What is Digg?114 Comments
- joe8pack, on 08/30/2008, -2/+56This ain't rocket science.
1. Why would anyone go to bestbuy to have AV software installed? If you can click "ok" you can pretty much install software.
2. The bottom of the computer (laptops) will have the power requirements listed - amps/volts as well as polarity for the d.c. connector. The power supply should have the same details listed, if they match up you have the correct electrical capabilities, now check the mechanical connection, is it the same shape? Is the polarity the same? Either its a match or not, and if doesn't match, don't try to force it.
Once you begin to acquire lots of gadgets that require power adapters, its a good practice to label them as to what they belong to.
This really helps when traveling or your in a hurry. It can be as simple as writing the device brand and model on a small slip of paper and taping it to the power supply for the device; to using a label maker and wrapping the label around the power cord. While these are practices that vendors and manufacturers should be doing, they won't until we clamor for them.
If you burn up your own *****, its cause you weren't paying attention or were lazy, or you just played russian roulette with a crappy chinese power supply. The 1st two are preventable and the 3rd is a fact of modern life under the WTO, which doesn't care if your baby eats lead toys or your house burns down from crap power supplies as long as China is bound to everyone else by trade dollars.
P.S Always check the electrical specs first, don't assume because a connector fits a device, that it's correct or compatible. I've seen many folks burn up things just cause it had the same plug. - rootnik, on 08/31/2008, -0/+48Mike, who works in IT, allowed his friend to pay $500 in warranties and AV?
- Yakoloi, on 08/31/2008, -1/+39I think Best Buy was absolutely correct to question the intelligence of a man who would pay Best Buy 300 dollars to install software as well as issue a warranty that is virtually the same as the manufacturers
- 9bpm9, on 08/31/2008, -0/+28Mike's a dick.
- kinseyincanada, on 08/31/2008, -7/+32How did Best Buy do anything wrong here? all they said was that the believed that maybe the consumer was wrong because usually the right adaptor came in the box, but when they realized their mistake they replaced it. buried for more consumerist *****.
- cgruber, on 08/31/2008, -0/+24I used to do internet phone support for a major ISP several years ago. One time a guy called in yelling at me because we didn't leave him the right cable for his modem. After about 5 minutes of troubleshooting we figured out he was using the USB cable but couldn't get it to fit in the modem. I had him reverse the ends of the cable and he said that it still didn't fit. He then asked why modems came with a "PULL STRIP". I replied that "they don't.." and what he said next is still easily the dumbest thing I've ever heard anyone do to a modem. He said "Yes they do, you just use a pair of needle nose pliers and pull the ***** off!". He had torn the center connector out of the USB slot and could no longer get the cable to seat properly. For a while I was thinking this guy was messing with me, about a week later I checked his account and saw a $60 charge on it for a damaged modem. So yes, some people really are idiots.
- seaprince1, on 08/30/2008, -7/+31***** Best Buy
- fuzzymuzzy, on 08/31/2008, -0/+18Is it just me or are 95% of the stories from The Consumerist about Best Buy
- AgmLauncher, on 08/31/2008, -0/+17To be fair, some people ARE too stupid to know how to plug a laptop in.
I worked as a pinch Easy Tech for Staples and every day I experienced enough customer stupidity to make me cry myself to sleep at night. The stories of people calling and asking "how do I turn my computer on" are absolutely, 100% true.
When customers refuse to buy a USB flash drive because they're stubbornly dyslexic and insist what they're looking for is a UBS drive, it makes you question your faith in humanity. - andymci, on 08/31/2008, -0/+17Too true. I toasted my old scanner by getting a pair of power cables mixed up. *ahem*
An expensive mistake for a student to make,
it once worked fine, but now it's baked.
The shape had matched, the cable fit,
yet I still fried that piece of *****. :( - Fhwqhgads, on 08/30/2008, -1/+15"Best Buy might actually have a workable customer service model if, you know, belated honesty made up for gross incompetence."
I would have said that to them. - vegx, on 08/31/2008, -0/+14I find it hard to believe a lot of consumerist stories because of how incredibly slanted they come off.
"Not only do they push anti-virus protection and an HDMI input on him, they charge him over $200 for it along with $300 warranty. So his $800 laptop is now $1300."
Yeah, they push it, but he still agreed to it. - slayernine, on 08/31/2008, -1/+14This isn't a story, this is just about a whiny bitch who feels he has been deeply wronged by the big bad corporation. I'm getting sick of all the hate filled stories being promoted on the consumerist. So what if the guy packing up the box put in the wrong cable, its not a big deal. People are people and mistakes happen, so go throw your tantrum in your own little corner where people care because I'm tired of hearing this kinda crap.
- crunchyleaf, on 08/31/2008, -0/+11So...someone made an error, and when the guy went in, the error was corrected? Hassle free? That's a horror story? Mmkay.
