Best Buy Warranty???

I purchased a Microsoft Surface Pro March 9 2012. (Today is March 9 2014). The total cost was approx 900.00. I also purchased a 1 year warranty protection plan from Best Buy. At some point during the last year the Surface Pro would no longer accept a battery charge. In other words, the Surface Pro could not be charged and thus could not be operated unless it is plugged into an electrical power source. I took the Surface Pro to Best Buy on March 6th 2014 for warranty work. The following is an account of my experience with Best Buy.
March 6, 2014
"Hello, what can I do for you?" After a lengthy conversation I was informed that the Surface was under warranty. However, Best Buy would not repair it. But they would replace it.
"So if you wish, why don't you take the Surface Pro home with you and remove all of your personal data. Then bring it back to us and we will replace it. We have one Surface Pro in the store which is available."
March 9, 2014 Approximately 1M
I return to the store with the Surface Pro with the intent of exchanging it for the one in the store.
"Hello what can I do for you"?
"Well here is the Surface Pro. I have removed all of my personal data and would like to exchange it".
"Ah, yes, Now I remember your case. What is the problem with the Surface Pro?".
"Recall, you tested it and found it would not take a charge. You said to take it home and remove all of my personal data. You said that you had opened a "process" or "case" and recorded all of the details concerning the Surface Pro. You said that it would be a simple matter of an exchange".
"Oh yes, Now I remember. What is your name again?"
"Good, let me look it up." "Ah, yes. Here it is. Hmmm, the problem is we don't have one in the store and there are none in the warehouse. Someone has placed a hold on it."
"I see, can you check and see if other nearby Best Buy stores have a Surface Pro in stock"
"Yes, there is one in stock at our San Francisco store, and one in our San Rafael store."
"Good, can you ask them to send one to your store so I can exchange it?
"No, we don't do that".
"But let’s see, I think I can offer you a store credit for 599.00 and you can spend that on another tablet."
"Oh, Oh, I just checked your warranty again and it looks like you warranty has expired."
"But the warranty is for one year and it was purchase exactly one year ago today. And besides, you said you opened a process for my case and recorded all the details on the Surface Pro 3 days ago."
" I know, but the process I started 3 days ago hasn't been closed so it expired today"
"How can that be. 365 days will not have passed until midnight tonight. Therefore the warranty is valid"
"No, we don't actually go by days. We go by the hour!"
"I see, but you can see from my receipt that I purchased the Pro March 9 at 3M. And its only 1M at the moment. so even with an hourly deadline, the warranty is still valid"
"No it is not. The warranty hour is eastern time which at this moment is 4 PM. So the warranty has expired."
" Let me summarize the service you can or cannot provide.
1. You will not exchange my Pro for the one you have in the store because someone has a hold on it although I thought I had a hold on it 3 days ago.
2. You have 2 other Best Buy Stores nearby, that each have a Surface Pro in stock, but you will not have them delivered it to your store here.
3. My warranty is expired because it is based on Eastern Time, although I am here 2 hours before the warranty expires by local time.
4. And although I paid approximately 900.00 for the Pro 1 year ago, you could only offer me 599 of store credit if my warranty was valid"
And so, my visit to Best Buy ended. I picked up my broken Surface Pro and left feeling like I had just been given the royal shaft. So please beware if you are considering purchasing anything from Best Buy. Alternatively, I have had nothing but great service and satisfaction from Amazon -- highly recommended.

Hello eisaaks,
Having an exciting new device develop problems is always at least a little bit aggravating as I know from my own experience. I certainly regret it if any action on our part added to your frustration.
Mbrguy was quite right about our not reckoning the warranty's expiry by the hour, but by the day. In the case of your Surface, the product was covered by Microsoft for a period of one year from the date of purchase. As you acquired the Surface on March 9, 2013, the factory warranty in fact elapsed on March 8, 2014 at 11:59:59 p.m., the 8th being the 365th day.
At this point, the only option that I can think of is to contact Microsoft directly for any potential options for your Surface. They should certainly be able to offer you repairs so that your Surface will function as intended. However, with the warranty expired, those repairs will likely be at your expense.
I'm grateful that you took the time to share your experience with us.
Sincerely,
John|Social Media Specialist | Best Buy® Corporate
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Best Buy Extended Warranty isn't worth the paper it's written on

My daughter bought me an iPad 3, when it first came out, for Mother's Day. She was talked into buying the Best Buy Warranty instead of the Apple warranty. For the past 3 months I've been having nothing but trouble with my iPad so my daughter said I needed to hurry to Best Buy before the expensive extended warranty runs out.
I went to the Best Buy on 62nd and Broadway (NYC) and, after waiting and hitting the counter a couple of times, was able to speak to a tech. I use the title tech loosely here.
He first said that my problems were a result of the new software update, then it was too many apps, next it was "Hey, after two year the battery is going to be slow". So, essentially, it will lock up, freeze, shut itself off, need to be charged twice as much as it used to and be unresponsive to my finger tough (as well as my stylus). He himself saw the issue as he would have to swipe a number of times to clear the screens - so he ran the "Geek Squad Triage App". According to my app, the ipad is fine.
So now, after an hour of watching him just move screens and open apps, and putting my entire iPad back to factory default, I was told "Oh well, we can't do anything at all unless we see the issue happen in front of us." "You have to recreate the problem and then we will take it and send it away for repairs."
This was NOT what my daughter was told would happen - she was assured that if there were a problem, and they could not fix it there, they would take the iPad and replace it with a refurbished iPad - which APPLE would have done. They need to do some honest advertising - you will have to bring the iPad to us, we'll stare blankly at it for awhile, we'll reset it, we'll open and close apps and then send you home saying good luck.
I am beyond furious and intend to file complaints with the store, the Geek Squad Co., the BBB and, just to be certain that people are not taken advantage of again - as my daughter was - at every location I can find that asks which Warranty to choose, or allows me to review this warranty.
Shame on you Best Buy and Shame on you Geek Squad - you've taken advantage of a young person, not to mention a wounded veteran, to make a couple of dollars more off of her. She is absolutely heartsick that this happened - and I could not be more angry if I tried.
Up until now I've always went to Best Buy for all of my electronics, my TV, my Computer, my Laptops - but after this I cannot justify going there again.
Stay away from any Extended Warranties or Geek Squad members at Best Buy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dear Ftrainryder,
I’m sure if I had received such a nice gift, like an iPad with Geek Squad Protection (GSP), I would also be angered after being turned away when trying to receive service. Please pass my apologies onto your daughter if she feels that she was misled when purchasing the GSP for your iPad.
The information she was given about the protection plan is correct. This being said, the Geek Squad agent should have sent your iPad out for service if he was experiencing the same issues as you had described. I am so very sorry that you didn’t receive that option.
The agents are supposed to do what they can to replicate the problem our customers are experiencing with their products before sending anything out. It sounds as though he spent a healthy amount of time troubleshooting with you and testing your device. The Geek Squad app is a good tool that both employees and customers can use to test the widespread functions of our mobile devices. The issues that he spoke of can happen; however, they generally aren’t issues you will always experience after owning a device for an extended period of time.
I would like reach out to the store leadership at the Upper West Side (Store 1448) about your recent visit. As such, I’ll be sending you a private message to get some more details from your interaction with the agent. To check your private messages, click on the envelope in the upper right-hand corner while logged into the forums.
Respectfully,
JD|Social Media Specialist | Best Buy® Corporate
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Best Buy Geek Squad Warranty is terrible!!!

