# Geek Squad--Incompetent?



## Alex Ethridge

I am in the on-site service and support business and I have gone behind enough of the Geek Squad's work now that I feel I am qualified to make an assessment of their competence--or rather lack of.

Over the last three months, I've had opportunity to check out about ten or more wireless network setups done by the Geek Squad. I find that in all cases there was not one which had any form of security. All were open and unsecured. In all cases, the default name for the wireless device was left at the manufacturer's default and not one even had the default password changed.

The worst case I saw was today's late afternoon service call that ran on to about 8:30 PM. The Geek Squad had set up three wireless networks. One in the home I visited, one directly across the street and one just next door. All were done over a period of about six weeks. The customer complained that her wireless would just come and go at will. I discovered the Geek Squad had her connecting to the internet through the next door neighbor's computer and, in addition, all of the other conditions existed as stated in the above paragraph.

So much for the Geek Squad. I guess it just proves that even the near totally incompetent can get plenty of business if they have the advertising dollars behind them. I wonder how many identity thefts they are responsible for.


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## Colossus610

I would have to punch my card in favor of the "Incompetent" party. 
I also work in the customer service industry by co-managing a small family-run computer-repair/new system etc etc business, been in the area for going on 23 years strong now. 
We have had an ever-increasing number of customers come in with their systems complaining on Geek Squad's ineptitude and their poor handling of mistakes or customer complaints.
And at the Best Buy closest to me, I personally know one of their "geeks" from high school and DeVry University(dropout). No offense to him, but ahem, he don't know squat.
(We've also had a system or two come in almost straight from Best Buy and when we popped the cd's, lo and behold, what do we have here but certain OS install disks.  )


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## linskyjack

You get what you pay for.


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## Alex Ethridge

Not always.

This customer paid well and did not get what he should have gotten.


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## heinz57

Geek squad = CRAP


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## brendandonhu

I had to help the geek squad person at our local Best Buy...she couldn't figure out how to pull the hard drive out of a laptop


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## heinz57

Hahaha, I have best buy's techs call me a lot since I work for a computer manufacturer, you wouldn't believe some of the stuff I get from techs...doh.

Not sure what your intent is, but your link(s) seem very inappropriate!


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## coderitr

Good to know for people like me who do stuff like this on a private much smaller scale. Wow. They actually had her connecting to the internet over her next door neighbor's network. That is amazing. Truly incompetent.


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## Alex Ethridge

Regardless of what more competent services think about The Geek Squad, they are succeeding in getting a lot of undeserved business and souring the public's opinion of this service industry in general.

So, the point is they are ruining the reputations of us all simply to satisfy the wants of their stockholders with disregard for the customers who are source of their revenue.

Incompentent, yes.

Successful, yes again.

Damn the customer; just get his money and run.


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## heinz57

Their prices are also outrageous. 

I don't even do consulting but I know a rip off when I see one.


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## Colossus610

Alex Ethridge said:


> Regardless of what more competent services think about The Geek Squad, they are succeeding in getting a lot of undeserved business and souring the public's opinion of this service industry in general.
> 
> So, the point is they are ruining the reputations of us all simply to satisfy the wants of their stockholders with disregard for the customers who are source of their revenue.
> 
> Incompentent, yes.
> 
> Successful, yes again.
> 
> Damn the customer; just get his money and run.


well said, well spoken , the sorry direction this country is heading


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## jiml8

JohnWill says it well in his sig: If you think experts are expensive, wait till you see how much amateurs cost you!


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## Alex Ethridge

Amateurs passing themselves off at expert rates--well, if you don't have a conscience, it works very well for you.


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## primetime212

who goes to best buy for their computer problems ??


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## Colossus610

Not me, way over priced for my spoiled blood.
Seriously.


(Plus their site still dont show up right in Firefox.)


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## brendandonhu

I go there. They do warranty work while you wait. (Why should I fix it if they'll do it free?)


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## Alex Ethridge

*"(Why should I fix it if they'll do it free?)"*

Even though it may be intended as rhetorical, I do have an answer you should consider _very_ seriously for that question:

If the work they do is good work, then take it there. From what I've seen in the field, though, they do well enough to fool a technically-challenged customer into thinking the job is done well when it really isn't. In the cases I've cited, they didn't put in security on anyone's wireless network and that, my friend, could be the cause of a literal life changing experience.

If you don't know enough to go behind them and know for sure that they have actually done all they should (And, if you did, why would you use them in the first place?), you could wake up one morning to a ruined life, finding you supposedly own cars, houses and land you didn't buy and now the financiers want their money and the payments are late.

Fighting this kind of nightmare can easily become a literal full-time job that occupies your waking hours with the real work of dealing with it and occupy your sleeping hours with literal nightmares. Other than the premature death of an immediate family member, I cannot imagine anything that could impact a family more.

So, my friend, do you really know that they are doing something _for_ you--or are they _really_ doing it _to_ you, instead?

The only work I would trust them with is warranty work where they are simply going to handle the shipping back to the manufacturer for me.

These people aren't simply incompetent; they are potentially very dangerous.


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## Colossus610

brendandonhu said:


> I go there. They do warranty work while you wait. (Why should I fix it if they'll do it free?)


That's also only if you bought the overpriced item there in the first place, usually.


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## Leareth

True true.

And from all accounts that I have heard, taking your machine to Comp USA is a bad idea as well.

Apparently, no matter what the true issue is, they have a tendency to report that your motherboard is bad (since they would get the most comission for that) or power supply. They then fix the true issue, and charge you for motherboard or power supply.

I am not sure if this is at all CompUSA locations or just the ones in this area.


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## Space Cowboy

My daughters boyfriend is one of those geek squad dudes. I believe he has close to a 4 year collage degree in some computer field. 
(Jobs are scarce here)

Was funny watchin him drool over my latest build. (Master Control) 

I think he was takin notes ... LOL

Nice guy though.


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## Colossus610

Not saying that they are or aren't nice people, there is just no professional consideration that Best Buy acts upon to ensure that the majority of their employees are actually educated or doing the jobs properly.
It's a sad sick world where the majority of college educated individuals are reduced to working for minimum wage or close to it, when the good jobs are sent overseas to REALLY minimum wage workers or those that were handed government grants because of their immigrant or student visa status.



space cowboy said:


> ...in some computer field.
> (Jobs are scarce here)


-----where is "here"?


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## Space Cowboy

> where is "here"?


USA

I interviewed for a job at Best Buy doing computer repair and they called me back 3 times. The 3rd time I spoke with the store manager. Things were looking good and it looked like I was getting the Job.

He then asked me "what was your favorite movie you have seen lately.

I don't watch many movies but responded "The Hulk" .. He laughed and said "That movie sucked" "what about "Lord of the rings" .. I told him it didn't interest me.

I never heard back from them.

Whata Jerk


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## Colossus610

Space Cowboy said:


> USA


ok silly, I kinda figgered that, where in the USA mister smartyass?  


and who brings up movie preferences during a job interview?!?!?!?!?!


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## Space Cowboy

Colossus610 said:


> ok silly, I kinda figgered that, where in the USA mister smartyass?
> 
> 
> and who brings up movie preferences during a job interview?!?!?!?!?!


         

I've been told I have a nice one but never a smart one 

Good question. I wanted to tell that jerk off. What does movie preferance have to do with job skills? I have noticed all the employees there look like they are in high school.

I do have a Electronics Tech. Journeymans card and 20 years of experiance 

Best Buy Sucks


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## Steppinstone

Sc How come you always skirt the question when someone asks you your location?
Just wondering and picking on you a bit. You may have to pay me off to keep my mouth shut though.

How's the pup?


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## Space Cowboy

The pup is doing alittle better. He opens doors now with his mouth. Gota figure out a pen I can get that we can keep him inside in the winter and fully house break him (he likes to chew up Mama's stuff). Problem is it needs to be industrial quality.. He's a monster but loves a good long hug.

When I was a SYSOP on a local BBS .. I had to moderate the chat rooms.

I started getting anonymous DEATH THREATS in my email.

Made me kinda nervous and my nerves aint to good to begin with .. 

Besides .. It say's "Space Station #5" in my profile?

Here is a picture I just took out my window


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## Big-K

From what I hear they're crappy AND expensive. My future brother-in-law now calls on me whenever he has a problem. I've fixed/setup his network/internet and wireless connections twice now for 20 bucks each. I do a cheaper and just as good job as them and I don't wear stereotypical nerd clothes.


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## ekim68

Too bad, I like the Lord of the Rings....
But, you know, I've been to a few of the big retail places and seen their experts, and,
every once in a while, someone does know their stuff. But, not most. They're mostly
into sales...


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## primetime212

Space Cowboy said:


> I've been told I have a nice one but never a smart one
> 
> Good question. I wanted to tell that jerk off. What does movie preferance have to do with job skills? I have noticed all the employees there look like they are in high school.
> 
> I do have a Electronics Tech. Journeymans card and 20 years of experiance
> 
> Best Buy Sucks


take matters into your own hands


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## Steppinstone

Sc, for the crate, they make nice fold up ones! and the chewing go buy a Kong and stuff a bit of peanut butter way to the back of it, he'll spend quite a bit of time trying to get the Pb out! Why isn't he potty trained yet?? That's #1 priority, he should have been trained before you got him, wasn't he 4 mo old then?
Sorry for the post hijack


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## Space Cowboy

primetime212 said:


> take matters into your own hands


I do. I'm always getting yelled at for having a pile of computers in my workshop waiting to be fixed. Problem is I do it for free .. I just luv workin on electronics. Some people buy me pizza which I appreciate but most don't have much money so I just like to see them smile when they see how good their computer works.

It's a throw away world we live in now.


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## Alex Ethridge

No problem; It's just random anyway.

You can actually house-train a dog in less than a week; but, it takes constant attention and no failure on your part to be consistent. It's called crate training. I will not take the time to explain it to you in detail; but, I'll give you the general idea. Brace yourself; it sounds cruel. But, it is far less cruel than dragging it out over weeks.

You put the dog into a small crate. The dog sees that crate as his den and instinctively not poop in his den. This is why YOU must be consistent. You cannot delay your part so long that he ever poops in the den as this will confuse the dog about where he is to poop.

You keep the dog in the crate until he has to go to do his business; then you take him out to a place in the yard where you want him to go. He does his business and then you play with him for a half hour or so. Then you put him bach into the crate.

This process is repeated until the dog associates pooping in a certain place with the reward of attention and play.

Some dogs can be fully trained in as little as two days; but, with a four-month-old, it may take a few days longer.

Your part is to be consistent and especially do not fail and let him poop in his den.


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## Space Cowboy

Alex Ethridge said:


> No problem; It's just random anyway.
> 
> You can actually house-train a dog in less than a week; but, it takes constant attention and no failure on your part to be consistent. It's called crate training. I will not take the time to explain it to you in detail; but, I'll give you the general idea. Brace yourself; it sounds cruel. But, it is far less cruel than dragging it out over weeks.
> 
> You put the dog into a small crate. The dog sees that crate as his den and instinctively not poop in his den. This is why YOU must be consistent. You cannot delay your part so long that he ever poops in the den as this will confuse the dog about where he is to poop.
> 
> You keep the dog in the crate until he has to go to do his business; then you take him out to a place in the yard where you want him to go. He does his business and then you play with him for a half hour or so. Then you put him bach into the crate.
> 
> This process is repeated until the dog associates pooping in a certain place with the reward of attention and play.
> 
> Some dogs can be fully trained in as little as two days; but, with a four-month-old, it may take a few days longer.
> 
> Your part is to be consistent and especially do not fail and let him poop in his den.


He had parvo and all his stools were liquid and I don't think he had much bladder control. We have the kong and a ton of other stuff. We even buy him special bones from the butcher. He just likes chewing on Mama's things? Like pillows or whatever is left laying around. He seems to know better than to mess with my stuff. We are shopping for a crate but I really think he needs something industrial strength and don't have allot of cash. I saw one for 100 bucks but It don't look all that great to me? This doberman is really strong !! My buddy said we could make one but Mama wants it in the house in the winter even though my garage is insalated and stays warm. Right now I put a 10 ft chain in the garage and he's doing really well. When he had free rome of the garage he would poop and pee all over. But now he's not. We had a huge crate but with the parvo and all, he would have the liquid stools then in the morning he would be covered in it and I'd have to give him a shower.

The only times he goes in the house now (pee only) is when he's mad at Mama. He looks right at her and goes for it. It really doesn't happen much .. maybe once a week if that.

He's getting better .. I love the stupid mutt .. he's a great companion. he just turned 7 months old. He is VERY huge and VERY strong with paws like a horse. In fact I may start having to feed him hay 

P.S. How do you stop him from digging? I don't care about the yard I don't have anyways. Just getting tired of filling up these massive holes ..

Have a great day


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## Laura87

If he pees when he looks at Mama, it's call submissive urination - he knows she's the top dog and he's very respectful of that.

My dog did it too - it's stops as confidence grows


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## Space Cowboy

Laura87 said:


> If he pees when he looks at Mama, it's call submissive urination - he knows she's the top dog and he's very respectful of that.
> 
> My dog did it too - it's stops as confidence grows


Thanks Laura .. I'll tell her that .. don't know if it will make her feel any better but it's worth a shot.

I did promise not to bring home anymore puppys.

My Dad reminded me a made that promise to him along time ago


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## cheese

What prerequisites are required to be on the "geek squad" ? 

Ive seen their little minivan driving around at the mall near the best buy, kinda funny.


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## Alex Ethridge

I guess a temp of about 98.6.


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## CarlssonMB

Alex Ethridge said:


> I guess a temp of about 98.6.


  thats rich


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## I Fix 4 U

Yes, Geek Squad guys are horrible. I'm way younger than most those guys and im better than most.


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## tdi_veedub

I don't know about geek squad, but I have seen some off the shoddy jobs done by Future Shop, and Staples .... not pretty ....


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## Whiteninja89

They are rediculous. I looked at the geek squad site: $129 to install software?? All you have to do is pop in a cd and press yes a few times.
$229 to install an operating system? That's not including the price of the OS either, it's insane.


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## CarlssonMB

They are just taking advantage of people who have no idea what to do and don't want to learn


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## tdi_veedub

Whiteninja89 said:


> They are rediculous. I looked at the geek squad site: $129 to install software?? All you have to do is pop in a cd and press yes a few times.
> $229 to install an operating system? That's not including the price of the OS either, it's insane.


Yikes!! What a bunch of crooks. Just because someone doesn't know much doens't mean you can rip them off.  I charge a flat $100 to do an OS install and 30$/hour for everything else, and those are Canadian prices. I think that is reasonable.


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## I Fix 4 U

Ima kid and nomatter what it is I just charge $20 and hour and they like me to fix their computer b/c every1 else costs $60/hr here.


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## teengeekgrrl

I've actually helped my Home Ec teacher with her computer before... but one time the computer wouldn't boot b/c there was a floppy in the floppy drive and the other time she couldn't figure out how to change fonts. I don't really fix people's computers for free or any kind of money because they all hire my dad to do it. lol


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## Alex Ethridge

$229 to install an OS is about right.

Remember, the person who does it has to maintain a listing in the telephone directory, maintain a shop and shop space, carry insurance and in some cases, be bonded, pay for a stock of parts and software and suffer the losses when those parts and software go stale (outdated), keep books, pay quarterly taxes, make those books available to every local and federal agency that has authority to examine them, keep track of how much taxes he owes every city in which he does busuness, every county and for the state, not to mention federal taxes and licenses for every city and county.

If you think $229 is high, you are looking at the suituation though naive eyes.

The price isn't the problem with The Geek Squad; it is the fact they charge professional rates and the customers pay these rates thinking they are getting professional work at professional rates. 

Instead, they get buffoonery.

By the way, installing an OS on an up-to-date P4 or Athlon system is a $240 job for me. But, I also install antivirus, antispy and firewall and do all updates on all programs in that $240. If it's a Celeron or Duron processor or an older, slower system (all the same thing) or has only dialup, I charge strictly by the hour. Customer furnishes all software except the ones that are available free from the 'net.

And I'm about to go up on on-site rates to cover the exorbitant gasoline rate increases.


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## Whiteninja89

Maybe I was being a little narrow-minded but experience tends to do that to me. Installing an OS is such an easy thing to do that I would feel like I'm cheating the person out of their money. I don't own/work for any buisiness so I understand what you mean. I usualy do odd computer jobs for free most of the time becuse I enjoy working with them.
I still wouldn't let geek squad near my pc, or anyone else's that I know regardless of what they charge.


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## I Fix 4 U

Yah no1 else is ever touching my computer again. ~ever~

People who charge alot are the people who keep me in business, because those who don't want to pay alot come to me  
I don't have a house to pay for nor any other thing so the extra $$ is good. All I gotta do is pay my driver the gas fees.


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## jp1203

I have 2 people I know, one put in an 80GB for 160$ (just for the drive) with them. The other had a five, was using 2 of it and they gave him a 200 GB for 300$ saying "You'll use it" (Give me a break).

The other thing that bugs me it I saw someone talking to one of them at the store and saying "I only use it fr MS Office, mainly outlook and internet., how big should the drive be if I am running 98" They said 80 should be OK, but I would go to 200 myself. They streatched it so far, as we all know 40 would be more than enough! Then they even failed to mention the BIOS conflicts with larger drives in older systems. (They probably didn't know about that!)

J.S.


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## jp1203

I'm just a teenager, and I know more than most of these Best Buy guys.

I fix them for free, unless I need to get them an OS or some other software.

Most of the time people will try to give me a twenty and I don't usually accept unless they keep insisting for five minutes or more. I do it because it's a hobby and I love doing it. Not to make money. I am the type who has a lot of money but hates spending it!

J.S.


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## Space Cowboy

JStergis said:


> I'm just a teenager, and I know more than most of these Best Buy guys.
> 
> I fix them for free, unless I need to get them an OS or some other software.
> 
> Most of the time people will try to give me a twenty and I don't usually accept unless they keep insisting for five minutes or more. I do it because it's a hobby and I love doing it. Not to make money. *I am the type who has a lot of money but hates spending it!*
> 
> J.S.


Be a pal and just part with a little of that cash and have THIS shipped to me 

I'll PM ya my address


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## jp1203

That'd be quite a bit of RAM. Actually, next thing on my list is a new mountain bike, (my back rim bearings blew out) then I need to dig for a Full Win 2k copy, with 2 licenses to put on my two machines, want to find it cheap, I hate it when I do get something and then it comes out 50$ cheaper somewhere else.

J.S.


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## Space Cowboy

JStergis said:


> That'd be quite a bit of RAM. Actually, next thing on my list is a new mountain bike, (my back rim bearings blew out) then I need to dig for a Full Win 2k copy, with 2 licenses to put on my two machines, want to find it cheap, I hate it when I do get something and then it comes out 50$ cheaper somewhere else.
> 
> J.S.


I hear ya but just the thought of 4 gig total dual channel of that OCZ High Performance Ram gets me all excited 

I find great deals by looking HERE and HERE

Good Luck


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## Alex Ethridge

Just a comment on the 40-to-200-Gigabyte drive sizes. Where I buy drives, the cost difference between a 40- and a 160 is so small, it is a negligable consideration. 

The 40's are so difficult to find and so closely priced to the 160, and I get so few calls for a 40, they arent worth foolin' with. By the time I spend the extra time finding a 40- and going the extra distance to get it, the customer has more than spent the difference.

Another consideration is that it takes just as much time to order, stock and install a forty as a 160- or 200.

I'll agree, though, that most users, especially businesses, could get by fine with a 30-; but, where can you find a 30- that costs less than an 80-?


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## I Fix 4 U

Same reason why 128mb ram sticks sometimes cost more than 256


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## jp1203

Good Point Alex, I just see that in that store they have many stocked that they would seem to be able to use one of them and also, saying 200 for a recommendation? That just seems like they either want a large comission, or they don't know their stuff. 

J.S.


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## gotrootdude

Geek Squad is definately a bunch of kids who don't know there @#$ from a hole in the ground. Although, I have seen plenty of pro shops that also have techs which don't know right from left.. 

This is precisely the reason that most businesses keep a person on staff who is trained for operation and repair of the companies computer systems. It's also what drives down the pay rates for those of us who really do know what we're doing. 


Here's a suggestion: If you want to complain about the ineptitude of the present computer repair services, you might want to try to start one up yourself. Please make sure to charge enough to cover technicians cost of living, but low enough to compete with the village idiots. Good luck. Personally, I'll keep my corporate job.


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## Leareth

gotrootdude said:


> Here's a suggestion: *If you want to complain about the ineptitude of the present computer repair services, you might want to try to start one up yourself.* Please make sure to charge enough to cover technicians cost of living, but low enough to compete with the village idiots. Good luck. Personally, I'll keep my corporate job.


Hear hear!

Personally I have been trying to start my own business in the field, with limited success. Time constraints mostly. I wonder if anyone in my area would be interested in a partnership.....


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## sglv

primetime212 said:


> who goes to best buy for their computer problems ??


You do if your worthless warranty is through them.


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## I Fix 4 U

The only time I'd get bestbuy to fix it is if it were "free" as in warranty or they broke it they gotta fix it.


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## Rockn

The Geek Squad is an insult to all self respecting geeks. Why would you put on a shirt that pointed out the fact that you are indeed a geek and are a part of a squad. 

All they are is the same inept fools that were behind the service counter before there ever was a Geek Squad.


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## Smety

I didnt read after the first page, but I have a Geek Squad idiot story . . .

My neighbor (computer iliterate) took in his computer to geek squad. Geek Squad couldn't figure out what was wrong, so they put this bull sh!tz0r antivirus thing on it. My neighbor got it back, deleted the anti virus because he already had one . . .

So I went over and had a look at it, it was spyware, I used spy doctor and the problem was solved.

Geek Squad= Complete and utter idiots


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## I Fix 4 U

Yah, and those idiots should know you shouldn't have two viruscanners installed at once.
They installed an HD for me for free since I bought it, too bad I lost my computer for a week because it took them that long to figure out how they broke my sound and how to fix it


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## Smety

lmao, yeah totaly incompetent, they are . . .


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## sglv

iXneonXi said:


> The only time I'd get bestbuy to fix it is if it were "free" as in warranty or they broke it they gotta fix it.


I'm dealing with this right now actually. I never buy warranties, but hubby does. This warranty he bought for his laptop supposedly covers monitors and, of course, they (I have no idea) refuse to honor it. He has an internal crack which, accordingly to the "Geek" there said was probably caused my the drive getting too hot and the screen being placed down. I'm pretty computer illiterate so I have no idea. His computer is in perfect condition, I'll admit he takes very good care of it and is very careful with it. So they ship it off, it comes back and they call saying all fixed on the phone. He gets there, they say "oh, actually it wasn't covered. Here's a bill for $100." To say my hubby went ballistic is an understatement. He didn't pay the $100. Now we're stuck having to figure out how to get it fixed, quick, because it's absolutely necessary for his business. Very angry to say the least


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## Smety

Sue and get rich lol . . .


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## sglv

Smety said:


> Sue and get rich lol . . .


Thinking about it, but I'll only get the value of whatever it costs to repair, etc. No getting rich from that.


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## I Fix 4 U

Won't u spend more $$ on the lawyer?


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## clsxmas

That's why I joined this forum--to learn more for myself and ditch the Geek Squad.


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## PixieStrange

Just thought you all might enjoy the opportunity to lash out at an Agent first hand. Yes I know I'm sticking my neck out here, and that likely several of you will take a slash at it. But what I'm TOTALLY sick of is seeing this garbage of "OMFG teh Geek Squad is a bunch of n00bs!" 

I will be the FIRST to admit that, yes, there are a LOT of dunder heads out there that like to pass themselves off as "Techs" when really they are just overglorified anti-social red-eyed parasites that just like to stay up late looking up pr0n and because they got that spiffy warning from their Anti-Virus that some random trojan was blocked when loading one of their 1337 websites, suddenly they're a Tech. Problem is, You won't find those people HERE, on The Geek Squad. 

Am I saying we're perfect? Absolutely not. Can we improve? Absolutely. Are our fees expensive? Well considering that as an independent my average 'bill' was between $150-$400 (the higher end being if I was building a system from the ground up). And that's only counting the people I bothered to charge. No Tina don't worry about it, I'm not going to charge you for taking a floppy out of your drive so that it would boot, even if it is 3am. Just take me to lunch sometime." Yea, like that.

Also, I would just like to say, on a sort of side note, that just having some spiffy slip of paper from some college that says something about the IT field, does NOT mean you know WTF you're doing. We recently had a job applicant who didn't know what RAM was, didn't know what POST was, didn't know what OS stood for, the poor sap didn't even know what the frikken difference between worms, viruses, and spyware/adware was! Now keep in mind this guy was FRESH from college (just graduated), A+ Certified, with a degree in Computer Sciences. WTF?!

And I see some of you bashing the Geek Squad for incompetence, and/or poor technical knowledge(if any). Then I see in your elite signatures "(Insert appropriate HD size here) Maxtor".... MAXTOR?!?!?!?! And you want to call US N00BS?! Compare Maxtor and Western Digital's failure rates to, oh I don't know, say Seagate, then tell me which one is better. Then I'll ask you why you didn't spend the extra $10 for a Seagate drive that will LAST. I understand budget restraints (believe me, you should see what passes for my paycheck), but really, it isn't THAT hard to save just a LITTLE bit, and get some GOOD, as opposed to something that's just plain junk.

Now then, I'm sure some of you are thinking "WTF is this crazy chick talking about?! What makes her think she knows what she's talking about?!" (Yea, She. Female Geeks are NOT a myth!). Well, I love it when some random joe tries to tell me I don't know WTF I'm talking about, and I get to list off just a few of my qualifications. So here is a sampling....

Certs? None! HA! (And seriously, who even considers A+ worth getting anymore? That test is as outmoded as Win 1.0) Which on a side note I still have a copy of Windows 1.0 Ahhhhhh, gotta love sentimental mushy junk ^_^

7+ Years WORKING Technical Experience
Highly skilled Windows troubleshooting (You name it, I've used it)
Network Administrator for 3+ years.
Unix/Solaris System Administration/Network Administration.
Cisco Router/Switch setup/configuration
I've run more Cat5 cable than you can shake a fist at.
Hardware setup/configuration/troubleshooting? Please, Would you like me to do it awake or asleep? If you let me sleep while doing it, I might forget to charge you, or just let you get away with lighting a nice Jasmine incense when i'm done.
I've beta tested EVERY MS OS since Win 2k (as an aside, I tested ME for all of like, 3 weeks, and tossed it. Talk about junk oi!)

That's a BRIEF listing... Now, you may be thinking "BS! If all that were true, You wouldn't be working on the Geek Squad!" Well, take the following into account. I live in the armpit of hell (also known as the southern USA) where anything computers is almost like running into a Baptist church and screaming "All hail satan!" I did contracting work for a while, was great money. When it was there. Guess what major corporations let their networks get messed with during the Christmas Shopping season? Answer? NONE! So yea, you have to have SOMETHING to pay the bills.

Of course it helps that I believe in Best Buy as a company. I've watched this company bend over BACKWARDS to make sure that their customers leave happy. Are we going to please everyone? Psssh! Impossible. Are we going to try? You bet! 

Now this being said, I know there are rotten apples everywhere. But what you also have to understand, is that I deal with a LOT, and I mean, a LOT of "Well I had my cousin's friend's son come over and do some work and I don't think it's working quite right." 

I look at the computer and the registry is BEYOND corrupt (it's amazing windows even boots) there are trojans ALL over it, not to mention various pieces of spyware (Love those "Free" utilities that are "THE BEST"), and, my personal favorites, The Keyloggers (intentional? Probably not in most cases, but who knows?), and porn popups "I Swear I don't know where that stuff is coming from!" Suuuuuuuuure....

Now then, if someone comes up to me with a Celeron 450, 64MB RAM, Running Win98SE, and it's totally hosed, and they want it fixed (not to mention some HW issues cause the buggers never bother to CLEAN their computer. Caked on dust won't hurt electronics, neither will cat hair/dog hair/rotting bug corpses right?) I tell them straight up, as does EVERY Agent in our precinct "You don't want us to fix that computer. It will cost WAAAAAY more than it's worth. Best thing to do would be either A. Find somewhere that will fix it for pretty cheap (A lot of the smaller computer shops are generally good about that for older systems), or B. Buy a new one. 

Am I out to rip people off? Hells no! Are repair bills sometimes ridiculously high? Probably. But when someone has 20GB worth of information that MUST be saved off that HD that their cousin's friend's son formatted cause he couldn't get rid of some generic frikken virus that has like 80 bajillion removal tools out, and/or a VERY clean cut removal process, the little buggar was just too lazy to bother researching it, and you also find out the RAM is bad, and btw since a virus is what CAUSED all of this in the FIRST place, maybe you should think about NOT using that 'Free' Program that's 'Great' after all and get something that's actually REAL protection. Do I push stuff on people? Not at all. I invite them to check the consumer reports/reviews on the software that I recommend. I welcome it. Why? Because I know that when it comes right down to it, What I recommend may not be THE BEST, but for THAT USER, it IS the Best. After all, Linux may give you a LOT more control over various security policies, and you might be able to tweak it more to your liking that Windows, and all those other things that the ub3r g33ks go on and on and on and on about, but would I recommend it for Mr. Average User here? HELLS NO! Same thing applies to everything I do. 

And as another aside, we don't get paid commission, and when it comes right down to it, a lot of times, I don't care if a client takes my advice or not. The bottom line is that When I'm done with them, they're smiling, they appreciate my technical knowledge, and they know that I'm not just out to BS them to get them to buy every little thing on our shelves. THAT is what the Geek Squad is all about. Sure we are here to make money, but you CAN'T stay in business if you don't treat your customers RIGHT. Period.

/rant off

Now so that you can all poke fun at MY machine...

Main system:

AMD 64 2800+
1GB PC3200 RAM
80GB + 200GB Seagate Barricuda 7200 RPM
ATI Radeon 9800 Pro AGP 8x *gag*
MSI (hey, I know I know, but I LOVE MSI, had GREAT luck with them, and for a budget board they deliver GREAT performance, just keep their OEM junk away from me) K8T Neo
Soundblaster Live! 5.1 (hey, was 'uber' when I bought it shortly after it first came out, but Jesus those driver issues are funky sometimes)
Windows XP Pro
17" Samsung SyncMaster 730B LCD (New toy ^_^)

Server:

AMD Athlon XP 1800+
Biostar M7VIP
1GB PC2700 RAM
ATI Radeon 8500 LE
80GB x2 Seagate Barricuda 7200 RPM
Dynex 5.1 Sound (*GAG!!!!* but hey! it was DIRT cheap, and not really a vital component anyway)
Windows Server 2k3 Enterprise Edition

And no, I'm not boasting, I know that a lot of my HW isn't great, but it's all reliable, well, most of it anyway...


----------



## cheese

Wow.

With hardware i believe its just the luck of the draw (about your maxtor/wd/seagate comments). 

People hate ECS, ive had an ECS motherboard run for 6 years with no issues.
I had a job as a tech aide at my school (laugh) and out of replacing bad hardrives, i saw more seagates being pulled then WD. 
Ive had my old 20GB WD work flawlessly for 6 years, and now its still going smoothly in a buddy of mines.

You never know if that hardrive is going to be a dud or not. That $10 more you spent on that seagate could put you $10 deeper in a hole  

Not that the geeksquad "sucks", but they should hire people that know what their talking about. Not highschool students looking for any job that have expireince with AIM and myspace as credentials

I did not read the whole post, just skimmed over it.. So correct me if im wrong


----------



## PixieStrange

Not just luck of the draw my friend. While sometimes you just happen to get a bad batch, or, in my case, you just set aside the first three on the shelf because you KNOW they're bad (just my luck w/ electronics in general). But seriously, look at the consumer reports, check the failure rates when crunched. *wink* Ever wonder why RAMBUS got destroyed by DDR? because RAMBUS was junk, plain and simple. It was funny though, Intel was like "The DDR technology just isn't there, it's not reliable. We've got RAMBUS, and it's here to stay!" Sure it is, with a 9/10 failure rate off the line, yea, it'll stick around *rolling eyes*. 

As for your 6 year WD, a lot of their older drives are still around and kicking, and there is a reason for that.... WD used to own it up. They're kind of coasting off of that atm. Maxtor? Well.... Out of all of the bad HDs I see, I'd say 60% are Maxtor, 30% are WD, and 10% are Seagate (Though, I should note I've seen 3 bad Seagate drives (not counting OEM junk, I hate all OEM HW), and that is by far not even CLOSE to 10%, but the remainder had to go SOMEHWERE, and I'm too tired to get very specific).

*****EDIT****** Of course it should also be noted that I AM kind of biased since I fell in LOVE head over heels with Seagate's SCSI drives. *sigh* <3
And on a side note, I've still got some Quantums Lying around (anyone remember their Bigfoot Drives? LOL They're junk but these things just won't DIE!). Btw Quantum was bought by Maxtor (or became Maxtor, something like that).

DDR Dual channel though is SUCH a play on ignorance it makes me sick. Anytime I see someone looking at it I'm like "NOOOOO! Trust me it's not all that and a bag of chips."


----------



## Alex Ethridge

Too many seem to post non-descript comments that have no discernable meaning, using terms like "cheaters", "thieves", "sucks", "ripoffs", and never giving any factual account. One can't come away from a post like that with any useful information.

I tend to stick to backing up my statements with factual accounts.



> The bottom line is that When I'm done with them, they're smiling, they appreciate my technical knowledge,


The customers I described in my first post may have been smiling when The Geek Squad left; but, they weren't smiling about it when they discovered they had no security and also discovered they weren't even connecting to the internet through their own network. One was angry enough about it that he was on the phone when I left, raising hell with Geek Squad. He felt he had been cheated, and I agreed.


> but you CAN'T stay in business if you don't treat your customers RIGHT. Period.


Not necessarily so. I have 58 years behind me and I've learned you don't need a good product to be successful in business, only a good marketing system. When I was in the construction business, I had a friend whom I grew up with, also in the same business, whom if he ever had a repeat customer, it had to be a freak accident. His work was poor and the way he treated his customers was a good example of why many think all contractors are rogues. I literally would not allow him to supervise the building of a dog house and made it a point to never be seen in his company.

But, he knows how to market and always has _plenty_ of work, even after 30 years. There are obviously new, ignorant customers coming along every day.

I don't believe every Geek is incompetent; but, this scenario is an example why I have never gotten rich in the service business. I won't let my company expand beyond what I can personally be sure is good service.

Also, I don't portend to know more than many competent techs; but, I do know when a service call is beyond my capability and when to back off and let someone more competent handle it.

From my perspective, The Geek Squad's management seems to have a throw-it-against-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks attitude.


----------



## I Fix 4 U

Pixie Im gonna have2 agree on your harddrive statement. I like seagate (atm) but the older WD's (like the 6GB-20GB ones) from a decent amount of time ago are still workin fine. I've heard of WD's these days that don't last more than 3 months (so i got a barracuda).


----------



## jiml8

> Compare Maxtor and Western Digital's failure rates to, oh I don't know, say Seagate, then tell me which one is better. Then I'll ask you why you didn't spend the extra $10 for a Seagate drive that will LAST. I understand budget restraints (believe me, you should see what passes for my paycheck), but really, it isn't THAT hard to save just a LITTLE bit, and get some GOOD, as opposed to something that's just plain junk.


I have never - and I mean that literally - NEVER had a Seagate product that connected via IDE that didn't fail early. No exceptions.

The only Seagate drives I have ever had that appeared to show some durability are a couple of Cheetah SCSI drives. I only bought them, even though the price was stellar, because I had been assured by some people I trust that Seagate SCSI is far better than Seagate IDE.

I used to buy Quantum drives all the time, but then Maxtor bought them out and I no longer have an opinion on the product line. I have had adequate luck with WD.


----------



## Smety

GAINED 1 INTELLIGENCE POINT!!!

So much reading . . . Pixie, it's good to know there are a few good Geek Squad'ers out there 

Despite what I said before, there are probably tons of good Geek Squads out there, but where I live, they are totally stupid . . .


----------



## Colossus610

It seems we may have struck a nerve with quite possibly one of GeekSquad's only or exceedingly rare and under-paid intelligent and educated employees.
I didn't post my earlier response as a direct attack against the employees of GeekSquad directly, more importantly-the horrible business practice and hiring model that BestBuy/GeekSquad follows when filling empty positions.
So PixieStrange, I offer my statement that what I posted about GeekSquad is not a direct and personal attack against you or any of the other rare, educated and intelligent employees of GeekSquad. 
I stand behind my statement earlier expressing my extreme dislike of BestBuy and GeekSquad, as a previous 2 week employee of BestBuy and a much more educated consumer for the experience, I feel that the practice of pushing whatever happens to be in stock and whatever "Extended Warranty" that may come with it, instead of actually finding out what the customer needs is deplorable. As with a good number of major corporations in this rapidly failing social model we call the American Life.

As for the hard drives, I would have to support Seagate all the way in this discussion, with liquid-based bearings, theyrun SO MUCH cooler and quiter than their WD counterparts, and who can beat a 5 year warranty?
(Think about it, buy a 120 GB hdd right now, and in 4.5 years if that drive goes bad, it's still covered, in 4 1/2 years, they wont even make 120 GB HDD's anymore, warranty replaced 2 TERAbyte hdd anyone?)

And as for the Signature system spec statement:
Gaming Machine:-------------"Server"------------------Laptop
Intel P4 630 3.2 Ghz--------AMD 64-bit 3200-----------P4 2.8 Ghz
1.5 Gb DDR2 4300----------1.5 GB DDR 3200-----------1.0 GB DDR 2700
160 GB Sata HDD-----------1.8 TB Total Storage-------80 GB HDD
Radeon x800---------------GeForce 5700 256 MB-------GeForce 5600 Go
(^only paid $700 )----(paid much less than "retail")--------(^$2500 machine ,paid $1450)

And just got my hands on a brand new 1U rackmount, Dual Xeon 3.0 GHz, 2 GB ECC DDR, with some extra goodies worth $3500, paid $1500 for the workshop.(but wont keep it, WAY too loud, gonna sell it)

Pictures will be furnished upon request , and I mean it, I'll post pictures of my "throne", when I get home from work.


----------



## I Fix 4 U

$700 for whole comp? Including MS windows?! How did you do that?


----------



## PixieStrange

Colossus610 said:


> And as for the Signature system spec statement:
> Gaming Machine:-------------"Server"------------------Laptop
> Intel P4 630 3.2 Ghz--------AMD 64-bit 3200-----------P4 2.8 Ghz
> 1.5 Gb DDR2 4300----------1.5 GB DDR 3200-----------1.0 GB DDR 2700
> 160 GB Sata HDD-----------1.8 TB Total Storage-------80 GB HDD
> Radeon x800---------------GeForce 5700 256 MB-------GeForce 5600 Go
> (^only paid $700 )----(paid much less than "retail")--------(^$2500 machine ,paid $1450)
> 
> And just got my hands on a brand new 1U rackmount, Dual Xeon 3.0 GHz, 2 GB ECC DDR, with some extra goodies worth $3500, paid $1500 for the workshop.(but wont keep it, WAY too loud, gonna sell it)
> 
> Pictures will be furnished upon request , and I mean it, I'll post pictures of my "throne", when I get home from work.


OMFG <3!!!!

So like, um... what are you doing later? ^_^

Seriously though, i understand what you're saying, and I don't doubt that there are areas where because of the 'leadership' you're getting people that are just trying to drive numbers and that's it. It's difficult to balance the number push, with what our clients need. If I sell something to someone that they don't need, or I don't do it right, then I've not only done a disservice to that client, but also to my employer, and more importantly (sorry I'm vain) but to myself, as a technician. I get so mad when someone brings me a machine that they just paid (insert fairly standard custom built computer retail price here) at (insert local 'seedy' tech shop here) and the mobo is from a company that doesn't even have a website, with a chipset manufacturer that NO ONE has EVER heard of, and their "128MB Video Card" is actually just some integrated chipset junk which is sharing part of their 512 RAM, oh, and that 'Brand new 120GB Drive' ? Sure, it's actually 2 60GB drives spanned together as a single volume, oh, and they BOTH say 'refurbished' on them.

*Angry Glare*

And trust me, if you're having issues with the Geek Squad, get in touch with someone at District level. If a store is hiring n00bs because they have to fill a headcount or something, the staff in that store is going to have an insane turnover rate. The Geek Squad brand is a good brand, and we're (that is, those of us who give a damn) working hard to make sure that we're seen as professionals. Sure, the marketing gimick is just that, a gimick. But it's just so damned cute!

Then again I wear a tank sometimes that says:

I
Less Than Three
Geeks

So...... yea, perhaps I'm a hopeless case LOL!


----------



## Colossus610

iXneonXi said:


> $700 for whole comp? Including MS windows?! How did you do that?


Raffle "prize", I basically paid $700 for the opportunity to be entered in a raffle, it was sure thing though, there were 6 computers in the raffle and somehow only 6 people  
I know most of my stuff was acquired not by "shopping" traditionally speaking, but by coming across great opportunites and actually having cash on hand.

It is because of things like this and me actually having cash on hand, I have a rather large collection of legit MS software licenses, all legit(believe me , I check)

lemme clean up my throne/desk, and I'll take some pics, cuz im burning-in that server    :up:


----------



## jp1203

Sweet Server! 1.8 TB...I can't even get to .5 TB with all of my hard disks (including spares)


----------



## jp1203

PixieStrange said:


> Now so that you can all poke fun at MY machine...
> 
> Main system:
> 
> AMD 64 2800+
> 1GB PC3200 RAM
> 80GB + 200GB Seagate Barricuda 7200 RPM
> ATI Radeon 9800 Pro AGP 8x *gag*
> MSI (hey, I know I know, but I LOVE MSI, had GREAT luck with them, and for a budget board they deliver GREAT performance, just keep their OEM junk away from me) K8T Neo
> Soundblaster Live! 5.1 (hey, was 'uber' when I bought it shortly after it first came out, but Jesus those driver issues are funky sometimes)
> Windows XP Pro
> 17" Samsung SyncMaster 730B LCD (New toy ^_^)
> 
> Server:
> 
> AMD Athlon XP 1800+
> Biostar M7VIP
> 1GB PC2700 RAM
> ATI Radeon 8500 LE
> 80GB x2 Seagate Barricuda 7200 RPM
> Dynex 5.1 Sound (*GAG!!!!* but hey! it was DIRT cheap, and not really a vital component anyway)
> Windows Server 2k3 Enterprise Edition
> 
> And no, I'm not boasting, I know that a lot of my HW isn't great, but it's all reliable, well, most of it anyway...


Poke fun at my three:

(Hey...for what I do...)

Dell Dimension L800r

256 MB RAM
60 GB 7200RPM HD
1 GHz PIII 'Coppermine' (Upped from 800MHz)
18.1" IBM T84H Active Matrix LCD
HP PSC 750 Printer
Wireless Optical KB/Mouse
Onboard 82810E Chipset/Video
Soundblaster PCI 128 Bit
JBL Creature Speakers

^Internet Machine^

IBM PC300PL

128 MB RAM
13.5 GB HD
600 MHz PIII
17" Dell CRT
Canon S9000 Printer
Wireless Optical KB/Mouse
NVidia Riva TNT2 32 MB
ESS Allegro Audio
Sanyo Sur. Sys.

^My Main Machine^

Compaq Presario 4565ES <BOO!
32 MB RAM
4 GB Hard Drive
233 MHz AMD (Can't remember exactly what off my head)
No Monitor (Controlled Over Network VNC) Previously had TView Gold S/C over 19" CRT GE TV from circa 1985
Only Network Printers (Actually serves my Canon)
No KB/Mouse
16 MB Voodoo 3 2000
Some onboard audio junk
no speakers

Palm m505

8 MB
OS 5

I've got killer audio on the L800r due to the SC and Speaker Setup

Software:

Windows 98SE Full and Upgrade (Numerous Licenses)
Windows Millenium Full
Office 2000 Pro Non-OEM
Photoshop 4.0 LE
Office 97 SBE
Loads of other stuff also...

Thousands of Cards, KBs, Mice, a few extra monitors, Cables Galore, etc., etc.

Gotta Get Win2k (some day)

My best 'thing' overall is probably the Canon S9000 (500$ orig. or so)

J.S.


----------



## jp1203

PixieStrange said:


> I've still got some Quantums Lying around (anyone remember their Bigfoot Drives? LOL They're junk but these things just won't DIE!).


So do I...I have a 10-Year-Old Quantum Fireball (2GB) It has been dropped, flown out windows, and in service for 9 ish years of hard 24/7 activity. It is still going strong. I made an "Image of 98 on it so that I don't have to deal with all the installations for everything, but I have never used it.

Got a 10 GB Maxtor that lasted a while. 24/7 activity for abt. 4 Years, moved it into a different machine, installed 98 and everything, used it for 15 minutes and it went kaput.

Some maxtors are good, some are bad. Seems like they have a lot of lemons. Seagate is darn good, can get noisy as time goes on though.

WD is awesome. I've got some 8-year-old Caviars that outperform my 13.5 gig.

J.S.


----------



## Rockn

Pixie, every industry/business has is slackers and know it alls. I have seen IS managers that couldn't find their backside with both hands, degrees and certs included. I am sure the GS is no different than any other field where geeks work, some are good and some aren't. Good luck getting outta the hell hole in the south and find a profession where you ccan strut your stuff. I like ripping the GS because it is so easy...agents...precincts and all. BTW...do you wear those hot skirts with the badges.


----------



## PixieStrange

Rockn said:


> Pixie, every industry/business has is slackers and know it alls. I have seen IS managers that couldn't find their backside with both hands, degrees and certs included. I am sure the GS is no different than any other field where geeks work, some are good and some aren't. Good luck getting outta the hell hole in the south and find a profession where you ccan strut your stuff. I like ripping the GS because it is so easy...agents...precincts and all. BTW...do you wear those hot skirts with the badges.


True that! I love the marketing gimick though it's just too damned cute! I mean it's like, the flash drives that are branded Geek Squad (Which, incidentally, DO NOT BUY ONER! OMFG they are junk. Made by sandisk, at least the ones i got were, they recently switched how they look, so i'm not sure if they switched the manufacturer or not, but i've gone through like 6 in only a couple of months) have on the back of them "Despite being excellent for transporting files, This drive does not increase your capacity for mental telepathy."

Ok, so I AM a hopeless case, but I love goofy stuff like that. And as for the skirt/badge, well I don't get the badge *sniffle*. Only the Double Agents get those, but I'm working on that ;-)

Though I think the funniest thing I ever saw was this goofball NCO who was playing Network Admin.....and Tech support for a batallion (this while I was in the military obviously). I watched him struggle for quite some time trying to log onto the BN's domain from a computer that had been brought to us to have some work done. He just KNEW it was the RIGHT user/password. never occured to him that the computer didn't have a net cable rtunning to it... I finally felt sorry for him (hey, he's an E-7, I'm a lowly E-2 what could I know?) and dug out a 20' patch cable and plugged the computer in and was like "Now try it. I bet it works. Just be sure to hold the tilde key IMMEDIATELY after pressing 'OK'. Admin workaround built in by Microsoft. Works like a charm every time." And yes, he believed every word of it, because for some strange reason he could log on now ROFL. Didn't occur to him that he only needed to log onto the local machine anyway. *shrug*

Gotta love commo people trying to work on our junk. ^_^

Oh, and btw, I'm not trying to come across as some self righteous indignant *&#$^ or anything, I just thought that the other side should get a chance to speak. Though I was pretty incensed when I made my first post, hehe.


----------



## ekim68

I hope that there are more like you in 'customer support'. Well said...


----------



## Rockn

PixieStrange said:


> True that! I love the marketing gimick though it's just too damned cute! I mean it's like, the flash drives that are branded Geek Squad (Which, incidentally, DO NOT BUY ONER! OMFG they are junk. Made by sandisk, at least the ones i got were, they recently switched how they look, so i'm not sure if they switched the manufacturer or not, but i've gone through like 6 in only a couple of months) have on the back of them "Despite being excellent for transporting files, This drive does not increase your capacity for mental telepathy."
> 
> Ok, so I AM a hopeless case, but I love goofy stuff like that. And as for the skirt/badge, well I don't get the badge *sniffle*. Only the Double Agents get those, but I'm working on that ;-)
> 
> Though I think the funniest thing I ever saw was this goofball NCO who was playing Network Admin.....and Tech support for a batallion (this while I was in the military obviously). I watched him struggle for quite some time trying to log onto the BN's domain from a computer that had been brought to us to have some work done. He just KNEW it was the RIGHT user/password. never occured to him that the computer didn't have a net cable rtunning to it... I finally felt sorry for him (hey, he's an E-7, I'm a lowly E-2 what could I know?) and dug out a 20' patch cable and plugged the computer in and was like "Now try it. I bet it works. Just be sure to hold the tilde key IMMEDIATELY after pressing 'OK'. Admin workaround built in by Microsoft. Works like a charm every time." And yes, he believed every word of it, because for some strange reason he could log on now ROFL. Didn't occur to him that he only needed to log onto the local machine anyway. *shrug*
> 
> Gotta love commo people trying to work on our junk. ^_^
> 
> Oh, and btw, I'm not trying to come across as some self righteous indignant *&#$^ or anything, I just thought that the other side should get a chance to speak. Though I was pretty incensed when I made my first post, hehe.


A fellow ex military and a geek....where were you 15...nevermind!!


----------



## sglv

clsxmas said:


> That's why I joined this forum--to learn more for myself and ditch the Geek Squad.


Me too! Unfortunately, I don't understand half what they are saying when they start talking "techie." <<sigh>>


----------



## clsxmas

sglv said:


> Me too! Unfortunately, I don't understand half what they are saying when they start talking "techie." <<sigh>>


Keep viewing the forum posts and don't be afraid to ask questions. I'm not a "techie" either, but learned to install a hard drive and a DVD burner in recent months. I can't get timely service so jumped in to learn for myself. Hang in there.


----------



## jp1203

Don't feel bad...I know people that can't even check their e-mail, even with a detailed sheet loaded with screenshots. Usually it's because that can't even double click fast enough...even when it is set at the lowest speed.

It's sort of like this:

You don't need to know how the car works to drive it, you don't even NEED to know how to repair it if something goes wrong. Nor do you on a computer, BUT there is one difference, its much less complicated. You don't need to know all of the somewhat useless junk that people like me know, just how to install Drives, cards, RAM, maybe even MoBos and Processors.

J.S.


----------



## I Fix 4 U

Rockn said:


> A fellow ex military and a geek....where were you 15...nevermind!!


Wheres a person like her now?!  

Well I hope I find the "smart" bestbuy if I'm to work as a geek squad member (once i get cert) before I get an actual good job. (wonderin what the $/hr is for a geek squad employee)


----------



## Alex Ethridge

Evidently, not much.


----------



## Smety

I think its like 8 bucks, lmao, I plan to work there before I get a real job too . . . stupid hippocrits . . .


----------



## I Fix 4 U

NVM then I'm gonna find a better job. You can get more than that workin down the block @ ur local gas station... here atleast.


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## primetime212

lol at all this Geek Squad bashing.. I went to Best Buy to buy an ATX PSU tester ..I asked one of the Geek Squad guys behind the counter if they had any...one guy said no and he said let me show you a trick so you dont have to buy a tester..get a paper clip put it in one end in one of the main power connector wires and the other end of the clip in another end of power connector wires and if the fan spins then its probably a good PSU..all this while the PSU is plugged in ...I said OOOOOOKKKKK..then went to another store to buy the tester


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## primetime212

if you are good at marketing yourself you can make your own independent business no matter how badly you suck at fixing computers..I know 99% of the shops around my area have 0 idea how to remove spyware/adware/trojan/ etc. and just reformat your computer and reinstall the operating system forcing to reinstall all of your programs


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## ekim68

I resemble that remark...I used to reformat at the drop of a power cord..
However, after the education I've gotten here, many of my clients have
not been bothered by a lot of spyware and stuff, and have been educated
in regards to backing up things regularly..
Once again, TSG's 'the site'..


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## sglv

clsxmas said:


> Keep viewing the forum posts and don't be afraid to ask questions. I'm not a "techie" either, but learned to install a hard drive and a DVD burner in recent months. I can't get timely service so jumped in to learn for myself. Hang in there.


Thanks for the encouragement!


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## sglv

JStergis said:


> Don't feel bad...I know people that can't even check their e-mail, even with a detailed sheet loaded with screenshots. Usually it's because that can't even double click fast enough...even when it is set at the lowest speed.
> 
> It's sort of like this:
> 
> You don't need to know how the car works to drive it, you don't even NEED to know how to repair it if something goes wrong. Nor do you on a computer, BUT there is one difference, its much less complicated. You don't need to know all of the somewhat useless junk that people like me know, just how to install Drives, cards, RAM, maybe even MoBos and Processors.
> 
> J.S.


Thanks to you too!  I actually used to be able to repair my own cars until they computerized them. LOL! At least I can still change the oil and a tire. Not to work on the computer skills.


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## jiml8

primetime212 said:


> lol at all this Geek Squad bashing.. I went to Best Buy to buy an ATX PSU tester ..I asked one of the Geek Squad guys behind the counter if they had any...one guy said no and he said let me show you a trick so you dont have to buy a tester..get a paper clip put it in one end in one of the main power connector wires and the other end of the clip in another end of power connector wires and if the fan spins then its probably a good PSU..all this while the PSU is plugged in ...I said OOOOOOKKKKK..then went to another store to buy the tester


I do that all the time. Nothing wrong with it. Jumper the soft start to ground; if she fires up, she's probably OK. Not certainly OK, though.


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## jiml8

primetime212 said:


> if you are good at marketing yourself you can make your own independent business no matter how badly you suck at fixing computers..I know 99% of the shops around my area have 0 idea how to remove spyware/adware/trojan/ etc. and just reformat your computer and reinstall the operating system forcing to reinstall all of your programs


I always ask the client.

"Here is the deal. I probably can clean this system up, but it'll cost you because from what I see it might take several hours. I can certainly reinstall the OS in under an hour, which'll be a lot cheaper, but you'll lose everything on the HD. Which do you prefer?"

Depending on what is wrong and how their system is configured, I can give them a third choice: "I can pull your data off to a CD, then reformat/reinstall, and put your data back. You'll still have to reinstall packages though."


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## Alex Ethridge

Lots of power supplies will spin their fans and still not run a computer.

With testers around ten dollars on the 'net, it just makes sense to bypass the guesswork.


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## PixieStrange

Should always be able to pull their information off. At least, I've only run into problems wqith that when the HDD was totally destroyed. If I can get it to recognize/show up at all (even if it takes some tweakage) I can pull something off of it. That isn't to say that everything I get is COMPLETE, or even usable, but at LEAST some of it will be.

As for the PSU bit, Basically what we use is (what appears to me) to be a rigged up simple off/on switch that runs to a connecter that looks like it was pried off a motherboard. Hook the power supply to it, flip the switch. If it comes on (and the little green lgiht held on by electrical tape comes on) then you should be gold. 

Otherwise we can just break out the miltimetere and test the voltage coming out of each and every wire but.... Yea, unless we're totally dead I can't take that kind of time when someone just hands me a power supply and says "Is it dead?"


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## Alex Ethridge

I once had a power supply that would run fine for hours or even a day or two. Then, suddenly, the computer would boot. Every time I checked the supply, it checked out okay.

I connected a volt meter to the 12v side of the supply and connected its PC interface to the computer. A program on the computer records the voltage every second, five seconds, ten seconds, minute--whatever I choose. I set it to every second.

I had another of the same meters connected to the wall socket, also recording every second.

After about 30 hours, the computer booted again. I checked the voltage logs and the wall voltage was right on; but, the power supply's 12v side had dropped to somewhere between 9- and 10 volts. (I forgot the exact voltage; it was about three or four years ago.)

Anyway, testers are nice and I wouldn't be without two in the shop, one in my office and two on the service van; but, I hope I never run into another like the one several years ago. A simple tester simply misled me on that one.


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## PixieStrange

Simple tools are just that... Simple tools. And they're not perfect ;-)

But jeez that's an awful lot fo trouble to go through to find out the PSU is bad. Was there any indication of a software issue? Because if not (and it just seemed to be kinda random), I probably would have checked the PSU first. Course I learned the hardf way >_<

Lived in a house that was TERRIBLE for brownuts. I was bad. Electrical system in that house ate a LOT A LOT of stuff before it got fixed. Gotta love 200 yr old houses whre EVERYTHING is on a single circuit.


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## Rockn

A muti-meter is a pretty basic piece of diagnostic equipment.


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## Alex Ethridge

Hind-sight is always 20-20.

It wasn't a lot of trouble. I have the equipment on my bench and every new problem is a challenge--and more importantly, a learning experience. Careful, scientific analysys always teaches you more.

Another shop had diagnosed it as a bad board. The customer brought it to me for a second opinion. If he had done the board, it would have been a waste of money. First impressions aren't always the most accurate.


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## gotrootdude

I've never had to reformat a client's PC.. Normally, I have the problem solved in under 30 minutes.. First you pry what the symptoms are out of the client, then you normally can guess what's wrong immediately..

* I've always thought techs who reformat don't have proper training!*

There's only a few problems I've ever had trouble diagnosing the error immediately, one was a stick of memory with a bad spot (which I didn't catch right off due to not running a memtest), another was a few years back when I had person come in with a hard drive that tested OK using the manufacturer's utilities but showed cyclic redundancy errors with further testing using other utilities.. Hmm, OK, maybe there were only two problems I couldn't diagnose and fix quick..

Pretty good for working on around 2 PC's a day for the last several years.. I don't work for a computer company, but once people find out you're good with PC's, everyone brings you theirs to fix..

I do have a laptop sitting on the shelf waiting to fix, but it needs it's battery reconditioned (maybe I'll try the freezing trick on the battery).. And, one Compaq all-in-one monitor/PC with a bad power inverter that I can't fix due to it costing more than it's worth..


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## Stoner

Hi gotrootdude 

Saw the referrence to the 'freezing trick on the battery' and was curious what it was.


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## jiml8

gotrootdude said:


> I've never had to reformat a client's PC.. Normally, I have the problem solved in under 30 minutes.. First you pry what the symptoms are out of the client, then you normally can guess what's wrong immediately..


I have cleaned up machines that had as many as 4,000 different pieces of malware on them, including several hundred tracking cookies, but also including literally hundreds of copies of the Klez virus. On machines in this kind of shape, it can take hours to even run the software to identify/remove the bad stuff.

I recall sitting in a hospital waiting room in the middle of the night about 2 years ago (emergency surgery on a relative...) and playing with a computer that was connected to the internet through the university's network there. I downloaded an assortment of tools and went to work on it. Took about 3 hours to clean it up. Win 98. Old. Slow. But I didn't have anything better to do.


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## primetime212

jiml8 said:


> I have cleaned up machines that had as many as 4,000 different pieces of malware on them, including several hundred tracking cookies, but also including literally hundreds of copies of the Klez virus. On machines in this kind of shape, it can take hours to even run the software to identify/remove the bad stuff.
> 
> I recall sitting in a hospital waiting room in the middle of the night about 2 years ago (emergency surgery on a relative...) and playing with a computer that was connected to the internet through the university's network there. I downloaded an assortment of tools and went to work on it. Took about 3 hours to clean it up. Win 98. Old. Slow. But I didn't have anything better to do.


only 4,000 ?


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## gotrootdude

Supposedly, freezing the battery before charging, then discharging fully, then repeating the process can resurrect a battery that won't hold a charge..

http://www.svca.org/articles/batteries.htm


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## PixieStrange

The average (for what I see anyway) tends to be between 3,000-5,000.

Thin the worst I've ever seen was one that had over 30,000 spyware/adware/malware, and about 1,500 viruses/trojans.

That was a NASTY little buggar. Was also about the time that Aurora was first really starting to spread, before there were any spiffy removal tools for it (which even still, none of them are reliable, and I don't trust the removal tool that the makers of Aurora have released).

It wasn't fun but.... WinPE -> Removal Tools -> Various Scans -> Manual Removals -> Registry Walk -> Registry Cleaner = Clean System.

What can I say? I have no social life LOL


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## Valen

Y'know, I'm not really sure where I sit on this issue. Being a Geek Squad-ee makes the act of agreeing with the subject matter an act of condemning myself.

Mind you, It came down to me not having enough money to purchase top ramen and realizing that the location I chose to live in had a zero percent technical job market. However, the day came when I actually gave in and applied for work at Best Buy. Granted, the management there had no idea what my resume meant.. or what those weird/crazy/technical mumbo jumbo ramblings qualified me for. The one saving grace the management here has is that they were wise enough to hire me.

Unfortunately, their blind luck does not change the tragedy that is the current hiring practices of Best Buy, and the Geek Squad brand. It is my professional opinion that roughly 90% of the current Geek Squad is horribly under qualified to perform the jobs that they do. When you consider the limitations placed upon the precinct by Corporate, that gives you a glimpse at exactly how large the technical ability black hole is at BBY.
Currently at my precinct there is eleven employees, two of which are seasonal. Only TWO of those listed employees have *any* prior valid work experience. A third apparently has his MSCE, but from the ability and knowledge said person has displayed, it may as well be alphabet soup.

That said, I have run into one.. or two semi qualified people in my time with the Geek Squad. Now, when I accepted this job I had convinced myself that it was temporary and I was going to move out of the area. After careful consideration and getting to know the blue shirts inside the store I have come to a completely different branch of thought.
The Geek Squad being as large and nationwide as it is, provides me as a Reserve Soldier with the Army the perfect platform for job stability and flexibility of location.

That said, I have resigned myself to attempting to teach and/or lead this motley crue of "technicians" out of the Best Buy induced dark ages and into something resembling a credible IT support staff.

.. Beh, I'm done speaking.


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## Valen

gotrootdude said:


> * I've always thought techs who reformat don't have proper training!*


Thats a pretty broad statement bud, any technician who has spent a moderate amount of time in the channel should know that the time comes when you have/are going to spend a unpractical amount of time removing said infections/issues with an operating system and it becomes unprofitable to sink that amount of time into the repair when you can have it going in a matter of an hour by reformating.

.. God, that was one hell of a run-on sentence.


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## I Fix 4 U

jiml8 said:


> I recall sitting in a hospital waiting room in the middle of the night about 2 years ago (emergency surgery on a relative...) and playing with a computer that was connected to the internet through the university's network there. I downloaded an assortment of tools and went to work on it. Took about 3 hours to clean it up. Win 98. Old. Slow. But I didn't have anything better to do.


Hospital with university network? Was it a university hospital?? And they just let u randomly walk up to one of their computers in the office/room and start messin with it? 
Lucky...

-------
Oh and valen, I dont usually reformat either, and besides, if you charge by a fixed rate say $x/hr, wouldn't it be nice to spend 3-5 hours fixing it? I mean if you have som1 else's computer to fix well think about it, u chargin the same price why use gas money, unless you have to get to that client for fear of losing a potential paying person who is computer illiterate and will call you twice a month 

how's that for run on?


