Geek Squad told reader Dave that he didn’t have the “technical expertise” to diagnose his clearly-broken iPod. The 30 GB unit wouldn’t play when docked or connected by USB cord, something Dave though might be covered by Best Buy‘s Product Service Plan. Geek Squad first tried replacing the hard drive. This solved nothing. Dave brought the still-broken iPod back and asked the agent to write into the notes a request to call him if the problem was misunderstood. Without calling, Geek Squad again returned the iPod with a note saying that the agent “could not duplicate the problem.” With this firm diagnosis in hand, Geek Squad decided they were done and wouldn’t perform any additional work. When Dave objected, he was told that his ‘only option was to pay for a third-party to test the iPod and prove the Geek Squad technician wrong.’
Dave writes:
Let me begin with the below quote which is copied directly from the FAQ section of the Geek Squad website. This will resurface later in this email.
“If you notify us within the stated time period, we will work to remedy your problem quickly and at no additional cost.”
Now, I have always been a huge fan of Best Buy and have shopped there religiously for years. Maybe it’s due to the fact that I get memorized by the electronic goodness when entering the store. Or maybe it’s because I’ve just never been a fan of the layout of Circuit City stores.
Anyway, I recently took my 30gb iPod in for servicing at my local Best Buy in King of Prussia, PA. The iPod was not performing properly when connected to a docking station or iPod USB cord (sound only came out of the left speaker channel, no sound from the right speaker channel). It was covered by a “Product Service Plan” that I purchased from Best Buy with the iPod, so I explained the issue to the Geek Squad employee in the store and they sent it out for repair on November 10, 2008. I received it back on 12/10 and found that they replaced the hard drive, which did not fix the issue. I had it sent out for repair again on 12/8/08. The service note stated that the technician should call the customer (me) for details about the issue if there was confusion. No phone call and one month later, the iPod was ready for pick-up at Best Buy. The issue? The Geek Squad technician “could not duplicate the problem.”
I asked the store Geek Squad representative why I was never called, and he stated that it’s because the technician couldn’t find an issue with the iPod. That’s all fine and dandy, but had they called me, I could have explained the issue in greater detail since the Geek Squad store reps tend to write extremely vague descriptions on the Service Orders. Blank stare from Geek Squad rep. I then told the store the rep that I could show him right then and there that the iPod is malfunctioning by plugging the iPod into my car stereo, and by using my wife’s iPod in comparison as an example of one that works perfectly fine. His response was that they don’t repair the items in the store so showing him wouldn’t do anything to help the cause. He recommended that I call the 1-800-GeekSquad number and take it up with them. So I did, and this is where things get good..
I called Geek Squad on 1/13/08 and spoke to a Customer Service rep. She was very nice, but she couldn’t help me. She told me that I needed to go back to the store and explain my issue to them (even though I had already told her that the store directed me to call Geek Squad). She offered to transfer me to the Customer Relations department, and I spoke to a gentleman in that department. He told me that he could not reverse the technician’s decision, but that he could offer me $60 store credit towards a new iPod. This irritated me because it’s like I was being offered a consolation prize, when in reality, all I wanted is for my iPod to be fixed. I told him this, and his next response was that the best he could do is offer me $100 store credit instead. Again, I don’t want store credit, I just want my iPod fixed because after all, I did pay a pretty penny for the service plan and the iPod as well. He couldn’t help me, so I asked to be transferred to a Customer Relations supervisor.
Enter “Tony”, a Geek Squad supervisor with a “customer is wrong” mentality. I explained the situation to him, and he said that he cannot overturn the technician’s decision. I then asked why I was never contacted, and he told me that Geek Squad technician’s aren’t allowed to call customers. That strikes me as odd, because years back I had a surround sound system that was acting up and had it serviced by Circuit City under a similar type of service plan. Their tech called me numerous times so I could help him understand the issue I was experiencing, and so he could fix it appropriately and in a timely manner. It strikes me as odd that a Geek Squad technician is not allowed to contact a customer, when Best Buy and Geek Squad represent the service as if customer-technician relationships are common day. Have you seen their tv commercials? It’s as if the Geek Squad tech is your best friend..yet they can’t call a customer about a Service Order?
Tony then told me that since I’m not a technician, I have no right to say that the technician didn’t fix the iPod, because after all, the tech “could not find an issue with it.” I told him that I don’t need to be a technician to realize that my iPod isn’t working. Common sense tells you that when you plug it in and it’s not working properly, and then you plug numerous other iPods in and they work perfectly fine, that the iPod is malfunctioning. Tony repeated the message again…I, as a customer, have no right to say that the technician didn’t fix the iPod because I do not have the technical expertise that the technician has. The technician’s decision is final. Seriously? This guy is basically telling me that I’m dumb and shouldn’t question the FACT that their technician did not fix my iPod.
