GeekSquad @ Best Buy

[mrsmaalox]

Anybody here ever use them for laptop repair? I have a Toshiba Satellite that is having the infamous (as I understand it) "Toshiba Loose Powerjack" issue. My battery is drained even with the power cord plugged in. The slightest movement of the cord shuts down all power. So I believe my laptop has to be disassembled, remove the mother board, and re-solder the power jack back into a solid standing position.

I'm pretty handy, but I'm not willing to attempt this. And since it's a mechanical problem and not a problem with the computer's brain, I just want to take it in and get this fixed. Never needed laptop repair before and there's a Best Buy about 5 minutes from my house.
Good or bad idea?

[z0sa]

Mouse would probably do it for a 12 pack of Rolling Rock.

[baseline bum]

Aren't the Geek Squad pretty much just salesmen who can also pop in a stick of RAM or plug in a new hard drive?

[IronMexican]

You'd be better off finding someone who is good with takign things apart and electronics. Probably cheaper and would get PC a lot faster

[Avitus1]

I dont know much about them but I do know that most of them aren't geeks. I asked them once who would win a fight Boba Fett or Deadpool and they didn't have an answer for me...

[DJ Mbenga]

i have this laptop and i had that exact problem. my advice, find somebody to do it for you, thats what i did.

[IronMaxipad]

Anybody here ever use them for laptop repair? I have a Toshiba Satellite that is having the infamous (as I understand it) "Toshiba Loose Powerjack" issue. My battery is drained even with the power cord plugged in. The slightest movement of the cord shuts down all power. So I believe my laptop has to be disassembled, remove the mother board, and re-solder the power jack back into a solid standing position.

I'm pretty handy, but I'm not willing to attempt this. And since it's a mechanical problem and not a problem with the computer's brain, I just want to take it in and get this fixed. Never needed laptop repair before and there's a Best Buy about 5 minutes from my house.
Good or bad idea?
Avoid Geek squad.

[resistanze]

They'll likely charge you the price of a new laptop to get it fixed.

[ATRAIN]

You guys should let her do it to teach her a lesson for even asking.

[Xevious]

They'll likely charge you the price of a new laptop to get it fixed.
Exactly. An out-of-warranty laptop isn't worth what they'll charge just to look at it.

I did home computer repair work while I was in college for a local company, and I felt ashamed at what we charged people... and it wasn't near what Geeksquad asks.

Find somebody else to fix it, or somebody to retrieve your data off your HD if you buy a new one. Computers a cheap nowadays.

[mrsmaalox]

You guys should let her do it to teach her a lesson for even asking.

Bite me.

[mrsmaalox]

They'll likely charge you the price of a new laptop to get it fixed.


Exactly. An out-of-warranty laptop isn't worth what they'll charge just to look at it.

I did home computer repair work while I was in college for a local company, and I felt ashamed at what we charged people... and it wasn't near what Geeksquad asks.

Find somebody else to fix it, or somebody to retrieve your data off your HD if you buy a new one. Computers a cheap nowadays.

Someone recommended a place called the SA Computer Doctor, which coincidentally is next door to Shipley's Donuts, so I stopped by this am. They want $178 (2 hours labor) for the job, which I am not going to pay. I bought it new 2 years ago for less than $400, I've used the hell out of it and I would not feel bad retiring it if I can't find someone to fix it cheap.
I bought my son a new version of this same laptop last month, so I'm going to swap power cords with him first to double check that it's not the cord.

[Creepn]

Ya if its a hardware fail off the motherboard, they will most likely tell you to buy a new motherboard and they would install it for you. I never heard of a computer dude taking the time to solder stuff. I called toshiba before and asked them how much they charged for their tablet pc motherboard, they said around $500.

Might as well buy yourself a nice new one. It'll be worth it anyway.

[ATRAIN]

anyone dumb enough to even consider using geek squad desearves to be ripped off.

[mrsmaalox]

anyone dumb enough to even consider using geek squad desearves to be ripped off.

Anyone dumb enough to misspell "deserve" can just bite me :)

[ATRAIN]

Anyone dumb enough to misspell "deserve" can just bite me :)

bite you where?

[resistanze]

Someone recommended a place called the SA Computer Doctor, which coincidentally is next door to Shipley's Donuts, so I stopped by this am. They want $178 (2 hours labor) for the job, which I am not going to pay. I bought it new 2 years ago for less than $400, I've used the hell out of it and I would not feel bad retiring it if I can't find someone to fix it cheap.
I bought my son a new version of this same laptop last month, so I'm going to swap power cords with him first to double check that it's not the cord.

Yeah, anything I can't fix on my own or isn't in warranty usually bites the dust.

If you could find a repair for less than $75, I'd consider it. Otherwise it's not worth it since you'd be paying almost one-third of the purchase price to repair an increasingly outdated model.

I mean, laptops generally are given a lifespan of what, 3-4 years? You're already past the halfway point on your laptop - if no one's gonna give you a deal, I say forget it.

[ATRAIN]

Yeah, anything I can't fix on my own or isn't in warranty usually bites the dust.

If you could find a repair for less than $75, I'd consider it. Otherwise it's not worth it since you'd be paying almost one-third of the purchase price to repair an increasingly outdated model.

I mean, laptops generally are given a lifespan of what, 3-4 years? You're already past the halfway point on your laptop - if no one's gonna give you a deal, I say forget it.