Not usually a social media poster, but when I searched this topic and found I was not alone, had to vent. As previously mentioned in other posts, it seems that there is a general trend for BB GS warranty service to have a major DISCONNECT between their phone operators/technicians/customer service people and the actual technicians that are sent out to do the repairs, and the subsequent repair of their TV's.
It has been 23 days since I first contacted GS and I have had two home visits from GS and will have 3 different sets of parts ordered by the time they return next weekend!
Some history- I too have bought most of my bigger electronics from BB mainly for lack of serious competition where I live (mainly only Sears). I have bought at least 5 TV's from 32"-55" from them in the last 5 years, and this is the second large TV that has gone out on me within 2.5 years! The first one was a Samsung 47" LED that was 6 mos post warranty and basically the amount that they were going to charge to repair was something crazy! Thus, thinking that it was just the brand, I did my research and settled on a Panasonic Plasma rather than pay for an expensive repair.
Fast forward to 23 days ago. TV fails to turn on, notice power button blinks 8 times. Google search the problem, call GS. This time I did buy the extended warranty, but the tv is still under the manufacturer warranty. Talk to a tech he says no problem, will order parts for you and set up a home repair for after the parts arrive. I get no tracking # from UPS only when it should arrive. Arrival day comes and no parts! Repair is scheduled for the next day! Call GS, (who by the way is NOT 24/7 for repairs, only for tech support) and they say that the parts are delayed so will reschedule the repair appt. Parts arrive 3 days later and next day tech comes and finds out we need different parts! He tells my wife, I'll be back a week from now. No tracking for parts, so figure maybe the tech will bring it with him. Day that the tech said he will be back (a week after his first visit, as per his statement), we get no phone call or visit from the tech. Call GS that night, but of course have to trick the answering system to talk to a LIVE person, a salesperson, that is, and they say I have to call back tomorrow. Talk to them the next day only to find out the parts will arrive the next day and the tech will visit Saturday(yesterday). Tech comes and finds out he needs ANOTHER part! WTH!!! Tells my son, who stayed home to answer the door, that we will be back next week! Call GS and talk to a tech who tells me about the 30 day window or that they will replace the TV. He tells me that he is pretty sure that after the next visit that the tv will work! He also goes on to tell me that if it was him, he would have known what parts to order the FIRST time! He goes on to tell me that there is nothing that he can do since he works from home and that if I have further issues it be best to call corporate HQ and complain! TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!!! In all fairness to the telephone support people, they have all been overly nice and apologetic, but "so sorry" only goes so far. Why can't my local BB GS get on the same page with the techs that troubleshoot over the phone? Best thing to do is never buy from you clowns again! Hope Sears doesn't shut down all their stores here!

Hello beyondpeeved-
I can certainly understand your frustration, no one likes to be without the service of a major electronic product like a TV, but it’s especially annoying when you are faced with delays as well due to parts, etc.
I absolutely apologize for all the delays that you have gone through up to this point and what appears to be a lack of communication on our part regarding the progress of that repair. I’d like to look further into this for you, but I could not find any customer information for you with the email address on your forum profile.
If you could send me a Private Message with your full name, phone number and email address that I might locate a customer profile under, I would appreciate it. If you could also include any work order numbers that you might, that would help as well. You can send me a Private Message by logging into the forum and clicking on the button across from my name on this post.
I look forward to hearing back from you,
Bill|Senior Social Media Specialist | Best Buy® Corporate
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Best Buy Geek Squad TV Warranty is Terriblw!

I'm in my third week of waiting and I still don't have my TV repaired! What a frustrating experience! I called Best Buy Geek Squad 17 days ago to report that my TV stopped working. I had purchased the repair warranty so I assumed I could get it fixed in a timely manner. Wrong. I had to call every single day the first week just to try and get a service date. Finally a repair service agreed to come out but cancelled without reason the same day. I talked to many Geek Squad personnel and was constantly transferred so many times to other people. Each time they expressed concern that my problem was not being handled but then promptly transferred me to someone else. On at least three occasions I was promised that someone would call me back to schedule service. None of those promises were kept. No calls were returned. In the second week I finally got a repairman to stop by the house. He told me he wasn't authorized to fix the TV, but rather had to figure out the problem and report back to Best Buy. He narrowed the problem down to three different components and left. I received a call from someone at Best Buy who told me that they were assigned to assist me through this process. It's been ten days and I haven't heard back from this person. My repairs were apparently approved at some point and I'm still waiting for replacement parts. I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau but was told by Best Buy that they couldn't do anything, such as replace the TV, for at least 30 days. So I'm in week three and still waiting!
I had this problem one other time and after weeks of scheduled repair appointments where the service personnel failed to show on at least three occasions Best Buy finally sent me a gift card to replace the TV. I should have learned from that experience. Now it's happened a second time! I've spent thousands of dollars over the years on TVs, computer systems, and electronics at Best Buy. I can assure you that after this experience my family and I will shop elsewhere for our electronic needs! I'm very disappointed!