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## rodeognome

Valen, just as a matter of interest..in your area..wherever that is...what percentage of GS customers are "emergency" customers..secondly what is the reaction of the customers to GS's prices ?


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## Valen

Well, that would be if 3 to 5 hours billed was practical.. Maybe, *maybe* that might work with a small customer base, or even a customer base of primarily home users. However, if your base exists inside the SMB market, or even if you have a large dedicated customer base.. You are going to want to establish a repoiur based upon fair, practical prices. 
Hell, that is *if* you are hourly. Alot of companies inside the channel have gone to flat rate jobs. Managed services just aren't that practical based upon an hourly rate these days. Not to mention the fact that most end users are going to want to have an idea of what you *think* the problem is, and what the estimated cost is going to end up being. Establishing a pattern of cost with the customer base that works both with their wallets, and works toward your overhead builds both revenue and dedicated customers.
Sure, you can tell Joe Blow that you'll be able to repair his hosed operating system knowing it will cost you upwards of three hours, but when he hears the estimated cost.. Nine out of ten times he'll pickup that box and go over to Joe's Computer Sheck and get his drive wiped and O/S installed for a quarter of that price.

Not to mention the concern of que management! Look at it this way, you've got a staff of anywhere from ten to twenty technicians servicing a rolling que of roughly 200 machines *in* shop, outside contracts not withstanding.. You can't afford to have them spend three to five hours cleaning spyware or viruses off of someones box for a bill that the customer may, or may not be happy with.
The channel is just to crowded these days, and the SMB market, along with middle class America just doesen't have the patience for unexpected large tabs, when they can go next door and be told exactly what they want to hear.

.. Not to mention, if the person is *truely* illiterate, they won't even realize solution providers exist near them. They'll walk straight over to Best Buy and have the men dressed like Bible Salesmen fix their 'putar right straight!


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## Valen

Well, in my *area* I'd say about 15% of the GS walkins are "emergencies". I use that word subjectively..
As far as reaction to price.. Thats not really the big thing with the GS customers. That is, unless we're talking In-Home services. What really, *really* pisses people off when they deal with the GS would be people who purchased their PCs from BBY and did NOT purchase the "PSP". (Better known as Best Buy's extended warranty)


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## primetime212

Valen said:


> Thats a pretty broad statement bud, any technician who has spent a moderate amount of time in the channel should know that the time comes when you have/are going to spend a unpractical amount of time removing said infections/issues with an operating system and it becomes unprofitable to sink that amount of time into the repair when you can have it going in a matter of an hour by reformating.
> 
> .. God, that was one hell of a run-on sentence.


true..but what customer wants to reinstall all of his stuff over again ?? not me ..thats why any informed customer wont choose the guy who reformats at the drop of hat...any tech guy in business foir himself can take advantage of this fact


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## jiml8

iXneonXi said:


> Hospital with university network? Was it a university hospital?? And they just let u randomly walk up to one of their computers in the office/room and start messin with it?
> Lucky...


Yes it was a university hospital and the computer was in the waiting room.

[QUOTE-------
Oh and valen, I dont usually reformat either, and besides, if you charge by a fixed rate say $x/hr, wouldn't it be nice to spend 3-5 hours fixing it? I mean if you have som1 else's computer to fix well think about it, u chargin the same price why use gas money, unless you have to get to that client for fear of losing a potential paying person who is computer illiterate and will call you twice a month 

how's that for run on? [/QUOTE]
I consider it to be a question of ethics. "Do you want to pay me for 4-5 hours of cleanup, or do you want to pay me for 1 hour of start-over. Your choice."


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## I Fix 4 U

Well that's if ur servicing 200 computers


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## Valen

primetime212 said:


> true..but what customer wants to reinstall all of his stuff over again ?? not me ..thats why any informed customer wont choose the guy who reformats at the drop of hat...any tech guy in business foir himself can take advantage of this fact


Well, I'm not sure which market you operate in, but I haven't found that to be true. With the Joe-Blow walkins, I've found that when presented with the choice.. At least in the regions I have serviced the Home user they will always pick the cheaper.
Inside the SMB, It is very rare to run into a *cleaning* situation.
Thats where participation in channel partner programs with SMB to Enterprise level storage and security companies *pays-off*


----------



## PixieStrange

Valen said:


> Well, I'm not sure which market you operate in, but I haven't found that to be true. With the Joe-Blow walkins, I've found that when presented with the choice.. At least in the regions I have serviced the Home user they will always pick the cheaper.
> Inside the SMB, It is very rare to run into a *cleaning* situation.
> Thats where participation in channel partner programs with SMB to Enterprise level storage and security companies *pays-off*


Not where I'm at (BFE). Around here you start talking about "Windows" and people think you're referring to those "Clear block thingies" in their walls. When a client gets their computer back, and everything is the way it was, they're much happier (generally) than if you just wipe everything and make them start over. Difference? About $20. Most people (that I've talked to anyway) will go ahead and spend the extra money. It isn't much, but they don't have to take a while getting everything set up the way they like it.

I know personally, I HATE reformatting (even though i used to do it quite often) just because it takes me about a month to get everything back to the way I like it. If I wasn't as lazy, it'd take about 12 hours.

Think the next time I put in a time off request, I'm going to take 3 days, reformat, tweak my system out, then GHOST IT! Then again, I've said that like the last dozen times i've formatted.


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## primetime212

Valen said:


> Thats a pretty broad statement bud, any technician who has spent a moderate amount of time in the channel should know that the time comes when you have/are going to spend a unpractical amount of time removing said infections/issues with an operating system and it becomes unprofitable to sink that amount of time into the repair when you can have it going in a matter of an hour by reformating.
> 
> .. God, that was one hell of a run-on sentence.


it doesnt take that long to remove spyware/adware/etc...2 hours at the very most...an hour .hour and a half to reformat and save and copy files


----------



## Valen

primetime212 said:


> it doesnt take that long to remove spyware/adware/etc...2 hours at the very most...an hour .hour and a half to reformat and save and copy files


*Rolls his eyes*
No-comment.


----------



## Alex Ethridge

"Removal" of parasites is seldom 100% effective. My experience has been that spyware/adware is showing its ugly face within hours if not minutes after targeted "removal" of parasites on over half the systems.

In contrast, if data is backed up and the drive is formatted, reoccurrance drops to around one in five (and that over days, weeks or months instead of hours) and then there is no question that it was due to carelessness/misuse.

I don't like call-backs and redoos so when I format, I get the added benefit of the knowledge that when it was delivered last, it was as a new system, except for a few modifications like security and ALL Windows updates.

Also, when the customer picks it up, they are given a primer that parasites are caused by user participation and/or ignorance, and that all programs designed to prevent it are only aids and that they all can be neutralized in minutes by carelessness. They are also given a collection of documents on parasites and links to antiparasite web sites and articles.

I am very frank with these people when they tell me their ISP has caused "all this porn", spam and pop-ups on the system. I also give them a guided tour of the images in the temporary internet cache and am very direct and firm about the fact it is there because someone using the machine put it there.

Give them the unvarnished truth and either of two things will happen. They will learn the truth about their problems and put a stop to it or I will lose the customer because he/she knows I know the truth and aren't going to pretend to give credibility to their tripe. If a person thinks I am easily fooled, he/she certainly doesn't have any respect for me so I get that out of the way before it starts.

Formatting gives me an impenetrable defense against those customers who claim I didn't do my job right and who want me to do it over for free.

Occasionally, I get those customers who will not tolerate a format. For that customer, I have an hourly rate with no guarantee on the time, and when the best and worst scenario is presented, they always back off and choose format.


----------



## I Fix 4 U

Personally I don't see how removal of spyware/malware/viruses only takes about 2 hours. Last time I ran a virus scan on someone's computer, the scan it self took an hour. That was just for viruses. I still had to run a spyware scan. 

Also, just showing discretion, I don't normally tell the owner if I end up finding tons of porn on his/her computer, I just do what I am supposed to do, remove the malware.  In most cases I will also run spyware blaster and change a few IE settings to improve security, and then ask the owner to use his/her computer normally for about 10-15 minutes to make sure everything is still working the way they like it. In some cases I've even told the user(s) how to use firefox.


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## Alex Ethridge

The point of advising what is found on the machine is to inform the persion who has to pay for it, that the computer is a good thing and does its job well and that one or more users in the home is abusing it. 

Example: I can't count the wives who bring me their computers who have been convinced by their husbands their computers are full of porno because their ISP did it. I don't mention specifics about who did it; but, if the only other user is the husband, then they can draw their own conclusion. They have a right to know. I can't count the computers ruined by file sharing and the head of the family (and the person paying) has no idea why it happens.

To fix a problem for your customer and keep them in the dark about why/how it happens is a disservice.

As a result of this tactic, there are now wives who have banned their husbands from the computer--permanently. And this recurring problem suddenly stopped when he is no longer allowed to use it.

I am not on a campaign against pornography; but, I despise situations where spouses play their significant others for fools.

I will not silently be a party to that. I owe my customer not only to fix the problem on the computer but to teach them how to avoid it in the future. Anything less is irresponsible.


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## primetime212

iXneonXi said:


> Personally I don't see how removal of spyware/malware/viruses only takes about 2 hours. Last time I ran a virus scan on someone's computer, the scan it self took an hour. That was just for viruses. I still had to run a spyware scan.
> 
> Also, just showing discretion, I don't normally tell the owner if I end up finding tons of porn on his/her computer, I just do what I am supposed to do, remove the malware. In most cases I will also run spyware blaster and change a few IE settings to improve security, and then ask the owner to use his/her computer normally for about 10-15 minutes to make sure everything is still working the way they like it. In some cases I've even told the user(s) how to use firefox.


well when I remove all the bad stuff from their computer..I just tell them that they need to do this or that to avoid that in the future..since they only pay me to remove it..I could add prevention but that would take more time and they would have to pay more


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## Alex Ethridge

> I could add prevention but that would take more time and they would have to pay more


The documents and links were prepared months ago and the time required to give a brief explanation and recommend they read the documents in a folder named "parasites" on their desktop isn't much--and it is provided for in the fee.

A job done without at least this brief effort isn't complete.

Give a man a fish . . .


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## I Fix 4 U

Well thats for those who aren't charging the same price for whatever you do per hour.


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## frisbeemom

The Weak Squad at Best Buy "made a mistake" and did a Systems Restore on my laptop, which had a Trojan Venudo virus. I asked for a Systems Service. They made NO back-up disk for me, of course.

Since this was their "mistake" they said they are going to use some kind of forensic program "like the FBI uses" to TRY to recover my data. 
My question is, does this sound feasible? And when I pick it up, is there something specific I should ask re: what was done?

Also, please use my note as a testimonial to the fact that we should all only trust our local, independent tech support people. I stupidly went to Best Buy because when this virus popped up, it was 8:30 at night, and I was desperate to be told it could be fixed. I didn't even know how many tech folks we have in my town until it was too late. I REGRET this to pieces!!!


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## primetime212

CompUsa is worse than Best Buy since they charge $200 just to show up..they better bring some ""escorts" for that type of money


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## Alex Ethridge

> The Weak Squad at Best Buy "made a mistake" and did a Systems Restore on my laptop, which had a Trojan Venudo virus. I asked for a Systems Service. They made NO back-up disk for me, of course.
> 
> Since this was their "mistake" they said they are going to use some kind of forensic program "like the FBI uses" to TRY to recover my data.
> My question is, does this sound feasible? And when I pick it up, is there something specific I should ask re: what was done?


Unfortunately, that is the "technique" used by most shops that present themselves as "professional" people so The Geek Squad is run-of-the-mill in that respect. What they did "to" you (as opposed to "for" you) is done based on an assumption that you have a full and up-to-the-minute backup of everything on your system, knowing all the time that literally over 99% of the people don't have any such thing.

Also, over 99% of the time, they don't even attempt to explain that to the customer in meaningful terms.

As for recovery of your data, here's how that goes: When a drive is formatted/repartitioned or, in general, the data cleared from the disk, it is all still there. Every file stored on the disk has a beginning-of-file marker and an end-of-file marker. When the drive is formatted, repartitioned, etc., those beginning-of-file and end-of-file markers are simply removed and the millions or even billions of ones and zeroes that are the bits that make up the Bytes that represent those characters that make up those files are still just exactly all where they always were (and very importantly) until they are overwritten by new files/data.

There is software that can "figure out" where the beginning- and end-of-file markers were and restore them because even those markers, themselves, are partly there, enough so that even you or I could recognize them with a disk reader. Example: an end-of-file marker may look like *<EOF>*. An erased end-of-file marker might look like *<EOF*. This is an oversimplification; but, it does give you an analogy you can understand. These markers envelope the file so that the OS knows what it is, where it is and where it begins and ends.

It's sort of like a postal worker finding a piece of paper on the sorting room floor. The paper begins with "Dear Mr. Brown", ends with "Sincerely, Mary Jones" and has a lot of writing on each page. It is obvious to the postal worker this is lost mail; but, without the envelope that encloses it and the address on its front and a stamp, that is, unfortunately, all he can know.

So the "FBI software" goes through the "post office" and finds all that mail that has no envelopes and turns it over to the "postmaster" (you).

Now, back to the part that says until they are overwritten: When the new operating system is written to the disk, it writes data to portions of the disk that may or may not have contained data before. It is very possible that many of the files that are important to you are in space that has not yet been reused, with emphasis on yet. Every second your computer runs its OS, even if you are doing absolutely nothing with it, yourself, the OS is writing and erasing data to and from the hard disk continuously.

*Turn off the computer right now and do not turn it on again until after recovery is finished.*

Here's the procedure: The hard disk should be physically removed from the computer and connected to a machine that has the recovery software preinstalled. The data will be recovered from the subject disk without writing anything to the subject disk and that data is written to another disk as it is recovered.

Recovery software should NEVER be installed on the hard disk where the to-be-recovered data exists. NOTHING should be installed there. The disk should BE REMOVED and recovery done on ANOTHER SYSTEM already set up for that purpose.

If you find the "tech" intends to install recovery software onto your system, take your computer and run; you are in the presence of dangerous idiots, which, in the case of The Geek Squad, would be the expected as opposed to the exception.


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## Colossus610

In any respect, with todays' computers coming standard with CD-Burners(or DVD-RW's), portable laptop drive enclosures, USB Flash memory based thumb drives, everybody going wireless(even on desktops, which sickens me). 
There should be no reason for people to not have at the very least their most valuable data backed up to some sort of portable or remote media.

That's what the whole wiping out of data and losing it boils down to.

Computers are glorified toasters.
Toasters break, alternators fry out, starters lock up, *ANY AND ALL* technology, from the most basic toaster to the most complex Space Shuttle are still a mass of parts made from scratch out of raw elements and coaxed into mechanical existence.

Most of us have Auto Insurance in case of vehicular failure, many of us have Health Insurance in case of illness/disease, Homeowner's Insurance, Renter's Insurance, AAA Roadside Assistance, On-Star etc etc etc etc etc etc.

While there are no "Data Loss Protection" insurance policies per se, the best anyone can do , and what the best of do is to provide ourselves the means with which to duplicate our most valuable data to some other media other than the creating computer and keep it seperate from said computer.

Many of us own vehicles, that start with the twist of a key, now I ask; How many keys did you get when you purchased that vehicle?
I have recieved no less than three with the last few cars I have purchased. I am married, conveniently, that makes one for me , one for the wifey, and one gets shut away in a fire-safe or given to my mother, or someone I trust, for safe-keeping. Cars even come with spare tires as a backup.
Same with house keys. The point of this is backups.

Always have a backup, on anything of the most mediocre importance to you.
This applies to your data as well.

Much of the anger and aggression I recieve at work from irate customers I know is misplaced because they are angry that they didn't back it up or they didn't think it was too important of a thing to be bothered with.

Just because you can't see it or because it may just be a bunch of ones and zeroes doesn't mean it doesn't represent what may be most important to you.

This is a neat and rather simple synchronization/backup utility made by Microsoft themselves, set up a couple folder pairs, and a couple clicks and it creates a mirror image of any folder of your choice from hard drive to hard drive or across a network, it's simple, it's free and it's a good start.
Microsoft SnycToy

I don't work for BestBuy, personally I have issues with how they conduct their business, yes, but the loss of data is not _wholly their fault_.
They should have at least attempted to save your "My Documents", "Favorites", "Desktop", and E-Mail at the very least. That is bogus, where I work we at least attempt to save what we can if it comes down to reinstalling Windows.

Any computer repair technician has stories of the failed hard drive, or the doomed power supply, or even the cockroach that happened to crawl inside your system and just happened to excrete certain things upon two circuit tracings(The cockroach gets it yes, but so may your system   ).

Stranger things have happened. And with that knowledge being passed along, I'm gonna go image my gaming machine hard drive.


----------



## Alex Ethridge

I agree with all you wrote--and I agree we should all get at least one hour's exercise that raises your heart rate to a certain level every day, we should obstain from beverages that make us less aware of our surroundings and that can damage our organs, we should all obstain from sports that might break our bones or cause heart failure in sweltering conditions, obstain from mountain climbing because of the potential dangers, and let's not leave out boating, swimming, skydiving and even driving nails.

The common denominator here is human nature. And people in the computer services business are ALL sharply aware of the human nature concerning backup. And those who ignore it, in my opinion, are incompetent idiots who need to find another way to make a living.


----------



## Super-D-38

I didn't read all 9 pages so I apologize if this has been said.

But, after reading all the trouble here. I found it funny that I see Geek Squad ad's at the top of TSG..  

I know the site needs money, but from a bad company?.. Does it hurt TSG's image to "recommend" them?.. 
Course it sends more people to TSG to fix the problems. :up:


----------



## I Fix 4 U

I think TSG has no say in the matter, they have an advertising company that will supply their own ads. Atleast it is targeted (if the topic is bestbuy then you get bestbuy ads). AdSense is good, idk what ads you are seeing, as I dont get them, but yah kinda funny.


----------



## Super-D-38

> Operating System Install
> Stuck in 98? Agents can get you up-to-speed by installing a new operating system on your computer. » more
> $229


OMG!!! It guides you step by step...
Do they charge for the OS too?.. Extra $300 - $100.. 



> Software Service
> If you have a software program that?s giving you trouble, we?ll send an Agent over to get it back in line. » more
> $159


Just reinstall it.. Duh. 

At home prices... http://www.geeksquad.com/servicesandpricing/onsiteservices.php
And people pay this?... Crap, I should start charging more than free - $5.


----------



## PixieStrange

"accidental" formats. It's what happens when you have 10 different people working on 20 different machines every day in between getting yelled at by freaks who expect YOU to make their computer better cause it's under some damn kind of warranty or another and SURELY it covers them dipping their cat in salt water, throwing him into the computer case and turning the computer on. Oh yea, and they had a keggar the night before and AFTER the keg leaked ALL over it, it got knocked out of the second story window. 

All that and no communication = people not paying attention to what they're doing and having their faces owned when they realize "Oh (*#&$ we just formatted this person's HD".

*puts on greedy corporate hat*

As you can see PLAINLY on this waiver that you signed, we are not responsible for lost data, so you're S.O.L. Bye!

*takes off greedy corporate hat*

Yea, we're not like that. What they SHOULD be doing is "Wow, we're SO sorry! We'll do our best to get that information back (insert gratis 'Oops, we ^%&*^% up' thingy here) for you."

As to "You should ONLY trust the local computer shop people". Oh, you mean like the ones I've seen charge poeple $1,500 for an Athlon 2000+ XP / 128 MB RAM 20GB 17" CRT (not even flat screen, jeez)? I think not. Bottom line is there are (*#&%( everywhere. When you get screwed by a larger one, it's generally easier to get more for your trouble because they can take the hit. *shrug* 

When you get screwed by a smaller one, they're out of business a little ways down the road anyway.


----------



## Colossus610

PixieStrange said:


> As to "You should ONLY trust the local computer shop people". Oh, you mean like the ones I've seen charge poeple $1,500 for an Athlon 2000+ XP / 128 MB RAM 20GB 17" CRT (not even flat screen, jeez)? I think not. Bottom line is there are (*#&%( everywhere. When you get screwed by a larger one, it's generally easier to get more for your trouble because they can take the hit. *shrug*
> 
> When you get screwed by a smaller one, they're out of business a little ways down the road anyway.


I work for a small privately run computer repair/sales store that has been in business since 1983, and we actually know the value of the parts it takes to build a really good machine, I have had god knows how many people come in say they got a quote for some machine, and we always beat it.
When you go to the big stores, and get a preconfigured box kit computer, you almost never get what you want, you get what the big companies think you need or say you need.(Like an Intel, everybody needs an Intel, just because they sleep with some of the major retailers and manufacturer's everybody seems to think you need an Intel chip)
For the first time this August, in the retail channel, their have been more AMD system's sitting on the shelf of big stores like BestBuy or CDW or CompUSA :up: 

A friend of mine came in and requested a quote for an AMD 64 Socket 939 3500, 2 GB DDR, 120 GB SATA, 250 GB SATA, GeForce 6600 256 MB PCI-E, Dual Layer DVD-RW/CD-RW Dual Format, Audigy 4 Platinum Pro, 500W PSU, a decent Coolermaster case, oh and a floppy drive.
(The ATX(yes, not one of those crappy Micro ATX or anything)motherboard was a fully functional and upgradable motherboard with onboard 8 channel audio, gigabit LAN, FirewireB, Hardware RAID, etc etc, i think it was the Gigabyte K8NF9 Ultra)

I quoted him 1450.
I know it may not be the best, but it's FAR from the worst. And for a small "rinky-dink" computer store that's been doing it since IIE's were the shiznit, it aint bad.


----------



## PixieStrange

Colossus610 said:


> I work for a small privately run computer repair/sales store that has been in business since 1983, and we actually know the value of the parts it takes to build a really good machine, I have had god knows how many people come in say they got a quote for some machine, and we always beat it.
> When you go to the big stores, and get a preconfigured box kit computer, you almost never get what you want, you get what the big companies think you need or say you need.(Like an Intel, everybody needs an Intel, just because they sleep with some of the major retailers and manufacturer's everybody seems to think you need an Intel chip)
> For the first time this August, in the retail channel, their have been more AMD system's sitting on the shelf of big stores like BestBuy or CDW or CompUSA :up:
> 
> A friend of mine came in and requested a quote for an AMD 64 Socket 939 3500, 2 GB DDR, 120 GB SATA, 250 GB SATA, GeForce 6600 256 MB PCI-E, Dual Layer DVD-RW/CD-RW Dual Format, Audigy 4 Platinum Pro, 500W PSU, a decent Coolermaster case, oh and a floppy drive.
> (The ATX(yes, not one of those crappy Micro ATX or anything)motherboard was a fully functional and upgradable motherboard with onboard 8 channel audio, gigabit LAN, FirewireB, Hardware RAID, etc etc, i think it was the Gigabyte K8NF9 Ultra)
> 
> I quoted him 1450.
> I know it may not be the best, but it's FAR from the worst. And for a small "rinky-dink" computer store that's been doing it since IIE's were the shiznit, it aint bad.


Obviously you're not in the habit of screwing people *Applause*

The system I quoted was sold to someone less than 2 months ago. And yea, the pre-packaged machines are always junk. Even with "Good" HW, it's all OEM HW and is poopy. Personally I refuse to use anything I didn't build (Though some of those e-machines DO look tempting to gut).

At least MOST *Angry glare at HP/Compaq* MFGs have stopped bundlimng WeatherBug with everything. Now if ONLY they would STOP the sinister practice of bundling AOL on machines....

I once opened a new computer (We were doing a customization on it), went to uninstall AOL (per the Client's request), and the machine Blue-Screened...



I couldn't stop laughing for like, 10 minutes, but couldn't get AOl off either. Tried another machine (Same make/model) and had the same result. I told them to pick a different machine if they wanted to be rid of AOL's corruption. And I didn't exactly trust a machine that AOL WON'T come off of. *Angry glare at HP/Compaq*

Though, I do miss the computer shop that used to be around in Ft Smith. Was a great shop, then the management changed, and they were bought out by some White Box computing crap, and their CS went totally crappy. Bought some RAM once (after the change) and it was bad (VERY obviously bad). The guy (whom I had seen less than 4 hours earlier) put the RAM into one of his display computers, booted it up, saw that the BIOS recognized all of it, saw that windows recognized all of it (as in, could count it) handed it back to me and was like "There is nothing wrong with this RAM."

@@

MemTest.... great program....50,000+ errors in the first minute of running. Of course, I didn't bother to actually test the RAM until I started blue-screening every 1-3 minutes after installing it and doing something memory intensive. Told him to tax the system, so he fires up IE and goes to google.com...

-_-

I called their corporate offices and spent like 2 hours on the phone with them, and they authorized the exchange (apologizing profusely for what had occured), and the guy REFUSED to do it! I had them call him and he argued with them about it for like 20 minutes!

Like I said, you run into (*#^% everywhere. And if you get into the habit of screwing your Clientele over.... Your clientele leaves you...


----------



## I Fix 4 U

Yo, I got this HP and it came superbundeled with crud. Took me 3 days (on and off) and I got it completely clean of the many different annoyances, including AOL.


----------



## PixieStrange

There wqas one particular model of HP that was sold for all of like 1 week before it got yanked. Blue-Screened every time you tried to take AOL out. interestingly enough, a workaround WAS found, had to disable the spooler service, along with ALL of AOL's services, AND all the RPC/Remote Registry services, reboot to safe mode, delete some of AOL's config files, then reboot, run the uninstall. It would give an error first (which would re-create the needed files), then run it again and it goes away. 

Stupid AOL...

Stupid HP...


----------



## I Fix 4 U

It did involve me going into the service manager, and loading startup cop to remove everything from startup, then safemode eventually, but i finally yanked everything out. Haven't had spyware since (there was this one incident tho, where my dad ended up gettin smitfraud on the comp  , but i cleaned it)


----------



## Colossus610

Colossus610 said:


> *A friend of mine* came in and requested a quote for an AMD 64 Socket 939 3500, 2 GB DDR, 120 GB SATA, 250 GB SATA, GeForce 6600 256 MB PCI-E, Dual Layer DVD-RW/CD-RW Dual Format, Audigy 4 Platinum Pro, 500W PSU, a decent Coolermaster case, oh and a floppy drive.
> (The ATX(yes, not one of those crappy Micro ATX or anything)motherboard was a fully functional and upgradable motherboard with onboard 8 channel audio, gigabit LAN, FirewireB, Hardware RAID, etc etc, i think it was the Gigabyte K8NF9 Ultra)
> 
> I quoted him 1450.
> I know it may not be the best, but it's FAR from the worst. And for a small "rinky-dink" computer store that's been doing it since IIE's were the shiznit, it aint bad.


 Oh ya, just because he's a friend of mine doesnt mean he got some special price, he mighta gotten 30 bucks or so off, but my boss is still my boss and he has final say in what I can/have to charge.


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## primetime212

I wonder if there are any 40 year old Geek Squaders out there...


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## Alex Ethridge

I guess if there are 40-year-old behind-the-counter guys at McDonald's, there are probably some 40-year-old Geekers out there somewhere--probably retarded, though.


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## primetime212

Alex Ethridge said:


> I guess if there are 40-year-old behind-the-counter guys at McDonald's, there are probably some 40-year-old Geekers out there somewhere--probably retarded, though.


  i can picture that


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## Skivvywaver

primetime212 said:


> I wonder if there are any 40 year old Geek Squaders out there...


 Yes there are. I have a friend that was involved in an accident that left him in a pretty bad way. He is a Geek Squader. He really doesn't have to work as he qualifies for full disability but he does it just to get out and be active.

He does know his stuff also. I have been wanting to post about him since this thread has been here but I have held off. Yes there are good people and bad people in every work place. Garret may be the exception and not the rule but he is good. I really don't know much about them. I have been fixing my own stuff forever. I have never, ever paid for a PC repair. Well, maybe I did in a round about way. In the beginning I screwed up a few things.


----------



## chamalon

Alex Ethridge said:


> I guess if there are 40-year-old behind-the-counter guys at McDonald's, there are probably some 40-year-old Geekers out there somewhere--probably retarded, though.





Alex Ethridge said:


> I guess if there are 40-year-old behind-the-counter guys at McDonald's, there are probably some 40-year-old Geekers out there somewhere--probably retarded, though.


You know I believe you've stirred up a hornets nest here. I'm 40+ and an agent, with I believe more then 20 years of computer tech experience behind me. I actually do the the Geek squad job as a part-time hobby, as my full time career is an E-6 in the US Air Force. I'm A+ certified, 2 Associates degrees and 2 semesters away from a BA in computer science. I get great satisfaction from my time in the Geek Squad at Best Buy especially when I can send someone home with a fine tuned machine and a small bill.

As was said before we don't work for commission, I actually enjoy trying to find ways to save the costumer's money. For instance, if it is a quick fix, I'll normally just do it and hand the machine back to the client as fixed and not charge them a thing.

I to am sorry that some have had a bad experience with their local Geek Squad, but the actions of one or two incompetent agents should not out way the good the rest of us are trying to do.

As for price, go anywhere else and ask about their prices and you'll find that in most cases Geek Squad will actually be less. For example most tech bench's in my area charge a min 99$ diagnostic fee for items left at the bench and to come to your house, the last time I checked, it could cost $99 for the trip, $70 per hour and what ever the parts cost. Basically a simple restore because of a virus could run up around 600$ or more.

As for you Geeks out there, that built your own machines and would never take it to Geek Squad. I say good for you, neither would I! Why would I let anyone else work on my machine that I built from the ground up. Thats not what I believe our purpose is. Keep in mind though there are those individuals out there with computers that don't understand why they should buy an Anti-virus or Spy-ware protection. They have no idea how to remove the viruses or the spyware once their machine is infected. While it may be easy for you to press one button, as I read above, to install Norton av, others may not trust themselves to install it, download the updates and defs and then make sure that it is running correctly. I don't know how many times I've heard someone say "So if I buy this and install it myself, it will remove all the infection in my machine right?".

I know some are shaking their heads, while others are thinking of witty comebacks, but just remember what I said. I like my job can that kid at McDonald's say that?


----------



## Alex Ethridge

The remark about the 40-year-old Geek Squadder was simply sarcasm and is withdrawn.

I am convinced you are compentent and conscientious; but, from my perspective, you are the exception, not the rule.

I, too, am (semi)retired and do my work for both money and satisfaction. I enjoy a luxury most who do my type of work do not have--the time to choose to do the job right or back off and let someone more capable handle it.

That goes to the heart of the problem with The Geek Squad. I don't know if these guys are under too much pressure, under a time constraint, incompetent or simply don't care. Whatever the problem, I'm guessing from what I've seen, too large a percentage of their jobs would not pass a qualified inspection.


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## sglv

Alex Ethridge said:


> The remark about the 40-year-old Geek Squadder was simply sarcasm and is withdrawn.
> 
> I am convinced you are compentent and conscientious; but, from my perspective, you are the exception, not the rule.
> 
> I, too, am (semi)retired and do my work for both money and satisfaction. I enjoy a luxury most who do my type of work do not have--the time to choose to do the job right or back off and let someone more capable handle it.
> 
> That goes to the heart of the problem with The Geek Squad. I don't know if these guys are under too much pressure, under a time constraint, incompetent or simply don't care. Whatever the problem, I'm guessing from what I've seen, too large a percentage of their jobs would not pass a qualified inspection.


Unfortunately for the geek squad employee who wrote "no obvious abuse" on our receipt will get fired b/c I'm suing Best Buy under the warranty they sold us. I feel bad for the guy who was honest. We didn't abuse our laptop, my husband takes better care of his laptop than he does of me   It will be his livelihood. I have no complaints of the Geek Squad guys, but I sure think Best Buy totally sucks!


----------



## primetime212

chamalon said:


> You know I believe you've stirred up a hornets nest here. I'm 40+ and an agent, with I believe more then 20 years of computer tech experience behind me. I actually do the the Geek squad job as a part-time hobby, as my full time career is an E-6 in the US Air Force. I'm A+ certified, 2 Associates degrees and 2 semesters away from a BA in computer science. I get great satisfaction from my time in the Geek Squad at Best Buy especially when I can send someone home with a fine tuned machine and a small bill.
> 
> As was said before we don't work for commission, I actually enjoy trying to find ways to save the costumer's money. For instance, if it is a quick fix, I'll normally just do it and hand the machine back to the client as fixed and not charge them a thing.
> 
> I to am sorry that some have had a bad experience with their local Geek Squad, but the actions of one or two incompetent agents should not out way the good the rest of us are trying to do.
> 
> As for price, go anywhere else and ask about their prices and you'll find that in most cases Geek Squad will actually be less. For example most tech bench's in my area charge a min 99$ diagnostic fee for items left at the bench and to come to your house, the last time I checked, it could cost $99 for the trip, $70 per hour and what ever the parts cost. Basically a simple restore because of a virus could run up around 600$ or more.
> 
> As for you Geeks out there, that built your own machines and would never take it to Geek Squad. I say good for you, neither would I! Why would I let anyone else work on my machine that I built from the ground up. Thats not what I believe our purpose is. Keep in mind though there are those individuals out there with computers that don't understand why they should buy an Anti-virus or Spy-ware protection. They have no idea how to remove the viruses or the spyware once their machine is infected. While it may be easy for you to press one button, as I read above, to install Norton av, others may not trust themselves to install it, download the updates and defs and then make sure that it is running correctly. I don't know how many times I've heard someone say "So if I buy this and install it myself, it will remove all the infection in my machine right?".
> 
> I know some are shaking their heads, while others are thinking of witty comebacks, but just remember what I said. I like my job can that kid at McDonald's say that?


BA in computer science ?? I thought it was a BS


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## chamalon

You got me there, my finger hit the "a" key when it should have hit the "s" key, right next to it. This comes from typing at midnite.


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## RedHelix

sglv said:


> Unfortunately for the geek squad employee who wrote "no obvious abuse" on our receipt will get fired b/c I'm suing Best Buy under the warranty they sold us. I feel bad for the guy who was honest. We didn't abuse our laptop, my husband takes better care of his laptop than he does of me   It will be his livelihood. I have no complaints of the Geek Squad guys, but I sure think Best Buy totally sucks!


You've hit the nail directly on the head. I'm also a technician for Geek Squad, and I work in a BestBuy precinct. Obviously I can't speak for all GS agents across the continent, but the general attitude is that we _want_ to help you and charge you as little money as possible in getting your PC fixed, turned around and out the door. Unfortunately, being owned and run by Best Buy prevents us from fully applying that attitude to our jobs. We have numbers that we have to meet if we want to keep our jobs. If we're not proving our cost-effectiveness in the store, we lose technicians. It's really as terribly simple as that.

Probably the worst sight I usually see is some poor customer, with no PSP or warranty, whose computer has had a hardware failure we cannot fix in-store. Motherboards, usually. I would like nothing more than to tell this person "hey, I could fix this thing in and hour for less than two hundred bucks. I'll even buy the board for you." I would be fired for conflict of interest. Instead, it gets shipped out to a service center for two weeks where they usually charge almost a grand for the repair. I'm also sorely disappointed that BestBuy does not allow us to order the parts we need for very easy fixes. If your 80GB laptop hard drive dies and your warranty entitles you to a replacement, we can swap it out and restore the OS in an hour. _However..._ if we don't have a hard drive of the same capacity in-store, then it's shipped out. Two weeks of waiting instead of grabbing lunch while you wait for us to fix it... it's a shame, really.

Now, concerning the technical competency of GS technicians: Geek Squad does not require certification in anything. Best Buy will pay for the A+ exam if you choose to take it, but that's about it. One misconception though, is that our services are limited to PCs. We also handle digital cameras, TVs and home theater equipment, mp3 players (read: iPods) and some bestbuy appliances. If you've had bad experiences with GS in the past, the best I can do is apologize for the occasional bad apple. I won't lie: There _are_ some agents out there who have no idea what they're doing. Some of them are just gamers who thought installing a video card = technical competency. The rest of us, who are _extremely_ competent technicians, try our best to catch their mistakes and keep things running smoothly.


----------



## gyrgrls

RedHelix said:


> We have numbers that we have to meet if we want to keep our jobs. If we're not proving our cost-effectiveness in the store, we lose technicians. It's really as terribly simple as that.


There's a term we use for that business model in gardening/landscaping:
"Blow and go".


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## dr911

Hi All,
GEEK SQUAD...pppplease !!!!

Here's what they chargeon-site) 

Wireless Network Setup:$159.00
Add a Device to an Existing Network:$129.00
Broadband Service : $159.00
Media Center® plus Network Setup : $229.00
Broadband Phone Added to Existing Network : $129.00
Dial-up Service: $129.00
Online Console Gaming Setup 
Get your game on. A Geek Squad Agent will hook your XBox or PS2 system up with everything you need to play online : $159.00
Broadband Phone Wiring Conversion 
Take advantage of broadband phone service through the existing phone jacks in your home. : $129.00
All the above is from their web site.
Come on ppl....$159.00 to hook up a x-box.

The have a money-making business gong tho.
I won't use them.
Just my point of view.

Thinking to myself....maybe I ought to go into that kind of business !!!

Take care,
dr911


----------



## Alex Ethridge

The person who does this work has to maintain a listing in one or more telephone directories, maintain a shop and storage space, pay for insurance on vehicle(s) and in some cases, be bonded, pay for a stock of parts and software and suffer the losses when those parts and software go stale (outdated), keep books, pay quarterly taxes, self employment tax, make books available to every local and federal agency that has authority to examine them, keep track of taxes he owes every city in which he does busuness, every county and for the state, not to mention federal taxes and licenses for every city and county. Oh, and don't forget gasoline and maintenence on the vehicle(s).

By all means, jump right in.


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## Smety

No offense Alex, you have some good excuses, but that's total BS, those prices are way too high.


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## jp1203

RedHelix said:


> the best I can do is apologize for the occasional bad apple. I won't lie: There _are_ some agents out there who have no idea what they're doing. Some of them are just gamers who thought installing a video card = technical competency. The rest of us, who are _extremely_ competent technicians, try our best to catch their mistakes and keep things running smoothly.


From what I have seen it looks like they are better out of the store, such as in training semenars, etc. Maybe as not to be caught for not prooving 'cost effectiveness'. Maybe that explains the advice some have given to buy some things that are unreasonably expensive and over-powered for the customer's use. Too bad you couldn't break away from best buy, eh? Anyway, many seem to think that one bad apple spoils the bunch, but in this case, I think lots are in for the money, and know nothing. However, there seem to be a few like you that care about the customer and work your hardest. Unfortunately, it seems like more of the 'I don't care' type in my area.


----------



## jp1203

Skivvywaver said:


> I have been fixing my own stuff forever. I have never, ever paid for a PC repair.


So have I, so I am speaking from other's experience.



Skivvywaver said:


> In the beginning I screwed up a few things.


So have we all...my worst was probably frying a PSU. I was playing with the unmarked  jumper settings trying to get it to pick up the second HDD, but never unplugged it since I was switching it so much. A spark and it was blown. New one would have been 80$(specialized) but I sort of hacked it to take another. Looks like a monster now, well, actually, then. It has shot its 10 year old MoBo since then (Its own fault), so I got another, no sense replacing something that old. I haven't messed up anything since then, though. (Well, there was that time...  )

J.S.


----------



## primetime212

dr911 said:


> Hi All,
> GEEK SQUAD...pppplease !!!!
> 
> Here's what they chargeon-site)
> 
> Wireless Network Setup:$159.00
> Add a Device to an Existing Network:$129.00
> Broadband Service : $159.00
> Media Center® plus Network Setup : $229.00
> Broadband Phone Added to Existing Network : $129.00
> Dial-up Service: $129.00
> Online Console Gaming Setup
> Get your game on. A Geek Squad Agent will hook your XBox or PS2 system up with everything you need to play online : $159.00
> Broadband Phone Wiring Conversion
> Take advantage of broadband phone service through the existing phone jacks in your home. : $129.00
> All the above is from their web site.
> Come on ppl....$159.00 to hook up a x-box.
> 
> The have a money-making business gong tho.
> I won't use them.
> Just my point of view.
> 
> Thinking to myself....maybe I ought to go into that kind of business !!!
> 
> Take care,
> dr911


I guess its hard to plug in a cable into your XBox port..then follow the directions on screen..maybe for illiterate folks


----------



## primetime212

Alex Ethridge said:


> The person who does this work has to maintain a listing in one or more telephone directories, maintain a shop and storage space, pay for insurance on vehicle(s) and in some cases, be bonded, pay for a stock of parts and software and suffer the losses when those parts and software go stale (outdated), keep books, pay quarterly taxes, self employment tax, make books available to every local and federal agency that has authority to examine them, keep track of taxes he owes every city in which he does busuness, every county and for the state, not to mention federal taxes and licenses for every city and county. Oh, and don't forget gasoline and maintenence on the vehicle(s).
> 
> By all means, jump right in.


sure but you'll till make $80,000 + when its all said and done


----------



## ~Candy~

Alex Ethridge said:


> The person who does this work has to maintain a listing in one or more telephone directories, maintain a shop and storage space, pay for insurance on vehicle(s) and in some cases, be bonded, pay for a stock of parts and software and suffer the losses when those parts and software go stale (outdated), keep books, pay quarterly taxes, self employment tax, make books available to every local and federal agency that has authority to examine them, keep track of taxes he owes every city in which he does busuness, every county and for the state, not to mention federal taxes and licenses for every city and county. Oh, and don't forget gasoline and maintenence on the vehicle(s).
> 
> By all means, jump right in.


That is what folks never realize. All they see is BIG $ signs, and have no real concept of what it really costs to be in business.

And you left out potential lawsuits


----------



## prescottn

How many people on here have ever worked with an incompetent co-worker? I have 6 years experience in this field, and was trained by the US Navy. You all are slandering a company that is only a year and a half old. Geek Squad is enforcing more strict highering policies, but at the same time if you all are experiencing problems as severe as described (which I find hard to believe). Please call our corporate office or 1-800-Geek Squad and schedule a redo on your service if one is warranted. As for our prices? I'm sorry I spent 6 years in the military learning my trade not to mention many hours of school time. I like getting paid for what I worked hard to learn. I know my $#!+ and if someone in a different district/state/city whatever doesn't reffer them to me, and I can make your experience with a Geek Squad agent like myself more enjoyable, and your confidence in our expertise much more defined.

CI Agent Nick Prescott store 00421 Chesapeake, Va 23320


----------



## primetime212

prescottn said:


> How many people on here have ever worked with an incompetent co-worker? I have 6 years experience in this field, and was trained by the US Navy. You all are slandering a company that is only a year and a half old. Geek Squad is enforcing more strict highering policies, but at the same time if you all are experiencing problems as severe as described (which I find hard to believe). Please call our corporate office or 1-800-Geek Squad and schedule a redo on your service if one is warranted. As for our prices? I'm sorry I spent 6 years in the military learning my trade not to mention many hours of school time. I like getting paid for what I worked hard to learn. I know my $#!+ and if someone in a different district/state/city whatever doesn't reffer them to me, and I can make your experience with a Geek Squad agent like myself more enjoyable, and your confidence in our expertise much more defined.
> 
> CI Agent Nick Prescott store 00421 Chesapeake, Va 23320


sure...but $150 to set up an XBox ??


----------



## ~Candy~

> Geek Squad is enforcing more strict *highering * policies


Good to know


----------



## Davec

True, most people prefer taller geeks.


----------



## RedHelix

dr911 said:


> Hi All,
> GEEK SQUAD...pppplease !!!!
> 
> Here's what they chargeon-site)
> 
> Wireless Network Setup:$159.00
> Add a Device to an Existing Network:$129.00
> Broadband Service : $159.00
> Media Center® plus Network Setup : $229.00
> Broadband Phone Added to Existing Network : $129.00
> 
> .....etc


Oh come on. All of the services you've posted are in-home services for Geek Squad. No matter which company you approach in _any_ industry, you will always find that's it's extremely expensive to have someone come out to your house to do labor. Plumbers. Landscapers. Carpenters. Floor finishers. Electricians. Painters. Cable TV services. Even those guys who come to your house to install a new windshield on your car. It's a simple fact of business that bringing the worker to you is _never cheap._

Think of all the costs associated with bringing a GS Agent to your house. Company car payments, car tuneups and repairs, gasoline, the agent's wage, several hours of skilled labor.... you can say that those prices rob you blind, but in reality, GS hardly makes any profit at all by selling an in-home service. Plus, we guarantee our work.

In-Store services are not outrageously overpriced either. Sure, it's easy to say that $79.00 is way too steep a price for restoring an OS. But the reality is that that's a flat rate for all model PCs. A restore on an HP computer might take about a half hour, sure. But restoring a Dell or some model Compaqs can be an investment of over two hours. That's because you have to individually reinstall and fully update each individual driver, which is both tedious and time consuming. Average Joe Shmoe PC user has no idea how to do all that. That makes it skilled labor, and 80 bucks for two hours of skilled labor with guaranteed service is not overpriced. Heck, I have to pay a hundred bucks for a Sears auto technician to take 20 minutes to install a new brake pad on my car. Skilled labor is simply not cheap, and you're an uninformed consumer if you expect it to be.


----------



## primetime212

RedHelix said:


> Oh come on. All of the services you've posted are in-home services for Geek Squad. No matter which company you approach in _any_ industry, you will always find that's it's extremely expensive to have someone come out to your house to do labor. Plumbers. Landscapers. Carpenters. Floor finishers. Electricians. Painters. Cable TV services. Even those guys who come to your house to install a new windshield on your car. It's a simple fact of business that bringing the worker to you is _never cheap._
> 
> Think of all the costs associated with bringing a GS Agent to your house. Company car payments, car tuneups and repairs, gasoline, the agent's wage, several hours of skilled labor.... you can say that those prices rob you blind, but in reality, GS hardly makes any profit at all by selling an in-home service. Plus, we guarantee our work.
> 
> In-Store services are not outrageously overpriced either. Sure, it's easy to say that $79.00 is way too steep a price for restoring an OS. But the reality is that that's a flat rate for all model PCs. A restore on an HP computer might take about a half hour, sure. But restoring a Dell or some model Compaqs can be an investment of over two hours. That's because you have to individually reinstall and fully update each individual driver, which is both tedious and time consuming. Average Joe Shmoe PC user has no idea how to do all that. That makes it skilled labor, and 80 bucks for two hours of skilled labor with guaranteed service is not overpriced. Heck, I have to pay a hundred bucks for a Sears auto technician to take 20 minutes to install a new brake pad on my car. Skilled labor is simply not cheap, and you're an uninformed consumer if you expect it to be
> .


yeah they hardly make any profit...thats why they make millions


----------



## Colossus610

RedHelix said:


> Oh come on. All of the services you've posted are in-home services for Geek Squad. No matter which company you approach in _any_ industry, you will always find that's it's extremely expensive to have someone come out to your house to do labor. Plumbers. Landscapers. Carpenters. Floor finishers. Electricians. Painters. Cable TV services. Even those guys who come to your house to install a new windshield on your car. It's a simple fact of business that bringing the worker to you is _never cheap._
> 
> Think of all the costs associated with bringing a GS Agent to your house. Company car payments, car tuneups and repairs, gasoline, the agent's wage, several hours of skilled labor.... you can say that those prices rob you blind, but in reality, GS hardly makes any profit at all by selling an in-home service. Plus, we guarantee our work.
> 
> In-Store services are not outrageously overpriced either. Sure, it's easy to say that $79.00 is way too steep a price for restoring an OS. But the reality is that that's a flat rate for all model PCs. A restore on an HP computer might take about a half hour, sure. But restoring a Dell or some model Compaqs can be an investment of over two hours. That's because you have to individually reinstall and fully update each individual driver, which is both tedious and time consuming. Average Joe Shmoe PC user has no idea how to do all that. That makes it skilled labor, and 80 bucks for two hours of skilled labor with guaranteed service is not overpriced. Heck, I have to pay a hundred bucks for a Sears auto technician to take 20 minutes to install a new brake pad on my car. *Skilled labor is simply not cheap, and you're an uninformed consumer if you expect it to be.*


That's the point this thread is trying to make
*Skilled labor is simply not cheap, and you're an uninformed consumer if you expect it to be.*
Geek Squad for the most part , is NOT skilled labor. No mandatory qualifications, no required industry experience, no required schooling, etc etc.

Most mechanics have gone to trade schools at the very minumum,(UTI, Lincoln Tech, that sort of thing in my area), so that 100 bucks for the brake pad means that that guy that can do it in 20 minutes has done it before, and knows how to do it correctly.


----------



## prescottn

Large scale problem = every single Best Buy in america has Geek Squad
Large scale problem = every single Best Buy in america has customers needing PC's repaired
Large scale problem = Geek Squad is less than a year and a half old. To say Geek Squad Agents are incompetent will insult a lot of respectable people. Rest assured there are people with huge credentials working for this company trying to make this thing work. In today's day and age what would you consider minimum hiring requirements for a Geek Squad agent? What could someplace like Best Buy afford to pay an agent with all the written qualifications without their employees throwing the one finger salute and walking out the door. I wish I could disclose pay info, but if you think we're ripping people off why don't you apply and see what we're making. There is an online test required as part of the application process. Geek Squad has employees filling a few different roles too though....
CI agent: instore computer repair
Counter OPs agent- mostly shipping, contacting customers, keeping work flow consistent in the workplace
Double Agent- in home computer service
CIA senior- usually the most highly qualified agent in the store with the most experience 
Deputy- esentially precinct manager


----------



## sglv

Colossus610 said:


> That's the point this thread is trying to make
> *Skilled labor is simply not cheap, and you're an uninformed consumer if you expect it to be.*
> Geek Squad for the most part , is NOT skilled labor. No mandatory qualifications, no required industry experience, no required schooling, etc etc.
> 
> Most mechanics have gone to trade schools at the very minumum,(UTI, Lincoln Tech, that sort of thing in my area), *so that 100 bucks for the brake pad means that that guy that can do it in 20 minutes has done it before, and knows how to do it correctly*.


Unlike my husband, who swears he knows what he's doing, until the brakes literally fall of the car in the middle of the intersection


----------



## sglv

prescottn said:


> that's our in home networking set up fee... Have you ever dealt with local DSL companies or cable companies over the phone?


They're local? Didn't know that. I swear every time I've had to call with a problem I'm dealing with someone from a foreign country. 

Not only can I NOT understand a word they're saying, they insist that if I don't have the red and/or yellow cable (replaced with a better "white" or "black" cable mind you), that the conversation is over. I don't have the proper equipment. Next thing you know, I receive the "red" and/or "yellow" cable in the mail with a note to call them now that I have the proper equipment!


----------



## prescottn

sglv said:


> They're local? Didn't know that. I swear every time I've had to call with a problem I'm dealing with someone from a foreign country.
> 
> Not only can I NOT understand a word they're saying, they insist that if I don't have the red and/or yellow cable (replaced with a better "white" or "black" cable mind you), that the conversation is over. I don't have the proper equipment. Next thing you know, I receive the "red" and/or "yellow" cable in the mail with a note to call them now that I have the proper equipment!


I feel your pain....


----------



## prescottn

JStergis said:


> From what I have seen it looks like they are better out of the store, such as in training semenars, etc. Maybe as not to be caught for not prooving 'cost effectiveness'. Maybe that explains the advice some have given to buy some things that are unreasonably expensive and over-powered for the customer's use. Too bad you couldn't break away from best buy, eh? Anyway, many seem to think that one bad apple spoils the bunch, but in this case, I think lots are in for the money, and know nothing. However, there seem to be a few like you that care about the customer and work your hardest. Unfortunately, it seems like more of the 'I don't care' type in my area.


Three weeks ago I was fortunate enough to have gone to a Geek Squad trainging seminar in Baltimore, Maryland. There we did get to meet with corporate representitives and express our concerns as agents, and believe me our corporate reps are aware of those "I don't care agents". They are being and will be weeded out! I wish I could talk about money but damn I can't.... rest assured though it's not going into the agents pockets....


----------



## ~Candy~

sglv said:


> Unlike my husband, who swears he knows what he's doing, until the brakes literally fall of the car in the middle of the intersection


Ah, so that explains THAT traffic jam


----------



## Alex Ethridge

Smety,

From what you write, one can safely conclude you have never run a full time business on which you have depended for several years for your entire support.


----------



## Smety

Alex Ethridge said:


> Smety,
> 
> From what you write, one can safely conclude you have never run a full time business on which you have depended for several years for your entire support.


True.


----------



## RedHelix

primetime212 said:


> yeah they hardly make any profit...thats why they make millions


Okay, you need to take a few Econ classes and stop pretending you know what you're talking about.



Colossus610 said:


> That's the point this thread is trying to make
> *Skilled labor is simply not cheap, and you're an uninformed consumer if you expect it to be.*
> Geek Squad for the most part , is NOT skilled labor. No mandatory qualifications, no required industry experience, no required schooling, etc etc.
> 
> Most mechanics have gone to trade schools at the very minumum,(UTI, Lincoln Tech, that sort of thing in my area), so that 100 bucks for the brake pad means that that guy that can do it in 20 minutes has done it before, and knows how to do it correctly.


If the majority of auto technicians went to vocational or technical school before working in a garage, that's definitely news to me. Most of the technicians I've seen work on my car are my age, (20,) and judging by the rims on the vehicles in the employee parking area at Sears, Valvolines, and JiffyLubes all over where I live, I'm inclined to believe that these technicians are just as much of a casual-hobbyist-turned-career story as Geek Squad Agents.

But the truth is, we're both just using anecdotal evidence... so there's really no point in arguing.

What I really don't understand is your logic when you say that a mechanic having gone to school _automatically_ makes him an expert auto repair technician. A Computer Science degree does not automatically make you a good programmer, nor does A+ certification make you... well... make you much of anything, really.

When we charge you 80 bucks to restore your operating system or 30 bucks to properly install a video card, you can rest assured that the agent doing it has done it before. In fact, he's probably done it 4 or 5 times that day already. So, I don't see what the problem is.


----------



## boberuski

primetime212 said:


> I guess its hard to plug in a cable into your XBox port..then follow the directions on screen..maybe for illiterate folks


What about the grandma buying it for her grandchild or the 7 or 8 yr old who's parents still think it is an atari...What your not thinking about is the fact that you know this stuff, its easy for you, most people could care less about learning. They would rather pay someone to take care of the problem, "I have better things to do" is their mentality.

As for blanket statements about anything, nothing is all or never.

Would any of you take your computer to be repaired...Why would you since this is what you do, Why would a mechanic take his car to have the oil changed...

I'm sure there is more room on the bandwagon...just jump on...


----------



## boberuski

frisbeemom said:


> The Weak Squad at Best Buy "made a mistake" and did a Systems Restore on my laptop, which had a Trojan Venudo virus. I asked for a Systems Service. They made NO back-up disk for me, of course.
> 
> Since this was their "mistake" they said they are going to use some kind of forensic program "like the FBI uses" to TRY to recover my data.
> My question is, does this sound feasible? And when I pick it up, is there something specific I should ask re: what was done?
> 
> Also, please use my note as a testimonial to the fact that we should all only trust our local, independent tech support people. I stupidly went to Best Buy because when this virus popped up, it was 8:30 at night, and I was desperate to be told it could be fixed. I didn't even know how many tech folks we have in my town until it was too late. I REGRET this to pieces!!!


Did you bother to read the disclaimer handed to you that says you are responsible for backing up your own data...I don't want to sound like an azz but I believe it states that YOU are responsible for your data no one else unless you ask for a data backup.

I think what bothers me most is the people who mess up their computers and are angry at the person trying to fix their mistakes, and who doesn't backup their data??? That is like rule #1 for computing.

I would recommend reading paper before signing it...Or would you sign this thing that looks like a check for a million dollars...

Don't blame others for things you could prevent.

P.S. before everyone gets in a huff, I'm not condoning what was done, just the fact that knowledge is the responsibility of everyone.


----------



## Alex Ethridge

> Did you bother to read the disclaimer handed to you that says you are responsible for backing up your own data...


The data backup clause is a gray area. It is gray because it is the user's responsibility; but, at the same time the tech knows the user doesn't back up (in 95% or more of the cases). The tech is _supposed_ to be the "professional" so it is therefore his responsibility to fill this gap by calling the user's attention to this clause and ask the user if he wants (to pay for) backup before the other work is done.

Anything less than this on the tech's part is unprofessional and incompetent.

If the tech isn't aware that the user-created data is in many cases more valuable than the computer, itself, and act accordingly, he is at least just as incompetent and dumb about what _should_ be his area of expertise as the user is about computer use and data backup. For some reason The Three Stooges comes to mind here.


----------



## Rockn

prescottn said:


> How many people on here have ever worked with an incompetent co-worker? I have 6 years experience in this field, and was trained by the US Navy. You all are slandering a company that is only a year and a half old. Geek Squad is enforcing more strict highering policies, but at the same time if you all are experiencing problems as severe as described (which I find hard to believe). Please call our corporate office or 1-800-Geek Squad and schedule a redo on your service if one is warranted. As for our prices? I'm sorry I spent 6 years in the military learning my trade not to mention many hours of school time. I like getting paid for what I worked hard to learn. I know my $#!+ and if someone in a different district/state/city whatever doesn't reffer them to me, and I can make your experience with a Geek Squad agent like myself more enjoyable, and your confidence in our expertise much more defined.
> 
> CI Agent Nick Prescott store 00421 Chesapeake, Va 23320


Counter Intelligence Agent?? Sorry, It is an oxymoron in my opinion! I'd ask for a different title.


----------



## boberuski

Alex Ethridge said:


> The data backup clause is a gray area. It is gray because it is the user's responsibility; but, at the same time the tech knows the user doesn't back up (in 95% or more of the cases). The tech is _supposed_ to be the "professional" so it is therefore his responsibility to fill this gap by calling the user's attention to this clause and ask the user if he wants (to pay for) backup before the other work is done.
> 
> Anything less than this on the tech's part is unprofessional and incompetent.
> 
> If the tech isn't aware that the user-created data is in many cases more valuable than the computer, itself, and act accordingly, he is at least just as incompetent and dumb about what _should_ be his area of expertise as the user is about computer use and data backup. For some reason The Three Stooges comes to mind here.


Quite true; however, as you stated it ultimately is the users responsibility. There is *NO* grey area about it, it is or it isn't and this most certainly *IS*. Should the "tech" ask, yeah probably so, should you read before you sign, *WITHOUT QUESTION* period... It all comes back to the consumer being informed, if you break the law Ignorance is not a valid excuse; same thing applies.

I don't want to sound harsh, but does it give me the right to complain about the mechanic because he didn't tell me I should change the oil...then my car breaks...Or is it my responsibility to know how to maintain my vehicle. Perhaps if I had a question I should ask. I just get tired of hearing people complain and not taking responsibility for their own actions.

Like I stated before, I don't condone the action, but to complain about something that could have been avoided is well, lame. Lawyers call it 90/10...90% your fault and 10% theirs.

I'm not siding with either side, both have valid points. It gets my goat when someone takes the easy way out.

Three stooges, funny...


----------



## Alex Ethridge

Your post assumes a level of knowledge most users don't have. Most users don't understand the concept that their data is written to a hard disk that can be erased. Some even think that backing their data to another folder on the same disk is sufficient. As a matter of fact, they don't even understand what a hard disk is. In almost all cases, the user would not be able to explain anything they read in the disclaimer any better than he would a law or medical brief. That is why they depend on a tech to look out for them when they bring their computers in.

The tech should be thankful users don't know these things. It is the reason he has a job and he should conduct himself according to the trust and confidence placed in him by the user who knows nothing of these things.

There is no "probably" about it. The tech should ask--in every case. To do less is incompetence or sloth; there is nothing else it can be.


> It gets my goat when someone takes the easy way out.


I wonder how much "work" is involved in saying the magic words, "Everything you ever put on this computer will be lost unless we back up your user-created data. Do you want us to back it up for a fee of $ ___.__?".

Too many techs find the "easy" way is simply to not say those words.


----------



## primetime212

Rockn said:


> Counter Intelligence Agent?? Sorry, It is an oxymoron in my opinion! I'd ask for a different title.


wow..thats mean and funny at the same time.


----------



## boberuski

Alex Ethridge said:


> Your post assumes a level of knowledge most users don't have. Most users don't understand the concept that their data is written to a hard disk that can be erased. Some even think that backing their data to another folder on the same disk is sufficient. As a matter of fact, they don't even understand what a hard disk is. In almost all cases, the user would not be able to explain anything they read in the disclaimer any better than he would a law or medical brief. That is why they depend on a tech to look out for them when they bring their computers in.
> 
> The tech should be thankful users don't know these things. It is the reason he has a job and he should conduct himself according to the trust and confidence placed in him by the user who knows nothing of these things.
> 
> There is no "probably" about it. The tech should ask--in every case. To do less is incompetence or sloth; there is nothing else it can be.I wonder how much "work" is involved in saying the magic words, "Everything you ever put on this computer will be lost unless we back up your user-created data. Do you want us to back it up for a fee of $ ___.__?".
> 
> Too many techs find the "easy" way is simply to not say those words.


Once again, true; however, it is still the users responsibility, no questions, period. To assume that all users are stupid...yes most users don't know better, but a responsible user would at least ask, If I had a legal document that I didn't understand, would I A: sign it and hope I didn't give away my first born or B: Ask the lawyer to explain it to me...

I don't know the exact wording but it probably says *the user is responsible for backing up all data....*
Not exactly rocket science here...but then I'd have to ask a rocket scientist 

We could go round and round about it, both parties in this particular situation were in the wrong. Like I stated earlier, I don't agree w/ the action. But I certainly don't feel bad for anyone who doesn't ask before they sign or doesn't ask when they don't know.

Yes it is the techs responsibility to ask, but more importantly it is the users responsibility to ask and to educate themselves. Once again *ignorance* is *ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE*.

Harsh or not _period_.

And just FYI I do ask every time because I am aware people are oblivious but I do know people also ask me if they have questions...
and I just so happen to like the three stooges...


----------



## Alex Ethridge

Your position and especially your defence of that position is a good example why deficiencies in this business will persist and the trust and confidence of customers will continue to be abused.


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## boberuski

Alex Ethridge said:


> Your position and especially your defence of that position is a good example why deficiencies in this business will persist and the trust and confidence of customers will continue to be abused.


up upon a stool I stood better than the rest...blah blah blah

You missed the point completely...while you were talking about incompetency and the like...did you or did you not say that it was the users responsibility?
yes
Was it in the best interest of the tech and customer for the tech to ask?
yes

and are you hinting that *I* am a good example of "business deficiency" and abused trust and confidence?

I most certainly hope not, and did you even read the last post???

Tell you what...go to a town and break some obscure law and try using the excuse that I didn't know better...see how far that gets you.

Try going to a mechanic and ask them to hold your hand while you learn how to drive a manual transmission.

please read this portion:

*Both parties in this situation were in the wrong, yes the tech should have asked but the customer should have read and asked questions if he/she did not understand.*

Not too difficult to understand.
The only position that I am defending is the position on Ignorance whether it be w/ the tech or the consumer.

The higher the throne the further the fall...


