Best Buy not honoring factory warranty

So I dropped my G60 off for a panel replacement, and they kept it for 3 weeks and now want to give me a crappy HP replacement or gift card. On top of that they blame it on ASUS...I wanted to share my post in the BB forums with actual NON-Best Buy staff so that you can make an informed decision weather or not you want to buy a laptop from Best Buy with this kind of warranty service. Look at how they treat their customers.

BBY - Geek squad not honoring ASUS warranty - Best Buy Community

 

EDIT: Sorry just saw the specs on the link.

Your being absolutely burned. Sounds to me like a DV7

I wouldnt go near a phenom duel core processor if you paid me personally especially if I had an I5 and your GPU (GTS 360) is one of the highest class 2 models and they want to replace it with one of the lowest class 3 models (HD 4250) which is LOLable. It wont be able to run any game past 2008 in anything but low settings. 3Dmark06 on your GPU is 10329 and on the one they are offering is a truly poor 1545.

Tell em to stick it as its all about power over price unless you could possibly sell it and make a profit and pick up a G73??.

Personally I do not expect anyless less from a company that drops 64bits and 500mb off of a GPU and still call it a GTX460 mind

 

My friend had a bad experience with Geek Squad and BB recently. He had a Gateway 7811FX which he bought for $1450 about 2 years ago and he bought all the warranty stuff too. He wanted to get his replaced because it had some problems and was showing it's age. They told him it took 3 repairs for them to CONSIDER replacing it.

So he sent it for one repair because of something with the fans, took 2 weeks and they didn't do anything but clean it. We later find out that it didn't count towards the 3 repair thing because they had to actually replace the hardware. His LCD had some serious backlight bleed so he took it in and asked them to fix or replace it. So they took it in and shipped it and replaced the LCD. A week and a half later when he got it back it was a 1440x900 screen (His was 1920x1200), after some rage with the employees saying it was a "problem with vista" they re-sent it again for another 1-2 weeks.

Luckily because of that mistake, it counted as a repair too so that's two. After getting it back it had a much worse screen, unbearably bad. Afterwards he just said screw it and broke the DVD drive just so he could get his replacement. Another week and a half without the laptop and he finally got it back. They told him now that after the 3 repairs, he has to send it again a FOURTH time for it to be certified for a replacement. When he got it home, the DVD drive was still broken, they didn't do jack so he went back and complained and sent it off.

While in class he got the magic call that he could get a replacement. They offered him a $1200 Toshiba Qosmio but he wanted credit and they gave him $1300 in store credit to which he used to get a G73SW-BST6. Sadly the BST6's gaming performance was WAY worse than mine, he was very disappointed. So he returned it and ordered a refurbished G73JH-BST7 and is going to get an SSD with the remainder so hopefully that turns out alright. Never again with the warranty though, he spent months without his laptop. Also avoid the BB SW, it's terribad.

 

I don't know why you think you can not deal directly with asus. While it was a horrible experience requiring a few trips back and forth and hours placed on hold, I have dealt directly with asus with a best buy purchased g71gx.

 

That doesnt sound much different from asus... If he really wanted to get a new replacement without doing 3 or more repaires look up "Asus destruction" on youtube. That is how you use the best buy warranty.

OP you should demand credit for the laptop and not accept that HP.

 

wow they are offering you that crappy HP in return for a g60? What BS. I wouldn't accept. Just escalate the situation.

 

Part of the "sales" agreement between BB and asus is that BB gets the units cheap, but asus also lets them do the warranty.

So the OP can't deal directly with asus, because that's not part of the terms of the conditions of purchase.

 

Your threads have been merged. Please do not cross-post in the future, no matter what message or question you may have.

 

Additionally, HP is just providing you an equivalent price with similar specs. Yes, the GPU isn't the same. But the screen is about the same, and the hard drive, and all the things that BB employees are trained to use as selling tools.

Your problem is twofold. 1, they're offering a worse computer because 2, they don't have any super-awesome deals like the g60.