Hello usms2617,
I can’t even begin to count how many shows I watch on my days off from work. Because of this, I know I’d be frustrated too if I went without my TV for a long period of time, especially if a repair took longer than anticipated. While rare, repair delays do occur and are usually due to part delays or technician availability. It seems though that there may be other issues in play though. I’m sad to hear that your TV repair hasn’t progressed as smoothly as we would’ve hoped, and I am sorry for any aggravation this has caused.
When one of our customers is underneath a Geek Squad Protection plan and a repair is necessary, we ask them to set up a service claim with us by either calling 1-800-GeekSquad or by scheduling an appointment online. There are times though when our Geek Squad agents are unavailable for certain areas, and our third party team takes over the repair to assist. Upon review of your work order using your email address on the forum, I’ve found your repair is currently processing through one of these third party teams.
However, the quality of service should still stay the same no matter who is repairing your television. As we want to ensure that your television repair progresses as smoothly as possible from here, I’ve contacted Matt from our Special Forces team who handles situations likes yours. As your repair time is longer than normal, I understand he has reached out to you to discuss this further.
Please know that I will keep my case open with you and watch its progress as Matt and I are working together to resolve this. I appreciate your patience and I’ll send you a private message once an update is available. You may view it by logging into the forum and clicking on the envelope in the upper right-hand corner.
Thank you for posting!
Alex|Social Media Specialist | Best Buy® Corporate
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Can I purchase an Apple Care extended warranty for an iPad Air if I purchase it at Best Buy?

CAn I buy an Apple Care extended warranty for an iPad Air if I purchase it at Best Buy?

For me? Buying from best buy was my only option since the closest apple store is over an hour away. (and technically in another state)
Also, when I bought my iPod the warranty that Best Buy offered was far more comprehensive than Apple Care with accidental damage protection for up to 3 years.
And, when my iPad's charging port messed up, I took it into Best Buy and they swapped me out for a new one while at an Apple store I likely would have gotten a refurb.
When I swapped out my iPod 4 for my iPod 5 I took it into best buy, got $70 towards the purchase of the new device by trading in the old one.
Best Buy isn't perfect and not every store is a good one, but they are a good alternative or other option to explore for those buying devices.
I think my biggest beef when buying my iPad and later iPod at Best Buy is when I bought my iPad I bought the screen protector and they wanted to charge me to apply it...and it kinda rankled for me to be plunking down over $600 dollars to have them want to charge me $15 for a screen protector install.

The new iPad Air 2 I bought at Best Buy a week ago will not register with Apple. How do I register this so that I am eligible for support and 3 month warranty?

I bought a new iPad Air 2 from Best Buy a week ago and it's serial number is not registered with Apple. According to support I am not eligible for support or the 3 month warranty. How do I register this thing?

Return it to Best Buy and either get one that can be registered or get a full refund and shop somewhere else.
Brand new iPads have a 12-month warranty.

UGHHH again, 6th time Mac fails me ..... and best buy charges me so they can "inspect it".

well the previous times 4/6 were do to manufacturing defects, the last 2 were due to the screen messing up.
now after i had this for a month, the fan makes a noise like it hits something inside and the screen leaves a purple "stain" on the screen when watching movies and playing games, it goes away after it a few hours.
but really, i went there to get it repaired and the guy said he has to charge me 60$ to look at it, and then send it to apple.
im like really, a month or two old computer and it breaks down ? and I have to pay!!! .... so im going to go complain, im going to either get my computer fixed for free or i want to return my MAC for store credit so i can purchase another laptop.... like i had it up to here with there snotty people, there attitude towards me was NOT deserved. One worker told me " well if it works fine its not worth fixing" im like ???? " seriously, i paid good money for it and i dont want ink marks on my screen when it gets "warm" "

If it is undetermined to be a software or hardware issue then they are authorized to charge a diagnostic and then refund it after they verify the warranty covers it.
Similar to how car repairs work.
Beyond that I do not know the exact $60 is except for maybe sending it out to service, but if it is under a warranty normally there isn't a charge for that.
If it is after the 14 days it is unlikely that they will be willing to do a return outside of the 14 days since they will eat the cost of the laptop. And, based on industry average gross margins they would have to sell 10+ laptops to make up for that single one they ate...
~ J
Former Geek Squad Counter Intelligence Agent.
Anything posted by me is helpful information (and my own personal opinion) and is not the opinion or view of Best Buy or Geek Squad.

Best Buy should be ashamed of their lack of customer service.

On Saturday, 7-26-14, I attempted to file a claim on a cell phone warranty. In store I was notified that the policy was inactive, yet a second phone that was attached to the account was all active. I researched the cause of this and found my credit card was cancelled due to my bank discovering possible fraud. My wife called customer service in May, and after dealing with rude representatives, she was able to get both phone insurance policies reinstated.
When I called customer service today, after being hung up on twice, I was told that the policies were reinstated, but my wife failed to update the credit card information. I thought the error was on our part. My wife was able to find another email from Best Buy, that proved she updated the information. Conveniently however, Best Buy supervisor Mark was unable to find this proof email, but could find the earlier email. I find this highly unlikely.
Mark did reluctantly reinstate the policy, and told me I would have to go back to store to follow through with the claim. I notified Mark that due to the incompetence of Best Buy, and their insistence that I was the one that failed to update my policy, I threw the paperweight of a phone away. He then told me that I was out of luck, but referred me back to the store.
I understand the concept of "passing the buck" back to the store because that allows him to get off the phone with me. He also told me that my bank was the problem, yet I find it odd that the second phone on the account was current on payments. He also could not explain why, if it was my bank's fault, that no email was sent. Best Buy was quick to send an email when my credit card was cancelled due to fraud protection, but not this time?
Best Buy customer service gives people the run around, fails to live up to their obligations, and loses certain emails that show the costumer is correct. Best Buy also refuses to make their mistakes right or to even admit mistake on their behalf. I was told by Mark that he is in charge of the Customer service call center, so I obviously will not receive a reasonable resolution to this problem.
Best Buy has the absolute worst costumer service that I have ever dealt with. I will never conduct business with Best Buy again and I'll encourage every person that I come in contact with to do the same.

