Geek Squad: Sorry We Accidentally Hosed Your Motherboard. Here's A Vastly Inferior Replacement
Geek Squad tried to repair a broken fan in Brian's Sony laptop, but somehow managed to instead break the laptop's motherboard, processor, and much of the internal cabling. Though Geek Squad replaced all the damaged parts, Brian soon realized that the laptop's new processor was slower and cheaper than the original model...
Geek Squad only fessed up to installing an inferior chip after Brian got Sony on the phone to confirm that they didn't use the replacement model in their laptops.
Brian writes:
A couple of months ago, I brought my laptop to my local Best Buy for repair. After being told it would be no more than two weeks before I had my laptop back, I left the store content. The only problem with the laptop when I turned it in to Geek Squad was a cooling fan that was starting to go bad.A month and half later, I finally got my laptop back. They had replaced the cooling fan, the motherboard, the processor, and most of the cabling. Apparently, I was told, they had inadvertently damaged the motherboard and processor during the repair of the cooling fan. That's a kind of silly mistake, but I can forgive them for it. However, they replaced my processor with a model that was inferior to the one the laptop had in it to begin with. The laptop had an Intel T7500 processor, they replaced it with a T7300. It took several days of arguing with them. I finally had to call Sony (they manufactured the laptop) and get them to confirm that the laptop had indeed had a T7500 processor in it.
Eventually Geek Squad agreed to fix the mistake. However, I can't help but wonder how often this type of "mistake" happens. By replacing my processor (which they damaged) with an inferior T7300 model, they saved about $100 on the repair. Your average consumer would never have caught this "mistake." I've been searching message boards to see if anyone else has had a similar problem and have thus far not found anything exactly like my situation. However, there is an overwhelming amount of negative comments regarding Geek Squad's service.
(Photo: dooleymtv)
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Comments:
Virtually nobody would notice or be affected by a slowdown of 200 MHz on a laptop. That said, if a company has to substitute, it's always gotta be "equal or greater value." To step down in specs is really a kick in the pants.
Difficult to use ebay as a reliable means of pricing components. Even NIB stuff there has a demand factor that will change the pricing some. Pricewatch shows the t7500 as $180 w/shipping, and a t7300 as $159 w/shipping.
At some level, that it only would cost bestbuy ~$25 to do the right thing and repair it back to spec makes this story more sad than if it really was $100 price difference between the two processors.
@SpruceStreetPhil - doggarn bike thieves: Of course! :)
Far too many people, though, do go by just the the model number, or the raw processing speed, in determining what's "better." If I have a quad-core at a lower clock speed, it's sure gonna beat the pants of a single core with more MHz.
Is anyone else but me actually surprised that they managed to fixed the computer?
@SpruceStreetPhil - doggarn bike thieves:
By further deductive reasoning, we can easily conclude that a T7500 - T7300 = T200, so they must have saved themselves $200.
@Radi0logy: Um, going on eBay and checking pricing is hardly a scientific test. The T7500 was, generally, a $100 upgrade over the T7300 when buying the computer. There are multiple posts on multiple forums resulting from a Goolge search asking "Is the T7500 worth the $100 upgrade over the T7300?"
@SpruceStreetPhil - doggarn bike thieves: Actually, that is how Intel rates the performance of its processor lines. The T7200 < T7400 < T7600 for instance. Just because he found the T7500 selling for less than the T7300 doesn't mean it is in any way inferior. You can find better products for cheaper prices all the time...
@supercereal: That's not true at all. It all rests on whether to programs you're running are multithreaded to take advantage of the multiple cores in your processor. I have a Q6600 quad-core which about matches the performance of my T7600 dual-core in a lot of things, because the program is only single-threaded (meaning it's only using a single core).
As of a year ago, many people would get better performance gaming with a dual-core processor because the games weren't optimized for quad-core.
Sources: I'm a software engineer.
@KStrike155: Im surprised more people don't google geek squad sucks before they take 3 times as long to fix it and break more then they were fixing in the process. Then they write all kinds of letters just to find out doing their homework would save them not only a lot of time but a lot of money.
@Mooshie: @Mooshie: Me too. Im still wondering how long it takes before geek squad runs out of business. A month and a half to replace a fan, then breaking most of the internals? Amazing what type of jobs one can get because they dropped out of high school and used AOL back in the day, fancy themselves computer geniuses now. My advice to the employees is to get real jobs and stop being vultures.
