Michael coulda tried calling back again later and getting a different rep, or emailing Steve Jobs, or filing a dispute with the BBB or AG, or any number of different options. Instead, this seems to have been his most personally satisfying option.
repairs
IBM (Lenovo): Your Repair Costs 36% More If You're Still Under Warranty
By 6.8.07
We’re not going to pretend we understand why this would be the case, but reader Meredith writes in to report a slip of the tongue by one of IBM’s CSRs. Secrets were revealed: If your laptop is still under warranty, but the part you break isn’t covered, the repair costs 36% more. Read Meredith’s email inside.
Dollar/Thrifty's Unwritten Rule For Mechanics To "Find" Problems Covered By Warranty And Bill The Manufacturer
By 5.24.07
An unverified reader report has an interesting claim that should grab the attention of every auto-maker. Dudes, Dollar/Thrifty Group car rental is totally ripping you off.
Xbox360 Tells Customer "I Am Laughing At You" And Hangs Up
By 5.11.07
Is Xbox360 like the most fault-prone device in the history of video gaming or what? As if in a deliberate attempt to add injury to insult to injury, Microsoft provided only a 90-day warranty, AND staffed their call centers with a goodly numbers of jerks. To wit, this recent conversation Richard had when trying to get his Xbox360 fixed under warranty repair:
Customer Gets 30 Months Prison After Geek Squad Finds Child Porn On His Computer
By 5.7.07
Child porn is a most heinous exploitation and its publishers and consumers should be boiled in blood, then stabbed in the face, then fed to wolverines. The Geek Squad is helping feed those wolverines by reporting child porn they find on customer’s computers to the police, the St Louis Dispatch reports:
All The Computer Tech Needed To Do Was Reconnect A Power Cable. Cost? $59.99, $69.99, $119.99 and $275!
By 5.7.07
The results were varied and shocking:
Geek Squad Agrees To Look For Hidden Porn If You Bring In A Spouse's Computer
By 5.7.07
A Minneapolis news site decided to follow up on whether Geek Squad really harvests your porn from your computer when you take it in for repairs. Since Geek Squad started amidst the state’s frozen drifts, its denizens take a special interest in its doings.
Home Depot Apologizes After Yet Another TV Report About Their Crappy Contractors
By 5.4.07
NewsCenter 5’s Sean Kelly reported that six years ago, [Diane] Turk hired Home Depot to install her new windows, but after shelling out thousands of dollars, she claims the job was never done right. “I don’t think if you have a reputable contractor they would have left the window looking like this,” she said.
D.I.Y. Related Emergency Room Visits Increasing
By 5.3.07
The CDC clams that: “Each year, approximately 36,000 people are treated in hospital emergency departments for injuries using chain saws.” And then, of course, is the fact that although nail gun injuries are increasing rapidly— work-related nail gun injuries have stayed the same. What’s going on here?
Top Geek Squad Stories To Date
By 5.3.07
“Geek Squad agents scour your computer for those porn pics you and your girlfriend(s) took, and load it onto their thumb drives. Even the ones you thought you deleted.”
The 10 Page Geek Squad Confession – "Stealing Customers' Nudie Pics Was An Easter Egg Hunt"
By 5.2.07
This is the ultimate Geek Squad insider confession. It’s 10 pages long.
Stuck In Dell Hell? Try The Unresolved Issue Form
By 4.27.07
Chris said he was able to finally get his faulty Dell computer returned by filing out a report at their unresolved issue link. This was after a week of going through crappy Dell “trouble shooting” which treated him like a child and made him repeat steps over and over again. He writes, “I’m an advanced technician at my office, I manage over 50 computers and 8 servers, so when I tell Dell their box isn’t working, I mean it.”
Ben On WYPR Talking About Computer Repair Options
By 4.24.07
We were once again on NPR affiliate stations WYPR and WYPF for Mario’s Digital Cafe, discussing computer repair options. Some people are going to take us to task for recommending Zone Alarm, but it is a pretty good option, when the virus scanner is turned on, especially for a beginning to intermediate user.
40% Geek Squad Downsizing Memo? Not That I Know Of, Says Founder
By 4.18.07
When reached for comment, Geek Squad founder Robert Stephens said he knew nothing about 40% tech staff reduction / have-more-repairs-done-remotely-by-techs-in-India memo as described by our tipster. In fact, he said he’d like to see it if we did ever end up getting it. Anyhow, as far as staff reductions go Stephens said, “There has been restructuring since we launched within Best Buy and the most recent was back in Jan/Feb but that’s old news – and quite public.”
Nokia "Repairing" Man's Phone For Over 3 Months
By 4.16.07
Bob sent in his Nokia for repairs. He expected it back in 10 days. It’s been 3 months.
Geek Squad Sued For Videoing Customer In Shower
By 4.12.07
Hao Kuo Chi was paying a house call when Sarah Vasquez says he set his camera phone up in the bathroom, left it running, and recorded her bathing.
We're Always Looking For Porn On Customer's Computers, Techies Confirm
Looking through comments both here and on Digg, it seems that finding and saving customer’s porn from their laptops is one of the perks of the job, and it’s hardly limited to the Geek Squad.