Author Topic: So, Best Buy and the Geek Squad. Are they really that bad? (Read 16033 times)

Kudistos Megistos · « **on:** 2010-07-03 00:17:41 »

Best Buy came across the Atlantic a few months ago, and (since I haven't bothered going to any of their shops), I wondered whether they really are as bad as some people in the US claim. The basic impression I've got from people on the intertubes is that they are the worst retailers in history, overcharge (mind you, if they do that they'll fit right in over here...), bullshit customers into buying all sorts of things they don't need, pay their (underqualified) employees peanuts and treat them like monkeys, engage in active deception, charge $200 to wipe hard drives and steal your nudez and post them on /b/.

Is this accurate? I never buy from brick-and-mortar computer shops so it's of no relevance to me; I just find all the stories from former Geek Squad employees and whatnot to be rather amusing and am curious to know how representative they are of the whole company.

Covarr · « **Reply #1 on:** 2010-07-03 00:42:04 »

It's true.

So many people wouldn't corroborate these stories if they weren't.

Kudistos Megistos · « **Reply #2 on:** 2010-07-03 00:52:58 »

They're *that* bad? Wow!

And should I assume that gamestop are also as bad as people say?

Opine · « **Reply #3 on:** 2010-07-03 01:09:25 »

Well, I can tell you that Bestbuy is definitely overpriced. Everything there can be purchased online much cheaper. But it's there, if you need to run out and buy it.
Also, when I was in high school one of my 16 year old friends was a manager at the Bestbuy by my house. Back then I thought it was impressive. Looking back now, and thinking about how totally irresponsible she was, I'm no longer impressed.
Rip against both my friend and Bestbuy at once. /burn

Kudistos Megistos · « **Reply #4 on:** 2010-07-03 01:12:48 »

Quote from: Opine on 2010-07-03 01:09:25

Also, when I was in high school one of my 16 year old friends was a manager at the Bestbuy by my house.

What kind of business has a kid in a position called manager?

Hellbringer616 · « **Reply #5 on:** 2010-07-03 05:00:35 »

Best buy is okay for some stuff, Geek squad. on the other hand. WAAAAAAYYYY to much.

want em to fix a virus? $199 if you drop it off. If you lose data not their fault. Want them to come to you? Certainly. thats $299.

$75 to back up 5GB of data, after that it's $15 a gig.

And i was once in line for a return and someone was told they couldn't get onto the internet because of their videocard.

Needless to say, never trust geek squad

Mirenheart · « **Reply #6 on:** 2010-07-03 05:35:24 »

Truth be told, the only reason I'd go to Best Buy is to get a PC game ($10 cheaper than Walmart). Of course, I could probably get cheaper on internet (like for free, which I frown upon... usually), but I don't trust sites like Ebay after my last purchase. I tried to buy FFVII for the psx, and when I opened the case, it was a disk of Final Fantasy VII a disk of FFVIII (broken), and a frogger disk!

Mendelevium · « **Reply #7 on:** 2010-07-03 05:38:28 »

Quote from: Mirenheart on 2010-07-03 05:35:24

Truth be told, the only reason I'd go to Best Buy is to get a PC game ($10 cheaper than Walmart). Of course, I could probably get cheaper on internet (like for free, which I frown upon... usually), but I don't trust sites like Ebay after my last purchase. I tried to buy FFVII for the psx, and when I opened the case, it was a disk of Final Fantasy VII a disk of FFVIII (broken), and a frogger disk!

I think you can claim that was false advertising and get your money back. :O

Mirenheart · « **Reply #8 on:** 2010-07-03 05:42:15 »

Not any more, that was 5 years ago.

Mendelevium · « **Reply #9 on:** 2010-07-03 05:46:41 »

Quote from: Mirenheart on 2010-07-03 05:42:15

Not any more, that was 5 years ago.

Five years ago was....2005. I bought a used copy at game stop then. XD. Well it was EB games back then :O.

*on topic*

Best Buy isn't all bad. Just some of its prices are high, but the service around these parts is amazing. And it has a relatively decent selection. ^.^.
I personally wouldn't get games there tho :O.

Furzball · « **Reply #10 on:** 2010-07-03 06:53:49 »

Depends on what you're looking for really. Only better service is independant IT people to replace geek squad. Besides that I'd say alot of the stuff is well overpriced. Bought a webcam at target for $10, same webcam in the best buy next store, $20.

Cupcake · « **Reply #11 on:** 2010-07-03 08:55:11 »

Fuck Best Buy. I tried to get a job with them... They actually told me I knew too much for the job... (they also probably figured I'd rob them blind of all their special software based tools, like a mass installer to install several programs at once, which aren't that bad if you don't use them with crapware.... they would've been right)

Bosola · « **Reply #12 on:** 2010-07-03 17:21:56 »

...Pretty sure there are open-source mass installers. I have a vague memory of one being mentioned on the Py2Exe wiki main tutorial, for dealing with MSVCR90.DLL (or whatever it's called). IIRC, you can't freely distribute the Visual C runtime without Visual C Studio, but can freely redistribute Microsoft's standalone installer. There's some tool that can bundle multiple installers, so you can still have single-step-installation Python apps.

Cupcake · « **Reply #13 on:** 2010-07-03 20:43:00 »

Quote from: Bosola on 2010-07-03 17:21:56

...Pretty sure there are open-source mass installers. I have a vague memory of one being mentioned on the Py2Exe wiki main tutorial, for dealing with MSVCR90.DLL (or whatever it's called). IIRC, you can't freely distribute the Visual C runtime without Visual C Studio, but can freely redistribute Microsoft's standalone installer. There's some tool that can bundle multiple installers, so you can still have single-step-installation Python apps.