----------



## Alex Ethridge

You have compared this situation to the law at least a couple of times. I will make a similar analogy. In any situation where damages occurr, the last involved person to have opportunity to prevent the damages is liable for the damages. That's not my opinion; it is statute in some states and case law in all others.

In the situation we discuss here, the tech is the last person to have opportunity to prevent the damage. Therefore, he is liable.

The difference between our opinions is simple. I hold the tech to a higher standard because of his superior knowledge. You don't.


----------



## boberuski

Alex Ethridge said:


> You have compared this situation to the law at least a couple of times. I will make a similar analogy. In any situation where damages occurr, the last involved person to have opportunity to prevent the damages is liable for the damages. That's not my opinion; it is statute in some states and case law in all others.
> 
> In the situation we discuss here, the tech is the last person to have opportunity to prevent the damage. Therefore, he is liable.
> 
> The difference between our opinions is simple. I hold the tech to a higher standard because of his superior knowledge. You don't.


If you are referring to gross negligence, then yes you are correct; however, personal data does not fall under that, if the tech damaged the physical hard drive and caused the data loss due to gross negligence you MAY have an argument. However, a disclaimer is a legal document that is binding that usually states that the user is responsible for personal data and that they accept the risk of loss of data when they bring in a unit to have service preformed.

ONCE AGAIN, I don't agree w/ the action; however, IN ANY SITUATION where people don't read or ask questions, they are bound to remain ignorant.

You should really read these posts and look for the point. The point is not who is right or wrong in this or any situation, THE POINT IS that people in general do not educate themselves nor do they bother to read or ask questions. Should you read and ask questions on any contract...YES
ONCE AGAIN IGNORANCE IS NOT AN EXCUSE for anyone, tech or otherwise.

So I guess I am holding people in general to a higher standard... 

And should I hope that people remain stupid so that I can keep my job???!!

"The tech should be thankful users don't know these things. It is the reason he has a job"


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## Alex Ethridge

The difference between our opinions is simple. I hold the tech to a higher standard because of his superior knowledge; you don't.


----------



## boberuski

Whatever you say, you still missed the point. The point goes far beyond tech, not tech, you need to look at the big picture. I am talking about human kind in general. You seem to keep microscoping this particular situation.

What I am saying is it is not okay to be ignorant, period, and by ignorant I mean it in the classical sense. Not the insulting kind.

The difference is that I hold *PEOPLE* accountable for their actions not just the tech.

Look there is a forest, not just a tree.

You seem to be taking this personally, you shouldn't it is just a discussion. Nothing more nothing less.


----------



## Alex Ethridge

The difference between our opinions is simple. I hold the tech to a higher standard because of his superior knowledge; you don't.


----------



## RedHelix

You're both missing the point. The reason documents like that waiver exist in the first place is because techs - no matter how hardcore and knowledgable they may be - are prone to occasionally make mistakes. Whether it's poking a registry entry that causes the PC to stop booting, or even accidentally formatting the whole hard drive. It happens. That's why the customer signs the agreement which states that they MIGHT lose their data.


----------



## sunnidaze2k

I guess to someone that knows nothing about computer hardware or software (not referring to me...I know a lil bit...I mean its been around for a while here and I havent broken it yet lol)...this service seems like a real deal. 

$129 for Dial Up....who was it that said there was a sucker born every minute?

Is this in US funds?


----------



## Mr.Welder

Well I can't say that I have had "Geek Squad" work on any thing of mine, for the main reason I build and repair my own pc's.In one sense I will have to stick up for them because there isn'nt any way possible for them to know how to work on every known brand of pc or hardware out there theres just too many variables.I do expect them to have a solid background in the basics and under knowledgable supervision.I realize that some of you have had bad experiences from them and from reading your posts I see that these things shouldn't happen because they were basic blunders they really should have known better.
Don't sell them short because they are young men and women.I'm my case I'm almost 47 years old and even I don't get respect sometimes.Some people don't like me to work on their pc's because I'm self taught not school trained,they also think because I'm not young I couldn't possibly know anything about pc's.Never let anyone tell 
you're too old to do anything or too young for that matter.I will be taking my A+ test soon and even an old geezer like me can work on pc's


----------



## primetime212

Mr.Welder said:


> Well I can't say that I have had "Geek Squad" work on any thing of mine, for the main reason I build and repair my own pc's.In one sense I will have to stick up for them because there isn'nt any way possible for them to know how to work on every known brand of pc or hardware out there theres just too many variables.I do expect them to have a solid background in the basics and under knowledgable supervision.I realize that some of you have had bad experiences from them and from reading your posts I see that these things shouldn't happen because they were basic blunders they really should have known better.
> Don't sell them short because they are young men and women.I'm my case I'm almost 47 years old and even I don't get respect sometimes.Some people don't like me to work on their pc's because I'm self taught not school trained,they also think because I'm not young I couldn't possibly know anything about pc's.Never let anyone tell
> you're too old to do anything or too young for that matter.I will be taking my A+ test soon and even an old geezer like me can work on pc's


if you have all that experience why are you taking the A+ exam ??


----------



## Guyzer

primetime212 said:


> if you have all that experience why are you taking the A+ exam ??


For the same reason someone starts university at 50 years old even though he / she may be well versed in the subject. It's a great feeling of accomplishment when you get the diploma.


----------



## Mr.Welder

primetime212 said:


> if you have all that experience why are you taking the A+ exam ??


 I would like to work in the I.T. dept. at work and it is like most places out there.They will not hire you or even talk to you without the A+ ceritification regardless how much experience you have.Most companies want to know that you have some basic 
knowledge about pc's and related hardware because their equipment is in the several thousand dollar range.The comptia A+ certification provides the written proof that they need to judge your experience.Not only that,Insurance companies will not insure the companies pc equipment without the proof that they have A+ certified techs working on their equipment.


----------



## boberuski

Alex Ethridge said:


> The difference between our opinions is simple. I hold the tech to a higher standard because of his superior knowledge; you don't.


----------



## Stoner

Solution:
Take the complaint to small claims court to see if contracted services were protected by a disclaimer.
If the Judge can be convinved of negligence on the part of the serviceman, I strongly suspect awards would be granted to the plaintiff.
Doctors and hospitals are sued all the time and their disclaimers are written by smart lawyers, too 

I have no first hand knowledge on the reputation of the Geek Squad. I see their vehicles in my area from time to time.
One good way to check up on them in your locale, is to call the better business bureau.


----------



## boberuski

Like I said if you can prove gross negligence than you very well may have an argument.

 

but the point still being read before you sign or at least ask questions

"There's no such thing as a stupid question,
but they're the easiest to answer!"


----------



## Stoner

Yes  reading contracts is a 'good' thing....... lol

Stopped me from doing business on several occasions.


----------



## usmc1968

Don't disrepect the people in the "SOUTH" as I am one.


----------



## I Fix 4 U

Huh, welcome to TSG where did you come from?
This is like ur first post and it is completely offtopic and confuses me. And yah I'm from the south too.


----------



## primetime212

usmc1968 said:


> Don't disrepect the people in the "SOUTH" as I am one.


where are people from the south disrespected ??


----------



## dr911

Hey All,

I've read reports concerning " Geek Squad"........here is the link: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff170242.htm

I live near the Best Buy Headquarters in Richfield, MN, and I too think the Geek Squad is ridiculous. Besides for Best Buys incredibly high prices, their young computer technicians seem unqualified, especially when you buy a PC and they assume that you want to pay 79.99 for Norton Antivirus without the CD, so they install it on the thier PCs.

One time Best Buy left that Geek Squad Software installer in a PC of someone whom I know, I checked out the CD, it was nothing but a CD full of Software Installers, and Microsoft Windows XP Key Generators and cracks which violates Microsofts Windows Laws. And this software was created inside of the Best Buy headquarters for the Customer! Just for myself, I made a copy! These people called for the CD and wanted it delivered back to their store ASAP! I hope Microsoft is okay with Best Buy using illegal CD keys to install there software onto a customers PC. So the next time you decide to bring your PC into Best Buy, and they re-install Microsoft Windows XP, check your version of Windows for a Legally valid CD Key!

Anonymous - Eagan, Minnesota
U.S.A.

Just my 2 cents worth !!!


----------



## Alex Ethridge

Maybe he/she thinks Geek Squad is a southern institution.


----------



## RedHelix

dr911 said:


> Hey All,
> I've read reports concerning " Geek Squad"........here is the link: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff170242.htm
> 
> I live near the Best Buy Headquarters in Richfield, MN, and I too think the Geek Squad is ridiculous. Besides for Best Buys incredibly high prices, their young computer technicians seem unqualified, especially when you buy a PC and they assume that you want to pay 79.99 for Norton Antivirus without the CD, so they install it on the thier PCs.


Sir, you have no idea as to what you're talking about. All Geek Squad antivirus installation services include the actual CD itself, so the customer leaves the store with the software physically in their possession. And even if the technician _did_ keep the CD for his or herself, not only would they be fired if their boss found out, it would not be possible to activate it for antivirus protection on any other machine. One section of the Norton install wizard activates it and binds the product key to the machine it's being installed on. And besides, if you were to actually poll a number of Geek Squad techs as to what AV they use, I guarantee you Norton would be far from the top of the list.



> One time Best Buy left that Geek Squad Software installer in a PC of someone whom I know, I checked out the CD, it was nothing but a CD full of Software Installers, and Microsoft Windows XP Key Generators and cracks which violates Microsofts Windows Laws.


Seeing as you've already completely made things up at this point, I don't see any reason why I should believe that. There _is_ Geek Squad software that's specifically designed to _legally_ install programs and Windows patches (such as a wizard we have that installs Spysweeper with the matching product key and a batch Windows updates,) but anything you claim to have seen on your 'friends' computer, provided you aren't lying, is in no way shape or form allowed by Geek Squad.



> And this software was created inside of the Best Buy headquarters for the Customer! Just for myself, I made a copy! These people called for the CD and wanted it delivered back to their store ASAP! I hope Microsoft is okay with Best Buy using illegal CD keys to install there software onto a customers PC. So the next time you decide to bring your PC into Best Buy, and they re-install Microsoft Windows XP, check your version of Windows for a Legally valid CD Key!


Also lies. There are three pieces of software designed by BestBuy and GeekSquad for use in precincts:
One is MRI, which is a bootable command-line PE used for virus scanning, memory testing, hard drive testing, and CPU benchmarking. It's what we use for preliminary diagnostics to rule out the most basic problems before diving too deep into things like registry or hardware issues.

The second is GS Analyzer, which almost never gets used. It is a standalone program agents usually keep on their thumb drives that does several things: It does a very quick virus/adware scan, it checks the status of Windows updates and Antivirus/Antispyware definitions, and it gives the hardware specs a quick glance-over to see if any upgrades (memory, hard drive) would be applicable for the machine. It prints all of this information out in a little report card that you can print out and give to the customer. It's useful for selling services, but again, rarely gets used.

The third is MRI Customizer, which is a program that automatically installs Webroot spysweeper and applies all of the recent Windows updates. Right at the beginning of the program, it asks for a valid Spysweeper product key before continuing. There is no sign of piracy anywhere in this program.

We also use ERD (all of you admins and IT guys out there have probably heard of this,) which is not made by BestBuy. Rather, BBY has a legal contract to use the software until February 2006, which is when we'll have a regional GS meeting to discuss whether we want to use it permanently or not.


----------



## Alex Ethridge

Agents and Precincts--what a crock.

Okay, RedHelix, you claim a high standard upheld by Geek Squad; but, that doesn't change what I have seen in the field, which certainly doesn't jibe with your comments. I don't know what part of the country you are in; but, from my perspective, that standard doesn't get off the ground in Birmingham, Alabama USA.


----------



## RedHelix

Alex Ethridge said:


> Agents and Precincts--what a crock.


Forgive me for referring to people by the job title they were hired under. I wasn't aware that it would offend you so deeply. I suppose you're the type of person who cringes when a person says "foreman" instead of "line-level boss" or "associate" instead of "employee." To me, it doesn't make a god-awful lot of difference.



> Okay, RedHelix, you claim a high standard upheld by Geek Squad;


Wrong. False. I'm saying that GS has standards above software piracy, stealing from consumers and the poor worksmanship that dr911 is accusing them of. I'd call all of that an _average_ standard, if anything... certainly not _high._ I've never said anything to the level of GS technicians being better or even comparable to a corner-computer-store technician.



> but, that doesn't change what I have seen in the field, which certainly doesn't jibe with your comments. I don't know what part of the country you are in; but, from my perspective, that standard doesn't get off the ground in Birmingham, Alabama USA.


What, exactly, have you seen in the field that differs from what I've said so far? What, so you're going to argue that GS and BBY, *companies that thrive on retailing software,* _aren't_ against software piracy? That a multinational corporation, monitored by several federal branches of business, _does_ facilitate and encourage installing illegal copies of Windows on consumer computers?

I can't even justify formulating a counterpoint to that. All I can do is ponder over whether or not you know how ridiculous that sounds.


----------



## pamike89

I will start off by saying i am a Double Agent for the Geek Squad. I have been in the IT Industry for over 4 years and have the skill set to prove it as well as certs. It is easy to use a blanket statement attacking the Geek Squad due to their size, so I reserve the right to do the same for Mom & Pop service centers. I have had to go behind many of *these* people to fix many problems. So, due to my experience I can say that all Mom & Pop shops are a rip off? Of course not!!! There are qualified service technicians whether they are the Geek Squad or a Mom and Pop outfit. So those of you who get off slamming the Geek Squad, you can go blind doing that.


----------



## Alex Ethridge

The comments that started this thread were specific in nature. They referred to specific events in a specific area all occurring within a few months' span.

As a service tech, I am offended by this kind of work. I am not usually called when things are running fine so I will admit if there are a vast majority of GS jobs done right, I am not in a position where I would likely know.

The law of averages in such a large organizations is that there are most likely a lot of good techs. In light of my own experiences, I guess the only conclusion I can draw fairly in that GS at least has their share of incompetent, I-don't-give-a-damn, just-let-me-get-the-Hell-outa'-here techs, just like all professions have their varying qualities of workers.

I still think this business of agents, precincts and badges is too much like the Dick Tracy games I played as a child and is very silly for adults wanting to present themselves as professionals.


----------



## ekim68

This just reminds me of people who are good and really enjoy what they're doing,
in what ever vocation, and people who just pass the test...
It usually depends on the individual..


----------



## RedHelix

> I still think this business of agents, precincts and badges is too much like the Dick Tracy games I played as a child and is very silly for adults wanting to present themselves as professionals.


I don't disagree with that at all - I, for one, hate wearing clipons to work - but in all fairness it's proven to be an outstanding marketing tool.


----------



## uofmfbal

In April of 2005 i began working at the geek squad. 2 months later i was promoted to senior of the department from my outstanding ability to fix computers extremely fast and efficient. As of late though ive been beginning to actually look at how the whole place is ran. If an audit was done on about 98% of the geek squads you would find out that %60 of each "precincts" agents are incompetent and have no computer repair experience. (aka they dont know how to install a motherboard any more than 13 yr old acne ridden cousin). Virus removals are done with tools such as mcafee, adaware, spybot, and spysweeper. Now i believe mcafee and spysweeper gave permission to use there programs since they are sold at best buy. But i know 100% for a fact that adawre and spybot have never given any consent to this, but yet still geek squad uses it and profits heavily from the use of it. Ive seen customer sold restore cd's to computers and laptops that already come with them in the box. Ive seen multiple illegal copies of win xp and mce 2005 installed and the activation cracked. Ive seen agents completely reformat hdd's before a data backup is done due to incompetence. How do they get the data back? Ontrack easy recovery...cost....around $200, best buy paid nothing for its use. The MRI cd is ****, best buy profits of the free use of dft and mem test , found for free on hitatchi's web site and on majorgeeks.com. Our geek squad used a little program call PC-check by eurosoft to test motherboard controllers and processor's, making diagnostics a point and click test which required no skill or repair ability to be able to diagnose it's hardware. That program was $600 and was never shunned away by managers because it made them the bucks faster. BEST BUY CARES NOTHING ABOUT YOUR COMPUTER!!! ONLY YOUR MONEY!!! Geek Squad solely relies on the will of the agent working on your machine, and with rapid spread and growth needed for the geek squad to keep up with the stores being built and soon standalone stores, the incompetent hiring of employees will only increase with the years to come. Big Business and Efficient computer repairs do not mix, especially when that big business pays their "agents" **** in comparison to other it jobs. Geek squad is a joke, in every sense of the phrase. Never recommend anyone to take there computer there!! EVER!!


----------



## RedHelix

Precinct Seniors are made Seniors because of their understanding of how the department budget works... not because of their technical knowledge.(If anything, a _lack_ of tech-savvyness, plus the current senior moving on to 'Deputy' and seeking out a replacement, is what will land you a precinct senior job.) It is an administrative position, dealing with customer problems, budget expectations, sales and leadership. In fact, the senior is almost never supposed to do any work on computers at all.

Now, question: SINCE you were the senior and you saw these terrible activities going on, why did you let them continue? It's *your fault* that your techs were employing illegal methods to fix computers in the workplace. It's also *your fault* that you allowed inexperienced techs to continue coming to work. As the senior, you're in charge of the schedule. I don't see any unionized BestBuys... if a new tech wasn't impressing you, why were you continuing to schedule them?

In my precinct, there were plenty of instances where my GM would hire an imbecile of a tech and my senior wouldn't give him any hours. He also made it completely clear to us that we are supposed to use store-authorized software like MRI and such. If that software didn't fix the problem, the PC was to be restored. To tell you the truth, if that software didn't fix the problem, even stuff that we weren't supposed to use (Ad-Aware, SB) didn't fix it either. Granted, using this limited software made life a little harder, but when BBY bought the license for ERD, life was bliss.

In short, I don't see why you're blaming BestBuy and GS for your inability to do your job properly.


----------



## uofmfbal

These procedures were implimented and being used far before i even got there. So you can throw those theories you just produced right in the garbage. Ive been to 5-6 diffect geek squads in our district and its pretty much the same chaotic micromanagement in each one.


----------



## RedHelix

The same chaotic micromanagement... _that you're in charge of._


----------



## Alex Ethridge

Hiring uncertified techs without first determining, first hand, their capabilities, or lack of, is the responsibility of GS/BestBuy.

I used to be in the construction business. When I hired someone, I made him read a measuring tape, tell me how long a precut stud was, tell me what width joists were used for given spans, how many nails were placed into each roofing shingle and how far above the key, how many keys a standard composition shingle had, how much of each shingle was exposed to the weather, what thickness drywall was required for studs in sixteen-inch centers and on twenty-four inch, and a host of about a hundred other questions.

This test weeded out those who said they were qualified and were not. It also saved me a lot of headaches.

Before GS turns a tech loose to be supervised by anyone, GS should qualify him/her in a controlled environment first. I think you have a naive idea of the GS business model. Their point is to make money, with the customer's needs placed second to that. The pressure is on to complete a certain number of service calls and produce a certain bottom-line dollar amount or heads roll.

If you firmly believe it to be any different, you are very naive, very inexperienced in the business world, very young or all three.


----------



## ekim68

Alex Ethridge said:


> Hiring uncertified techs without first determining, first hand, their capabilities, or lack of, is the responsibility of GS/BestBuy.
> 
> I used to be in the construction business. When I hired someone, I made him read a measuring tape, tell me how long a precut stud was, tell me what width joists were used for given spans, how many nails were placed into each roofing shingle and how far above the key, how many keys a standard composition shingle had, how much of each shingle was exposed to the weather, what thickness drywall was required for studs in sixteen-inch centers and on twenty-four inch, and a host of about a hundred other questions.
> 
> This test weeded out those who said they were qualified and were not. It also saved me a lot of headaches.
> 
> Before GS turns a tech loose to be supervised by anyone, GS should qualify him/her in a controlled environment first. I think you have a naive idea of the GS business model. Their point is to make money, with the customer's needs placed second to that. The pressure is on to complete a certain number of service calls and produce a certain bottom-line dollar amount or heads roll.
> 
> If you firmly believe it to be any different, you are very naive, very inexperienced in the business world, very young or all three.


Wow Alex, I didn't know that much about construction, thanks. That's an excellent test.
(I usually just nail something and then my wife tells me never to try that again.)

But, in my experience in computer repairs, it comes down to this in my area. Either I do
a competent job or lose a customer....And, I agree when it comes to big companies'
profits....They make huge demands on their techs...


----------



## geekette

There are always one or more bad apples in every batch!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've read all this trash written about BEST BUY / GEEK SQUAD and as a Current employee of such establishment I find it very hard to believe all the errors, mistakes or crap work, however you rather call it, we have performed. Its always a friend, a neighbor, a customer I know, you guys have written about..... Come ON.... My favorite was the comment about leaving a CD with a customer that had programs to perform illegal services and so forth, if we are so incompetent how could we possibly come up with something like that.... I know there's a few (two) bad techs in my location and if they had not been such good bull****ers when hired they probably would not be here.... And you know it won't be long for them be GONE. And I'm sure will be trashing us when they leave, it's always bitter to get fired for not doing your job as expected.. That other one about the tech not being able to take the HDD out of the UNIT, please anyone with decent computer skills can do that.... There's always complaining customers that trash a company, store or corporation; when they don get their way; like free services, or exchanges six months after they initially purchased the unit just because they were stupid enough to corrupt their OS, trying to download all they can for free.... And theres always employees that talk trash, when they the same as the customer don't get there way.....
Trash all you guys want GEEK SQUAD has been established for years now and we are going no where, especially now that it's BEST BUY / GEEKSQUAD
   

Behind every argument lies someone's ignorance. - Louis D. Brandeis (1856-1941)
Believe nothing of what you HEAR and only half of what you SEE. - (unknown)
Be sure you are right, then go ahead. - Davy Crockett (1786-1836)


----------



## ekim68

Well then, you're the one I want to call...You are passionate...Which I believe leads
to competent repairs...
I, actually have no problem with GS if they make things work....


----------



## RedHelix

Alex Ethridge said:


> Hiring uncertified techs without first determining, first hand, their capabilities, or lack of, is the responsibility of GS/BestBuy.


I agree. However, it's not the large corporate entity hiring the technicians. It's the individual people who interview them, just as you described below next.


> I used to be in the construction business. When I hired someone, I made him read a measuring tape, tell me how long a precut stud was, tell me what width joists were used for given spans, how many nails were placed into each roofing shingle and how far above the key, how many keys a standard composition shingle had, how much of each shingle was exposed to the weather, what thickness drywall was required for studs in sixteen-inch centers and on twenty-four inch, and a host of about a hundred other questions.
> 
> This test weeded out those who said they were qualified and were not. It also saved me a lot of headaches.


I went through a very similar process when I first applied to GS. During the first interview session, they put me in a room with the senior (the same position uofmfbal had,) and GM for about an hour. He proceeded to ask me a whole slew of questions. "How would you go about partitioning a hard drive with fdisk?" "If a CRT monitor is off-color in some places, what would be your first step in troubleshooting it?" "What's an IDE channel and what would you replace if you were getting stop errors that pointed to it?" How some incompetent techs made it through that step, I don't know, but if they weren't impressing my boss the first week they were there, they were out.

This is why I've been attributing everything that uofmfbal has been complaining about to his own inability to do his job correctly.



> Before GS turns a tech loose to be supervised by anyone, GS should qualify him/her in a controlled environment first. I think you have a naive idea of the GS business model. Their point is to make money, with the customer's needs placed second to that. The pressure is on to complete a certain number of service calls and produce a certain bottom-line dollar amount or heads roll.


Do you honestly think that I'm not intensely aware of that? I don't believe I've said ever anything to the contrary. When it comes to how BBY works from the "meet the budget or start working on your resume" angle, nobody knows it better than someone who worked there. Layoffs were always looming overhead if we weren't meeting budget. Fortunately enough we _did_ always meet budget, because we were pretty good salesmen ("qualifying" - not "overselling" salesmen,) in addition to knowing what we were doing. I would primarily attribute that to my senior not keeping idiot techs on his bench like uofmfbal did.


----------



## RedHelix

geekette said:


> Trash all you guys want GEEK SQUAD has been established for years now and we are going no where, especially now that it's BEST BUY / GEEKSQUAD


See, now that I don't care so much about. I really don't see why gearheads would derive pride from working at GS. It's a job.

What bugs me is that people feel a need to put a lot of heat on GS just because of its notoriety. You go to CompUSA, and I swear to God you'll find the dumbest techs you've ever laid eyes upon. I made the mistake of buying a service plan from them when I bought my laptop (I couldn't find Toshiba Satellite Pros anywhere but CUSA) and every time I've gone there for a repair I've gotten into an argument.

Example: One time their tech told me that the vertical lines coming down my screen (it looked like a broken nintendo) paired with getting stuck on the POST screen and not booting was a virus problem on my hard drive. When I told him I develop software on the machine and haven't gone out on the web since I had restored it, he suggested that the software I had written had caused the problem. It later had the motherboard replaced, obviously.

Think I'm kidding? How about this:
I recently brought it in because the touchpad was malfunctioning - the mouse was zipping all over the screen when I wouldn't even be touching it. I told them I had run a system recovery already, and had also run a Linux PE to fully rule out a Windows issue.
They screwed up the problem description and the service center replaced the left touchpad button. Did that fix it? Of course not.

Final story, I promise:
My heatsink started making grinding sounds while under strain. They weren't loud or screechy or anything, but it was just noisy enough to prevent me from using my laptop in school. So I brought it in and they said they'd ship it out that night.
4 days later I got a call from them. The tech said he'd been running CPU benchmarking software on it all day and hasn't been able to repeat the problem. My girlfriend said I looked like I was going to explode. The conversation from there, verbatim:
Me: "Hey, that's funny - I thought I had asked to have it shipped out to a service center."
Tech: "Well, this benchmarking software puts your CPU strain up to 100%, and we can't ship it out until we verify the problem."
Me: "What is it, CPU Burn-In?"
Tech: "That's right."
Me: "If I wanted you guys to fuddy-duddy around on my computer with some retarded freeware that you downloaded off the internet, I would've asked you. Now I want that machine shipped out to the service center tonight to be repaired for a heatsink fan issue, and so help me God if I hear anything but wind coming out of that fan when I get back I'm calling the BBB. Don't call me until it's back. Goodbye."

_That's_ why I defend Geek Squad.


----------



## j3d1g33k

Hello all,

No one here is the BE ALL END ALL of computers. I am an agent in the Geek Squad and I work with some really talented people. This is my first professional computer related career, but I was required to have my A+ just to get in the door.
The strength of Geek Squad is that if you aren't proficient in a certain area
there are 12 people you work with and 500 other Geek Squads across the U.S. to get answers and help from.
I cannot speak for every agent but I know my Squad and myself personally
are trying to help and unlike the 'mom and pop' repair shops, we charge a flat rate. This 
means not charging $75 an hour to run "AVG free" on someone's rig. We have many
guidelines and procedures all done for the same price and in certain cases I have gone
to a manager and gotten a customers money back if they were not satisfied.
Most people deriding Geek Squad tend to be jealous types who applied and 
were turned down or the 'mom and pop' techs who are losing business to someone with
an established name and standard operating procedure.
Thanks to all who stood up for us.:up: 

Agent J. 
Precinct #1174


----------



## ~Candy~

Wow, this thread is bringing out every GS agent around for miles


----------



## primetime212

AcaCandy said:


> Wow, this thread is bringing out every GS agent around for miles


you sure its not the same guy defending the Geek Squad ??


----------



## Alex Ethridge

I think it must be. There can't be that many who can read.


----------



## evosync

Have you guys seen this site yet?

www.antigeeksquad.com

They have a forum there that offers people FREE computer help. 
anti geek squad


----------



## ~Candy~

primetime212 said:


> you sure its not the same guy defending the Geek Squad ??


Different IP addresses


----------



## Stoner

evosync said:


> Have you guys seen this site yet?
> 
> www.antigeeksquad.com
> 
> They have a forum there that offers people FREE computer help.
> anti geek squad


Untill now.....no.......as appearently most the rest of the world either 

You wouldn't happen to be affiliated with that site with, apparently, only 2 posts to it's tally ?.....


----------



## Colossus610

primetime212 said:


> you sure its not the same guy defending the Geek Squad ??


I did notice that myself...

Seems funny that all of a sudden this thread got a fresh infusion of repsonses from people in support of Geek Squad, and yet, the majority of the support comes from accounts with 1 or 2 post counts and reg dates in the last 6 days.
Kinda makes me wonder if someone's got multiple accounts...

wish I was a forum mod or admin, I'd like to know if this site has an IP tracking module that correlates accounts with IP's used to post.

I think I've said this before, but I refuse to trust a store that charges unbelievable amounts of markup on their computer parts, which I would assume a big company like BestBuy would get wholesale prices for, seeing as they are a nationwide company.

I.E. kingston 512 MB DDR 3200, Best Buy charges 159.00 bucks for in-store.
I work for/manage one of those "ma and pa" stores, same ram-same-manuf
kingston 512 MB DDR 3200 we pay 48 bucks for, and charge 89.00 for in store

it's not like we're comparing our no-name to BestBuy's Kingston. Nope, same exact type speed and size of ram.

Who wants to pay 37.99 for a 10' USb cable?


----------



## ~Candy~

Colossus610 said:


> I did notice that myself...
> 
> Seems funny that all of a sudden this thread got a fresh infusion of repsonses from people in support of Geek Squad, and yet, the majority of the support comes from accounts with 1 or 2 post counts and reg dates in the last 6 days.
> Kinda makes me wonder if someone's got multiple accounts...
> 
> wish I was a forum mod or admin, I'd like to know if this site has an IP tracking module that correlates accounts with IP's used to post.


Lol, did I just not verify that with my post above?


----------



## pamike89

evosync said:


> Have you guys seen this site yet?
> 
> www.antigeeksquad.com
> 
> They have a forum there that offers people FREE computer help.
> anti geek squad


Wow!!! This is an awesome site. (Sarcasm for those who did not figure that out.) I am sure this is a site started by someone who is jealous of the Geek Squad. Not much traffic either.:down:


----------



## Colossus610

AcaCandy said:


> Lol, did I just not verify that with my post above?


LoL, I noticed that after i posted my response, I started typing then went out for a smoke, then got dragged out of the house by my wife for dinner, so i thiink our posts got crossed in the mail.


----------



## ~Candy~

Smoking is bad for your forum health


----------



## ACTU

All kidding aside. I would not pay for Geeks or what ever you want to call it. This site right here is the best and you can make a lot of friends here that can bail you out of anything.

I'm glad this site is here.:up:


----------



## Alex Ethridge

AcaCandy said:


> Smoking is bad for your forum health


His wife has the right idea. If he's gonna' smoke, he has to do it outside.


----------



## ~Candy~

Alex Ethridge said:


> His wife has the right idea. If he's gonna' smoke, he has to do it outside.


Sounds like a plan to get him to take her to dinner, he's already half way to the car  The hardest part of getting a man out of the house has already been accomplished


----------



## Alex Ethridge

Yup!


----------



## ACTU

Hey theres nothing wrong with smoking? I can think of worse things then smoking that will kill you faster.


----------



## Colossus610

Alex Ethridge said:


> His wife has the right idea. If he's gonna' smoke, he has to do it outside.


Actually she used to smoke as well, it was MY idea to not smoke inside when we moved into our old apartment. She complained about having to go out in the cold.The cold doesn't bother me, I used to move furniture, rock climb, mountain bike..all sorts of things that subjected me to the winter cold, and just grew to deal with it.
She was the one that fought it , then she saw the side of our old roomate's monitor that he used to keep right next to the ashtray and the streak of nicotine and tar up the side of the plastic.



ACTU said:


> Hey theres nothing wrong with smoking? I can think of worse things then smoking that will kill you faster.


Butter, Red Meat, Red Wine, Carbs, Fat, Trans Fat, they're bad for you, no-they're good for you, no we were wrong they're definitely bad for you.......I chose my vice and I'm stickin to it.

Thank you ACTU, I think the same way, I may smoke, but I don't drink, I rarely partake of junk food, and as you saw above , i still do things that keep the gut at bay, which i have yet to see what eeryone talks about."Oh, now that you're married it's only a matter of time before you get the gut."
Going on 3 years of happy marriage with no weight gain. Still a trim 235. ( I know that may seem like a lot to some of you, but remember I'm 6'10")

Back to topic....must say I'm impressed that those responses are from different IP's


----------



## ACTU

Colossus610 said:


> Actually she used to smoke as well, it was MY idea to not smoke inside when we moved into our old apartment. She complained about having to go out in the cold.The cold doesn't bother me, I used to move furniture, rock climb, mountain bike..all sorts of things that subjected me to the winter cold, and just grew to deal with it.
> She was the one that fought it , then she saw the side of our old roomate's monitor that he used to keep right next to the ashtray and the streak of nicotine and tar up the side of the plastic.
> 
> Butter, Red Meat, Red Wine, Carbs, Fat, Trans Fat, they're bad for you, no-they're good for you, no we were wrong they're definitely bad for you.......I chose my vice and I'm stickin to it.
> 
> Thank you ACTU, I think the same way, I may smoke, but I don't drink, I rarely partake of junk food, and as you saw above , i still do things that keep the gut at bay, which i have yet to see what eeryone talks about."Oh, now that you're married it's only a matter of time before you get the gut."
> Going on 3 years of happy marriage with no weight gain. Still a trim 235. ( I know that may seem like a lot to some of you, but remember I'm 6'10")
> 
> Back to topic....must say I'm impressed that those responses are from different IP's


I was at a funeral for my wifes cousin last year and the preacher told all of us to live like we want to because there will be a day that will die. So eat healthy and all the stuff you want because you could get hit by a drunk and die. And at least that way you would live life to it's fullest.

I gave up drinking 16 years ago. And what little smoking I do is peanuts compared to what I used to do.


----------



## RedHelix

primetime212 said:


> you sure its not the same guy defending the Geek Squad ??


I find that offensive.

You guys are making me out to be obsessed with GS, and I'm not. (So it's my avatar - big whoop... it's the first thing that came to mind when I thought of myself helping people with their computing problems.) In fact, earlier this month I took a leave of absence from GS to pursue a job opportunity as a computer technician for the MBTA. (The T, as Bostonians affectionately call it.) Whether or not GS succeeds or goes under 3 years from now really makes no difference to me.

What does annoy me is when people start bashing it with little or no legitimate cause to do so other than its notoriety and a proportion of idiot techs no higher than any other techbench you'd find at a retail outlet. (What do you expect to find at a BestBuy techbench? Cisco-Certified former network administrators fixing Joe Shmoe's computer?)

GS does not claim to be any more competent than CompUSA's technicians or Circuit City's "IQ Crew"... even though in my anectodal opinion, purely from a me-as-customer standpoint, they are. May or may not be true, but even at worst they're no better. So I don't see where this heat is coming from.


----------



## Alex Ethridge

Everyone has their own opinion--some are more rational than others as it will ever be.

With reference to the initial thread, I have kept a record, since this thread started, of all networks I work on--asking who set it up and then checking to see if it is secured, whether I am there for that purpose or not. So far, I'm up to 14 on GS and just over 51 do-it-yourselfer's (also done by a friend or other amateur). Nineteen of do-it-yourselfer's are secured to GS's 1. 

So far, the amateurs are running 38% to GS's 7%. Now those are some actual numbers and although not a large enough number to call it a comprehensive sampling, it is better than anecdotal.


----------



## jp1203

RedHelix-

No offense, really, but is it policy to put backups on DVD no matter what? I knew an older lady that brought hers in. She got a new HDD and Win ME reinstalled. She didn't have a dvd drive in the thing. They were clearly both CD-RWs (marked on front as most are). They backed up sixhundredish megs of pictures to DVD. She ended up having her grandson transfer them for her.


----------



## RedHelix

Right, fine, a mistake. I haven't argued that GS doesn't make mistakes. I _will_, however, argue that you won't find much better service at any of BBY's major competitors such as CompUSA or Circuit City (where they actually ship out your PC to have viruses removed,) and then I'll proceed to ask why they take less heat than GS does. If anything, like I said earlier, the techs at those stores are _less_ knowledgable.

Circuit City in my experience doesn't have any tech screening process at all. When I was applying to techbenches over the summer, they offered me the job over the phone - no interview. GS put me in a room with two guys who grilled me with... "PC Trivia," I guess I'd call it, for about an hour.

And yet GS always the tech company I hear people moan about... the company I always see under harsh reviews from bloggers and self-proclaimed computer gurus, even though they're a far, far cry from being the biggest or worst tech company there is. Why is that? Personally, I think it's because gearheads have something against BBY commercializing and marketing the lifestyles of "geeks" to squeeze better numbers out of their tech services branch. It can't possibly be because the competition - CUSA and CC - have better technicians on their staff. I'm not influenced by a shred of bias when I say that's laughable.

You know what... I don't think I can get my point across no matter how many different ways I say it, so nevermind.


----------



## Alex Ethridge

So then, I can conclude one should not use Circuit City, GS or Comp USA. I already have first-hand experience with Comp USA's incompetence in the area of communicating with a customer. They don't listen and they don't communicate the nature of a discovered source of a problem that will definitely repeat itself in the immediate future.

GS is just a bigger target.


----------



## ACTU

Alex Ethridge said:


> So then, I can conclude one should not use Circuit City, GS or Comp USA. I already have first-hand experience with Comp USA's incompetence in the area of communicating with a customer. They don't listen and they don't communicate the nature of a discovered source of a problem that will definitely repeat itself in the immediate future.
> 
> GS is just a bigger target.


 I agree support the locals and not the corporate pigs.


----------



## geekette

RedHelix said:


> See, now that I don't care so much about. I really don't see why gearheads would derive pride from working at GS. It's a job.
> 
> The only thing *I* take PRIDE in, is in my lovely* 1 year old baby boy*.................
> 
> And this coming from the one that has repeat replies on favor of GS.
> 
> I made that comment not because I work there, but because I know where they stand.
> 
> (i.e.)
> I never shop at Wal-Mart, ever ... rather go to target.... And I have a million reasons why, but you know what, I dont care to talk trash about my very bad shopping experiences to ANYONE... I don't waste my time, and you know why, because I know they are not going anywhere any time soon..... They are obviously doing _*something *_ right... Even though they have a ton of flaws, like the lack of English speaking workers, Or the "May I HELP you" sing or something like that, in the back of their little vest.... Which you always see when you're running after them screaaaaming excuse me.... And I have been at all 7 of our local Wal-Mart s before I came to the decision of never shopping there again.....
> 
> GET MY POINT GEAR HEAD.....
> 
> And this is my last comment.....


----------



## Alex Ethridge

> I never shop at Wal-Mart, ever ... rather go to target....


There was a rumor spread that has gained momentum over the last two years. Target may be a good alternative to WalMart. It seems more Target employees are adequately insured, where so few of WalMart's are.


----------



## Sabalo

I realize that I am new... but I just had to correct this.



> Circuit City (where they actually ship out your PC to have viruses removed,)


Incorrect. While warranty repairs are handled through the Circuit City service center, walk-in repairs are always completed in-store.

On the topic of Circuit City PC Services, I can say (as a lead technician for a Virginia store) that the quality of the workvaries per store. At my store, I screen applicants for technical knowledge before they are hired, and I do quality control on the machines serviced to make sure that they're up to my standards. I do not allow our director to hire people unfamiliar with the PC Repair process.

I realize, however, that my store is not necessarily representative of the stores in general. I do take pride in knowing that my team can handle problems that the local mom n' pops and our corporate competitors (Best Buy, CompUSA) cannot deal with.

We've built a local customer base through sheer quality of work and customer service... Circuit City isn't advertising, that's for sure.

I take pride in the quality of my work, and I expect anyone work for, with, or above me to do the same.


----------



## RedHelix

ACTU said:


> I agree support the locals and not the corporate pigs.


See, that's fine. I'm not saying that you should avoid retail techbenches outright, though I'm certainly going to understand if you do. What I am saying is that many of our fellow TSG forumers are looking at GS with the assumption that they, or any other store chain, hires techs on-par with Cisco-certified geniuses.

Lower your expectations, yes, but keep in mind that despite their occasional hiccups, they _do_ fix computers, there are people who _do_ rave about how great their experience with them was, and they _do_ have repeat customers. The BBY business model leaves nothing to chance: If GS was driving away customers, they wouldn't be around anymore.


----------



## RedHelix

Sabalo said:


> Incorrect. While warranty repairs are handled through the Circuit City service center, walk-in repairs are always completed in-store.


That's news to me. In the past year we've had four CC customers with laptops they bought from that store come to our techbench to have an OS Service done on-site, after being told by the "IQ Crew" (







) that it would have to be shipped out for that kind of labor. Before a CC opened across the street from us, that had never happened before. Perhaps it's a regional or recently-changed policy.



> I realize, however, that my store is not necessarily representative of the stores in general. I do take pride in knowing that my team can handle problems that the local mom n' pops and our corporate competitors (Best Buy, CompUSA) cannot deal with.


It's a big mistake to speak in generalities like that. Unless your team is authorized to do the fun stuff like replace all brands of laptop DC and logic boards in-store, Dell and in-store brands alike, then no, there is nothing your team can do that others can't.


----------



## RedHelix

geekette said:


> The only thing *I* take PRIDE in, is in my lovely* 1 year old baby boy*.................
> 
> And this coming from the one that has repeat replies on favor of GS.
> 
> I made that comment not because I work there, but because I know where they stand.
> 
> ...
> 
> GET MY POINT GEAR HEAD.....
> 
> And this is my last comment.....


You just brought me _this_ close to an anyeurism.


----------



## Sabalo

RedHelix said:


> That's news to me. In the past year we've had four CC customers with laptops they bought from that store come to our techbench to have an OS Service done on-site, after being told by the "IQ Crew" (
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ) that it would have to be shipped out for that kind of labor. Before a CC opened across the street from us, that had never happened before. Perhaps it's a regional or recently-changed policy.


The policy has not changed since the IQ Crew's inception. There may, however, be policy differences between different regions and different stores. There may have been confusion as to what service the customer was requesting, as well... for laptops, I have decided not to go through the trouble of internal troubleshooting because it isn't worth the time it takes, and the hassle of ordering parts from reluctant manufacturers.



> It's a big mistake to speak in generalities like that. Unless your team is authorized to do the fun stuff like replace all brands of laptop DC and logic boards in-store, Dell and in-store brands alike, then no, there is nothing your team can do that others can't.


I'm not speaking in general. In this area, our team ends up fixing problems that the local competitors... whether it be Best Buy (most common), CompUSA, or the local shops in our radius... cannot fix due to lack of knowledge or skill. Yes, I agree... there may be other shops that can do the same work. Again... I'm not speaking in general. I'm speaking of what happens in this area.


----------



## Alex Ethridge

Case Study: Just How Stupid Are You? Geek Squad War Stories
By Cade Metz
PCWorld Magazine


----------



## jyoder84

RedHelix said:


> Sir, you have no idea as to what you're talking about. All Geek Squad antivirus installation services include the actual CD itself, so the customer leaves the store with the software physically in their possession. And even if the technician _did_ keep the CD for his or herself, not only would they be fired if their boss found out, it would not be possible to activate it for antivirus protection on any other machine. One section of the Norton install wizard activates it and binds the product key to the machine it's being installed on. And besides, if you were to actually poll a number of Geek Squad techs as to what AV they use, I guarantee you Norton would be far from the top of the list.
> 
> Seeing as you've already completely made things up at this point, I don't see any reason why I should believe that. There _is_ Geek Squad software that's specifically designed to _legally_ install programs and Windows patches (such as a wizard we have that installs Spysweeper with the matching product key and a batch Windows updates,) but anything you claim to have seen on your 'friends' computer, provided you aren't lying, is in no way shape or form allowed by Geek Squad.
> 
> Also lies. There are three pieces of software designed by BestBuy and GeekSquad for use in precincts:
> One is MRI, which is a bootable command-line PE used for virus scanning, memory testing, hard drive testing, and CPU benchmarking. It's what we use for preliminary diagnostics to rule out the most basic problems before diving too deep into things like registry or hardware issues.
> 
> The second is GS Analyzer, which almost never gets used. It is a standalone program agents usually keep on their thumb drives that does several things: It does a very quick virus/adware scan, it checks the status of Windows updates and Antivirus/Antispyware definitions, and it gives the hardware specs a quick glance-over to see if any upgrades (memory, hard drive) would be applicable for the machine. It prints all of this information out in a little report card that you can print out and give to the customer. It's useful for selling services, but again, rarely gets used.
> 
> The third is MRI Customizer, which is a program that automatically installs Webroot spysweeper and applies all of the recent Windows updates. Right at the beginning of the program, it asks for a valid Spysweeper product key before continuing. There is no sign of piracy anywhere in this program.
> 
> We also use ERD (all of you admins and IT guys out there have probably heard of this,) which is not made by BestBuy. Rather, BBY has a legal contract to use the software until February 2006, which is when we'll have a regional GS meeting to discuss whether we want to use it permanently or not.


Thank you. I was just gonna go off. But you did it quite well. Thanks.


----------



## Agent Pat872

I am currently a AV/TECH - CIA for GEEK SQUAD 872 in downey CA. We used to use Spybot S&D but we are not legally allowed ot use it so we removed it from our tool database. Any Agent caught using illegal software should be fired. And for those illegal windows xp cd keys we have a Windows 9in1 disc which we legally use to install oem versions of windows xp onto machines we need to restore. It is our last option, and only used if the client does not have restore cds and does not wish to get them. We only use this when the customer has a VALID product key on the side of their case, as all machines do. If thhe Product Key seems to be illegal or unreadable we will not perform the restore and give the client his/her money back. Maybe because we are a new store or something but all our guys rock. We ALL must pass a CIA test before we are able to work on client computers. Our CIA Senior is awsome. Whenever we have a problem he takes care of it. He would fire me If I used illegal software. But IT IS true that some stores still use illegal software. There will never bee 100% perfection in GEEKSQUAD just 99.99% like us in Downey CA. We are one of the hardest precincts to get into and I persoanlly have 8 years experience working on computers and Networking. Heck, I even have my own Web Development business. So It is not true that all geek squad agents use illegal software just the ones who want to get fired.


----------



## RedHelix

Right. And even so, _any techbench_, not just GS, that uses the free version of Ad-Aware or SpyBot SD for their services is using the software illegally.


----------



## ACTU

RedHelix said:


> See, that's fine. I'm not saying that you should avoid retail techbenches outright, though I'm certainly going to understand if you do. What I am saying is that many of our fellow TSG forumers are looking at GS with the assumption that they, or any other store chain, hires techs on-par with Cisco-certified geniuses.
> 
> Lower your expectations, yes, but keep in mind that despite their occasional hiccups, they _do_ fix computers, there are people who _do_ rave about how great their experience with them was, and they _do_ have repeat customers. The BBY business model leaves nothing to chance: If GS was driving away customers, they wouldn't be around anymore.


The thing of it is. That those shops that are runned by chains do not have the pride or the personalty like a mom and pop shop. Plus company's like Geek Squad charge more.

And I don't have much faith in certified geniuses. Most of them lack the common sense to do any thing.


----------



## RedHelix

ACTU said:


> The thing of it is. That those shops that are runned by chains do not have the pride or the personalty like a mom and pop shop. Pluse companys like Geek Sqaud charge more.


Please don't be naive. Businesses are not founded to promote "pride or personality." They are founded to _make money._ Also, Geek Squad does not charge more than other tech companies for most services. In fact, TechInABox and CompUSA make Geek Squad's pricing look like Wal-Mart. Charging $160 for an in-home router install - which consists of having a professional technician drive out to your house, run wiring, configure security settings, and answer any questions you have for around two full hours - is not a bad price at all. On top of that, all work is guaranteed for 30 days even if it was you who messed up the settings.
$160 is often how much you would pay to have a TV delivered, or have a plumber come in just to do an estimate.


----------



## ACTU

RedHelix said:


> Please don't be naive. Businesses are not founded to promote "pride or personality." They are founded to _make money._ Also, Geek Squad does not charge more than other tech companies for most services. In fact, TechInABox and CompUSA make Geek Squad look like Wal-Mart. Charging $160 for an in-home router install - which consists of having a professional technician drive out to your house, run wiring, configure security settings, and answer any questions you have for around two full hours - is not a bad price at all. On top of that, all work is guaranteed for 30 days even if it was you who messed up the settings.
> $160 is often how much you would pay to have a TV delivered, or have a plumber come in just to do an estimate.


To compare Geek Sqaud to Wal-Mart is a good one never thought of that.

I'll tell you what $160 per hour is way to much money and further more it is an out right rip off.


----------



## RedHelix

Maybe to people like you and I who understand computers it's a rip-off, but people who aren't tech-savvy regularly pay that price with us or more with others.

I have news for you, friend: Bringing skilled laborers to your house is not cheap in any industry. In fact, paying skilled laborers is not cheap, ever. You could pay an electrician, car mechanic or drywaller thousands of dollars for something he or she thinks of as 'kids stuff.' Likewise, you could pay GS $160 to install your router, which to people like us is as simple as plugging in a night light.

Unfortunately, the huge dollar markup is still there because skilled laborers know that average joe consumer would have no idea how to install a breaker, replace a carburetor or install a router. Welcome to capitalism, enjoy your stay.


----------



## Stoner

> $160 is often how much you would pay to have a TV delivered, or have a plumber come in just to do an estimate.


Not in my community.
Also, as the 'Geek Squad' model is observed by those that consider competing, I suspect your labor rates will come down.
As you related to auto repair, that market is saturated and the profit margins reduced because of competition. Been there, done that.

I myself have no complaint with GS as I have not used them and am unlikely to.

As far as Best Buy, they're no worse than many other large electronic retailers....(which isn't exactly a glowing endorsement  )


----------



## ACTU

RedHelix said:


> Maybe to people like you and I who understand computers it's a rip-off, but people who aren't tech-savvy regularly pay that price with us or more with others.
> 
> I have news for you, friend: Bringing skilled laborers to your house is not cheap in any industry. In fact, paying skilled laborers is not cheap, ever. You could pay an electrician, car mechanic or drywaller thousands of dollars for something he or she thinks of as 'kids stuff.' Likewise, you could pay GS $160 to install your router, which to people like us is as simple as plugging in a night light.
> 
> Unfortunately, the huge dollar markup is still there because skilled laborers know that average joe consumer would have no idea how to install a breaker, replace a carburetor or install a router. Welcome to capitalism, enjoy your stay.


I charge $65 per hour to do the same work. It is one thing to be real and nother to rip folks off. And $160 is an out right rip off.


----------



## silverviper

It seems that you still have not gotten over the fact that you got fired from your local geek squad department cuz you suck at life. There are a few basic things that I need to point out so that maybe you can apply brain power and make the connection that you are a pathetic living organism, without the ability to deductively reason, and through your lack of cognizance towards making connections, a.k.a. synapsis' effect, understand why there is no worth and contribution of you being alive on this planet. I own my own mom & pop computer repair shop and I have to say, if I was as business savvy as G.S. ownership, maybe I would be a rich inhabitant of my wonderful country as well. But let's get one thing straight, you obviously are completely oblivious to the fabric of society and the foundation of this capitalistic profit hungry nation whose values are prevalent through its wayward dynamic. Somewhere along the line, one of the plebeians of this country, probably a member of your ancestral lineage, who was an obvious waste of space forgot to instill in one of its descendants that driving revenue will be the only thing that matters in the future. 
Henceforth, stop trying to prove an invalid point because you are a waste of sperm and egg. Accept the facts that g.s. people must have done something right so that a major world leading corporation, such as best buy, decided that acquiring this new company with a very basic concept grasp of laissez faire capitalism has beat you to the ultimate goal in life. Success and happiness. Unfortunately you will never find either of those because your blindness to the fact that somewhere in your lineage someone else was out to screw people out of their money existed. Couple that with the fact that you spend all this time hiding behind your computer and partaking in online forums in order to feel like a man because you could never say anything abrasive to anyones face proves that your just mad at your lack of genital grandeur. 
I'll give you some helpful advice, In my spare time away from my store, I am a G.S. member and I work my part-time hours proudly at a company that proved itself in a very competitive environment. Therefore, 1) Accept the fact that you are not cut-out for geek-squad or any other revenue generating activity because you do not have the gall for it; 2) Stop pretending that you understand what the point of G.S. is because based on the inferences you have drawn and the misrepresentation of reality you have proclaimed against G.S. , you have driven your credibility into the ground; 3) Come into store 417, Novi, Mi and look for the largest Geek Squad agent there, I will gladly train you to become what you have always yearned to be and I will do this in an amicable manner that undermines you and shows you are not worthy of any amicable companionships and other societal dealings.


----------



## Stoner

Oh god, I love taking a break from Civilized Debate and reading the review forum for some humor LOL!


----------



## ACTU

silverviper said:


> against G.S. , you have driven your credibility into the ground; 3) Come into store 417, Novi, Mi and look for the largest Geek Squad agent there, I will gladly train you to become what you have always yearned to be and I will do this in an amicable manner that undermines you and shows you are not worthy of any amicable companionships and other societal dealings.


   Yeah sure. (LOL)


----------



## ACTU

Stoner said:


> Oh god, I love taking a break from Civilized Debate and reading the review forum for some humor LOL!


True humor is good for the mind.:up:


----------



## RedHelix

ACTU said:


> I charge $65 per hour to do the same work.


That's because you as an individual person don't have even a fraction of the expenses that Best Buy has to pay just to send a GS agent out to someone's house. Your price is direct profit for yourself, whereas BBY's price covers gasoline, insurance and maintenance for the Geekmobile, a chunk of cash to cover the GS budget (which includes wages and benefits for all of the agents employed at that precinct, equipment agents need like uniforms, monitors, keyboards, mice, KVM switches, cat5 cables, screwdrivers, multimeters, et cetera....) and then, after all those expenses, the company _might_ draw a profit. On top of that, probably unlike you, a given Geek Squad DA will do 4-6 setups a day depending on how quickly the jobs get done, and said jobs are guaranteed for 30 days. If something goes wrong, he has to go back and do it again for free. So there we have some more expenses, except in that case there's no revenue attached.

I'm failing to see how that's a ripoff.


----------



## ACTU

RedHelix said:


> That's because you as an individual person don't have even a fraction of the expenses that Best Buy has to pay just to send a GS agent out to someone's house. Your price is direct profit for yourself, whereas BBY's price covers gasoline, insurance and maintenance for the Geekmobile, a chunk of cash to cover the GS budget (which includes wages and benefits for all of the agents employed at that precinct, equipment agents need like uniforms, monitors, keyboards, mice, KVM switches, cat5 cables, screwdrivers, multimeters, et cetera....) and then, after all those expenses, the company _might_ draw a profit. On top of that, probably unlike you, a given Geek Squad DA will do 4-6 setups a day depending on how quickly the jobs get done, and said jobs are guaranteed for 30 days. If something goes wrong, he has to go back and do it again for free. So there we have some more expenses, except in that case there's no revenue attached.
> 
> I'm failing to see how that's a ripoff.


Do the math here. $160 compared to $65 per hour. That Say's it all. And further more my crew will go the extra mile for the customer compared to Geek Squad.
Plus there are also humans compared to Corporate programed robots.


----------



## RedHelix

silverviper said:


> It seems that you still have not gotten over the fact that you got fired from your local geek squad department cuz you suck at life.


Who is this even directed at?


----------



## RedHelix

ACTU said:


> Do the math here. $160 compared to $65 per hour. That Say's it all. And further more my crew will go the extra mile for the customer compared to Geek Squad.
> Plus there are also humans compared to Corporate programed robots.


You, friend, are irreparably biased... and presenting the facts incorrectly. For starters, GS is $160 for two hours, whereas at your price you're $130. You make it sound that that's a grievously massive difference, and you're also making it sound like just because you have your own independent shpeal going on, your crew works harder for the customer than anybody else. I don't mean to be too crude, but quite frankly that's stupid.

And again, GS and BBY have exponentially higher expenses attached to sending people out than you do. I listed them all up above, and I guess you must have not read them.

Also, "Corporate-programmed robots"... are you even listening to yourself? I've worked at GS, I think it's a great company despite it's flaws. I now work for the MBTA and employ many of the skills I picked up from GS here, and I _am_ turning heads. Am I a robot?


----------



## ACTU

RedHelix said:


> You, friend, are irreparably biased... and presenting the facts incorrectly. For starters, GS is $160 for two hours, whereas at your price you're $130. You make it sound that that's a grievously massive difference. And again, GS and BBY have exponentially higher expenses attached to sending people out than you do. I listed them all up above, and I guess you must have not read them.
> 
> "Corporate-programmed robots"... are you even listening to yourself? I've worked at GS, I think it's a great company despite it's flaws. I now work for the MBTA and employ many of the skills I picked up from GS here, and I _am_ turning heads. Am I a robot?


Now the MBTA is a real job. I'm proud of you. As far as the robot thing. Well I have had former Geek Squad people working for me and they could not even blow there nose or smile. Let alone fix anything.

As a small business owner and I support small business's I should be bias and that is more math for you because Cooperations are out there to wreck the American dream.


----------



## Alex Ethridge

It's not C-o-o-p-e-r-a-t-i-o-n-s; it's *c-o-r-p-o-r-a-t-i-o-n-s* with a lower caes "c" and an "r" instead of two "o's".


----------



## tsunam

hmm two hours to install a router and run cabling. The only time I've ever had that long or longer (3 hours in this case) of a install is when I've had to run cat 5 around the house (by crawling under it) to 5 rooms from the location of the wireless router. This included doing the drywall cutting installing boxes and testing all the lines. In a single room setup I can get it working and finished in 30 minutes. This includes setting up multiple pc's for the new network.

I'd like to hear where the 2 hours to setup is coming from (less drive time because that can't be controlled)

Heck, I even explain what I'm doing and why (hopefully in terms the customer can understand). That way they hopefully get a better idea of the technology they are using.


----------



## ACTU

Alex Ethridge said:


> It's not C-o-o-p-e-r-a-t-i-o-n-s; it's *c-o-r-p-o-r-a-t-i-o-n-s* with a lower caes "c" and an "r" instead of two "o's".


Thanks for the tip.


----------



## ACTU

tsunam said:


> hmm two hours to install a router and run cabling. The only time I've ever had that long or longer (3 hours in this case) of a install is when I've had to run cat 5 around the house (by crawling under it) to 5 rooms from the location of the wireless router. This included doing the drywall cutting installing boxes and testing all the lines. In a single room setup I can get it working and finished in 30 minutes. This includes setting up multiple pc's for the new network.
> 
> I'd like to hear where the 2 hours to setup is coming from (less drive time because that can't be controlled)


30 minutes is about right. It is not that hard to do at all.


----------



## RedHelix

tsunam said:


> hmm two hours to install a router and run cabling. The only time I've ever had that long or longer (3 hours in this case) of a install is when I've had to run cat 5 around the house (by crawling under it) to 5 rooms from the location of the wireless router. This included doing the drywall cutting installing boxes and testing all the lines. In a single room setup I can get it working and finished in 30 minutes. This includes setting up multiple pc's for the new network. I'd like to hear where the 2 hours to setup is coming from (less drive time because that can't be controlled)


Nobody said the router install takes two hours, tsunam. When you pay $160 to GS, you are given a two hour time bracket with the agent for the actual installation, plus any questions you have, instructions you need, or whatever technical Q&A's come to mind. Whether you opt to use those full two hours or not is entirely up to you.


----------



## ACTU

$160 is to much money. That is out right greed.


----------



## Alex Ethridge

Any price is fine as long as the customer makes an informed decision to accept the price for the work performed. It's called a contract.

When I was in the construction business, my customers frequently accepted my higher prices because I came highly recommended or they knew my work by the fact I had worked for them before.

I am wearied by people who scream "ripoff" at every price that is higher than they think it ought to be. There is a simple solution for that. Simply refuse the work at that price and find another whom you think will do good work at a lower price and quit the crybabying.

Good, fast and cheap, you can choose any two of the three; but, don't expect to get all three in the same bundle.


----------



## Shairel

As with any corporation there may be bad employees and there may be good employees, and Geek Squad, or *any* reputable company's policies do not condone things such as using pirated software, leaving discs in PCs, etc. etc.
The $160 wireless networking sku, for example, provides for 2 hours of onsite time for configuration and testing, and part of that service is to set up wireless encryption using WEP, there are even leave-behind cards that are given to Clients with the WEP information on it, that is policy, if this wasn't done, then either there was a good reason, or there may be an issue with certain employees.

When you are going on-site you have no idea what you are walking into, that is why there are two hours allotted to something so many of us consider so simple as setting up a wireless network, taking into account issues with the PCs, which may even be running Win98SE, whether or not the PCs are even accessible, how many questions the client has, all things that, as a representative of a larger corporation, must be considered, unlike some smaller shops, these things are evaluated on a national level.

When you take into account that that $160 provides for having an insured employee coming onsite in a company vehicle, configuring what you paid him/her to configure, and present to answer questions and address concerns, as well as giving a 30 day callback guarantee on whatever services are provided; and this is a flat rate, if there are difficulties, or if hardware fails, the Agent has to schedule a call-back and come back again on the same $160.00, I don't think that's a ripoff at all.

I know other service industries like plumbers or electricians who will charge up to $100.00 just to show up for 30 minutes to tell you what is wrong and how much it will cost to fix it, without applying that estimate toward the actual repairs / service. I pay $50-80 to diagnose a problem with my automobile engine, why do I pay an electrician / mechanic / plumber so much money? Because I either don't know how the stuff works, I don't want to do anything to mess myself up, or I don't want to be bothered wasting time that could be better spent with my family, so I pose the challenge to anybody to tell me why installing a WEP network for a non-tech savvy Client should cost any less than what I paid a mechanic turning an adjustment in my engine one quarter turn with a simple flathead screwdriver. 

I didn't pay the mechanic to turn the screw, I didn't pay for his screwdriver or his hand, I paid for his knowledge that it was the right screw to turn, how far it needed to be turned, and getting his clothes dirty instead of mine.
I have spent years in the PC repair industry, and so far, the Geek Squad is the only nationwide consumer level support task force that offers consistent pricing, consistent services, and corporate backing, it comes at a price, but if it didn't, they wouldn't be around.


----------



## Killer360

Lol, I went to BestBuy to pick up a new router and the lady from Geek Squad told me that I would have to contact MTS (My local ISP) before I set up the router because they had to make manual configurations to allow me to connect. I was a bit surprised at this because my friends have all connected their routers on their own, I took mine home, set it up, no problem. The lady had to idea what she was talking about.


----------



## valis

evosync said:


> Have you guys seen this site yet?
> 
> www.antigeeksquad.com
> 
> They have a forum there that offers people FREE computer help.
> anti geek squad


sounds just like another forum I belong to......hmmm....what could it be.....not TGS, as that is the geek squad, but the letters are dang similar.


----------



## ACTU

Killer360 said:


> Lol, I went to BestBuy to pick up a new router and the lady from Geek Squad told me that I would have to contact MTS (My local ISP) before I set up the router because they had to make manual configurations to allow me to connect. I was a bit surprised at this because my friends have all connected their routers on their own, I took mine home, set it up, no problem. The lady had to idea what she was talking about.


