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Geek Squad - Spent $500 on a "Solution" That Didn't Solve Anything
Laptop Repair - Complaint
Review by Consumer on 2013-03-06
Rating: 
STERLING, VIRGINIA -- So I was having problems with my laptop as it was randomly freezing up and rebooting itself. I bring it into Geek Squad for an analysis. Once complete, they tell me I need to replace the graphics card for a whopping $500. I, trusting this was a correct diagnosis and having an expensive device, agreed, paid up, and received my "fixed" laptop a couple weeks later. Used to not having a laptop, I didn't touch it much for the first month, and the problem didn't arise as it was random and usually associated with heave use.
A month later, the issue reoccurred and became more and more frequent. I brought it back in December and complain that it is still broken. They re install the OS and scanned for viruses. I get it back, same problem, nothing is fixed. I take it in again and they tell me I need to pay more money to have it analysed again, otherwise I'm screwed and just spent $500 on a solution they told me would work and didn't. I don't have the money to continue dealing with them anymore, my laptop is still broken, and Geek Squad is rejoicing in making my money off of their own false claims.
Pissed? Yes. Their customer service? extremely dismissive and unhelpful. Would I recommend Geek Squad to others? No, I'll probably go as far to write an angry review about them and warn others of being scammed. Oh ya, Geek Squad scams it customers.
A month later, the issue reoccurred and became more and more frequent. I brought it back in December and complain that it is still broken. They re install the OS and scanned for viruses. I get it back, same problem, nothing is fixed. I take it in again and they tell me I need to pay more money to have it analysed again, otherwise I'm screwed and just spent $500 on a solution they told me would work and didn't. I don't have the money to continue dealing with them anymore, my laptop is still broken, and Geek Squad is rejoicing in making my money off of their own false claims.
Pissed? Yes. Their customer service? extremely dismissive and unhelpful. Would I recommend Geek Squad to others? No, I'll probably go as far to write an angry review about them and warn others of being scammed. Oh ya, Geek Squad scams it customers.
Comments:
Posted by GenuineNerd on 2013-03-07:
You could buy a brand new laptop for less than that $500. I think Geek Squad is a ripoff. Unless your laptop is under a Best Buy warranty (which does have a lot of loopholes and limitations), you may want to seek out in independent computer shop next time you need a computer repair. They'll most likely charge less and do more.
Posted by leet60 on 2013-03-07:
What brand and model of laptop do you have? You indicated the problem occurs with heavy use. It may be a problem with the laptop overheating. The unit will shut itself down once internal temperature reaches a certain level to try and protect the CPU.
You might want to try getting a can of compressed air and regularly blowing out the vents on the unit as they gather dust rather quickly stifling the airflow which helps to cool the unit.
If you are using the unit on your "lap" or a surface in which the airflow to the vents is restricted you may want to try to elevate it to allow more airflow as the vents are most commonly on the bottom of the unit.
You might want to try getting a can of compressed air and regularly blowing out the vents on the unit as they gather dust rather quickly stifling the airflow which helps to cool the unit.
If you are using the unit on your "lap" or a surface in which the airflow to the vents is restricted you may want to try to elevate it to allow more airflow as the vents are most commonly on the bottom of the unit.
Posted by Old Timer on 2013-03-07:
It's all about getting as much money as they can for the Geek Squids. Value for money spent, customer service, knowledge are all terms Best Buy and the Geeks know little about.
Many Geeks Squids are hired to just run up repair bills, they are salespeople, not repair people.
"seek out in independent computer shop", best advice.
Many Geeks Squids are hired to just run up repair bills, they are salespeople, not repair people.
"seek out in independent computer shop", best advice.
Posted by trmn8r on 2013-03-07:
GN, the OP said they have an "expensive device". I have a Dell, which is a POS, that cost just a bit more than $500. I wouldn't pay more than $40 to fix it. If I had a computer that cost $1800, I might be tempted to pay $500 to have it fixed, if it wasn't outdated.
Posted by SteveWiginowski on 2013-03-07:
I would certainly complain to the Geek Squad that their "solution" didn't fix the problem since it keep occurring.
I brought my wife's laptop to Geek Squad and they did the analysis. They said that there was nothing they could do, that we'd have to buy a new one since they couldn't fix it. They charged around $100 for all of the diagnostics. I told this to the IT department at where I work and they said to bring the laptop in for them to look at.
They looked at it and fixed it with ease, citing a problem that they said should have been easily spotted by people who have good knowledge of computers. I brought this information to Best Buy and asked for a refund on the diagnostics. They were hesitant, but eventually did refund the money after we explained that their "solution" would have cost us several hundred dollars to buy a new computer when really it was a simple fix that they should have found.
I brought my wife's laptop to Geek Squad and they did the analysis. They said that there was nothing they could do, that we'd have to buy a new one since they couldn't fix it. They charged around $100 for all of the diagnostics. I told this to the IT department at where I work and they said to bring the laptop in for them to look at.
They looked at it and fixed it with ease, citing a problem that they said should have been easily spotted by people who have good knowledge of computers. I brought this information to Best Buy and asked for a refund on the diagnostics. They were hesitant, but eventually did refund the money after we explained that their "solution" would have cost us several hundred dollars to buy a new computer when really it was a simple fix that they should have found.
Posted by JoAnn Bullard on 2013-04-11:
Did you report them to the Better Buisness Bureau and Consumet Affairs Dept? These agencies may help you get some monetary restitution.
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