Hello molonlabe-
I’ve been fortunate enough to not have to need service on my cell phones to this point (knock on wood), but if I ever do, I hope that my experience doesn’t match yours. It certainly sounds like it was frustrating.
Generally, if we are unable to collect payment on a monthly Geek Squad Protection plan three months in a row, we should be sending out an email to whichever address we have on file instructing you to contact us about this issue. I’m sorry that this did not happen.
Usually, the email letting your know that your credit card information has been updated in an automated system email and Mark would not have visibility to that, though he should have been able to see when your wife called in and had the plans reinstated. I will definitely be documenting this feedback for training opportunities.
If you no longer have the phone, we would be unable to assist you, however, if the plans have been reinstated, you may still end up being charged each month if you did not have Mark cancel the plan. If you did not cancel that plan, I would recommend contacting us at 1-888-237-8289 for assistance with cancelling this to avoid any future issues.
Thanks for connecting with us; I do hope that at some point in the future, you will allow us another opportunity to earn your business.
Bill|Senior Social Media Specialist | Best Buy® Corporate
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Best Buy Associates lied about protection plan through Geek Squad

I finally have the time and energy to re-address the ongoing issue that I am having with Best Buy and their geek squad. Before the Thanksgiving holiday of 2013, my sister came to visit me from Virginia. She is currently in the military and came home for a final visit before a 9 month deployment. She was in a need of a new phone, so being the loyal Best Buy customer that I am, I took her to Best Buy and signed up for a new 2-year agreement so that she could update her phone. The rep was nice enough to explain that there was a Geek Squad protection plan that I could purchase through Best Buy that would cover the phone if ANYTHING were to happen to the phone. I was told that I could just bring the phone in and they would either fix it or replace it. Previously I would always get my insurance from my cellular service provider, but this Geek Squad protection seemed like a great deal. I was satisfied with my purchase and the Geek Squad protection, and returned later on in the week to purchase a new phone for my Mother as an early Christmas gift, and I was sold the EXACT same Geek Squad protection.
Every month over the next several months, there was $20 dollars deducted from my account, $10 for my sister’s phone and $10 for my mother’s phone. My sister had since been deployed overseas and had an accident with her phone where it is completely un-responsive. Feeling fully confident that we had insured the purchase and that Best Buy would uphold their end of the bargain, I had her mail her phone back to the United States.
I took the phone to Best Buy and explained that the phone is not powering on and that I was covered under the Geek Squad warranty. To my complete surprise, I was informed that I was misinformed. The Geek Squad agent told me that the Cell phone group was misinforming customers and that in fact the protection information that was relayed to me, not once, but twice was the incorrect information. This is a big issue because I was given this false information twice and I have been clearly misled.
I was given a number to the Geek Squad line. I called and explained the situation and the woman basically said that there is nothing that she can do, so I inquired about a refund of the money that I paid for the protection plans. The rep stated that she would put a case in. When the case was settled, I received $20 dollars for the current month. I paid for the insurance for more than one month, I paid for 5 months. After the $20 dollar refund, I decided that instead of continuing on with the back and forth, I would just keep the insurance that I had been misled about. So I called back. Low and behold, just a few days after the initial call, I was informed that they could no longer assist me because I had dropped the insurance. I was given a corporate number who told me they couldn’t assist me and that they didn’t know why I was given their number. I went around the entire loop again and was referred to the store manager, who left a VM that I would need to contact the geek squad 1-800 number.
Just as this is a long letter, imagine the time and energy it took to go through this entire process. Lying and misleading loyal and faithful customers is bad enough, but to know that when my sister who is serving our country overseas, and who has been doing so for the past 7 months will come home to a phone that doesn’t work is very upsetting. I was tempted to let this situation go but being a loyal customer to Best Buy should mean something to the store and to the management. If I am a future best buy customer will be dependent on how Best Buy handles this situation. Customers shouldn’t be lied to and mislead.

Hello CM2014,
Staying in touch with family members is difficult without a phone, even more so when a loved one is overseas. It was very nice of you to make sure your sister had one while on deployment, so I can imagine your frustration if we denied her request for service when you brought in her mailed phone for repair. I’m not sure of the exact reason as to why this might’ve happened; however, there are a few reasons why a Rapid Exchange repair underneath her Geek Squad Protection (GSP) plan wasn’t an option.
With Rapid Exchange, a damaged or non-working phone should be sent out for service. To save our customers valuable time, a service order is simultaneously created from our service provider to ship out an already repaired phone. These phones go through a rigorous refurbishment process to make sure that a customer receives a phone meeting its manufacturer’s standards. If a smartphone is damaged though, we do request that a $149.99 deductible be paid to receive a repaired phone. This fee will also be applied should service be needed after the manufacturer’s warranty has expired. You are limited to three claim submissions after which the plan would be considered fulfilled.
Our GSP plan should cover any hardware issues with the phone along with liquid spills or damage such as a cracked screen. Please know that it wouldn’t cover products that have been submerged, dropped from extreme heights, or have been run over by or fallen from moving vehicles. Having said this, our associates should be fully explaining why a phone was rejected for service, and I’m sorry if this wasn’t the case. If you don’t me asking, what was wrong with your sister’s phone?
To see how I may help with this, I pulled up your account using the email address attached to your forum profile. I did notice though that the GSP plan is underneath a name other than your own, and due to our Privacy Policy, I’d be unable to discuss the situation at hand. Please have the owner of the phone and plan create a forum profile and private message me with their contact information so that I may see what options we may have available from here. To send me a message, please have them sign into their profile, and click on the button in my signature below.
Thank you for posting,
Alex|Social Media Specialist | Best Buy® Corporate
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Best Buy Willowbrook Store 214