I've had several friends who had their computers "fixed" by reducing the RAM...thanks, Geek Squad.
@Radi0logy: Rule #7,695 of the internet: Never buy electronics off of ebay, too many scams and "I swear it was in one piece when I mailed it to you, you'll have to take it up with the post office.."
"However, there is an overwhelming amount of negative comments regarding Geek Squad's service."
We read about how GeekSquad sucks on daily basis on this site. Why is it that people still use their services? They're horribly overpriced, have horrible customer service, and they do a vastly inferior job. It's almost to the point that I have no sympathy for people who get screwed using their service as everyone (even my mom) knows they suck. We should make a point not to use GeekSquad when we need a computer repair and one of two things will happen: 1) They go out of business or 2) They actually get their act together and do good work for a good price.
@KStrike155: Please note that I never claimed that NEVER in the HISTORY of the world was there not more of a price discrepancy between the 7500 and 7300. The article was written in such a way that implied that Geek Squad was sneakily saving almost $100 on the repair by using inferior parts. And while the parts might in fact be inferior, they were clearly not saving that much money on it. Maybe they did it cause they are dumb, maybe because they figured the customer would be dumb, or maybe they just didn't have the right part in stock. But they weren't saving big$$$money.
This was the last I saw of Geek Squad's work when teaching my computer hardware essentials course:
After I used her machine as an example of what computer work should NOT look like I believe she went and got her money back.
(BTW the machine was shot because the zip strip holding the power supply decided to rest upon the processor fan, thus ruining the fan, the CPU, and the motherboard. A perfect trifecta, Geek Squad!)
@Mooshie: *fixed after first breaking it even worse.
That sentence makes much more sense now! hahaha.
@supercereal: Only if the app your using is written for 4 cores. There have been plenty of tests that show that the core speed still matters and things that only use a single core will run faster on a higher speed single core processor than on your slower speed multi-core processor. Most things these days barely use 2 cores, let alone 4.
@HardRoc: And pretending I'm a moron and don't know all that...the stories about their techs videotaping people in their showers and whatnot are all over the news! Seriously! What happened to some good, old-fashioned sensationalism???
@supercereal: So if you were in the same boat you wouldn't care? People like you are what help these companies think they can do wrong and get away with it.
@supercereal: Thats only true if the programs you are running support using more cores and current most programs still do not so you would be better off with 1 faster core in that case.
@supercereal: I would notice. I encode alot of video. Hell anyone who burns alot of dvd's would notice when it starts taking longer cause the cpu cant keep the buffers full.
@citking: Holy @#%$! They used a zip tie to hold a power supply in place? They don't have any screws? Amazing!
I would be interested to find out if this was done as an in-store repair or one sent out to Sony. I believe Best Buy's own policies dictate that this level of repair on a laptop should not be performed in the store, and must be sent to a service center. How much did the reader in the initial store pay for the repair?
@slickdealer: Don't doubt the T200. Skynet worked awfully hard on that model. Very efficient in killing.
@rickatnight11: That doesn't surprise me. I know of a few computers that have Mobo's rated for xGB of RAM, but the system specs recommend a max LESS than that. I've also had bad sticks/slots that require you to remove memory to get the computer working.
@HardRoc: Because "WE" read about it doesn't mean the vast majority of the public does. And one of their friends will have geek squad save their "WHOLE COMPUTER" after a relativly easy fix, and they go based on that.
My friend purchased an eMachine desktop + extended warranty from Best Buy several years ago. The eMachine is equipped with an AMD XP 3200+ (2.2GHz) processor.
The original motherboard died, so he brought it to Best Buy to have them service it. When it was returned to him, he didn't notice anything wrong with the system since it runs.
But when he started playing games, the games would perform poorly. I inspected the CPU/motherboard and discovered that the replacement motherboard Best Buy/Geek Squad used detected the processor as a 1.1GHz. It isn't a CPU jumper setting issue.
The BIOS needed to be updated for CPU compatibility.
My friend brought it back to Best Buy and they told him that the motherboard in the computer is not the one they used as a replacement.
I told him in advance to not buy ANYTHING from Best Buy, but he refused, saying that buying online from sources like NewEgg.com is not the same as going to a major brick-and-mortar store like Best Buy where you can go and test the computers in person.
@citking: I found a computer sitting on the side of the road that had the cpu fan twist tied onto the heat sink b/c the heat sink had a broken fin. still works, but this.....WOW!