Also, the guy obviously doesn't work in IT, or he'd know that a lot of the time, questioning if someone knows how to plug in a computer solves everything. He just comes off as pissy that someone dared question him specifically, because CLEARLY they should know better. This shouldn't be on Digg. - abajaj2280, on 08/31/2008, -0/+11I would question his ability to plug in a computer too.
He just paid $500 extra after BUYING his laptop from Best Buy. - p3ngwin, on 08/31/2008, -0/+10yeah i saw that. "unopened it"...
so, he closed it ?? - slyzxx, on 08/31/2008, -3/+13consumerist story buried
- doshindude, on 08/31/2008, -0/+9Hello, IT, have you tried turning it off and on again?
Is it plugged in?
All right, I'll be right up. - Osirus1156, on 08/31/2008, -0/+9"Well how many times did you re-start?"
"Three. you always tell me to do it three." - sny1120, on 08/31/2008, -0/+8"He came back, unopened it and began to download all the things he needs."
unopened...rofl - PhilLesh69, on 08/31/2008, -1/+9mike only thinks he works in IT. He works NEAR or AROUND IT.
- BTallack, on 08/31/2008, -0/+8I second that. I'm quite certain that one can't simply "install" an HDMI port on a laptop. It has to come equipped from the factory.
- GiJoeBob, on 08/31/2008, -0/+7and when you get there it is unplugged.
It happens. A LOT. - Skod, on 08/31/2008, -0/+7Did you read the article? This wasn't an issue of them giving him an adapter that was rated differently, this was having a square peg for a round hole.
- Asmodeus04, on 08/31/2008, -0/+7The Consumerist would have you believe they also sacrificed their firstborn to Satan and raped their spouse.
Seriously, I can't stress how much I hate that website. Unbiased is not the word that comes to mind... - TripcodeMel, on 08/31/2008, -0/+7The other 5% are about idiots who decide to get themselves arrested at Costco because they get their panties in a bunch about having to show a receipt.
- BTConan, on 08/31/2008, -0/+6The Bard of Avon has nothing on you, good sir.
- PhilLesh69, on 08/31/2008, -0/+6His IT roommate confused a bunch of technical terms he overheard in the lunch room, because he "works in IT" meaning there are people who work in his company who have IT degrees or certifications, and he figures if he hears them talk often enough, that makes him an IT expert.
I have a friend who does finance at a car dealership, so he works in the automotive industry, right? I have a cousin who sells mortgages, so he's an expert in the home building industry, right? - insinuate, on 08/31/2008, -1/+7*****, I do over the phone tech support, be surprised how many people call me bitching at me because "your network is down all the time"...."Ma'am, I need you to unplug your modem and then plug it back on. Shows here its been on for a year straight." "OMG its working again!! Thank you!!"
- inactive, on 08/31/2008, -1/+7I was almost certain this was an Onion article...
- inactive, on 08/30/2008, -4/+10I got a Best Buy credit card when they moved to my area...I went out to get 5 items and my wife wanted to go by Sears...Just for kicks I priced the items there and when I got to Best Buy found Sears undersold them significantly on all 5 items...I cancelled my credit card, then bought the items at Circuit City because Sears Sucks
- Zantive, on 08/31/2008, -0/+6Meh, I agree. This isn't exactly the customer service fiasco of the century.
- Zantive, on 08/31/2008, -0/+6Hey, if the price is right I'd go with Best Buy. However that doesn't include letting their 'techs' touch my *****.
- PhilLesh69, on 08/31/2008, -4/+9And ***** the morons that buy computers from them.
"He's my roomate and decided to buy this PC after his old notebook died. He came back, unopened it and began to download all the things he needs."
He unopened it? So he placed it back in the original packaging???
"Now I work in IT, I think that I can PLUG IN A COMPUTER. "
Okay, assuming "working in IT" means you have formal educaton in computer hardware or some sort of certification or something, as opposed to being a help desk manager who knows nothing about computers but is great at managing those that do, how come you couldn't successfully communicate with the people at Best Buy?
Gee, I would have asked them what model number the power supply was supposed to be, what input and output voltages, and then I would have read the same back to them from the power supply I was holding. - BTallack, on 08/31/2008, -0/+5I don't understand how it's Best Buy's fault that one customer service rep was rude on the phone. It reminds me of all the people that blame Bill Gates for all their Windows problems. It makes no sense. One man is not a giant company.
- Spire3660, on 08/31/2008, -0/+5I would like to know about this hdmi 'input'
- satanatnmtedu, on 08/30/2008, -3/+8Are these stories real? The quoted text states the guy "unopened the box" and there was a "roomate". Doesn't anyone spell check or proof their emails? Lame.
- Asmodeus04, on 08/31/2008, -0/+5I thought that was a joke the first time someone told me that.
Sadly, it's not. - bizsumpark182, on 08/31/2008, -0/+5I used to work at Best Buy. And there is one time in particular that I remember where someone was really stupid to possible not be able to plug in a laptop. They were asking me how to turn on the desktop computer and how to turn on the monitor. There really are some people out there who are just that stupid. So I can understand why an employee would want to ridicule someone calling in and saying they could plug in their laptop. But, at the same time...how in the hell do you mess up that badly with getting adapters with laptops???