Well she was trying to make you scared of setting up that router. So they could make a profit off of you.


----------



## Stoner

This just posted at
ABCNews

Best Buy Hit With Restraining Order Over Alleged Unlicensed Versions of Its Diagnostic Equipment
excerpt>>


> AUSTIN, Texas Apr 11, 2006 (AP) A Texas software company sued Best Buy Co. Inc. in federal court on Tuesday, alleging that the nation's largest consumer electronics retailer was using unlicensed versions of its diagnostic equipment.
> 
> In response, a U.S. District Court granted Winternals Software LP's request for a temporary restraining order.


----------



## valis

oops.


----------



## ~Candy~

SELL BBY


----------



## jamprice

I agree with Shairel above about costs but I also agree with the others as to the ability of the squad reps. I paid to much money for my eduacation to just give my services away.


----------



## ~Candy~

jamprice said:


> I paid *to* much money for my *eduacation* to just give my services away.


Hmmmm.............perhaps a refund is in order?


----------



## valis

heh.....


----------



## jamprice

y because of some less than star trek explanation was given telling someone to do the same thing the following person said.....except i didnt use a laid out script, and big words to mask my little pe....rsonality?!


----------



## hamm3r

I personally work for Store 016, and have to say that Geek squad manages everything in a VERY professional manner, concerning I've had a taste of alot of other computer repair businesses around the district. Geek Squad ensures their work, and makes sure everything is done completely and fully, which is why training for new employees is so long. We may be overpriced for some things, I would agree, but in the long run, these prices could come about to be cheaper than if a normal, non-techy customer were to attempt to fix the problems themselves, which is also why we offer the Product Service Plans, to ensure that the customer saves time, money, and gets a better experience with Geek Squad services. I would personally say, there are corrupt locations out there, since the world is obviously not a perfect place, but you will encounter most locations to have GREAT customer service, and work done correctly and efficiently. Otherwise, feel free to contact the location's customer service rep. manager, or even the General Manager, which you can make recommendations, or even complains if it comes to that. Please dont be dissing or constantly putting down Geek Squad in general, we try our hardest, and their are those who dont belong in the squad, and need to be ratted out, from corruption or otherwise, but in general, we try our hardest, especially because we need these jobs to earn an honest living. So in the future, please give us some credit if you dont already.


----------



## hamm3r

I would have to say that our most overpriced service would be backups: 89, regardless of size, unless its like one file, or a group of text documents or something. Then we will just do it for free (But dont count on it for reference, just take it with a grain of salt) This is very expensive, but sometimes I can see it being necessary, for the tedious work we would have to do if a TON of stuff would need to be backed up.


----------



## ShadowMajere

lol Geek squad here in ny charges 160 for router install, you get me in your house out in the hamptons. I charge a minimum of 175 an hour for inhome service. I live out in Long Island NY. Geek squad is dirt cheap compared to techs in NY. I dunno about the cheap middle of the US, but come to a major area and see how costs compare out.


----------



## ~Candy~

I seriously need to raise my rates from one case of beer to at least 3


----------



## Stoner

Hi AC 

This thread sure has generated a lot of new memberships


----------



## Gary7

They are now being sued for copyright violations.


----------



## ~Candy~

Stoner said:


> Hi AC
> 
> This thread sure has generated a lot of new memberships


Yep, hasn't it though


----------



## Acid Scars

I'm an instore Geek Squad supervisor and I hate my job. It sucks. I'd imagine being an onsite tech is better than working in the store and having to deal with stupid customers all day and warranty *stuff.* People seem to be complaining about the expensive onsite charges. In actuallity, they aren't bad for onsite service. It can get pretty pricey because some of the techs are dishonest and like to throw additional charges in there to increase their revenue for the day so they can get a pat on the head, but they don't charge by the hour so it's really not that bad. However, the chances that you'll get a competant tech is slim to none. There really is no standard training that they go through for computer repair, only for Best Buy procedures (SOP). Basically none of them have any set standards and most aren't even qualified. I don't know any who have actuall degrees in anything relevant or even anything at all. Most don't even have their A+ certification. All their skills are novice at best. These are the kind of people you could probably have a decent converstaion with about computers, but there is no way in hell you'd want them attempting to fix yours. Onsite redos are so high I can't see how this is profitable. The worst part is, none of these guys are held responsible when they *mess* something up. So they never weed out the degenerate techs. Infact they just seem to multiply. So chances are if you call them, they'll end up sending out some 30 year-old high school graduate who has gone no where in life, who believes formating and restoring a computer is the only solution to any software problem.

My next advice would be to never buy a Preformance Service Plan from Best Buy either. Chances are if we send your broken unit out to get fixed, theres a 70% chance it will come back broken. I think we have monkeys at our service centers who just throw their own feces at each other all day. Actually I guess my final word would be to never shop at Best Buy at all. Their prices suck, their service sucks and once they get your money, they'll do anything not to give it back even if it means losing you as a customer.


----------



## ~Candy~

I edited your post for profanity, I'd suggest you go wash out your potty mouth if you wish to hang around here.


----------



## AttackRabbit

i just saw this thread, and at first glance i thought it read, " Geek Squad - Impotent ? ".


----------



## Gary7

Acid Scars said:


> I'm an instore Geek Squad supervisor and I hate my job. It sucks. I'd imagine being an onsite tech is better than working in the store and having to deal with stupid customers all day and warranty *stuff.* People seem to be complaining about the expensive onsite charges. In actuallity, they aren't bad for onsite service. It can get pretty pricey because some of the techs are dishonest and like to throw additional charges in there to increase their revenue for the day so they can get a pat on the head, but they don't charge by the hour so it's really not that bad. However, the chances that you'll get a competant tech is slim to none. There really is no standard training that they go through for computer repair, only for Best Buy procedures (SOP). Basically none of them have any set standards and most aren't even qualified. I don't know any who have actuall degrees in anything relevant or even anything at all. Most don't even have their A+ certification. All their skills are novice at best. These are the kind of people you could probably have a decent converstaion with about computers, but there is no way in hell you'd want them attempting to fix yours. Onsite redos are so high I can't see how this is profitable. The worst part is, none of these guys are held responsible when they *mess* something up. So they never weed out the degenerate techs. Infact they just seem to multiply. So chances are if you call them, they'll end up sending out some 30 year-old high school graduate who has gone no where in life, who believes formating and restoring a computer is the only solution to any software problem.
> 
> My next advice would be to never buy a Preformance Service Plan from Best Buy either. Chances are if we send your broken unit out to get fixed, theres a 70% chance it will come back broken. I think we have monkeys at our service centers who just throw their own feces at each other all day. Actually I guess my final word would be to never shop at Best Buy at all. Their prices suck, their service sucks and once they get your money, they'll do anything not to give it back even if it means losing you as a customer.


A person like you should NOT be dealing with the public. Thanks, al of my retail buying will now be at Circuit City.

Edited quoted post, I missed one foul word........


----------



## Stoner

AcaCandy said:


> I edited your post for profanity, I'd suggest you go wash out your potty mouth if you wish to hang around here.


I think you missed a couple, AC......similarities of the 'F' word......


----------



## Stoner

Gary7 said:


> A person like you should NOT be dealing with the public. Thanks, al of my retail buying will now be at Circuit City.
> 
> .....................


BestBuy, Circuit City, CompUSA.....in my area .....all look like vampires.
From experience, I no longer ask anyone behind those counters for info or advice other than if they intend to restock an item


----------



## ~Candy~

Stoner said:


> I think you missed a couple, AC......similarities of the 'F' word......


Thanks, let me know if I caught them all. In the last few days, the grammar, spelling and run-on sentences have grown to a new level 

Makes you wonder how they even get a job to begin with


----------



## Skivvywaver

Well, I will buy at bestbuy but I won't take any of their advice. I have been teching longer than most of the kids behind the counter and most of the geek squaders anyway.

I buy high failure items such as my LCD at bestbuy and sometimes they have some really good sales. When I bought my LCD I asked the manager IF this thing has one dead pixel, can I bring it back? He said yes so I bought it.

Most MFG's have a 3 dead pixel policy and I would NOT want to deal with that so I paid extra at BB to make sure I got a good one. 

Every once in awhile bestbuy is necessary. Every once in awhile I'll pay more to shop there especially on high dollar items. No geek squad employee will ever touch my machine though.


----------



## Maximus1121

I have read some of the posts regarding Geek Squad incompetence, and I must believe that these are very isolated incidents. At the very least we are instructed to set encryption for any network that we secure, as well as changing the SSID, and if possible to disable broadcast. 

If there are Agents out there that are setting less than that, its very isolated and if the Agents in question can be identified they would be disciplined accordingly.

There have been MANY times in which a client has contacted his ISP to get support, and the 'technician' that they talk to advises them that the router needed to be reset to factory settings. 

In one case, I had a client contact me 20 minutes after I had completed a networking service. Client had contacted their ISP for a connection issue that I had instructed them how to diagnose. The technician the client talked to had informed them that the router they had, and that I had configured and gotten online with no issues, was not of the right type. Apparently the router that the had was a "static IP address only" router. 

There are also many clients that had their "friends who know about computers" come over to do some work after we had been there, and they had reset the routers due to THEIR incompetence. Let me tell you...the clients that have "friends" that know about computers, are great for business. 

Regarding business...Best Buy is a publicly traded company. And as such, yes we report to stock holders. Of which some of you may be. 

I know this next comment may come as a shock to some of you..but Best Buy is a FOR PROFIT business. Our prices, are a function of profitability. Any of you service professionals out there that work for free, or don't charge what your services are worth or will get you are doing yourself no favors.


----------



## valis

I've only had two experiences with anybody from the Geek Squad, and unfortunately, neither were exactly fulfilling. The first was when a gent at my local BB store tried to sell me a PCI video card as it blew the AGP card (both identical makes and models, btw) out of the water.

The second was when my company hired a GS tech to go hook up one of our remote salesmen's printer to his new laptop wirelessly. I ended up having to remote into the machine, and I had to instruct the gent how to get the ip addy through the command prompt. 

Neither exactly high level issues, but both blown calls, in my book. I am sure that there are many extremely qualified techs working for BB, but again, I can only speak from my experience.

v


----------



## Speck007

I read most of these threads and they make me laugh. First, the only people who are bashing Geek Squad are the mom and pop repair stores. I have personally worked for all the top manufactures. I would rather have a big company working on my stuff than someone who can barely purchase the parts to support you. I dont know how many customers say they brought it to a mom/pop shop and got robbed. For example, selling used parts at a new price, charging hourly rates (adding in hours they didnt work), breaking parts and blaming it on the customer because they cant afford to fix their mistakes. corporate geeks are always certified or have formal training. Mom/pop shops usually have no formal training at all. This forum is an excuse for mom/pop shop to cry because they cant run their business profitable and they have to blame someone to try to get more customers. HAH


----------



## woodyh

AcaCandy said:


> Yep, hasn't it though


Made me join...

Real quick, any of the big stores will charge more for service because they are trying to make money. That is all. They saw a need and went for the buck.

As for the competence of the qeek squad. I think you have a 50/50 chance of getting someone competent. Most IT people do not want to drive around going to some users house to fix their pc or install their router. You have no idea who will come to your house to fix the system as it changes daily I'm sure. That is where the mom and pop stores win out because they have the same person fixing the system and they have done it for longer than two weeks. They just aren't advertised as well.


----------



## Speck007

what you cant compete with the geeks, run your business right and you have nothing to worry about.


----------



## Speck007

They are actually the same people all the time. This doesnt change ever. And there is no hourly rate, plus no trip charge.....


----------



## Speck007

are you in a services business? Because if you are, you are out to make a buck also.


----------



## woodyh

I'm a geek so that puts me in the services business. As for your earlier comments. I work for a large corporation as well but have worked as a consultant. The difference between the two is corporations, perhaps like qeek squad which you are obviously affiliated with, will replace the machine while consultants or mom and pop stores, your money comment was laughable, will look to fixing the part. 
When I consulted more I received quite a bit of work thanks to the geek squad so I have no problem with them.


----------



## valis

Speck007 said:


> First, the only people who are bashing Geek Squad are the mom and pop repair stores.


what, did you miss my posts?

v


----------



## Stoner

valis, your post count has gone beyond double digit.....your views don't count


----------



## WarC

I actually feel for those Geek Squad guys and girls. 

On-site tech support can be a real pain, especially in the home. A long time ago I thought it would be neat to start a PC repair business, but a few years in a corporate environment killed that desire quick.

There are so many variables and so many little technicalities here and there. You have to get everything working and in order with a set amount of devices and differing ISPs, dealing with a broad array of configurations. If it is a hardware problem and you have to replace a part or format a drive it can be daunting to explain to the customer, who is usually totally devoid of computer knowledge. 

On one hand it is funny that you could tell the guy his "flux capacitor needs realigning to establish an equilibrium", but it can also mean added stress and increased workload on the poor unsuspecting tech when he realizes the guy's machine is glorified scrap and he needs a new network setup, but can't load his OS! Then you are looking at a six hour job and a pissed off, questioning customer. If you don't have the skills or knowledge to wade through that it can spell trouble.

It is surprising to learn that some of these guys aren't A+ certified and most don't have degrees, though. I think, at the very least, any tech that is doing in-home repairs or service in this broad a field should at least be enrolled in a two-year degree program or have some certifications.


----------



## valis

Stoner said:


> valis, your post count has gone beyond double digit.....your views don't count


that is implying that they ever DID count. Them's fightin' words, you know.


----------



## Space Cowboy

Nowaday's EVERYONES a expert  

I'm just a Space Cadet.

Gotta dude workin for me from the Geek Squad. Had to show him how to change a light bulb the other day


----------



## valis

don't think light bulbs, technically, fall under their jurisdiction. Could be wrong, though.

v


----------



## ~Candy~

Was it the lightbulb on the motherboard?


----------



## Rockn

And goes the joke, "How many Geek Squad techs does it take to screw in a light bulb?"


----------



## Space Cowboy

AcaCandy said:


> Was it the lightbulb on the motherboard?


It was a floresnt bulb on the dance game marquee.

He has his A+ Cert in Hardware


----------



## lotuseclat79

Anyone who feels for the Geek Squad ought to read the following Blog article at sysinternals:
http://www.sysinternals.com/Blog/ by Mark Russinovich.

-- Tom


----------



## valis

Space Cowboy said:


> It was a floresnt bulb on the dance game marquee.
> 
> He has his A+ Cert in Hardware


heck, sc, I could change a light bulb BEFORE I got my hardware cert. That's, like, SO chapter 2.

v


----------



## Guyzer

Here's a couple of prices in Canadian $$... http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/dept.asp?logon=&langid=EN&catid=22042 Um.......... anyone want to get sick just click " More Like This ".

Note the cost to install an " Anti-Virus " program of one's choice. I'm sure the US prices would be about the same after taking the dollar difference into consideration. Anyone that has the nerve to charge that amount is just about as dumb as someone that's willing to pay it.

I'm sure some " Geek Squad Agent " will come along and tell us how difficult it is. I can't wait.


----------



## valis

Wimpy369 said:


> I'm sure some " Geek Squad Agent " will come along and tell us how difficult it is. I can't wait.


my pop and his cohorts worked at Rockwell and Lockheed Martin, helped put the shuttle into space and men on the moon, and I don't let any of them within a zip code of my rig. The latest one has actually learned from that young whippersnapper valis and called before blowing a wad of cash. He told me what Best Buy agent had recommended for this guy, who has NEVER owned a personal computer above the slide rule. No lie. He has an I-opener, that's it. Had him read off to me the specs on the machine, and it smokes mine, which is nice for anyone, I guess. But the kicker was that 'a.v. fee' you mentioned.

For anti-virus: 89.99 USD
For anti-spyware: 79.99
For no-pop ups: 59.99

Told him to buy my dad lunch sometime and I'll hook him up with all three for Zero.ZeroZero USD.

v


----------



## Guyzer

valis said:


> Told him to buy my dad lunch sometime and I'll hook him up with all three for Zero.ZeroZero USD.
> v


The difference between me and you is I ask them to buy me lunch.


----------



## valis

hmmm. could be onto something there. may have to research that a bit.


----------



## ~Candy~

I charge by the 12 pack


----------



## valis

always thought you charged by the banana clip.


----------



## ~Candy~

Hmmm....I don't get that....remember, I'm blonde at the moment


----------



## valis

man, didn't think I'd get that many wrong hits googling it. Oh well, basically it's the ammunition clip that extends from the bottom of the gun and curves, slightly, towards the front of the barrel.

shaped like a banana, holds ammo, hence banana clip. but holy cow, I guess there are a few hair products that use that term.

v


----------



## ~Candy~

LOL  That is what I initially thought that you meant, and I got to thinking, but, but, but, most women have those in EVERY COLOR already...so where is my incentive


----------



## valis

yah, that sort of backfired on me. ever watch the simpsons? If so, remember when bart prank calls the bar, and ask for hugh jazz, and the guy answers?

"Look mister, I'll level with ya. This is a joke that sorta backfired on me, so I'm giong to hang up now."

which is precisely what I am going to do. return this thread to it's rightful owner.

v


----------



## ~Candy~

OMG, I hate the Simpsons with a passion 

Even in Spanish


----------



## valis

no bueno!


----------



## phonephreak

Who goes to Best BUy. Try enough people that they neeed 3300 techs in VW's running around full time

Hey an you too can BE THERE! $8 an hour and you can be working on your A+

Give me a break!!!!


----------



## Rockn

WarC said:


> It is surprising to learn that some of these guys aren't A+ certified and most don't have degrees, though. I think, at the very least, any tech that is doing in-home repairs or service in this broad a field should at least be enrolled in a two-year degree program or have some certifications.


I really don't think a tech with no field experience and an A+ or working towards a 2 year would be any better qualified to fix a PC. They need field experience and they are getting it working on your PC.


----------



## confusedsenior

So who or how do you go about finding a competent person to install your computer and transfer all your files from your old one?


----------



## ~Candy~

Hi and welcome. Are you going to be anywhere near Las Vegas anytime soon?


----------



## cheese

When im 16 im going to drop into the local Bestbuy and apply, and see I can get a position anywhere.

If I can get one with GS - Thatd be funny, and if its 8 bucks an hour, thatd be happy.

Stevo


----------



## Alex Ethridge

> So who or how do you go about finding a competent person to install your computer and transfer all your files from your old one?


To be frank, there are so many incompetent people out there, and not quite ones honest, too, the only way one can protect himself from the dishonest and the incompetent is to become a learned user. That doesn't necessarily me you need to know as much as the tech, just enough to know when you're getting screwed or gypped.

I was once standing at a counter when a customer brought in a computer for an upgrade. When the the "service tech" started to open the wrong side of the case for inspection, the owner couldn't have grabbed it quick enough and got out the door.

The "tech" didn't have a clue why that happeden and just stood there with a dumb look and made an even dumber comment about the potential customer.

I couldn't resist. I had to tell him the potential customer had just made a very smart move after he (the "tech") had just made a very obviously dumb one. He just gave me another of the same dumb looks and I just told him if he didn't know what he did wrong, I wasn't going to tell him--and I didn't.

This was just one example of one customer who knew just enough to save himself from potential disaster.


----------



## vookster82

While im hear and read the majority or the posts in this thread...ill throw in my opinion of the infamous "Geek Squad".

Short Version: The majority of the geeks are simply careless with there actions and i would NOT recommend them UNLESS you have a bestbuy warranty and absolutly no computer knowledge.

Long Version: I went over by my Aunts house to drop off some stuff for a garage sale. She had the "geek" over fixing her warrantied bestbuy computer b/c of a boot issue right out of the box ... i think it was a HP and the geek was doing the setup..not sure though. When i walked in the computer room just to take a peek, the moron had the hard drive pulled out and was manhandleing it and touching the HD's logic board with his greesy NON protected hands with no ESD strap while walking around on carpet with socks on.... 

Needless to say i TOLD him that the HD should not be touched like he was touching it and he was offended b/c he was the "geek" in charge of the operation in the room. He said " well do you know how to fix it" I replied, " I just got here and dont know what the problem is, but from the looks of it, i could probably do a more qualified and proper job than you....but that why theres a warranty and your here " Yeah, that rolled into something thats just too long and pointless to get into for this thread.

Im not a full blown techy nor do i have any certs and have yet to take any computer classes yet. I have however worked / helped out at a mortgage company or two for about 4 years now. Im fairly knowledgable with hardware, software, most office enviroment networking...no programming though....yet much much more, but anyways....screw the "geek squad"

To finish the story, after BSing with my aunt for about 10 min, i took a look at what the bonehead was still doing with the HD. To get to the point....i jumped in the mix and the computer bestbuy sold my aunt was a refushed or pre-bought system and the HD jumper setting was way off from the get go (it wouldnt boot up)...and lord only knows what the "geek" did to it b/c the master jumper pins were bent and the jumper looked like it was chewed on... 

I had my aunt tell him to take the supposedly "new" system back and get a full refund for everything....she did, and i picked out a nice dell system for her to buy saving her almost $700 including a 3 yr warranty.

BTW: from what i seen over the last few years, Dell techs aint much better.


----------



## MNG0304

*Best Buy targeted by Improv Everywhere*


> I then revealed the plan, "We're heading up to the Best Buy on 23rd Street. We'll enter the store one by one. Once inside, spread out and stand near the end of an aisle, facing away from the merchandise. Don't shop, but don't work either. If a customer comes up to you and asks you a question, be polite and help them if you know the answer. If anyone asks you if you work there, say no. If an employee asks you what you're doing, respond 'I'm waiting for my girlfriend/boyfriend who is shopping elsewhere in the store.' If they question you about your clothing, just explain that it's what you put on when you woke up this morning and you don't know any of the other people dressed like you."


Whole Story

The mentality behind Best Buy baffles me to this day.


----------



## Space Cowboy

Ok .. So I fired everyone except my dancing boy and ex-geeksquad tech with his A+ in hardware who couldn't change a light bulb  

I tell him boy .. if you wanta learn then listen and show me.

So he attempts to fix my rapid river game.

He say's whatya think.. I said "Do this" .. He comes back in a hour and say's I tried to do that but it didn't work...... Whata I do next??

I said "What did I tell you to do" . He say's Oh yeah you said to "do this"

I said then "do it"

So he comes back in 5 and say's "LOOK WHAT I FOUND !!!" 

He's all excited and jumpin up and down.

I tell him what he found and how to fix it. He say's I don't know how to do that (solder 3 wires to a potentiometer) So I say "I'll show you" He gets all excited and starts jumpin up and down and comes back after putting it back togeather and say's with a HUGE beaming smile ..

ITS FIXED !!!!

I tell him " thata boy" "Now go fix this"

This little guy fixed more games in one day then I've seen fixed in 6 weeks of working with the clowns that were working there before I fired them.

I now call him "My Little Einstein"


----------



## valis

atta boy sc......I'm sending mine your way next....should arrive in 3-5 days, depending on how many stamps stay adhered to the box. 

nice job. Betcha you are a bit, proud, shall we say. 

v


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## Space Cowboy

Yeah Val I guess I am just a tad happy with this boy.

He starting to get it and listens to me.

He tells me today "I got called from Best Buy" "They want me back"

I say oh yeah?

He say's yeah but I aint going .. *Best Buy Sucks !!*

He's learnin 

He tells me he wants to be my assistant manager now 

I tell him to zip up his pants and go get me a doughnut ... LOL

Kid's


----------



## valis

good thing they don't take after us, eh?


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## RedHelix

Killer360 said:


> Lol, I went to BestBuy to pick up a new router and the lady from Geek Squad told me that I would have to contact MTS (My local ISP) before I set up the router because they had to make manual configurations to allow me to connect. I was a bit surprised at this because my friends have all connected their routers on their own, I took mine home, set it up, no problem. The lady had to idea what she was talking about.


She did, actually... she probably just didn't get the memo that things are different now. A couple of years ago, it was not uncommon for ISPs to charge you extra if you bought a router and ran a home network. Mine used to charge per IP address.


----------



## Buddahbelly

I learned my lesson. I went to Best Buy to get some help with remote access. I wanted my field agents and CPA to access certain server based programs from their laptops. I explained that I had been through several tech guys and none could do what i wanted. I had paid over $10,000 the previous year and was still in the same boat. The best Buy guys sold me on the flat fee. they told me their Techs were MS certified and new what they were doing.They sent out their Tech to evaluate my system. He came up with several things that i needed to do totalling over $6,000! I told him I only wanted the two items on the proposal VPN and another networking item, totalling less than $500. The tech said he'd get right on it. He told me it would take 30 min to 1 Hr. It took 4 days and 2 techs and they never got it to work! The worst part is when we called he said he would have to come out, he never came. He never called again. 3 weeks later I sent a letter to geek squad HO. I never reeived a reply.


----------



## RedHelix

That sounds completely bogus to me. Short of building an entire commercial class B network from scratch, there's no amount of labor Geek Squad would charge 6,000 bucks for.


----------



## Buddahbelly

I didn't say it was all labor. They wanted me to buy a WEB server, an External HD, additional Ram. The labor quote was $2852.00


----------



## Stoner

Were you billed for anything?


----------



## Buddahbelly

Stoner said:


> Were you billed for anything?


Not so far, but they did take my CC # since this is a commercial account. If a charge shows up I'll really blow my top. the last thing the guy said to me, in person, was "I'll be back Friday with your invoice." My main issue with them is that they just left.. Never called back, never showed up at my CPA s office (as they said they would do) My best guess is that they had put too many man hours in on a project that they were clueless about and someone higher up decided to cut the losses.

I don't know how to tell if a tech knows what he's talking about or not. In most cases I've spoken to them for some time, they get way over my head technically and it seems they know what they're talking about. When I hire them they seem to just try this and that and tell me I need to buy all this stuff and in the end I'm in the same boat. I literally spent $10,000 last year buying this and that including a new server, external backup, routers switches ect....


----------



## Stoner

Good luck.....I hope your problem gets solved.


----------



## CarlssonMB

What amazes me about geek squad is how they take it upon themselves to root through people's personal files and uninstall their applications at will.

Friend of mine took his computer to geek squad once, had I known he was planning to I would've told him not to but when he got it back they had uninstalled his copy of symantec antivirus, the corporate client, and told him they did so because "he was not a corporation". It really just annoys me that they feel they can do whatever they want with your pc just because they have it in their shop. There has to be some kind of law against that.


----------



## Stoner

Interesting story to follow here about BestBuy:

Best Buy in data recovery scandal
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=32118


----------



## RedHelix

CarlssonMB said:


> There has to be some kind of law against that.


Once you sign the release form, it's their ballgame. I can see a reason for uninstalling SAV corporate if it's an unmanaged installation pointing to no parent server - especially if he's running a different antivirus program at the same time - but you're right, they shouldn't have done that.

And yeah Stoner, that was on Slashdot yesterday. I'd be pretty pissed too.


----------



## ~Candy~

Should be interesting to see if the guy is doing some sort of prank or if this really indeed happened. Call me ever so skeptical of people's motives


----------



## Buddahbelly

Are you refering to me??? If so I can asssure you it did happen. You want to know what my motive is? I guessed that if I put this story out on enough forums somebody from GeeK Squad would get the message. Since they didn't reply to my letter (It's funny how the Geek squad web page has no email contact....) I may get some type of response through these forums.


----------



## ~Candy~

I meant Stoner's post. Sorry, should have quoted his post.


----------



## Agent F1

Well I shall introduce myself as Agent F1 of the Geek Squad CIA

I will now say I respect everyones option but....

When you are sitting in your own little world thinking that everyone in Geek Squad is not as Superior to yourself sorry to say !!! and as for the 79 dollar Nortin set up Its goes from $118 $89 so get your facts strate *The correct spelling is straight* *Please use Spell Check*

As well to the sales of Best Buy Computers; people go to get help on buying a PC thats what they get... Just like going to the store and picking up stuff for a party that you have never been to.... you would ask for help.... so for all you super intellects out there who wast your bitter lives away bashing a computer store GET A LIFE YOU LOSERS!!!!! so in your faces, I Just became a tech and I make VERY GOOD MONEY and Im only 20 well are we still having fun? Its not cool when someone puts you down is you stupid closed minded dumb

BS Buddahbelly and why did you not do it your self !!!!!!!

By the way what do you (as in all who post (-) to the GEEK SQUAD/BESTBUY) do for a living?

I do hope to get some good reply's back and have a nice day losers

F1
*Edited by EAFiedler*


----------



## valis

betcha I know a few people who won't be here too long...........


----------



## Agent F1

cool


----------



## Stoner

valis said:


> betcha I know a few people who won't be here too long...........


hmmmm............no doubt


----------



## Agent F1

hmmm so not talking from any one I just wanted to get the point out there and I think i did


----------



## Stoner

I suspect your post won't stand......most of the mods disapprove of the language you implied


----------



## Agent F1

Complete post removed....user banned.


----------



## Stoner

I really don't think you are improving the aura and busness acumen of Best Buy LOL!

Let me guess.....you work in customer relations _


----------



## valis

also like the fact that he/she posted, what, a full week after the last post? 

now THAT'S telling 'em!


----------



## EAFiedler

*Agent F1*

I have edited your post and please don't try to pull the wool over our eyes.  
Read the *Forum Rules* before posting again.


----------



## ~Candy~

I just edited another one, banning time


----------



## StumpedTechy

Hey I was denied the right to work for them. Then I found out who did get hired on and what he was lacking in. BTW when someone tries to sell you an AGP video card for a PCI Express equipped MB I think you should work on employee training a bit.

Nuff said.


----------



## ferrija1

The Geek Squad is horrible, they charged my friend for breaking his computer. The problem ended up being some interfering program but the Geek squad guy messed up the registry so they had to reinstall but they got a refund.


----------



## Rockn

Agent F1 said:


> Well I shall introduce myself as Agent F1 of the Geek Squad CIA
> 
> I will now say I respect everyones option but....
> 
> When you are sitting in your own little world thinking that everyone in Geek Squad is not as Superior to yourself sorry to say !!! and as for the 79 dollar Nortin set up Its goes from $118 $89 so get your facts strate *The correct spelling is straight* *Please use Spell Check*
> 
> As well to the sales of Best Buy Computers; people go to get help on buying a PC thats what they get... Just like going to the store and picking up stuff for a party that you have never been to.... you would ask for help.... so for all you super intellects out there who wast your bitter lives away bashing a computer store GET A LIFE YOU LOSERS!!!!! so in your faces, I Just became a tech and I make VERY GOOD MONEY and Im only 20 well are we still having fun? Its not cool when someone puts you down is you stupid closed minded dumb
> 
> BS Buddahbelly and why did you not do it your self !!!!!!!
> 
> By the way what do you (as in all who post (-) to the GEEK SQUAD/BESTBUY) do for a living?
> 
> I do hope to get some good reply's back and have a nice day losers
> 
> F1
> *Edited by EAFiedler*


You have a lot of balls attempting to give anyone spelling lessons....JR!


----------



## ~Candy~

I'm willing to bet that was EA's edit


----------



## EAFiedler

Yes, indeed it was I.

You calling me Junior??


----------



## Rockn

Edited by EA, written by a CIA operative...


----------



## valis

StumpedTechy said:


> Hey I was denied the right to work for them. Then I found out who did get hired on and what he was lacking in. BTW when someone tries to sell you an AGP video card for a PCI Express equipped MB I think you should work on employee training a bit.
> 
> Nuff said.


Mine was vice versa. They had a plethora of pci radeon video cards left, and one agp, and the guy was convinced I really wanted the pci, when I had expressly asked for the agp.

"But, it's, like, faster man!"

Totally, dude. Give me the agp now.

v


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## Eriksrocks

Geek Squad = Squeak GED = Just barely squeaked by on their GED!  
It's a hidden secret! 

LOL.


----------



## StumpedTechy

LOL Valis...

Well I think I one upped you a little. I got mad at the guy because if I had bought an AGP card and then tried to get it to work in my PCIE board well you know what thats spells if your a home user. At least a PCI card would work in your system!

Seriously I have a habit of not buying parts for the customer (I let them buy it and I give them exact specs as this lets them shop around if they want to) I had 1 customer that went there and I told them they needed a parallel port print server (even gave them the make and model of 3 kinds). They first came home with a USB print server. Then they came home with a Parallel to USB print cord.

What I really can't stand about it is the people there usually answer with assuredity that the part will work in your system when half the time they don't know. I have to wonder how many returns they get on computer related items due to straight incompatibility.


----------



## valis

StumpedTechy said:


> I have to wonder how many returns they get on computer related items due to straight incompatibility.


untold zillions, I am sure.

And happy birthday, btw. Be nice and I'll get you a gift cert to BB. 

Seriously though; many, many more.

v


----------



## InfernoReaper

I know u r not supposed 2 discriminate against employee hiring but isnt it going a little too far to hire a BLIND guy to work at Geek Squad at Best Buy?!?!?!?!?

Blind Guy- Wuts with yur computer?
u- Dont know i wuz hoping u could look at it *oh a burn!*


----------



## JohnT

I guess many do not check annual reviews on the so-called technicians at these major chain stores including Comp USA. None of them had a decent rating. I think the general public does not or will not take the time to try and find someone who is certified to repair their computer equipment. I am just a computer user, part time software beta tester and my equipment is important enough to me that I only let two local shops work on them both A+ and Microsoft certified.


----------



## StumpedTechy

Hahaha thank you on the B-Day thing, forgot it was on my profile!

I ended up having to travel to 3 different sites in the rain and sit outside gathering circuit numbers. Then got home for a long night of sanding the walls in prepration for us to finally have a habitable house (at the beginning of next week). FUN!


----------



## ~Candy~

Not expecting any hurricanes?


----------



## StumpedTechy

Not today... we will see how long before another one pops up. I just hope I am not the on-call technician when the power goes out.


----------



## RevitXman

Well I found this site while googling "Geek Squad" because I just got hired for their Special Agent group.

I am a current network admin and teacher for a local college, but believe or not the Special Agent position pays a lot more then my now current job. I have 3 yrs teaching various IT classes which include A+, Net+, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. I have given a lot a grief to some of the in store techs because all they know how to do is reinstall and install anti-virus/anti-spyware. That was until one of my students got hired as a in store tech and progressed to Double then to Special Agent. Yes, there are some people on the Geek Squad who are clueless, but then there are some who know how to fix the registry, know how to manually clean spyware, know how to fully secure a wireless network and know how to setup a network. There will be bad apples like someone in this thread said, but then you have the good ones who put the Geek in Geek squad. The reason why I'm leaving my current IT job is money and I want to expand my troubleshooting skills. Students can only throw so many problems at you.


----------



## neo34350

Let's Review- For all of those fresh to the post or those who don't want to read all of it

Here are the choices

1. GOING LOCAL- THE NATURAL AND ORGANIC APPROACH
-With Mom and Pop you get
Local Store and an ACCOUNTABLE HUMAN BEING to complement/complain to

-Referral by word of mouth-satisfied customers recommending the specific technician or small business- of which all the employees have vested interest in the future and success of the business

-No mixed bag technician-They count on word of mouth advertising-their success rests on their ability to please their customers.

-People who care about every customer/client to walk through their door and wish to create a lasting relationship.

-Bend over Backwards attitude to put a smile on your face

Comparable Prices if not better- I know my firm refers clients to technicians who guarantee to beat Best Buy's Prices by at least 10%- My Firm is based in Northern California, Sacramento to be exact so if you would like a referral to a shop email me [email protected]

A clean, healthy, conscience knowing you supported your community by going local

2. THE WAL-MART APPROACH-

With Best Buy you get
-Local Store Convenience- with corporate accountability- If you were to continue to complain eventually you would have to mail a letter that may or may not be read by an office in a different state.

-Complex Marketing Scheme full of Smoke and Mirrors-Cool commercials but the reality is a mixed bag of shady and good technicians, the fact that you are taking these risks and probably not saving any money going this route is hilarious- If you think you are saving money then you haven't shopped around hard enough

-No gaurantee on your Tech- even the Agents who posted here agree on this

Mixed bag of technicians ranging from White to Black Hat,(Those who are selfish and destructive versus those who genuinely care), incompetent to advanced and qualified technicians
-OH GREAT SO THERE IS A 60-40 CHANCE YOU'LL GET SOME PUNK WHO DOES ONE OF THE FOLLOWING

-unqualified makes the problem worse-Even if GS resolves it for free it still costs you TIME

-BLACK HAT-harvests your personal info, serial numbers for software- COSTING MORE TIME AND MONEY

-APATHETIC-Does the minimal to decrease service times and doesn't double check his work-This is a 9-5 job for most of them-(and to all the new hires don't bother posting til you are a seasoned agent and the corporate brainwashing wears off) costing you TIME AND MONEY

Technician and Sales combination -The one two punch to the consumer
-Any bets/doubts on referrals to in-store products versus the solution that will actually suit your needs? I've worked in retail before and know many people who work in retail hoem electronics-There is always a corporate push to get products out to make way for new ones-and with electronics there is always a reason for replacement.

again, My Firm is based in Sacramento CA so if you would like a referral, or you would like to debate or send me a testimonial about GS,email me [email protected]

The Bottom line- Working with IT Professionals for nearly a decade- GS rarely gets a referral- go local email me and let me prove it.
Best Buy is nice-although mail-in sales are useless-GS misses the mark


----------



## Alex Ethridge

http://ask.slashdot.org/askslashdot/06/06/28/0034257.shtml


----------



## TtCG

I found this thread while searching for something entirely different and couldn't help but read some of the drama.

All of these so called "professionals" arguing like little kids. I wouldn't want any of them working on my computer. I'd want someone who was polite, knowledgable, and got down to business.

The guy who used to work at GS and now works at MBST, or whatever it was (sorry, I'm too lazy right now to search for the correct acronym ), anyway - refering to your stories about taking your laptop to Circuit City (I think it was) - why would you do that when you're a "tech" yourself? Hmmm...


----------



## Daniwrites

Geek Squad stinks. They wanted to charge me $250 to come in and fix my
Brave Sentry problem. I canceled the appointment (I didn't feel good about the fact that the person on the phone had no idea what I was talking about) and the IT tech my office uses came in and also had no idea what he was doing (he almost clicked the error message causing more problems). After he spent an hour doing nonsense-- I told him I will do it myself at home. And problem fixed thanks to brendandonhu and tech guys!


----------



## coastergeekr

This topic is a little old, but I too have my own story. I was confused on what motherboard to buy for the Core 2 Duo. Well, I knew what socket and everything...basically I had it narrowed down to a few boards and I wanted to ask someone which would be best for me. I went into the local Geek Squad and asked "What motherboard should I get for Core 2 Duo? Is a certain one better than another, as far as northbridge, manufactuer, etc. go?". The idiot responded that I needed to get a motherboard with Socket 978...then he informed me I can't buy a motherboard at Best Buy, and he left. What a stupid waste of time. I came here and my questions are answered...


----------



## petersonx

My mom had a problem with Geek Squad.

With are wireless deal we get (wrt54g) we could get some *security*upgrade from geek squad for like 60 bucks. Turns out its a complete peice of crap. They lied!

First they called us and we were not home, second they called us and schedueled a date with us and on that day. They didnt come.

Second day they called and I picked up and they said Hello this is Agent Geekster and I hung up because I thought they were a big joke.

Third Time they got to us and we set up another date and they didnt come.

So my mom and I went to best buy to get a refund, they said they couldnt give us a refund cause they didnt have it on *file*. My mom thought it was total bull crap and the guy at the counter told her she needed to calm down and why she didnt answer at those dates.

My mom told him it was rude of him to ask what she had been doing and wanted a refund.

So turns out we got a refund so all that time of giving us trouble was for them to keep are money.

STAY AWAY FROM GEEK SQUAD also

when I was at the counter I saw a Geek squad member watching videos on youtube.. wow


----------



## gmcsierra99

Geeksquad are rediculous, their prices are out ragious....i was in Best Buy 1 day, and i think this guy had a Gateway laptop, brand new, HD was bad, and Geeksquad said they'd replace it 4 $250? not sure if thats high or what, i thought sooo...


----------



## Tagban

Hello,
I am an Agent at the local precinct and a lot of these posts seem very angry. I am not sure as to how other stores operate their precincts but our "Big Box" aproach entails that they are all supposed to be trained and told how to do things the exact same way.

Obviously this isn't the case. A lot of times with chain stores, its the fault of the management team, simply not training properly the way the company specifies. I will say this, Geek Sqaud in my store is legitimate, Best Buy encourages A+ Certification with flyers training videos, and online training that any GS Agent can access 24/7.

If you've had a bad experience with agents, Best Buy has actually been listening. During the last 3 months I've seen 3 agents fired for either being rude, or simply not fixing things right the first time. We have extremely redundant checks to make sure when things go wrong, that it won't happen again.

Of course, when a piece of hardware like a motherboard fries, we obviously have to ship it to the service center. I've seen computers come back several times where the problem wasn't fixed and we had to contact the service center and setup another 3 week long service trip. Thats like, worst case scenario though. I am currently certified to work on Apple Computers, as well as A+ Certified. I actually enjoy working in a retail store because I enjoy talking with and helping customers.

I'd say about 20% of the people that bring computers in, we figure out whats wrong during the Systems Analysis (which is free), and we fix it for them quickly and accurately. Heck, I had someone today bring in a laptop complaining that it wasn't booting, I simply pulled out the battery and re-adjusted it because the contacts weren't lining up properly. Then they went home and back to writing. Now yea, some people are computer saavy and woulda figured that out on their own. But what about the person, that never worked with a computer aside from maybe one a long time ago, and has no idea how these "Confounded new technology" works? 

Those are our most frequent customers and they always seem to be satisfied. I will mention my experience is ALL in-store, and no in-home. But so far, everything is going good at our precinct.


----------



## Alex Ethridge

> I will say this, Geek Sqaud in my store is legitimate . . .


Here's the link to the original article:http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,191593,00.html

The fact that the Judge issued a temporary restraining order against Best Buy is indicative that Winternals presented substantial proof at the preliminary hearing that Best Buy was, in fact, engaging in software piracy on a large scale and not just at one location.

I will admit that many of the posts here are by people who present uninformed opinions and some are silly and presented by people who make it blantantly obvious they have no business experience, especially those who complain about pricing; but, there are some also that are well founded.


----------



## Alex Ethridge

More Best Buy piracy links:
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060413-6596.html

http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2006/04/why-winternals-sued-best-buy.html


----------



## saltydawgs

i work for geek squad

you pay me almost 50- 100$ per hour to do simpliest things on your computer that you could solve by reading the flippin instructions

lol

(no i dont work for GS)


----------



## lexmarks567

Geeksquad your in the HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL OF SHAME(always wanted to do that). theres a guy on fox 2 news that puts scam people into the hall the shame.So Why not these lieing cheating (CWLMST) people.


----------



## valis

what's a hall of sham? The hall of pillow coverings?


----------



## lexmarks567

You would not be agent F1 under a "new" user name would it



Tagban said:


> Hello,
> I am an Agent at the local precinct and a lot of these posts seem very angry. I am not sure as to how other stores operate their precincts but our "Big Box" aproach entails that they are all supposed to be trained and told how to do things the exact same way.
> 
> Obviously this isn't the case. A lot of times with chain stores, its the fault of the management team, simply not training properly the way the company specifies. I will say this, Geek Sqaud in my store is legitimate, Best Buy encourages A+ Certification with flyers training videos, and online training that any GS Agent can access 24/7.
> 
> If you've had a bad experience with agents, Best Buy has actually been listening. During the last 3 months I've seen 3 agents fired for either being rude, or simply not fixing things right the first time. We have extremely redundant checks to make sure when things go wrong, that it won't happen again.
> 
> Of course, when a piece of hardware like a motherboard fries, we obviously have to ship it to the service center. I've seen computers come back several times where the problem wasn't fixed and we had to contact the service center and setup another 3 week long service trip. Thats like, worst case scenario though. I am currently certified to work on Apple Computers, as well as A+ Certified. I actually enjoy working in a retail store because I enjoy talking with and helping customers.
> 
> I'd say about 20% of the people that bring computers in, we figure out whats wrong during the Systems Analysis (which is free), and we fix it for them quickly and accurately. Heck, I had someone today bring in a laptop complaining that it wasn't booting, I simply pulled out the battery and re-adjusted it because the contacts weren't lining up properly. Then they went home and back to writing. Now yea, some people are computer saavy and woulda figured that out on their own. But what about the person, that never worked with a computer aside from maybe one a long time ago, and has no idea how these "Confounded new technology" works?
> 
> Those are our most frequent customers and they always seem to be satisfied. I will mention my experience is ALL in-store, and no in-home. But so far, everything is going good at our precinct.


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## lexmarks567

valis said:


> what's a hall of sham? The hall of pillow coverings?


Oh I see I spelled it wrong. Its the hall of shame


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## valis

twice, nonetheless.


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## lexmarks567

The hall of shame is the oppsite of the hall of fame.


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## Alex Ethridge

Thanks for educating us.


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## valis

at least you corrected it. That's good. Tell me; does misspelling it twice in one post make you a candidate for it?


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## lexmarks567

No


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## sonicty28

Hi, I have an interview with the geek squad tomorrow, I was hoping someone who has done it before or works for them could give me some pointers or questions they might ask! Thanks!!
Tyler


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## Alex Ethridge

If you can recite your ABCs, count from 1 to 10 and can walk and chew bubblegum at the same time without falling down, you're good to go.

Seriously, just be yourself, be honest, and behave as though all that mattered is that you are comfortable being yourself. The kind of confidence I'm writing about is the kind that usually comes only with age or experience, though.


----------



## sonicty28

yeah thanks, I can do that stuff and be myself no problem. I just didn't know if there were some kinds of questions they might ask that I could prepare for or brush up on. I've been working on computers and networks for like 8 years and began with a DOS computer lol. I jsut found this while searching about Geek Squad and was hoping some people had some good pointers for getting hired. Thanks!


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## lexmarks567

Just don't count on too much bussness.


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## xtac

I work at GeekSquad, and have for about 2 months now.

I can say that there are some instances where really, really stupid **** happens. Usually just people not following the paperwork, or adding in little bits and pieces in places other people generally don't look. For example, not checking a modem out when a customer brought their machine in for a full diagnostic --- which was brought upon by the modem malfunctioning. Stuff like that. Every once in a while, someone screws up a data backup. Usually this is only in wierd circumstances (i.e. someone mounting a partition in place of their My Documents folder, so that when you plug the drive into a USB interface, and you copy the entire "Documents and Settings" folder, the My Docs does not actually get copied).

For the most part, everyone is pretty knowledgable. Of course there's one or two guys (out of twelve) that don't know as much as everyone else does, but most of the guys have their **** down pretty solid. Most of us did PC repair for family members\friends\whatever before we worked there, too.

As far as WiFi networks not being locked down, that's the member of GS screwing up. No contesting that. Per SOP (Standard Operating Platform), the WiFi hotspot MUST be secured, because the agent is required to upload the WPA PSK to a GeekSquad server that maintains all of the data, so that in case the user loses it, someone has it on record.

And to be really, brutally honest. Yes, we take advantage of people. No more than an auto mechanic does, though. There's no way in hell anyone can justify $30 for a 10-minute oil change. It's easy to do. It's cheap. It takes 10 minutes. But dammit, I don't want to have to deal with it. If my neighbor would do it for me for the cost of the oil and a pizza, I'd do it without hesitation. However, having it done by a large corporation--that is legally liable for anything they screw up, and offers a 30-day work warranty (ie. if we reinstall Windows, and it fscks up, we will fix it within 30 days. Generally the user is responsible for the fscking up, but what can you do.)

I haven't read all of this thread, just the beginning and end so far, but I'm kinda outraged to hear all of this negativity. Our prices are really not all that high. For $69 we do a diagnostic. It doesn't matter if the diagnostic takes 5 minutes or 5 hours. It's $69. It's timed out to be profitable for BestBuy|GeekSquad, yes, but the consumer does win. We could just hold their machine accountable for 5 hours of work at $50 an hour (approx. what I figure we take in per man-hour). But we don't. Likewise, if it takes an auto mechanic half an hour to change your oil, it's still $30. 

$30 is still expensive, but dammit, I don't want to change my oil.

./end rant


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## lexmarks567

How much did geeksquad pay you to become a member on TSG and say how good the company is


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## RedHelix

I had two runs on the Geek Squad (took a leave of absence to work on the network staff at the MBTA) totalling about a year. I really don't care for it because half of my job is explaining to the customer why the service center is taking 2 months to fix their cheap camera or shipping things back out to service when they come back unrepaired.

Price wise, GS is expensive. But by comparison to BBY's main competitors - CompUSA's Technowledgists and Circuit City's "Firedogs" rolleyes - they're not THAT bad. One thing I can say for BestBuy is that their service plan and no-lemon policy is much, much better for the customer than CompUSA and Circuit City's. Plus, GS is way better equipped to handle everyday stuff like malware extraction and data recovery and actually uses authorized tools to do so. (You should have seen the changes that happened when that whole Ad-Aware lawsuit went down - yikes.)

That being said, I'm not going to argue that GS is the best tech support company you can go to. I'm not even going to say they're great. They're not. If you're looking for qualified, highly trained technicians in _any_ corporately-owned electronics retail store, you're either uninformed or an imbecile. That's the bottom line.


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## ~Candy~

xtac, I think you can communicate here without using censored words


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## lexmarks567

I have to wonder if half the people who become a member and post saying geeksquad is the best Are being paid by geeksquad to say that.Any one who works for geeksquad will say thats all lies where the best. Well Prove it.


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## xtac

That's almost as easy as you proving to me you're not a llama.

Sorry about the profanity . Just googled for "geeksquad spybot" and stumbled across this page (I was looking to find out what all the hubbub was about).

Anyways, like I said earlier. Sometimes, stupid stuff happens --- and it happens more in some stores than others. Just like some McDonalds are cleaner and faster than others --- on being bad doesn't make the whole company bad (not that McDonalds is a good comparison... but I think everyone can agree there are widely varying levels of quality in McDonalds).

It all boils down to one simple fact -- it's Retail. Yes, I'm going to try to sell you as much as humanly possible. I _won't_ sell you things you obviously don't need (unless that involves replacing Norton with something else, that's a "need", even though you technically have AV protection). I know about 75% of the staff I'm with feels the same way. The other 25% is split into guys who don't suggest anything because they feel horrible charging the guy who drives a Hummer with curb-feelers and just bought a 61" Plasma a hundred bucks to do a data backup; and guys who sell anything and everything they possibly can, whether good or not.

On a note about the Service Plans -- yes, the Accidental Damage and Handling for laptops is a great plan. However, the rest of the PC coverage plans are complete bollocks 75% of the time. You don't need a PSP for a desktop -EVER!. Also, I can't stand the number of times customers have been mislead to believe that their PSP will cover virus\spyware infections just to sell a PSP. I know a few new guys at our store have done this accidentally (not knowing that it didn't, in fact, cover it --- although BB is soon going to be offering Virus\Spyware PSP's) and a few nearby stores that blatantly does it. Our GM will fire anyone in PCHO (PC Home Office) who says this that she gets wind of. So it's not really a huge issue at our store unless someone comes from the next city over.


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## Vanguardian

xtac, sorry to be off-topic, but I'm going in for my final interview to become a member of the Geek Squad Tuesday. Not to be greedy, but what kind of pay should I expect, IF I do ge the job?


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## skeetsquad

I work for Geek Squad as a supervisor.

1) Rated turn time is .4 days per unit.
2) 1.3% rework.
3) I hate the company, but it pays damn well considering I make 65K for clicking a button.

I will say this straight out because I can care less about the branding. Best Buy managers control Geek Squad. We are number driven because it is a "non-commission store with a commission environment. We get big bonuses depending on how well we take your money. With that said, I am going to admit that we train our people to sell first, fix later. Keep in mind that this is a job and you can either, love working there, or love making the money there. I personally love the money. I get paid a fairly good wage to click buttons and train new employees how to take your money. We charge ridiculous amounts of money to do the simplest tasks. We easily pull in $458 per customer to fix an old PC. Why should I worry about how you spend your money? I just tell you what I will do for you and how much it costs. Simple as that. Hate Geek Squad, hate Best Buy, but ultimately, you are responsible for your own decisions. We just encourage spending. 

Now just because we like making money off ignorant people, does not mean we cannot fix a PC. We definitely can fix anything within our companys policies. I have yet in my 3 years to encounter a problem that my team or I could not fix. We have done everything from software installs up to small business server repairs. I am not claiming that we know it all, but the one thing that we do understand is that our knowledge does not stop with our employees. Certifications and degrees are worthless in my eyes. Cause there is not 1 person that knows it all. All I can say is that at least we are smart enough to use Google. We are a bunch of money hungry youngsters smart enough to admit that we do not know the answer and will go find it. 

Please continue to bash Best Buy as corporate is very ignorant as to what its culture really breeds. We are sharks and we get paid well for doing what others believe to be morally wrong.

On a side note, if you work for Geek Squad and get paid under 15 an hour, you got low balled. Either that or you have no ambition to step up and take whats yours.


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## lexmarks567

Good for you skeetsquad post reported


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## Alex Ethridge

What's to report. He/She has a right to the opinion, even if you think it stinks.

Frankly, I doubt the authenticy of the writer, though.


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## lexmarks567

Just look at his profile.He signed up just to be a (CWLMST) Also you can't contact him via email or PM  Whats that tell you.that hes not here to help or be helped.just here to be a (CWLMST)


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## dvk01

I can't anything taht needs moderator attention

IF the post is true then it's teh posters opinion, if untrue it's still his/her opinion

In the UK we have similar set up with a major chain (DSG group AKA PC World ) having a virtual monopoly of fixing computers and their service frequently leaves a lot to be desired but the aim of the company is to make money and if someone can't or won't fix themselves then off they go to the rip off merchants and pay whatever they can be charged

I do doubt that the poster does work for geeksquad but if he/she does then it's the first honest post I have seen from soemone working there who is prepared to state it like it is


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## Cookiegal

skeetsquad,

I'm going to ask you to edit your "location" in your profile and quickly please.


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## JohnWill

Cookiegal, I think it's a hit-n-run poster.


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## Cookiegal

Alas, I know.... just giving him a chance.


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## Alex Ethridge

lexmarks567,

He pushed your buttons and I think your post gave him just what he wanted.


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## ~Candy~

I agree with Cookiegal, I see nothing wrong with the post, but the location has to go


----------



## skeetsquad

To end all your ranting and raving about Geek Squad, I simply post exactly what and how it is at my store. The reason I use a fake email is so that I cannot be tracked by corporate. Just taking precautions as like I stated before, I make good money. I do not wish to lose my job. I'm sure I have heated up quite a few Best Buy associates by now. What amazes me is that you bash Best Buy, yet the moment I tell you the truth, you refuse to believe it or it makes you angry. What I told you in the previous post undoubtedly is the truth. Although there are a lot of Best Buy stores with the actual intention to "serve and protect," mines does not. You should consider yourself lucky that you did not encounter a salesteam as good as mines. My beliefs may be wrong, but ultimately, I am doing my job. Bringing in revenue, NOP(non operating profit), Margin, and adding value to the stocks. Oh hey, the stock price for Best Buy just jumped up 5 bucks in the last week...


----------



## ~Candy~

Um, actually it jumped $8  I follow stocks


----------



## skeetsquad

xtac said:


> As far as WiFi networks not being locked down, that's the member of GS screwing up. No contesting that. Per SOP (Standard Operating Platform), the WiFi hotspot MUST be secured, because the agent is required to upload the WPA PSK to a GeekSquad server that maintains all of the data, so that in case the user loses it, someone has it on record.


First off, no it is not SOP to upload customer info to a server. That is against Customer Privacy(Take your e-learnings and get trained properly). There is something called a reset button...If you press it, you can set the router back to default in order to access it and reprogram it. About 50% of the in-home agents out of the 40 that I know, are worhtless. They do not know how to do half the work expected of them, yet they are cocky becuase they drive the car. We are expanding too fast and cannot keep up with quality man power.



xtac said:


> And to be really, brutally honest. Yes, we take advantage of people. No more than an auto mechanic does, though. There's no way in hell anyone can justify $30 for a 10-minute oil change. It's easy to do. It's cheap. It takes 10 minutes. But dammit, I don't want to have to deal with it. If my neighbor would do it for me for the cost of the oil and a pizza, I'd do it without hesitation. However, having it done by a large corporation--that is legally liable for anything they screw up, and offers a 30-day work warranty (ie. if we reinstall Windows, and it fscks up, we will fix it within 30 days. Generally the user is responsible for the fscking up, but what can you do.)


Secondly, we do not warrant work for 30 days. We have no warranty on any software repairs. We only have a 90 day warranty on hardware related repairs. XTAC, you are a prime example of what these posts are originally about. Your lack of SOP knowledge is horrible. Although, I do not blame you, it is your supervisors responsibility to train you properly. Once again, another Best Buy Management Screw up. Good Game. You just Pwn'd yourself.


----------



## skeetsquad

AcaCandy said:


> Um, actually it jumped $8  I follow stocks


touché, either way it is good news to me. I own quite a few of those bad boys and I get 15% below the lowest cost in a quarter.


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## ~Candy~

Sold mine in February.................looking for a really big dip now


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## Cookiegal

Thanks for the edit skeetsquad.


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## valis

cookie, your never-ending patience is a continual reward in it's own right.


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## Cookiegal

Thanks Tim.


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## ~Candy~

Well, I do share some little pills with her every once in awhile 

We can't post it here, unfortunately


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## valis

all I will state on the matter is that both of you (heck, ALL of you) have shown loads more patience with our fellow man/woman than I have been known to........definitely something to learn FROM, which is a trait to be admired.......

and little pills can be fun in their own right.


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## phatmattrat

I've honestly never had any personal experiences with the Geek Squad, and have only seen them out and about a couple of times however I'm under the assumption that I could very easily grab the job granted I had a more "pleasing" job history in the public service sector. I'm sure my experience with computer hardware and even my limited knowledge of software would be more than enough.

I don't feel good with myself charging any more than $20 for virus cleanup, $40 for an OS install (including driver updates, applicable service packs and Microsoft updates), and $100 for a computer build. I've done all of these many times in the past and have had only good experiences and feedback. Something which I haven't heard so much about the geek squad. Hell I even do some of these things for free for friends. The only thing I always charge for is a computer build unless its a single component hardware install.


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## skeetsquad

phatmattrat said:


> I've honestly never had any personal experiences with the Geek Squad, and have only seen them out and about a couple of times however I'm under the assumption that I could very easily grab the job granted I had a more "pleasing" job history in the public service sector. I'm sure my experience with computer hardware and even my limited knowledge of software would be more than enough.
> 
> I don't feel good with myself charging any more than $20 for virus cleanup, $40 for an OS install (including driver updates, applicable service packs and Microsoft updates), and $100 for a computer build. I've done all of these many times in the past and have had only good experiences and feedback. Something which I haven't heard so much about the geek squad. Hell I even do some of these things for free for friends. The only thing I always charge for is a computer build unless its a single component hardware install.


Anyone with half a brain can get a job at Geek Squad in store, but you wouldn't get one as an in-home agent. $20 for a virus cleanup...Thats like $5 an hour. Charging something that low is ridiculous and a waste of your time. Business wise, that would be your downfall. Now if you are doing it just to help a buddy then that is a whole different story. 4 to 8 Scans are ran, manual registry removals, then windows file system integrity scan, repairs, and updates... Thats a lot of work to do for $20. I'm not sure how thorough you are with your work, but it doesn't seem like enough if you only charge $20.

I would also assume that most of you out there that can fix a PC are using pirated software. Even if its a freeware or shareware, those are not meant for commercial use. So take into account the price for commercially licensing 20 different titles, as well as manpower, utilities, and margin. anything under 100 to do a complete job is undercharging.


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## jp1203

phatmattrat said:


> I've honestly never had any personal experiences with the Geek Squad, and have only seen them out and about a couple of times however I'm under the assumption that I could very easily grab the job granted I had a more "pleasing" job history in the public service sector. I'm sure my experience with computer hardware and even my limited knowledge of software would be more than enough.
> 
> I don't feel good with myself charging any more than $20 for virus cleanup, $40 for an OS install (including driver updates, applicable service packs and Microsoft updates), and $100 for a computer build. I've done all of these many times in the past and have had only good experiences and feedback. Something which I haven't heard so much about the geek squad. Hell I even do some of these things for free for friends. The only thing I always charge for is a computer build unless its a single component hardware install.


I charge mostly by hour (10/hr if you're a friend (relative, former teachers, neighbors) 30/hr otherwise)

The thing is if I'm doing an OS install of Win2k or something it could take an hour if drivers are easy to find, but I've had some cases where I've spent long amounts of time trying to find them (I had a Gateway GP5-166, that was a nightmare! Gateway didn't provide drivers for half the components in the machine!)

For Virus/malware removal I could be dealing with a few easy to remove items or a bunch (I've seen around 5000 spyware with 100 viruses and trojans) of trickies where I need to do manual registry removals and more.

Often times I advise the people to have me backup their documents, make sure I know all the apps on it, and have them get their OEM disks and let me format it. That can save a lot of time, but I usually don't mention it unless there's so much damage it would take incredible amounts of time to get it to normal.


----------



## valis

skeetsquad said:


> Anyone with half a brain can get a job at Geek Squad in store, but you wouldn't get one as an in-home agent. $20 for a virus cleanup...Thats like $5 an hour.


must be one helluva virus if it takes 4 hours to clean it.


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## Stoner

The cleanup times do seem to be getting longer and more involved from what I've seen in the TSG help forums.
Just read the other day that there are now some malware writers experimenting with writing into periferal hardware ( an apparent flash process) so that the malware survives a format or even zeroing out of the hard drive. That's going to be tough to diagnose and expensive to repair if it does come about.


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## valis

two words: Nuke/pave. Works every time, no data lost, total time expended, including installing all drivers and software generally about 90 minutes.


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## Stoner

I take a drive image of my own comps.
Twice I got corrupted from bad MS critical updates with 98se and re imaged in less than 10 minutes.

When I was learning how not to screw up a computer, drive images saved my bacon more than once


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## skeetsquad

Customers are usually willing to spend the extra money to have it repaired rather than set back to default settings. But thats just from my experience.


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## valis

valis said:


> two words: Nuke/pave. Works every time, no data lost, total time expended, including installing all drivers and software generally about 90 minutes.


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## skeetsquad

That doesnt solve configuring software, network connections, and personal settings. These things are only what the customer knows and its worth the money to them rather than the hassle.


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## skeetsquad

Maybe im just blessed to be in a rich area?


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## Stoner

Having run an auto repair business in a rich neighborhood, I found the rich to be amoung the worst of whiners when it came time to pony up on the final bill _
But at the same time, they were more willing to keep their expensive machinery on the road


----------



## gurutech

I've had people balk at my $75/hour.... I explain to them that they could have spent twice as much or more taking their PC to the geek squad, plus the $75/hour I charged them for actually fixing the problem...


