Geek Squad Attempts to Rip Off Customers

Ok, this is something that simply blew my mind.

I can’t quite work out if this is the result of plain stupidity (which I seriously doubt), or so-called ‘experts’ actively trying to screw people over.

If you haven’t watched the video, here’s the deal:

A TV reporter took a bunch of working PC’s, had them checked over by an expert to make sure nothing was wrong with them, and then unplugged each computer’s IDE cable and dropped them off at various tech-support businesses.

Now, if you’re not computer savvy, let me explain this. To anyone who has ever opened up a PC case, an unplugged IDE cable is as obvious to diagnose as trying to work out why a bucket with a gaping hole in the bottom won’t hold water.

The second thing is how easy this is to fix. Ever plugged a TV into an electrical outlet? That’s about the technical expertise involved. It’s literally putting a square peg in the square hole.

The point I’m trying to make here is that there is absolutely no way that anyone who has any experience at all with computers could possibly miss this problem.

However, that didn’t stop “Geek Squad” from saying it was a power supply issue, and trying to sell the reporter a new PSU, along with a hefty price tag for a ‘labor’ involved.

Again, I have no idea how they could have arrived at this diagnosis. If the power supply wasn’t working, the computer wouldn’t start up at all, instead of starting up but failing to boot.

Another place said that the motherboard was “half bad”.

Just to add further insult to injury, the IDE cable is what connects the Hard drive to the motherboard. When they turn the computer on “Primary Hard Disk Drive not found” appears on the screen. This tells you one of four things is wrong.

A) The Hard Drive is faulty and needs to be replaced.

B) The IDE cable is damaged and needs to be replaced.

C) The IDE cable has come unplugged.

D) The jumpers on the drive are set incorrectly.

So how the hell “Geek Squad” diagnosed a power supply problem, and another said it as a motherboard problem is beyond me. Technically it could be a motherboard problem, but you would definitely check the IDE cables first.

Just like when a car stops unexpectedly and won’t start up again, the first thing you check is that it’s not out of gas. Plus, when a headlight stops working, if you took it to a garage to get the bulb replaced, you wouldn’t expect them to tell you that your headlight isn’t working because your entire transmission needs replacing

However, the thing that honestly shocked me was that only one place they took a computer to simply re-plugged the IDE cable and handed it back. I mean, the prices charged where simply outrageous. The “half-bad motherboard” guy tried to charge $275, and there wasn’t a single price quoted that was under a hundred dollars.

A hundred dollars to plug in an IDE cable? Are you shitting me?

I can honestly say that if I worked in any of these places, and someone gave me a computer with an unplugged IDE cable, not only would I notice the problem within seconds of opening the case, I’d plug it back in, and just give it back to the customer.

If I had to quote a “fair price” for it, they’d owe me a single cent…and that’s only because there’s no such thing as a half cent piece.

It honestly makes me sad that so-called “experts” can be this dumb, or that it appears to be standard practice to rip off unsuspecting customers and charge them an arm and a leg to “repair” such a simple problem.

Now here’s the thing, and the best advice I can give to any new computer user. Find a friend who knows a little about computers, and get them to give you a tour of the inside of your computer case.

Honestly, it may be intimidating at first, but I promise you that I can show anyone how a computer works in less than half an hour. For the most part, most modern PC’s are simply a case of matching color coded connectors, and placing the “square peg in the square hole”.

Let me let you in on a big secret. Computers are easy. At least for the things an average user will need to do.

Think of it this way, you don’t have to understand exactly how an engine works to operate an automobile. You just need to know the controls, where the gas goes and how to check your oil and a few other things. It’s the same with computers.

Unfortunately, the PC Repair industry is based on maintaining the myth that it takes a genius to understand how to fix a computer.

However, let me give you an example of how easy it can be.

Say you want to fit some more memory in your computer. First, check the manual that came with your PC to see what type of memory your computer uses before you go to buy it. Then, go buy your memory.

Then, pop off the side of your computer’s case, and look on the motherboard (that’s the big main circuit board inside your machine that everything else is connected to), and look for the memory slot. (Again, this can be found easily in your manual, but essentially you’re looking at a square foot of real estate for something that looked exactly like the memory stick you’re holding in your hand, it shouldn’t be too hard).

Then, put the memory in the slot (It has cutouts on the memory stick, so it can only fit one way), and push down firmly until it clicks into place.

Congrats! You’re done!

Now, just to highlight my point, this is an operation that will take a couple of minutes, tops…and it’s yet another example of the “put the square peg in the square hole” level of difficulty.

However, if you went to Best Buy and got “Geek Squad” to do it for you, you’d find yourself paying about $160 for the privilege of not spending 2 minutes pushing a memory stick into a slot.