I purchased a 13" Macbook Pro from this store on January 26, 2013. The explained to the best buy employee that I wanted the 2 year warranty with the accidental damage protection, as this is the plan we get with all of our laptops. He agreed and I checked out. Upon leaving, I noticed the employee charged me for the 3 year plan, so I immediately went back to him and told him. He apologized and refunded me the cost for the 3 year plan and added the 2 year plan, and I assumed it was the same plan with the accidental damage protection except 1 year less. I never had to use my warranty until yesterday, after my laptop accidentally fell and shattered the screen and bent the shell. I went to the Best Buy in Humble, as it is the closest. They were very friendly and helpful, but at the end, the computer system asked for a payment. He took a look at my receipt and saw the plan was only the protection plan and not that ADH plan. He saw I originally was charged for the 3 year ADH, but then only given 2 year protection. He spoke to his manager and they told me to go to the store I originally purchased my laptop at and because they believe it was an employee error, the store should fix my laptop under their store warranty and cover my costs.
I then left the store and called the willowbrook store, as it is a drive and I didn't want to waste time driving there. I spoke to Bethany whom I explained my situation to and she then placed me on a few brief holds. She then told me that because my warranty was expiring in a 10 days, there was nothing they could do except charge me to fix my laptop. I asked why they could not fix my laptop under the store's warranty. She told me they could, but the charges incurred would be charged to me. I asked to speak to a manager and she told me she already spoke to 2 managers and that is what they told her. I again requested to speak to a manager. I was transferred to Spencer. Upon explaining the situation again, he told me there was nothing they could do. He said it could not be proven that the employee made a mistake, all he could go by is the receipt which says I purchased the 3 year ADH plan and then returned it and got the 2 year protection plan. I asked him if he discussed the plan he wanted with a sales rep and then saw he got something more and went back and got it exchanged, would he not assume he was getting the same plan but just one year less? He said yes he would, but as what is given to him, he can only see what I purchased and that his employee did not make a mistake. He told me he could not even prorate a refund because my warranty was expiring soon. I told him I was not looking for a refund and I was only trying to get my laptop repaired as I was told by the other store, could be done here. He told me that I signed off on the warranty and had the terms and conditions emailed to me so there was nothing more possible. I told him I did sign the warranty, which was for the 3 year plan, but when exchanging it, nothing was explained, nor was I asked for another signature. He said yes but again, you were given the terms and conditions. He also asked me why I did not question the big price difference between the two plans with only a year difference. I told him I was never given the prices or information, I only asked for what I wanted and when charged for something more, I went back and got it fixed (or so I assumed). I also told him I do not know what the prices are so I am not going to question the costs. He then told me that was all, he was not going to fix my laptop for me and with it only being 10 days away from expiring, there was nothing he was willing to do for me.
I was really upset by his service, he did not do anything to make the customer happy. I asked if there was a supervisor above him I could speak to and he said no they do not exist. I assured him that there had to be a district or regional manager I could speak to, if not then there was corporate as well. He said no there was not, nor was there a phone number or contact information he could give me. He told me he would give me corporate's number, but they did not handle these issues. I took the number any way and told him I'd give it a shot. That number was only the main number to set up appointments or purchase by phone. I still tried to reach a supervisor. I was transferred to different departments and call centers, but I patiently waited. Each person did not understand what I was trying to do, I only wanted to speak to a supervisor about my experience and how little help I was offered for a mistake by an employee. Each time, the agent on the phone went through my information and told me what kind of warranty I had. The second to last person I spoke to, Janelle, told me she would transfer me with the case ID number of {removed per forum guidelines}. She told me I did have ADH plan. I asked to confirm if it was the 2 year plan. She said yes it is the 2 year plan with ADH and expires on 01/31/2015 because I am given a grace period. She then transferred me to someone who asked for all the information again and put me on hold while he read the notes. He did not do anything with the case number. He then came back on the line and told me I was transferred to the wrong department and he would transfer me accordingly. I waited on the line for 10 minutes until the system told me the call could not be completed and to hang up. That was a total of 45 minutes to an hour gone to waste. I then tried to call the geek squad number to try to get a supervisor through them. I told the agent what I was calling for who then looked up my information and told me what plan I had. I told him that many people have told me that, I just want to speak to a supervisor. He said he would transfer me. He place the phone down, but did not put it on hold as I could hear other people talking. He then picked up and said the supervisor would get my call in a few minutes. He put the phone back down and I could hear people talking still. Finally he transferred me to where the call just kept ringing with no answer. I held on the phone for 5 more minutes as I was desperate to get this handled. Finally, after no one would pick up the other end, I hung up.
I am very frustrated and tired of going through different routes to get someone to help me. I am very upset and disappointed with the quality of service I was provided by the store and via the call centers. I would appreciate it greatly if someone could help me in my situation and contact me.

Hi Tbpatel,
This sound like a terrible experience with us, and for that I truly am sorry. The Willowbrook store is correct that the damage to your MacBook is not covered unless your Geek Squad Protection (GSP) had Accidental Damage from Handling (ADH) coverage. Given these plans are underwritten by an insurance company we adhere strictly to the terms of the plan in question.
I do have to be honest with you that going by your description of this the repair of this MacBook will most likely be at cost to you. I would like to look into this further into this and would truly appreciate it if you could send me a private message with your phone number, and your GSP number. To send me a private message click on the link in my signature.
Thanks for posting,
Allan|Senior Social Media Specialist | Best Buy® Corporate
Private Message

Best Buy and Geek Squad Do it to me again! Arrrrgh!