@HardRoc: Um.. because not everyone reads this site? Because many people take the advice of friends and family? Because people who've had good experiences with Geek Squad recommend it? Because Best Buy advertises their computer repair services better than local companies that provide the same service? Because Best Buy is a well-known brand and first-timers trust it?
It reminds me of having a powerbook g3 fixed before there was an apple store. You had to send it to apple of course, but they refused to replace anything with anything that was the exact thing that was originally in the laptop. They used two different DVD drives at the time and one worked and the other was known for crapping out. I had them replace maybe 3 of them and then gave up on sending it (luckily after the first one they just had m send in the drive, since it popped out), bought an external drive and a second battery (this was when the powerbooks had two hots swappable peripheral slots and you could just replace the DVD drive with another drive or battery or this block of plastic that came with it).
Not entirely related, but I'm musing here.
@Radi0logy: Also depends on when this incident happened. The prices are lower now than they were ago, etc. Usually when I new chip is on the market it's typically $100+ difference between the models. I'm also curious if they skimped on the motherboard model, fan, and cabling. There are cheap alternatives of those as well. That all aside, if they broke something they should have replaced it exactly.
@BuyingPowerTools_GitEmSteveDave: I would also imagine that in those cases, you would return the RAM to the people who bought it, especially if it actually worked.
@Heresy_Fnord: ......
Did you lose the ability to read halfway through my comment? Maybe I was too subtle, but folks like WorldHarmony were able to understand the point.
@Radi0logy: this is a LAPTOP motherboard with a SOLDERED DOWN processor. you need to price the whole board, with the processor. this is not something you buy from newegg and slap into a socket
the real problem here is that $400 computers DONT GET REPAIRED. sad as it is, this is a disposable society. your cash is nearly always better spent on a new machine, then even spending $50 to get geek squad to look at it.
Geek Squad does have some good technicians, but you will never see any of them behind the counter at a Best Buy. They are out driving around in the Volkswagen Beetles, working from home and trying not to remember that they work for Best Buy.
I've met a few of those guys, since they are my competition, and I often see their work. They're not bad. Some of they are actually quite gifted. I personally feel that a local company like mine provides better overall service and value, but the Geek Squad onsite techs I've met are surprisingly talented. (I used to train, hire & fire Desktop Engineers for a Microsoft Gold Partner firm, so I'm a harsh judge of "talented").
The "technicians" who aren't good enough to drive around semi-unsupervised are the ones "fixing" broken PCs and "customizing" new computers inside your local Best Buy store. Most of them are morons, unqualified at best. They are former floor salespersons who sold enough high-profit-margin software & peripherals to computer shoppers to earn a spot behind the in-store "service" counter.
Bottom line: I can't say that Geek Squad is unequivocally bad, because I have seen stuff in the field that was done absolutely right by their on-site techs. I can say, however, that their in-store service truly SUCKS.
@Radi0logy: I think we also need to remember that there is a time delay on some Consumerist stories. Stories that are about current evens are always going to be given priority over stories that aren't time-sensitive, like this one. Just because there isn't a $100 price difference now doesn't mean there wasn't one when it actually happened.
Here's a novel idea: replace the damaged part with the same part. Brilliant! Glad I thought of it.
Never use Geek Squad, they do more damage than good.
I don't get how someone who knew enough about processors to know he had a different one couldn't just replace their own fan.
@TheDude06: You fail at basic computer repair.
@Matthew Berkhan: If its not important enough for the time frame to get a mention in the article then it should be assumed that it happened within the past month. I know that the article about the guy that bought a Sega Genesis light gun at Computer City, and then couldn't return it was the exception to the rule, but there you go!
@Radi0logy: Actually, TheDude06 is correct, so it may be you who have failed.
Sony solders most of thier processors, and even the memory and hard drives in thier laptops. I have several sitting on my workbench taht are completly soldered, no user replacable or upgradable parts.
@bigdave914: If he wanted to keep his warranty, he has to take it to an "Authorized Repair Shop". Especially with Sony.
Yes, Geek Squad sucks and they messed it up. But I do take issue with claiming that there is a difference of $100 between the T7500 and the T7300. A quick search of google products and ebay confirms that they are actually quite close in current new selling price. In one example I found the 7500 selling for LESS than the 7300.
Not saying its right, just get all the facts straight plz.