Expensive computer repairs

[simon275]

This is an investigative report conducted by some American TV station on computer repairers. They got a computer unplugged the IDE cable from the HDD and took it to different computer repairers to see if they can diagnose and repair the problem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxqx4hgeKgQ&mode

I am absolutely disgusted by what some of the places tried to pull. Something like this would never happen in Australia. I know it is probably blown out of proportion by the media but the fact that it happens is still below board.

If something like that did happen over here the fair trade commission would be contacted and those who tried to rip you off would be fined or lose there business licenses.

[ESX]

Damn! $275 for a lose cable? Man, I wouldnt charge anything for that :/

[AJ@PR]

That sucks.

[Ironcat]

I am absolutely disgusted by what some of the places tried to pull. Something like this would never happen in Australia.

************************************************** *

PC resellers branded as "cowboys"
By Byron Connolly, CRN | Staff Writers, 14 July 2004 00:00 AEST Systems & Components



Almost half of Sydney's computer repair shops surveyed by ComputerCHOICE magazine are overcharging and incompetent.
The magazine surveyed 46 PC repairers by sending an anonymous shopper to each repairer asking for a quote to fix a broken PC.
The survey found that 48 percent of the repairers overcharged and made the customer wait for three days or more for a quote.
Two repairers permanently damaged the computer, then told the shopper that the fault already existed and suggested expensive repairs.
ComputerCHOICE editor Georgina Swan, said the results were "alarming."
"There's about a 28 percent chance your computer will not be repaired properly, based on our survey results."
The good news was that about 26 percent of repairers fixed the problem quickly and didn't charge for the services, ComputerCHOICE said.
"They're the good guys of the industry. They go beyond the call of customer service. Unfortunately, their job is made all the more difficult by those repairers who don't do the right thing," Swan said.
Computer repairers can set themselves up as experts without any form of regulation or validation of their competence so it's important to be prepared in case something goes wrong, the publication said.
A spokesperson at the NSW Office of Fair Trading, said it had 30 complaints in NSW in relation to computer repairs and maintenance between 1 July 2003 and now.
To put this in perspective, there were 3955 complaints in NSW in relation to computer hardware and software products over the same period.
A further 296 complaints were in relation to defective goods over the period, Fair Trading said.
Commenting on the results, George Law, owner of Sydney-based reseller Bootstrap Computer Solutions, said some one- and two-man computer shops don't have the required technical expertise to service the customer properly. Some "don't fully understand the technical aspects of a PC," he claimed. "The industry is like that anyway," he said, referring to the results.
He questioned whether IT industry regulation would make any difference. "How can it be regulated? It needs to be, but how?"
He added that some resellers are more interested in "up-selling the customer" and coercing them to buy a new PC rather than fixing what could be a minor problem with their existing machine.
"It could be a simple problem - but they try to up-sell. Basically they'll try to sell them [the customer] a new computer [when] it's just a virus problem," he said.




According to the publication, the fault was minor, a wire disconnected from the hard drive and "the repairer had to open the computer to fully diagnose the problem."

[Crimson Sky]

LoL Geek Squad is the biggest rip off. And Simon it's nice that you're a patriot but ripping people off is not unique to any ONE COUNTRY, as proven by Ironcat.

[tybrenis]

Wow. That makes me sick.

[DaJe]

My brother used to have a Sony Vaio. It seriously ****ed up so he sent it in to be repaired. He payed like $1600 for it and they wanted him to pay something like $1200 to repair it. He decided not to. They said the problem was a cracked motherboard (biggest load I've ever heard). When they sent it back to us the screen also had a brand new huge ass crack down the entire middle of it.

[CanaBalistic]

Its called doing business. It happens in every industry of every country. Its what drives the economy.

[nil8]

A disconnected IDE cable is a 5 dollar, 1 minute repair job.
That's the reason people are wary of pc grunts working on their machines. People who don't know what they're doing act and think like they do. To the customer they seem just as competent, even though they do even understand what a south bridge is, much less what it does.

The way to get recognized in the professional community is certifications and real work experience. If you have both, you're thought to actually have some clue. The problem is that normal consumers don't understand the different between MCSE, A+, or CCSP. They also don't know the technology and can't make good judgement calls unless the person has a college degree in IST, in which case they probably wouldn't be a pc grunt.