I bought an iMac from Best Buy about 4 years ago, and the hard drive failed at 14 months. No problem, took it back to Best Buy, the Geek Squad told me for a couple hundred bucks could get this super eco friendly 2 TB drive put in for less than it would cost me for a Seegate 1 TB. Good drive I asked? Yep, great drive. Paid the man, got the iMac back, and every time I turned it on, the hard drive SCREAMED. Very loud. So loud I could not use it. Asked Geek Squad what to do. Did they offer to replace it. NOOOOO, all I had to do was search the internet forums, get a driver download aind it would be fixed. Common problem. Tried this fix off and on for months, no deal. By then the warranty expired, so no Geek Squad help there. And to rub salt in the wound, was told those eco drives were so horrible, no one sells them anymore.. Well, that made me feel MUCH better.
Fast forward to this week. I go into different BB, and relate the story to the store manager, while buying a cable on sale, and he tells me HIS Geek Squad will fix that problem for me, they will install a good Seegate drive, and the iMac would be better than new, after all, they are much better than those Geek Squad dolts up the road. So, bring my iMac in, tell them upgrade the hard drive to an S-Gate and max out the ram. Well, here's where it gets uglier.
"Here's the bill for the ram upgrade and we have to send this off for installing the new hard drive, cost you $34.95 for shipping." Hmmmm. Do we ship the hard drive up with it, I'll pay for that now. "No sir, we don't have the hard drive you want here, we are out, but the repair shop will call you and check with you before they install one." Hmmmmm. Good, but you do know I want to put an S-gate in there right, no more of these crappy hard drives like the last ones you guys installed. "No sir, trust us."
Got an email from the Geek Squad today, says call this 800-433-5778 number and we will discuss you repair costs. Call that number. For 20 minutes, the recording on that number took my informaiton and at the end said, "You will have to call another number for that repair, please call 800-433-5778. 7 times I tried calling that number, tried pushing buttons, asking for different options, nothing, routed back through the same stupid do loop. Finally, when the recording asked me for more info (on the 8th try), I just screamed at the recording. "Sorry, did not understand your response, let me connect you to a customer service rep."
Human on the line, she was very helpful, but could not tell me a thing about my repair except the part number and the cost. Dear, I do not want the part number, I want to know what hard drive is going into my computer, you guys (not you dear) screwed me the last time. "Sir, I am just a call center operator, I will have to connect you back with the store you shipped your computer from." Dear, they told me the repair center was going to call me, they had no clue what the repair center was going to offer me, except that they would pass on I wanted an S-gate. "Sorry sir, but that's all I can offer." Okay, put me through.
Geek Squad from the store on the line, "Sorry sir, the repair center called you on your work phone, and could not get you." That's not my work phone and I have not used that number in over 4 years, and was not the number I put on the contact sheet for the repair center to call me on this job. "Sorry sir."
Okay, this is simple, I just want confirmation that I am going to get the drive I want. "Sorry sir, the repair center may not carry the drives we carry in the store." What? "Sir, they use parts that we don't necessarily get in our stores, they may not even have S-gate drives.
Okay, let me get this straight, you charged me $34.95 for shipping to a center you know may not have the drive I specifically asked for, after tellling you you company SCREWED me the last time, but I am back here because you PROMISED you would put the drive I wanted in the computer, then you shipped it off to a center you know might not carry the drive I wanted, the center ignored the telephone number I put on the contact sheet to call me, redirected me into a contact number that does not work, forced me to waste an hour on the phone for something I should have been able to resolve in a 20 second phone call, and are now telling me I could forfeit the $34.95 in shipping if I do not accept WHATEVER drive the tech at the repair center offers me, which is why I swore off purchasing anything at Best Buy for 4 years?"
'Yes sir, but it is not our fault because everything we have done to your computer, from the beginnning, is in line WITH Best Buiy policies. Is there anything else we can do to help you today?"

Dear BonzaiB,
I am so sorry to hear that you have had issues with getting your computer fixed. I have had a computer in the past that had a bad hard drive too and it’s certainly no fun to get replaced. I didn’t have mine screaming at me though, I can’t imagine how annoying that would be.
We try to keep a big focus on the communication to our Geek Squad clients when they have devices out for service. The service center and our stores should be keeping you up to date with the status of your repair pretty regularly so that you don’t have to fuss with calling in yourself. I am glad that you were able to speak to a customer service rep but I apologize that it took so many tries to get to that point. By the sounds of it, had your desired phone number that you provided been input into the system, that call process could have been totally avoided. That’s not the kind of experience we want to provide for Geek Squad clients.
I was able to pull up your service order using your email address provided here on the forums and was able to see the notes that align with your post. I also reached out to the service center and was informed that you spoke with Darnell from the Desktop Repair Line about your computer today. Did he answer all of the concerns you had with the repair? I’m happy to hear that you will have a computer that won’t scream at you anymore.
I would still like to get more details from you via private message about your store experience so I can address the proper people with this feedback. To check your private messages, click on the envelope in the upper right-hand corner while you are logged into the forums.
Warmly,
JD|Social Media Specialist | Best Buy® Corporate
Private Message

DO NOT BUY IPODS FROM FUTURESHOP OR BEST BUY

The warranty policy for both are ridiculous. They charge the same amount as Apple does. Get this, they don't even touch any ipods that need service for the first year. On top of that, any repairs that are made to the IPOD after the one year manufacturer's warranty will end once the IPOD is replaced once. They do not repair IPODs they simply have you pay $60-90 for a warranty that they hope you never use. You are better off getting the Apple Protection Plan for the same amount, and it covers 2 years and the warranty is transferred to any new IPODs for the remainder of the protection plan.

You must've had a great sales man.
"$50 buys me:
- instant exchanges for the first 30 days at least (I bet my local store would go way beyond that)
- they will repair or replace the item while the apple warranty is in effect as many times as needed (and if I'm not happy there is a chance they will simply exchange for a new one)
- after the first year, they will replace the ipod once if needed "
1) You have no chance at returning anything at Best Buy after 30 days. At any of the stores I've worked at they are super d*cks about returns. Best Buy is EXTREMELY competitive and hate margin loss (returns).
2) Each time BBY has to repair something it will take at least 30 days (and up to 2 months during the holiday season). Think about that. If you have three problems with the iPod that's going to be a third of the year you're not eve going to have the thing. Also, they don't care if you're satisfied or not with the iPod. If a Geek Squad rep. sees that it works he'll make you take it back. Only the forth time you bring an item in for service will you get a new one (lemon law).
3. Going back to the service issue -- After you bring an item in to be fixed after the manuf. warranty is up, you only have one chance to get it fixed. It takes 4 chances to get a new (service) item.
Like I stated before -- if you buy any other type of MP3 player (other than an Apple based one) at BBY you won't have to deal with that whole service issue. Stick to Apple Care my friend.

