Geek Squad — Local services in Maple Grove

In 2015 I embarked on a journey to find the best laptop for video editing that was also affordable. I wanted it to be touch screen or 2-in-1 compatible because I just thought that feature was cool. Immediately after purchasing this brand new laptop, I started experiencing problems with it. The touch screen was extremely "glitchy" in tablet mode. In fact, you could only use the touch screen in laptop mode which defeats the purpose of the tablet mode. Then, I started having trouble with the laptop "going to sleep/hibernate" mode and then refusing to reboot. I began taking my laptop in to be repaired only 2 months after purchasing it because of these two annoying issues. Neither issue was ever fixed and it was a total inconvenience because I would constantly have to factory reset the laptop. Which meant transferring all files from the laptop and then back to it. Sometimes, I would take my laptop to Geek Squad several times in one month. Each time, they would tell me that they fixed the issue but I'd be right back soon after.

This all came to a head in mid-2018. At this point, I could no longer use my laptop. I even turned off the hibernate/sleep feature and yet I still experienced the same issue. I made up my mind that I would just buy a new laptop but then I said to myself, "I spent $800 on a laptop that I never got to enjoy. I should be compensated!" So, I began calling Best Buy technical support to see if I could get some help. The first guy went on to tell me that this is a manufacturer defect with ALL Windows computer systems and there is NO permanent fix. First of all, why didn't anyone tell me this? Secondly, Why are you selling defective products? Thirdly, if you knew it couldn't be fixed, why have you all been closing out my Geek Squad repair tickets and reporting them as resolved? He then walked me through how to remove the battery (something I had never been instructed to do before). I went home and gave this a try but it was unsuccessful. The problem was that my laptop did not have a removable battery. I called back the next day and of course, got a different representative. I expressed to her my frustrations with the laptop/customer service/technical support and she asked me if I had reached out to Geek Squad recently. In my head I'm like, "why would I? They claimed to have fixed the issue multiple times, all the while knowing that this was a Windows system defect that cannot be fixed." But I decided to give it a try because I truly had nothing more to lose at that point.

Now, I know you're probably wondering why I'm giving 5 STARS for such a horrible experience. Here's where the situation changes. I called the Best Buy Geek Squad location (Maple Grove, MN) where I purchased and had been taking my laptop for repairs. I spoke with a Geek Squad tech and explained to him the situation.To my surprise, the tech said, "let me talk to my manager and we'll see if we can get you a new laptop." I was completely shocked because the laptop was two years old at that point. The warranty and Geek Squad protection had expired. They honestly didn't have to help me at this point. But, he did. He reached out to his manager and the manager called me back and said, "We're sorry that you went through that. Please bring us your laptop and we'll credit you the total amount that you paid for the laptop in 2015 and you can get a new one of your choice." I went in the same day and purchased the new 2018 Apple MacBook Pro with touch bar. I used the $800 as credit towards my purchase so I got it for only $1200...

I purchased an accidental damage and repair plan for my camera. I scratched the lens and took it into Best Buy for repair. I was admonished by the Geek Squad staff for not setting up an appointment before dropping off my camera for repair or replacement, but they were still able to take my camera. About a week later, I received an email saying my device was preparing to ship back. The following day, I received an email saying more information was needed from me, and that I had to call Geek Squad. My first phone call to them lasted 8 minutes with a guy constantly telling me he was pulling up my info, and then our call was disconnected. On my second call, I was promptly told that my camera couldn't be repaired and that I had to come into the store for a replacement. I came into the store on 8/7 knowing exactly which camera was a close fit, and it took approximately 50 minutes to get in and out of the store, despite being helped immediately by the Geek Squad staff. The guy at the Geek Squad desk had to talk to three other people, including a manager, before it could even be determined that I was to receive a replacement. That all took about 15 minutes, all the while nobody said a word to me. I traveled back and forth from the Geek Squad desk to the customer service desk a few times, and each time had a long wait. Everyone I dealt with was polite and friendly, but I'd much prefer expediency. In short, I won't be using the Geek Squad protection plan ever again. I've used SquareTrade for other similar warranties, and I waste far less...

I had scheduled an appointment to have a cd-player/receiver installed in my vehicle. First off, had to wait a month to get in. When I filled out the service ticket, it had my name, address, phone number, and the work, but that was it. They then had me sign it. I went home and waited for them to call. When I picked up my truck, and went out to listen to it, about half the speakers and subwoofer were not working. They had written that the truck came in with the rear speakers "muffled" but that was not the case. This was a high end system to begin with, only thing I was changing was the cd-player/receiver. I talked to the shop manager, and store manager, spent over an hour there to no satisfaction. They were not willing to do anything about it. I then scheduled an appointment with a highly rated local shop, A Class Sounds. They found the issue in less than an hour with no additional parts sold, only the speakers, amp, etc I came in to Best Buy to begin with. They found the RCA's were hooked up to the deck wrong, and wire to sub not hooked up. I called again, and finally had to work with the BBB to get a refund. When I went in to the store to obtain the refund, no apologies were made to me for all the extra hassle I had to go through including multiple Uber trips back home and the extra cost of the other shop. If you want a high quality customer experience, don't use Best Buy, I highly recommend A...