----------



## Colossus610

I work for an IT Consulting firm that tries to avoid doing home-user related problems, but occasionally we acquiesce...in one particular occasion we recieved a call that a lady wanted to pay us to setup her SBC DSL, sure why not - piece of cake right?
When the tech arrived onsite, she happened to mention that her cd/dvd drive had not been behaving properly. The tech that had been sent out did take a look at it but as he had only been sheduled for the DSL setup had other engagements and could not afford much time to look at the trouble. He informed her that if she were to call the office we would be happy to send himself or another tech the next day to look at the cd drive(no charge as she was close to the office).
Total charge for this: $99 us

Forward to three weeks later, my boss come into the tech bench area and asks myself and the other techs what possible connection can be plugged into an Optical drive upside down....
[enter creepy silence and blank stares of incredulous disbelief at our bosses' inquiry]
I was the first to state that there really are no cables that can be improperly connected to a cd/dvd drive as they are all notched or keyed in one form or another with the exception of the rare 40 wire IDE ribbon that may not have the key notch, but even still, it has the one pin blanked out so even then it's not really an option. You've got 
4 pin molex- one way
39/40 pin IDE - keyed
4 pin audio - one way clip
4 pin SATA data - one way keyed
7 pin SATA power - one way keyed
the way I see it, anyone(a complete moron notwithstanding) can figure out the required connections for an optical drive.

Anyway, turns out she had called Geek Squad to figure this out and after 2 hours I believe was the time billed, the geek says the problem was a cable was plugged in upside and was the cause of the problem.
Total charge for this: $265 them

I'm the second youngest tech at my place of employment with 4 years of in-industry experience and hard at work obtaining my MCSE 2003. The next youngest has 3 years of true industry experience. None of us would be so daft as to go out of our way to find a non-keyed EIDE ribbon cable and jam it into a Plextor cd/dvd drive (or whatever cable it was)



Oh, and one last thing verbatim copy-paste from geeksquad.com in regards to wifi setup
Setup of wireless encryption for a wireless network (WEB 64-BIT Minimum)
Ummmm, ya .....WEP maybe ya mean?!!?!?!(WPA's still better)


----------



## jp1203

When people complain about my rates I give them a sheet with Geek Squad's prices for certain things VS my price.


----------



## Colossus610

Colossus610 said:


> Oh, and one last thing verbatim copy-paste from geeksquad.com in regards to wifi setup
> Setup of wireless encryption for a wireless network (WEB 64-BIT Minimum)
> Ummmm, ya .....WEP maybe ya mean?!!?!?!(WPA's still better)


This no longer applies, maybe we have someone from Geek Sqaud actually paying attention, these errors were fixed shortly after my post.


----------



## gurutech

At least one geek squad guy knows to get the real answers here!


----------



## noname321

Geek squad agents do not work for commision just an hourly rate, thank you


----------



## gurutech

And most of them are "entry level"....


----------



## AgentMaki

Ok all, I just joined this to get in on the action in here...Now as you may be able to tell, i for one am an agent for the Geek Squad. I have 4 years of continuous training and i'm still in college for my Network Management Degree, I have passed the CCNA course, and am getting ready to take my A+ Cert within the next month. After I get that cert. i will be going for my Microsoft Certs and or even a C++. 

Now on the issue of hiring incompetent people, at least at my store, when i got hired in, they actually tested my abilities, as well as everyone else who has been hired there. So if you have dealt with incompetent Agents, then that store must not be following hiring guidelines. One, i for one wasn't interviewed by my store manager, i was FIRST interviewed by the Supervisor, and the senior of the precinct, then by the Services Manager. So i had to go down a serious path to become an agent. All of our agents at our precinct, KNOW what they are doing, and i'm sorry you feel that Most of all agents are incompetent. But i WILL agree with you on one thing....

Our prices are pricey, but at least at our store, you will get your moneys worth, because you have agents that know what they're doing. I will admit the 250 dollar visit to the house to screw up the clients computer was a little if not of the utmost, outrageous, and there is no excuse for that. 

My point is, don't dogg ALL agents just because the few that do suck, make all of us look bad, because there are guidelines and harsh MINIMUM qualifications, to become an agent....But i guess i'll look at it this way, One apple ruins the whole bunch!! Thanks alot!!

K. Maki


----------



## valis

tell you what, I bet this thread has increased the account number more than any other thread on here.....but I think that's been mentioned before.....

maki, I'll tell you what I've told hte rest; I've been to 3 G.S. stores, and all 3 were incompetent and were obviously working on spiffs. Heck, one guy was trying to sell me the pci (not the pcie) was markedly faster than the agp. 

I've known people that have gotten their machines back with cd's in teh case. Ozzy Osbourne, to be exact.

Oh well, to each their own.


----------



## AgentMaki

Well then, i guess the other stores in our company don't hire for what they know, apparently they only hire according to what movie they like. But i know, at least at our store, we do our best so the customer doesn't not come back, but doesn't come back for the same issue. Lets say, we strive for perfection. Unfortunately from what i hear, i can't say the same about the rest...
K.Maki


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## ~Candy~

Ozzy Osbourne does movies?


----------



## valis

yeah, I didn't get that either.....


----------



## AgentMaki

oh..no no..lol..i meant way back in the earlier posts of this thread, one poster stated that the GM in that interview asked what movie that they liked and they replied the hulk or something and the GM said that that movie sucked and the interviewee never heard from BB again...hmm...makes you wonder...lol


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## gurutech

Maybe it was the way the person answered the movie question.

Some interviewers throw in "dummy" questions just to see how someone reacts, or to see their thought process in coming up with an answer, regardless whether the answer given is correct or not.


----------



## drgoodtrips

AgentMaki said:


> Ok all, I just joined this to get in on the action in here...Now as you may be able to tell, i for one am an agent for the Geek Squad. I have 4 years of continuous training and i'm still in college for my Network Management Degree, I have passed the CCNA course, and am getting ready to take my A+ Cert within the next month. After I get that cert. i will be going for my Microsoft Certs and or even a C++.
> 
> Now on the issue of hiring incompetent people, at least at my store, when i got hired in, they actually tested my abilities, as well as everyone else who has been hired there. So if you have dealt with incompetent Agents, then that store must not be following hiring guidelines. One, i for one wasn't interviewed by my store manager, i was FIRST interviewed by the Supervisor, and the senior of the precinct, then by the Services Manager. So i had to go down a serious path to become an agent. All of our agents at our precinct, KNOW what they are doing, and i'm sorry you feel that Most of all agents are incompetent. But i WILL agree with you on one thing....
> 
> Our prices are pricey, but at least at our store, you will get your moneys worth, because you have agents that know what they're doing. I will admit the 250 dollar visit to the house to screw up the clients computer was a little if not of the utmost, outrageous, and there is no excuse for that.
> 
> My point is, don't dogg ALL agents just because the few that do suck, make all of us look bad, because there are guidelines and harsh MINIMUM qualifications, to become an agent....But i guess i'll look at it this way, One apple ruins the whole bunch!! Thanks alot!!
> 
> K. Maki


Personally, I have no experience with the "Geek Squad" (aside from seeing commercials for it)). What exactly are the hiring qualifications? Does it require some sort of IT degree or certification program?


----------



## phonephreak

They seem to hire mostly A+ cert. techs. Iwas in the PC biz for a long time and I can tell you that most A+ are a danger to themselves. No offense to the good ones!


----------



## drgoodtrips

phonephreak said:


> They seem to hire mostly A+ cert. techs. Iwas in the PC biz for a long time and I can tell you that most A+ are a danger to themselves. No offense to the good ones!


What's "A+ Cert."? Personally, I'm a software engineer, which tends to give me just enough IT knowledge to muddle through any application/networking/security issues on my own, but not enough to really know what I'm talking about in terms of the PC service/repair industry.

Edit: Nevermind, I mustered up the energy to use my google finger and found this: http://www.jidaw.com/whatisaplus.html 

Sounds like it gives a general working knowledge of the nuts and bolts of OS/peripherals. I have a lot of respect for people who work in the service/repair industry - I've done some freelance work here and there "fixing" people's machines, and it requires a lot of patience. Dealing with end-users and their bonehead problems on a regular basis would infuriate me. At work, we have the "product management" department to do that, so I get to sit at my desk with headphones all day, writing code...


----------



## geeksquadhater

I went to the geeksquad store in Denver with my Dell laptop. I told the guy that it just stopped working and he said that it would have to go to Chicago to be opened up and examined. They took $100 off me and overnighted it to Chicago (it took 3 days!!!) so when I called back to the store for the diagnosis, the guy told me that it needed a new motherboard - costing $800. I asked what was wrong with it and he said "it just needs one"! I said that if I brought a car to a mechanic and he told me that it needed a new engine, i would want to know what was wrong with it.

Anyhoo, i called back and he had an update. "The DC jack came loose and there was power arcing all over the motherboard and thats what did it" was the official explanation. I disputed this so he got the tech to examine it to explain the diagnosis (I include the email that I received). Anyway, I got dell to come to my house to fix it. The Dell tech lifted the strip with the on/off button on it and the ribbin cable was loose. He pushed it back onto the pins and Bingo, working again. Its obvious that geeksquad didnt even open the laptop as to do so would have meant removing the strip with the on/off button.

Geeksquad are total and utter amateurs. I wouldnt trust them to change a lightbuld. And dealing with the sack of vomit in the denver store was painful. I have learned my lesson.

EMAIL FROM GEEKSQUAD

Fred Deichler
Precinct Chief
Denver, CO ~ Precinct 1205
(720) 533-9780 x4010
Analytical - Maximizer - Competition - Deliberative - Consistency - MacGyver - Google - MRI BDE

From: Wegehaupt, Michael
Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 11:29 AM
To: Deichler, Fredrick
Subject: RE: further information needed

A few capacitor and resisters ( the ones that are supposed to protect from overvoltage situations)

Michael Wegehaupt
Laptop Technician III
Geek Squad ALR Lab
630.588.
Animis opibusque parati
- Prepared in minds and resources (ready for anything)

From: Deichler, Fredrick
Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 12:27 PM
To: Wegehaupt, Michael
Subject: RE: further information needed

Any idea what kind of components are around that power connection that could have been arced? This guy probably would like to know.

Thanks,

Fred Deichler
Precinct Chief
Denver, CO ~ Precinct 1205
(720) 533-9780 x4010
Analytical - Maximizer - Competition - Deliberative - Consistency - MacGyver - Google - MRI BDE

From: Wegehaupt, Michael
Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 5:32 AM
To: Deichler, Fredrick
Subject: RE: further information needed

Hi Fred,

This was a Dell which even after I tried to resolder the DC jack the unit still would not register that there was power getting to the sys brd. When the DC jack mounting pins break free of their solder points there can be decent amounts of arcing and damage to the board resultant there of. In the case of the Dell it uses a good deal of power, around 5-7 A, in close proximity to other power distribution components, and those electrical spikes from the arcing would have cause the problem.

Hope this helps

Michael Wegehaupt
Laptop Technician III
Geek Squad ALR Lab
630.588.
Animis opibusque parati
- Prepared in minds and resources (ready for anything)

From: Deichler, Fredrick
Sent: Monday, July 17, 2006 6:08 PM
To: *GSS610Laptop
Cc: *precinct1205
Subject: further information needed

Michael,

I have a client who wants specific reasons behind his motherboard failing and what "part" of it failed. The ticket is 00610-860868256. I need this information ASAP.

Thanks,

Fred Deichler
Precinct Chief
Denver, CO ~ Precinct 1205

(720) 533-9780 x4010

Analytical - Maximizer - Competition - Deliberative - Consistency - MacGyver - Google - MRI BDE

//sent from a Geek Squad Remote Terminal (aka OWA)

Reply	Forward	Invite Fredrick to Gmail

Deichler, Fredrick 
<[email protected]> to me
More options 18/07/06

Fred Deichler
Precinct Chief
Denver, CO ~ Precinct 1205
(720) 533-9780 x4010
Analytical - Maximizer - Competition - Deliberative - Consistency - MacGyver - Google - MRI BDE

From: Hamilton, Ronalddale
Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 2:10 PM
To: Deichler, Fredrick
Cc: Wegehaupt, Michael; Ringelestein, Don; Patterson, Ayesha
Subject: RE: further information needed

Good Afternoon,

Whenever you have an arcing situation any components in the area of the DC Jack could be affected. Within that area are resistor, transistors, capacitors, filters, and mosfets. If there was a short to ground then damage could have occurred to the Northbridge or Southbridge chip, or there could be problems with the Power controller itself. The scope of our job here at the Service Center is to not repair the boards themselves, that wouldn't be cost effective to the customer if we were to spend several hours troubleshooting (without schematics) and replacing components on the system board. We are to troubleshoot down to the part that is bad and quote that part to the customer.

I hope that this answers your questions and clears up any concerns the customer may have with our diagnostic.

If the customer is interested in finding out what truly caused this situation he would have to send this board out to the Manufacturer and ask them as they have all the schematics and engineering drawings for this motherboard. Remind him that schematics on their brand are proprietary and is not allowed to be distributed to the public.

Ron Hamilton
Laptop & GSS Team Lead
Chicago Service Center 610
630-588-4708

Competition|Focus|Futuristic|Includer|Achiever

From: Deichler, Fredrick
Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 2:22 PM
To: Wegehaupt, Michael
Subject: RE: further information needed

Client is stating that this is impossible.
- Show quoted text -

Fred Deichler
Precinct Chief
Denver, CO ~ Precinct 1205
(720) 533-9780 x4010
Analytical - Maximizer - Competition - Deliberative - Consistency - MacGyver - Google - MRI BDE
- Show quoted text -


----------



## gurutech

Did you get your $100 back? If the tech said they tried re-soldering the laptop, but Dell just reseated a cable, then either the GS tech never put it together properly, or never took it apart in the first place, and you should get your money back.


----------



## geeksquadhater

I didnt get any money back off them, in fact I had to pay more to them to get the laptop returned so that I could give it to Dell. After I got the report back from them, I called the shop a few times and spoke to that Fred character in the email. I explained that I had a masters in Electronic Systems and that I didnt believe their diagnosis - he said that it didnt matter and that they werent going to release the laptop until i paid the remainder of the $100. I told him that the DC output of the transformer wasnt enough to cause all the "arcing" that they said caused the damage - he said "this conversation is over" and hung up on me. 

I then went on the geeksquad website trying to find a head office number to put in a complaint but there is none. I eventually (like after a week of leaving numbers on voicemail and sending emails etc) spoke to a guy from best buy who told me that the guy that i was dealing with was the head of the denver store and that there isnt anyone higher than him to complain to.

Like I said, I found the whole experience from start to finish of dealing with geeksquad to be a total scam. They send away the laptop, someone presses the on button, writes New Motherboard on the form and sends it back. You disagree and they say FU buddy, pay us. You try to complain but there is no one to complain to. AVOID.


----------



## Guest

> I didnt get any money back off them, in fact I had to pay more to them to get the laptop returned so that I could give it to Dell. After I got the report back from them, I called the shop a few times and spoke to that Fred character in the email. I explained that I had a masters in Electronic Systems and that I didnt believe their diagnosis - he said that it didnt matter and that they werent going to release the laptop until i paid the remainder of the $100. I told him that the DC output of the transformer wasnt enough to cause all the "arcing" that they said caused the damage - he said "this conversation is over" and hung up on me.
> 
> I then went on the geeksquad website trying to find a head office number to put in a complaint but there is none. I eventually (like after a week of leaving numbers on voicemail and sending emails etc) spoke to a guy from best buy who told me that the guy that i was dealing with was the head of the denver store and that there isnt anyone higher than him to complain to.
> 
> Like I said, I found the whole experience from start to finish of dealing with geeksquad to be a total scam. They send away the laptop, someone presses the on button, writes New Motherboard on the form and sends it back. You disagree and they say FU buddy, pay us. You try to complain but there is no one to complain to. AVOID.


if you want something done right...you have to do it yourself.

it "can" save you a trip to the shop and your hard earned money.

learn enough about computer technology to be able to solve your own PC problems.

and even your friends problems....and your friends friend problems.

or you can always come to TSG for free help.


----------



## dungeonguard

I'll tell you about my 'wonderful' experience with Geek Squad...

Alright, I received a Linksys router for Christmas, which wouldn't wirelessly connect to my Xbox 360 or any of my family's laptops. The day after Christmas I took it to the Geek Squad counter at Best Buy. I was very specific with what was happening. All the (particularly nasty word that isn't allowed on these forums) who was working there could say was "I can't tell you an answer because you have not provided enough information." Hello, I printed out about 10 pages of stuff from my computer, error messages with the router, etc. I got a response "Sorry, we can come out to your house and install it for you for $120." I got so angry at this guy, I stormed out of Best Buy after I returned the item and drove off to Circuit City.

When I got there a very nice young man helped me choose out a good router. I got it home and had some minor problems. Luckily he gave me his work number so I could call if I had any problems. I told him exactly what was going on and he simply walked me through troubleshooting. I am so happy and appreciated his help because this was my first wireless network. Now I have a great network!

-Simon


----------



## jp1203

I'm a bit annoyed with them again. I have once again send someone off to get a Wireless G Router, with which some Geek Squad guy talked them into getting a range expander. WHY? My router easily covers my house with 4 and 5 bars, which is about double the size of theirs, and you can carry a signal for almost a tenth of a mile in every direction! I tried it before I put in the range expander and it covered their yard with 3 bars at the furthest point. Of course they insist on the range expander. I did secure the network with WPA, but did not hide the SSID as their sons come up and visit them with their lappys and they don't want to have to remember the password and name.


----------



## jp1203

...and I got someone who wants me to put in an N router for them (they do a ton of hard-core gaming between wireless PCs, but aren't that technically minded). Apparently they had GS put in their G one when it came out, but they had their lappy and other desktop connecting to the neighbors secured network, also failing to secure theirs which has Verizon 15 MBit Fiber running to it. They wondered why people were sitting on the side of the road in pickups with PDAs and Laptops.


----------



## lexmarks567

dungeonguard said:


> I'll tell you about my 'wonderful' experience with Geek Squad...
> 
> Alright, I received a Linksys router for Christmas, which wouldn't wirelessly connect to my Xbox 360 or any of my family's laptops. The day after Christmas I took it to the Geek Squad counter at Best Buy. I was very specific with what was happening. All the (particularly nasty word that isn't allowed on these forums) who was working there could say was "I can't tell you an answer because you have not provided enough information." Hello, I printed out about 10 pages of stuff from my computer, error messages with the router, etc. I got a response "Sorry, we can come out to your house and install it for you for $120." I got so angry at this guy, I stormed out of Best Buy after I returned the item and drove off to Circuit City.
> 
> When I got there a very nice young man helped me choose out a good router. I got it home and had some minor problems. Luckily he gave me his work number so I could call if I had any problems. I told him exactly what was going on and he simply walked me through troubleshooting. I am so happy and appreciated his help because this was my first wireless network. Now I have a great network!
> 
> -Simon


me I would have thrown the router at the guy then end up in jail for assult


----------



## dungeonguard

lexmarks567 said:


> me I would have thrown the router at the guy then end up in jail for assult


Ha ha, yeah, I was seriously thinking of doing that. Stupid nerds in their little VW Beetles...


----------



## gurutech

I actually applied to the GS, as a part time tech, just to pay off some bills that have been piling up, and guess what they told me:

"You're overqualified for this position. We're looking for someone with basic troubleshooting experience, who can resolve simple customer issues, and for tougher issues, we need someone who can "upsell" to the customer."

What a crock of (cow-patty material)! If they're so into making money, why don't they hire competent techs who can actually fix the tougher issues, and let them make GOOD recommendations to their family and friends, to bring in more business to the GS. Instead, they are taking the few customers they do get, and ripping them off, almost as much as the gas stations!


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## dungeonguard

Gosh, that sounds horrible. Not applying there! I think I'll go with Firedog.


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## woodss

I have watched a youtube movie about geek squad, I am from Australia and the country I am from have a fair share of crooks, I have been using and servicing compters since the early 90s, and I have seen far worse so called techs from Geek squad.

On the youtube video the lecturer of a computer repair college, disconnected a IDE cable on a Dell computer, then a person possed as a computer owner, prior of disconnecting the IDE cable the computer was working perfectly, all the geek squad needed to do is inspect the computer and reconnect the hard disk, instead they thought it was a bad power supply.

I am sure they found it was a bad hard disk, but decided to report it was the power supply just to make more money on the customer, I bet they manufactured a new fault.

It sometimes pays for the owner to learn computer repair themselves.


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## Guest

> It sometimes pays for the owner to learn computer repair themselves.


it always pays off to learn to do computer repairs yourself.

if you want something done right....you have to do it yourself.


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## woodss

I have been fixing PCs since the early 90s and I know when a customer is just wasting my time, 98% of the time the customer is genuine and another 2% the customer just wants attendtion.

One of my customers whom I call Dominic has mucked around with his computer just to have me to fix it.


----------



## RedHelix

I've worked for Geek Squad for close to two years part-time.

Nah, I'm not going to rush to justify all of the foulups. I'm not going to lie - we have our fair share of completely incompetent techs who make it through the screening process. However, there's one thing that you guys should be aware of that will help Geek Squad make sense to you:

Most of the time, applicants are NOT interviewed by a technician or any member of the techbench. This is because even the highest-ranked in-store technician (the DCI) is not a manager and cannot approve hiring authorization. So instead, they usually have a sit-down session with a HR person or store manager, and are asked a batch of cookie-cutter "somewhat technical" questions such as "How do you explain warped picture in a CRT?" and "What is FDisk?"

Hiring incompetents is an ongoing problem for us, and I outwardly blame our parent company - Best Buy - for it. Our GS employees-only forum recognizes this issue and has even gone so far as to define these incompetents as "Timmies." When you do something stupid in our diagnostic software like try skip logging the results of a virus scan, there are actual dialog boxes that come up and say "No no... try again, Timmy."

On the plus side, the average lifespan of a Timmy at the workbench is 3-4 months. Usually the DCI will recognize his stupidity and rezone him to something harmless like repair shipping or peripheral sales and he'll eventually quit. The reason you see so many incompetent GS techs on TV and from anectdotes is probably because we go through Timmies like popcorn. I've seen 5 guys come and go at an 8-man techbench in the past year, one having lasted less than a week.

Meanwhile, the competent (and certified) techs stick around. It's a shame that they're usually in the back room fixing the machines instead of working out front, giving the customer a true representation of how things actually work around here.

And yeah, our pricing is pretty high compared to mom-and-pop-shops. But we're not competing with them; we're competing with Circuit City and CompUSA. In that respect, our pricing _is_ competitive.

Finally, I want to stress this heavily: GS does not require certification, though it is strongly preferred. By that, I mean we usually don't hire uncertified techs unless we really need more bodies at the workbench (which is almost always the case, hence Timmies.) If we only hired A+ or MCDST guys, we would never be able to keep our staff full because honestly: What highly-qualified technician _wants_ to work for Best Buy?

As for Firedog, a couple of items for comparison:
-Firedog/Circuit City is not authorized by manufacturers to repair the PCs they sell. If you've got a Compaq desktop under the standard 1yr warranty, you CANNOT have it repaired by Circuit City on behalf of the manufacturer. We actually have Circuit City customers come to us for repairs because we're an HP/Compaq-Authorized service center.

-From what I've seen at 5 stores surveyed, they do not have the equipment nor means to back up data from a non-booting laptop. I've even been told by a Firedog that it's impossible and that you have to just bite the bullet and reformat. They WILL charge you $69 to fire up a laptop, see that it doesn't boot, give up, and call it a data backup attempt. That's just embarassing.

I've got a few personal horrifying Firedog stories as well, but eh.


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## jp1203

See what you mean there...I went to ask where the AGP vid. cards with DVI interfaces were. he was trying to tell me my machine would take a PCI-Express (which it won't) and for some reason he acted absolutely sure my monitor wouldn't take DVI (and it does). He also tried desperately to persuade me to get Vista Home basic instead of 2000 (since he said it would work better with the card I was looking at), as he said that that was probably all I'd need for an OS. How in the blazes does he know what _I_ need. I can't run home editions of things for several reasons. I told him I'd be sticking to 2000 and when it got hopelessly outdated I'd move over to Linux. He told me I wouldn't want to do that and it was probably too difficult to install/use. That's when I told him I'm running OpenSUSE on my server, have installed various distros dozens of times and to get lost.  He's one of the nuttiest I've seen. I really doubt there's many at all like that.


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## valis

RedHelix said:


> If we only hired A+ or MCDST guys, we would never be able to keep our staff full because honestly: What highly-qualified technician _wants_ to work for Best Buy?


retail, my friend, sucks. I did it for a long time.

Now, if GS was paying good, that's different. But I like having the day after Turkey Day off, which is why I got the heck out of dodge.


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## woodss

I don't like incompetent people to work on computers or printers, it makes the competent techs scream like mad.

I do not like geek squad, from the sounds it from it said from you tube, full of incompetent techs, that shouldn't be working on computers.

I have stories about a group of incompetent people called EIT these people are very incompetent they gave my family friend a computer that kept turning itself off, we checked it over and it turned out to be a faulty board.

I have been in this business since the early 2000s and a trained person as well from college, and I believe I am more competent than most Timmie's.

After the youtube video, I am now Anti-Geek Squad


----------



## Alex Ethridge

> Finally, I want to stress this heavily: GS does not require certification, though it is strongly preferred. By that, I mean we usually don't hire uncertified techs unless we really need more bodies at the workbench (which is almost always the case, hence Timmies.) If we only hired A+ or MCDST guys, we would never be able to keep our staff full because honestly: What highly-qualified technician wants to work for Best Buy?


Keep our staff full? Is that the objective? My mistake, I thought it was to help real paying customers solve real problems.

If every company hired only competent techs and turned away the incomtents and the work they could not handle, then there would be doors opened for others to see there is a real need and fill it. But, as things are, why would anyone look at a field full of mediocre to poor techs and want to be associated with that group.


----------



## RedHelix

It's fairly difficult to help customers solve their issues _without staff,_ experienced or inexperienced.

You're being frustratingly idealistic. If we only hired certified, experienced techs we would not be able to keep enough bodies at the bench to actually get any work done. We tried it and it didn't work.

I reiterate: This is because when you take CompTIA exams, it's not so you can go work retail tech support.


----------



## Alex Ethridge

> It's fairly difficult to help customers solve their issues without staff, experienced or inexperienced.
> 
> You're being frustratingly idealistic. If we only hired certified, experienced techs we would not be able to keep enough bodies at the bench to actually get any work done. We tried it and it didn't work.


I take issue with the "frustratingly idealistic" comment. It is obvious to me that an incompetent tech at the bench, or the counter, gives only the _the appearance_ to the customer that he/she is being helped. That is the reason so many come away from Geek Squad with these stories critical of not just the work done but also the _person_ who did (or more accurately attempted to do) the work.

The first rule in anyone's work should be to do no harm. In other words, never ever leave anything in worse condition than you found it. That also means that when a tech encounters a situation that requires a level of expertise beyond his capability, he should back off and bring in outside help. I've done it many times, myself. If I can't find that help, I simply apologize to the customer and decline to work further--and he gets no bill for services.

Now, in comparing the service philisophies, here's what I come up with: My pholosophy gives the customer good work and a good fix or nothing at all. Your philosophy may leave many customers with good work; but, it's a crap shoot for the customer. He also may have just been fooled into _thinking_ he got good work. And he'll find out later he was jerked around and jilted out of good money for poor service AND had his time wasted.

I am more than certain that if Bust Buy posted a sign over the "customer service" desk that said 
*"80- or 90% of our techs are competent to do your work and 10- to 20% aren't. Take your chances; but, you pay the same price regardless."*
You would then be fair to the customer. Just about anything is fair if the customer goes in knowing it. But Best Buy/Geek Squad is much too loyal to the stock holders to be loyal enough to the source of the money--the customer.

And that is the bottom line and no knowledgable cunsumer advocate will ever agree otherwise.

I'll write it again. Geek Squad/Best Buy has not realized their most valuable asset is not their stock holders, not their buildings, not their reputations, not their stores full of stock, not even their employees; it is their customers. But, the management philosphy you are advocating treats the customer as a cash cow.

If you cannot hire enough qualified techs to do all the work that comes to you, you should turn away the work you can't handle. The market will adjust and someone will take up the slack.


----------



## RedHelix

You're way, way too quick to go for the throat, Alex, and you're not taking the time to understand what I'm saying.

Not even for one second have I endorsed the way Best Buy does their business. I've never said I think hiring Timmies is an acceptable business practice, and I've certainly never said that we guarantee meeting customer expectations.

However, after spending enough time in retail hell I've found that Best Buy is going to impose their mediocre business practices on GS regardless of what I and the GS community thinks. We need staff, and we need to meet budget and bring in revenue to keep people on. Those two needs are dependent on one another. Turning customers away is not an option.

Now, if that means having a Timmy to run interference for customers while I'm reseating a proc, that's something I have to deal with. I agree with your philosophy and always put it into practice in my side business. But with GS, I have to make a choice between that philosophy and my paycheck. Tough call.

Do I think people should go to mom-and-pop shops over us for qualified service? Absolutely. I've seen people get ripped off by local techs, but overall the experience is better.

However, given our circumstance, do I think people have a right to get upset with the service at GS? Considering how we're not even allowed to _pick our own staff_, I say give us a break for crying out loud. I would like nothing more than for the public to be made aware of how difficult BBY makes it for us to deliver quality service to our customers.

And for the record, I'm outta there next month.


----------



## Alex Ethridge

My post was not a personal attack on any one person. I am criticizing Best Buy/GS business philosophy because I think their loyalty is imbalanced--too much in favor of profit and not enough in the direction of giving the customer value for his money.

And turning customers away whom one is not qualified to handle, or hasn't the qualified personnel to handle, is and always should be an option. Send me ten customers, eight of whom I am qualified to handle and two of which I am not, and I will turn two away. To do otherwise, at worst borders on outright dishonesty and at best, one has to lie to himself.

I reiterate: BB should turn away the customers they cannot handle properly. The market will adjust. To do otherwise, damages public trust.

I can't speak for others here; but, I am discussing business philosophy as it seems to be applied by Best Buy/GS.


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## filetap

Let me clarify a few things that are incorrect in this thread.
I am a firedog tech. I am currently A+ certified and per Circuit City Policy I will be a microsoft certified professional by the end of the month. Circuit City only allows techs to remain uncertified for 3 months. 
We ARE an HP / Compaq Authorized Repair center and we commonly have people come over from geek squad to us to fix things that the geek squad did to their computer. Our prices are almost half of what the geek squads are and generally speaking, our technicians know much more about what were talking about. If you don't believe me, come to circuit city in burlington, ma and Ill be happy to show you.


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## valis

not to be a wisenheimer, but I didnt' realize that someone had called you a non-firedog tech.


----------



## filetap

ok,
fair enough. Let me provide an example of what im talking about.
I had a customer bring in a laptop that they had taken to geek squad for a diagnostic. 
The computers screen was dead. GS diagnosed it as a dead fan. They said there would have been no additional damage. The heat was so bad it had melted some of the board.


----------



## valis

not surprised at all. Having said that, I've had horror stories about CS; my instinctual reaction is to steer people towards the small mom and pop shops for their computer needs. That's where I do most of my shopping for hardware, hitting best buy or CS for stuff like games, dvd's, bags, joy sticks, etc.....

only had one bad experience with a mom and pop shop, and that was a guy who was convinced that I needed to upgrade to 2 gigs of pc2700 instead of one gig of pc3200. Problem was, I didn't WANT 2 gigs, nor did I need it. So I got what I wanted, and haven't been back since. No big.


----------



## filetap

I have a feeling that since circuit city has a 3 month certification cap, you are less likely to end up speaking to a morron. Also we hire in a slightly different way. You interview with the senior firedog tech for the position.


----------



## valis

Again, I'm not knocking CS at all....I shop there, and if you guys still sold laptops with xp, I would have bought one there this past weekend. 

BTW, you chose a really bad word to misspell there. 

later, man, off to school. I'll check on this tomorrow.


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## filetap

Sorry about the mispell, im just back from work, its draining. Any how, im kind of bummed that we don't sell xp laptops any more. We have a few left over from a month ago but not many.


----------



## RedHelix

filetap said:


> Circuit City only allows techs to remain uncertified for 3 months.


I interviewed for Firedog when it first launched and both the CC HR director and senior technician told me certification is preferred but not required. Exact same story as GS.



> We ARE an HP / Compaq Authorized Repair center


No kidding?



HP US Service locator said:


> Nationwide authorized support providers:
> 
> Best Buy
> 
> CompUSA
> Call 1-800-469-8360 for service locations
> 
> Radio Shack


And one of my clients (my side-business, not GS) was turned away from CC for repair because he was only covered by HP's warranty and did not have a CC extended warranty. They told him they were not authorized to perform the repair under HP's 1 year warranty because as it says right there on HP's website, they are not an HP/Compaq-authorized support provider. This only happened a month ago.



> and we commonly have people come over from geek squad to us to fix things that the geek squad did to their computer. Our prices are almost half of what the geek squads are and generally speaking, our technicians know much more about what were talking about.


That's great that you have competent technicians and anectdotal evidence to show Firedog isn't a complete waste of money. Unfortunately, it doesn't change the fact that 4 out of the 7 techs working at the CC near our store are former GS agents that were fired for either insubordination and/or incompetence. Now, I'm not saying Firedog as a whole is garbage, but I will argue that the local representation of Firedog here is _terrible,_ just as the local representation of GS in your area is bad.


----------



## filetap

We just recently became an hp authorized service provider. We are also a Microsoft Gold Partner. That is because we have over 700 Microsoft Certified Technicians. Certification is not required when you are hired, however, you must be certified within 3 months.


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## gurutech

What about the store you work in? Does your particular store have HP Certified techs, or is it the Firedog organization that has HP Certified techs, and your store is "under their umbrella"?

I know several smaller companies that operate under the umbrella of a larger company so they can consider themselves "certified" by a vendor.


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## filetap

Our particular store has IBM certified laptop techs, but no certified hp technicians. We only do minor hp repairs on site. Such as ram replacement, hd replacement motherboard swaps ect. We are under the umbrella of the chains certified techs.


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## Alex Ethridge

Certified? What good is it? I regularly see "certified" techs who don't know the very basic things. All the certifications mean is someone learned the answers a certain percentage of a list of questions.

About a year ago, I was at BB's service counter when a "certified tech" was attempting to help a customer. The meeting was brief, very brief. The "certified tech" decided he needed to take a quick look inside the case and then proceeded to remove the cover from the *WRONG SIDE* of the case. The customer, obviously being knowledgable of this and realizing he was in the presence of gross incompetence, quickly grabbed the computer from the counter and walked out without another word.

The "certified tech" looked dumbfounded and just stood there for a few seconds in silence with screwdriver in hand and then said, "What in the world just happened with him?".

I was about to tell him what a dumb thing his potential customer, err . . uhh . . potential *victim*, just saw him do; but, I caught myself when I saw that A+ thing on his shirt. I figured if he was A+ certified and didn't know which side of a case to open by now, he didn't deserve to know.

So much for certifications.


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## filetap

Im not going to tell you that it doesn't happen, however, Firedog techs also receive pc repair training from day one. Management assumes you know absolutely nothing even if you are certified.


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## gurutech

I hope the managers aren't the ones doing the training! I've worked for companies where the management knows less than the techs.


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## filetap

The tech lead does the training.


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## Atol

It funny I had a A+ cert tech come to my house on the behalf of Aleinware. He adds artic silver 5 on a laptop and it a Large amout. I told him that not going to work. He disagree with me. But 100c cpu and 110 gpu agree with me. I sent it back the second time to Aleinware.

Now I m going to the Oem Supplier for Aleinware to solve a Problems.

Funny thing about Geek Squad is you can ask them about new Tech. like core 2 quatro. I think that how it spelled. Then they tend to go UM UM we dont have that.


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## filetap

Im not going to deny that there are those certified A+ techs out there that don't deserver to be. Also, someone who was an A+ tech has no training on the inner workings of a laptop. So that shouldn't have been the only training he had.


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## Couriant

The problem I have seen with some of the techs I know is that some of them are book-certified rather than experienced-certified, as in they passed the exams by studying in books rather than having actual experience. I have a friend that has passed the MCSE exams all from studying. He has no experience in Windows 2003.

It doesn't help when you have websites that have all the questions (can't remember the website right now), selling them etc.


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## filetap

As I mentioned, there are certainly those techs out there without any practical experience.


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## gurutech

All a paper certificate tells you is that you spent too much money studying something from a book that you should have gotten the experience by actually doing computer work....


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## Guyzer

Nobody is born with experience so schooling is a good way to start. The rest comes after while on the job.


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## valis

gurutech said:


> All a paper certificate tells you is that you spent too much money studying something from a book that you should have gotten the experience by actually doing computer work....


funny thing about those little pieces of paper, though, is that they tend to look a bit more impressive on a resume than no little pieces of paper do.


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## Couriant

valis said:


> funny thing about those little pieces of paper, though, is that they tend to look a bit more impressive on a resume than no little pieces of paper do.


and get you a little bit more in your income


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## valis

Couriant said:


> and get you a little bit more in your income


yup......funny how that works, eh?


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## Couriant

amazing...


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## Alex Ethridge

I agree. The certificate means you _might_ be trainable. The problem is that too many are put into service without sufficient training. A ceritficate is next to worthless by itself.


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## valis

you can make that statement about ANY qualification of ANY type; I've known (literally) rocket scientists that I won't let touch my pc, and f-16 pilots that have all the common sense god gave a jelly doughnut.


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## Alex Ethridge

The fact that there are people so incompetent in every profession from garbage collectors to surgeons that they should find another line of work, is nothing new.


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## Atol

I look and read and I still dont know it all. The areas I dont know I do my research. Problem with big change store vers Small tech stores. The people in the small stores tend to know More for they want to be able to sell you the best. Now Geeksquad I dont know what test they done but Building a computer is child play. Following How to guides for a video card. If they get a problem installing they call the company that make the Video card.

I see this with the alienware Techs. I tell the tech if the laptop start at a cold start and run sp2004 the laptop fan will not kick on. Oh we change the heatsink Fan. They did that the frist time. I did the same test It overheats. Let send you thermal gel they even had a tech come out that was a joke in it self.

Techs view. Oh laptops tend to get hot. I was like Ya that where the fan comes in. Please note the fan did not kick on untel 107c. His answer to that was mybe your stressing the laptop to much. I was like ya so when I was playing a java base game, website and Winamp. It to Stressful? I was like that was only 20% of cpu Useage.

Here a picture listed below. of a area 51 5550i laptop core 2 t7600 2.33ghz 4mb cache, 2gb of ram, Geforce Go 7600 256mb ram.

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/8590/cpuandgeforcetempea7.png


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## jp1203

WOW, that's running HOT! 

I have a very similar issue with an IBM Netvista that has baffled absolutely everyone I have talked to. Fans spin in the BIOS, but the instant it boots to anything they shut off. My solution? Run Speedfan minimized on startup (so it's just an icon in the tray) and set it never to lower the fans to less than 20%, and raise them up to 100 if needed. It works fine, but I really wish I could figure out why it does that.


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## Couriant

yeah 100oC is really really bad.


----------



## zippydateck

dr911 said:


> Hey All,
> 
> I've read reports concerning " Geek Squad"........here is the link: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff170242.htm
> 
> I live near the Best Buy Headquarters in Richfield, MN, and I too think the Geek Squad is ridiculous. Besides for Best Buys incredibly high prices, their young computer technicians seem unqualified, especially when you buy a PC and they assume that you want to pay 79.99 for Norton Antivirus without the CD, so they install it on the thier PCs.
> 
> One time Best Buy left that Geek Squad Software installer in a PC of someone whom I know, I checked out the CD, it was nothing but a CD full of Software Installers, and Microsoft Windows XP Key Generators and cracks which violates Microsofts Windows Laws. And this software was created inside of the Best Buy headquarters for the Customer! Just for myself, I made a copy! These people called for the CD and wanted it delivered back to their store ASAP! I hope Microsoft is okay with Best Buy using illegal CD keys to install there software onto a customers PC. So the next time you decide to bring your PC into Best Buy, and they re-install Microsoft Windows XP, check your version of Windows for a Legally valid CD Key!
> 
> Anonymous - Eagan, Minnesota
> U.S.A.
> 
> Just my 2 cents worth !!!


Fyi ... I work for geek squad as a SA (Special Agent) I just wanted to clear some things up. 1 # Best Buy/ geek squad was sued for piracy YEARS ago. Then the MRI disk was created. It is our all in 1 tool. It contains ONLY programs we are liscensed to use/ install. No geek squad agent will ever have a keygen, atleast on the job. being caught using anything other than whats on MRI gets you instantly FIRED!!! We dont use keygens / hax or any other Grayware. if your Pc comes in not validated it goes out that way, unless we sell + install a valid copy of windows.

I appologise If you think you know everything about us but... long story short if you were half as competent as us you wouldnt be using these forums for help. BTW I only created this account to respond to this jackass and the moderators can feel free to close my account. Long story short for the 39$ per hardware install and the miesley 29 $ for software. You can just go pay an IT teck 100$ bucks an hour for all we give a ****.

PS. 
Im Best buy/ Microsoft certified as well as Comp tia A+ and Cisco. Working on linux based run time enviorments now. So as far as incompitant goes let me know when you can actually write registry files.. Kthxbie

~zip~


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## valis

funny part about that is we fix 'em for free.


----------



## dr911

zippydateck said:


> Fyi ... I work for geek squad as a SA (Special Agent) I just wanted to clear some things up. 1 # Best Buy/ geek squad was sued for piracy YEARS ago. Then the MRI disk was created. It is our all in 1 tool. It contains ONLY programs we are liscensed to use/ install. No geek squad agent will ever have a keygen, atleast on the job. being caught using anything other than whats on MRI gets you instantly FIRED!!! We dont use keygens / hax or any other Grayware. if your Pc comes in not validated it goes out that way, unless we sell + install a valid copy of windows.
> 
> I appologise If you think you know everything about us but... long story short if you were half as competent as us you wouldnt be using these forums for help. BTW I only created this account to respond to this jackass and the moderators can feel free to close my account. Long story short for the 39$ per hardware install and the miesley 29 $ for software. You can just go pay an IT teck 100$ bucks an hour for all we give a ****.
> 
> PS.
> Im Best buy/ Microsoft certified as well as Comp tia A+ and Cisco. Working on linux based run time enviorments now. So as far as incompitant goes let me know when you can actually write registry files.. Kthxbie
> 
> ~zip~


To:zippydateck or Kthxbie .whatever your nick-name is: You have "brass-b*lls for joining a "well established" like TGF !! I like "valis" stated......


> funny part about that is we fix 'em for free.


 We at TGF have learned and helped a lot of people, If you look on the "web" for any "complaints against "Geek Squad", you WILL find countless complaints against them (GS).

Also, if you are so "good" at writing" files, maybe you could write yourself a "Spell-Check" program !!! :down:

My three cents worth !!!


----------



## valis

well said, doc....


----------



## Stoner

zippydateck said:


> Fyi ... I work for geek squad as a SA (Special Agent) I just wanted to clear some things up. 1 # Best Buy/ geek squad was sued for piracy YEARS ago. .........................


Best Buy settled out of court last year for violating a copyright agreement with Sysinternals.

http://enterprisenetworksandservers.com/newsflash/art.php?650

Maybe you don't know as much as you think you do.


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## valis

I know I don't know half as much as I think I used to know, but about a third as much as I should.


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## Stoner

I know how to ask for help ..._


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## Couriant

zippydateck said:


> long story short if you were half as competent as us you wouldnt be using these forums for help.


Half the people (49.9%) come here because of bozos like you, mr (or ms) know-it-all, and the other 50% come here to help people that have been to bozos like you, or at least don't want to pay for a bad service.

Yes I know there is 0.1% remaining... those are the bozos (like you) who come here sprouting things (then leave) that you guys are great and the customers are the idiots (see the DELL thread) where in fact the problem lies in your services (I'm not specifically saying YOU you, but YOU Best buy, Circuit City, Dell etc) and you are to hard headed to realize that.

Until you companies actually understand customer service, you will be *****ed at, and in other places too.


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## valis

complete agreeance, couriant....as usual.


----------



## gurutech

Zippy - if you have all those certs, why are you working at BB/GS? You should have a job at a Fortune 500 company supporting internal users.

Funny though how you only mentioned certs that have already been posted in the forum....


----------



## Shairel

Geek Squad doesn't even require any certifications of it's seniors, supervisors, or field techs, they say that there will be a deadline for certification but it keeps getting bounced back and back and back.
They do not care for technically apt people, but lean more toward people whom are more sales oriented.


----------



## gurutech

Well, they're opening up a Best Buy right down the road from me, so when it's finally running, I will get a chance to "test" the GS crew...


----------



## valis

a. What is a dongle?

b. What does 'PC' stand for?

c. Who is Bill Gates?

d. What is your middle name?


----------



## Compiler

After reading many of these messages...

1 - The CD/DVD tools discs: Pretty MUCH all TECHS have their own discs with ALL their tools on it. Some will have various flavors of Windows.. ie: Customer comes in with a PC without the Install CD... but its a legit system, the tech can install an SP1 compatible WinXP to the system - the update it. re-install software that the customer owns, etc... or install testing tools or freeware, etc etc. of course - this doesnt apply to key-generators.

2 - I find that GS prices to be VERY high - for their service and their parts! $40 for a bloody 6foot USB cable? Walmart sells APC brand for about $5-8. Gotta have the gold-played connectors for a reason... right?

3 - I'm sure there are some competent techs at BEST BUY or any other business. All companies have the capacity to hire SKILLED techs or retards with CERTs... which many times are somewhat easy to get. A friend was just getting a CERT. for MSCE - when I came by a visited... I noted a few problems with the PC and told the friend how to fix them... simple stuff. I have meet people who DO know what they are talking about at best Buy and other stores... but I'd consider it a RARE thing.


----------



## lexmarks567

zippydateck said:


> Fyi ... I work for geek squad as a SA (Special Agent) I just wanted to clear some things up. 1 # Best Buy/ geek squad was sued for piracy YEARS ago. Then the MRI disk was created. It is our all in 1 tool. It contains ONLY programs we are liscensed to use/ install. No geek squad agent will ever have a keygen, atleast on the job. being caught using anything other than whats on MRI gets you instantly FIRED!!! We dont use keygens / hax or any other Grayware. if your Pc comes in not validated it goes out that way, unless we sell + install a valid copy of windows.
> 
> I appologise If you think you know everything about us but... long story short if you were half as competent as us you wouldnt be using these forums for help. BTW I only created this account to respond to this jackass and the moderators can feel free to close my account. Long story short for the 39$ per hardware install and the miesley 29 $ for software. You can just go pay an IT teck 100$ bucks an hour for all we give a ****.
> 
> PS.
> Im Best buy/ Microsoft certified as well as Comp tia A+ and Cisco. Working on linux based run time enviorments now. So as far as incompitant goes let me know when you can actually write registry files.. Kthxbie
> 
> ~zip~


good for you we come to this forum because of idots like you who mess up our computers so we will bring it back to you so you can rip us off more. face it your just jealous cause we work for free and know more then you do.


----------



## dr911

Hi All,

*You are NOT going to believe *some stories about Best Buy & Geek Squads....let's say "unethical' practices !!

Here's one.



> as a former agent. geek squad is designed to take as much $$ from customers as humanly possible.
> 
> for a case like this an agent would want to charge $199 for "adv diagnostic & repair" basically what this would cover is removing the spyware & cookies on your PC. it also covers (in theory) finding out why IE is crashing and resolve the problem. installing windows updates etc.
> 
> The reality is that no geek agent is trained on how to troubleshoot blue screen errors or crashes on windows. and the tools they use are automated scripts on a fancy geek squad CD. so in this case they would run some memory scanning utilities, a DFT disk utility (telling them if the Hard drive was physically OK or not) and some stress tests.
> 
> at this point if everything "passed" you would get a phone call that "must be a windows problem" we need to do an OS reinstall. bring in your OS disks (this reinstall is included in the price above) but you really should backup your data for $159 more. let's say you say "ok" you get back a basic Clean XP install and your data on a backup CD.
> 
> two week later you reinstall all your apps data etc and the problem reoccurs. after spending close to $400 good luck trying to get a refund as labor is non refundable.
> 
> if you thought you were smart and tried to checking a PC for the basic $69 diagnostic because windows was running slow. they would place it on the shelf for a day. then call you back and say.. it needs a tune up $39 or an additional $129 security service. either way your not getting out without at least a $130 bill.
> 
> unfortunately it gets worse.
> 
> I have been told by a current employee at my old store. due to labor cuts nationwide (my opinion an attempt to fool wallstreet on earnings reports soon to be released) -nobody in geek squad is actually working on your PC When it's left in. it sits on a shelf for literally days. he is so busy checking in new PC's & collecting your $$$. no agent at the store has time to actually work on your unit.
> 
> it now gets hooks it up to a private VPN, where a "geek agent" (actually an outsourced company hired by best buy - in a 3rd world county.. works on your PC. (although they are bond by best buy corporate policy on protecting your privacy this 3rd world country, are there actually any laws in that country if they decide to steal your data, nor does the disclaimer you sign state work maybe done by people outside of the USA)
> 
> ***WARNING: to Girls using geek squad -protect yourself. if your a college girl or have a teen daughter be Warned.. I can't tell you how many times as the only female in my precinct I caught guys offering "free data backups" on Girls PC's. they were kind enough to backup all the photos of you & your friends hanging out at the beach or cheer camp etc onto their own personal USB devices. although probably a violation of company policy. I reported it and nobody was fired simply. a manager saying at a meeting. if it is happening. it needs to stop."
> 
> Geek Agents are NOT trained
> 
> best buy will claim they offer training to geek agents & they have passed tests on windows Vista. the reality is it's not classroom training. it's sitting in the middle of the store sales floor on a PC doing e-learning while both customers and managers interrupt you. one day (2 years ago) I had 10 lessons to take which The official training said it would take 5 hours to complete. when I brought this to the attention of my store service manager. he handed me a list of answers to the test and said just complete the tests it should take you 30mins. when I explained I need time to actually learn the material he said "do it on your own time"
> 
> the store does offer "morning meetings" where they claim training occurs. but it's mostly watching a video produced by the best buy corporate of some employee dressed up like superman (best buy man) talking about destroying the evil shrink monster
> 
> if you asked a manager to pay for Microsoft certification classes as part of your job. (say a $300 class or full $1600) you would get laughed out the door. tuition re-reimbursements programs only cover "college credit" courses and you have to be a "full time" student and a "full time" employee and of course your classes can't interfere with your work availability.
> 
> while there are a few good techs (as individuals) working for geek squad. overall the company structure & stupid managers have turned it into sales people hired as techs. and geek "seniors" telling you to push more services to meet "sales numbers" for service. I would avoid them at all costs.
> 
> Kristy - Beverly Hills, California
> U.S.A.


Link: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff231793.htm

How about "abuse" child labor laws ??

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff221771.htm

There are plenty more here:
http://www.ripoffreport.com/results...mit2=Search!&q4=&q6=&q3=&q2=&q7=&searchtype=0

Have fun & please, stay away from GS. Try to support your local "mom & pop" stores instead !!


----------



## Compiler

Thanks for more inside scoop, Dr911! When I charge $150 or so for working on someones computer - it is ACTUALLY my time spent working on their systems.

I do cut home-users a break... ie: if severe problems takes 4hrs to fix, I won't bill them for $300 (well, unless they are rich). A guy who thought I couldn't make it fast enough to his home - paid some tech about $150 to tell him this 5+ year old gateway was dead. he wanted me to double check it. I told him a bit more info, but it was still not worth fixing in under 10mins of looking at it. IE: This PC is sooo OLD, the amount of time, impossible parts or expensive slow parts wouldn't be worth it... I'd have told him the news for $25. I made $150 in getting him something NEW and better.

At a BEST BUY with my dead digital camera... standing in line for GS - I saw a custom pay about a $300 service bill for a PC worth $50 or so. Some junky Celeron 500mhz gateway (when we have new AMD-2500 systems going for $500 off the shelf)... when I can, I try to warn people about such things. ;(


----------



## Killazys

Best buy? Wow. For your gaming needs: Gamestop.
For any computer tech needs: Techguy, Castlecops, or WildersSecurity.
For any technology(in general) software: HP, Microsoft, Alienware
You go to BestBuy to get the best ripoff money can buy. That's all there is to it.


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## Compiler

I don't agree about what you have to say about BestBuy. Their prices are quite fine for B&M business. Since FRYs has moved to legit business (limited or no grey market) - FRYs, Best Buy, Circut City... and most other stores have about the same price for everything. RadioShack is expensive. Walmart sells stuff cheap - but its usally junk.

Now, I get stuff from Costco - so sometimes they have great package deals, but nothing recently.

CastleCops, wilderSecurity....? Don't know who they are.


----------



## Killazys

Hm. Check it out. Pretty good forums, CastleCops has a lot of different anti-malware programs, and an HJT guide. Wilders is nice too. (www.castlecops.com, www.wilderssecurity.com)


----------



## Taloran

I currently work for Geek Squad in washington dc. I have witnessed the disorder that can become of combining big business and personalized computer services. However i do not see this "lack of competence" that many of you seem to refer to. The agents at our precinct have between 5-25 years IT experience, only two of our agents are without prior experience (meaning that they did IT work as their passion and not their career and may be pursuing a career with IT) and to assume that geek squad does not screen new employees for competence would be foolish and probably over-critical of something you know next to nothing about. And the prices, Geek Squad is likely one of the only major computer services companies that actually charge flat-rate for services, meaning that you know what you are paying for when you drop your unit off. Even if you have worked at a geek squad location and had a bad experience, to discount an entire company based on your lack of work ethic and/or abilities is also foolish. Our precinct has a 2-day turn time, meaning your computer comes in on monday and you pick it up on wednesday. and for the "take as much money as you can and run" comment earlier, this is entirely false as i am told daily to assess a customer's needs before charging them anything, my department often falls under budget with no reprisal from our MOD or SUP due to the fact that it is VERY often recommended to customers to purchase a new machine rather than throw money away on repairs that would cost the same amount. - Taloran


----------



## SIR****TMG

Thank God...taloran has been given a brain.People like him who cares about the customer and can tell them the truth. Buy a new machine.............


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## Couriant

Taloran - If you notice, most of the people are from different areas, so to say that the service is below par would be the correct statement.

Not to discredit your store, I'm sure that there are some stores that have good people, but it looks like its not.

Anyways, this is a complaint thread, of course you will see nothing but negativity


----------



## Taloran

I would expect no less, I do believe that at least 3/4 of the bad experiences listed here in this thread are true, however i believe that sometimes people chirp in and add their two-cents even if its a lie. Regardless i will continue to provide people with an honest service, i have actually been disciplined for going out of my way to help a customer. But it feels good to help people who do not have a skill that seems to come naturally to me. And to all you mom & pop shops i really support you guys. Geek Squad will never make you obsolete so long as you are able to provide the type of personalized customer service expected from a small business. one last thing. As for the legitimacy of best buys proprietary software i.e. the MRI 4.6.1 and the MRI Customer, DFT. These programs have been legitimately acquired from their manufacturers/designers. Best buy would most certainly not put their reputation and integrity on the line for a few million in saved software costs that would likely cause them to lose at least 100 * that amount. so whoever said that earlier needs to get their information straight. A little research into what you are talking about to confirm your data never hurts and at the least will keep you from looking like someone who just wants something to complain about.


----------



## Compiler

I am from Texas - and I have seen both good and bad... I have seen GS rip off people, and I have meet sales people who KNEW what they were talking about - they don't last long of course 

No company has the BEST or the WORST in every dept.... other than M$, they pretty much screw up everything... other than the sidewinder joystick  Funny how M$ no longer makes a usable gaming mouse heheh.


----------



## jp1203

Compiler said:


> I am from Texas - and I have seen both good and bad... I have seen GS rip off people, and I have meet sales people who KNEW what they were talking about - they don't last long of course
> 
> No company has the BEST or the WORST in every dept.... other than M$, they pretty much screw up everything... other than the sidewinder joystick  Funny how M$ no longer makes a usable gaming mouse heheh.


Had to comment about that, I've got a Sidewinder Precision Pro and I've used a whole bunch of newer joy sticks and I haven't found anything I like as well as it. Only other truly good accomplishment I can think of is Windows 2000. That OS is so solid it's crazy. Haven't managed to crash any 2k box left other than times when it was my fault and I sort of forced it. XP is nowhere near that stable, will never lose my love for 2000, still got it on one machine. I've actually thought about downgrading this XP Pro to 2000,


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## Compiler

I had the original twist-stick Sidewinder - it had to be replaced due to damage from someone else - and USB. So I still have the LAST M$ Sidewinder joystick... its dusty - since I haven't played Flight sims for a long while. But Logitech is the closent joystick I can find today.


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## jp1203

http://ec3.images-amazon.com/images/P/B00000JDFT.01._SS400_SCLZZZZZZZ_V1057212490_.jpg

There's mine...I have a little MIDI to USB adapter on mine, love that joystick. Friend just got a Logitech, it's pretty good but given the choice I'll keep my sidewinder.


----------



## Rockn

lexmarks567 said:


> good for you we come to this forum because of idots like you who mess up our computers so we will bring it back to you so you can rip us off more. face it your just jealous cause we work for free and know more then you do.


Who is the we you are lumping yourself in with? I never see you in any of the technical forums, maybe you should work for GS!


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## Rockn

Taloran said:


> I currently work for Geek Squad in washington dc. I have witnessed the disorder that can become of combining big business and personalized computer services. However i do not see this "lack of competence" that many of you seem to refer to. The agents at our precinct have between 5-25 years IT experience, only two of our agents are without prior experience (meaning that they did IT work as their passion and not their career and may be pursuing a career with IT) and to assume that geek squad does not screen new employees for competence would be foolish and probably over-critical of something you know next to nothing about. And the prices, Geek Squad is likely one of the only major computer services companies that actually charge flat-rate for services, meaning that you know what you are paying for when you drop your unit off. Even if you have worked at a geek squad location and had a bad experience, to discount an entire company based on your lack of work ethic and/or abilities is also foolish. Our precinct has a 2-day turn time, meaning your computer comes in on monday and you pick it up on wednesday. and for the "take as much money as you can and run" comment earlier, this is entirely false as i am told daily to assess a customer's needs before charging them anything, my department often falls under budget with no reprisal from our MOD or SUP due to the fact that it is VERY often recommended to customers to purchase a new machine rather than throw money away on repairs that would cost the same amount. - Taloran


With that much experience in the IT industry it kind of makes you wonder why they are working at BB! Either they can't cut it or have some other issues.


----------



## Couriant

Rockn said:


> Who is the we you are lumping yourself in with? I never see you in any of the technical forums, maybe you should work for GS!


just a little out of line there rockn... the truth, but still out there 



Rockn said:


> With that much experience in the IT industry it kind of makes you wonder why they are working at BB! Either they can't cut it or have some other issues.


I totally agree.


----------



## Compiler

Heheh.... Even back in the days of the IT fallout from a few years ago - some people said I should work for BB/GS (before GS joined BB) type of business.

I told them I couldn't. While I don't mind selling PC hardware, etc... I have a problem with management telling me WHAT they want to sell. Its business, its their right - and its how ALL stores function. But I couldn't look a customer in the face and sell them something they don't need... or a $40 USB cable when a $7 one is just as good.


----------



## jp1203

Drives me nuts when they do that, they told a teacher who runs the yearbook that they should get a 4 gig CF card, which they did, for several hundred dollars. Three years worth of pictures and he's using around 700 MB. Nothing's been deleted either, and the old stuff really should be because he gets it mixed up so much.

Also, probably complained about this before, but he got a Super G router for his house, they talked him into buying a 40$ range expander, which was absolutely not necessary as it already easily reaches into all the next-door neighbor's houses. They should know that Wi-Fi should easily cover an average house and yard without any problems.


----------



## jp1203

Oh yeah, and they had it set up by the GS (the router) since I was out of the area for a week

They had it secured with WEP for some odd reason and put the SSID as their street name. I changed it to WPA and used something random for an SSID and turned off broadcast of it. Guess the SSID doesn't matter too much, but why WEP?


----------



## Alex Ethridge

Different results: I see situations frequently where the router inside the house gets out across the street and with still 80% signal while on the far end inside the same house the signal is weak enough to require a better wireless or a range expander.

It's the walls that have to be penetrated that cuts the signal. Having to penetrate six walls and a floor can put a signal down to unusable--depending on the composition of the wall. I had a service call a couple of years ago where it wouldn't penetrate one wall to get to a computer six feet away but was strong across the street. We found out later that between the two drywall sides of it was concrete block and I guesses it might have even been wire reinforced--maybe the equivalent of a wave reflector.

Every circumstance is different and distance isn't the only factor.


----------



## valis

biggest problem I've always had with wireless is that people put the router on one side of the house, a big metal refrigerator in the middle of the hosue, and the other pc on the other side of the house, and then wonder why it work anywhere but the far side of the fridge......


----------



## Compiler

You get the range extender - when it needed, thats the difference.


----------



## dvk01

Totally agree alex

I had a recent case where everybody was puzzled why a wireless wouldn't work in any of the downstairs rooms when the router was in the front room( living room) by the cable inlet

worked upstairs OK in bedroom immediately above that room but not in dining room or kitchen etc 

Turned out that the internal walls had needed replastering before they moved in and the builders had used a new style of plasterboard that acted as insulation as well and was lined in aluminium foil that was supposed to act as heat reflector so no signals were getting through at all 

It's the simple out of sight things that cause most problems


----------



## jp1203

Compiler said:


> You get the range extender - when it needed, thats the difference.


Exactly. They didn't need it, but the GS people had them buy it before they knew if they would or not, and of course they don't


----------



## chris341

This is why my friend has me fix his =))


----------



## GS_EP

Hello! I am a geek squad agent and for the record whats the big deal with using freeware to diagnose a persons machine and inaddition not all stuff on our bootable cd is free ware just memtest and DFT. we have a scan that runs over everything and in addition to a software based scan we also have add in pci and pci express cards that diagnose the problems. But, back to the freeware issue ... often times people are not paying for the software we use they are paying for the time and knowledge we use. You people make it seem like diagnosing a computer is some difficult task and its not most hardware can be diagnosed without software... if the machine posts that is. But, we use the software to show the owner of the computer what was wrong people dont like things that are not tangable. So regardless you may think geek squad is a rip off but, its better than paying 60-80 dollars an hour for. 129 bucks for two PCs networked in your home plus we turn on file and printer sharing not a bad deal for someone who doesnt know what they are doing. Nice thing about not charging hourly is .... well if it takes us 1 day or 1 year we will finish it for one price and lastly your are just mad cause we have cool outfits


----------



## valis

yup, the outfits win me over every time.


----------



## Compiler

valis said:


> yup, the outfits win me over every time.


Future GS Uniforms for girls... when there is a girl... and if she's hot or kinda hot.


----------



## valis

I just like the fact that I can come to work in my hawaaian shirts and levi's if I want to. The only time I have to wear a uniform is when I go offshore, and then it's just a hard hat and steel toed boots.


----------



## Compiler

Well... that SOUNDS PERVERTED!!

