Issue with geeksquad repair(s)

Question

I purchased a MacBook Air almost two years ago. Since then, it has been out for repair for 56 days (and counting).
First, the hard drive crashed in 10/2013 (took one week to repair). Then, it was intermittantly overheating (03/2014), which GeekSquad said was due to a faulty battery (another week). However, when I got it back after the battery replacement, I noticed that the trackpad felt loose-- a problem that had not been present before. So I sent it back, but the repair technicians could not replicate the loose feeling and sent it back without adjustment, requiring it to be sent in yet again (two more weeks). (I was still not satisfied with this "resolution". The trackpad continued to feel loose at times, especially after long periods of unuse.)
Last month, I noticed that the back panel had pulled away from the body and there was a crack in the fan cover. I returned it to GeekSquad. Monitoring my repair online, I noticed that twice they had to order and wait for parts to arrive. Imagine my dismay when, nearly a month after sending it out, I went to pick it up in the store and IT WAS STILL BROKEN. From the attached image, you can see that the back frame is not flush with the sides and there are stress marks around the screw where it appears that the repair technician simply tried tighten it to resolve the issue.
[IMG]http://i62.tinypic.com/t8vthj.jpg[/IMG]
I am very frustrated with this experience and disappointed that I continue to be without my computer. I am frustrated that the customer service at Best Buy cannot do anything to rectify this situation, saying that since my computer has not been sent for repair three times for the same issue, it does not qualify as a lemon. I am posting here in hopes that this can be resolved. I have purchased 3 MacBooks and countless other items from Apple directly and have never had such problems getting my devices serviced.

Answer 1

Hello brittlandk,
Computer problems like an unresponsive track pad and nonexistent battery life are frustrating for any laptop owner, but it can be downright aggravating if you are unhappy with your computer after receiving service. You should be able to trust our Geek Squad agents with your laptop when it’s in for service, so I truly apologize if we didn’t leave you feeling confident in our repair services.
While rare and far from ideal, there are times when a redo service is required to fix a reported issue. Should something like this be necessary, we do try to expedite the process in that your computer is pushed to the front of the service line to ensure you get your computer back as quickly as possible. Having said this, I realize your computer is currently in for a redo service, and we greatly appreciate your patience while we re-evaluate the situation at hand. Please know I’ll be keeping an eye on your service to make sure everything progresses as it should from here.
There is one thing, however, that I want to take the opportunity to clear up. You mentioned that one of our representatives explained to you that you’d only receive a potential replacement computer underneath our Geek Squad Protection (GSP) plan if your device experienced the same malfunction 3 times during the life of the plan. While this is true of our newer plans, your plan was purchased prior to this change. This means your plan’s terms and conditions (found here) state that after two qualifying hardware repairs and a third one is diagnosed, you should qualify for a “No Lemon” exchange. However, it seems your computer has only had one qualifying repair, so this could explain why an associate stated this path was not a viable option at this time.
Having said this, I’ve sent you a private message with your current service history to help clarify what qualified and what did not. You may view it by logging into the forum and clicking on the envelope icon in the upper right-hand corner of the page.
Respectfully,
Alex|Social Media Specialist | Best Buy® Corporate
 Private Message