How do I use my Best Buy gift card on BB eBay?

Dear best_buy,
I have been trying to order a specific Playstation 4 bundle through the Best Buy website (which allowed for in store pickup of this bundle ONLY) however, there are none available!
So I was very excited when I found it on Best Buy eBay, but I want to know if there is a way I can apply my 2 Best Buy gift cards ($55 total value)?
Also, upon purchasing the system from Best Buy eBay - would I be able to obtain an itemized receipt? Because I would like to purchase a 3 year extended warranty from Sony and they require an itemized receipt.
If need be, I am willing to go into the store to process the gift cards.
Thank you for your time,
I look forward to hearing from you.

Hi Skunnyss,
It can be disappointing to find the item you’ve got your heart set on isn’t available for purchase, so it’s exciting to hear you found your PS4 console through our eBay page!
Please know that according to our Best Buy store page (found here), PayPal is our exclusive payment partner on eBay. This means our gift cards cannot be used towards an eBay Best Buy purchase. Additionally, I’m unsure if the receipt provided at the time of purchase gives an itemized list of what is purchased. While I’d think it would, please let me know if this is not the case. I should be able to pull up your eBay order and provide you an itemized list if you end up purchasing the console with our eBay store.
I hope this helps,
Alex|Social Media Specialist | Best Buy® Corporate
Private Message

Misleading ADH Information Provided By Best Buy Associates

Let me start by saying that Best Buy WAS my most FAVORITE store UNTIL walking into store on 03/08/14 in Alabama. I am a 31 yr old customer that has been purchasing electronics from Best Buy since 2003. The management and sales associates in the store I normally go to is AWESOME! Now I would be one of the first to say that "Yes, it seems that Best Buy's T&Cs on GSBT/GSRP/ADH Plans change often." Whenever I go into any Best Buy, I look at the little pamphlets that was given out when you purchased any GS protection plan. I notice they looked different from time to time. Maybe a different color or size. I mean, go to <http://www.geeksquad.com/protection-plans/terms-and-conditions.aspx> and look. It goes back to July 2007. Has it always been available online? Nope. The first extended warranty/protection Plan I purchased was on a laptop purchased in 2003 when I left for college. I don't see it on there. So it's very safe to assume they haven't always been readily available and from looking at previous comments and posts after googling "Best Buy ADH 2012," I see I'm NOT the only customer that has been mislead by the sales associates on ADH. Why not trust that the employees are explaining important details? I mean SOMETIMES you're handing me a pamphlet with the T&Cs and giving me misleading info that you claim is in there. But at the time I had every reason to trust and believe the associates are providing me with important details and accurate info that is found in what you're placing in my hand (I've been to MANY Best Buy's and purchased MANY things from each Best Buy depending on where I'm at at that time).
In 2012 I bought two iPads (3rd generation). I bought one 16gb and a 32gb along with ADH for each one (one for my parents and one for myself). And like any electronic device I buy from Best Buy, I was ALWAYS told, "Don't forget to purchase the protection plan!" Well, if you look at my history, I ALWAYS purchased the "extended warranty" or "protection plan." Like I said, when I moved away for college in 2003, I purchased a brand new laptop, had GS to hook it up and also paid for the "extended warranty" as it was called at the time. I never had to use any warranties or protection plans I purchased. I purchased protection plans on the 2 laptops I bought, a washer and dryer I bought (that was stolen when I went on vacation) and also the new ones I purchased to replace the stolen set, a washer I bought AFTER I moved (because mine was in storage and I damaged my parents older washer by overloading it with a comforter) and even on cellphones I've had in the past. Basically, if Best Buy offered it on a device, I purchased it because I felt confident that if ANYTHING went wrong, Best Buy would take care of it. Why?? Because that's what I was told when I purchased it. Now, that being said, my parents are 66 and 70 and not in the best of health. Last year, my mom dropped the iPad and broke the screen. I was confident that Best Buy would replace it with a new device like I was told. I get to the closest Best Buy to me (which is an hour and fifteen away from home; the original store where I purchased them is two and a half hours away). The iPad still powered on but of course the glass screen was shattered. Who wants to use an iPad with cracked glass and risk cutting a finger? Well, low and behold, that store reprinted the receipt and replaced the iPad 3rd gen with a NEW iPad 4th gen (there were no more iPad 3rd gen at the store) just like the sales associates said. No questions asked. No hassle. No problem. I don't even work for Best Buy but yet ANYBODY I talked to (friend, family, stranger in the store), I would push "protection plan...get it!...it's worth it!"
March 7th, 2014, while working, I accidentally dropped my 32gb iPad and cracked my screen. I had already made plans to go out of town on March 8th so I did my research and saw there's a Best Buy an hour away. I was confident that Best Buy would replace my device in store so that Monday, March 10th I would be able to go back to work and have a working iPad that's not going to slice and dice my fingers up. I get to the GS desk and I gave the GS agent my phone number to reprint my receipt so he could go ahead and replace my iPad. (Why was I so confident? My parents iPad was replaced with no issues). Well the GS agent proceeds to tell me that "Your iPad qualifies to be replaced with a refurbished iPad. Would you like to pick it up in store or have it shipped to your home?" Excuse me? Refurbished? Picked up or sent to my home? No no no. Now, I told him, "When I purchased the iPad (that I paid $599 for BRAND NEW) and the 2 yr ADH, I was told by the sales associate if anything happened to it, any Best Buy would swap it out in store with a new device that way I wouldn't have to go without." He proceeds to tell me, "The plans have changed. It might have been that way when you purchased it but the plans have changed since 2012." (Thank goodness I didn't go in the store by myself. I had two friends with me that heard all of this non-sense). Now it's always that if the T&Cs change after you purchased yours, they have to honor the T&Cs that you had from the beginning. That's like a cellphone company telling me "You cannot keep your unlimited plan because we don't offer it anymore." You can't do that. So because the company changed the T&Cs AFTER I purchased it, you're not going honor what that??? So I asked for a manager. The GM of the store comes. The same thing I explained to the GS agent, I repeated once again to the GM. He says the same thing the GS agent said. By then, I'm in shock and not only is my blood pressure going up, I'm getting more and more upset thinking about each and every ADH/GSBT/GSRP I purchased (and didn't use EXCEPT for one). Then my mind went to everybody that bought an ADH and was mislead with the same T&Cs shared by the sales associates. The GM then goes on to tell me, "Your iPad is still functional. You can keep it until your refurbished iPad comes in." I'm looking at my iPad and I run my finger across it and I feel sharp pieces of glass. I asked him "What if I cut my finger?" He then opened his mouth and let the CRAZIEST thing come out. He said, "I can discount a Zagg Invisible Shield for you if you would like." I'm thinking "what kind of FOOL does he take me for????" Seriously???? (1) You COULD replace it but you won't (which he stated it's at HIS sole discretion if he wanted to replace it or not but because the computer said send a refurbished one, he doesn't want to go against that) and (2) You want me to BUY a invisible shield that you're going to discount??? That's WHY I purchased the ADH (so I wouldn't have to spend any money later on if something happens to it). So I told him to go ahead and send it but I'm not happy about and I would call and complain about it. I now have to go to work Monday and Tuesday without the iPad I DEPEND on to do my job. I refuse to pay for a screen protector when I know the iPad could be exchanged there in the store.
I NEVER thought I would live to say "I will NEVER EVER spend another dime in Best Buy or any affiliates they may have from today going forward unless the problem is resolved." I JUST spent over $1400 in Best Buy a couple of weeks ago on a PS4 (ADH as well), 3 PS4 games, an iPod Touch 32gb, a griffin case and a set of headphones. I will be canceling that ADH on the PS4 ASAP. It's not worth it. It's not worth the hassle. My friends that witnessed all of this have now been turned away from a business that I once loved. Is it because I told them to turn away? No. It's because they know that that is poor customer service and misleading info that was provided. They've even purchased ADH on devices they've purchased and was provided the SAME misleading information that I was provided (and I'm talking about three different stores providing each of us with the same exact information). I know that myself and the two other people that were with me today will not hurt Best Buy's business by not returning and buying electronics from there. But everyone knows that one unhappy customer will go back and tell a family member or friend what happened. And that family member or friend will go and tell another family member or friend that will tell another........it then turns into a chain reaction. Do I wish anything bad on Best Buy? Nope. What I do wish is that (1) my iPad is replaced with a NEW iPad 3rd gen or better (ain't no going back to a 2nd generation) and (2) Best Buy needs to retrain EVERY employee (manager, supervisor and regular associate) to make sure instead of saying "With ADH, if anything happens to it, bring it back to any Best Buy and we'll replace it in store!" the associates need to be truthful and say "With ADH, it is at our sole discretion to replace the device in store OR have a refurbished device sent to the store where you can pick it up when it comes in or either we can have it sent to your home!" But that's too much like being right. I now see it's all about getting a sale and getting numbers up. It's not about providing excellent customer service cause if it was, I would've walked out of that store with a new iPad. I am literally SICK just thinking of the thousands of dollars I've spent in Best Buy. Lesson learned though.