If they replaced warranty computers with similar specced ones, a 2 year old high-end laptop would be replaced with a recent mid-low range one. So they do it by PRICE.

If you don't like the replacement option, accept a gift card. Because BB is doing everything they are contractually obligated to do. Your repair is a special case, usually newer laptops are better than older ones, and since you're getting an HP (brand name) and bigger screen, the manager probably thinks he's giving you a deal.

So go in, act like an adult and tell them that the replacement isn't comparable in terms of performance, and if they're unable to replace it with a similar model then they'll need to provide you with a gift card or credit towards something that fits your needs.

Also: Yes, it's terrible. But you bought a best-buy ASUS (inexpensive computer with cheaper parts than the reseller ASUS models) at Worst-Buy. I mean best buy. No victim blaming here, *but* what did you expect?

 

Good lord, that sounds like an absolute nightmare. Stuff like that is why I'm always afraid to send laptops and such in for warranty repair when there is some minor issue with them - I do not like the idea, on principle, of shipping away a valuable piece of personal equipment into the hands of a bunch of corporate putzes for them to "repair" unless I *absolutely* have to. What happened to you is like my nightmare scenario: some greasy-fingered kid they hired who probably had almost no experience actually repairing laptops breaks the thing in an attempt to fix it, and I get offered some far-from-adequate "replacement" while my laptop disappears in a hopeless maze of corporate red tape, as smug former Best Buy employees with half a brain cell apiece on the internet tell me that it was my fault all along for not personally seeking out the arcane terms and conditions that state that once I sent my laptop in for repair I gave up any and all personal claim to it. Good lord.

I'm not saying that's what really happened to your laptop, but it definitely *could* have happened.

Regardless, I would never buy anything worth more than like $50 at most from Best Buy (and even then only in rare circumstances) specifically because of stuff like this. It all comes down to the fact that it's never wise to spend a lot of money with corporations unless you absolutely have to - smaller businesses that have a lot more to lose take considerably better care of their customers, and actually *would* be willing to take a slight loss in order to retain your business with them in a situation like this. Best Buy could care less - you can't do anything to hurt them, and they know it, so their perspective is that if you don't take whatever unreasonable terms they're offering then it's no skin off their back. After all, you're primarily dealing with underpaid kids who probably get a stern talking-to from their manager if they give in to a customer's demands.

I mean, it sucks, but this is like *what happens* when you spend money with Best Buy. I was price-shopping around for the G53SW I wanted to get and saw the one at Best Buy, noted that it was only $1100, and thought "hm, that's too good to be true." And sure enough, it was - it had a completely different chassis that was nowhere near as nice, two thirds the normal amount of VRAM in the graphics card, an i5 dual-core instead of an i7 quad-core, a freaking 1366x768 screen instead of a 1920x1080... I think there were even some more differences. Plus the amazing Geek Squad warranty you're having fun with. So I bought a real G53SW with newegg, and even that made me slightly nervous because like I said, I always prefer to spend money with small, local companies if at all possible.

edit: By the way twerntz, you asked that person on the Best Buy forum what "I no longer have any affiliation with Best Buy" means? It means that they were actually somehow too incompetent even to work at Best Buy, so instead of getting paid to make customers' lives miserable, they decided to do it for free on the official forums in their spare time! Can't imagine what else it'd mean. Pretty funny how half the posters have that in their signature xD

 

I currently have a BB Asus notebook that is out of warranty. This thread affirms my decision to never buy another product at BB.

 

I tried opening a support case on the ASUS website and the automated system kicked back an error that said I needed to work with Best Buy directly. It must have something to do with Model/Serial#. I did just recently send them an email about my situation, and ASUS has told me that once I get the laptop back, they would work with me directly.

They just froze the thread in the BB forum.

nice.

As was communicated to me, I expected an ASUS factory warranty. Its not a factory warranty. Its the "free" geek squad warranty with, maybe, factory parts.