All naked and greased up on a oil-rig with just a hard hat and shoes?


j/K.


----------



## lexmarks567

GS_EP said:


> Hello! I am a geek squad agent and for the record whats the big deal with using freeware to diagnose a persons machine and inaddition not all stuff on our bootable cd is free ware just memtest and DFT. we have a scan that runs over everything and in addition to a software based scan we also have add in pci and pci express cards that diagnose the problems. But, back to the freeware issue ... often times people are not paying for the software we use they are paying for the time and knowledge we use. You people make it seem like diagnosing a computer is some difficult task and its not most hardware can be diagnosed without software... if the machine posts that is. But, we use the software to show the owner of the computer what was wrong people dont like things that are not tangable. So regardless you may think geek squad is a rip off but, its better than paying 60-80 dollars an hour for. 129 bucks for two PCs networked in your home plus we turn on file and printer sharing not a bad deal for someone who doesnt know what they are doing. Nice thing about not charging hourly is .... well if it takes us 1 day or 1 year we will finish it for one price and lastly your are just mad cause we have cool outfits


no your just mad cause we work for free and don't want to pay your outrages prices just so you can come out and screw up the computer more then what it is and then try to sell us something we don't need and won't work with the computer


----------



## dr911

GS_EP said:


> Hello! I am a geek squad agent and for the record whats the big deal with using freeware to diagnose a persons machine and inaddition not all stuff on our bootable cd is free ware just memtest and DFT. we have a scan that runs over everything and in addition to a software based scan we also have add in pci and pci express cards that diagnose the problems. But, back to the freeware issue ... often times people are not paying for the software we use they are paying for the time and knowledge we use. You people make it seem like diagnosing a computer is some difficult task and its not most hardware can be diagnosed without software... if the machine posts that is. But, we use the software to show the owner of the computer what was wrong people dont like things that are not tangable. So regardless you may think geek squad is a rip off but, its better than paying 60-80 dollars an hour for. 129 bucks for two PCs networked in your home plus we turn on file and printer sharing not a bad deal for someone who doesnt know what they are doing. Nice thing about not charging hourly is .... well if it takes us 1 day or 1 year we will finish it for one price and lastly your are just mad cause we have cool outfits


Hey....GS_EP,

You got a *LOT of Nerve* coming to TGF......let me explain what TGF means....read slowly....Tech......Guy.....Forums. Posting your 1st post defending GS, someday, after the guilt of "over charging" people, you might consider a "real" job !! Am I typing to fast for you ?? And speaking of "freeware".....you might get a "spell-check" freeware also !!

Like "Lexmarks567" stated


> no your just mad cause we work for free and don't want to pay your outrages prices just so you can come out and screw up the computer more then what it is and then try to sell us something we don't need and won't work with the computer


I couldn't have put it any better !!!


----------



## Blackmirror

GS_EP said:


> well if it takes us 1 day or 1 year we will finish it for one price and lastly your are just mad cause we have cool outfits


   a year without my pc .. unthinkable


----------



## Blackmirror

valis said:


> I just like the fact that I can come to work in my hawaaian shirts and levi's if I want to. The only time I have to wear a uniform is when I go offshore, and then it's just a hard hat and steel toed boots.


I like a man in uniform


----------



## Couriant

dr911 said:


> Hey....GS_EP,
> 
> You got a *LOT of Nerve* coming to TGF......let me explain what TGF means....read slowly....Tech......Guy.....Forums.


Not to be a thorn in the side, it's actually TSGF. Tech Support Guy Forums   

You're right though. What do they expect from a technical support website? Praise?


----------



## valis

tell me when I should remind them that we do this for free too. AND have fixed some GS errors.


----------



## extech

Now i am a FORMER Precinct Deputy (supervisor) I can say that first when i hired Agents they had an A+ C++ OR mcse just to work for me. So to make sure i didnt get idiots that screwed things up and make my life harder then it was with ticked off service plan buyers. Things got done right. We made money cause of positive customers sharing there experience and had competitive pricing.

As for software when GS first rolled out we used everything and anything to get a job done. Then when lawsuits started to happen we had the hammer come down. no software not listed on a list or paid authorize software could be used. no more majorgeeks.com and such. cause even free ware lists not for commercial use. Now i lost my job cause of the data back up and removal stuff. First everybody is told not even from GS BACK UP YOUR COMPUTER . AND crap happens, accidental or purposeful. I cant stand when a customer asks for there pictures that are from the last three years and is 200gigs and i tell them $180 to save them. they yell. As for managers they are buttheads they dont care what you do as long as you hit there attachment goals and sales goals. I have never spent so much time on score cards. Ridiculous. 

There are lost of precincts that dont applied the rule "would you let this guy work on my machine" and hire jokers. And well they need a kick in the nuts and to work for walmart. But for a company to nationally try and offer a service that everyone needs. Good job, they just need hired requirements for and better policing to not screw the 80 year old out of here social security check for $400 with a 5 minute restore point solution.


----------



## Compiler

Its good to see some GS folks say how things are in real life - there are GOOD and BAD techs, period. And many things are based on company policy, which is beyond the abilities of the tech or idiot managers.

I've actually walked off a job because of an idiot manager. Tried to tell me HOW TO DO MY JOB - when he didn't know squat. He'd have his office door closed most of the time - while I had mine open ALMOST all of the time - so other workers could easily come and talk to me to do work related things, etc. So I gave that "butt-head" - my job, got my paycheck a week later and he was in tears. heheh... it was worth it.


----------



## Davec

Compiler said:


> Well... that SOUNDS PERVERTED!!
> 
> All naked and greased up on a oil-rig with just a hard hat and shoes?
> 
> j/K.


Not to mention a major violation of OSHA regulations.


----------



## shadypac

Leareth said:


> True true.
> 
> And from all accounts that I have heard, taking your machine to Comp USA is a bad idea as well.
> 
> Apparently, no matter what the true issue is, they have a tendency to report that your motherboard is bad (since they would get the most comission for that) or power supply. They then fix the true issue, and charge you for motherboard or power supply.
> 
> I am not sure if this is at all CompUSA locations or just the ones in this area.


I worked at compusa they did away with commision on everything accept small spiffs on service plans. I hate compusa but im sure thats not true.


----------



## nigmatech

I have been working with computers for over 18 years now, first as a hobby, now as a profession. I have "rescued" many people who have had poor experiences with GeekSquad. Everything from trying to charge for parts that were not needed, all the way up to completely formatting a system without offering to back the system up. In those cases its really hard to tell the person that the digital photos of their loved ones will never be recovered, at least not without a monstrous expense. I have seen and been personally touched by the fact they are a large company, lots of turnover, and they employ 18-25 year old kids. Mistakes are made, things are diagnosed incorrectly, the people they hire don't have the practical experience to make a diagnosis. Think of these guys as computer doctors, do you want them to operate on your computer the very day that they get out of medical school? Medical doctors spend 2 to 4 years in a rotating doctor and hospital residency, specialists spend upwards of 6 years as understudies. Even in cooking they go to school, get out, and are an apprentice to a master chef. Experience counts, bottom line, and they don't have it. There ARE places out there that do, your mom and pop shop is your best bet for a quick fix-it for hardware. A friend of mine started techlivenow.com and they do a lot of software style fixes, os corruption and stuff that geeksquad formats pc's for.


----------



## ~Candy~

This thread seems to breed first time posters 

Why is that????????????


----------



## 1002richards

Do other countries have their own versions of Geek Squad ? Could there be a Worst World Wide?


----------



## ~Candy~

We don't have 'em in Mexico


----------



## dorcom

Appropriate name: Geek SQAWK


----------



## Compiler

uh... just because someone FORMATS a Hard drive - doesn't mean all the DATA is lost... someone who knows what they're doing can still recover lots of information.

There are tools out there that costs $50~100 that'll rescue data after a few formats. Restorer2000 does a great job. The Demo version has a size limit until you unlock it.


----------



## lexmarks567

AcaCandy said:


> This thread seems to breed first time posters
> 
> Why is that????????????


cause most work for geek squad and want to say how wrong we are but theres jelous cause we FIX the problems right THE FIRST TIME and for FREE


----------



## Compiler

We'll... be honest.

Because of the many variables involved and the fact that we go by information that is given to us - it is trial and error with some issues. Or its more than one problem or various ways to get a problem resolved.

It is still easier to FIX the problem with access to the computer - physically or over the network.

BUT - we're not trying to sell someone a $4 USB cable for $40! Sorry, but printers do NOT need gold-plated connectors in fancy blister packaging to work. PS: Same for paying $10 go good quality AV Cables (not the $2 cheapies) will get the job done as good as $90 Monster cables.


----------



## angelize56

My experience with the Geek Squad has been negative and positive!  When I *first *got this pc a short time ago...the printer wouldn't install properly...at the time I *didn't know *it was because of the Vista drivers issue...so I called GS the day I got my *BRAND NEW PC WITH ALL-IN-ONE PRINTER *to ask why it wouldn't install!  For *FIFTY DOLLARS *the GS agent would tell me!  My brother called the assistant manager of Best Buy....she had the GS man come right to my home after *HE* downloaded the drivers and install my printer....for *FREE*! :up:  The GS agent was very nice...but he did cause me *momentary panic *when he said installing the Vista drivers could cause my pc to *crash*!  I asked what if that happened...he said they'd fix it or give me a new pc!  How comforting!  But all ended well! The GS agent even came over on *his day off *which was a Sunday! :up:  Since my pc is under in home warranty for three years...the GS *better be good *or I'm in trouble if I encounter any problems the way most of you are talking!


----------



## fortwuny

Heh,

I heard of peeps taking their pc's to GS and having a horrible experience akin to those stated above. But here is one for yah! I was at a seminar one night and afterwards this lady had told me and a few others about seeing something in the news that shocked her! A GS tech was at a client's house repairing her pc. She proceeded to take a shower while the tech was working (hmmm?!?). She noticed something strange so she open the shower curtain and found the GS tech video camming her with his cell phone. After hearing that I again put a brow down for the GS Team.


----------



## Compiler

1 - That is a TRUE story.... GS tech, cell phone in bathroom.

2 - While tech was working on PC - one of these girls took the phone or SIM chip out and ran to another store Radio shark or something, and found the video data and called the Police.

BUT...

3 - What is a lady doing taking a shower while a stange young man is in her home...
with her 12~14yr old daughter/sister (I forget).

4 - Is it possible the TECH left the phone in the bathroom (or other part of home) and she took it in there to film herself? Then use that to SUE BB/GS? 

5 - Cell phones have very limited recording time, even with RAM cards.

6 - If the tech actually did this, it is not BB or GS fault.


----------



## bdimag

Dont blame the squad members, blame the leaders for hiring them... 

My mom suggested I work for them - i said hell no.. mainly cause I wouldnt want to be caught dead in the driver seat of a bug.. no offense to any of you who might have one - i know theyre popular.. DOWN WITH VDUB


----------



## skeetsquad

Compiler said:


> PS: Same for paying $10 go good quality AV Cables (not the $2 cheapies) will get the job done as good as $90 Monster cables.


Not true.

1.Triple shielded cables are less likely to experience "digital cliff" when running at longer distances. Although you may have a digital connection, if interference and frequency comes into play(which it definately does on A/V), then losing any data will cause distortion to picture quality.

2.When installed inside walls, higher end cables are usually fire resistent(less likely to cause fire in insulated walls).

3.High end cables can run up to 10.2 Gbps. 2 times more than a standard HD cable. Full audio and video streaming without compression = no loss in quality.

My 2.5 cents...

...pwned by a BB/GS employee.


----------



## skeetsquad

Compiler said:


> There are tools out there that costs $50~100 that'll rescue data after a few formats. Restorer2000 does a great job. The Demo version has a size limit until you unlock it.


Knoppix is free.


----------



## skeetsquad

nigmatech said:


> I have seen and been personally touched by the fact they are a large company, lots of turnover, and they employ 18-25 year old kids.


Age ain't nothing but a number pops. This 25 year old kid has been fixing computers for a bit longer than you.


----------



## Stoner

skeetsquad said:


> Not true.
> 
> 1.Triple shielded cables are less likely to experience "digital cliff" when running at longer distances. Although you may have a digital connection, if interference and frequency comes into play(which it definately does on A/V), then losing any data will cause distortion to picture quality.
> 
> 2.When installed inside walls, higher end cables are usually fire resistent(less likely to cause fire in insulated walls).
> 
> 3.High end cables can run up to 10.2 Gbps. 2 times more than a standard HD cable. Full audio and video streaming without compression = no loss in quality.
> 
> My 2.5 cents...
> 
> ...pwned by a BB/GS employee.


Out of interest.....
#1........what distances are being considered?
#2.......what current loads are AV cables designed to carry? I was unaware of them being a fire hazard ( I don't use them but am curious)


----------



## Stoner

skeetsquad said:


> Knoppix is free.


What tool is that? ( asked out of interest as I have Knoppix)


----------



## Stoner

skeetsquad said:


> Age ain't nothing but a number pops. This 25 year old kid has been fixing computers for a bit longer than you.


Education and experience make the difference.
As an observer....stupidity isn't age related ............but ignorance can be.


----------



## skeetsquad

Stoner said:


> Out of interest.....
> #1........what distances are being considered?)


20+ feet


Stoner said:


> #2.......what current loads are AV cables designed to carry? I was unaware of them being a fire hazard ( I don't use them but am curious)


http://www.audioholics.com/educatio...in-wall-speaker-video-and-audio-cable-ratings


----------



## skeetsquad

Stoner said:


> What tool is that? ( asked out of interest as I have Knoppix)


Boot to it and find out. There are too many to list and I'm too sleepy to boot my disc.


----------



## Stoner

skeetsquad said:


> 20+ feet
> 
> http://www.audioholics.com/educatio...in-wall-speaker-video-and-audio-cable-ratings


Thanks.

I'm having trouble distinguishing the differences as the article was more attuned to NEC ratings and building code standards and the issue of power feeds to home theaters in walls.
Is a power feed line usually considered part of an AV bundle when purchased?

If building codes are observered, does that distinguish between the other posters 'medium' cost AV cables and the ones you are speaking of?


----------



## Stoner

skeetsquad said:


> Boot to it and find out. There are too many to list and I'm too sleepy to boot my disc.


No.....too many apps with funny names I don't recognize


----------



## Stoner

About all I see in a google search of data recovery off a bad hard drive is a copy and paste.
Bart's would do the same.
I don't see anything about data recovery from deletes or formats.
If you remember the app in Knoppix, please post it


----------



## Compiler

skeetsquad said:


> Not true.
> 
> 1.Triple shielded cables are less likely to experience "digital cliff" when running at longer distances. Although you may have a digital connection, if interference and frequency comes into play(which it definately does on A/V), then losing any data will cause distortion to picture quality.


Typical 6ft cables don't need 3 layers of gold-plating.... if you're talking 50ft, sure.



> 2.When installed inside walls, higher end cables are usually fire resistent(less likely to cause fire in insulated walls).


If they are inside walls, they need to be rated as such. Coax cable for HD is the same cheap stuff as any other coax.


----------



## Renzol

Things about this are true and some aren't. Yeah while things are indeed overpriced, the stores don't run on commission, and while there are bad examples, the majority of people who work there actually know what they're doing. The guys in my general area are good, I do most of my work by myself if I have time, and I even help those around the community, and I have been to homes that have been worked on by Geek Squad and they actually aren't really bad. A few have been rather well done, then again this in the Bay Area and i've almost never heard of problems from around here.


----------



## lexmarks567

what about these one you already know about


> In April, 2006, the Geek Squad was accused of using unlicensed versions of Winternals software. A judge granted a restraining order on April 12, requiring that use of all unlicensed software be stopped, and forcing Best Buy to turn over all copies of Winternals software within 20 days After settlement, a version of the Winternals software was released to be used by Geek Squad/





> Peeping Geek Lawsuit
> 
> In April of 2007, a Geek Squad employee was arrested for covertly recording a 22 year old woman in her shower and later placing the camera phone in her 13 year old sister's bedroom while on a service call. [9] The suspect was arrested the same day on suspicion of using a camera to view a person without their consent and of annoying or molesting a child under 18. A civil lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday, April 4th.


----------



## Renzol

Well the first one is pretty standard for anyone who repairs computers, they're gonna use things that may or may not be licensed. Besides, that was mostly East Coast I hear.

On the second one I do believe the fallacy of composition fits in here.


----------



## valis

How is the fallacy of composition accurate there? A member of Geek Squad (Hao Kuo Chi) was busted for videotaping with his cell phone a chick in the shower. There is no fallacy there; it's all true. At this point it's moot *why* she was taking a shower, the fact remains some dingaling from GS was caught videotaping her.

No fallacy of composition there.


----------



## lexmarks567

valis said:


> How is the fallacy of composition accurate there? A member of Geek Squad (Hao Kuo Chi) was busted for videotaping with his cell phone a chick in the shower. There is no fallacy there; it's all true. At this point it's moot *why* she was taking a shower, the fact remains some dingaling from GS was caught videotaping her.
> 
> No fallacy of composition there.


then video tapes her 13 year old sister in her bedroom also


----------



## Stoner

Looks like Best Buy has more trouble with some old issues that could cost them.
A lawyer falsified emails and a memo to get BB off the hook........

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070611-best-buy-lawyer-falsifies-e-mails-memo.html


----------



## Stoner

Renzol said:


> Well the first one is pretty standard for anyone who repairs computers, they're gonna use things that may or may not be licensed. Besides, that was mostly East Coast I hear.
> 
> .......................


What difference does it make which coast it occurred at first or the most?
There was a contractual agreement to use for a limited period of time for testing. BB willingly violated that agreement.


----------



## halo459

heinz57 said:


> Geek squad = CRAP


They're not that bad, lol.


----------



## Compiler

There is worse... but oh well...

Of course, now CC has "Fire Dog" (how that name came about) who drive is big-bubble vans rather than beetles.  But I never see the FD trucks on the road... just parked outside the store.


----------



## Couriant

I saw one... on a comcast van lol


----------



## tleden

Red Helix is a geek squad employee, I talked to a manager of my local Geek Squad about a job there. I told him that I had my A+, Net+, and MCP certifications and he looked at me like I was speaking in chinese. He said that you needed no certifications to work at a best buy geek squad store. I work for a company that gets all laptop repairs from geek squad from all over the USA. They send their thick folders of supposed info on the units problems, we all laugh at what they send. They charge as much as $349 to ship the computers to us. I am a diagnostic tech at this company and I see all the B.S. paperwork that the geeks send us, it is 90% of the time the wrong diagnosis. We have their precious MRI test CD that does show some problems, but we pull the units apart and find spill damage, clogged fan filters and a host of other problems the wouldn't even guess at.

Geek Squad is a gigantic ripoff!!!!!!!!!!!!. They have no certified techs, not even a A+, and they charge you out the butt to get things fixed. We who know what we are doing diag these units in about 10 minutes, order replacement parts if needed, and put it back together. Test it, and send it back to those no talent hacks who charge you all that money for work that someone else did.

If you want your PC or laptop fixed, send it straight to the company who built it if it is still under warranty. They will still send to the company that I work for and have us do the work. Keep your money in your pocket instead of giving it to rip off outfits like Geek Squad, they are money grabbing middlemen who don't actually do anything. INCOMPETENT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## valis

good post, but again, talk about choosing the wrong word to misspell.... 

and welcome to the forums, btw.


----------



## ~Candy~

valis said:


> good post, but again, talk about choosing the wrong word to misspell....
> 
> and welcome to the forums, btw.


Yeah, it's usually the "EINSTEINS" that get tripped up with that word


----------



## valis

hehehe.....and your 'first time poster' theorem is holding steady, I see.....


----------



## ~Candy~

Yep, they never disappoint


----------



## jp1203

AcaCandy said:


> Yeah, it's usually the "EINSTEINS" that get tripped up with that word


Makes sense...apparently Einstein was terrible at spelling 

linky


----------



## Compiler

How are all these GS and anti-GS people finding this post so much and also have the urge to sign up here just to jump in?! 

An uh... sometimes- I may speel a word wrong on purpose.


----------



## ~Candy~

I think it's called GOOGLE


----------



## lexmarks567

Compiler said:


> How are all these GS and anti-GS people finding this post so much and also have the urge to sign up here just to jump in?!
> 
> An uh... sometimes- I may speel a word wrong on purpose.


yeah they come on here to defend there title but all there doing is proving how big of a fraud they are  at lest one guy who signed up backs us up on that


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## angelize56

Kevin said:


> yeah they come on here to defend* there* title but all *there *doing is proving how big of a fraud they are  at *lest* one guy who signed up backs us up on that


Kevin: It's *their* and *they're*...and *least*!


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## tleden

I was a work tonight and had 3 units from Geek Squad, they send this ten page thick file that is only half filled out. One qoute I read said, "Hard drive failed diag test, suggest replace system board." Give me a @$#%&*%$ break. If I did this at work I would be working in inventory, which is the lowest of the low. Again, don't waste your money with these no talent hacks!!!!!!!!!! Most customers send in better diagnosis than a "Geek Squad Special Agent."


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## gamerbyron

Geek squad is like showing customers off cause they think they are special.


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## Couriant

gamerbyron said:


> Geek squad is like showing customers off cause they think they are special.


That's because they are...

(think about what i meant by that )


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## lexmarks567

angelize56 said:


> Kevin: It's *their* and *they're*...and *least*!


yes teacher/mother


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## Zooped

Did anyone see the video of the geeksquad guy stealing content of a customers pc?.. brb i'll look for it

http://www.shoemoney.com/2007/07/05...ealing-porn-from-customers-computer/#comments


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## Compiler

Tsk tsk.... when you give your computer to ANYONE to work on, it will most likely happen that they will find porn or whatever... sometimes by accident... who knows.

As I tell clients: If data is that important, destroy the HD. If it has something important or embrassing, remove it first (porn or personal stuff)... leaving your computer with a geek for hours or days, who knows. 

Also, like when recovering or moving data (to a new PC, or rebuilding a system) and you move or clean up folders, things will be seen... as you see, on typical systems - you get thumb-nails.

BTW, I remember a loong time ago, when I worked in a PC-shop... the ARGH! yelling of a tech... turned out a customer had gay porn... heheh.

So I won't blame GS for this issue... you'll never know what is going on with your PC when it leaves your hands. I wonder, if that is why BIGGER companies tell you to backup because they will WIPE your drive when they repair your computer - to make sure techs don't see anything they shouldn't. Of course, that is a serious problem if your PC is screwed up and can't backup (lack of hardware or functionality).

Tell you one thing, at one of the companies I work for, I can tell what kind of WORKER each person is by how they use their systems. Some barely know how to use a PC, some play around, some do A LOT of productivity, etc... and I don't have to look at pictures to tell.


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## Cicada-

Byah!~


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## n2gun

I think their latest commercial is the furthest thing from the truth. It makes like these techs can solve any problem, not just computer. Watching the commercial would make one think they are MIT grads and in the top 10% of the class.


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## jp1203

I don't usually watch TV, but I think I saw that, something about one of the people had all mechanics inside (robot like) and he repaired them or something...?


----------



## Compiler

Anyone know where the AD is? Here is a funny one:






Here is a DETAILED review on performance and such on the TOP end DELL and a PCs that are 1/6 and 1/2 the price.
http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/07/20/overclocking_marathon_day_4/page10.html

Read the whole thing for far more details.


----------



## eddie cantor

I went to Geek Squad three weeks ago and told them to replace the DVD burner because it was broke... again. I told them to replace it after contacting HP techs and spending a couple hours with them. HP agreed with my diagnostics. Well, three weeks later and Geek Squad is futzing around with it. They say it's a software problem and I todl them "No, it isn't." They say "Yes, it is." I said, "Prove it." My laptop is still on their bench as they're performing the same diagnositcs that I already had performed with HP.

The last time I dealt with GS was a year ago and I told them to replace the DVD burner which they did. This time though, they must've received an order not to replace any parts that are under warranty. Yes, I bought a 3 year service contract with Best Buy in case the processor board in the HP laptop crapped out on me in year three (this has happened to me). Overall, my experiences with Geek Squad has been frustrating. I used to teach high school and when I'm dealing with Geek Squad I feel that I'm dealing with some of my D students who grew up to be hacks. 

I loved the news item on WCCO's website last week as they referred to the Geek Squad as the "Peek Squad" because they are know to look into people's hard drives and copy files such as music, movies and porn.

If I knew how to open those laptops without hurting anything I'd repair my computers by myself.

Geek Squad give real geeks a bad name.


----------



## Compiler

A GS story from today...

My EX-GF is working on someone else's PC and they need some parts - due to close location, they went to Best Buy. Due to confusion of the customer, the wrong drive was purchased (SATA instead of PATA) - which was already a bit on the expensive side ($80 for a 160GB) - GS/BB wanted $160 for the PATA version! They were talked down to the $80 price for some reason. Before they left, they opened the box in front of GS in case there is anything wrong... the sealed retail box didn't include an IDE cable. It required some coaxing for GS to toss in a spare cable. (Personally, I have about 12 extra cables)

They get back to work on the computer and install the drive... the GS tech had given her a FLOPPY CABLE - not an IDE/PATA cable! I spotted the floppy cable 10ft away, before she told me the story


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## valis

eddie cantor said:


> I went to Geek Squad three weeks ago and told them to replace the DVD burner because it was broke... again. I told them to replace it after contacting HP techs and spending a couple hours with them. HP agreed with my diagnostics. Well, three weeks later and Geek Squad is futzing around with it. They say it's a software problem and I todl them "No, it isn't." They say "Yes, it is." I said, "Prove it." My laptop is still on their bench as they're performing the same diagnositcs that I already had performed with HP.
> 
> The last time I dealt with GS was a year ago and I told them to replace the DVD burner which they did. This time though, they must've received an order not to replace any parts that are under warranty. Yes, I bought a 3 year service contract with Best Buy in case the processor board in the HP laptop crapped out on me in year three (this has happened to me). Overall, my experiences with Geek Squad has been frustrating. I used to teach high school and when I'm dealing with Geek Squad I feel that I'm dealing with some of my D students who grew up to be hacks.
> 
> I loved the news item on WCCO's website last week as they referred to the Geek Squad as the "Peek Squad" because they are know to look into people's hard drives and copy files such as music, movies and porn.
> 
> If I knew how to open those laptops without hurting anything I'd repair my computers by myself.
> 
> Geek Squad give real geeks a bad name.


the dvd drive should be modular; if the machine is under warranty, hp will replace the item for free, if not, they'll charge you for it, but I can't see it being that much. After that, you just unmount the dvd from the chassis (usually 1 or 2 screws), pop the old out and in with the new.

If you aren't comfortable with it, though, I'd definitely recommend somone professional doing it. As I tell my clients, steer clear of GS. Take it to a small mom and pop shop where their business depends on word of mouth and honesty. They'll always have a faster turnaround and always do a better job than the big chains.

v


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## Cicada-

Had no idea people thought so lowly of GS 

i thought about applying for a position there, as i'm currently working part time doing the same thing at a university helpdesk that has no money to hire me full time, and i NEED a full time job, but I really wouldn't want to be associated with them if everyone feels that way


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## Compiler

Its okay... its just a job... we won't know its YOU 


You may actually help someone... and charge them $70 an hour to do it (while getting paid $8).


----------



## RedHelix

Cicada- said:


> Had no idea people thought so lowly of GS
> 
> i thought about applying for a position there, as i'm currently working part time doing the same thing at a university helpdesk that has no money to hire me full time, and i NEED a full time job, but I really wouldn't want to be associated with them if everyone feels that way


Dude

I worked for Geek Squad for just about two years, and although I think it gets pretty unfairly represented here, it was the worst job I've ever had. GS is really just a puppet tech support company for Best Buy Corp. All of their staffing is handled through Best Buy managers and HR people who don't know anything about computers, so a lot of morons find their way into the GS ranks. So many, in fact, that GS employees have dubbed them 'Timmies.'

Despite the fact that the purpose of a tech support group is to help customers while making money, GS is a revenue-generating store department just like everything else in Best Buy. Rather than matching customers with the appropriate services, I was forced to squeeze out the maximum amount of cash from people so our department would meet budget, I'd meet my quota, and I wouldn't get fired. This entailed recommending services that weren't really applicable (such as our arbitrary $30 'optimization' service which didn't 'optimize' much of anything) or trying to get people to use the in-home services which are a lot more expensive than in-store services.

I clashed with my boss about this all the time, but it really started getting bad when she told me I had to collect for inapplicable services up-front at dropoff time. Not booting? That'll be $299 for diagnostic AND virus removal... if it turns out you don't have viruses, we'll refund you some of your money if you remember to ask. I thought she was just a heartless skank (and she was,) but then I found out this is the actual new policy coming down from corporate!

It was BS. I quit that dump half a year ago and submitted a few scathing letters to my local newspapers about how unethical it is. I also made sure to explain that GS by itself is a pretty good-natured company; it's Best Buy pulling the strings and imposing their policies that made it get real ugly real fast.


----------



## eddie cantor

Read my post from July 25, 2007 for background story.

Chapter 5:

It is now 4 weeks and GS still hasn't been able to repair my DVD burner. I am suspecting that technical incompetence and management greed/fear/incompetence is preventing them from honoring my service agreement that I had paid for a couple years ago.

Stay tuned for Chapter 6. In the meantime, stay away from Best Buy tech department, er... Geek Squad.


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## n2gun

I think its corporate greed. They only care about the bottom line. They got $30 of mine years ago that I have never seen again and lost me as a customer. This was after I complied with all their instructions on obtaining a refund. I will help anyone for FREE just to keep them away from Geek Squad and Best Buy.


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## Cicada-

RedHelix said:


> Dude
> 
> I worked for Geek Squad for just about two years, and although I think it gets pretty unfairly represented here, it was the worst job I've ever had. GS is really just a puppet tech support company for Best Buy Corp. All of their staffing is handled through Best Buy managers and HR people who don't know anything about computers, so a lot of morons find their way into the GS ranks. So many, in fact, that GS employees have dubbed them 'Timmies.'
> 
> Despite the fact that the purpose of a tech support group is to help customers while making money, GS is a revenue-generating store department just like everything else in Best Buy. Rather than matching customers with the appropriate services, I was forced to squeeze out the maximum amount of cash from people so our department would meet budget, I'd meet my quota, and I wouldn't get fired. This entailed recommending services that weren't really applicable (such as our arbitrary $30 'optimization' service which didn't 'optimize' much of anything) or trying to get people to use the in-home services which are a lot more expensive than in-store services.
> 
> I clashed with my boss about this all the time, but it really started getting bad when she told me I had to collect for inapplicable services up-front at dropoff time. Not booting? That'll be $299 for diagnostic AND virus removal... if it turns out you don't have viruses, we'll refund you some of your money if you remember to ask. I thought she was just a heartless skank (and she was,) but then I found out this is the actual new policy coming down from corporate!
> 
> It was BS. I quit that dump half a year ago and submitted a few scathing letters to my local newspapers about how unethical it is. I also made sure to explain that GS by itself is a pretty good-natured company; it's Best Buy pulling the strings and imposing their policies that made it get real ugly real fast.


well that settles that.

 In any case, 2 coworkers and I recently founded our own IT consulting firm, specializing in Network, graphic/web design, business process, and security consulting, but also offering PC repair and support.


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## eddie cantor

My saga with Best Buy Geek Squad:

First of all, this is not a slam toward all GS techs. Of the dozen GS techs that I have dealt with, there were two who were competent. The rest were good for installing software, but the reality is most children past ten years old can install software.

July 7-8-2007: my laptop's DVD burner was behaving erratically. I did some diagnosis and concluded that the DVD burner needs replacing.

July 9: I take laptop to Best Buy. I tell Geek Squad to replace DVD burner. The two biggest problems with the DVD burner are that the burner won't recognize data discs that are burned to DVD, and the computer no longer recognizes drive D: (DVD burner). GS tech says that it's a software problem. GS loads a small program to refresh my registry and the computer now recognizes D:

I take laptop home but the problem of the DVD drive not being able to read DVD data discs persists. Also, the computer eventually goes back to not being able to recognize drive D: (DVD burner). I spent 3 hours using HP diagnosis tools and my own trouble shooting tests. I conclude that DVD burner needs to be replaced. I also directly contact HP on-line and they give me a couple other last minute ideas to fix the problems. The fixes don't repair the problems. HP tech concludes that the DVD burner needs to be replaced.

July 10- I return laptop to BB GS and tell them specifically that the burner will burn and read data on CD's but not on DVD's. I repeat that several times. I also explain the tests that I performed on the laptop and showed them my email/on-line correspondence with HP tech and tell them that the DVD burner needs to be replaced. BB GS sends my laptop to GS techs out of town.

July 17- I pickup my laptop at BB GS. GS out of town techs say that the DVD burner is fine and that I have a software problem. I tell techs that I doubt software is the problem but to be fair I tell them that I will take laptop home and erase the suspected software and reload the XP OS. I go home, erase the suspected software and try to reload the XP OS but the DVD is having problems reading the XP OS disc. I know that the problem is not the OS disc because it is the 2nd disc that HP had sent me two years ago when the laptop had similar OS loading problems. Also, after speaking to the manufacturers of the software that GS says is the problem, the software manufacturer informs me that their software might interfere with other running software programs but they have no record of their software damaging the XP OS or a DVD drive.

July 18  I return laptop to BB GS and tell them the problem- again. DVD burner will not read data that is on DVD discs and there is an intermittent problem- the computer is not able to recognize D: and that I have to run a small program to get the computer to see D: This time a smarter GS tech listens to me, does some tests and concurs with me that the DVD burner needs to be replaced.

August 2- I call BB GS and inquire about my repair. They said that the DVD burner was replaced. I pickup laptop and then ask for a new laptop since this is the 5th time that the laptop was in for repairs. GS management says that one of those times, no repair was made because GS tech didnt think that there was a hardware problem. OK, then, but since I purchased the laptop from Best Buy, the laptop has had 4 hardware repairs including the system board, hard drive, DVD burner, SDRAM and battery. According to the Service Agreement and Lemon Law, I should get a new laptop or a replacement. GS manager says that the first 2 fixes dont count because laptop was sent to HP. I asked them, where do GS send the computer during the first year of warranty? Manager says, to the manufacturer. Whats the difference if I send it or GS sends it? No reply from manager.

There is no difference.

Best Buy Service Agreement states that the BB Service Agreement is Inclusive of manufacturers warranty and does not replace the manufacturers warranty. I conclude that the manufacturers warranty is part of the BB Service Agreement and that sending the defective computer to the manufacturer for repair during the first year instead of going through BB does not negate the two repairs performed by the manufacturer.

Bottom line: BB GS is not going to honor the Lemon Law even though the laptop that I bought from BB had undergone 4 repairs.

Everything Ive stated is true. Some of the dates may be off by a day or two but the overall experience is true which can be supported with work orders and service orders.

I thank Tech Support Guy for giving us the opportunity to air our problems about the technical support industry that is riddled with incompetence and borders on fraud.

I'd like to hear from others who have had problems with Best Buy service plans and Geek Squad incompetence and fraud. Feel free to send me your story at [email protected]. I highly recommend that if you deal with BB GS that you keep all receipts, work orders, service order numbers and jot down a few notes to keep an accurate record.

Also, you may want to email your complaints to Robert Stephens, CEO of Geek Squad at:

[email protected]
subject line: For Robert Stephens


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## jp1203

eddie cantor said:


> [email protected]
> subject line: For Robert Stephens


A thought...he might have his own addy like either:

[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

could try them all...might be more direct, the worst could be they bounce back.


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## laceteddy_2001

I myself have had issues with Geeksquad this last week, I am not computer illiterate. I just don't have time with being a stay at home mom, and taking care of my mothers home and my own.

I paid them 100.99 to do an advanced diagnostic with repair. 

The first girl completely obliterated my Internet explorer, corrupting many files.

The second guy I couldn't understand , the third was the same. The fourth finally was honest with me and said I would have to completely re-do my OS. Needless to say I wasn't happy. So, after paying another 100 to get an external hard drive to save my precious daughters photos. I had to do the work myself, in fixing their errors.

I then spoke with one of them, of whom said they did their job and refused a refund. Stating " they removed the problem" .. I'm sorry, you do NOT remove Internet explorer files, period. It effects more than just your internet browsing capabilitys. 

After about an hour of fighting with the guy and telling him what a pompus jerk off he was, I was finally credited 79.50 back. I am still NOT satisfyed. Buyer beware.


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## gurutech

Anyone see the recent "back to school" commercials featuring the GS?

There's one where the dad has the daughter's backpack hidden in the BBQ grill, talking with the GS guy, making sure they are available for the daughter if she has any pc problems, etc... The other one is a dad keeping his kid in the car while he talks with the GS girl to reassure him about his son.

Both of these are total BS! I laugh everytime I see these commercials!


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## n2gun

*Geek Squad intervier: Do you know how to turn on a pc?
Job Applicant: Yes
Interview: Your hired*

Does that sound about right?


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## Couriant

Just out of curiosity, has anyone used FireDog yet?


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## eddie cantor

Nope. Never dealt with Circuit City. I live in small town. Best Buy is the nearest big electronic store. I've ordered Compaq and Dell directly and have used their tech support services. Seems that all manufacturer tech support personnel are going to make you jump through the hoops before sending a tech to your home or allowing you to mail-in the laptop even though you know that it's a hardware problem.


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## Compiler

n2gun said:


> *Geek Squad intervier: Do you know how to turn on a pc?
> Job Applicant: Yes
> Interview: Your hired*
> 
> Does that sound about right?


Job Applicant: (thinking) "Thank God he didn't ask me how to turn it off!"


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## Compiler

BB/GS story - From ME, but not with a Computer.

In 2001, I bought a 4yr extended warranty on a low-end, $400 2MP digital camera, back when the 16mb CF card I bought was $60! (2GB = $20 today).

About 4-5 months before the warranty ended, the camera started taking BAD pictures (imagine Negative in Super strange colors and very grainy) - if I needed it for doing ART, it would be great... but it was random how it did things, and I needed a compact camera that worked, when I didn't want to use my bigger hardware.

I don't blame Canon for the camera, I did get about 12,000 photos out of the unit. It was NEVER dropped. The NEW GS despartment was impressed that it looked NEW (camera bag). It was 2 or so weeks before it was returned - but they SAID they cleaned it out... but not much else. I had to take the camera back within a day or so as the problem was NOT resolved. After the second time, they send it off again to their "Expert Camera repair center" which they admit is NOT a BB company. (Fine, I don't care, most TVs are NOT fixed by BB/GS either - A friend works at a shop that does repairs for them)

It's almost a month before it comes back. But its about a month before I actually use the camera because its been "fixed" and when I go to use it - the problem is STILL there.

Back to BB... I found out it has to be after the 4rd repair attempt that they would replace the camera.... my warranty is about to expire and for over 4 months, no camera. So I printed out WHAT the problem LOOKS like, gave them a copy of TEST images they could keep and show to their tech. I also FOUND out why the "experts" couldn't find the problem... (A) I know how to take pictures beyond simple Point and Shoot. (B) Canon Cameras have always had Custom/Manual controls to control your shot. (C) The problem wasn't in AUTO mode - but in Manual modes where I use the camera.

Off the camera goes.... I have 3 weeks before Warranty expires... I Finally get the camera back - 3 days after warranty expires. While in the store, before I leave - I take some test shots... guess what? CAMERA STILL USLESS! Nothing fixed... I've needed the camera at various times, and didn't have it. I was not happy, but knew that it was repair #4, lemon rule is in EFFECT...

BB didn't want to honor it... why? "Warranty has expired" After about 1 minute of arguing with the minion, I demanded a manager. No need to waste my time with a kid.
I had to argue with this guy for about 10 minutes... Explain that THEY HAD the camera for an extra 10 days... that I HAD called over and over again. It was in their hands NOT getting fixed when the warranty expired. Manager says "well, we have a 30day warranty after service, we can take it back again and get it fixed" ? ? ? ?

I was ready for this, I showed the manager the other invoices for repairs... If the idiots couldn't fix it the first 4 times, how are they going to fix it a 5th? Obviously they don't know how to ACTUALLY fix a camera and my warranty expired because of their stupidity... Yeah, I gave him the 3rd degree for him to honor the warranty and wasn't about to back down. He finally agreed, mostly. I got another Canon of closest feature set, a $195 4.0MP camera that was smaller (which I wanted anyways) - but THEY did try to make me get the junky NO-optical zoom 3mp model ($110), but they easily lost that battle. I wasn't allowed to return that camera if it was defective, or any support for BB for it... fine, it comes with a manufactures warranty  4 "repairs" that didn't fix anything had to cost BB about $200~300 in time, money and labor.

What I upgraded to for "free" - with hassle: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona520/
What it replaced: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona20/
BTW, www.dpreview.com is the BEST, most detailed Digital photography website in the world. A typical review is 20pages that are LONG... for a PRO SLR, about 30 or more.


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## RedHelix

Best Buy handles all their service plan camera repairs through a company called Precision Camera. During my miserable years at BB I dealt with a lot of camera techs there. They are grossly incompetent -even worse than some of the GS "techs" they hired at our bench. (Like I said before, clueless store managers hired techs - not the GS supervisor.)

Also, they do ask you some good questions during a GS interview. They asked me about things like how to use FDisk and to name at least 3 kinds of filesystems and the main advantages to each, or explain possible causes of discoloration in a CRT monitor.

Unfortunately, I later found out that even if you couldn't answer any of those questions you were still eligible for hiring. Like I said: clueless managers.


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## Spider Pig

Just buy the accidental plan and break the unit before your term is up. That way you get a brand new camera.


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## gapakrat

I have just spent the better part of the day arguing with the GS manager at Best Buy. I recently purchased a computer from BB and of course, they talked my husband into the $129 special where they load your Trend virus program and your Spysweeper program and "optimize" your computer. I finally got around to setting the computer up this past Monday (was purchased on Friday before). Today, lo and behold, I realize we don't have virus protection or spyware!  HMMMMM! Called GS and asked them to check my computer for me. I looked in all the places they told me to look and it was not there. My problem is I am disabled, and they want me to take the computer down, and bring it in to them to put the program in again. Now, I don't know about you, but a 40 mile trip for a "do over" is not making me happy. I asked them to send someone out and they said they would have to CHARGE ME! I AM NOT HAPPY! I chatted with a GS person...same story. I called home office, same story..but they are very sorry for my inconvenience! GRRRR! Best Buy manager will give me a $50 gift card for my trouble, how sweet, since there is absolutely NOTHING I want there. Tell me if you know of anything else I can do...I want everyone to know about how they take care of their customers..and, by the way, how do I tell they "optimized" my computer?  
thanks


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## ~Candy~

If you paid with a credit card, cancel payment on the charge. That will get their attention.


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## gapakrat

And if I bought it almost a week ago, can I still back that charge out? Guess you think I am really stupid, but I have had a stroke and sometimes I take a bit more "splaining"
Thanks for the suggestion..would love to do just that, right after they install the programs. they said I wouldn't be able to install them because of Vista. I have the CDs of the Trend Virus and Spy sweeper. Am I so stupid I couldn't do it?


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## ~Candy~

Certainly if you have the cds you can install it, I have no idea why they wouldn't install into Vista, but it sounds like that is what you paid the extra money for THEM TO DO.

When you get your credit card statement, (and it probably should be in writing, but I have protested charges via the credit card website, and/or over the phone as well) --- just be specific and tell them what you've told us here.


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## gapakrat

I feel like the cat on your picture! Would love to be there in Robert Stephens' office right now! LOL! Thanks for the help..and if I need you, would you help me install this software. I am kind of scared to take it in now since I have caused so much hoopla at the store. I was nice, just firm.


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## ~Candy~

Yeah, that is her on a good day 

As for installing, all you should really have to do, is once you are at the Windows desktop, is to pop the cd in the drive and follow the prompts.


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## Couriant

gapakrat said:


> And if I bought it almost a week ago, can I still back that charge out? Guess you think I am really stupid, but I have had a stroke and sometimes I take a bit more "splaining"
> Thanks for the suggestion..would love to do just that, right after they install the programs. they said I wouldn't be able to install them because of Vista. I have the CDs of the Trend Virus and Spy sweeper. Am I so stupid I couldn't do it?


As long as it's not over 30 days (at least with Wachovia it's 30 days) you can dispute your charge. You won't be able to get all of your money back, just the service that they were meant to do. ($129 service)

Candy is right though, doing that will get their attention. I had to report a company for not crediting back money to my account when they had items I returned (I had receipts to prove that they did) and they never called me or emailed me. So I got my bank involved and they sorted the <CWNLMST> company within a few days.


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## gapakrat

WEll yall, I went back and took the puter. They only took about 1 1/2 hours to put the programs in that they told me would take a "few minutes". Needles to say, I was a bit incensed! Of course, the BB manager was falling all over me trying to make me happy. I told him the only thing I wanted was my computer fixed and to get out of there. I appreciate all your help. I did get an answer from a Geek Squad Legal advisor about my complaint. She said they had MORE than compensated for my inconvenience by offering to give me a $50 gift card from BB. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. And then, I had to pay 27 cents extra on the gift card for the items THEY picked out for me to get with it..printer ink! The manager was so impressed with himself that it only cost me 27 cents! Boy, did I give him a mouth full..and one of "those" looks... 

thanks again
deborah


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## ~Candy~

If only we could mark this whole thread solved


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## micah324

My problem with geek squad would be the lack of money they pay their agents. An in home diagnostic and repair costs at least $249. The agent that performs that work on average makes $15-$20 and hour. He will probably be there for around 2-3 hours. Best buy will pay the agent $60 for the work and pockets the rest! These agents are skilled in what they do, but best buy chooses not to reward them with better pay. I used to be an agent until I realized how over worked and under paid I was.


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## ~Candy~

Ok, not to defend Geek Squad, but as to what they "POCKET"  they do have overhead....you know like rent, worker's comp, liability insurance, regular insurance, risk of being sued, etc. Should they "POCKET" $60 and pay the "EMPLOYEE" the balance 

Geesh................


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## Davec

AcaCandy said:


> Ok, not to defend what Geek Squad, but as to what they "POCKET"  they do have overhead....you know like rent, worker's comp, liability insurance, regular insurance, risk of being sued, etc. Should they "POCKET" $60 and pay the "EMPLOYEE" the balance
> 
> Geesh................


You forgot *advertising*.


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## ~Candy~

And lawyers and accountants  

I mean seriously, like $15 to $20 an hour is like what percentage over minimum wage?


----------



## Davec

AcaCandy said:


> I mean seriously, like $15 to $20 an hour is like what percentage over minimum wage?


That's state dependent.


----------



## Couriant

AcaCandy said:


> And lawyers and accountants
> 
> I mean seriously, like $15 to $20 an hour is like what percentage over minimum wage?


that's not bad for a tech... well for a retail store.


----------



## Compiler

Yeah... liike GS/BB is NOT making enough profit by selling a USB cable for $40 - when a $7 cable from APC at Walmart is just as good, if not better.


----------



## ~Candy~

That is why they have their price match policy....take advantage of it


----------



## ~Candy~

Couriant said:


> that's not bad for a tech... well for a retail store.


And it's not like MOST of them have many skills anyway


----------



## micah324

There is no motivation for the agent to sell any more services. He still is getting paid the same amount, regardless of whether he sells $249 or $600 in services. Look at the rest of the items BB sells, ethernet cables for $30, component cables for $100, ect... They make a killing on these products. Not to mention the extended service plans. At least they can pay qualified technicians more than just $15/hr. Maybe then, the techs would be more competent, instead of looking for other "fringe benefits" such as stealing user's data.


----------



## micah324

They might have skills if BB was willing to pay more and look for more qualified techs. Oh, i forgot, they are out to make money, gotta cut costs somewhere!!


----------



## ~Candy~

Wow, no motivation  How about the FACT THAT YOU HAVE A JOB and if you don't produce another machine will replace you ............ *sigh*

You people just don't get it do you.

That's rhetorical, so no reply necessary


----------



## Davec

AcaCandy said:


> Wow, no motivation  How about the FACT THAT YOU HAVE A JOB and if you don't produce another machine will replace you ............ *sigh*
> 
> You people just don't get it do you.
> 
> That's rhetorical, so no reply necessary


A reply is never necessary unless a defense of The Saint is required, but sometimes we can't help ourselves.


----------



## ~Candy~

The Saint doesn't need to work for a living  She's a pampered Princess


----------



## Spider Pig

micah324 said:


> My problem with geek squad would be the lack of money they pay their agents. An in home diagnostic and repair costs at least $249. The agent that performs that work on average makes $15-$20 and hour. He will probably be there for around 2-3 hours. Best buy will pay the agent $60 for the work and pockets the rest! These agents are skilled in what they do, but best buy chooses not to reward them with better pay. I used to be an agent until I realized how over worked and under paid I was.


 That sucks for you. My buddy made 27 an hour doing in home work.


----------



## volatile

A couple of days ago I had to fix a Geek Squad error where they couldn't properly install a PCI IDE Controller and move the primary drive over to the new controller card. It's a pretty basic thing....but it's probably an exception. At least I hope.


----------



## micah324

Let's focus on the fact that BB advertises GS as a computer support task force that can fix any PC problem, any make, any model. Yet, they continue to hire pretty much anyone off the street who claims to have some computer repair experience. I constantly had to question BB management on why they hired a particular person, on what their qualifications are When they responded back with "Oh, I think we just need to work with him/her, you know, get her more training. Why don't you show him/her how to remove spyware or install a video card." So I am supposed to repair customer's computers, assist customers with computer questions, man the front counter, assist in selling GS services to new computer customers, train the other agents in work that they were hired to do, stock the product shelves, and fix the mistakes of the other agents? All this for what they are paying? I don't think so. 

Don't even get me started on how poorly run GS/BB is. I do not understand anyone who tries to defend them. GS will continue to be in the news as long as BB continues to hire untrained, uncertified technicians. I made the mistake of working for GS thinking that my coworkers would be competent in the work they perform. I was wrong.


----------



## WizOfComp

After reading over 15 pages on this forum it seems like there are some basic things that everyone can agree on. GeekSquad does not seem to do quality work. They are being pushed, and lets be honest here, by a multi-million dollar corporation. A great deal of people are trusting this company and are sorely disappointed with the service they are provided.

There is a lesson to be learned here, and that lesson is do your homework before you buy computer services. Just as you would shop around for a reputable and fairly priced automobile mechanic, shop around for your computer services too.
A lot of people are not aware that there are many local, regional, and even some national providers of computer services. Education is the key. Shop around, do your homework.

Forums such as this are great contributors to getting the word out there so others do not get ripped off

I have been working with computers professionally for over 11 years. I have seen too many people get hurt by them. When a company formats your friends computer loosing 3 years of their digital family pictures and hundreds of scans of old family photographs without your consent they have gone too far.



micah324 said:


> Let's focus on the fact that BB advertises GS as a computer support task force that can fix any PC problem, any make, any model. Yet, they continue to hire pretty much anyone off the street who claims to have some computer repair experience. I constantly had to question BB management on why they hired a particular person, on what their qualifications are When they responded back with "Oh, I think we just need to work with him/her, you know, get her more training. Why don't you show him/her how to remove spyware or install a video card." So I am supposed to repair customer's computers, assist customers with computer questions, man the front counter, assist in selling GS services to new computer customers, train the other agents in work that they were hired to do, stock the product shelves, and fix the mistakes of the other agents? All this for what they are paying? I don't think so.
> 
> Don't even get me started on how poorly run GS/BB is. I do not understand anyone who tries to defend them. GS will continue to be in the news as long as BB continues to hire untrained, uncertified technicians. I made the mistake of working for GS thinking that my coworkers would be competent in the work they perform. I was wrong.


----------



## Compiler

They would do that (reformat a drive) - which is typical of big impresonal business. I, on the otherhand, try to fix the problem before wiping out Windows & reinstalling all software - but before doing so - SAVE THE BLOODY DATA. I have an ext drive for doing such work.. simple.

But like other companies (Frys, CompUSA, MicroCenter) - they Do tend to tell you in writing or warning that they may have to reformat the drive.... 

But geez - consider that the AVG person doesn't have a backup - they should ASK... but at $6~8 per hour, what do they care?


----------



## Couriant

fortwuny said:


> OH yah... ** Sniffer!
> 
> That pretty much sums it up
> Any questions?


no need for that kind of language. You should edit that before a mod/admin does it for you.


----------



## ~Candy~

I removed it  

fortwuny, I'd suggest a review of the forum rules before posting again.


----------



## fortwuny

Sorry to all that were offended. Just hate seeing people get swindled by apathetic losers.

You have to admit tho, it did sum it up pretty good. 

All apologies!


----------



## quietkitten

I was reading this board this morning and just had to jump in with a quick response. Yesterday, out of despiration for a job (IT jobs are VERY scarce in my area, which describes my own employment with a non-retail "on-site support" company that is a competitor of BB) my fiancee, who has a Bachelors Degree, 15 years experience and previously owned his own, fairly successful company out in CA before he had to give it up due to illness, went to our local Best Buy to see if he could get a temporary "geek squad" job. 

The head of the department, in front of several customers, informed him that "They have no room for someone with a college education" AND that he "needs a more youthful and energetic team" (My fiancee is 39, the kid in charge was about 22.) It's a real shame that we didn't get this on recording, because the last time I checked, it's still illegal to discriminate based on age. 

I will take comfort in knowing that all of the customers that were standing around the counter at that point walked right out of the store after giving the manager looks of disgust.


----------



## valis

should let the local media know about it as well.....nothing brings out them like a good bias game.


----------



## Compiler

That 22yr old kid in charge most likely never had sex with another human... what an idiot.


----------



## DarqueMist

Compiler said:


> That 22yr old kid in charge most likely never had sex with another human... what an idiot.


and THAT is relative to how he acted because ?


----------



## Compiler

Just a general insult to the BB "kid" who publicly said that BB doesn't need experinced staff, proudly.


----------



## n2gun

*THe kid needs insulted. I hope the newspaper gets a hold of this one. Definintely a case of age discrimination.

Umm is this the kid who can't shut down a puter??  *



Compiler said:


> Just a general insult to the BB "kid" who publicly said that BB doesn't need experinced staff, proudly.


----------



## Dave1136

What's out there to compete with the Geek Squad if you are not competent to do these things yourself?


----------



## n2gun

Dave1136 said:


> What's out there to compete with the Geek Squad if you are not competent to do these things yourself?


*Look for a small locally owned computer shop. You will find most are quite competent as word of mouth can make or break them. You most likely will find trained techs working there.*


----------



## jp1203

Exactly

We have one local one-man shop here that I know if who is good. If he wasn't, he would have died out by now. I gave him a power supply to replace the fan in once due to my fear of electricity...supply and fan are still going strong about two years later, and probably would still be fine now, but the board blew in that machine, and being an 800 MHz it just wasn't worth replacing. It only cost me 10 bucks or so, it was an older Dell PSU which was custom to the Dell board, so it would have cost a bit to replace.

Actually, he's the reason I'd probably never try to open my own shop, currently I just do some stuff on the side. With him being there so long and having a great reputation, people would probably choose his shop over mine.


----------



## n2gun

The real plus side is the money stays local, not in some big corporation pocket that only cares about the bottom line.


----------



## mongo_nc

I've been working in a small computer shop for nearly 3 months since I moved back to this area. In that time, our shop has been presented with at least a dozen problems either caused by "The Dork Squad" or something they just blow off and try to get the customer to buy a new system. That's a rate of at least one problem a week. 3 of the problems were laptops whose EEPROM chips have fried because the morons at "The Dork Squad" gave a customer the wrong replacement aftermarket power supply. I have to wonder if some of them are both illiterate and stupid, as these are the same aftermarket laptop power supplies we sell and we actually check the models they're good for or we don't sell them. 

I hate to say it, but Best Buy gives us good business...because we're located not too far away from the store. And every now and then I walk in to grab something on sale with my work shirt on. Oh the looks I get. It's comical to see and hear some things that go on. One of these nights, I'm going to take in an old computer that's in working order and pull out a video card a bit to simulate chip creep and see if those *ahem* experts can figure out the problem.


----------



## n2gun

And they will only charge you $120 to tell you that you need a new puter


----------



## Compiler

Sometimes it takes me a few minutes to tell them that...


----------



## ~Candy~

I usually start with format c: and work from there


----------



## DSteel

The short version: 
You will be so sorry if you try to use The Geek Squad. They have the worst customer service I've ever seen.

The story behind it:
Have you every wanted to reach through a phone and choke the dumb *** on the other end? No you say? Well call Geek Squad and that will all change. 

To save you time and me frustration, let me jump ahead to the third time I tried to call them. Finally, a real person comes on after near terminally hold. Yes!! I get an appointment for 3:15PM on a Monday. By 4:30PM on Monday, I figure the Geek just isn't going to show. Strange I think, "You'd think someone would have at least called me." 

By 5:00PM I'm through another cycle of hold and answering all the same questions that got asked when I scheduled the appointment. This Geek says, "Strange you think the Agent would have at least called you".... There's a thought I say. All is not lost he says, "The Agent will call you to re-schedule in the next twenty four (24) hours".

Jump ahead twenty eight (28) hours, hold this time another forty five minutes. Now this Geek says, "Oh, I'm so sorry" then I tell her all those same answers to all those same questions. I think, "Do they ask these for fun?" "Shoot, if they're that important you think they might write them down." 

Jump ahead, the Geek can't or won't tell me why my appointment was missed. The Geek can't or won't tell me why I didn't get the phone call I was promised. And now, AND NOW, the Geek says, "We can't help you but our business department can" "Can you hold please?" 

Jump ahead, my face is turning red and I've asked for her supervisor six times now. Its like I'm not even there. No response to any of my questions. No response to now my seventh request for her supervisor. I was speaking English, REALLY.

Jump ahead, Oh my goodness!!! They do have a supervisor!!! Felicia, is her name. Apparently they had to fly her in from the North Pole because the hold time was again insane. But that is ok, now I'll get answers. Now I'll get help. Now we can move forward.

NO NO NO, those questions again! You have to be kidding me. Ok, for the record!! Its a Gateway running Windows XP. I bought it at Best Buy over a year ago. Yes, I have current security software.... blah blah blah.

Felicia apparently went to the same customer service training as all the other Geeks. No answers, no reasons, no help, no new appointment and no assurance that this was a fluke and not standard operating procedure. What Felicia can do, put me on hold for appointment scheduling. Put me on hold for the Business division. Have the MIA Agent call me with in twenty four hours. Yeah, I've heard that before. 

I choose instead to keep my blood pressure down and my 'F' words contained. I choose, AND YOU SHOULD TOO, not to use the Geek Squad at all. They truly have the worst customer service I've ever seen.


----------



## donato1026

I just had to join and leave a comment. I was searching for Geek Squad opinions and I am NOT impressed to say the most.

I had this Geek Squad kid come over to set up my wireless. He was at my house for four hours and never got it to work. He said that my "card" was not the right model for my laptop and that the card and wireless box had to be the same brand. Now even I know that is not true. Come to find out, my neighbor took a look at it, (who got it working in less than an hour), and said that the kid actually had it working, but had me hooked up to another wireless network in my area, which was unsecured!!! Great!!!

Anyway... I want to help him out and suggest his company: JESEDIA. Check it out! He's a great guy, and has a lovely wife and cute daughter who is just over a month old. The site is: http://www.jesedia.com. I normally don't do this, but I was impressed. And pissed at Geek Squad.

Cheers.


----------



## Atol

It funny In my area everyone ask for me. Lady behind us had me come over. Seid no one could find out what the problem of her computer was. She could not connect to the internet. I connected my laptop to her internet it log on. Then look at her control panel. The geek quad miss the one major error. He did not see the Yellow ? mark. The one question I ask her was do you have a CD with Drivers. Oh ya she seid. 5 mins later her computer was connected. 

BITE ME GEEK SQUAD.


----------



## Dave1136

What area's do they cover with their on-site service?


Thanks!

Dave


----------



## Darth Revan

Colossus610 said:


> (Plus their site still dont show up right in Firefox.)


 That is the work of the all famous Microsoft pretty web designing software. never does a website show up the same under Firefox rather than internet explorer, all due to a website made by Microsoft products. Hummm i wounder why


----------



## lexmarks567

everytime I see a geek squad commercail I want to throw something at the TV then find one of the geeks and put ink all over the nice clean shirt find one with glasses break it in hafe and tape it together with painters tape then they will REALLY look like a geek


----------



## donato1026

Dave1136 said:


> What area's do they cover with their on-site service?
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Dave


If you are referring to, JESEDIA, that would be southern, NH and northern, MA. I am sure if the job was large enough though, they would travel further.

Send them a message and see what they say...

http://www.jesedia.com/

Cheers!


----------



## primetime212

Geek Squad is a joke..I used to work for them and saw their incompetence and rip off tactics first hand..Their motto is "if we don't take their money..some one else will". They even made up some problems to price gouge the customers a few times if sales were low.


----------



## n2gun

primetime212 said:


> Geek Squad is a joke..I used to work for them and saw their incompetence and rip off tactics first hand..Their motto is "if we don't take their money..some one else will". They even made up some problems to price gouge the customers a few times if sales were low.


Seeing you worked for them, does the squad get a sales commission??


----------



## mongo_nc

primetime212 said:


> They even made up some problems to price gouge the customers a few times if sales were low.


Sadly, this wouldn't surprise me. It's been known to happen in other service industries (auto repair shops, for one). There certainly are periods of time when the shop I work in is slow, and there's other times when we need 3 other people, but ethically, I could never "create" a problem just to keep a bottom line. My pay is 3/4 salary and the rest is commission-based, and there are weeks when I'm barely above my "quota" and other weeks where I have a bunch of hours and have a good paycheck, but I couldn't live with myself if I made a "bogus problem" just to get hours in. That tactic only proves to bite one on the behind in the long run.


----------



## JohnnyP

Thought Id throw in my 2 cents... I had a friend looking for a job and they actually told him that he had too much experience to work there...


----------



## micah324

As a former employee of Best Buy/Geek Squad, I can tell you that they do not work on commission. I realized the error in my ways, as should all other BB employees.


----------



## hidingwarior

I have two friends who sent stuff in to Geek Squad. In one case the pins were clipped to make a secondary harddrive fit, and in another, they soldered in a PCI video card!


----------



## new tech guy

Hello all, i have had a bad experience with the geek squad even sending stuff back to the manufacturer for repairs. They had to send my laptop out for a screen repair. Long story short a month goes by and they dont fix it. And worse, they blame the manufacturer. Never again will i trust them with tech support needs (i take care of my own problems in the comp most of the time just need help with laptops usually). I honestly think when bestbuy hires these guys, they should have computers they break and have the guy repair them then base hiring off of the repair. Good way to test how computer savvy they really are.


----------



## Chad81

WOW. I'm glad I found this thread. So I just got a job at the Geek squad. I have a mortgage to pay, mine and my wife's mouth to feed, and I HAD to get a job.

