Complaint Review: Friendly Computers - Las Vegas Nevada

Wish I would have read the reviews before I took my hard drive in.  I had been emailing Tom at Friendly Computers and told him exactly what was wrong with my hard drive and what Geek Squad and other techs had told me (that it would have to go to a clean room in order to recover my data).  Being desperate because all of my 2 year old's baby pictures and videos are on that hard drive, and I even told Tom those exact words that I was desperate to recover my data because all my 2 year's pics and videos are on that hard drive.  His first roll over, crawl, walk, word, etc... Tom gave me hope (false hope).  He told me he was 60-70% confident that he would be able to retrieve my data.

I paid $169 flat rate fee to "check in" my device (Tom's words) and had to leave the hard drive with them possibly for a couple of weeks.  About 5 days later he calls me and he tells me that he can't get any of my data.   He offers to send it to their clean room lab for an evaluation but the $169 that I already paid them was not gonna be refunded to me.  I told him so I paid $169 for nothing and he said well it wasn't for nothing because we've been working on it and trying.  This sounds to me like a great way to scam people.  Tell them you think you can help them and get them to pay the $169 all the while knowing that you can't get any of that data but you sure got their money.  Wonder how many others are out there that have been scammed thru the same situation.

Also, I have read this sales agreement/receipt several times and don't see where it says the fee is non refundable even if they can't retrieve your data.  Maybe I'm overlooking it but I don't see it.  DO NOT GO TO FRIENDLY COMPUTERS.  They are not "friendly".  They need to change the name of their business to Misleading Computer Repair.  They are major con artists, scammers, liars, etc.  Don't waste your time or money and don't get your hopes up.  I got my hard drive back from him minus my $169 that was wasted down the drain and he probably erased all my data so that no one else would be able to recover it since I refused to let him send it to his lab.  I will never be able to recover those videos now of my toddlers first roll over, first crawl, first word, first steps, etc..

This is definitely not how I treat people and certainly don't want to be treated this way by others, especially businesses in my own community.  WOW!!!!  I read over the sales agreement before I signed it and before I paid them to make sure it didn't say the fee was non-refundable and it doesn't say that anywhere.  But I guess that doesn't even matter now because they refuse to refund it.  I guess I won't ever be able to get that money back now but I will make sure I reach as many people as I can to save them from wasting money.  This company shouldn't be allowed to get away with ripping people off like this. 

I even told them they need to revise their sales agreement to state in big bold capital letters that the fee is Non-refundable.  Doubt they will listen tho because they are stating that because it says minimum charge that means it's non-refundable in their eyes.  That's not the same thing. That only means that if they recover your data they can charge you more but the minimum charge means it won't be less than that amount.  It doesn't say that even if we can't help you and can't retrieve your data then the minimum charge is non-refundable.  It doesn't say that anywhere.  This is misleading. 

And how can we be sure that they even did anything at all.  They take the device to their back room where you aren't allowed to go.  So they could just be sitting it on a shelf or someone's desk and not doing anything to it but just charging everyone $169 flat rate that they have no intention of refunding.  If you scam one person a day like this it would be almost $1200 a week.  Sounds like a great way to make money without actually doing anything.  But the way I was raised, THIS IS WRONG!!!!!  And should be illegal.  This business needs to be shut down.  If there is anyone out there that can do anything about this I'm behind you 100%.  I will help anyway I can.  I will testify.