My Laptop Hinge Broke, So Geek Squad Replaced My Hard = Drive - The Channel Wire - IT Channel News And Views by CRN and = VARBusiness

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The Channel Wire

July 29, 2009

My=20 Laptop Hinge Broke, So Geek Squad Replaced My Hard Drive

The following is a cautionary tale about what can = happen to=20 a PC and perhaps what should not be allowed to happen to a PC and = why the=20 value of a VAR has never been better illustrated.=20

Earlier this year, my wife surprised me with a new Dell laptop for my = birthday. The PC was purchased from Best Buy with a three-year "Black = Tie=20 Protection" warranty and for nearly six months, the machine worked = great. But=20 about a month ago, the hinge on the right side came loose, which caused = the=20 screen to wobble. So I brought my PC into my local Geek Squad desk in = Patchogue,=20 N.Y.=20

After a brief inspection by a technician, I was told they'd have to = ship it=20 out for repair and it could take up to three weeks. I thought that was=20 excessive, but I knew it wasn't a simple component swap so I'd live with = it. I=20 said I'd like to take the hard=20 drive with me, but they insisted it wasn't necessary. "They're not = going to=20 touch it," I was explicitly told. I begrudgingly let it go, even though = I'd=20 previously read reports of Geek Squad agents copying content from = customers'=20 PCs.

Last week, I got an e-mail=20 that the laptop was ready for pickup. To be sure, I called the store to=20 double-check first. And that's where the real trouble began.=20

The Geek Squad agent in the store said they had also replaced my hard = drive=20 because it was "defective," even though it was only six months old and = had never=20 exhibited any problems. I was given no notice on this action or even the = option=20 of declining that repair. As you might surmise, I was not happy.=20

The agent told me that the form I signed states that Geek Squad's = repair=20 policy says they are not responsible for data loss and I was basically = out of=20 luck. Note that I was never orally told this and I did not receive a = printed=20 receipt of the service order until after they completed the = service order=20 request. The disclaimer states: "I agree to waive any data loss or media = loss=20 claims, whether or not I have requested Best Buy to back up my data, = against=20 Best Buy as under no circumstances shall they be liable for any loss, = alteration=20 or corruption of data, or loss of any media from my product."=20

However, reading further in the small print, Item 5 on the Service = Order=20 Disclaimer has a seemingly contradictory point that states: "I authorize = Best=20 Buy/Geek Squad to notify me for approval of all service that will exceed = the=20 minimum approved amount stated on the service order before my product is = repaired and to return the unrepaired product to the drop-off location = if I do=20 not approve such repair."=20

To me, that is a clear enough description that I should have been = notified=20 that they were going to replace my hard drive. The only possible = loophole I see=20 is if "minimum approved amount" means dollars and if the machine is = under=20 warranty (and it won't cost the customer any money), they can do = whatever they=20 want to the machine.=20

It was at this time that I started to wonder why Best Buy would opt = to spend=20 more resources to fix something extra under warranty if they weren't = going to=20 get paid for it. I came up with two possible reasons. First, it allows = them to=20 refurbish my original drive either to be resold or used as parts. = Perhaps=20 somebody's unfortunate "defective" drive is now my "new" drive, as I = don't know=20 whether Best Buy puts in a new or refurbished drive as a replacement. = Best Buy=20 executives could not be reached for immediate comment.=20

The second thought came to me after I received a cold call from = another Geek=20 Squad representative from Louisville, Ky. This agent told me that she = understood=20 that Geek Squad recently had to replace my hard drive and she asked if I = would=20 be interested in purchasing some of their data=20 recovery services in order to retrieve the data on my old hard = drive.=20

The proverbial light bulb burned bright. How easy would it be for = Best Buy to=20 boost its revenue through recovery services, more profitable than = hardware=20 anyway, by simply declaring hard=20 drives defective, especially at a time when PC sales are declining=20 industrywide?=20

Luckily for me, my wife and I had already complained enough (with my = wife=20 not-so-subtly informing the store manager that I was a reporter for a=20 high-profile, high-tech publishing firm that occasionally writes about = Best Buy)=20 so that Geek Squad's repair center found my drive and the Hauppauge = store was=20 going to cover the cost of data recovery, if the data could even be = saved (I'm=20 still waiting to hear about that).=20

I did a quick Google=20 search and found that I am hardly the only person who has had their=20 seemingly-working-fine hard drives replaced by Geek Squad without = approval.=20

Some examples:=20

On Best Buy's own community forum, one customer complained that his = PC went=20 in for an A/C jack repair and they replaced his defective hard drive = too. Writes "stlsinger" = on Best=20 Buy's forum, "There were no specifics as to why this had happened, i.e. = what=20 malfunction or problem had been detected that necessitated replacing = what had=20 appeared to be a fine-working hard drive."=20

