I dropped my laptop off there on Dec. 27 and they haven't fixed it yet.

I took it in before that because the A/C plug wouldn't work. Everything connected but the computer was always running on batteries. They gave me a new cord. That worked for about 2 days and it started again. I took it to a different BB (closer to my home) on the 27th and I haven't heard back from them.

My concerns: At the first GS the idiot tried to put another woman's property tag sticker on my laptops. At the second one the girl said that their computer network was down so they couldn't print out the dropoff paperwork. I asked if there was something to verify my computer and she said there was nothing she could do. She had a form for me to fill out manually but I don't know if she put a sticker on it or not. She never gave me a pick-up paper thing. I'm gonna try calling in a few minutes.

1/28/2008 6:49:49 PM

I just called them. It's ready for pick-up. New power jack and motherboard.

1/28/2008 7:00:08 PM

Quote :

"At the second one the girl said that their computer network was down so they couldn't print out the dropoff paperwork"

that sure is assuring considering they are in the business of fixing computers

1/28/2008 7:10:10 PM

Quote :

"I dropped my laptop off [at Geek Squad]"

That was your problem.

How much did you end up paying them? ~$200?

I bet someone in here would have done that for ~$50.

http://thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=505634

[Edited on January 28, 2008 at 8:01 PM. Reason : .]

1/28/2008 8:00:59 PM

Who on here could replace a laptop motherboard for 50 bucks? If it's in warranty then you're talking replacement parts from the manufacturer- meaning authorized repair center. If it's out of warranty than how are you going to replace it for 50 bucks? Sure you can do some with soldering but if there are broken pins then that's not going to work. Obviously that would be idiotic to have someone do under warranty.

Anyways, a lot of times you will have better luck having the manufacturer do the repair and sending it to them by free airmail yourself. Turn around time for ThinkPads is usually about 3-7 business days or sometimes as much as 3 weeks when there are miscommunication.

[Edited on January 28, 2008 at 8:42 PM. Reason : ]

1/28/2008 8:39:57 PM

Dell coming to you takes just a couple days. I :heart: Dell and the three year service plans.

1/28/2008 8:58:53 PM

see that's the thing

i'd almost be willing to bet that the motherboard was fine, just the power jack needed replacing

it's kinda like going to get your car fixed - some places try to replace things that aren't broken just so they can get more dollar bucks.

it wouldn't surprise me at all if they said they replaced the motherboard but in fact did not

1/28/2008 9:36:08 PM

^ the typical geek squadder would be more likely to just ship it off to have the mobo replaced, than to take the time (and liability) to try and solder it themselves.

1/28/2008 9:42:09 PM

Whenever my dell laptop breaks i get online at like 2am in the morning and chat with someone, and the next business day there's someone at my house with the part. I love dell support, and i the warranty has paid for itself a couple times already.

1/28/2008 10:02:07 PM

It's just taking them a while to copy all your nudie pics and personal information.

1/28/2008 10:54:43 PM

Dell and IBM/Lenovo both have EXCELLENT customer support wrt repairs.

I wasn't saying he shouldn't use the warranty ... what I was inferring is that if out of warranty, the last place the laptop should be taken is to the Geek Squad.

1/29/2008 12:18:20 AM

Geek squad is a gigantic corporate piece of shit.

If you don't hound them you're not going to know when the computer actually shows up. The computer had been sitting in our local best buy for a week when we picked it up. No phone calls, nothing. Only reason we got it repaired there was because dad bought the warranty with it when he bought it ('tis mommy's laptop). Their techs don't give a shit and are pretty damn good at giving people the runaround. In the future you would be far better off finding a person to befriend who knows about computers and offering THEM repayment to fix your computer. If it's a warranty repair, send it off to the manufacturer (for sure). If it's software or something, ask on TWW first or use google.

Best Buy has kind of pissed me off in the last year for becoming such a shitty store for its customers. Their sales tactics are nothing short of amazing (that new ipod nano you're buying won't hold even an hour of its original 5-6 hour life in about 12 months, you should buy the warranty!).

