you don't want the drive touched all you want, and they can tell the service center not to replace the drive all they want - it'll still get replaced if it's defective. The only way to avoid it is to remove the drive or, naturally, back up your data as you should be doing if you're sending it to a service center where it'll be shipped and banged up by UPS.

Moral of the story, back up your data if it's important to you. Forget the fact that the drive might be failing already - UPS is going to throw it in a truck/plane and haul it with 100s of other packages across the country. Common sense can avoid situations like this.

The reason the cost is so high in this case is that there are several levels of data recovery they do. Level 1 is just backing it up to an external HD or DVDR. Level 3 involves a lab, clean room, etc. and is very expensive. Depending on how bad the drive is, the cost can go from $100 to $2,000.
 
Riddlinkidstoner said:
Unfortunately it is different, unlike your car you sign a document saying that they aren't responsible for lost data and when you have a computer sent in under warranty repair all its parts are repaired or replaced.
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Not all waivers will absolve a company of wrongdoing.
 
Minion187 said:
I'm assuming this person has geek squad's PSP/black tie protection.

The warranty terms they sign when they bought the plan state that Geek Squad has the power to replace anything found to be defective to return the computer to 100% working condition. If you take a PC in for a bad CDROM, and the hard drive fails post-testing - it's going to be replaced. However it's not true that the hard drive is destroyed after 2 days. When a hard drive is replaced, they keep it in a caged off secured area of the service center (geek squad city isn't the only one btw, there's one in Chino, Chicago, and New York if I remember right). The customer is then called to see if they want the data recovered. Unfortunately, there's no way to get the physical hard drive back. You can tell the in-store agents you don't want the drive touched all you want, and they can tell the service center not to replace the drive all they want - it'll still get replaced if it's defective. The only way to avoid it is to remove the drive or, naturally, back up your data as you should be doing if you're sending it to a service center where it'll be shipped and banged up by UPS.

Moral of the story, back up your data if it's important to you. Forget the fact that the drive might be failing already - UPS is going to throw it in a truck/plane and haul it with 100s of other packages across the country. Common sense can avoid situations like this.

The reason the cost is so high in this case is that there are several levels of data recovery they do. Level 1 is just backing it up to an external HD or DVDR. Level 3 involves a lab, clean room, etc. and is very expensive. Depending on how bad the drive is, the cost can go from $100 to $2,000.
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That is something that needs to be changed. Hard drives should be returned to the owner and not stored for possible data theft.
 
Exactly. You can't waive liability - that's the way the law works.

Just because you sign a piece of paper before you sky dive doesn't mean that the skydiving operator wasn't liable should you be injured or die in the course of your skydiving.
 
SeaFoam said:
I used to work at CompUSA and the shit we pulled was unbelievable, same at Mediacom.
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Thanks for admitting your a tool. If you're now willing to admit 'shit we pulled' why didn't you do what was right at the time?
 
Keiichi said:
If that's the case then it's still all on BB for hiring incompetent workers that cannot properly read and/or write.
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You guys really think that Geek Sqaud doesn't know they are doing anything wrong? I know exactly what they are thinking "Well they didn't want to pay $100 to have data backed up so I'm going to feel free to wipe it" ... that's not ignorance, or lack of technical knowledge. it's just being a fucking ass hole because you can be.
 
User has no data backup.

User loses data.

User is surprised at data loss, even after being offered, AND declining data backup services.

Having learned the value of data backup, user is now full of misdirected rage, and making a fuss, attempting to blame everyone but him/herself.


*YAWN*

heard it before.

this is not one of those stories that "never gets old".
 
This $100 back up fee seems more like a mobster demanding a merchant pay for "protection".

This whole situation is a large WTF.

It just shows that purchasing a warranty for a desktop is a waste of money. They could of saved their money on the warranty, and replaced the HDD themselves.
 
Xaero_toast said:
User has no data backup.

User loses data.

User is surprised at data loss, even after being offered, AND declining data backup services.

Having learned the value of data backup, user is now full of misdirected rage, and making a fuss, attempting to blame everyone but him/herself.


*YAWN*

heard it before.

this is not one of those stories that "never gets old".
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To be honest user had no reason to think BB was going to replace their hard drive when that wasn't the work they wanted performed.
 
I feel sorry for them but only just a little. Look, taking your computer data into best buy/geek squad is equivalent to hanging a big piece of fresh meat around your neck and wading into the tiger cage. Sure, you might get lucky and not have any problems but you sure are asking for trouble.

I hardly know anything about cars but I just don't take into the first shiny repair shop I see; I ask around, check out reviews online, call the bbb. I certainly don't sign estimates that say we are not responsible for anything our idiot staff does to your property.
 
