Don't buy your computer from Best Buy! (vent)

[Marilyn Mc]

DH and I had off today and went looking for a new computer. We went to Best Buy and bought a HP 1250N. We were told it was a great computer......top of the line. To make a long story short, we hooked it up and the screen froze up. Made a few calls for help and were told it was probably defected. We brought it back and exchanged it. Came home, hooked up computer #2. The message "Disc Boot error" came up. Please insert disc. OK. Made a call to Best Buy. Was told this one was probably defected too. We're bringing it all back tomorrow for a refund. We spent a lot of money there today and refuse to give them a penny. DH thinks they are scamming for money because some 19 year old behind the counter said he could fix the problem for $150!! Why would I pay that to fix a BRAND NEW computer? I think it's a ploy to get you to sign up for their extended warranty.

If you're still reading, thanks for listening. So, what kind of computer do you have and WHERE DID YOU GET IT? No more Best Buy for us.

 

[debbiedoo]

I have the imac G5 -- bought at the apple store -- no disappointments here--always helpful and they go out of their way -- good luck!

 

[epcotfan]

I bought my last computer at Best Buy. No problems here. It is a Compaq 6410NX. I did laugh at the fact that they said for about $100.00 they could open up the computer and make sure it worked ok before I left the store. I told them I'd bring it back if it didn't work. Other than that weird policy I've had no problems with their customer service and they've always been rather helpful.

 

[drgnfly30]

Not that I'm saying Best Buy has the best service (it doesn't) - but it sounds like it's the computer - I'd stay away from that model if I were you!

I've had some clunkers in my time - my Gateway laptop which I only later discovered was really an emachine. I'll never buy an Emachine or a Gateway again

 

[MoniqueU]

I would also stay away from that model. Sounds like a sign.

 

[luv2nascar]

I think you are placing the blame on the wrong people. Best Buy didn't make the HP computer you bought. Blame HP do more research maybe this computer isn't what you think it will be. My mom and dad love their Gateway they got from Best Buy -no problems for them. I have been using the same crappy Fujitsu notebook for 3 or 4 yrs with no problems. Lemons come in all brands

Or as my computer husband says most of the times it is the end user?

 

[drgnfly30]

I wanted to add that I hope you didn't take the 'salespersons' word that that model was the top of the line... I learned that with Best Buy do the research beforehand & go in knowing what you want.

 

[Talking Hands]

I bought my last computer from Best Buy and have had no problems with it. They have also serviced my lousy Gateways and recovered my data for me. If both HP's were bad then go for another brand. I have a Sony VAIO laptop

 

[PrincessKitty1]

The same thing actually happened to us in the late 1990s with Compaq computers we bought through Office Depot! Two in a row were defective. However, we bought 2 more (these were gifts for my mom and my sister) and they lasted for years. My mom still uses hers.

FWIW, DH is a computer tech and doesn't have a strong opinion about HPs. Definitely doesn't like Emachines at all. Generally recommends Dells, and that you make sure you pay the extra $10 to get the software disks (rather than just having the software preoaded without getting disks).

 

[Marilyn Mc]

Well, we certainly have learned a lesson. The reason we blame Best Buy is that, now in retrospect, it seemed that they were trying hard to sell this model knowing that it was awful.

Does anyone have any websites that have good information/reviews? The ones I'm finding are very limited.

 

[Marilyn Mc]

I have a Sony VIAO

Talking Hands, we were considering this model and the salesperson led us to the "great" HP. How has your VIAO been?

 

[Poohnatic]

Check ePinions. I've had good luck with them on cell phones, dunno how they'd be about computers.

I bought a computer from Best Buy years ago, staring at the box the cpu is in right now. Then again, I'd sold computers for a few years so I knew what I wanted and what I was getting.

My laptop is HP and it's been great.

Good luck in your search for a new machine.

Suzanne

 

[tiggersmom2]

Talking Hands, we were considering this model and the salesperson led us to the "great" HP. How has your VIAO been?

