Bribe the Geek Squad?

hmkpoker · #1 04-23-2007, 06:34 AM

My laptop won't boot, and it's most likely a bum hard drive. The Geek Squad at Best Buy says it will be a $70 diagnostic to confirm that, and a $100 charge to recover data if it is.

I'm wondering if there's a cheaper way to go through with this. Geek Squad people don't make crap and I could probably just ask the guy to do it on his own for me without Best Buy for less than they charge, provided he has the tools. Is this a good idea?

kerowo · #2 04-23-2007, 08:22 AM

Look in the phone book for a local, non-chain, computer store and give them a call and see what their prices are.

goldtoes · #3 04-23-2007, 08:44 AM

These retail repair places are real ripoffs. They try to sell as many of these plans so the prices pile up ... all because their businesses are failing in other departments.

Look for another local shop - or even better, post the problems you are having with explicit detail and we can help you step by step to do it yourself.

cbloom · #4 04-23-2007, 11:46 AM

BTW I know the guy who started Geek Squad. He's filthy rich and a giant [censored]-muncher. Basically they hire kids who are just like average 2+2'ers (know a bit about computers but not a ton). They pay near minimum wage and charge the f**k out of the customers. Avoid at all costs.

OP, just find a friend who knows computers. Plug your laptop hard drive into a desktop and check it out.

SamIAm · #5 04-23-2007, 12:22 PM

My parents have a computer-fixit shop that they really like. The owner, a really old chinese guy, is always the one working the desk, and provides them great service at reasonable prices. But I have no idea how you'd find such a store w/o a personal recommendation.

[ QUOTE ]
He's filthy rich and a giant [censored]-muncher.

[/ QUOTE ]
What does he munch? I don't want you to circumvent the curse filter or anything; could you form an anagram of the word?

RivaLiva · #6 04-23-2007, 12:50 PM

I would say butt-muncher if i had to take a guess

Freakin · #7 04-23-2007, 01:10 PM

I'm going with the common name for rooster. My money is on that.

hmkpoker · #8 04-23-2007, 05:57 PM

[ QUOTE ]
or even better, post the problems you are having with explicit detail and we can help you step by step to do it yourself.

[/ QUOTE ]

Okee doke.

Does anyone know what a geek squad fellow does for his "diagnostic" check (to test whether or not the hard drive is, in fact, boned)?

bluey · #9 04-24-2007, 12:17 AM

just as an fyi when my harddrive crashed i sent it back to seagate and they said it would be $50 to look at it and if possible i could get data recovery done for $700-2000 was the average. i lost my pt database. $100 sounds way to cheap.

LuckyTxGuy · #10 04-24-2007, 12:24 AM

Bluey that is because your HD crashed hard. Often if the drive is just failing OR the problem isn't with the drive but instead with corrupt files in the operating system, all it takes is a $25 cable to attach the drive to a working computer and pull the data off.

The price you were quoted is correct when the drive is really gone. However, hard drives have many states of "gone". For $100 you are right, the Geek Squad would not be doing the data recovery you needed.