While my story hasn't cost me thousands of dollars, it's brought me a lot of disappointment with the company I used to work for. For two years and three months, I was employee [redacted] at Store [redacted]. I sold computers, service plans, accessories, Geek Squad services and everything else they wanted me to like a good employee. I often defended the company online from people who had complaints and offered advice on what to do, based on my "inside" knowledge, to get these issues handled. So imagine my disappointment in the Geek Squad upon having to use a Performance Service Plan (PSP) on a Samsung monitor I had purchased.

On the morning of August 20th, I discovered my Samsung 204T was not responding to anything I was doing. After determining it was not the computer, based on a second monitor I have, I decided to make use of the PSP I had purchased for the monitor nearly three years prior when I was still working for Best Buy. I brought it to a different store than the one I worked at, and after having a small chat with the Geek Squad employee about it, he determined it would need to be shipped off to the repair facility. That's fine, I was expecting that. I asked him point blank "What are the turn around times like these days?"

"7-10 days" was the response. I commented "Oh, back when I used to work here it was closer to 2-3 weeks. Good to see it's gotten faster."

I figure that this is great, I'm going on vacation anyways and when I get back, the monitor should either be repaired or ready to be exchanged. Geek Squad even sends a tracking number to track the repair status of the monitor.

But nothing changes. Until August 29th, when it says it's arrived at the repair facility. Again, as a former employee I know that the service centers are USA based. Nine day shipping on the continental United States? What? I decide not to question it at the time. Status updates later in the day saying Parts Have Been Ordered. I'm a little disappointed that they're going to fix it instead of giving me a new one, but whatever. On September 4th, the status updates are saying that it's being repaired currently. No update until September 10th, at which point it is changed to "Exchange Assessment." "Product is in the process of approval or has been approved for an exchange. Please contact the Geek Squad Precinct within your Best Buy store for additional information." Great, I can get it exchanged finally!

So I head to the store with the paperwork from the Geek Squad page. Hey, it's the same guy that told me 7-10 days. But I let that slide at first when I show him the paperwork. He looks into the system and can't find any information on exchanging the monitor. He calls over a customer service representative, Rebecca, and the two of them look over the information on my repair. I hear some mumblings about the monitor being "junk out", and knowing what that is, I'm annoyed they're even looking at that since it has nothing to do with the exchange or repair. They also mention to each other about the parts for the monitor not even being available to order. Which makes me wonder where did 4 days of ordering parts and 6 days of repair go to when the parts didn't even exist? But I bite my tongue, hoping they'll just exchange it. At this point, they both inform me that the exchange has not been approved yet. I'm pissed now, and for the most part I keep my cool. The exchange I have with the Geek Squad employee goes like this.

Me: "When I first brought this in, you told me 7 to 10 days."
Him: "Business days"
Me: "That was like three weeks ago!"
Him: "Well there's nothing I can do about the service center being backed up."
Me: "You know, I used to work here. Why would you lie to me about the turn around time? That's bullshit."
Him: "All I can tell you is that this is the second to last step and the turn around for this should be pretty fast."
Me: "Whatever, I'll be back."

At that point, I leave. That was September 10th. At the time of this e-mail, it's September 15th and the system still has not updated.

I'm so disappointed in the service I've received on this monitor. It makes me feel bad that I sold these services for over two years, only to see this is how they were treating customers. One of the core things we were taught was to "Under promise, over deliver." Meaning that if a customer asks how long something is going to take, always go with the high end, and if takes less, great! Happy customer that we did something faster than we stated. If it takes the time we quoted, still happy that we did it on time. To see this core idea violated to this degree, it really cheapens what I did for them.

We recommend sending an EECB (Executive Email Carpet Bomb) to your former bosses. Just because you used to work there doesn't mean that you're not a customer, too. For more information about launching an EECB, click here. Maybe hearing from one of their own will be a wake-up call.

If not, if you used a credit card to pay for the monitor and warranty, you can always contact your credit card company and see if they'll help you get what you paid for.

(Photo: dooleymtv )

7 reasons to review term life coverage [Bankrate] "There are several life events that may modify your need for term life insurance coverage."

Seven Tips for the Newly Unemployed [Wise Bread] "Here are some tips that could be helpful for those [facing unemployment]."

Four Habits of Financially Peaceful People [Yahoo Finance] "Some people who have found financial peace — and the habits they share."