I have a VIAO also...it is awesome! I bought it from Sams club and it was a good 500.00 cheaper than the same model at Best Buy.

I have had 3 HPs and they ALL had horrible problems. My Sony is running strong.

 

[ksjayhawks]

I have a VIAO also and really like it.

Have gotten all my computers from Best Buy and have had no problems with them. I do get the extended warranty as it is cheaper than a service call. I have had a modem and hard drive go bad on other computers and it was fixed, no problem, no cost.

 

[Dare2Wish]

I had a problem like this when I bought a digital camera from Best Buy a couple of years ago. I knew nothing about them and relied on the salesperson for recommendations. He steered me right to a model and invited several other salespeople to come over and tell me how great it was. I took it home and it worked for about 5 minutes. When I took it back the next day, they said they warned me about the importance of an extended warranty. Did I want one now? I exchanged it for the same model. Again, it did not work. I just got my money back. The model was an HP. I don't trust that place anymore.

Oh, BTW, my computer is an HP that I bought from Circuit City 6 years ago. I haven't had one problem with it.

 

[mickman1962]

The reason behind this is major manufacturer of PC's do not test the PC's once they are built. They never even turn them on, just put them right in the box and ship them. They are willing to accept a % of DOA PC's as part of doing business. Too bad you got 2 of them. BTW either PC could have been fixed in less then 3 minutes by anyone with knowledge of PC's.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Don't blame Best Buy for the computer. All places sell defective computers and are a PITA to deal with.

Computers have become disposable now. Buy them, use them for a few years, throw them away.

Our family buys cheap now. Get a new one when it craps out. People that bought "big fancy computers" 2 years ago, have "less" than a cruddy e-machine that is sold for a couple of hundred bucks these days.

 

[Pin Wizard]

The reason behind this is major manufacturer of PC's do not test the PC's once they are built. They never even turn them on, just put them right in the box and ship them. They are willing to accept a % of DOA PC's as part of doing business. Too bad you got 2 of them. BTW either PC could have been fixed in less then 3 minutes by anyone with knowledge of PC's.

That's terrible! I buy a computer, I expect it to work from the time it's turned on.

Actually, I won't buy any from CompUSA again. I had one several years ago that was GREAT...a Packard Bell. I understand they aren't in business any longer. Of course not...they were GREAT! Only problem was my computer being zapped in a thunderstorm in FL. They replaced the modem without any problem. After that, it simply ran out of memory. Last time around I bought a CompUSA custom built...RUN!!!! Don't buy any custom built! C-USA never sent me notification that the warranty needed to be renewed. The thing died 4 months after the warranty expired. I took the computer in WITH my Windows disk. THEY KEPT MY DISK!!!!! Grrrrrrrrr. They really need to put the serial numbers ON THE DISK!! No number, you can't prove they have "your" disk. I'll never buy a thing from them again. I paid them $100 just to look at the thing. All my college papers are on this computer, and I'm not done with school yet! I'm NOT happy.

This time I've been checking Best Buy. The guy was pushing me towards an e-machine I think. Forget it. Heard horror stories from a friend with one. He actually steered me away from the Sony's. Said you're paying more for the "black" cover on it. Hmmmm. People here seem pretty happy wih them.

So I'm stuck on my Apple (Mac) laptop for now. Ugh.

 

[Tinijocaro]

We have a 7 year old Macintosh G3. Not one breakdown of any kind. We've added some RAM recently and added a hard drive a couple years ago- to keep up with the times, but that's it. The darn thing just runs and runs.

Jackie

 

[LoraJ]

I bought my laptop from Best Buy and had no problems with it.
But, I went in there a month or so ago, looking at desktops. I asked specific questions about a model they had asking how much RAM it could expand to etc. He told me it was up to 2gigs. When I went home, and I looked at that model online, it was only expandable up to 1gig. So, if I were you, I would research the models carefully online before buying it.

After that I just decided to build my own computer.