TheMead said:
This $100 back up fee seems more like a mobster demanding a merchant pay for "protection".

This whole situation is a large WTF.

It just shows that purchasing a warranty for a desktop is a waste of money. They could of saved their money on the warranty, and replaced the HDD themselves.
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Yeah ok. $100 covers the potential time invested to back up ones data and all the problems that could happen.

Put yourself in a clueless persons shoes and ask them again to install a HD themselves.
 
Riddlinkidstoner said:
Yeah ok. $100 covers the potential time invested to back up ones data and all the problems that could happen.

Put yourself in a clueless persons shoes and ask them again to install a HD themselves.
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Potential time? The plug it into another computer for a few minutes, transfer data, done.
 
SeaFoam said:
Hey fuckhead, did I ask for your input? I was 16 at the time and the shit we pulled was nowhere close to as bad as destroying someone's family memories. We had fun, people do that in service jobs. Get used to it. I love little loudmouth fucks like you, so big and bad over the internet.

'bigdogchris' translated 'fat fuck virgin'?
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Someones vagina is sensitive today.
 
Riddlinkidstoner said:
Everyone has a mortgage to pay.
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SeaFoam said:
I had to take my laptop in under warranty (ugh, fucking cocksuckers put a scratch in it too) - bad HD - I made sure it got a good low level format before it went in.

I used to work at CompUSA and the shit we pulled was unbelievable, same at Mediacom.
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At least your honest, I rather fix it myself or RMA the part if possible without thinking twice of taking it to geek squad.
 
If the computer was under warranty, the techs would have treated it the same as a dealership would a car. They would have repaired everything they found wrong or even marginal and collected money from the warranty provider. Same as a dealership collects cash from Ford, Toyota, whoever, for repairing cars under warranty. Repair authorization of warrantied items is generally assumed when the owner of the warrantied item is not paying any money.

The $1700 is for the data recovery. While the geek squad is, for the most part, a pack low rent of idiots, they did not really go over the line on this one imho. To be honest, this all could have been avoided if BB's backup service was used by those people. Granted, they expected that a new cd/dvd drive would be tossed in and the PC returned. Another solution for BB is to consider is simply making it part of geeks squad SOP to backup HD's to DVD prior to replacing them without the somewhat ridiculous $100 fee.

Not saying BB is a good guy in this, just that they deserve only part of the blame.
 
Riddlinkidstoner said:
Everyone has a mortgage to pay.
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I believe good customer service is the most important thing you can do at a business. I'd rather have less money if it meant being honest and doing what is right.
Xaero_toast said:
User has no data backup.

User loses data.

User is surprised at data loss, even after being offered, AND declining data backup services.

Having learned the value of data backup, user is now full of misdirected rage, and making a fuss, attempting to blame everyone but him/herself.


*YAWN*

heard it before.

this is not one of those stories that "never gets old".
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Your completely right. But where in this story is the explanation of why the hard drive was replaced, where it would of taken 15 minutes to replace and test a new DVD-ROM drive?
 
I'd be really interested in the percentage of computers sent off for repair that end up with 'defective' harddrives. Sounds like somebody is padding the repair bill.
 
bigdogchris said:
I believe good customer service is the most important thing you can do at a business. I'd rather have less money if it meant being honest and doing what is right.
Your completely right. But where in this story is the explanation of why the hard drive was replaced, where it would of taken 15 minutes to replace and test a new DVD-ROM drive?
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I remember a customer coming in with a HD he just bought, bent like 5 pins... I straightened them out for him right there, no charge or anything and instead of getting a 'hey nice job with that customer' I got an ass chewing for not charging him. They only care about money.
 
Keiichi said:
This is a total customer service snafu. It would like be going into the doctor for a cold and then getting lobotomized without even knowing.
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You know, it's sad, but if that ever happened, I'm willing to bet there would be tons of people on a forum about it somewhere defending the doctors. :p
 
Why is this even news? I thought everyone came to expect "Best Buy" and "charges $X for Y" always come together, where X is outrageous for Y.
 
SatTech said:
I'd be really interested in the percentage of computers sent off for repair that end up with 'defective' harddrives. Sounds like somebody is padding the repair bill.
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No need to be coy, it happens. Even at more reputable repair shops of all kinds, from vacuum cleaners, to cars, to computers. People are greedy.
 
isn't this extortion? They're holding their data hostage unless they pay $1500... they just went in to replace a CD-rom drive, I wouldn't of paid $100 to backup my data either...

I'd sue the pants off BB if it was me...
 
