As I reported previously, I had a little trouble with Best Buy’s Geek Squad getting a computer fixed. I’d like to report that shortly after the post, I went back to get the result of the diagnosis and they found the error and agreed to do an exchange for a brand new one.
Ka-ching – or so I thought… The computer we (it’s my fiancee’s computer, but I’m the software engineer) originally got was $829 after a bunch of rebates. After paying the $199 extended warranty, we are talking $1000+ dollars. They only gave us $600 towards the replacement computer due to depreciation. While I can somewhat understand that, we had to pay another $199 for another warranty on the new computer. They said that the exchange fulfilled the agreement. So in reality, we ended up getting something like $400 worth from the exchange ($600-$200 warranty) to get back to where we were.
In the end, we did get an upgrade to the computer we had before, but I felt like we really paid for it in time and cost of the new warranty. I’m not so sure the warranty is the best deal, but it’s hard to turn it down after it saves you from buying a new one entirely.
I’m sorry, but that makes me mad. In your post, you don’t seem that upset, but it’s almost as if Best Buy just strung you along and then you had to purchase a new warranty anyhow. That’s not right. And then they only gave you $600.00 towards a new one. What’s the point of the warranty then?? Like you said, you feel like you paid for it in time and cost of the new warranty. What a ripoff.
I think my opinion is split. Yes, I think it’s not right to kill the 3 year warranty that we paid for. What if they sold computers that lasted two months and died? We’d end up buying warranties with each sub-par machine they sold – which would cost us thousands.
However, I don’t think that Best Buy is really trying to sell us machines that will fail. As for the $600 towards a new one, we really did get a computer that’s a lot better.
While we do felt we paid for it in time and cost of the new warranty we got an equivalent of a $1300-1400 laptop 1.5 years ago. I think we are okay with that overall, but it’s not a gain. And it shouldn’t be a gain. I’m just looking to be made even here.