Yes, but the fact of the matter is I'd be getting myself, and the rest of the internet, a copy of the one BB uses, something they don't want to happen.

Jaitsu · « **Reply #14 on:** 2010-07-05 01:13:34 »

i ordered a game, three weeks later i called them to ask why it hadn't arrived in the time slot given, they hadn't even shipped it yet

nfitc1 · « **Reply #15 on:** 2010-07-05 01:57:07 »

I tried to get a job with them... They actually told me I knew too much for the job...

This happened to me too. It tells me that they don't want their employees experienced enough to recommend better things to their customers, just whatever is most expensive. Yes, they tend to hire stupid people and they are WAY over priced. I once bought an HDMI cable from them for over $50! I bought one at my university campus computer store (that I DID work for) for about $14! Maybe less. I'd go there to buy movies and games and a few furniture pieces because they stick with the MSRP.
For computers they're pretty lame. I don't like company branded computers anyway. Once you know, you NewEgg.

Kudistos Megistos · « **Reply #16 on:** 2010-07-05 02:05:00 »

I'm hearing this "they told me I was overqualified" claim quite a lot. Wow, this company really sounds shitty

What "qualifications" do they look for in their employees?

And how can they justify charging people $100 per hour for services and yet give such shitty pay to their technicians? Pic related:

dragowulf · « **Reply #17 on:** 2010-07-05 03:26:55 »

Lol they charge to install a PS3? I bought one two weeks ago and set up everything in roughly ten minutes tops.

Opine · « **Reply #18 on:** 2010-07-05 05:51:16 »

http://techdirt.com/articles/20100702/03200710058.shtml

nfitc1 · « **Reply #19 on:** 2010-07-05 13:36:53 »

Quote from: Kudistos Megistos on 2010-07-05 02:05:00

What freakin' rip-off!! I like that slogan of theirs though, "Go ahead. Use us." I don't think they'd get anyone to go for it otherwise. I thought my PS3 came practically out-of-the-box ready. I just plugged it in and it started going. I just had to tell it how to connect to my wireless. I guess all the technophobes that want PS3s would need this, but for $129!?!!?! That's extortion!

Back to when I was working at the Computer Store at my campus, we did offer a $49 software installation service but actually discouraged most people from using it. We'd say "All we do is stick the disc in, click next a few times, enter the key, and click Done and let the installation run its course." People left happier knowing that they knew how to do it themselves and didn't have to waste $49 on something that took less than 10 minutes.

Furzball · « **Reply #20 on:** 2010-07-05 17:04:01 »

Only used geek squad like twice. Both times to repair a laptop and it only ended up costing me $15 each time to have it shipped somewhere and back. I forget what the first was but the second time my screen got cracked during an airplane flight.

Hellbringer616 · « **Reply #21 on:** 2010-07-05 17:21:30 »

Quote from: furzball on 2010-07-05 17:04:01

Only used geek squad like twice. Both times to repair a laptop and it only ended up costing me $15 each time to have it shipped somewhere and back. I forget what the first was but the second time my screen got cracked during an airplane flight.

Had to have been warranty. No way they'd replace a cracked screen for $15.

I had a slight knick in my old one (like pin head sized) to get it replaced was about $190 on a $200 monitor. Hence why i just bought a new better one haha

Cupcake · « **Reply #22 on:** 2010-07-06 04:14:35 »

My parents actually got my EeePC through Best Buy, at a good price, but they also paid the extra (my parents aren't technophobes... they just don't understand things that aren't OS X) to have Geek Squad "optimize" my system. I opened the box, mad this thing was LOADED with crapware.

Only good thing they did, was made a Symantec Ghost restore partition... Which is convenient due to it having all the drivers, unfortunately, I also have to remove all the crapware each time I format... of course, right now I wanna format, but I have nowhere to backup my music and movies =(

Furzball · « **Reply #23 on:** 2010-07-06 09:01:48 »

Quote from: Cupcake on 2010-07-06 04:14:35

My parents actually got my EeePC through Best Buy, at a good price, but they also paid the extra (my parents aren't technophobes... they just don't understand things that aren't OS X) to have Geek Squad "optimize" my system. I opened the box, mad this thing was LOADED with crapware.

Only good thing they did, was made a Symantec Ghost restore partition... Which is convenient due to it having all the drivers, unfortunately, I also have to remove all the crapware each time I format... of course, right now I wanna format, but I have nowhere to backup my music and movies =(

External harddrives are getting pretty cheap

nfitc1 · « **Reply #24 on:** 2010-07-06 12:14:57 »

Quote from: furzball on 2010-07-06 09:01:48

Quote from: Cupcake on 2010-07-06 04:14:35
My parents actually got my EeePC through Best Buy, at a good price, but they also paid the extra (my parents aren't technophobes... they just don't understand things that aren't OS X) to have Geek Squad "optimize" my system. I opened the box, mad this thing was LOADED with crapware.

Only good thing they did, was made a Symantec Ghost restore partition... Which is convenient due to it having all the drivers, unfortunately, I also have to remove all the crapware each time I format... of course, right now I wanna format, but I have nowhere to backup my music and movies =(
External harddrives are getting pretty cheap

So are internals. I just bought a 1TB SATA for under $100. Obviously not from Best Buy.