Remember the quote I began with earlier in this email? Apparently Tony the supervisor isn’t on-board with this philosophy. I’ll paste it again for reference:
“If you notify us within the stated time period, we will work to remedy your problem quickly and at no additional cost.”
He told me the only option I have is to pay for a third-party to test my iPod and prove the Geek Squad technician wrong. Whaaaaat?!? I now have to pay someone else when I already paid for a service plan that should be addressing this issue? What kind of customer service is that?
I’m now stuck with an ipod that wasn’t fixed by Geek Squad, and Tony the Geek Squad supervisor is telling me that my only option is to pay for someone else other then Geek Squad to have it fixed. What’s the purpose of paying for a service plan if they refuse to properly service my product? I thought they work with their customers to “remedy your problem quickly and at no additional cost”..?
Geek Squad = FAIL.
Apple has a product service plan too called AppleCare. The difference? Apple cares. If they can’t fix your iPod, you usually get a replacement, not a runaround.
We understand that since you already paid for a service you don’t want to buy a different one. Since Tony the Geek Squad Supervisor won’t help, go over his head and try asking Best Buy’s executive team for help.
(Photo: Ian Muttoo)
It was my understanding that with the Best Buy Product Service Plan, you could simply request replacement via their website. They send you a box, you send it back, they give you a Best Buy gift card for the amount of the original purchase. This is how it worked with my Nintendo DS Lite (and it only had a single dead pixel on the top screen).
I stopped at “memorized by the electronic goodness.”
@dvdchris It’s safe to read the rest of it, I promise.
i wouldn’t dote on apple customer service. tonoght i was at apple again and was not for the first time at their “this is what we are going to do to you attitude.” i brought in a pair of busted headphones i bought three weeks ago. the remote on them wouldn’t work. first i was told i couldn’t return them without an appointment. then they graciously let me have a walk in appointment. it took 45 minutes to get an exchange on a defective product. in what world is that customer service. your talking about a 5 minute exchange.
Take it to Apple.
I bought my original iPod at Best Buy several, several years ago (no color screen
)…
Apple has fixed it out of warranty, and even replaced it for me several times. Sometimes it took some waiting, but it usually wasn’t much of a hassle.
I’ve heard of some issues with Apple, but I’ve only had good experiences, overall.
The reason you are only hearing sound out of one speaker, is because the pins inside the iPod’s data port are damaged. The iPod outputs each channel through separate pins, so the pins will be damaged for whichever side(left or right) is missing the sound.
Your problems should be fixed by simply replacing the iPod’s data port with a new one, although that requires advanced soldering skills and possibly special equipment from Apple’s service centers. Any technician with common sense would be able to diagnose this problem; it is unfortunate that your claim was handled by complete fucking morons.
The unit may have been broken, the tech may have been an idiot and secretly Best Buy most likely conducts human sacrifice in their basement and harbors weapons of mass destruction. This I do not disagree with.
That being said every end user thinks that they can diagnose their own problems. If you are not a professional technician and the person you are dealing with does not tell you how to do your job, don’t tell him how to do his. If you do not work as a tech as your normal 40 hour a week job I am sorry but you simply could not possess the skills to diagnose problems. No matter what your buddies at work or your neighbor tells you. Just because someone is more ignorant than you does not make you an expert.
However if you are a technician and Best Buy is not doing their job, make sure that you tell them so. And try to make them cry.
@Nathaniel Runge: I agree with this with every cell in my body.
I will also add that every end user thinks that every problem can/should be explained to them in detail, even if they do not have the expertise to understand. And you don’t have the time to go through “A History of Computing and what hundreds of things can go wrong with any one part” with them.
Best Buy’s customer relations suck, so calling them will not help. They once shipped an item I paid for 1 day service, which came days later and refused to refund my shipping. Since then I do NOT buy anything from Best Buy. I once forgot my boycott of the store ad purchased some printer ink, but that’s because I was in a hurry. Best Buy sucks, hence they hire Geek Squad which possibly sucks like Best Buy’s customer service!
Best Buy’s customer relations suck, so calling them will not help. They once shipped an item I paid for 1 day service, which came days later and refused to refund my shipping. Since then I do NOT buy anything from Best Buy. I once forgot my boycott of the store ad purchased some printer ink, but that’s because I was in a hurry. Best Buy sucks, hence they hire Geek Squad which possibly sucks like Best Buy’s customer service!
I can’t beleive no one has mentioned this, but THATS WORKING AS INTENDED.
When docked with a PC via the dock or USB cord it will not play music, it says connected.