1/29/2008 1:19:04 AM

i will have to say a couple things for em tho. i returned a keyboard w no problems, and i also exhanged my tv... took it to the desk, they plugged it up and saw the problems, and that was that. new one is sittin in front of me now, and i also got it pricematched so i had cash towards the 4 yr warranty.. which was $69 .

unfortunately a lot of the cons on this thread are true too

1/29/2008 4:00:18 AM

the only reason i took it there is i have a service plan

1/29/2008 8:27:57 AM

the only reason i took it there is i have a service plan so repairs are free

1/29/2008 8:28:25 AM

We have an edit button

1/29/2008 12:48:55 PM

this whole thread was a waste, since you posted a question, then answered it yourself by using the simplest of means.

fail.

1/29/2008 3:13:54 PM

this ain't no blog spot shit. Btw, geek squad sends most of their repairs out of store, normally to the manufacturer. At least for laptops, it's easier to replace the component with a re-certified one than to figure out the problem, fix it, certify it and then return it. Turn around time is faster that way, but you still have to wait for weeks. I think it's like 3-6 weeks to wait, which is ridiculous to me.

1/29/2008 3:56:29 PM

Quote :

"We have an edit button"

It must be beside the STFU button.

This wasn't a blog. I was informing people about the woes of using GeekSquad.

1/30/2008 12:38:11 AM

Quote :

"the only reason i took it there is i have a service plan so repairs are free"

good thing you got that warranty.

1/30/2008 3:47:13 AM

my aunt's laptop was having similar problems, my dad fixed it for $20 worth of parts

but you solved your own problem

1/30/2008 7:41:12 AM

ok i used to work geek squad

when the network is down and you fill out the manual service tag, the agents are supposed to tape the service tag to your computer as well as write your name on a blank sticker and put that on the unit. As soon as the network is back up, we go make the service tag in the computer as we would to begin with. Not all GS agents follow policy so some just suck ass. There is no reason you had to wait a month to get your computer back. Go to a different BB next time.

Also, about the motherboard and soldering issue. Best Buy used to allow us to solder parts. They recently took that away because certain techs didnt know what they were doing. Now techs fix all software related issues as well as all hardware minus the motherboard. For any motherboard issue, we have to send it to Geek Squad City. Ever since some tech fucked up years ago, BB wants all GS agents to be A+ certified. I dont know how well they adhere to this, but certain stores make it happen.

1/30/2008 10:59:51 AM

Quote :

"Geek Squad City"

That produces a frightening image in my mind. A whole city of people to overcharge you for screwing your computer up. Heck, I bet they can't even get the stoplights to work.

1/30/2008 11:58:40 AM

The Geek Squad City is a bunch of jerks, all seem like they were imported just for cheap labor.
Usually I expect 1 1/2 month turn around on any item I bring in.

I've gone round and round with them on multiple problems:

Sony Camera that wouldn't charge, unknown why, when it came back, every time, "fixed" by the GSC, it caught on fire on the Geek Squad counter when we plugged it in to test it. Corporate then said even though it went in three times for the same problem it didn't count for the lemon rule because I never signed the unit out. They argued that because the unit never left the store before going into service it was still the first service call. The manager gave me store credit when the unit smoked on the counter in front of her.

Fried capacitor in a Sony LCD (they wouldn't send it to Sony and wouldn't fix it because it was a Sony). Eventually sent it to San Diego, Sony's USA Repair headquarters, in the middle of the fires, took four months total.

They've had my JVC receiver now for 2 months (Dec 2), its been back and forth twice, the HDMI port is bad, yet the service center says it works fine. I end up bringing my TV into the store and showing the manager, twice, that its broken. Luckily the manager is now working to get Best Buy to buy back the failed unit.

1/31/2008 11:28:55 AM

seems like you'd learn after the first few times to shop somewhere else..

1/31/2008 6:56:27 PM

I was about to say the same thing.

1/31/2008 10:21:44 PM

Quote :

"seems like you'd learn after the first few times to shop somewhere else.."

2/1/2008 12:38:49 AM

Quote :

"it didn't count for the lemon rule"

Nothing ever has and nothing ever will.

2/1/2008 8:12:30 AM