Hello,
There is very little more frustrating than having a device that you use every day develop a need for service, whether through defect or damage. I've had similar situations arise myself and been aggravated too. It's also important to live up to the terms of our agreements with you and our other customers -- in this case the written Terms & Conditions of the Geek Squad Protection plan you purchased. Further, it is imperative that we communicate how the coverage works accurately. I regret any miscommunication that there may have been about how the terms of your plan would be fulfilled.
The Geek Squad Agent's choice of language was unfortunate. You're quite correct in that the terms of the plan do not change once it's been purchased. However, the process by which we fill those terms can be subject to change. We reserve the right -- as stated in the Terms -- to provide a refurbished unit to fulfill our obligation under the plan.
We cannot provide the refurbished unit to you without taking possession of the damaged unit. The Agent at the store should have been specific that if you kept the damaged iPad to use in the interim, the replacement could not be shipped to you, but rather to the store for this reason. Please know that I apologize for any inconvenience to you.
Finally, I'm wholly disheartened to read that this experience may prompt you to change your future shopping destination. It is my hope that you will give Best Buy another chance to win you over one day soon. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us.
Sincerely,
John|Social Media Specialist | Best Buy® Corporate
Private Message

My Macbook is stuck at the loading screen (the apple with the spinning circle beneath it). I went to Best Buy, they told me to call Apple Help and ask them to restore my unit. But Apple help wont help me without charging me. Help please !!

My Macbook Pro is stuck at the loading screen (the apple with the spinning circle underneath). I went to Best Buy to get help, and they told me to call Apple Help and ask them to 'restore my unit', which he said is a matter of only about 4 mouse clicks. If it was so easy, I didn't understand why he couldn't do it for me. But he said that even though I have a 3 year warranty and protection plan with them, they were not responsible for this type of problem. Whatever.
Anyway, so I called Apple Help, and even though he was familiar with my problem, it's been more than 90 days since I purchased the laptop, therefore I'd have to set up a service agreement to get his assistance, meaning I'd have to PAY him. So now i'm stuck, and I'm just hoping somebody knows what to do to help me
I don't have any disc that I apparently need, and I don't remember ever getting one. However, if there is some other way to fix this issue, please let me know. Thanks for your time and assistance
Brenna

HI, have you blown the dust out lately?
Does it boot better/further if allowed to cool?
If you're sure the RAM is good, try the Hair Dryer trick...
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=13240047#13240047
https://discussions.apple.com/message/15223603#15223603
https://discussions.apple.com/message/15499912#15499912
https://discussions.apple.com/message/15613068#15613068
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3270112
https://discussions.apple.com/message/16053892#16053892
No power light at all...
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3692775?tstart=0
It can show on any G5, and even many other computers & electronic devices of the period.
http://www.macintouch.com/reliability/pmg5.html
http://lowendmac.com/ppc/power-macintosh-g5.html
And see this last one in particular...
https://discussions.apple.com/message/16781690#16781690
Heat gun better...
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3916312?tstart=0
If we don't get more help or answers here, feel free to join my site & ask...
http://x704.net/bbs

Best Buy Warranty???

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