Riddlinkidstoner said:
Unfortunately it is different, unlike your car you sign a document saying that they aren't responsible for lost data and when you have a computer sent in under warranty repair all its parts are repaired or replaced.
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Unfortunately the computer was sent in for CD repair, not HDD repair. Just because it is sent in to an out of state repair shop does not give them license to do whatever they want. What if the cpu was failing and they decided to put in a new i970, then they would need a new mobo, new ram, new videocard, new power supply, and so on and so forth. Would they then charge them for all the new parts, labour, and software? No of course not. This is no different.
 
If half these people would just take the time to figure out how the shit they own and use every day actually works they wouldn't be getting raped like this. But there will always be companies like BB ready and willing to take advantage of a trusting and naive customer any chance they get.

"It says right here on page five of the extended warranty agreement we suckered you into accepting, that we have the right to have sex with your ass whenever we see fit. Oh, didn't read that part?" No one ever does.

Disgusting.
 
Climber said:
Unfortunately the computer was sent in for CD repair, not HDD repair. Just because it is sent in to an out of state repair shop does not give them license to do whatever they want. What if the cpu was failing and they decided to put in a new i970, then they would need a new mobo, new ram, new videocard, new power supply, and so on and so forth. Would they then charge them for all the new parts, labour, and software? No of course not. This is no different.
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You are absolutely correct. The Customer took a laptop to BB for a CDRom. If the GeekSquad found somethimg else wrong as well, they should have informed the C that a backup for $100 was needed as well, because of a HDD replacement. That way the C could have decided how much C wanted to spend to repair laptop. It's the C's decision not BB or GS. Piss poor Customer Service. Shows you that extended warranty $ are BullShit since they want $100 more per "warranty" repair for data backup.
 
I wonder if the fact that a warranty repair costs $100 for data backup is listed in the warranty?
 
I believe that somewhere the customer was informed that "maam/sir your hard drive is broken, would you like it replaced and the data backed up?" and the customer said fuck, well OK.

And now someone isn't happy
 
Has anyone considered the HDD died while on the way to or at the BB facility? I think we all know how often HDDs fail, especially the ones sold in cheap pre-built computers. Woman comes in and says her CD-ROM doesn't work, tech takes it in back, it won't boot up because the HDD is busted, so he replaces the HDD and the CD-ROM. When she comes back in to get it later, she's furious the HDD got changed and doesn't listen or understand that the HDD broke some other time, possibly when she was bringing it to BB in the first place.
 
Climber said:
Unfortunately the computer was sent in for CD repair, not HDD repair. Just because it is sent in to an out of state repair shop does not give them license to do whatever they want. What if the cpu was failing and they decided to put in a new i970, then they would need a new mobo, new ram, new videocard, new power supply, and so on and so forth. Would they then charge them for all the new parts, labour, and software? No of course not. This is no different.
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It would of been covered under warranty and the customer wouldn't be charged.

What you fail to see is data recovery for a failed HD is not covered and the customer was told this before it was sent out.
 
Tokamak said:
Has anyone considered the HDD died while on the way to or at the BB facility? I think we all know how often HDDs fail, especially the ones sold in cheap pre-built computers. Woman comes in and says her CD-ROM doesn't work, tech takes it in back, it won't boot up because the HDD is busted, so he replaces the HDD and the CD-ROM. When she comes back in to get it later, she's furious the HDD got changed and doesn't listen or understand that the HDD broke some other time, possibly when she was bringing it to BB in the first place.
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Anything is possible but wouldn't you like to be informed of how much it will cost you prior to having the work done?
 
Let me try to explain this one more time.

The PSP/black tie protection warranty sold at best buy STATES CLEARLY IN THE TERMS that if something is defective on a PC, whether it be the reported problem or not - it will be fixed. If a computer is under warranty, service center agents are not allowed to send it out defective. It has to be 100% functioning. Granted, sometimes things slip by and they don't realize something is defective or it gets past quality control. But if an agent fixes the reported problem, runs the post-tests, and discovers the hard drive is bad - it's getting replaced. Period.

They don't go out of their way to replace hard drives. Why? Because an agent (a repair tech) has NO incentive to do so. They don't get any bonus, nothing. They have a daily quota to meet and replacing the hard drive would only make the repair take longer and increase the chance that unit doesn't go out that day.

Personally, I agree they should send the bad hard drive back to the customer. But the reason they don't, is because they get a discount on new parts by sending the old defective parts back to the manufacturer. The manufacturer wipes the data, repairs the drive, and sells it refurbished. That's the way it works. The only time a bad part comes back to the customer is if the PC wasn't under any warranty and the customer had paid for the entire repair themselves.

Look guys, Geek Squad has a bad rep amongst tech savvy individuals and a lot of it is certainly deserved. But don't jump to crazy conclusions when you don't know the facts. I can completely understand your mis-trust of Geek Squad and I don't hold any bad blood towards you for it. Just chill out people :-P
 
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