4 Ways to Save on College Textbooks [Smart Money] "Here are some other ways students can save [on textbooks]."

— FREE MONEY FINANCE
(Photo: balotto)

The All-New CompUSA will do everything they can to assure customer satisfaction, including working with Assurant to ensure satisfacton or handle it ourselves.

It is very important to the All-New CompUSA that every customer know that things are much different. In addition to the wider selection and lower prices, there is a higher level of customer service.

There are many people who think they have lost their investment in protecting their products - and it is simply untrue. Most people don't know there is a number to call, and that number is 1-877-520-8324.

The All-New CompUSA would like to help ANYONE having issues with service and we hope they will contact our customer service department at 1-800-COMPUSA if they cannot have their issue resolved directly by Assurant.

So all of you who left stories of bad TAP follow-through in the comments earlier today, give the new CompUSA a call and see if they can help you out—and let us know how it turns out.

I feel really stuck after being on the phone with Assurant Solutions. I have a Toshiba laptop which I bought for $2,000 from CompUSA 2 years ago. Also, I bought the TAP extra service for 3 years of additional service. About a year ago, my ac adapter stopped sending power to my laptop, and I had it replaced with a cheaper brand through TAP, no problem.

Now about 2 weeks ago, I noticed my wires were fraying and I wasn't getting power to my laptop. And more recently, when I went on vacation, the wires became completely detached, no more power. But I wasn't too concerned, I still have a year of coverage.

So I look up the number for support and I call and talk to a Christopher who is quite helpful. He notifies me that CompUSA has been bought out, and his company (www.assurantsolutions.com) has taken over the extended warranties. He also tells me, under the new warranty with his company, I am entitled to 1 battery replacement, 1 screen replacement, and 1 ac adapter replacement. Great! So I tell him I need my adapter replaced, and tell him my wire has become disconnected.

He then tells me that he is unable to help me any further since the damage isn't accidental.

Tom tried to reason with Christopher, but got nowhere. He tried to escalate the call to a manager and was told one would call him back—but nobody did. Tom called back and argued with another CSR who refused to provide a manager, and who eventually just ended the call:

"I tell him if he is unable to help me, get me someone who is, but instead, he talks over me and says "thank you for calling" and hangs up on me."

Now, I feel helpless and stuck with no where to go. Mario was nice enough to give me their homepage, but after quickly searching, I can't find any email addresses or phone numbers, except for the number I originally called. What can I do next? Who can I call/email? I feel royally ripped off, paying $500 for a warranty program that doesn't do anything.

Has anyone had success with getting Assurant to honor their TAP agreement? These similar complaints on ConsumerAffairs.com make it seem unlikely, with Assurant claiming warranties aren't on file or that the terms of the warranty have changed and they'll no longer make the requested repairs.

Tom, you may want to try contacting the executive offices at Assurant Solutions to ask for more details, such as a written copy of exactly what your TAP covers under Assurant.

(Photo: dump by oddsock, sign by walkingsf)

Raelyn Campbell's $54 million pro se lawsuit against Best Buy over her lost laptop was dismissed on a procedural issue, thus showing the difficultly of suing a big company for a lot of money without a real lawyer. The trouble all started when she sent a laptop in for repairs to Best Buy, who lost it gave her the runaround for months, and then tried to buy her off with a $900 gift card. They later upped their offer to $1,100, but Raelyn decided to make 'em pay for all the lost photos and tax returns and the potential privacy invasion, and, to get big headlines, went for $54 million. She got some decent press, including a Today show appearance, but no money. In fact, she also had to pay the other side's legal fees, all two hours worth. I think she got what she was looking for, though: the satisfaction of getting Best Buy's name in the national spotlight for their tendency to let customers' laptops get lost and not really care about it. You can read the docket here.

$54 Million Lawsuit Against Best Buy? Poof, Gone [NAM] (Thanks to Wade!)
PREVIOUSLY: Woman Sues Best Buy For $54 Million Over Lost Laptop

1. MPA's (Master Protection Agreements) for HDTV's, Cameras and some Gaming Consoles

These are the biggest lie in the world! Never EVER believe what the associates tell you. The agreements cover nothing. When I started we were trained telling customers that the Master Protection Agreements would cover anything on the TV, including a single dead pixel on both LCD and Plasma TV's. However since January, the warranty has stopped covering this, and numerous people have been returning TV's for this very reason. If you read the fine print, all the Master Protection Agreement is an extension of the Manufacturer's warranty. So for most companies, this covers only the defects that come from the factory and not "normal usage". Also on TV's, the Preventive Maintance Check is a joke. A tech will come to your house, but all they will do is turn on the TV and say it works. As for your cameras, its the same as the TV's and if the techs even remotely think your camera was dropped, they will reject it and that would be end of your call. DO NOT BUY THESE they are useless, no matter what the salesman says.