The post continues to explain that since the machine was in warranty, = there=20 "really was no minimum approved amount," to be authorized by the = customer.=20

"Does this really mean that BB does not need to notify me of repairs = beyond=20 the one listed on the service order?? The fact that the laptop is under = a=20 warranty means you can wipe=20 my computer out for no reason without my approval, when I only sent it = off to=20 have a jack repaired? This is ridiculous," wrote stlsinger. "I have been = told by=20 the Geek Squad that they can get my data off my old hard drive but that = I will=20 have to pay a few hundred dollars for it. I don't think so. It was = removed=20 without my approval or notification. I would like my data recovered and = given=20 back to me at no charge. That isn't asking a lot." In what appears to be = a reply=20 by a Geek Squad technician or representative, "Agent Aaron, [a] Geek = Squad=20 Community Connector" wrote, "If any hardware failures are detected = beyond the=20 originally diagnosed problem, it is then Best Buy's responsibility to = address=20 those failures and ensure that defective parts are replaced under both = factory=20 warranty and service plan coverage. While our service centers may = attempt to=20 contact customers in these circumstances, they are not required to do = so."=20

At another Web site, complaintsboard.com , = a Best=20 Buy customer writes that Geek Squad replaced a hard drive after the = customer=20 brought a Mac Book Pro in to fix a keyboard problem.=20

"With an issue as important as destroying the hard drive, I THINK = THIS SHOULD=20 HAVE BEEN MADE CLEAR TO ME, VERBALLY! I lost very important data which = cannot be=20 retrieved," writes "Terrie." "I realize that I am equally responsible = for losing=20 my data because of my stupidity for not backing it up. But I also think = they=20 should have taken the time to contact me first."=20

At a third site, Ripoffreport.com, a Windsor, Va.-based customer = complained=20 about Best Buy replacing her hard drive without notice. "Jo" writes = about item=20 No. 10 on the agreement, "First it states that I waive any claim against = the=20 loss of any data and photographs. I asked the Geek Squad Agent to define = 'data'=20 and if it included programs. He stated 'NO' that it included documents = and=20 photographs. I told him that No. 10 therefore, does not apply to me. He = then=20 stated that at times 'data' does include programs. When asked how a = customer is=20 to know when it does and does not -- he had no answer.=20

"Furthermore, not one person at BB or Geek Squad could tell me what = was wrong=20 with my hard drive. They simply stated that every computer is put = through a 4=20 point diag. test and that their best guess was something came up that = said it=20 needed to be replaced. But that if I had not had the warranty/PSP then I = would=20 have received a phone call regarding what was wrong and to receive = authorization=20 to replace the hard drive."=20

A reply to the complaint by "flynrider" opines that people are too = lazy to=20 back up data that is supposedly valuable to them.=20

"Whenever you take any computer in for repairs, there is the = possibility that=20 the fix could involve a format=20 of the hard drive. Personally, I wouldn't let Geek Squad touch one of my = systems, but they're not the bad guys on this issue. People who never = back up=20 their data are the issue. External hard drives are cheap and easy to = use.=20 There's really no excuse for data loss these days."=20

But flynrider misses the point. Even if a customer had backed up his = data on=20 multiple external drives immediately prior to bringing it to Geek Squad, = the=20 customer still has to restore all the data on the new drive, or pay = someone to=20 do it. It's a process that takes time and money and, seemingly in some = cases, is=20 totally unnecessary. To me, the situation is akin to dropping off your = dog at a=20 veterinarian for a stomachache only to find out the dog died during a = brain=20 surgery they performed without approval because something showed up in a = test. I=20 have several questions I'd like to ask Best Buy regarding my PC, but I = have even=20 more questions about their no-contact, no-info policies regarding = replacing=20 people's hard drives. For example, what happens to these drives? Is Best = Buy=20 taking proper disposal procedures to ensure that customer data cannot be = found=20 or stolen? So far, I haven't received an answer.=20

I hope VARs will forward these anecdotes to their customers. Not only = does it=20 illustrate the need to back up your data, but more importantly it shows = how key=20 it is to have complete trust in your service provider. Many VARs have = long=20 established their roles as trusted IT advisers. In an economy where many = consumers and businesses are looking to cut a few corners, it's = especially=20 important that customers understand a strong partnership is worth more = than=20 saving a few bucks.=20

Now it's your turn. I want to hear your opinion. Have you or your = customers=20 had similar experiences regarding PC repairs? Do you find that customers = don't=20 put a lot of time or thought into examining their service contracts? Or = is Best=20 Buy within their rights to service warranted PCs any way they see fit? I = look=20 forward to your comments and will post a follow-up soon.

Posted by Scott Campbell at 11:16 AM

>>More from = "The Channel=20 Wire"

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