Anyways, I'm extremely pissed now. These guys are total immoral douchebags. I am 26 and my bosses are both younger than me. All they talk about is rock climbing and they can't even fix computers well. They are dirty salesman so they have high store "numbers". I am in a tricky spot because I NEED a job. I spent 2 months looking for jobs and finally succombed. *Should I stay or just quit and try my hand somewhere else?*


----------



## gurutech

They are building a new BestBuy store less than a mile from my house. When they are starting to hire, I will be sure to send a resume to work "part time", and see if they offer me anything, which of course I will refuse. (Don't need the part time job, and don't want to ruin my own reputation... just scoping out the competition, as insignificant as they are!)

I came home one night last week (after a REAL job!!) and found my neighbor had a GS "bug" in their driveway. As soon as he left, I went over with my own business card, and said "I'll fix what he just broke."


----------



## RedHelix

Dude, no offense, but that's incredibly petty.


----------



## valis

actually, I think it's pretty funny and rather opportunistic.....I've had to fix so many 'fixes' by GS that I'm thinking about doing the same thing.....


----------



## jp1203

valis said:


> actually, I think it's pretty funny and rather opportunistic.....I've had to fix so many 'fixes' by GS that I'm thinking about doing the same thing.....


Went to a place about a week ago...GS had charged them somewhere around 200$ to set up a wireless network on a desktop, 5 laptops, and share the printer and install it on all the laptops.

GS had accomplished setting up the DSL through the router which they called geekbase1 and secured with 64 bit WEP. They connected the laptops. They had apparently given up on the printer.

I spent 45 minutes there, secured the router with WPA, changed the bizarro-geekbase name to something that WASN'T the same as the neighbors, reconnected the laptops, and shared the printer (which wouldn't share because McAffee blocked it in the firewall).

They wanted to pay me 60, I said 40 and told them I could have set up the whole thing from scratch in 10 more minutes.

They were sorry they paid GS all that money.


----------



## valis

JStergis said:


> Went to a place about a week ago...GS had charged them somewhere around 200$ to set up a wireless network on a desktop, 5 laptops, and share the printer and install it on all the laptops.
> 
> GS had accomplished setting up the DSL through the router which they called geekbase1 and secured with 64 bit WEP. They connected the laptops. *They had apparently given up on the printer.*
> 
> I spent 45 minutes there, secured the router with WPA, changed the bizarro-geekbase name to something that WASN'T the same as the neighbors, reconnected the laptops, and shared the printer (which wouldn't share because McAffee blocked it in the firewall).
> 
> They wanted to pay me 60, I said 40 and told them I could have set up the whole thing from scratch in 10 more minutes.
> 
> They were sorry they paid GS all that money.


bolded part made me laugh out loud.

Our neighbor and us are pretty close. We baby-sit each other's kids, etc, cover when the other family is out of town, turkey day, that sort of stuff. So last year, they were going to buy a new pc. As I work in the IT industry, they at least consulted me. I told them 3 things:

1. Don't buy a Dell for home use (because if something breaks, I can't crack the case and work on it)

2. Don't buy Vista yet.

3. Don't buy from Best Buy, and if you do, do NOT get the extended warranty.

Well, they wen't a combined 0-4, but they ARE my neighbors, so I said that if anything goes sideways, for the love of all that is holy, do NOT call GS. 6 months laters, I get home and the the Bug O Doom out front of their house. Wait patiently until it leaves, then give them an hour or so to recover, then mosey over for some small talk about baseball or something.....5 minutes, and they had steered me to their pc, which had taken on an infection due to the hubby looking at inappropriate sites. The GS dude was going back to get his super disk and reformat the machine. I grabbed my usb key, which has hjt and a few other fixes, and had it up and running in about 20 minutes, infection free. Threw on ZA firewall, let the wife deal with the hubby, who was mad enough from THAT that when the GS dude showed back up it was a fun scene. 

Apprently the conversation went like this:

Neighbors: Everytime we go to google, we get redirected.

GS: Well, that's serious. I need to reformat your pc. Be right back!

oh well. Live and learn. At least the GS dude had the stones to ask me what I did and how I did it, which I thought was at least prospective, in that he was willing to learn. But the fact that he didn't KNOW what was wrong, and that his answer was to immediately hit it with the biggest hammer he could find, was somewhat disconcerting.


----------



## RedHelix

As a former GSer who probably hates the company more than any of you, I can at least empathize with the guy who visited your neighbors house. Most of the time, DAs (double agents; the in-home guys) get atrociously overscheduled by the support hotline and have to take up to a dozen in-home calls in a given day. We all know that removing malware can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 10 hours, and sometimes they just aren't able to invest the time it takes when the problem can quickly be solved by a simple (and extremely effective) reformat. I'm sure that it's also because much of the security software offered today just isn't powerful enough to make removing today's rootkits a simple, one-click automated process, and GS doesn't want to be held liable for leaving someone's machine compromised.

Also, it's admirable that you immediately knew what software to use to resolve the issue, but I hasten to point out that ZA, HJT, and many other security tools you take for granted aren't authorized for use by GS. (Although they were talking about authorizing HJT when I left.) Employees using them on the job could result (and has previously resulted) in a lawsuit. And the software they ARE authorized to use is laughable at best, which prevents them from doing their jobs properly.

It's difficult for me to put myself in that position now of course, as I don't work in line-level IT anymore. I'm also biased because the only situation where I don't think a format is appropriate to fix an issue is on a hot server, and most other resolutions aren't a good investment of time. 

I dunno... I just think it's a bad practice to run a few malware scans and assume you've gotten rid of the infection when the scans come up clean and the quirky problem you were having is solved. You have to consider the enourmous complexity of today's rootkit techniques, which confound even the most powerful heuristics-based scanners because although detecting them is easy, automated removal is not consistently reliable. 

Bottom line is, if I were to find a serious malware program on my machine, I would not be comfortable doing any financial stuff until after a format.


Yidunno

(I like turtles)


----------



## jp1203

valis said:


> bolded part made me laugh out loud.
> 
> Our neighbor and us are pretty close. We baby-sit each other's kids, etc, cover when the other family is out of town, turkey day, that sort of stuff. So last year, they were going to buy a new pc. As I work in the IT industry, they at least consulted me. I told them 3 things:
> 
> 1. Don't buy a Dell for home use (because if something breaks, I can't crack the case and work on it)
> 
> 2. Don't buy Vista yet.
> 
> 3. Don't buy from Best Buy, and if you do, do NOT get the extended warranty.
> 
> Well, they wen't a combined 0-4, but they ARE my neighbors, so I said that if anything goes sideways, for the love of all that is holy, do NOT call GS. 6 months laters, I get home and the the Bug O Doom out front of their house. Wait patiently until it leaves, then give them an hour or so to recover, then mosey over for some small talk about baseball or something.....5 minutes, and they had steered me to their pc, which had taken on an infection due to the hubby looking at inappropriate sites. The GS dude was going back to get his super disk and reformat the machine. I grabbed my usb key, which has hjt and a few other fixes, and had it up and running in about 20 minutes, infection free. Threw on ZA firewall, let the wife deal with the hubby, who was mad enough from THAT that when the GS dude showed back up it was a fun scene.
> 
> Apprently the conversation went like this:
> 
> Neighbors: Everytime we go to google, we get redirected.
> 
> GS: Well, that's serious. I need to reformat your pc. Be right back!
> 
> oh well. Live and learn. At least the GS dude had the stones to ask me what I did and how I did it, which I thought was at least prospective, in that he was willing to learn. But the fact that he didn't KNOW what was wrong, and that his answer was to immediately hit it with the biggest hammer he could find, was somewhat disconcerting.


I almost never resort to formatting a machine. I've seen a couple of cases where I've been working many hours at getting rid of the malware and viruses seem to be multiplying like squirrels, and I get frustrated, back up everything on the machine, scan all that from another box, then wipe it. That's rare though. Usually I can get rid of most junk within 45 minutes, and that's a heck of a lot easier than formatting and restarting from scratch.

On my machines, I once had a virus that ate the master boot, but of course I had an image from the night before that I just threw on and scanned throughly. It was fine till the PSU blew, and because it was a several year old Dell, it was a custom PSU, with the wires on the 20-pin mapped in odd places. Couldn't find one for a decent price and it was a PIII 800 MHz with little more potential anyway.

Since then, I haven't had a single piece of anything, even as small as a tracking cookie in 3-4 years. I used to scan just about every day, but lately it's been once a month if that, never get anything at all. Heck, this box runs really nice for a 1.2 GHz Athlon. Handles Dreamweaver, Flash, Imageready and Photoshop 6 simultaneously without flinching.

It seems the more GS setups I see, the less respect I have for them. The other day I was in the store and one of them was trying to tell me a PCI-E slot looked exactly the same and was compatible with a PCI slot, it was just faster.  None of the PCI-E types look anything like a regular PCI to me.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/PCIExpress.jpg


----------



## jp1203

RedHelix said:


> Also, it's admirable that you immediately knew what software to use to resolve the issue, but I hasten to point out that ZA, HJT, and many other security tools you take for granted aren't authorized for use by GS. (Although they were talking about authorizing HJT when I left.) Employees using them on the job could result (and has previously resulted) in a lawsuit. And the software they ARE authorized to use is laughable at best, which prevents them from doing their jobs properly.


That could cause some issues in solving the problem, I couldn't imagine not being able to use HJT or anything of my choice. I just keep every decent security app on my flash.


----------



## new tech guy

I pick a setup that works and stick with it. I find avg free does a good job and combine that with comodo, spybot, and ,spyware blaster on xp and im set. Usually i set that up as most people insist on mcafee but i find that setup smaller, lighter, and very effective. I am not an expert but i work to the best of my ability.


----------



## valis

JStergis said:


> It was fine till the PSU blew, and because it was a several year old Dell, it was a custom PSU, with the wires on the 20-pin mapped in odd places.


this has been bugging me for a couple now.....a custom psu is completely understandable, but WHY was the 20 pin mapped weird? That would mean a corresponding weirdness on the mobo side, I would assume......and did you customize it? I know in my 'customizing' of rigs, they have turned out a bit sideways in the learning process. 

"See, to turn it on, take this screwdriver.............."


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## n2gun

IMO Some pc's had the psu wired different so you had to go the company you bought it from for a replacement. More of your dollars in their pocket!! Of course the price was substantially higher than an off the shelf psu.


----------



## valis

n2gun said:


> IMO Some pc's had the psu wired different so you had to go the company you bought it from for a replacement. More of your dollars in their pocket!! Of course the price was substantially higher than an off the shelf psu.


the bmw of the pc world, eh? Makes sense. I remember when my buddy's muffler on his beemer went south, took it to midas, close to $300 for a new muffler. Proprietary bend in the tube, dontcha know....


----------



## The_Oracle

now, first of all, if GS start using software that is free for personal use and making money with it, they'll find themselves in court next morning.

i'll have to second the statement that a machine that has been cleared of spyware and viruses isn't exactly trustworthy anymore.

as someone said, it can take anything from 10 minutes to 10 hours to clean an infected machine. from a financial point of view it often does not compute to do that. to keep the financial damage at bay, 'the biggest hammer' is often the appropriate method. although i am interested in what has been causing the problems every now n then (out of occupational curiosity) the customers don't like the notion to pay for the job more than what a new machine would cost even more so if the outcome is questionable.

to help out a friend or neighbour cannot be compared to a professional job where you're obliged to obey certain rules and regulations.


----------



## valis

I pretty much disagree with the 'biggest hammer' part, especially if you don't know what you are infected with. To date, I only know of one virus out there that is pervasive enough to warrant a reformat, although I am sure that there are others out there. I've fixed a LOT of computers with hjt and then whatever tools were necessary to remove the infection, and I don't think I've spent more than 2 hours on any given machine. 

Granted, I know hjt and have most of the removal tools already at my disposal, so I don't have to research for them, and can recognize most on sight, but still, if their solution is reformat without even knowing what the problem is, that is rather extreme in my view. Again, all the GS tech was told was that they were being redirected. He fiddled with IE a bit, couldn't fix it there, so decided to reformat the machine. 

Now, I didn't ask him if he was going to reformat or simply recreate the profile keeping the data intact. But as they (my neighbors) had a pile of data on there, from pics to financial papers to what have you, I had a rather vested interest in their not losing their data. And again, I had them up in about 20 minutes or so.

I totally understand that GS is handcuffed by the fact that they do not have legal access to the tools necessary to correctly handle many of the more common infestations, and also understand that they do not want to take ownership of a machine that has been infected, as if it respawns, or they damage the registry, then they could be in deep yogurt. 

but I still think that they should at least tell the customer the options available to them, and what they plan to do to fix it, and if they choose not to have a reformat or a new profile with the current data system left intact, then that can be their choice, not GS's to make.

But yeah, I see where they DA's would be overworked and the biggest hammer is the quickest fix to the issue. Besides, now that TrendMicro has acquired HJT, it's only a matter of time before they develop a 'commercial' version that does exactly the same thing, only worse.


----------



## The_Oracle

read the EULA, under section 1 you'll find this:



> install the Software, for Your own use only.


now installing this software on clients' machines and charging them for it is certainly a violation. if you don't mind reading further (section 5), you'll find out that the AnalyzeThis button submits the data from your HijackThis log to Trend Micro for use by them and their partners. which imho gets HJT very close to being spyware itself.

and of course the customer should have the right to choose which way to go from the options presented in a decent and objective manner.


----------



## jp1203

valis said:


> this has been bugging me for a couple now.....a custom psu is completely understandable, but WHY was the 20 pin mapped weird? That would mean a corresponding weirdness on the mobo side, I would assume......and did you customize it? I know in my 'customizing' of rigs, they have turned out a bit sideways in the learning process.
> 
> "See, to turn it on, take this screwdriver.............."


Yup, the mobo was a weirdo dell one too, that's why I couldn't throw a standard 20-pin on it. It was an older Dell with no real room for expansion (maxxed out at 512 MB RAM, no AGP, one CD bay, a floppy bay and a HDD bay, that's all.) It was actually an extra unneeded box at that point anyway.

Out of curiosity, I plugged a standard PSU into it, and there was a spark and I'm pretty sure the mobo blew, considering the size of it. PSU still works though.

Actually, funny about the customizing.

My current rig is a circa 2000 Compaq chasis, compaq board, an AMD processor I found for it (1.2 GHz), a 120 gig WD HDD, yada yada
Basically random parts I threw together.

The front of the case has no cover, because I didn't like the looks of it, and I had destroyed the power button anyway. It's metal with the CD drive and other covers sticking out several inches, the power button requires really small fingers or a pencil or something, it's hillbillyish really, but what do I care, it runs at 80 F on the CPU, and it sits below the desk so I never look at it anyway.


----------



## drgoodtrips

Chad81 said:


> WOW. I'm glad I found this thread. So I just got a job at the Geek squad. I have a mortgage to pay, mine and my wife's mouth to feed, and I HAD to get a job.
> 
> Anyways, I'm extremely pissed now. These guys are total immoral douchebags. I am 26 and my bosses are both younger than me. All they talk about is rock climbing and they can't even fix computers well. They are dirty salesman so they have high store "numbers". I am in a tricky spot because I NEED a job. I spent 2 months looking for jobs and finally succombed. *Should I stay or just quit and try my hand somewhere else?*


What sort of jobs were you looking for? I'm a software engineer by trade, so I can't really speak about the IT/Service market, but the developer market seems to be pretty flush right now. I've been getting calls out of the blue from headhunters I used a few years back, asking if I'd be interested in interviewing for this or that developer/senior developer position.

If the IT/Service market is anything like that, I'd say keep looking. Of course, nothing says you can't collect paychecks while looking for something better. As a matter of fact, call headhunters - that's a good way to look for jobs when you're busy with something else, like a current job.


----------



## valis

JStergis said:


> Yup, the mobo was a weirdo dell one too, that's why I couldn't throw a standard 20-pin on it. It was an older Dell with no real room for expansion (maxxed out at 512 MB RAM, no AGP, one CD bay, a floppy bay and a HDD bay, that's all.) It was actually an extra unneeded box at that point anyway.
> 
> Out of curiosity, I plugged a standard PSU into it, and there was a spark and I'm pretty sure the mobo blew, considering the size of it. PSU still works though.
> 
> Actually, funny about the customizing.
> 
> My current rig is a circa 2000 Compaq chasis, compaq board, an AMD processor I found for it (1.2 GHz), a 120 gig WD HDD, yada yada
> Basically random parts I threw together.
> 
> The front of the case has no cover, because I didn't like the looks of it, and I had destroyed the power button anyway. It's metal with the CD drive and other covers sticking out several inches, the power button requires really small fingers or a pencil or something, it's hillbillyish really, but what do I care, it runs at 80 F on the CPU, and it sits below the desk so I never look at it anyway.


figured something was goofy with that mobo setup.....it was bugging me for a bit, but I couldn't figure out WHY it was sticking in my mind.....

my very first build (was into computers in the late 70's, again in the mid 80's, then nothing until 98, and things had changed a touch in the 15 year interim) was in 98, and I had zero knowledge of modern pc's. So I went to the local Fry's, picked up a mobo, processor, some ram, a monitor and video card, all the peripherals, and a 5 gig hd that people came from far and wide to see, and had everything spread out on the card table I called a desk. Literally turned it on with a screwdriver. Paperclips also worked, but as they lacked insulation, it was a nasty surprise at best.

two weeks later I got a cat, and thence learned how to put it all in a case. 

still have the rig and the cat, btw. Both still function fine.


----------



## new tech guy

My old computer is a custom build of my own. When i got it i went to town on it with upgrades as all it had was a linksys card, a 20 and 10 gig hd on it, win2k, and the 48x dvd rom drive which is atcually still a decent disk drive. I maxed its ram from 191 to 512, added usb 2.0, upgraded the drive to a 120 (have two old dumpster dived 10 gigs now) but those are on their last leg, just driving them to the ground at this point and i have the 120 freed up in an external case unit, havent decided if i wanna put it back i the old box, load xp and play with vmware or just try it on the 10 gig and keep the 120 as an external drive in case i need to work on someone else's computer, do emergency backup from bartpe to one of my own pcs.... But i understand there are legal issues with using certain software in a company but they could at least try to find good free commercial software that does the job efectively or talk to free software distributors to get a special licence where they could use the software they provide.


----------



## Factor3

I've got one here in Atlanta that is like nothing I've ever experienced. I bought an external hard drive from them, used it for back up.... then it failed and they charged me for data recovery after having it for 5 days!

They even set up a home networking system using a Buffalo Link external HD... Right after I went away for 2 1/2 weeks (without having the chance to try it out and make sure it worked properly). When I came back things weren't working at all. They wouldn't even own up to the work that they were doing to come and fix it and I had to pay someone else to go and fix the mess they had made.

If anyone has any good recommendations for Computer Help people in the Atlanta area, I'd LOVE to use them instead of throwing my money down the Geek Squad hole of incompetence!


----------



## pwong

I'm a tech guy and I went to the Best Buy interview just to see what they say. One of the interviewers told me that I have no sales experience so I didn't get the job. "They would rather Train a salesman to be a tech than train a tech to be a salesman." Then I opened up my own company called computersquad.ca and most of the clients were GeekSquad's unhappy customers!


----------



## geekxquad

Alex Ethridge said:


> I am in the on-site service and support business and I have gone behind enough of the Geek Squad's work now that I feel I am qualified to make an assessment of their competence--or rather lack of.
> 
> Over the last three months, I've had opportunity to check out about ten or more wireless network setups done by the Geek Squad. I find that in all cases there was not one which had any form of security. All were open and unsecured. In all cases, the default name for the wireless device was left at the manufacturer's default and not one even had the default password changed.
> 
> The worst case I saw was today's late afternoon service call that ran on to about 8:30 PM. The Geek Squad had set up three wireless networks. One in the home I visited, one directly across the street and one just next door. All were done over a period of about six weeks. The customer complained that her wireless would just come and go at will. I discovered the Geek Squad had her connecting to the internet through the next door neighbor's computer and, in addition, all of the other conditions existed as stated in the above paragraph.
> 
> So much for the Geek Squad. I guess it just proves that even the near totally incompetent can get plenty of business if they have the advertising dollars behind them. I wonder how many identity thefts they are responsible for.


GS is a professional business, and certainly does not do petty things such as stealing identities or try to create more business for themselves. as an agent i know that not just any moron that can build a computer can get a job there, its training and certifications that make a difference, anyways if u have had a bad experience with GS a lot of the new agents are still a bit new, u wouldnt believe the problems ppl have, vomit on a laptop etc. lol 
but ya, not all GS agents are trying to rob you of your files/documents, as for pricing and data, its totally flat fee based and confidential.


----------



## new tech guy

What he means by that is that he wonders how many identity thefts have occured because someone incomptent assumed they were in good shape after gs set up a pc when in fact nothing is secured and therefore personal data was stolen from a hacked machine due to the lack of security. I personally agree, that they should use a 128 bit WPA encryption on their installed networks as that type of encryption has not been hacked where WEP has been hacked and the tools needed to do it are readily available on the net. Also, they should focus more on being good pc servicemen rather than salespeople.


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## ~Candy~

And he registered JUST to post that..............wow..........


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## new tech guy

AcaCandy said:


> And he registered JUST to post that..............wow..........


Probably just was SENT by geeksquad to post that and cover their name...


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## paulr24

This doesn't really have much to do with anything, but I was in Best Buy a few months ago and I saw Tiger Woods 08 for the ps2 with one of the Geek Squad stickers that says something like "Have us install it for you!" on it. No joke. I just started cracking up in the middle of the store by myself, people must have thought I was nuts. Looking back I wish I had taken a picture of it...

I'd be seriously pissed if I was some dumb old person who bought this for their grand kid and had it "installed" by Geek Squad for $30 or whatever it costs.


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## rawrbble

I work for Geek Squad and the hiring of the technicians is horrible. It's based on referals of friends. You could have never touched a computer in your life and be hired. Fun stuff.


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## lexmarks567

geek squad is so dumb take your computer to them tell them your moniter quit but don't tell them its because you didn't turn it on. i bet they will never figure it out charge $1000 and say you need a new computer


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## new tech guy

Hey lex! long time no see! how are you buddy? . Anyway yes and you would be surprised lex how many people at school think there computer in one of the labs is broke then i walk over and tell them to turn it on. They claim it is on and i press the switch and lo and behold! the computer is starting up and perfectly fine.


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## lexmarks567

new tech guy said:


> Hey lex! long time no see! how are you buddy? .


im fine  had a headache for like a whole month and now it comes and goes.



new tech guy said:


> They claim it is on and i press the switch and lo and behold! the computer is starting up and perfectly fine.


future geek-squad employees


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## new tech guy

Isnt it the truth .


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## dr911

Hello All,

I just talked to a buddy from Las Vegas........he told me that he bought a PC from best Buy. I told him does it have XP on it.....yes. Cool, I informed him of TGF (Trying to get members in here gang !) . I told him *NOT *to take it to GS !!:down: Call me, I use XPs remote to fix it or drive up there. I then sent him a link to this thread.


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## MG other

I work at Geek Squad City. Now I can't say what kind of agents work in the stores because i really don't know any of them. The ones that work in the city do have a good amount of knowledge when it comes to repairing computers. They do give you an extensive test before even being interviewed. If you don't pass the test then you won't get hired on as an agent. No matter what friend has recommended you. I have worked in a few different places that repaired desktop/laptops. GSC is the first place I've seen that actually keeps to its word of keeping the customer in mind. I haven't experienced anything illegal or could be construed as unethical like i have in previous jobs. Actually they have made every effort to deter the agents from doing anything that could be wrong. If you can find any company that every employee is perfect than please show me. Geek Squad from my experience has made every effort to make sure that the agents they hire know what they are doing in GSC.


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## cwwozniak

GS must be hurting for more victims, er, I mean customers. Got an E-mail from Best Buy a few days ago. To thank me for being a loyal Reward Zone customer, I was entitled to receive a "FREE Geek Squad In-Home PC Networking Consultation - $49 value." I sent a reply saying they couldn't pay me enough $ to let GS get anywhere near my computers or network hardware.


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## RedHelix

MG other said:


> I work at Geek Squad City. Now I can't say what kind of agents work in the stores because i really don't know any of them. The ones that work in the city do have a good amount of knowledge when it comes to repairing computers. They do give you an extensive test before even being interviewed. If you don't pass the test then you won't get hired on as an agent. No matter what friend has recommended you. I have worked in a few different places that repaired desktop/laptops. GSC is the first place I've seen that actually keeps to its word of keeping the customer in mind. I haven't experienced anything illegal or could be construed as unethical like i have in previous jobs. Actually they have made every effort to deter the agents from doing anything that could be wrong. If you can find any company that every employee is perfect than please show me. Geek Squad from my experience has made every effort to make sure that the agents they hire know what they are doing in GSC.


And yet, when I worked for Geek Squad, 3 out of 5 machines sent to GSC came back unrepaired or with accessories missing.

When GSC opened we actually had to hire an extra guy whose sole job was to test all the PCs that came back, and return and escalate the ones that came back unrepaired.


----------



## new tech guy

RedHelix said:


> And yet, when I worked for Geek Squad, 3 out of 5 machines sent to GSC came back unrepaired or with accessories missing.
> 
> When GSC opened we actually had to hire an extra guy whose sole job was to test all the PCs that came back, and return and escalate the ones that came back unrepaired.


That is exactly what happened to my laptop (lappy486 in specs)! I was very annoyed and to be honest they wanted to blame the manufacturer for the non repair! Never again will i buy a pc at bestbuy nor even let geeksquad touch my systems with a 40 foot pole.


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## lexmarks567

new tech guy said:


> That is exactly what happened to my laptop (lappy486 in specs)! I was very annoyed and to be honest they wanted to blame the manufacturer for the non repair! Never again will i buy a pc at bestbuy nor even let geeksquad touch my systems with a 40 foot pole.


hey there is a good reason to have geek squad around it keeps us employed fixing there repairs


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## new tech guy

Aka: Job Security! :d.


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## markie_oliver

a toast for John Wayne ehem Johnwill rather, hes a great guy!


----------



## Compiler

You know... I suspect that a peron works for GS or is a promotional type when they create accounts and talk about their co-workers as "agents"... the post seems a bit too professional. Compared to some of the others "I used to work there - they sucked" or "we weren't that bad"...


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## mongo_nc

Compiler said:


> You know... I suspect that a peron works for GS or is a promotional type when they create accounts and talk about their co-workers as "agents"... the post seems a bit too professional. Compared to some of the others "I used to work there - they sucked" or "we weren't that bad"...


I agree there. I'm sure, somewhere, there are a decent group of techs, er, umm, "agents" that work at Best Buy. The law of probability would suggest that not everyone can be a tool. However, from *my experience* having dealt with the aftermath, if you will, of a "Geek Squad Agent's handywork", I can tell you, at least in my area, they either don't know their arse from a hole in the ground or could care less about anything but "turn and burn".

Am I the most knowledgeable person to lay hands on a computer? No. Never claimed to be. However, I give the customer the benefit of the doubt and work on their stuff like it's my own; even better. I could care less if my hard drive is securely mounted with 4 screws in the case, or that I have a broken tab on my case's bezel, but when it comes to a customer's computer, I do care about that stuff and I make sure their computer leaves my hands as close to brand new as possible. To me, that's the only way to do it, whether it's when I'm on my boss' clock or my own clock.

Incompetence has no place in business, whether you're asking "would you like fries with that?" or whether you're building a multi-million dollar high-rise building. The common link to all of these posts seem to suggest some form of incompetence, whether it's an "I don't care" attitude or plain ineptness on the part of the "agent" to do a repair.

But, "MG other", if you are truly a top-notch tech, as are your co-workers, keep up the good work. If you're laying on the b.s., please, pass out boots to everyone else.


----------



## jp1203

mongo_nc said:


> However, I give the customer the benefit of the doubt and work on their stuff like it's my own; even better. I could care less if my hard drive is securely mounted with 4 screws in the case, or that I have a broken tab on my case's bezel, but when it comes to a customer's computer, I do care about that stuff and I make sure their computer leaves my hands as close to brand new as possible. To me, that's the only way to do it, whether it's when I'm on my boss' clock or my own clock.


I read this and kinda laughed because it's exactly how I do things. My machines don't have all four screws in ANY drive I don't think, because it doesn't make a bit of difference to me. Anyone's machines I work on have as many screws as the drive and mounting takes. I never clean up my machines at all, never do updates, never scan for viruses (I simply expect I don't have any)...whenever I work on someone else's machines I do all of this. I keep their freeware software up to date, but my OpenOffice is at least two years old and my winamp is at least a year old. I always kinda toss my laptop around. It's not great to do that with the hard drive spinning, but I've never caused an issue that way with it. Working on another laptop though, I use supreme care. My wiring is a nightmare. I neaten it up, tie it up, etc. but I'll need to change something so I undo all the ties and they never get redone. At a customer's house, if I'm wiring anything, I use cable ties and make it perfectly neat, because if I end up back there (which I usually do, provided they have another issue of some form) it's easier for me, not to mention it looks better in someone's home.

I know a mechanic who drives a falling-apart suburban, but he does the greatest work on others cars. He claims he just doesn't have the time to deal with his and he can deal with small ongoing problems since it's his own car.

I also know a carpenter who builds beautiful houses, but his is kind of hilarious with the shape it's in, besides that it's probably 25 years old and never finished. I'm not sure what his deal is.


----------



## new tech guy

See i do the best i could on another pc. I will admit, my first few jobs were nightmares and they did not go to well but i did not know what i was doing. Very recently i set up a home with networking for two pcs and a nintendo wii. I had some trouble with one machine and the other was a brand new desktop set up with av and antispy by the good ol gs. Well the lady is showing the machine which is meant as the computer for their two kids and of course, they haphazardly threw in the software, and i click on an installer for comodo firewall and of course it does not launch. also the so good trend micro plus spysweeper installed were not up to date and worse yet, failed update attempts. So they are no good. I do not check every nook and cranny of the computer because some are in such sorry shape it would take ages to clean up. I do take care of my own but then again its cause i use my house as practice as my sister/mom represent inept users to me and it gives me an idea of what im up against out in the thick. Im not the best either but i will do what is needed and what a customer wants i do take the time to make sure it is done right.


----------



## Compiler

Here Here! I have never claimed to be "the best" myself. When I have a question, I may ask fellow friends who are techs, as they do me... as well as I share opinions or problems here... or learn solutions from others.

I do have a clean PC (inside and out) physically - clean wiring and cooling. My case is an Antec P160. (now called Sonata) here is what she looks like: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129036. Now I don't have the most up-to date Anti Spyware (I get less infections in 6 months that most people in a day or two) much of my software is quite old - such as office2000 because it's not worth the time or money to upgrade THAT. Open Office, its free I do that one every once in a while. Office2007 is not in my future, nor is 2003 of course... but at lease M$ is actually making Office07 affordable for home use at $120 (with stupid title bar message about "non commercial" which CAN be changed). But for clients, I upgrade and update things - much of the time they don't know they are out-dated, etc. Hell, I'm still building PCs that are much faster than mine - which I drool for. Having a baby has expenses, but its fun to watch him play on his own full PC at age 3... He plays games and types in a Word Processor, etc... I think he may know more than some Geek Squad Agents.... (thinking of GET SMART now) heheh


----------



## valis

JStergis said:


> I read this and kinda laughed because it's exactly how I do things. My machines don't have all four screws in ANY drive I don't think, because it doesn't make a bit of difference to me. Anyone's machines I work on have as many screws as the drive and mounting takes. I never clean up my machines at all, never do updates, never scan for viruses (I simply expect I don't have any)...whenever I work on someone else's machines I do all of this. I keep their freeware software up to date, but my OpenOffice is at least two years old and my winamp is at least a year old. I always kinda toss my laptop around. It's not great to do that with the hard drive spinning, but I've never caused an issue that way with it. Working on another laptop though, I use supreme care. My wiring is a nightmare. I neaten it up, tie it up, etc. but I'll need to change something so I undo all the ties and they never get redone. At a customer's house, if I'm wiring anything, I use cable ties and make it perfectly neat, because if I end up back there (which I usually do, provided they have another issue of some form) it's easier for me, not to mention it looks better in someone's home.
> 
> I know a mechanic who drives a falling-apart suburban, but he does the greatest work on others cars. He claims he just doesn't have the time to deal with his and he can deal with small ongoing problems since it's his own car.
> 
> I also know a carpenter who builds beautiful houses, but his is kind of hilarious with the shape it's in, besides that it's probably 25 years old and never finished. I'm not sure what his deal is.


hah! took the words out of my mouth......I got a 98 box that occassionally servers as a server in my house, and I actually have duct tape holding part of the system board down, as I lost the mounting screw until I found it vacuuming.


----------



## new tech guy

Heh, Speaking of funky repairs, i fixed my computer's input wire for the a/c adapter by replacing the frayed one with one i bought from gamestop which goes to a ps2 for about $5.


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## valis

dude, that's pretty good idea.....may want to change your moniker to mcguyer.....:up:


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## lexmarks567

does anyone know how G/S is with cars. like installing a cd player.


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## gurutech

My grandmother could install a CD player... but she doesn't work for GS...


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## lexmarks567

gurutech said:


> My grandmother could install a CD player... but she doesn't work for GS...


hey this thing needs to be hardwired to the existing wiring. theres more to it then you think


----------



## jp1203

valis said:


> hah! took the words out of my mouth......I got a 98 box that occassionally servers as a server in my house, and I actually have duct tape holding part of the system board down, as I lost the mounting screw until I found it vacuuming.


My HP Evo has a pretty badly mangled front cover. Of course, it's part of the machines that someone just gave me, I looked at it and said "ooo, that ain't bad!" I looked it up-I could buy a new front cover for 25 bucks from HP, but I'm too cheap.

What does tick me off is the fact that the pentium-iii sticker is peeling off my laptop, but the designed for win 2k is stuck on fine. Some things I can live with, some really irritate me I guess.

I've also gotta buy either some CAT5 ends or a 50 foot cable to run from the router to the laptop. It kinda irritates me to deal with wireless, SO SLOW!


----------



## new tech guy

I probably should or to be funny, mclovett! . I thought it was clever thinking on my part. Even dad was sayin that was good thinking on my part. I just needed the part that runs the 120v a/c to the transformer. And the plug originally looked like the same input to my ps2 so i figured, heck i could probably just swap it with a playstation wire. And sure enough found a generic psx wire at gamestop and $5 later, the frayed wire was fixed :up:


----------



## valis

JStergis said:


> My HP Evo has a pretty badly mangled front cover. Of course, it's part of the machines that someone just gave me, I looked at it and said "ooo, that ain't bad!" I looked it up-I could buy a new front cover for 25 bucks from HP, but I'm too cheap.
> 
> What does tick me off is the fact that the pentium-iii sticker is peeling off my laptop, but the designed for win 2k is stuck on fine. Some things I can live with, some really irritate me I guess.
> 
> I've also gotta buy either some CAT5 ends or a 50 foot cable to run from the router to the laptop. It kinda irritates me to deal with wireless, SO SLOW!


yer wireless shouldn't be slow unless you got a slow link somewhere....I've got my hybrid router upstairs, wife's laptop downstairs, and it's not that bad.....but then again, I'm getting ~6k kbps d/l coming in, so her ~4k is still pretty high......and she's just using a linksys usb wireless key.


----------



## new tech guy

O i have another bad support story. This mess is just going on now, not with the GS but with Gateway. Long story short, somehow the A/C hookup on my sister's computer died. This time my hand had nothing to do with this mess. So we called gateway, they gave us a price and a box to ship it in. We ship it and it came back. Well now the keyboard does not work. My dad just tole me the story of his ordeal with gateway support. They at first started claiming the pc was not compatible with vista however her computer did come preloaded with xp but was vista compatible and we got a vista upgrade disc from gateway a little after vista was released and the pc was upgraded to windows vista home premium. So that call is out on their part. Then they had him try to reinstall drivers which oddly enough think everything is still fine. Finally they said they would ship a new keypad to us so WE NOT THE MANUFACTURER can install. Finally we got them to fix it again and they are sending a shipping box.


----------



## jp1203

valis said:


> yer wireless shouldn't be slow unless you got a slow link somewhere....I've got my hybrid router upstairs, wife's laptop downstairs, and it's not that bad.....but then again, I'm getting ~6k kbps d/l coming in, so her ~4k is still pretty high......and she's just using a linksys usb wireless key.


It's not with the internet, that's fine, it only goes at 700 kilobits anyway, so it can't really limit it.

What frustrates me is transfers over the network. I average at around 3 megabyes downstream off my server, which can be really frustrating for certain things. Wired I get 10-11 megs a second off of it.

I have thunderbird set to look at the same mail directories as on my desktop, and for stuff like that it's horribly slow due to the amount of mail I save.

I'll download something sizeable on the laptop, say a 200 meg file. Wired that would take 19-20 seconds to transfer over. It takes over a minute on a wireless link. I suppose 3 megs a second (what, around 25-30 megabits) isn't bad for a G-Link.


----------



## valis

okay, that makes more sense. I forgot you run a full on network at your house, where as I do, but maybe only once or twice a year when I have company.....other than that, I just have the wife's laptop, and then my old, old old laptop bolted to the garage wall and wirelessed to my rig upstairs for LOUD MUSIC when I am out in the garage playing.


----------



## new tech guy

Been thinking about that. My parents have a DVR unit for the satalite. I told em we could have just gotten an old minitower that would have a tv tuner card installed, and could just keep the plain service and save money by letting the old tower do the dvr stuff and possibly even stream media from it to other computers and all maintenance work can be done via remote desktop and we can just leave the unit headless and set up as DMZ but only allowing internal network access.


----------



## Compiler

Well... one of the things about using a Desktop system with an OS like Windows - is that when it crashes or problems it needs to be troubleshooted like a computer. While a dedicated CE device generally works better. 

Ananadtech did an interesting thing. They setup a Vista Media Center system... afterall, MCE is designed to work as your TV tuner, showing info on TV shows, recording them, playback etc etc... 

After 2 days - having both Dell techs, Microsoft techs and a few Comcast/TWC techs on site to configure the hardware to work correctly (the ability to work off a cable feed using a rather expensive converter box made for PCs) - the staff was able to watch HBO, etc... they couldn't do Pay Per View. But finally they had a nice pretty VISTA MC interface.

The cable tech, while walking out the home... (rough memory) "That is all it does? All this time and work... We rent a dual tuner DVR box for $10 a month." - which is true. I pay an extra $5~6 a month for a dual tuner (2x 80GB drives) for the DVR. Its not very pretty - but it works.


----------



## lexmarks567

Raelyn Campbell is suing Best Buy and their Geek Squad for $54,000,000!

She dropped off her laptop to have it repaired and they lost it. Oops.

I hope she wins.

http://www.dailytech.com/Woman+Sues+Best+Buy+For+54M+Over+Lost+Laptop/article10665.htm


----------



## valis

awesome link, lex.....thanks......


----------



## JohnWill

Funny story, I hope the message gets through.


----------



## ~Candy~

valis said:


> awesome link, lex.....thanks......


Happy early birthday valis, in case I miss it


----------



## valis

thanks aca.....with lex's story there, I'm suddenly rethinking my retirement plans.....


----------



## new tech guy

Hi valis happy bday and interesting link there lex. .


----------



## valis

thanks, ntg....not until tomorrow, though.....call it my 'birthday week' here....me and bassetman....


----------



## new tech guy

O ok sounds good tho! Happy bday to him too if he swings by here and i dont blame that woman for suing gs!


----------



## Couriant

JohnWill said:


> Funny story, I hope the message gets through.


Come on... this is geek squad you're talking about.


----------



## JohnWill

Good point.


----------



## lexmarks567

geek squad will loose and too make up the money just come up with more problems with peoples computers to make up for it and raise there labor rate


----------



## thebeginner

The Geek Squad had better lose. I really hope they lose some business. That's bad for the customer to lose their laptops for them.


----------



## new tech guy

I cant get my head around the fact they lost it in the first place! How do you lose a customers computer?!


----------



## ~Candy~

It's called employee theft. Happens all the time in businesses.


----------



## Couriant

AcaCandy said:


> It's called employee theft. Happens all the time in businesses.


That and just complete stupidity.


----------



## ~Candy~

True. Stupidity in that they just didn't pay her what she wanted to begin with.

But, you can't watch all your employees all the time  THEFT happens. I guess the punishment should be cutting a hand off, but, that is probably against the law


----------



## Couriant

AcaCandy said:


> True. Stupidity in that they just didn't pay her what she wanted to begin with.
> 
> But, you can't watch all your employees all the time  THEFT happens. I guess the punishment should be cutting a hand off, but, that is probably against the law


maybe in this country it is... but there are few that do that


----------



## new tech guy

Yup, i never happened to think of employee theft. Things do just tends to "disapear" when the manager is not looking


----------



## lexmarks567

but you don't steal a clients computer or laptop. thats jail time right there if they can proove it.


----------



## new tech guy

Still can happen. You slip it in somthin like your employee locker when noone is lookin and no one is none the wiser. At our job they are very secure. We go through a metal detector and if tripped get wanded. The gaurds dont care if it was just somthing like a steel toe work boot, they check anyway. In a retail place like that you are not checked so it is all too easy for one to hide somthing in a bag or somthing and walk out of the building with it.


----------



## lexmarks567

then they offer 1% of whats its worth as a apology we know the laptop was worth $5000 but we think its worth $500


----------



## ~Candy~

Couriant said:


> maybe in this country it is... but there are few that do that


I know  And I'm willing to bet if we had that law, theft would drop overnight :up:


----------



## ~Candy~

lexmarks567 said:


> but you don't steal a clients computer or laptop. thats jail time right there if they can proove it.


The person who stole it has no vested interest in the "client"  He/she was "just" an employee who saw an opportunity. Too bad she didn't have something like Logmein.com installed on it and could trace the IP address the next time it went online :up:


----------



## new tech guy

AcaCandy said:


> The person who stole it has no vested interest in the "client"  He/she was "just" an employee who saw an opportunity. Too bad she didn't have something like Logmein.com installed on it and could trace the IP address the next time it went online :up:


That would work but if they have a brain cell they would know to nuke the thing before putting it on the net to remove any tracers like that. Only way that can be thwarted is with somthing like lojack which is wired into the BIOS and cannot be taken out.


----------



## ~Candy~

It's a Best Buy employee, remember


----------



## lexmarks567

AcaCandy said:


> It's a Best Buy employee, remember


they don't have a brain


----------



## new tech guy

True i almost forgot . If it was running and you know the mac adress can probably search the bestbuy router and find the thing by looking through the MAC addresses . That is, IF they know what a MAC is.


----------



## WarLord725

The geek squad is kinda weak (my cousin used to be on it).... they really don't know what they are talking about sometimes (example would be when I brought my friends computer to them back when I was 16 and their explanation for the BSOD was "not enough memory"... that kinda made me wonder how these guys ever got the job in the first place... >_>)... anyways... they aren't very reliable... either ask an expert or be tech savvy yourself...:up:


----------



## jp1203

AcaCandy said:


> The person who stole it has no vested interest in the "client"  He/she was "just" an employee who saw an opportunity. Too bad she didn't have something like Logmein.com installed on it and could trace the IP address the next time it went online :up:


I never really thought of that. On my laptop I have LogMeIn Hamachi installed so I can "phone home" to me desktop whenever I want for e-mail, documents, etc.

I suppose if it were ever stolen I could easily find the ip that way too. On my desktop, I can mouse-over any machine in the Hamachi list and the internet ip is accurately listed there.

Not to mention I have a BIOS password, an XP Startup password (created with the syskey utility with XP --start-->run-->syskey, I bet a lot of people didn't know that existed, I didn't until a few months ago), and beyond that a normal user acct password. You would need to have a functional brain with a good amount of pc knowledge to get past that anyway.

If I ever saw it, I could prove it's mine pretty easily too. I took the thing apart and engraved my name in several places under covers, under the entire bottom of the laptop (the part inside) and whatnot. It's easy for anyone to miss, but give me a screwdriver and I can find it and pretty well.


----------



## ~Candy~

JStergis said:


> I never really thought of that. On my laptop I have LogMeIn Hamachi installed so I can "phone home" to me desktop whenever I want for e-mail, documents, etc.
> 
> I suppose if it were ever stolen I could easily find the ip that way too. On my desktop, I can mouse-over any machine in the Hamachi list and the internet ip is accurately listed there.
> 
> Not to mention I have a BIOS password, an XP Startup password (created with the syskey utility with XP --start-->run-->syskey, I bet a lot of people didn't know that existed, I didn't until a few months ago), and beyond that a normal user acct password. You would need to have a functional brain with a good amount of pc knowledge to get past that anyway.
> 
> If I ever saw it, I could prove it's mine pretty easily too. I took the thing apart and engraved my name in several places under covers, under the entire bottom of the laptop (the part inside) and whatnot. It's easy for anyone to miss, but give me a screwdriver and I can find it and pretty well.


:up: It's a great "FREE FOR NOW" program  I just upgraded to pro on one machine when they had the $34.95 / yr. special earlier. Like the idea of being able to drag/dop files. Haven't tested it yet. Guess I should   

It works good for me, as I have some security cams installed at my 'remote' location, and when the IP address changes, I can't log into the cameras  however, I do get motion emails, so, unless the program freezes, or someone is using my computer and manages to close the camera program  I can check the IP that way...but, it's good to have a backup.

And before someone suggests the sites that do that for you, if you can't 'acknowledge' their emails every 90 days, from your HOME ip......you can't get those renewed.

As for using a bios password, that won't work for me, as if the machine shuts down due to power failure, I have it set to reboot on power on, and there would be no one there to enter that secret bios password for me


----------



## jp1203

AcaCandy said:


> :up: It's a great "FREE FOR NOW" program  I just upgraded to pro on one machine when they had the $34.95 / yr. special earlier. Like the idea of being able to drag/dop files. Haven't tested it yet. Guess I should
> 
> It works good for me, as I have some security cams installed at my 'remote' location, and when the IP address changes, I can't log into the cameras  however, I do get motion emails, so, unless the program freezes, or someone is using my computer and manages to close the camera program  I can check the IP that way...but, it's good to have a backup.
> 
> And before someone suggests the sites that do that for you, if you can't 'acknowledge' their emails every 90 days, from your HOME ip......you can't get those renewed.
> 
> As for using a bios password, that won't work for me, as if the machine shuts down due to power failure, I have it set to reboot on power on, and there would be no one there to enter that secret bios password for me


Originally I was running a VPN, but since my IP Addy's dynamic, it was useless if it changed and I didn't have the new one. Hamachi seemed like a much better idea, and it's worked flawlessly for me. My uplink's pretty much junk (128 KBps), but it's plenty to let me browse through directories without much of any delay and it's not bad for opening Word Documents and whatnot, but for everything else it's basically wait 1 minute per meg you want, so it can be frustrating. Better than nothing I suppose.


----------



## JohnWill

new tech guy said:


> True i almost forgot . If it was running and you know the mac adress can probably search the bestbuy router and find the thing by looking through the MAC addresses . That is, IF they know what a MAC is.


MAC addresses don't make it out of your local network, so that's probably not much of a plan.


----------



## JohnWill

AcaCandy said:


> And before someone suggests the sites that do that for you, if you can't 'acknowledge' their emails every 90 days, from your HOME ip......you can't get those renewed.


Uhh... I think you don't understand how the sites work. 

If you use DynDNS and use their updater, it automatically renews your IP address, and renews you automatically as well. I go for months never looking at it, and it's always doing it's thing.


----------



## new tech guy

Well if it was the day it went missing that is the first thing id look for. Mine can show the ip, mac, and comp name of each pc connected .


----------



## jp1203

I wonder if Best Buy has an internet connection they plug PCs they're working on to. It'd be amusing to send one there set to start hamachi and just sit back quietly watching what they do on VNC.


----------



## new tech guy

Hey J, it sounds like an underocver test idea! Just pre set some stuipid problem on the pc and you can compare them to other services such as firedog and maybe a small local place and try to monitor what each does using hamachi and vnc.


----------



## kostaskez

I'll give it to you that there are some bad Agents, and that most of our counter staff doesn't know squat, but there are good agents that are qualified to do their jobs and do them well. I work with a lot of them, and I am one of them.

Sure, I don't have an I.T. degree, and I didn't pay good college money to get this job, but it's not something I'm going to do forever. I'm in college right now. I'm 20, and I've put more hours into replacing hard drives, installing OS's, and virus removal than most people I know. Everything I know I either taught myself or learned from someone that knew what they were doing.

I installed my first HDD when I was ten-years-old. I loaded my own drivers, installed my own OS, and upgraded my RAM on that computer alone. I was the default IT guy for my parent's office, when there was an issue they "called the kid in."

I've never had a Service Order that I've finished come back to me. It takes more time to fix mistakes than to do things right the first time. There's also this little thing called a 'cue', which is a group of anywhere from 50-100 computers that need diagnostics and repair, so I'm sorry if I'm not living up to the standards of BuFu-Nowhere TechShop because I handle more volume in a month than you do in a year.

Don't lump us all in here. You've all made mistakes too, and some pretty bad ones, I'm sure of it. Just don't go running around calling people incompetent because we have to follow policies. Did you know that we are not allowed to set passwords for routers because people lose passwords like they lose pens? And whatever ******* kept that OS disk should know better. If I took your OS disks you left in a computer and I knew that you had left them there, you'd be pissed.


----------



## kostaskez

Good luck getting through the Proxy...


----------



## kostaskez

GS doesn't do car installs. BBY has a department for that called CAR INSTALLS.


----------



## ~Candy~

JohnWill said:


> Uhh... I think you don't understand how the sites work.
> 
> If you use DynDNS and use their updater, it automatically renews your IP address, and renews you automatically as well. I go for months never looking at it, and it's always doing it's thing.


I always get an email from them to verify. And obviously if I go to their site from where ever in the world I am, the IP address won't verify  What am I missing?


----------



## JohnWill

I don't know, but I suspect the DynDNS updater isn't running properly. FYI, the capability built-in to many routers doesn't seem to work properly, but if you run it on a computer that's always booted and running, it works flawlessly. I've had the service for three-four years, and the only time I ever got that email is when I tried to use the DynDNS capability built-in to a router.


----------



## jp1203

kostaskez said:


> Did you know that we are not allowed to set passwords for routers because people lose passwords like they lose pens?


That explains something for me! Every single GS setup I look at has no router password and it baffles me.

What I do is set a random password (alphanumerasymbolic) that I won't even remember for a few seconds, write everything about the Wi-Fi setup (SSID, Security Method, Password, etc.) on a card and warn them that if they lose that, the router has to be reset meaning not only reconfiguration of everything on that, but also every pc connected wirelessly would have to be set up with the new SSID and/or Password.


----------



## jp1203

JohnWill said:


> I don't know, but I suspect the DynDNS updater isn't running properly. FYI, the capability built-in to many routers doesn't seem to work properly, but if you run it on a computer that's always booted and running, it works flawlessly. I've had the service for three-four years, and the only time I ever got that email is when I tried to use the DynDNS capability built-in to a router.


I always tried to use the built in on my router and it failed miserably. I never really knew there was a proggy that would do it, but then I never really looked.

I'll have to look into that, because it would be nice to always be able to get to my machine on something that wasn't on my Hamachi network.

EDIT: I just installed the dyndns updater and it detected my ip as the current one. Either my ip hasn't changed in about a month (the last time I updated it manually), it has grabbed the same one, or the router is actually working with that for once. I suppose it wouldn't hurt if I left both going, that way if one misses an update for some reason, the other will get it.

FWIW, router is a Netgear WGR-614 v6. It's rock-solid stable compared to my linksys B one, my only complaint is the e-mail notifications don't work, because there's no username/password input to the SMTP server.


----------



## JohnWill

kostaskez said:


> Did you know that we are not allowed to set passwords for routers because people lose passwords like they lose pens?


If that's an issue, put a sticker on the bottom of the router with the passwords, security keys, SSID, etc., problem solved. If anyone has physical access to the router, there is no security anyway.


----------



## ~Candy~

JohnWill said:


> I don't know, but I suspect the DynDNS updater isn't running properly. FYI, the capability built-in to many routers doesn't seem to work properly, but if you run it on a computer that's always booted and running, it works flawlessly. I've had the service for three-four years, and the only time I ever got that email is when I tried to use the DynDNS capability built-in to a router.


I may have been trying to do that.........I can't say for certain, as I haven't worried much about it since I discovered Logmein.com


----------



## Compiler

I write down their user/pass info on a piece of paper and a sticky for friends / clients. The sticky goes under the router. It takes about a minute or two to explain. Otherwise, I think GS is asking for law-suits for charging $100~150 to setup an unsecure network!

My last setup with a wireless Linksys: I showed the lady that a wireless notebook can access her Router and WHY I made up a new password for the router. Since Linksys, Netgears, etc use standard passwords that any tech knows... it means anyone can control their network from the outside. Especially since many networks state they are netgears, Linksys, etc... argh!


----------



## eliti5t

I told myself I wasn't going to reply, simply to keep from adding to the online dilemma of idiocy that seems to overtake anyone with a keyboard. First of all, don't be sour just because Geek Squad happens to be doing business in your area. Instead, if your tech skills are better than that of any given Geek Squad agent, why aren't you running one of the top computer support shops? But rather, everyone who has lost business to Geek Squad, jumps online and decides that they're gonna bash this company or that. Here's a tip, if your service is better than Geek Squad, then the customers will follow. It's as simple as that!!!

Yes, I agree that some of the Geek Squad agents might be somewhat on the incompetent side. However, that isn't necessarily a fault of Geek Squad, as we all know, Geek Squad and Best Buy are partners... Enough said, point being; stop wasting your time complaining about the problem and try spending some time being productive in finding a solution.


----------



## valis

I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume you work for GS; unfortunately, you kinda hammered home the post with the duplicates. 

Understandable.


----------



## new tech guy

eliti5t said:


> Yes, I agree that some of the Geek Squad agents might be somewhat on the incompetent side. However, that isn't necessarily a fault of Geek Squad


How can it not be their fault regardless if your working for "Best Buy" or "Geek Squad", that company has hired them to fix computers and therefore should know what their doing. The only people who they really get are those who really dont know or dont care. They just want to be able to surf the net and check their email. Again this is the classic case i had with my bad experience with them. Instead of being like any other good tech or shop and taking the heat for a mistake, they try to dump the blame on someone else. That is NOT how you run a business. Therefore, as i just stated, i have to side with valis on his thought that you work for them. If you own or are involved in a company, you cannot avoid responsibility for its actions. Just like i cant avoid responsibibility for me scraping my rims on a curb for instance, if i was driving the car. I cannot go and blame Hyundai for not making a good enough power steering system, its my fault for making a bad judgement call.


----------



## Compiler

er.... lets see....

Best Buy in a HUGE corporate company with high market value due to name brand recognition. Geek Squad wasn't big until Best Buy added them to their company and expanded THAT name brand with mostly low-level techs and re-packaged products sold at high prices ($38 USB cables).

Compared to many techs that maybe a 1-10 man company.


----------



## new tech guy

Hi compiler,
All im saying in my previous post was that I dont care if your a 1 man show or are a huge franchise, if you make a mistake, you need to owe up to it. I have done freelance work and made mistakes, i cant blame the PC manufacturer for my mistake. Once the computer is in my possession, ANYTHING that happens to it, im held responsible. When my laptop was in Geeksquad, they made a mistake. They sent the pc out to the manufacturer for repairs. The pc comes back and they notify me. When i get the there, the service guy tells us the pc isnt fixed and that it is Toshiba's fault for not doing the work. That is not right right there. If the pc truely is not fixed, you dont notify the customer. You tell them you hit a snag with the repairs and will get it sorted as soon as possible. That is all. All this company seems like is one that turns n burns.


----------



## DarqueMist

What you say is the way it should be NTG. A subcontractor should not be held to blame by the customer, the customer hired the contractor not the sub. It is the contractor that failed the customer (the sub failed the contractor) and they should stand up and accept the fault instead of passing the buck.


----------



## jp1203

eliti5t said:


> Here's a tip, if your service is better than Geek Squad, then the customers will follow. It's as simple as that!!!


It doesn't really work that way. Best buy is a massive company, and Geek Squad is linked to them. When people buy anything from Best Buy, they see the GS logo all over the place, when they buy a PC, GS generally repairs Best Buy bought machines in warantee for free. They have the money and power behind mass advertising. A small shop just can't do that. Most small shops are much better than GS, but the public is directed to GS by advertising.


----------



## new tech guy

JStergis said:


> It doesn't really work that way. Best buy is a massive company, and Geek Squad is linked to them. When people buy anything from Best Buy, they see the GS logo all over the place, when they buy a PC, GS generally repairs Best Buy bought machines in warantee for free. They have the money and power behind mass advertising. A small shop just can't do that. Most small shops are much better than GS, but the public is directed to GS by advertising.


This is why like i said most of geek squad's customers are incomptent computer users. They would know smaller, better shops exist if they were not drowned out on every form of the media by GS. GS can put an ad on tv where a small shop have have a kid my age who works for them just put some flyers up around town. Therefore, GS will always have more business. Only more knowledged folks or those who had bad experience with them may know how to avoid them.


----------



## Jcarter121

I am a Geek Squad Agent and I can say the same for the small computer stores in my area doing dumb to peoples computers. Like way overchargeing, not fixing the computers the first time. Has for the networking security I know for a fact that every network that is set up in my area is secured. As for the area that posted that they have gone behide many networks that were not secured call the Best Buy in the area and report it so that person is no longer giving us a bad name. We have over 900 hundred stores and everyone of them have Geek Squad Agents so we are bound to have some bad apples.


----------



## RedHelix

JStergis said:


> I wonder if Best Buy has an internet connection they plug PCs they're working on to. It'd be amusing to send one there set to start hamachi and just sit back quietly watching what they do on VNC.


The checked-in machines at the GS workbench are in a sandbox'd subnet specifically for reasons like that. We didn't want worm-infested machines infecting the POS terminals.


----------



## jp1203

RedHelix said:


> The checked-in machines at the GS workbench are in a sandbox'd subnet specifically for reasons like that. We didn't want worm-infested machines infecting the POS terminals.


I figured that. I would also assume, though, if you need to d/l drivers from the mfr. you have one machine in place to do that on, and you move the drivers over to the machine you're working on? I couldn't imagine not being able to have a box online for the purpose of "driver hunting."

Here, I usually just plug it into my LAN regardless. I have firewalls on each comp. beyond the router and they're secure enough so I'm pretty sure nothing could attack them anyway. I haven't even had a single piece of malware in years (not even a tracking cookie) if that's any indication. I never even scan often anymore. Maybe once a month I'll run AVG/Adaware/Spybot S&D/etc. and I never come up with a thing.


----------



## valis

only question I would have is why the pos terms on even on the same network as the testing area; should just be able to isolate the testing area and ensure that nothing hops over.

but that's just me.


----------



## jp1203

valis said:


> only question I would have is why the pos terms on even on the same network as the testing area; should just be able to isolate the testing area and ensure that nothing hops over.
> 
> but that's just me.


I thought of that, but then I thought:

I kinda doubt they're only working on one box at a time, so there's a possibility for infections to spread to other boxes they're working on if they're on the same network.


----------



## valis

that's what I mean; I would imagine there's a slew of boxes hooked up to the network at any given time; I'd probably do a vlan or something.

but again, that's just me.


----------



## JohnWill

It would be trivial to use a $30 router for each computer connection, then connect all of them to a common router. This would totally isolate them from each other and solve the problem. Obviously, the VLAN would do it as well, but it may be a more expensive option.


----------



## jp1203

JohnWill said:


> It would be trivial to use a $30 router for each computer connection, then connect all of them to a common router. This would totally isolate them from each other and solve the problem. Obviously, the VLAN would do it as well, but it may be a more expensive option.


I'm sure GS has the bucks to do just about whatever they want! As it is, at least where I am the area isn't very big, so they wouldn't need many routers anyway. It's more or less a circular booth with temporary-ish walls. Unless they have something in another part of the building, it can only run 20 feet back and maybe 30 feet wide because you can walk around it to the wall, which happens to be the outside wall, eliminating the possibility of a "back room" I can see people around the corner of this oval thing working on boxes. They can't have too many stations, the center counter they have takes up an enormous amount of room.


----------



## valis

agreed. But it still seems strange to me to have it set up on the same network segments as the POS systems, regardless of the 'sandbox' they've put together.

I dunno. Not my network, don't have to worry about it.


----------



## JohnnyP

You mean they actually work on computers there? Every time I go into my local BB the GS people are just standing around and there are no computers. Or you might find them on the sales floor misleading a poor unknowing customer into buy a laptop.
When me and my friend were in college sometimes after class we would go over to BB and listen to who ever was trying to sell somebody some sort of computer and when they started getting into bs and started making up stuff (unless that what BB told them) we would correct the sales person witch usually lead to them walking away and we would answer the questions they had. It was only a little fun to do it but it drives me crazy when sales people start making stuff up. When anybody tells me they are going to BB to look at something (laptop, desktop, digital camera etc...) I tell them to know what they are looking for before so they know what the sales person is making up and are not let down when they find out after they bought it. (Sorry I know this is a GS thread not a BB thread but I think everybody that works there is incompetent)


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## RedHelix

Even after my few years with GS I find myself doing that as well. I've bought a few things from BB since I left and when the salesperson starts telling me everything I should know about the product, I do politely correct them. Not because I'm spiteful or anything; I just want them to have all the facts so future customers don't come back and yell at the GS Agents because the salesperson told them something that isn'tn true. 

Usually when I correct a salesperson, they are genuinely appreciative... I don't hold them to a fault for the company failing to train them on the product. I know what it's like to work for BB, so I empathize.

What I disapprove of, however, are people who waltz into the store thinking they know everything and make it a point to call employees wrong in front of customers. I know you're doing your civic duty on behalf of consumers, but the sales person learns nothing from the experience and ultimately you haven't really accomplished anything other than feeding your own ego. This happened to me several times, and even though the "correcter" was wrong, it tripped up my sales pitch. 

For example, once I was telling a customer about how it's important to keep Automatic Updates enabled, as a lot of people deliberately disable it and hinder the rollout of service packs. (This was part of a sales pitch on Trend Micro AV. I don't use it but I think it's pretty good.) Then this jerk walks by and says service packs aren't delivered through automatic updates. He's wrong, and I told him he was wrong to his face, but now I had less control over the sales pitch.

Another time I was discussing a Centrino-based laptop with a customer, and when they asked for details on the CPU I told them about the Pentium M. (This was when the Carmel platform came out.) Then this guy about my age comes up and starts accusing me of misleading the customer, because "clearly" it uses a Centrino processor. Sigh.


----------



## JohnWill

RedHelix said:


> What I disapprove of, however, are people who waltz into the store thinking they know everything and make it a point to call employees wrong in front of customers. I know you're doing your civic duty on behalf of consumers, but the sales person learns nothing from the experience and ultimately you haven't really accomplished anything other than feeding your own ego. This happened to me several times, and even though the "correcter" was wrong, it tripped up my sales pitch.