2. Sears Credit Application

Never sign up for a new sears card. Associates are told to push credit no matter what. Even if there is a "0%" or a rebate its not worth it. If you forget about the 0%, most of the sears cards have a 25.8% Interest rate that will catch up with you. It is more than not worth it. Also, there is a high chance that unless you have stellar credit, you won't get approved due to the Citi Bank issued cards now. Also, if you forget your Sears card and the associate says you're not in the system MAKE SURE THEY SHOW YOU THE REGISTER SCREEN. Some stores have been so desperate to get credit that customers that have accounts and forgot their cards will look you up, your information will be there, but they will say its not and then make you apply for a new one. This is by far the worst aspect of sears and make sure that you read the whole fine print BEFORE you sign that dotted line.

3. Sears.com Returns

As an associate, I will say never buy anything off Sears.com. 99% of the time the .com orders will not include the proper documentation for a return. This then requires you to either find your email confirmation, or calling up Sears.com to get the information. Then if your lucky you'll be able to do a return, but not first without proving who you are by State ID's and also managers approval for the return. This whole process can take over an hour and I have had some that have lasted as long as 3. Also, the Consumerist is right when they say that orders get all screwed up, this happens so often, it makes Sears look like it's online store is run by idiots.

4. Accessories

I will tell you that the HDMI cable you buy from Sears is overpriced and if you have a computer you should buy it online. Associates are trained to push accessories more than anything else. That cable will cost you almost 75% less from an online retailer than buying it in-store. Be educated about the product you're buying, because associates are trained to push products that you don't even need. Keep this all in mind before you buy the accessories. I will say though, some of sales that you may find with Memory cards can be less than online retailers, but always do your homework before buying.

5. Price Matching

This is the biggest misconception of all time. No where does a Sears ad say this, but for Sears to price match another store they MUST have the PRODUCT IN STOCK. and when I say in stock I mean in the store ready for you to buy. The associate has to call and find out if in fact it is there and if it isn't, your out of luck. Also, Sears won't take care of past products that were bought if in the 30 days the product goes lower two times, you only get one shot — not mentioned anywhere. So you can only price match one time for your product. And if your product goes to a discontinued or clearance, you can't match it if you bought it at that price. Finally if something is a "Great Price" you can't price match that either..... This leads me to my next point...

6. Price Codes

There are various codes that sears uses that even the consumer can figure out and see if an Associate is snowballing them or is giving them a good deal. Here is the chart. These are all based upon the cents in the dollar.

.88 - Discontinued. This means that Sears will no longer be carrying that model and 99.9% of the time you can't get a new one.
.97 - Clearance. This means that it has gone beyond Discontinued and is on the fast track to being thrown out. Note that this is for Electronics. The other parts of the store use .97 instead of .88 (Exception is Appliances and Tools)
.93 - Clearance - Same as .97, except these products could be much older.
.99 - Normal Price/Sale
.00 - Great Price - Items bought at this price code can't be price matched

7. Do your homework, very rarely trust the associate

Associates that work in Electronics are given an "Advanced Commission" sheet that gives them extra money for selling a certain product. Understand that they will always first show you all the TV's or cameras that are on this list first before anything else. Know what you WANT and don't listen to them when it comes to your electroics. However, most associates can tell you about the differences in TV's and Cameras if you are confused, but trust consumer reports, cnet, Gizmodo etc before a sales associate.

From the document:

Myth Of Extended Warranty

Best Buy's PSP/PRPs are not extended warranties. Some customers don't purchase extended warranties because of the bad press that they sometimes receive. Extended warranties extend the limited manufacturer's warranty and do not cover things like normal wear and tear, no lemon based on different repairs, or power surges. Our PSP/PRP's offer benefits above and beyond the manufacturer's warranty. It's very important that you never disparage the manufacturer's warranty in any way.

From Consumer Reports (emphasis ours):

Retailers are pushing hard to get you to buy extended warranties, or service plans, because they're cash cows. Stores keep 50 percent or more of what they charge for warranties. That's much more than they can make selling actual products.

