The great Geek Squad ripoff

[illusionofjoy]

"I suppose that if I don't sign, I don't get these," I said, referring to the stack of DVD-Rs which sat upon the counter. The discs contained 130 gigabytes worth of data, the contents of my desktop PC including every song I'd recorded from Division onward plus four new pieces which hadn't been burned to back-up discs, having not been completed. The document which was laid before me stated that I was completely satisfied with the repairs done by the Geek Squad office located at the Best Buy in Pittsburgh's South Hills. I wasn't satisfied - how could I be? In three weeks, the Geek Squad had not repaired my computer. Still, they were willing hold my data hostage until I told them I was happy with what had been done.

The portly bald agent behind the counter confirmed my suspicions. "Very well," I said as I signed the lie, grabbed by data and left the store with no intention of ever returning.

At the beginning of the month, my desktop PC had somehow contracted the Vundo or Virtumonde Virus, a pernicious Trojan horse which embeds itself in one's startup files and masquerades as a piece of anti-virus software while actually attempting to gather information on the user. It's a nasty little bug which pretends to be deleted only to reinstall itself on the next reboot. Removing it is very difficult as it alters registry entries and is programmed to change it's file names and formats in order to avoid detection and deletion (much like the common cold). I had spent about a week combating this virus, managing to push it back only to have it return and thumb it's nose at me. Frustrated and wanting for time to get back to my music and gaming, I decided to have the virus professionally eradicated.

My computer is a custom-built machine based around an Asus motherboard running an Intel Pentium CPU. Four or five years ago, I can't remember exactly, I spent about $900 in parts and built myself a machine which would have likely retailed for over $3,000. Overall, it is the best running machine I had ever used, easily beating out the three Apple Macintosh's that had been in my life (my disgust with Apple's unwillingness to allow cloning of their operating system, thus bringing down the price of their machines was a large factor in my defection to the world of Windows; also, ever since Windows 95, Microsoft's operating system has actually been useful). Prior to the attack of Virtumonde, the only problem I'd had with the machine was when the power supply died and I had to get it replace. CompUSA did that in about two hours, charging me only $70 for parts and labour.

Unlike the now sadly defunct CompUSA (locations still exist, albeit not in Pennsylvania), I have nothing nice to say about the Geek Squad. I took my computer in at the beginning of the month and told the representative there what was wrong with it and what I wanted done. I had a Trojan horse, I wanted it removed - end of story. I paid for a standard diagnostic and disc cleanup, was told that I'd be called when the work was done (a week, it was estimated, though the holiday rush had them back logged) and I went on my way. Once home, I set up my laptop so I could stay in touch with people and keep up on my other Internet doings.

A little over a week later, having not received a phone call, I decided to call them myself and check up on the status of my computer. I dialed the number and the phone rang ten times before I hung up in frustration. These Geeks did not have a voice mail service, it seemed.

The next day I went to the store in person to ask for a status update. "We called you," claimed the representative. "It seems that the virus is worse than we thought and we're going to have to do a full reinstall of your operating system. This means a data backup, if you want to save what's on your hard drive." I had forgone the data backup initially as I knew my hard drive was good, a virus removal shouldn't have warranted it and I was trying to save some money - the diagnostic and disc cleanup alone was already pricey. Still, wanting to get this over and done with so I could get back to recording (and playing The Sims 2, of course), I paid for the data backup and returned the next day with my original Windows XP Professional install disc so they could reinstall my operating system.

When I got home after being told the bad news, joi_division told me that they had never called. As she works from home, she would have heard the phone ring and seen the caller ID. None of their representatives had called the apartment. Curious, I thought, but I had given them my cell phone number as a backup so now they had no excuse for not getting in touch.

About a week after that - or one week ago - I received a voice mail on my cell phone from the Geek Squad. "You ordered a data backup," the recording said, "but you have 130 gigabytes of data to back up, which will take 33 DVDs to hold. So, if you have an external hard drive to put it on, you should bring it in...or you could buy an external hard drive from us and we'll backup your data on that." I was already nearly $400 in the hole for the Geek Squad's services and was not about to spend any more money, especially on services I had already paid for. I called them back, eventually getting a representative to pick up the phone and told them to simply burn my data to the DVDs, as I would deal with using the "eyedropper" method to restore my files once I got my computer back.

Yesterday afternoon I received another voice mail from the Geek Squad. "We attempted to reinstall your operating system, but your hard drive has failed. You can buy another hard drive from us and we'll install it for an additional $50." I was livid - before I had brought my computer in, the only problem it had was a virus. They had already tested the hard drive and it had passed with flying colours and now they were telling me it had failed and they wanted me to buy a new one and pay them to install it! Even if I'd had the money for them to do so, I would have told them to take a flying leap. And I don't hesitate in saying that I find it just a little bit suspicious that my hard drive failed only after I had declined to buy an external drive from them. It made me wonder if this additional test they did involved putting my drive into a microwave oven and setting it on "high" for two minutes.

I went to the Best Buy again and asked about the status of my data backup. "Your data is on our server," the Geek behind the counter told me.

"But it isn't on any physical media," I asked.

"No, not yet."

"Right then; here's what's going to happen: you are going to put all of my data on the 33 DVDs as I've already paid to have you do. You are also going to give me back my computer, with all of the internal components which were originally inside of it, along with my copy of Windows XP, which is also in your possession. After I receive my backed-up data, my business with you will be at a close. I am very dissatisfied with the outcome here.

The Geek looked at me, dumbfounded. "My computer," I said. "Very well, sir," he replied, walking to the back room where various pieces of electronic equipment were being abused, no doubt. He returned with my computer and I told him I wanted a screwdriver, so I could open up the case. He obliged and I took a look inside, doing a quick inventory of all the components I had personally installed over the years. Satisfied that everything was in place (even if it wasn't necessarily working), I left.

And now I have thirty three DVDs upon which is supposedly the contents of my now fried hard drive. For three weeks and $400, the Geek Squad managed to take a software problem and turn it into hardware failure. I find it hard to believe that my hard drive was anywhere near failing, as it worked perfectly beforehand. I find it very coincidental that the drive failed after they tried to sell me an external drive. I also find it interesting that the operating system needed to be reinstalled, thus forcing me into taking a data backup after I had initially declined a data backup. The words "scam" and "ripoff" readily come to mind.

At this juncture, I've learned a hard lesson and will not being taking any of my valuable equipment to the Geek Squad ever again. Furthermore, I have no intention of spending any of my money at a Best Buy ever again - they and their associates can rot. In the near future, I will be filing an official complaint with the Better Business Bureau and sending a complaint letter to Best Buy as well. About the only thing they can reasonably charge me for is the data backup, however if there is a ghost of a chance that I can get a refund for the "repairs," I am going to pursue it. Obviously, I am not optimistic. As it stands, the Geek Squad has joined Steiner Realty on my business "shit list."