What about when you're wrong and the person correcting you is right? Does that change anything, or is this just an objection to being criticized no matter what the reason? I confess I don't normally interfere, but when I see a person being really sold something in left field that does nothing to do with his issue, and for sure won't solve the problem, I've done it a couple of times. Quite frankly, I don't see anything wrong with that, and I could care less if I upset the salesman's sales pitch, because he was dead wrong in the first place, or I wouldn't speak. I'm not talking about a matter of degrees where he's just selling him something more than he needs, but rather when he's pushing a totally incorrect solution.


----------



## Compiler

yeah - the old days when Sales people sold a $1000 for a computer noobie was kind of a rip. But in the Vista era of computing - we now need quad core 3.0Ghz CPUs with 3GB RAM to have a good MS-Office experince.

Argh


----------



## RedHelix

JohnWill said:


> What about when you're wrong and the person correcting you is right? Does that change anything, or is this just an objection to being criticized no matter what the reason? I confess I don't normally interfere, but when I see a person being really sold something in left field that does nothing to do with his issue, and for sure won't solve the problem, I've done it a couple of times. Quite frankly, I don't see anything wrong with that, and I could care less if I upset the salesman's sales pitch, because he was dead wrong in the first place, or I wouldn't speak. I'm not talking about a matter of degrees where he's just selling him something more than he needs, but rather when he's pushing a totally incorrect solution.


I totally see your point, John. I've never seen a salesperson egregiously mislead a customer into buying the wrong product to the point you're describing... so I guess part of my opinion is derived from not having any examples of situations I've been in where I thought intervention would be justified.

I guess what I'm trying to say here is if a salesperson pitches Norton to a customer with a virus problem, I won't step in and say "Norton sucks, oh my god" as I've seen plenty of customers do. Selling an iPod dock to a Zune owner on the other hand, though... yeah, I can see stepping in on that situation; I've just never seen anyone botch a sale that badly.


----------



## JohnWill

OK, you win that argument.  I wouldn't do that either. Those are just opinions, and everyone has a different opinion on various products. OTOH, the examples I speak of would be selling someone a router when he really needs a network switch (one in my recent memory). Since he already had a router, and all he wanted to do was connect additional Ethernet devices, I was amazed that the sales guy was pushing a router. BTW, they guy bought the switch (much cheaper) and thanked me as he walked out the door.


----------



## new tech guy

RedHelix said:


> I totally see your point, John. I've never seen a salesperson egregiously mislead a customer into buying the wrong product to the point you're describing... so I guess part of my opinion is derived from not having any examples of situations I've been in where I thought intervention would be justified.
> 
> I guess what I'm trying to say here is if a salesperson pitches Norton to a customer with a virus problem, I won't step in and say "Norton sucks, oh my god" as I've seen plenty of customers do. Selling an iPod dock to a Zune owner on the other hand, though... yeah, I can see stepping in on that situation; I've just never seen anyone botch a sale that badly.


Ive kind of done that "o my god mcafee sucks" thing a few times and realize it isnt right. However, i did notice my latest and best story a while ago when a GS agent told a guy that mac does not get viruses. I never said anything but i should have stepped in and explained that mac has the same problems with security that windows does, the reason it is attacked less is because of a small user base. Im not always right either but i try to learn what i can.


----------



## purple_princess

You have to remember that Geek Squad is tied to Best Buy which is never the Best Buy. I would pick PlumChoice over Geek Squad any day.


----------



## jp1203

purple_princess said:


> You have to remember that Geek Squad is tied to Best Buy which is never the Best Buy.


I always thought their name was ironic as well. Out of the four or five retail stores that sell anything PC or electronic related around here, Best Buy is usually the worst buy. Looking around the other day, the cheapest internal ATA DVD Burner I could find was 80 bucks!

Not that Staples is much better, though, their cheapest was about 60 there. I think Wally World had a 50 dollar HP DVD Burner, but I can't remember.

I think I'll stick with ordering from Newegg! A quick look there reveals a sub 30 dollar Lite-on drive with free shipping.


----------



## n2gun

JStergis said:


> I think I'll stick with ordering from Newegg! A quick look there reveals a sub 30 dollar Lite-on drive with free shipping.


How about a Samsung with Lightscribe for $30 free shipping?? http://3btech.net/cdromcddvddr1-dvdredr.html


----------



## jp1203

n2gun said:


> How about a Samsung with Lightscribe for $30 free shipping?? http://3btech.net/cdromcddvddr1-dvdredr.html


I've been thinking about getting a lightscribe burner. I already have a ton of non-lightscribe DVDs and CDs, but I suppose I could buy some lightscribe disks in order to burn special things that I want labeled. Since the difference is marginal in price, I probably will get a lightscribe one.


----------



## n2gun

Bad part is the cost of Lightscribe disks.  They are a lot more expensive than regular cd or dvd disks.


----------



## iltos

not too dampen the festivities, but i actually had a good experience with a geek squad guy...tho it was IN the store 

i'd driven about an hour to give a powerpoint presentation with my laptop....it's an old emachine and the battery is not that good, so i always take my AC stuff with me....and i left the AC-to-transformer end of the chord there 

would best buy have it?....i didn't think so, but it was close, and it was late, and so i went there.....i figured my best bet was to go to the geek squad counter, and this very jolly chinese guy perked up when he saw me and asked if i needed help.

i explained my situation. "no problem", he smiled, "i'm sure we carry that in the store".....so i followed him up and down the aisles

gee....it wasn't there, unless you wanted to spend like $50 for a lot of stuff i didn't need, that did include the one thing i did need...

but he was lookin out for me, and told me to wait a second....and he dashed off to the drawers behind the geek squad counter, where he rummaged around for a bit, before disappearing through a door into the squad's "inner sanctum"

meanwhile, i started looking at new laptops 

"oh, there you are" he says about 10 minutes later, and he pulls out the chord i need and does a little chinese bow

"courtesy of the geek squad"

pretty cool :up:....most people wouldn't have bothered


----------



## Compiler

You imagined that.... 

... you didn't see anything... 


That was nice of him... there are GoOD people and BAD people... okay


----------



## JohnWill

n2gun said:


> Bad part is the cost of Lightscribe disks.  They are a lot more expensive than regular cd or dvd disks.


Not to mention the labels are monochrome and pretty low contrast. I have a couple of LS burners, and I got some disks just to try them. I'm not that impressed, I'd rather print the labels with a printer that handles CD/DVD media, much cheaper and you get better looking labels. 

Did I mention it takes longer to do a full LS label than to burn the disk?


----------



## jp1203

JohnWill said:


> Not to mention the labels are monochrome and pretty low contrast. I have a couple of LS burners, and I got some disks just to try them. I'm not that impressed, I'd rather print the labels with a printer that handles CD/DVD media, much cheaper and you get better looking labels.
> 
> Did I mention it takes longer to do a full LS label than to burn the disk?


Wow, thanks for the heads up! I have a bunch of laser printer CD labels I've been using, I can make literally one of them a second if I need to. I have a 40X CD-R; 16X DVD+-R burner now, but I need another to replace an aging DVD/CD-RW drive on its last legs (not to mention that it sounds like a jet taking off).

I can burn a full CD with 3 minutes, maybe less. I couldn't imagine having to flip the CD over and taking over that long to label it too! I might as well run a sheet of labels through the printer. I'd get dark black prints with much better graphics. If I really wanted to be fancy, I could run them through the color inkjet. I think I'll just grab a cheap lite-on one or something. If it has lightscribe, fine, but otherwise it sounds more cost-effective and better looking to slap a label on it if I really need it to be presentable.


----------



## loony_taz00

I love the 51 pages LOL Yes Defiantly Not the Best... Took them a week To even Diagnose a Dead MOBO they only got a hold of it Cuz it was still under warrenty I would of had it Replaced and done that day lol But hey it was Free and didn't Cost me anything


----------



## White Wolf 00

I had the local Nerds on wheels set up my network on a Wednesday morning. Cost me $80. By Wednesday afternoon of the same Wednesday, I had to have them come in and fix the network at another cost of $80. 2 days later, I found someone using my network to download porn. They were sitting right outside my house with a wireless laptop. I then called Encore and they walked me through the setup for the router. They never did tell me about changing the username and passsword. I finally sat down with the manual and my computer. I did a lot of research and found out how to set up the network myself. No problems since. Just goes to show that the geeks and the nerds usually know less than the average person.


----------



## gurutech

White Wolf 00 said:


> I had the local Nerds on wheels set up my network on a Wednesday morning. Cost me $80. By Wednesday afternoon of the same Wednesday, I had to have them come in and fix the network at another cost of $80. 2 days later, I found someone using my network to download porn. They were sitting right outside my house with a wireless laptop. I then called Encore and they walked me through the setup for the router. They never did tell me about changing the username and passsword. I finally sat down with the manual and my computer. I did a lot of research and found out how to set up the network myself. No problems since. Just goes to show that the geeks and the nerds usually know less than the average person.


I'd see what you can do about getting your money back. If they don't know how to set up a network properly, they shouldn't be charging for it.

You should charge them "training" fees for each of their "techs".... :up:


----------



## Compiler

LightScribe.... And idiot idiot... Now, If the burner Actually had INK inside to make a label, that would be neat.

Also... think of the amount of wear & tear that is being caused to the drive. 5min burn, flip 10min write-burn.. naa, takes me 10 seconds to write what I need to know.


----------



## Couriant

White Wolf 00 said:


> I had the local Nerds on wheels set up my network on a Wednesday morning. Cost me $80. By Wednesday afternoon of the same Wednesday, I had to have them come in and fix the network at another cost of $80. 2 days later, I found someone using my network to download porn. They were sitting right outside my house with a wireless laptop. I then called Encore and they walked me through the setup for the router. They never did tell me about changing the username and passsword. I finally sat down with the manual and my computer. I did a lot of research and found out how to set up the network myself. No problems since. Just goes to show that the geeks and the nerds usually know less than the average person.


wow bad business there. If they did not set up the network correctly, or got a service call on the same day as install they should have not charged.


----------



## jp1203

Wow, another story:

Someone gave me a Toshiba Satellite to backup for them because "it was going back to the factory for a new motherboard under warranty." 

They tell me it's locking up a lot and is generally slow and that was the diagnosis by GS.

I get it here and it won't boot to XP normally, just sits on the splash screen forever with the bar going across. Last Known Good...same deal.

Safe mode works flawlessly, and booting up to it I can tell it's simply loaded with junk. Five minutes worth of an AV scan revealed 52 trojans and various other things. I backup the music, documents, pics, etc. that they wanted.

Meanwhile, I have it for a few days and I'm just doing general stress tests on live linux distros. I can't get it to so much as flinch. I run a whole bunch of diagnostics apps and not one test shows any issue. Scans show loads of malware, and the hard drive is close to (35/40GB) full of random programs I've never heard of. I put a different HDD in it, installed XP, and it's working perfectly. 

My plan is to tell them "it certainly isn't the board-for that matter it isn't hardware at all." and offer to restore it with the recovery disks with an explanation of all the malware and random proggys it has on it. Given the amount of stuff on there it'd take way too long to clean it up normally. For some reason, they have set this strange green cursor about double the size of a normal one that animates the normal one flying over it, for example.


I don't know where they got the shot mobo diagnostic, but unless it magically repaired itself, it can't be right.


----------



## Couriant

Definitely a wrong diagnosis there.


----------



## new tech guy

Wow, that is pretty bad J. They are really a bunch of knuckleheads.


----------



## jp1203

new tech guy said:


> Wow, that is pretty bad J. They are really a bunch of knuckleheads.


I'd say so. Threw a new copy of XP on the old HDD via the restore disks, and it's working perfectly. Needless to say, they're pretty happy that they don't have to send it away for who knows how long to have the board replaced.


----------



## new tech guy

Good thinking, however i found that its best just to get a plain oem disk which is what ive done so that when i need to reinstall preloaded windows xp installations, i just use that disk instead of using the recovery software. This saves me alot of headache as i dont need to dig the machine out of the bloat. I just worked on a pc earlier today. I have worked on it before and remember between preloaded junk, viruses, and the expired mcafee install on the pc that machine was dead in the water. Used my plain xp pro disc on it to do a clean setup, configured his applications, and fully setup windows and the machine runs like a champ. Today's service i was originally just gonna load microsoft office 07 but he picked up a virus from limewire, then pulled off avg (which i setup) and loaded panda which half cleaned the issue. It wasnt as bad as when i first worked on it but he had an acronis image and i had no idea how far the infection went. Therefore we restored the acronis image, then i loaded office, updated it to sp1 and windows to sp3 and all patches. As well as put avg 8 and switched my original install of zone alarm with comodo firewall and he is running fine again. I also set up a network for him and cleaned out an old pc his grandfather used. And basically i took him from a small shop near us who would've charged allot more and couldn't even set up a router correctly as i wound up reconfiguring that as well. Be nice to actually have someone in the area who knows what there doing. Oh and on top of that i reinstalled the pc his grandfather had which he bought from said shop on a previous call. It had an illeagal install of xp sp1 and spyware gallore. Wiped that as well with a clean xp install and for as old as his old compaq is, it is running fine as well. 
And the tech at the shop one day even told me he "inspects" his stuff before selling, heh some inspection.


----------



## new tech guy

By the way, the client i now have has been happy with everything i do so far and calls me every time he needs somthing done to his pc. that is how a tech should be, its just like a handyman, once you find one that you like and gets a job done right, you always call the same person back for everything. If these companies want trust that is what they need to do. Focus on doing their work right the first time so the customer comes back and that is how profit is made.


----------



## jp1203

new tech guy said:


> Good thinking, however i found that its best just to get a plain oem disk which is what ive done so that when i need to reinstall preloaded windows xp installations, i just use that disk instead of using the recovery software. This saves me alot of headache as i dont need to dig the machine out of the bloat. I just worked on a pc earlier today. I have worked on it before and remember between preloaded junk, viruses, and the expired mcafee install on the pc that machine was dead in the water. Used my plain xp pro disc on it to do a clean setup, configured his applications, and fully setup windows and the machine runs like a champ. Today's service i was originally just gonna load microsoft office 07 but he picked up a virus from limewire, then pulled off avg (which i setup) and loaded panda which half cleaned the issue. It wasnt as bad as when i first worked on it but he had an acronis image and i had no idea how far the infection went. Therefore we restored the acronis image, then i loaded office, updated it to sp1 and windows to sp3 and all patches. As well as put avg 8 and switched my original install of zone alarm with comodo firewall and he is running fine again. I also set up a network for him and cleaned out an old pc his grandfather used. And basically i took him from a small shop near us who would've charged allot more and couldn't even set up a router correctly as i wound up reconfiguring that as well. Be nice to actually have someone in the area who knows what there doing. Oh and on top of that i reinstalled the pc his grandfather had which he bought from said shop on a previous call. It had an illeagal install of xp sp1 and spyware gallore. Wiped that as well with a clean xp install and for as old as his old compaq is, it is running fine as well.
> And the tech at the shop one day even told me he "inspects" his stuff before selling, heh some inspection.


I would love to run a normal XP disk, but all I have is my copy of XP Pro and this took XP Home. Also, my XP Pro disk is not an OEM copy, so I don't know if their key would have worked. It is quite a headache to get all the bloatware off of the recovered install, though 



new tech guy said:


> By the way, the client i now have has been happy with everything i do so far and calls me every time he needs somthing done to his pc. that is how a tech should be, its just like a handyman, once you find one that you like and gets a job done right, you always call the same person back for everything. If these companies want trust that is what they need to do. Focus on doing their work right the first time so the customer comes back and that is how profit is made.


Same here, I have probably 5 clients, two of which call me back whenever something happens (always their fault messing with things or something). The other three have yet to have another issue, but they're extremely pleased with the job. Two of them are ex-GS customers. They say I get it right the first time, fix the problem quicker, and charge less for it. Four out of five of them are my dad's co-workers. He tells them to call me if they have issues, and they do.


----------



## new tech guy

What i did atcually to get the setup disc was look for them on bit torrent. Yes i know, they have illegal cracks, and i have one for home, pro, and media center. I try to avoid cracking by making sure they have a legal key for one and if they do i reinstall windows and input that key when asked for it. If they dont then i just use that as the original install was not legal anyway. For instance my one client his dell has an oem and the pro disc i have is a dell oem, therefore the dell key was picked up automatically and never needed acitivation. However, his pop's compaq had an illeagal install and no key so i had no choice on reinstall but to crack. Sometimes the client gets annoying though because they will nag me on instant messenger about something stupid.


----------



## gurutech

Installing an illegal copy of anything is illegal... You should advise your customers that they had an illegal copy, and you cannot reinstall a copy of XP (or whatever) unless they can either provide the original key, or show proof that they purchased the software (such as a receipt.)

If they show me a receipt, I tell them they will need to contact Microsoft to get a valid key, and they MAY charge for it, which would be separate from my charges.


----------



## ~Candy~

And of course, they should be turning you into MS after they find out what you are doing. Also, you might want to review our forum rules before basically "assisting" people here on how to do illegal stuff.


----------



## new tech guy

I did not intend that as a way to insist on illeagal activities, to be honest if the disc had no illegal method of install i would not have cared as my main purpose was for a blank setup disc without a key. If it is a problem being there i will comply and remove the post. However, i did not know that was illegal to even download just the setup disc without any keys.


----------



## ~Candy~

Is the setup disc available for download on the Microsoft website? I'd use that as a guideline in defining "illegal."


----------



## Compiler

Well... do keep in mind that Microsoft does make it harder for legit users to reinstall Windows. Like when buying a name brand PC (HP/Dell/Gateway/etc) the end user doesn't usually get an actual OS disc for reinstallation. But may have to burn a copy to 2-4 DVD for "recovery" - and as some of us knows, DVD/CD(R) discs don't have the life-span of pressed disks... so many of these "recovery" discs end up being useless.

So... many of us have 2-4 different Windows disc versions (Shops have full masters of every type or version) to use for installation while using the customers key. Whenever a client throws out a old/dead PC, I keep the discs handy. There are no keys on the discs - but they are legit. Dell discs work on Dell hardware, etc.

Of course, it would be nice if just 1 disc did it all... simpler and far easier to repair a persons computer. More than once, because of no Actual Windows Disc, we'd have to go and buy $100 Windows Disc to get a computer back up and running again.


----------



## jp1203

Compiler said:


> Well... do keep in mind that Microsoft does make it harder for legit users to reinstall Windows. Like when buying a name brand PC (HP/Dell/Gateway/etc) the end user doesn't usually get an actual OS disc for reinstallation. But may have to burn a copy to 2-4 DVD for "recovery" - and as some of us knows, DVD/CD(R) discs don't have the life-span of pressed disks... so many of these "recovery" discs end up being useless.
> 
> So... many of us have 2-4 different Windows disc versions (Shops have full masters of every type or version) to use for installation while using the customers key. Whenever a client throws out a old/dead PC, I keep the discs handy. There are no keys on the discs - but they are legit. Dell discs work on Dell hardware, etc.
> 
> Of course, it would be nice if just 1 disc did it all... simpler and far easier to repair a persons computer. More than once, because of no Actual Windows Disc, we'd have to go and buy $100 Windows Disc to get a computer back up and running again.


On one machine I was working on, since the recovery disks were already made and it wouldn't let me make another set, I ended up mounting the recovery partition as the boot partition, then installing the recovery to the windows partition. Eventually, it switched the windows partition to primary on its own, so everything worked out.


----------



## new tech guy

I see what you were saying AcaCandy, i will be sure not to speak of that again, I do apologize for that post. In any event, with windows vista what is a nice feature of it is that they did away with the oem,retail... stuff and now it is just one disc can do it all as one disc can also install every version of windows. I think they did this because of the reason i stated where private techs need a one disc setup cd to reinstall windows on clients pcs. This way they can use the one disc and just apply it with the client's oem product key for vista and presto! Vista works fine.


----------



## dreadput nomad

I found one of their mri discs in the disc tray that my teacher 
(long story short vocational school one teacher was a programmer, my other teacher deals more with OS and hardware.) 

The Software teacher sent his PC to geek squad to see if they could do the job. I have some Hijack this experience but when he said he used it for banking I pretty much said he should wipe it to be on the safe side and believed I wouldn't have been able to do the job properly.

(Pretty heavily infected, smitfruad and lots of others.)

Fast forward he brings his PC back to the shop because geek squad couldn't fix it (WOW...... they couldn't fix it with the tools they had at their disposal.... for shame..... they had almost everything they could have needed on the mri disk.)

Going to backup whats on his 20gb drive to a 500gb drive with windows XP pro installed than I have to install webTRAC software on a systemax that was laying around and use a new poweredge 2400 (that was kindly donated) and (learn to) set that up as a backup server and theirs a laptop that needs to be fixed (crap rambling too much back on topic)

err Geek squad so called we will sue you if your not authorized to use it software was left in a cd tray why........

They couldn't remove the malware on the system with the said tools they have at their disposal why..... crap short story became long I fail..

another goal make a custom disc bartpe disc using the easy to find plugins on various sites for our shop to use similer to mri than return (bah Why should I ) the disk to my teacher


----------



## Newuser12345215

I know this is a really late post(years late) to the post I am quoting.


sglv said:


> I'm dealing with this right now actually. I never buy warranties, but hubby does. This warranty he bought for his laptop supposedly covers monitors and, of course, they (I have no idea) refuse to honor it. He has an internal crack which, accordingly to the "Geek" there said was probably caused my the drive getting too hot and the screen being placed down. I'm pretty computer illiterate so I have no idea. His computer is in perfect condition, I'll admit he takes very good care of it and is very careful with it. So they ship it off, it comes back and they call saying all fixed on the phone. He gets there, they say "oh, actually it wasn't covered. Here's a bill for $100." To say my hubby went ballistic is an understatement. He didn't pay the $100. Now we're stuck having to figure out how to get it fixed, quick, because it's absolutely necessary for his business. Very angry to say the least


That's too bad.

Warranties are a scam. The warranties stores like bestbuy, circuit city, etc sell you are basically scams

The only products that you should get a warranty for is for wired headphones.

Wired headphones/headsets classify under general "wear and tear", as most wired headphones die very often and last only for a couple of months before they start to die.

I have warranty for my headphones, and it only costs $6 and it covers up to 2 years, so far I've been replacing them approx every 3-6 months(breakages time varies), and them getting them replaced for free.

*So... other than headphones, warranties(that stores like bestbuy try to sell to you) are generally a scam and you shouldn't buy them.*


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## JohnWill

I don't buy warranties on anything. You have to ask yourself, why are they pushing them so hard? The answer is obvious, because they're a major money-maker! Unless you're pretty destitute, most folks can afford to replace the $60 DVD player if it dies, and buying a $20 warranty for a couple of years makes no sense at all. All you really accomplish is paying $80 for a $60 item.


----------



## dr911

Hey All,

I was looking @ "craigslist-las vegas" and came across this:
Link:http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/rnr/699741538.html



> You wrote,
> "Get rid of your PC and get a MAC.
> Didn't you watch the commercials?
> Try the geeks at Best Buy.
> They are slow but can generally figure it out if you pay."
> 
> Just so you know I DID use the Geeks at Best Buy and you're right. I SHOULD have gotten a Mac. The "Inspected/Installation prepared by Geek Squad" is stamped "Optimization only" instead of "Standard Security and performance" but the place where it is supposed to be dated and signed with the "agent's" name is left blank so how do you know who to hold accountable?
> 
> I started checking program install dates, updates, etc. and people have had their hands on this "brand new computer" adding programs and such since 2004! FOUR YEARS AGO!
> 
> Just how many people have been inside the guts of this new HP since I bought it brand new on Apr 1st?
> 
> This is a serious question. Does anyone know? And shouldn't my battery last longer than two hours? The calibration test says it's "healthy" but I thought a properly calibrated battery lasted longer than THAT!
> 
> Thanks, Miggy.


----------



## RedHelix

This is why you shouldn't bash tech services unless you know what you're talking about, otherwise you wind up looking like an idiot.

Those dates are from the original factory image, which HP tweaks for each model.


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## Davec

RedHelix said:


> Those dates are from the original factory image, which HP tweaks for each model.


But not very well. Ask those with HP AMDs that tried to install XP SP3.


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## RedHelix

No argument here. I remember one HP model that had a proprietary, non-downloadable speedstep driver which kept you from installing any other OS. You couldn't even upgrade to XP pro.


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## new tech guy

Yeah I have had my fair share with them if you look back at my original story over my toshiba laptop and i think i pulled another customer out from under them. There story is a little confusing. They have a laptop that started having the infinite loop problem. The pc was under warranty and they called the manufacturer (gateway), and gateway claimed it was a "bad hard drive" and said they would ship a new one (which has the factory garbage installed) and they said to copy your data you would need to find someone to do it. So not knowing much they go to geek squad who say they will move it for $100. I said to my self that $100 sounds a bit much and offered to do it for $40. And i mentioned that the program i would use before pulling data may even ressurect the old drive and it will run fine again. So i think i have them interested with a price of $40. And i heard all this other stuff about the speakers being messed up, a broken keyboard and that mess is where im confused so i said id just deal with the hard drive as i dont want to void a warranty and will let her deal with the rest of the work. What is odd is that they dont even want to copy the os, they want a clean install but want their files moved. Come to think, i might even offer them a reinstall of windows (its vista and i have a couple vista machines in my home and the vista setup discs can install any version from any disc, therefore i would use the legal ultimate disc i have to setup windows and of course use her key to activate the install, again i say that is legal because microsoft did away with the oem, retail, etc... stuff in windows vista). Therefore, if they insist a clean setup they can have a no-bloat install of windows. If they choose not to, then the recovery install will stay. But yeah the story is very confusing so we shall see.


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## roliax

I've had my share of problems/sucesses with Geek Squad. First off, I'd just like to point out that expressed opinions are always going to be more negative than positive online (and many other ways as well) because of human psychology and tendency to express anger and unsatisfaction rather than a good experience. For example, if GS fixed your computer the right way, you would not go out on your way to post it in a forum because well, they did their job. But if they screwed you up you'd probably call CNN. Exagerrated but point is clear.

Anyways, I've read most of these post and I see how ignorant/unaware people are about things. I say this because I'm in tech for a small company, for my friends and I also work at Best Buy (not GS). Here's my 2 cents.

Based on what I've seen, experiences and anecdotes are localized and even individualized, so don't apply that to everything. Working there, I know that their prices are outrageous and their quality may not be the best. But before you go bashing on stuff like this, you have to know some of these facts:

1) Best Buy makes no/little money on products. THEY WILL go out of business if they just sell products. 

2) Best Buy makes money off warranty and services because they don't make money on products. This is a market strategy, whether its a ripoff or I'll go into that later. They are not the first to do this. In fact, EVERY CONSOLE GAME YOU BUY is the same thing. You buy the console at a loss to the manufacturer (they lose money) and they make money off accessories and games. Does the Wii ring any bells? 

3) Best Buy employees are not on commission, but they have budgets and goals. Again, this is part of business. Every SUCCESSFUL business have budgets they must hit and goals they must hit to maintain profability. This means they must sell certain percentages in services and warranties to stay that way. Is it a ripoff? Again that's later.

Is Best Buy a ripoff? Everything is relative. When I first started working there, I thought everything there was a ripoff. Now, I think the prices are high, but not necessariy a ripoff. Being told to sell a service that installs trend micro, spysweeper and "optimize" the computer for $130 was hard. It's just too steep. That's because I know I can do that in about an hour or so (i optimize by reformatting). 

However, I have families, friends and a girlfriend who are completely computer morons that makes me feel alot better when I sell this. There are people who just need this stuff done. As a salesperson, I do not sell to everyone but people who I think will need it. If you got a "tech" guy who can help,that's great go for it. 

Think about this. An oil change costs ~$40 a pep boys. It costs roughly 10-15 to DIY. But who here changes their oil? I don't even though I know how to do it and I've done it before. Hell, I don't even wash my car anymore. Some people just don't know/have the time/tools to do it. Even though a mechanic will tell you it's the easiest thing to do and $40 is a complete ripoff. 

Understandably, some "agents" underperform, but again that's based on individual experiences. I've seen Geek Squad decline work because they deemed it was from accidental damage. I've seen people get a new laptop OUTSIDE of return policy (no warranties) because it was deffective. 

The last thing I wanted to say goes to the personal "techs" that bash on GS prices by saying things like: "I can do that in 20 mins" or "I can do that for half the price".

Sure, I don't doubt your ability. But have you ever tried to put yourself in a BUSINESS perspective. Suddenly, you simply want to charge more. My brother in-law has his own repair shop. To compete with the big dogs, that's what he did at first. It just isn't profitable. Time is money. If you give a free/cheap diagnostics which might take half an hour and the customer leaves, YOU LOSE MONEY. 

Data transfer is easy, but GS charges $100. You can probably charge as low as $20 because its easy and takes almost no time. But, what if you run into problems? Do you charge the extra time? Yes= mad* customer. No= you lose money/time.

With this all said, I do completely hate it when GS do a crap jobs. But the world's not perfect and people are going to mess up/not care.

Flame on.


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## Eyce

Good post.

I believe GS is pretty over priced, but you have a good point of why it is. I would go to a local place or even check the internet to do it myself now-a-days, before going to someone like them, but you gotta do what you gotta do if you can't do it yourself right?


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## JohnWill

*roliax*, very rational and well thought out post. Most of it rings true as well.  I work as a consultant to aerospace companies, you don't want to know what I charge for services! OTOH, they pay the rate, because it would cost them as much or more to get a person up to speed on the issue and then accomplish the job. I'm sure it's the same for GS. Now, I'll freely admit, I've never even considered letting them touch any of my computers, but then I don't have to.


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## Compiler

roliax: I agree and understand what you're getting at. There is nothing wrong is making a profit - they are in business to do so. If there is nobody around to fix problems - then a lot of people would be in trouble.

I understand that with getting repairs for my car. A few months back, at a auto-shop I've been using for over 5 year, a repair job on my car was quoted at $250 (I had expected about $100 - considering on my OLD truck, I could have done it myself for $30-40 in parts) - but the repair guy said there were complications and I accepted that (It was making horrible noise) and ended up spending $600! A week later, I developed a powersteering leak from a hose behind the engine... I was thinking $10 hose and you know how front wheel drive cars can be a pain. I was quoted $150 for the part and $300 for 3.5hrs of labor! $450!?! I'm thinking "Time to sell my car!". I looked online - $55 part! WTF?! How does a $55 RETAIL part end up costing $150 (we know their costs is most likly $40) Through friends, a mechanic was referred to me - he'd put the part on for $100 flat. We ordered the part, but after he took it mostly off - we says the part is actually "good" (He couldn't see that it was good until it was out), got my $55 back for the part, bought a hose worth $8 and the car was fixed. I gave him the $55 because he spent HIS time removing it and putting it back on. Total WORK time on my car... 1.5hrs. Not in some garage, 1.5hrs vs 3.5-rip off hours!

That kind of stuff or stupidity is what will make any business look bad. A future repair job was quoted $550+ from my "old garage" - the new guy, $200. Hmmmm....


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## Ranger802008

Sounds like someone's bitter tbh...now I know we're not perfect at Geek Squad, and there are a few Agents out there who are not "techs"...but that doesn't mean we plain suck...9/10 of our customers that come through are satisfied...I seriously doubt you never get a customer coming back to you because there was something you over looked...Also...if their HDD isn't spinning up, you offer Data Recovery for that?


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## valis

Personally, I've never had a customer come back, but I don't run a business. I have had to fix about a dozen machines that the geek squad 'fixed', though. 

The main problem I have is malware; each malware case is different, and requires different tools to remove the infection. That, and when my neighbor's pc came back, it had a music cd in the cd tray that someone was jamming to.

Other than that, nothing.


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## Ranger802008

That's probably...true....a lot of the times we miss small things because we're working with 10+ or 20+ computers at a time...my Geek Squad I work at is really good...but we're not perfect..I use to do private jobs as well...never had a redo


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## Codak

I'm a part-time geeksquad agent at BestBuy. I have to say that all around the nation you can find bad techs at geeksquad including every where else. Not every agent is bad but not every agent is good. I've worked for geeksquad part-time for about 2 years and found that our team has good techs but they often leave after getting a better education or job opportunities. 

As much as I hate to admit that we do charge a ton of money for repairs, I have to admit that at times it's worth it for some customers. I have read that many people at the threads have had issues with fixing machines after geeksquad due to some screw ups. I have to say that I never have redo's on my watch, but then again I believe in doing things right the first time. On top of that if the customer has any issues that can report it to management within 30 days and we will redo the work for free. 

You do get some agents that are wet behind the ears and this is the reason for the screwups part of the time. The fact still remains that geeksquad isn't IT, they are IT sales associates that handle both roles at all times. You wouldn't believe the countless times I've talked to customers that have friends work on their pc and they can't get them to fix it due to their busy schedule or they can find that friend to fix it for them. That's why geeksquad exists. We do the job and are fully accountable to the customers. 

The thing that I can't seem to get through everyone's head is that everyone isn't a computer expert. If I had the money and I didn't know what I was doing I'd go for the closest well know solution. In this case it would be geeksquad or a local mom and pop computer store. The average person doesn't want the headache of fixing their computer because they don't know anything about it in the first place. (Most customers install two anti-virus's and wonder why the machine crawls)

I have a hard enough time explaining to parents that they have an infection because of Lime Wire. The average customer doesn't have the time nor do the have the patience that we have here at techguy. 

1. Does Bestbuy charge a lot? Yes! But in my opinion it is a fair approach to service. Where else will the customer get a FLAT rate price for trouble shooting their OS for a week straight. (trying to duplicate issues and fix them accordingly) 

$199.99
OS reload - 30min - 1 hr depending on manufacturers restore disks.
-OS may not install all drivers (30min - 1 hr finding all drivers)
-Drivers may not work from the manf. site
-Oops (there is a huge scratch down the middle of the restore cd and a lolly pop prints all over disk 2)
-OS for some reason is corrupted due the condition of the disk
-customer wines and complains about why it taking so long. (Well the obvious-crappy restore disks)

-The their are the legalities of using Windows disks that aren't provided by the customer that causes the process to extend out another 3 days after they have order new disks from the manufactures. (copy write infringement- BestBuy policy unless we have manuf. disks onsite from HP,Gateway or Acer) (given to us by the manuf.)

-Before you know it, the pc has been in our possession for about two weeks. (1st come 1st serve)


My mom decided to go to a computer shop to have her laptop looked at and was charged about $334 for an OS reload at a local computer shop. I would have did it for free but I was deployed so that wasn't happening. She was charged an hourly rate and not a FLAT rate.

I can go on for days. 


Now of course, I can do repairs on the side for a lower price but the customer will still have to track me down if they have an issue. This isn't the case for you typical computer shop or geeksquad. Most can befound at one location Monday-Sunday.

You have to look at this issue from all perspectives. If you can fix it then do it and stop complaining. Agents will tell the customers or should tell the customers what issues that have before they even leave their computer. They can fix it themselves, get someone else to fix it or they can leave it for geeksquad to fix. It is ultimately the responsibility of the customer to make the decision based up what they want done. No tech service is perfect and neither is geeksquad. 

Do the service warranties at your own risk. I had a customer that bought the ADH plan and he ended up with a brand new laptop after his HumV crushed it while on a military exercise.(Process took about 2 weeks to honor due to it being shipped out to GeekSquad City per ADH plan policy) My laptop just crashed after my ADH service plan expired. I get a straight black screen and it would have been covered if I would have renewed my plan. But what the heck...I want to buy a better one anyway. Why purchase a $120 lcd and $295 motherboard? I might as well buy another one. Now I wish I would have renewed that service plan and I work for geeksquad. 


Look at it from all perspectives people!!!!

If you get a Service plan...how about you read the terms prior to buy the plan. All you have to do is ask to see the policy paperwork and it will be provided per Best Buy policy. Normally it is stapled to your receipt after purchase.


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## new tech guy

The problem with your statement on warranties is that it is exactly how they get the money out of you. They manufacture the product to last perfectly (or as close to as they can get) during the warranty then of course after that the parts aged a bit. They are not running like new. If you dont buy a new service plan and the old expires they can now charge a ton of money for the manufacturer to fix it+they get money from you paying for the warranty. Also my other gripe with how you guys do an "OS" install is how you do it. You just dump the factory disc and run, you dont update, you dont take bloatware off the pc, nor do you give the user a security package which for a reinstall i think should be included. For that price, i would honestly get the computer smart kid on the block to load the disc for me if i didnt know how to do it. Not that i do not think the concept is great, just what you offer compared to the prices is not worth it IMHO.


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## Ranger802008

Well we do that...if the client pays for the OS Restore ($129.99) except no protection, we can't put illegal software on client's PCs, now if it's a restore on a computer under a PSP after a HDD replacement, we don't optimize the operating system (AKA taking off junk and etc)...if they pay for the software we can put it on...there's a difference between the neighborhood geek fixing you up then a Corporate ran Geek Squad...and I have to admit our optimizations pwn  Also a lot of computer shops go straight to reformat if the computer is busted from viruses...we use that as last resort. it's also included in our $199 Advanced Diagnostic & Repair if you need an OS Restore...Geek Squad did not start off that great, but it def. has made some really good changes, you guys should think again about it


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## valis

$200 for a diagnostics?

dang, no wonder you guys are spreading like wildfire.

I'll be honest; I tell everyone I come into contact with to avoid the big places like Circuit City and Best Buy, in lieu of the smaller, mom and pop shops, for 2 basic reasons.

1. The pricing. The smaller shop will give you an honest opinion and have a wider variety of tools at their fingertips to use, simply because they don't answer to a corporate deity that says 'you may only use this tool', regardless of the fact that it's a round peg and a square hole.

2. Competence. There is a reason that the mom and pop shops exist in the same arena as the big boys like Geek Squad; that reason is that they are more knowledgeable across the board (no pun intended) about the workings of a system, both hardware and software.

You give me ANY computer, in whatever condition, and I will fix it up, replace the driver, what not, and not lose any data. To date, I've found exactly 1 virus that requires a wipe, and even then you don't lose the data. The only time you will lose data is during a catastrophic hard drive failure, and quite frankly, I will spend the time to get the data off using a variety of data recovery tools that GS cannot use, due to the commercial use issues.

Again, not knocking geek squad, but I've had enough run-in's with them to know not to take MY business there, and I generally tell all my clients at work to do the same; find a mom and pop shop in their area, and go there. Far better service, for the smaller shops need word of mouth to succeed, and far better and further ranging skill sets than you will find at a large corporate entity.

thanks, 

v


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## Ranger802008

no, diagnostics are $69.99 unless you are under a warranty or service plan, then it's free...and idk about most other geek squads...but we finish up behind those private shops all the time...


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## valis

Ranger802008 said:


> no, diagnostics are $69.99 unless you are under a warranty or service plan, then it's free...and idk about most other geek squads...but we finish up behind those private shops all the time...


and I finish up behind you guys all the time. 

No big, you guys are obviously doing something right, as you are growing rapidly; what will hamstring you, though, is the inability to use tools designed for certain jobs but that have commercial restrictions.

But that's for another day. 

laters.


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## new tech guy

Well i have to agree with Valis on his corporate entity statement. What im saying with the OS restore and loading security is that you should like offer one year protection of some type of commercial software you carry. You could just load spysweeper which has AV and anti spy. One time i worked on a client who had GS "optimize" their pc and well i found two av's because webroot has its own engine plus the owner had trend micro on it. I told them to return one and keep the other because trend micro would not update for some strange reason. The other pc which had been worked on had only the now expired 60 day trial of mcafee. I took that off and installed avg, the other i just told them tto have geeksquad come back and fix the av issues. I know you guys are tied by a corporate shadow, so maybe offer protection because most users there dont even fully understand what an antivirus is and will be back 2 weeks later to give you more money to fix the machine again. If you do that one simple step, your clients will be MUCH happier to have working antivirus.


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## valis

new tech guy said:


> One time i worked on a client who had GS "optimize" their pc and well i found two av's because webroot has its own engine plus the owner had trend micro on it.


precisely my point. The tools that are available to GS will eventually end up tying their hands, unless they can get some commercial use issues out of the way first.

2 a/v's will effectively render the machine vulnerable, as they will cancel each other out. Machine never should have left the shop like that.


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## Codak

I agree, the machine shouldn't have left the shop with 2 anti-virus software installed. This doesn't happen at my store at all; however, I see some machines that come in the store with it from the customers. I just charge them the 15-minutes of labor fee ($29) and fix the issue real quick. If this does happen all you have to do is bring it in and the managers and staff would redo it and put it as priority on the bench. Redo's don't happen often but like any other computer business it can happen from time to time. 

A quick note!! We can only use tools that are on the MRI disks to remove hazardous software due to legal issues. Most of the tools have been licensed from the developers. It is a big corp. no no to use unlicensed software on a clients machine. 

The only way we can offer a software warranty is if we install & setup the security software. But they must purchase the anti-virus anti-spyware protection plan. This cost is just $29 in addition to the cost of the software and the labor (they discount it once it rings up). That way if a customer has repeated infections they can bring it in and we will fix the issue for free. This includes reloading the operations system and/or cleaning the issue. This whole concept is made for people that don't want to deal with the headache or various issues that go along with your typical computer problems.

I think most people here can probably do all this themselves but you'd be surprise how many can't deal with it or just don't want to deal with it. 

One last thing... They are suppose to run updates once they reload the OS. If they don't do it then they are idiots. It only takes about a good 30 minutes depending on the service pack.


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## new tech guy

I was atcually there setting up internet for the people, and i could not just let them on the net like that, the new pc i told them to have GS come fix it since i didnt want to void any gaurantee they have. But the other i took off the mcafee trial and loaded comodo firewall on the PC.


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## JohnnyP

I can tell you why people keep going to gs. Its the same reason they can sell $50 USB cable with printers... "uneducated consumer". Wow you guys charge $120 an hour!? The local mom and pop charges $30 and $80 flat for a complete wipe and reinstall with all updates and drivers plus any other software such as Office or the ISP software for the same flat rate. The only way it would cost more is if the drivers take more then an hour to find. Computers do not leave with out an AV if they do not have one AVG Free goes onto the computer (of course as long as it is a home user). How can they do this so cheap compared to gs you ask. Well the people that work there are not complete morons they can easily work on 4 or 5 at a time. I worked there between jobs and could have 5 things going on and when customers pickup the computer we would hook it up on the counter and try to recreate whatever problem it was to show that the issue was fixed before they pay for the work. 
My advice to people about all the big box stores is to know what you are getting before you get there. Do not rely on the sales person or anybody else to tell you need or what features something has b/c odds are they are wrong. I get it all the time but I'm smart enough to know what the truth is I've already done my research and found out that they have the make model of what I want the cheapest in town. I had a guy tell me that I could only put music bought through iTunes on an iPod and the you couldn't put other mp3s on it...


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## valis

JohnnyP said:


> I can tell you why people keep going to gs. Its the same reason they can sell $50 USB cable with printers... "uneducated consumer". Wow you guys charge $120 an hour!? The local mom and pop charges $30 and $80 flat for a complete wipe and reinstall with all updates and drivers plus any other software such as Office or the ISP software for the same flat rate. The only way it would cost more is if the drivers take more then an hour to find. Computers do not leave with out an AV if they do not have one AVG Free goes onto the computer (of course as long as it is a home user). How can they do this so cheap compared to gs you ask. Well the people that work there are not complete morons they can easily work on 4 or 5 at a time. I worked there between jobs and could have 5 things going on and when customers pickup the computer we would hook it up on the counter and try to recreate whatever problem it was to show that the issue was fixed before they pay for the work.
> My advice to people about all the big box stores is to know what you are getting before you get there. Do not rely on the sales person or anybody else to tell you need or what features something has b/c odds are they are wrong. I get it all the time but I'm smart enough to know what the truth is I've already done my research and found out that they have the make model of what I want the cheapest in town. I had a guy tell me that I could only put music bought through iTunes on an iPod and the you couldn't put other mp3s on it...


excellent post, except for the last three letters, which I pruned out for you. 

but you hit every nail square on that. At BOTH geek squads by our house (through some cosmic burp in the universe, I'm equidistant from 2 of them and one circuit city, down to the 10th of a mile) I've been told not misleading infomation, but flat out wrong information wrt anything ranging from video cards and motherboards to software and a/v applications. I've been told to be sure not to plug the AIO device into a surge protector, as then the scanner won't work.

Obviously, with me working in IT, I actually get paid to do this stuff, and as a result, know more than the average layperson; this is key to your point about consumer ignorance/indifference. I also remember changing my own oil, but now it's such a damn hassle to get rid of the stuff I just go to jiffy lube. But at least I know how to change it.

I would state that at least 75% of the clientele that visit BB or GS have no clue what is happening inside their machines. I mean, it's common these days (almost required, thanks to vista) to have 2-4 gigs of ram in a glorified email machine. My wife has a vista laptop with 2 gigs of ram and a faster processor than my xp rig, and it still runs slower than mine does on every application. And it is used for the 'big brother' bulletin boards and webmail; that's it. It has office, but that's for when I'm working on someone's hjt log and need my canned speeches containing hyperlinks. If I didn't use that pc, it wouldn't even have office on it.

Yet it would still have a 3 ghz processor and 2 gigs of ram.

Whatever. It's like giving your grandmother a ferrari; yes, she will use it, but will she ever tach it out and make that sucker sing? Heck no. If it wasn't for our 3 year old, she'd still be using ME, which she was totally happy with. But ME apparently doesn't interface well with 32 ounces of apple slushy.


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## Compiler

No no... ME only works best with Grape Slushies. You should know that!


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## valis

well, duh, I do.....but monkeyboy is blissfully unaware of the fact.

As a complete aside, as the HD was relatively okay, just the keyboard was smoked, I tossed it into a sff case and booted it, and damn if it didn't work. 

Now I've found the true target audience for ME; 3.5 year olds.

He can open his cd player, grab whatever game he wants to play, and be off and running. He can turn it on, turn it off, and navigate to his internet shortcuts (there's only 6 or 7 that are allowed through, so it's not like it's rocket science).

But he can make that ME scream. Gates finally missed on a marketing venture.


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## new tech guy

Ha, that was well me at 5 with our fam's first computer, a cannon invovva that was "internet ready" which meant it had a 28.6 dial up modem (broadband didnt exist till i was like around 10). Had windows 95 and i think later was upgraded to 98SE. I remember knowing 2 things on that thing, games, and on the internet, disney blast. I remember even having one that ran in DOS from a floppy disc .


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## Jimmymellville

I work at a place that does follow up survey's after people have had service at Geek Squad 90% of the people we speak with are not happy and feel ripped off and mislead and usually the problem is still there. Of that 90% at least 75% have the same exact problem they bought a laptop from Best Buy the Monitor Screen cracked and Best Buy won't cover it via the Service Plan and the Manufactuer won't cover it either. I hear this 100 times a day. I mean its litterally everyone on any brand of PC but especially HP and ACER.


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## gurutech

valis said:


> well, duh, I do.....but monkeyboy is blissfully unaware of the fact.
> 
> As a complete aside, as the HD was relatively okay, just the keyboard was smoked, I tossed it into a sff case and booted it, and damn if it didn't work.
> 
> Now I've found the true target audience for ME; 3.5 year olds.
> 
> He can open his cd player, grab whatever game he wants to play, and be off and running. He can turn it on, turn it off, and navigate to his internet shortcuts (there's only 6 or 7 that are allowed through, so it's not like it's rocket science).
> 
> But he can make that ME scream. Gates finally missed on a marketing venture.


I thought Gates tried this with "Microsoft BOB"... LOL


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## volatile

Jimmymellville said:


> I work at a place that does follow up survey's after people have had service at Geek Squad 90% of the people we speak with are not happy and feel ripped off and mislead and usually the problem is still there. Of that 90% at least 75% have the same exact problem they bought a laptop from Best Buy the Monitor Screen cracked and Best Buy won't cover it via the Service Plan and the Manufactuer won't cover it either. I hear this 100 times a day. I mean its litterally everyone on any brand of PC but especially HP and ACER.


This is probably because, when the customer buys a service plan, they buy the cheap one that doesn't cover accidental damage. If they read the service plan agreements they will see that they usually don't cover things like cracked screens. Screens usually don't just crack because of normal wear and tear unless there is an issue with the hinge that places stress on the screen. They get the service plan they pay for.


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## Ranger802008

LOL you guys obviously think we're MRI Robots...I hate using that disc...I hardly ever load it unless I'm doing the diags we're "required" to do...I'm a hands on person...and as far as Trend and Spy Sweeper go...we do put both, Trend for AV and Spy Sweeper for Anti-Spyware...or you can get a suite...also...Trend not updating...that's easy to fix and you couldn't figure it out? LOL


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## new tech guy

Ranger802008 said:


> LOL you guys obviously think we're MRI Robots...I hate using that disc...I hardly ever load it unless I'm doing the diags we're "required" to do...I'm a hands on person...and as far as Trend and Spy Sweeper go...we do put both, Trend for AV and Spy Sweeper for Anti-Spyware...or you can get a suite...also...Trend not updating...that's easy to fix and you couldn't figure it out? LOL


I could have probably figured it out but did not touch it because i did not want to put a client in a pickle with geeksquad because they may drop their support for it if i attempt repairs. Also if you look within both peices of software, both have an antivirus component. Therefore i figured one HAD to be interferring with the other, ontop of that it was geeksquad "optimized". Had some weird game option thing in the operating system from hp and grew especially concerned because when i click on any one of those buttons it gave an error and the application would basically crash. Not good for a brand new computer that just came out of the box. Be worried about that especially if it was my own. In short what im saying is, they failed their customer. You guys sell a service, products to provide those services yes, but still the main part is a service. If you cannot do somthing right the first time, dont do it at all for money.


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## Ranger802008

there's Spysweeper + Antivirus...yes but that must have been an accident...Spy Sweeper...I've never taken a look at it in depth because I hate it...but it may have an AV core but it obviously sucks..because it never finds anything...if it was up to me I'd have Kaspersky


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## new tech guy

Still any geek squad "agent" should no that 2 avs in one system are a big nono, regardless of what their there for and it is a component of the software so i doubt it was any "accident". I do not use it either and am not a guru in it but it took me 1 whopping minute of searching through options to find that peice of information.


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## Ranger802008

no what I'm saying is Webroot has a standalone Anti-Spyware program which is what we're suppose to be using for those security packages then they have a Spysweeper + Antivirus...maybe that Agent grabbed the wrong box without looking, they do look similar...I've done it myself once...but I go back when I notice and exchange it out for the right box...now I'm not saying GS is perfect...I know we're not...but like I said...it's really about who is running the precinct more than it is who's staffing it...because our precinct is really good...but we do have a couple who are not "techs" but they have limited knowledge and we help them out all the time...teaching them things...you gotta understand things from the inside-out...be an agent first and you'll see what I'm talking about  personally I hate Spysweeper and Trend...Kaspersky is t3h pwnage


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## Compiler

Jimmymellville said:


> I work at a place that does follow up survey's after people have had service at Geek Squad 90% of the people we speak with are not happy and feel ripped off and mislead and usually the problem is still there. Of that 90% at least 75% have the same exact problem they bought a laptop from Best Buy the Monitor Screen cracked and Best Buy won't cover it via the Service Plan and the Manufactuer won't cover it either. I hear this 100 times a day. I mean its litterally everyone on any brand of PC but especially HP and ACER.


Broken LCD screens on notebooks are not the responsiblity of the manufacture if a customer broke it by dropping it, etc. Now - if the notebooks are cheap in general and break by normal usage - then that is grounds for a class-action lawsuit.

There is extended severice warranty and Damage Warranty services that people can buy. Breaking your property isn't covered by normal warranty nor should it be expected to.


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## Ranger802008

right, Best Buy doesn't make the products...just sells them


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## gurnage

I wish I had read these posts before we went to Geek squad to recover files on a corrupt external hard drive. It has taken four weeks just to find out if they can recover it and the quotes we have gotten have ranged from 1,000 apart. It's ridiculous. My husband dropped off the disk and 2 weeks later they are saying we need to fill out a form to get started. Well why didn't you give it to him when we was there? We both work full time and don't have time to keep going to the store. I'll let you know how our files look when we get them. Arrgh.


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## ~Candy~

Wow, I hope that data is that important


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## zx10guy

You're wasting your time thinking Best Buy is going to be able to recover that data. You need to go to a company which specializes in data recovery. Ontrack. But the data needs to be very important as these services are not cheap. Ontrak has software on their website which you can download to see if the software will be able to recover the data. This provided it's just a corrupt area on the drive platter and not an outright failure of the entire drive. If the software can get the data off, you just pay for the unlock key to enable the data recovery function. Otherwise you can send the drive off to Ontrack where they can do everything up to pulling your drive platters and installing them in another working hard drive.


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## roliax

_I work at a place that does follow up survey's after people have had service at Geek Squad 90% of the people we speak with are not happy and feel ripped off and mislead and usually the problem is still there. Of that 90% at least 75% have the same exact problem they bought a laptop from Best Buy the Monitor Screen cracked and Best Buy won't cover it via the Service Plan and the Manufactuer won't cover it either. I hear this 100 times a day. I mean its litterally everyone on any brand of PC but especially HP and ACER. _

I like how this guy joins just to post this desite the data is either extremely exagerrated or comletely made up. 75% of all people who have problems with computers have a cracked screen!?!?! I always thought they mostly came from viruses...


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## ~Candy~

I think he meant 75% of the 90% who replied to their survey


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## ignatzqweep

The Geek Squad totally sucks! I purchased a Gateway last week and within hours I received an IRQL error. I brought it back the next day and got an in-store card (opened product). WTF! So I wait a few days for a new batch of computers to get in and get a replacement Gateway. I need multimedia and HPs suck IMHO. I paid for optimization (removing all the crapware I don't want) and had them install a PCI adapter. Not that I don't know how, but I was being lazy. Well, I get it home and wouldn't you know it, the driver was improperly installed. I called 1800 Geeksquad because I was stupid enough to purchase their blacktie support for 3 years for $535 (I must have been high--I don't know what I was thinking). The "command control" geek told me I would have to pay to have them walk me through it or have someone come to my home to fix. It's not part of the freakin' $535 plan I just paid. I know how to fix it: uninstall the driver, take apart the PC and remove the PCI adapter, install the driver and reinstall the PCI adapter. So what did I just pay them for? What a freakin' waste of money! My husband's there right now trying to get our $535 back. If they don't, we will dispute the charges on our credit card. Serves them right, those bloodsuckers!


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## new tech guy

If you knew what you were doin i wouldnt have bought anything, just brought it home and did it myself. Honestly, i will never buy a pc there again nor let them touch a pc i own with a 40 foot pole.


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## gurutech

I've bought a couple laptops from BB over the past year or so. Didn't have any problems with the hardware, but the salesmen were total idiots. The most recent one I bought (actually helped my mom buy it, since the one I gave her (IBM 600) died with a 192 error... 

I told her not to buy the "extra" warranty, as most laptops will fail within the first year, and that's covered by the manufacturer. And the salesman said that this particular laptop came with only the OS, and nothing else, not even SAV or the Office 2007 trial version, but when I turned it on to start copying all her crap from the old hard drive (gotta love those USB to IDE adapters!), it started loading and installing the SAV, Office, etc....

And then it started with over 400mb of Office/Vista patches!

But for $500, it was a good laptop... so good that the first BB store we went to didn't have any, but looked it up online and found that 2 other stores close to us had them, so we went to another store, and found a guy there who wanted the same laptop, but they said they didn't have any and to go to another store (which was even further away!!) We put up a stink about it, and they eventually "found" 2 laptops (one for the other guy and one for us) that other people had put on hold, but never came to pick them up.

And while waiting in line to pay, we saw a few people bringing in their PC for service, and one guy was complaining that his Gateway laptop wouldn't charge the battery - so the guy plugs in his AC adapter, sees it doesn't work, then tries their "universal" adapter, which doesn't work either, then says "We'll have to send this out." Haven't they ever heard of trying another battery???


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## new tech guy

Yeah i guess i could look at it that way, its really not bestbuy's fault. That is why when a business starts up i think it should stay small, because when it gets big it will not care about its customers anymore.


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## JohnWill

If you guys haven't heard of The PC Decrapifier, you need to look into it. I run this whenever I get a new machine in here. It's a painless way to remove all the junk and get the machine into "fighting trim".


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## new tech guy

JohnWill said:


> If you guys haven't heard of The PC Decrapifier, you need to look into it. I run this whenever I get a new machine in here. It's a painless way to remove all the junk and get the machine into "fighting trim".


I have heard of it and used it on my hp when i first received it actually. I had to do a few things by hand but not much .


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## jp1203

I never actually buy a new machine. I've rebuilt many of mine, but never had to buy or build a completely new one.

The time might be coming to replace my thinkpad, though. I'll probably buy one off newegg at that point, definitely another thinkpad though. 

Specs as of Monday (just ordered some parts) on my desktop will be:

IBM Netvista 'M42'
2.0 GHz P-4
NVidia GeForce 6200 128MB 4x AGP Graphics
HP L1706 LCD Monitor
1.5 GB PC2100 DDR RAM
160 GB Western Digital Caviar SE 8MB Cache ATA/100 HDD
Lite-On Tech 20X DVD Burner (Bay 1)
48X CD-ROM HL Data (Bay 2)
10 USB 2.0 Ports
SoundBlaster Live! Digital Out to Boston Acoustics Digital Media Theater 2.1 sysem
Analogue Out to Pioneer Receiver
Running XP Pro 

Not top or even middle of the line any more, but it's relatively modern, and plenty powerful for what I do with it.


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## RedHelix

zx10guy said:


> You're wasting your time thinking Best Buy is going to be able to recover that data. You need to go to a company which specializes in data recovery. Ontrack. But the data needs to be very important as these services are not cheap. Ontrak has software on their website which you can download to see if the software will be able to recover the data. This provided it's just a corrupt area on the drive platter and not an outright failure of the entire drive. If the software can get the data off, you just pay for the unlock key to enable the data recovery function. Otherwise you can send the drive off to Ontrack where they can do everything up to pulling your drive platters and installing them in another working hard drive.


Best Buy contracts data recovery services to Ontrack. That's why it's taking so long and will cost so much.

Thanks for playing


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## ~Candy~

JStergis said:


> I never actually buy a new machine. I've rebuilt many of mine, but never had to buy or build a completely new one.
> 
> The time might be coming to replace my thinkpad, though. I'll probably buy one off newegg at that point, definitely another thinkpad though.
> 
> Specs as of Monday (just ordered some parts) on my desktop will be:
> 
> IBM Netvista 'M42'
> 2.0 GHz P-4
> NVidia GeForce 6200 128MB 4x AGP Graphics
> HP L1706 LCD Monitor
> 1.5 GB PC2100 DDR RAM
> 160 GB Western Digital Caviar SE 8MB Cache ATA/100 HDD
> Lite-On Tech 20X DVD Burner (Bay 1)
> 48X CD-ROM HL Data (Bay 2)
> 10 USB 2.0 Ports
> SoundBlaster Live! Digital Out to Boston Acoustics Digital Media Theater 2.1 sysem
> Analogue Out to Pioneer Receiver
> Running XP Pro
> 
> Not top or even middle of the line any more, but it's relatively modern, and plenty powerful for what I do with it.


10 USB ports  Whatever for............


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## new tech guy

AcaCandy said:


> 10 USB ports  Whatever for............


I have around 6 on my data server that i just finished building. 2 built in usb 1.1 ports and then a pci card containing 4 2.0 slots . Left the card in as it could be useful if i ever need to link up an external drive or somthing similar.


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## jp1203

AcaCandy said:


> 10 USB ports  Whatever for............


Actually, there's 11, but one's internal

It came with 6 (4 back, two front), but I needed a couple more at one point as I was serving three printers, had two external HDDs on it, had the Keyboard and mouse, a scanner, and liked to keep the front two ports free for the camera/flash drive/etc. I have a PCI 5 port card in it (1 inside) that I don't use anymore, but it's still there and works fine. Currently, I'm using three USB ports all the time, that's down a lot from the 8 that I used all the time before.


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## Davec

AcaCandy said:


> 10 USB ports  Whatever for............


This from the Porcelain Queen?


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## ~Candy~

JStergis said:


> Actually, there's 11, but one's internal
> 
> It came with 6 (4 back, two front), but I needed a couple more at one point as I was serving three printers, had two external HDDs on it, had the Keyboard and mouse, a scanner, and liked to keep the front two ports free for the camera/flash drive/etc. I have a PCI 5 port card in it (1 inside) that I don't use anymore, but it's still there and works fine. Currently, I'm using three USB ports all the time, that's down a lot from the 8 that I used all the time before.


Wow. Lots of stuff going on there


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## JohnWill

AcaCandy said:


> 10 USB ports  Whatever for............


Candy, I have 12 USB ports on this system. Keyboard, mouse, two USB disks, webcam, TomTom GPS connecting adapter, Casio camera cradle, and a UPS. You'd be surprised how fast they disappear!


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## ~Candy~

I guess I need to buy more


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## jp1203

When I ended up with this Netvista, I figured 6 would be fine. I soon figured out how wrong I was about that!


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## AtlanticJim

One of the main reasons I got back into the computer repair hobby and now biz was the numerous accounts of high prices and excessive wait times my friends were enduring to get their computers back. And always with a recommendation for unneccesary software installation. My pricing plan now undercuts the Geeks and the Dogs by 30% and my customers are happy to pay the price and get their machines back in 5 days instead of 15. Have you ever seen their menu?


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## jp1203

For my out-of-house stuff, it's 20 an hour for labor, parts for what I can get them for plus the shipping.

In-house stuff, for labor I basically say "whatever." For parts, again, it's whatever I can get them for plus shipping (usually newegg prices).

In addition to computer stuff, if people need a relatively large amount of stuff printed, I go three cents per page, which many people take me up on. I don't make much of anything off of it after toner, drum, and paper, but I figure I might as well use the printer for something. Kinda nice to give people a break from ten cent per page copies.

Otherwise, I've got my real job.


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## JohnWill

I don't think I could live on $20/hr, but the next time I need my computer fixed, I'll call you!  Of course, consulting is my "real" job.


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## new tech guy

Then again, those of us who are more experienced i do not think need the extra support as we already know how to deal with common trouble ourselves


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## valis

i consult on the side, but charge $100/hour, $400 cap. I've yet to incur either the cap or anything over $200. 

I tell the users they have a choice; go here and have the malware removed, or I can go to their house for $100/hour and remove it for them. So far, out of about 100 people, I've only had one person choose to have me come over. However, I have had dozens of people say "can you come over and set up my wireless/new pc/fix my hard drive" etc etc ad nauseaum. 

It works out nice.  TSG gets a lot of referrals, and every now and then I make a buck or three.


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## new tech guy

I just decide based on cost and what needs to be done. I have one person who i have serviced and just over time taught how to perform basic maintenance on their pc. Figure that is best as now they can decide whether to work on the machine themselves or have me come over and take a look. Usually the price is cheap, 60 dollars or so for a system reinstall which comes complete with security software and all windows updates are performed as well. If needbe too, i will remove any junkware on the system.


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## gurutech

My prices depend on my broke I am at the time! LOL

If I just got paid from my full time job, chances are I'll cut you a break. If payday is a few days away, and the bank account is empty, I'll charge enough to get me through until payday, but never as much as geek squad...


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