P.S. BB doesn't make any money on the computer itself. So they have to make money on the warranties, Geek Squad crap, etc. Thats why they seem so pushy sometimes. I always being preached...numbers numbers numbers. - PhilLesh69, on 08/31/2008, -2/+6or the coffee cup holder is broken.
- bizsumpark182, on 08/31/2008, -0/+4They do not have a secret site. The one that is in store covers the deals for that region. Each state, region, whatever has its own sales. Then you have the worldwide website which has its own deals. Best Buy usually doesn't match its online prices.
And most places are like that. I went into Wal Mart once to buy a cable that I saw on their site for $10 less then what it was in the store. I asked if they matched their website's prices. They said no, so I didn't buy it from them. Its that easy. If a place won't match the price then buy it somewhere else cheaper.
Isn't it weird how the power of a consumer works. - MadEnvoy, on 08/31/2008, -0/+4"some sort of certification" - I know plenty of "paper techs" that have certs and still don't know jack about computers.
- Asmodeus04, on 08/31/2008, -0/+4It gets them the most attention, so of course they'll put it on there.
The Consumerist also starts with the idea that most people aren't idiots, which is of course wrong. - waydee, on 08/31/2008, -0/+4It's not like working in IT means anything anyway, it certainly (unfortunately) doesn't mean you're especially good with computers beyond being able to pass your A+ and possibly another simple certification to get into the lower ranks, sometimes people in IT don't even have that.
I've seen countless people in the field that know very little about what they're actually doing beyond what their "pass your windows IT certification" book has told them. - EndouOuto, on 08/31/2008, -1/+4If you "work in IT" you should have enough sense
not to let BB do anything to you laptop. - plosfas, on 08/31/2008, -0/+3Since other people are sharing their BB idiot stories I guess I'll chime in. My favorite is a guy who called in because they were trying to activate Norton and it wouldn't accept their phone number. When I asked what error it gave he said, and I quote "It says to only enter numbers, but I don't have any hyphens or brackets or anything, I just put spaces in" I was speechless for a good five seconds before I was able to tell to try it without the spaces. I still don't know how if he thought the spaces were worth mentioning he didn't try to remove them BEFORE he called BB.
- Russian666, on 08/31/2008, -1/+4As someone who works for Geek Squad, I think a few things should be made clear.
The 300 dollars he paid extra was for a Product Service Plan that extends the Hardware warranty for another 3 years past HP's Warranty. Now, value that as you may, Personally, no parts in my PC are kept for longer than 3 years before theyre changed out. But most people want some kind of assurance that if it stops working it can be fixed. The customer is told by the salesman that the PSP does not cover Software, but in most cases when they do and the customer conveniently forgets. Either way its written on the pamphlet that there is no software covered in the warranty.
If he bought the computer last week, during Back to school. then honestly you've got to have some kind of give and take on that. Its 9am and you need to complete an initial setup on 30 machines by 4 and another 20 by 5 also you have another 10 laptops for repair that if arn't done the customers will be unpleasant. It becomes a little hectic. So I can understand that they misplaced the power adapter. Someone in my department packed the wrong laptop. In which case one of the geeks went to the customers house and exchanged it. We try to make things right, and if you think thats crappy customer service thats your opinion. But keep in mind were only human.
The 200 dollars was not simply an antivirus installation. That costs (at worst) 40-50 dollars. What he must be referring to is the silver plan that we have, that includes the initial setup, an optimization tool, installation of hardware, updated with the latest patches, recovery discs, and if he bought a printer then a test of the printer and installation of the printers software. Most people think its fair, seasoned vets will call it robbery, but for all we do and the time spent it becomes difficult to say if its a bad deal. If someone who knows nobody in the field needs to do those things but does not know how we provide that service. Now if Mike was "in IT" (whatever), and his buddy wanted to buy a laptop, and he was going to do the initial setup for him and save him the 200 dollars we charge then he should have done it and not complained about us installing software. It should not be free, because nobody works for free. If it should be that high or not is another issue altogether you always have the choice of doing things yourselves.
So please don't blame the cigarette companies for making you smoke if they were not the ones who shoved it down your throat in the first place. And don't blame the salesman for doing their jobs. You can always just say no. Even if hes persistent, keep in mind they're gonna sell you the item either way with or without the extras. Any salesman refusing to do so would be fired.
Thats all i care to say this early in the morning peace. - bdlang, on 08/31/2008, -0/+3Buried as sensationalistic and inaccurate. The article clearly states you were unable to plug it in, so why the pic of a melted outlet ala Skrik? Someone was in a rush, probably working on half a dozen units at once and mixed up the AC adapters, then admitted it and got you the right one. Boohoo.
- fragged23, on 08/31/2008, -0/+3Yea, they do get real pushy at times, especially towards the end of the month. But they ARE a company after all, the main focus would be making money.
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