Honestly, I was not in the market for a gaming laptop but they had this one on closeout floor model super discount. That, of course, is why I'm being punished now...for getting a good deal, and not understanding that the standard laptop warranty is not an ASUS warranty, rather its a geek squad warranty.

The ONLY reason I shop at Best buy is for their deferred interest plans. In terms of credit plans, Best Buy simply rules the market (at least in California).

For a mid range gaming rig, I am extremely happy with this laptop, even with dead pixels. The lower 720P really helped keep the frame rate up on an otherwise limited card. Once I got all the BB bloatware off the machine its been solid as a rock for 8 months.

I used to work break-fix field repairs for Dell and HP. These screens are cheap and easy to swap out. I thought the ASUS repair would simple. I never would have guessed that they would junk/recycle(whatever that means) a good gaming machine for 10 dead pixels.

At least you will be working with ASUS, if you do a claim. Ive never had issues with factory ASUS service.

 

Can you now just get it back, and replace the screen yourself?

 

I liked this on page 2 from the Best Buy link

"Based on this information and details gleaned from associates at your local store then, it’s my understanding that you were offered this HP model as an alternative solution – no additional expense would be required on your part and you would still have a functioning laptop."

 

Pretty funny to see the difference in reactions between this thread and the BB thread. They're swarming in and having their way with you dude. Go in, in person, and put on your best madface, and at least get your original laptop back, and then think about an exchange.

 

I'm sure AMD will be happy to know that a Intel i5 with a GTS 360m card is comparable to a Dual-core Phenom with RADEON 4250 integrated graphics.

Sorry for your problems, you got royally screwed.

 

Sad story. You must have gotten a smoking deal on the G60 originally in order for the refund to be of so little value. I understand not wanting a BB credit when it won't get you a comparable laptop, will a refurb G73 from BB be too much of a stretch between the credit amount and the cost be too much? Maybe you can negotiate the price down.

 

I feel like a refurb G73 from BB would just extend the nightmare.

 

I had the same type of issue with Best Buy with my G73 JH when I bought it new . Took it back the next day as it would not work , kept shutting down in about 3 minutes .
They took it and sent it off , it was going for two weeks or so , got a call when it was back. Went in and they told me it was full of bodily fluids and they would not be able to fix it as of this.
Every one who bought one of these at this store where told almost the same story .
We know this as of a post in the paper lol .
You can not deal with Best Buy as they are going to do anything they can not to do what they agree to that may cost them money.

Asus fixed mine , but it has been in 3 times for repair and it has to go again.
I will not be buying anymore ASUS computers that is for sure !

 

Bodily fluids? Uh....whatttt

 

I wouldnt accept that. What you paid for the laptop isnt a concern. Honoring the warranty is repairing the notebook or offering a comparable replacement. If that fails then a full refund. The HP isnt even close to being an acceptable replacement.

Mail and Call Consumer Affairs in your state and in the state you purchased it. Certified letters and phone calls to BB HQ and Asus HQ. Consult a lawyer and get them to send the letters (Cost me 30$ for them to stamp, sign and mail the letters i wrote) to notify of legal proceedings if the matter isnt resolved. If they still refuse to return your notebook i would file a theft of property at the police department. Send Trinity Sparks at Asus a phone call as well.

Dont take no for an answer. Dont go away. Call every day, Twice a day. Let them know you are not a person they can screw over that will just "go away". Let them know you are aware of consumer rights and the Magnuson Warranty Act. Magnuson?Moss Warranty Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Do as i say and i promise you will have a new high end computer at your doorstep before you know it.

 

So they are sending it back to the store and ASUS has issued an RMA. Going on week 4 but at least I can see light at the end of the tunnel.

Yeah, I could change out the screen myself, but its under warranty.

The BB forum is a joke. Its pretty obvious that it was a waste of time to post there...gives you a good idea what its like working with them though. I emailed the MOD and asked him to reopen the thread because the issue is not resolved. Its been a couple days and he has not responded.