Monday, April 28th&my computer would not boot up.instead I got a strange message apologizing for the inconvenience.
I am 60 years old, and easily intimidated by computer "glitches".
GEEK SQUAD seemed to offer some help.
The man at the counter was friendly and patient... Even when I asked him to repeat and explain, repeat and explain EXACTLY what he was going to do to my computer.
The AGENT FINDINGS AND CURRENT STATE OF THE COMPUTER, in his own handwriting, reads as follows: Unit is missing Boot.inI file and NTLDR. Unit needs Repair using Partition. ATTEMPT To Clean system if unit is uncleanable needs destructive Restore notify customer for data Backup (Capitalization and punctuation are his, not mine)
Under the heading AGENT RECOMMENDATIONS, he wrote: O/S Service
He explained again that they would run several "programs" that should restore my computer's operating system. This process would require a "couple of days" and cost $129.
If this process was not successful, he repeatedly agreed and promised to contact me. The next step would be something called "data backup" and would cost an additional $99 to $159, depending on the amount of data to be recovered.
I knew that we would come in at the upper end of that estimate. My desktop was literally filled with shortcuts to the many programs and projects that I have accumulated over the past 10 years, representing thousands of dollars of expense and as many thousands of hours.
Jump ahead two days. Wednesday, May 1st late afternoon. Caller ID identified the incoming call as the anxiously awaited GEEK SQUAD response.
I held my breath, hoping for good news, but silently expecting to have to stretch an already tight budget to cover the $159 charge for data recovery.
A friendly female voice informed me that my computer was ready for pickup; and that it was as good as new. "In fact, it was exactly as it had been the day I brought it home."
My heart stopped.
But, it was true. Somebody under the GEEK SQUAD roof had totally deleted all of my files, all of my programs, all of my business records, all of my wife's business records, all of our tax and banking records, and the list goes on.
That same friendly female voice called back a little later to say that one of their technicians who wouldn't be in to work till Friday would be able to recover our pictures, movies, document files, etc.
Friday came and went with no phone call.
Saturday I was one of the first customers in the store. The department manager assured me that he would continue working all day to try to retrieve anything possible. The tech who took the original order would be in at 3pm and perhaps together they could make some progress.
Any fireman will tell you that the one inanimate thing most likely to be carried out of a burning residence is FAMILY PHOTOS. People have died by going back into the flames to retrieve those irreplaceable photos. I could have been
one of those people; but I'll never have the chance. All our recent photos went up in one unauthorized DESTRUCTIVE RESTORE.
I'm 60. My wife is 64. Our grandkids are 13 and 8.
Many hours and many dollars may recover some of what we lost on the business level.
Nothing will ever replace what we lost from our personal lives.
Saturday, May 3rd. The manager called to say that he was very sorry, but they had been unable to save anything.
When I went to pick up my computer, the manager was no where in sight.
Two techs, one the original order taker, presented me with my "good as new" unit, many apologies, a refund of my original $129 (in cash for some reason) and a "free" external hard drive.
Last evening my son told me that he had seen a news flash on line about a woman who was suing Best Buy for $54 million.
This morning in a pique I did a "google" for "sue Best Buy". The $54 million story made the top listing. Down the page I found THE RIP OFF REPORT.
The first story was IDENTICAL to my situation. A lady from California reporting the same problem as mine and wondering if there were any others in the same boat.
Please add my name to the list.
Thanks for the catharsis.
Fred
Woodruff, South Carolina
U.S.A.
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