I agree 100%. I never call helpdesks or have anyone fix it. If I cant do it on my own its not fixable :). I got to put my A+ to work from time to time.

[scampers]

Avoid Geek Squad at all costs. They are overpriced and generally have no idea what they're doing. It's actually likely that they'd just ship your laptop off somewhere else to get it repaired.

If you -have- to pay someone to fix it, look in your paper or on craigslist for any local PC repair people. A lot of times, the kids running a business out of their mom's garage probably won't have to the know-how to fix an issue like that, but you may be able to find an established shop that's at least half the cost of Geek Squad.

[jimo2305]

i know geeksquad won't fix that..


it's not a cheap repair neither tbh.. 178 was a fair price imo.. jus get a new lappy..

[PM5K]

Did I seriously just read a thread with twenty posts and not a single Craigslist recommendation?

[jimo2305]

craigslist is scary nowadays..

i think they'll ask her to pay for it with sex

[PM5K]

Seems like a fair deal to me.

[jimo2305]

Seems like a fair deal to me.

:rollin

[mrsmaalox]

Hahaha wiseguys!

Okay so I borrowed my son's ac adapter, worked like a charm on my laptop, but I only left it in for a few seconds. Went to Altex, got a new adapter for $40, happy I was getting off cheap. Came home, plugged it in and nothing! Same problem happening, as before. Packed up Altex's cord and plugged mine back in and it has held up long enough to get my battery charged up. So now I'm thinking it's a motherboard problem. I think I'll be laptop shopping this weekend.

Tanks everyone :toast

[mouse]

75 cash


http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/cps/1673919269.html

[DannyT]

@mouse

whats good homie

[mouse]

Dude I left you two messages! I live by Fair avenue now!

sell me the latitude parts!

[mouse]

You still have that DELL?

[phyzik]

Geek Squad is a fucking joke. They will charge you an arm and a leg just to format and reload your system (thats pretty much what they do 90% of the time). Installing a new motherboard? forget it. You might as well buy a new laptop if your planning on taking it to Best Buy.

If Mouse can do it, go for it. If it was me who was asked to fix it and its an old laptop (3 or 4 years), I'd advise you not to waste the money on it.

2 reasons.

1) Nothing against Mouse in regards to his technical know how, but you run the risk of totally ruining the laptop from a non-trained technician and still have to shell out the money for a new motherboard at the least. Im seriously not trying to dog on what Mouse can do, all I'm saying is I wouldnt agree to that type of work without letting the person know that shit could go horribly wrong.

2) If its close to 3 years old, you might as well buy a new one. Chances are you could get a $600 laptop thats just as comparable, if not infinately better, than what you have now and Mouse could transfer your data over quite easily.

I'm just saying.....

[DannyT]

Whats good vato, let me know what you got left for the parts, stop holding out on the goodies, I know you got your stash hidden in the corner. Let me get them goods.

[mrsmaalox]

75 cash


http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/cps/1673919269.html

Mouse, thanks for this. I've been talking with this guy---very nice and he has my laoptop now. Doesn't look good though :( I'll let ya know what happens.....

[mrsmaalox]

Well I've been looking at laptops and am suffering severe sticker shock. Maybe I'm wrong but it looks like prices are way higher than when I bought mine a couple of years ago. Anyway I'm thinking I like the Sony Vaio, but Toshiba are the only ones that keep jumping out at me as having any good deals, but I am unsure if I should be gunshy about them? Also some Acers look like a lot of machine for the price but I really don't know anything about those.

I had the "CPU Doctor" who Mouse recommended, diagnose my Toshiba and the motherboard was fried :( I have found a couple of replacements for about $250---so I think I'll just save my laptop and look out for a cheaper mb over the next few months to have installed for my daughter. In the meantime, if anyone needs laptop work done, I recommend you give the CPU Doctor (Ken White) a call. He was very helpful, took only a couple of hours to get back to me with the diagnosis--and charged me only $25, if I wanted to pay it, since there wasn't anything he could do.

Once again, thanks Mouse :toast

[z0sa]

I have owned a mid-range Toshiba satellite(?) laptop for over 3 years and have had zero problems - never even a system restore. It was a graduation present so I don't know the pricing exactly but I couldn't be more pleased with how it's done. I use it extensively for both work and college and it's been a beast.

[Heath Ledger]

Dude it's a very simple solder job. Find a tech on craigslist you will pay one quarter the price for the repair.

[PM5K]

Fuck Mouse, I'm the one that told you to look for someone on Craigslist. Sorry I didn't spoon feed the shit to you.

[mouse]

Whats good vato, let me know what you got left for the parts, stop holding out on the goodies, I know you got your stash hidden in the corner. Let me get them goods.


Dude Kim left me no rent food or phone. I had to leave all my furniture,Tv,and PC parts behind.

I have a few Dells i want to put together and give them to the shelter but I am low on parts i need your base plate on that D600

how much you want for it?

303-8423

[mrsmaalox]

Fuck Mouse, I'm the one that told you to look for someone on Craigslist. Sorry I didn't spoon feed the shit to you.

Awwww :lol

seriously, I did look on CL after your post, I just didn't have time to make a very thorough search. But I thank you too! :toast

[SpurShark]

Let the haters hate! I work for GS and if this CL don't work out (personally would NEVER do busines on CL, especially if it involves you leaving expensive hardware w/ some randie) I'd be happy to take a look at it for you.

[mouse]

Fuck Mouse, I'm the one that spoon the shit

This vato has a future here at ST! :toast