bill
las vegas,#2Consumer Suggestion
Sun, August 11, 2002
Bought a computer from Best Buy about one year ago and had immediate problems. The extended warranty I bought didn't help at all. I seriously doubted Best Buy had anyone on their staff that knew how to repair a computer. After numerous trips to the store and calls to their service department, I called Compaq to report the problem and ask for help. They LAUGHED when I told them Best Buy had worked on it. Compaq had me take it to a local authorized Compaq service center at no charge. It was back in a couple of weeks (parts) and worked fine. Compaq suggested i NEVER allow anyone at Best Buy attempt repairs on their computers because they are NOT an authorized service center for Compaqs. Compaq also suggested I cancel the extended service contract and get my money back. Had to argue with a Best Buy manager but I finally got it cancelled and money refunded. Stay away from service repairs at Best Buy. They know how to sell but they do not know how to repair. A word of warning!!!!
#30
Thu, July 25, 2002
When I finally picked up my computer, three months after dropping it off for the first time, I listened as a Best Buy sales associate (name unknown) explained to a customer that his situation was "a very unique situation!" that "the service center usually is very swift and thurough when doing repairs!" and finally, "he himself would get to the bottom of it and clear it all up."
As soon as the man walked away, I advanced on this poor new soul and adviced him to do exactly what I did. First, call every day the computer is out of the home. By the second week the Techs knew me on a first name basis, and would get pleasure from hearing them groan when I called and said, "Good morning. This is Denise, just calling to see about my computer."
Second, when I had the tech supervisor on the phone, I would occupy his time by asking the same question over and over again so that I made sure I understood what was going on, so that he would be prepared for when I called the next day, and also to remind him that I was just as much a customer as those standing infront of him.
Third, I just went along with whatever they said needed to be done. But, I didn't do it quietly. When they insisted on sending it back, I asked "Why?" "When will be back?" "How can I trust they will actually do the work this time?" until I was nearly completely satisfied that that was the only option.
Before I left, I even gave the man the phone number and the names of the associates to work with and the ones to avoid, as well as the name of the supervisor and the manager that finally agreed that my situation had gone too far.
My point is that, although I felt like the only consumer being yanked around by the d**n associates at Best Buy, there were in fact others, and there will be more unless someone helps me to stop them!
Al
Portland,#4Consumer Comment
Mon, July 15, 2002
Be afraid. Be very afraid when buying a computer package in a retail store. Here is the dirty little secret. Let us assume that a store orders a number of units from manufacturer X because the price is very cheap. Now company X knows that this model, 2000Z, is a real bow wow, the product reviewers know it, everyone knows it except you. The computers sit on the shelf from the day they arrive in January and gather dust until early December when the store throws in the towel, slashes its price, eats the loss and tries to move the dogs with a citrus aroma in time for Christmas shoppers.
You read the ad, waltz into the store, plunk down the money and happily load the puppy into your car. It will be gift for your college bound kid. After a couple of months, say in February, the mutt rolls over and dies, period. You schlepp the dead beast back to the store and demand repair/replacement under the touted one-year warranty. Uh-oh. The smirk on the clerk's face tells you that you just stepped into some deep dog poop. You see, the "one-year warranty" started ticking its life away when the computer arrived at the store in January, not when you bought it in December. See? It is right there in the fine print you missed when your eyes glazed over. Best to ask (and get the answer in writing) just how long the warranty will cover you, the consumer.
Here is another nasty bit of news to watch out for. When a manufacturer says that this computer comes bundled with software like WindowsBS, it really doesn't. There is no MicroSoft disk for WindowsBS. There is a disk with some, but not all, WindowsBS. This is the manufacturer's version of WindowsBS and, as such, is not covered by any MicroSoft service or tech support policy. You are on your own, bunkie. You want WindowsBS, you better go buy WindowsBS and install it yourself if you expect any tech support, such as it is, from MicroSoft.
The p.c. business is the last refuge for the unemployed used car salesmen, politicians and other low lifes.