For the consumer, extended warranties are notoriously bad deals because:

* Some repairs are covered by the standard manufacturer warranty that comes with the product.

* Products seldom break within the extended-warranty window—after the standard warranty has expired but within the typical two to three years of purchase—our data show.

* When electronics and appliances do break, the repairs, on average, cost about the same as an extended warranty.

We have long advised against extended warranties. In fact, we feel so strongly that consumers are being misled about them that last year we took out a full-page ad in USA Today (see below) to warn shoppers.

Here's a chart that shows the average failure rate of 3-4 year old electronic items. You can use this chart to judge for yourself what level of risk you're comfortable with when it comes to extended warranties.

Why you don't need an extended warranty [Consumer Reports]

Click the pages below to see the document in full.

Monday I bought 1.75 grams of thermal adhesive at Microcenter for $2.99. At checkout I was asked if I wanted to buy a replacement service plan. I was dumbfounded.

The clerk says, "the computer says I should ask you in you want to buy a replacement service plan."

And I thought Best Buy was bad.

In Michigan at least, it is illegal for a rep to base a price reduction on the purchase of an extended warranty. A few years ago, I was buying a returned Tivo from Best Buy, and the SA tried to tell me he'd give me a better price if I bought the plan. I stopped him right there, told him I knew that this was illegal and that he knew it too. Suddenly the lower prices was no longer conditional on the purchase of the extended service plan.

Here's the relevant Michigan statute:

MICHIGAN CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT
Act 331 of 1976, Section 445.903

Sec. 3. (1) Unfair, unconscionable, or deceptive methods, acts, or practices in the conduct of trade or commerce are unlawful and are defined as follows:
...
(w) Representing that a consumer will receive a rebate, discount, or other benefit as an inducement for entering into a transaction, if the benefit is contingent on an event to occur subsequent to the consummation of the transaction.

A Lost Laptop, A $54 Million Lawsuit [Red Tape Chronicles]

Aside from shady sales people, well, talk about your stupid warranties. We clicked on over to Wickes' website and read all about their little policy.

Wickes Furniture warrants to the original purchaser that the furniture you purchase from us will be free from factory defects in construction and workmanship for three years from the date of delivery. This warranty does not apply to, and Wickes Furniture will not be responsible for: 1) wearability or color fastness of fabrics or covers unless separately warranted by the manufacturer; 2) damages resulting from negligence, pets, misuse, fire, accidents such as glass breakage due to overloading, the elements, acts of nature; 3) wear and tear under normal usage, such as cushion cores; 4) furniture used in commercial settings or rental basis; 5) any repairs not specifically performed or approved by our service department or authorized dealer; or 6) merchandise sold as is or clearance.

Um. So basically, they're saying you should give them an extra $90 to guarantee that the furniture is not so shitty it won't even last 3 years under ideal conditions. As Dustin so astutely pointed out in all caps at the end of his email, "AND WHO THE HELL BUYS 3 YEARS OF FURNITURE INSURANCE?" We don't know, Dustin. We just don't know.—MEGHANN MARCO

Read Dustin's email inside.

"We have long advised against extended warranties. In fact, we feel so strongly that consumers are being misled about them that we took out a full-page ad in USA Today on Nov. 14 to warn shoppers."

"For the consumer, extended warranties are notoriously bad deals because:

•Products seldom break within the extended-warranty window (typically around three years), our data show.
•When electronics and appliances do break, the repair often costs about the same as the cost of the warranty."

For retailers, however, extended warranties are a cash cow. A store that makes only 10 bucks on the TV you purchase can make $50 on the warranty.

Consumer Reports has only two exceptions to the "do not buy" rule:

1) Rear-projection microdisplay TVs, because they often break and are expensive to repair...
2) Apple computers, because they only have 90 days of tech support, after which it will cost you $49 dollars to give them a call.

So stand firm, consumers! No more extended warranties!— MEGHANN MARCO
Why you don't need an extended warranty [ConsumerReports]

Instead, he used the oldest black hat consumer trick and bought a new video ipod, put the old ipod in, and returned it.

Congrats, diphead, now your $100 extended warranty is worthless. But at least you saved on shipping.

In the time it took him to make this razor video, he could have reformatted the iPod and reinstalled the software. (Thanks to Phil!)