@Morberis: You might want to read that again.
“Apple has a product service plan too called AppleCare. The difference? Apple cares. If they can’t fix your iPod, you usually get a replacement, not a runaround.”
I hate to be mean but the ipod has the same price everywhere (except Wal-Mart where it is a few cents cheaper). The only reason I could ever see buying it from Best Buy is that no Apple Store was around. My advice is to take it to the Genius Bar in your local Apple store and have the Genius there prove the Best Bey techs wrong. Won’t cost you anything.
There is no tech support in the world that is actually good. That is why I just learn how to do things myself and would never pay a dime for any service plan or warranty.
I lost all respect for Apple’s “geniuses” when one of them told me that it was literally impossible to put Leopard on any hardware that wasn’t made by Apple….about that…
@Gregory P Gorbos Jr:
haaaahhaaahaaa
good call my man, good call.
Wow…I see a market for ACTUAL repair engineers. Start a business selecting the cream of the crop for technicians. Pay them triple and charge triple to the customer for the warranty.
THEN everyone can stop bitching because they are getting what they paid for. Those cheap warranties people buy are just that: cheap guarantees that you will get decent service. You get what you pay for.
@egoods: “The Genius Bar is home to our resident Geniuses. Trained at Apple headquarters, they have extensive knowledge of Apple products and can answer all your technical questions.“
That’s from Apple’s website ( [www.apple.com] )
Geek Squad employees are idiots. A simple Google search for “Geek Squad” related articles and posts should make that instantly and abundantly clear.
Few of them have any real technical skills at all — their job is simply to “up-sell” you a more expensive item, not fix the defective item that you already own.
I would never trust Geek Squad to try to fix anything. It’s just a total waste of time. They can only make matters worse, not better.
Your best bet is to truly “break” the device (easy enough to do without it being obvious that you did it) and then request a full refund or a replacement. That’s a MUCH faster solution than suffering the long, frustrating (and ultimately fruitless) route that you’ve had to endure with the Geek Squad morons.
You also wasted your money by buying one of Best Buy’s “service plans”. The fine print that’s buried in them invariably makes them totally worthless. Better to just rely on the manufacturers warranty, and go directly to them with your problem.
Best Buy wins no awards here for service. I had a turntable that would not work. Turns out all it needed was a new rubber band to turn the thing. They had no idea what was wrong and suggested that I go to a local car dealership to ask about it. A turntable in a car? Not likely!!
We had a similar problem with Best Buy in Cleveland (Parma), Ohio with defective Sony Laptops. The service manager refused to take the laptop back within their 14 day return policy so I left the laptop with them and took a picture of this enraged manager attempting to throw the laptop and box at me. We finally followed Sheryl Harris’ advice (Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter): ‘Best Buy has some sort of agreement with the Ohio attorney general’s office, which sued it over customer service and other issues. You may want to file a complaint with the Ohio AG — http://www.ag4ohio.gov — because usually when companies have these types of agreements they take care of things brought to their attention by the AG very quickly. It just may save you added hassle.’
Is it possible the author of this letter has out very important information? I am guessing 90% of the people who send these letters in leave out HUGE facts that may change the whole outlook on the situation. Anytime I read these anecdotal stories, I take it with a gain of salt because I know people are bending perception in their favor to make people feel sorry for them and to make people get angry at the company that they are dealing with. I would say that this person has left out probably 2 to 3 facts from the store that would probably make everyone on here say “Well that makes sense then.” Just because he didn’t get his way he has to make somebody else look bad. See it all the time.
Is it just me, or does it seem like this entire story would not have been an issue (or would’ve been a lot less of one) if the Geek Squad ‘agent’ had properly logged what he had done to try to figure the issue out? Instead of “Could not duplicate the problem”, how about “Hard reset iPod, formatted/reinstalled iPod hard drive, tested with headphones, headphones sounded OK on both channels”.
This is exactly why I as an IT Analyst log my tickets with detail, so instead of “Could not resolve issue” they get a list or general understanding of what I did, to help both the user and other analysts.
I used to work for Geek Squad’s outsourced mission control center in Canada. I was one of the only certified technicians in the center. I was under constantly being told not to help the customer so much and push selling them products and services. A large percentage of Geek Squad agents are not Comptia A+ certified. I would ask any agent to see their A+ wallet card before allowing them to lay one finger on a pc if I where a customer. Geek Squad and Best Buy care more about dollars then their customers from my 3 year experience with them. Their corporate management also totally sabotaged the Geek Squad Island Secondlife project by gross negligence to work with and listen to the project staff members of which I was one. In conclusion the best way to get a computer problem resolved is to either figure out yourself or take it to a technician who can prove their certification to do the job and not some silly badge.