Maybe a mandated union that requires every 2 years another batch of testing, similar to what teachers do.

[.Maleficus.]

At least one store did the noble thing and helped for free. That's still ridiculous though.

[samurai_crip]

thats messed up...thats also why i want to own my own shop :D

It will have


PC repair
stuff to buy ide fans GFX card HDD's etc etc
Case modding stuff like window kits neons fans
and Custom case modding were we get requests to build towers :D

[ESX]

Im hopefully going to have a shop, or at least work in one. Man, Im obsessed with computers and technology, since I was like 6 :P

[Omega]

I lolled. I wouldn't charge much, if anything, to fix an IDE Cable. I would probably just ask for a little something for coming out there, because I go to my clients. But still... that's pretty retarded. The sad thing, however, is that I could advertise my services for oodles cheaper but people would probably be like "no I need to go to a major chain to get good work" =/

[DaveW]

I don't charge for my work. When i'm finished people are usually grateful enough to swing what they can afford my way. If they can't afford it, i don't ask. If they can, and they blatantly don't, then i don't offer to fix anymore for them.

-Dave

[Omega]

Well that's the thing, I don't charge much at all -- but usually get more than what I ask for. I asked for 10$ to reformat somebody's computer then re-install all the drivers and security software, and got 50$.

[Crimson Sky]

You also have to understand that if they had only told the customer what the problem was, they can charge whatever they like. that's how honest business is done. Where one store may charge $5 to fix a loose cable, another store uptown in a swanky neighborhood might charge $25. Caveat Emptor. What is your time worth driving from place to place looking for the best price.

Any honest A+ certified technician will start from the basics to trouble shoot a system. Power on, check the POST, etc. It is a process, not an instant "flip the cover off and check all the cables"

Companies have overhead costs and so forth. Would you drive 15 miles across town in traffic to charge someone only $5 to fix a cable in their living room PC?. I don't think so. You're already into the day for at least two hours of your time.

What's honesty worth? A Whole lot. If it were my store, I would charge them at least $45. Don't like the price?. There is another guy across town, but its hard to find parking and the lots cost $15 an hour. If your a good business person, fair and honest--People will be glad to pay any price you want within reason for your expertise.

[Omega]

You also have to understand that if they had only told the customer what the problem was, they can charge whatever they like. that's how honest business is done. Where one store may charge $5 to fix a loose cable, another store uptown in a swanky neighborhood might charge $25. Caveat Emptor. What is your time worth driving from place to place looking for the best price.

Any honest A+ certified technician will start from the basics to trouble shoot a system. Power on, check the POST, etc. It is a process, not an instant "flip the cover off and check all the cables"

Companies have overhead costs and so forth. Would you drive 15 miles across town in traffic to charge someone only $5 to fix a cable in their living room PC?. I don't think so. You're already into the day for at least two hours of your time.

What's honesty worth? A Whole lot. If it were my store, I would charge them at least $45. Don't like the price?. There is another guy across town, but its hard to find parking and the lots cost $15 an hour. If your a good business person, fair and honest--People will be glad to pay any price you want within reason for your expertise.

That reminds me of something my father told me his boss said to him before he was hired.

"Tracy, You're both the most expensive and cheapest person I've had work for me."

His boss said that after he worked for an hour at 85$/hr, to do a job that would have taken 3 hours if he went with the 45$/hr technician.

If I had my own shop, however, I doubt I would charge more than, say, 20$ to put a cable back in after rooting out the problem. Paul is right; good technicians always run through a system. I do the same thing, and I'm not even certified. If my computer doesn't boot, I listen to the POST code and look up to see what it is. Then I crack open the case, check all connections, and try again. I slowly start removing hardware or changing configurations until it works right, then figure out exactly what the problem is.

Hell, when I re-assembled my current rig recently, I would try to turn on my CCFL's and my computer would crash. I took them out and it worked -- but then one of my HD's didn't. So I checked the data cable, no dice. Power was plugged in (or rather, it looked like it). It was until I noticed that the power came from a Y-Adapter that I accidentally looped the power in and one of the power outs that the computer didn't work =/

[simon275]

LoL Geek Squad is the biggest rip off. And Simon it's nice that you're a patriot but ripping people off is not unique to any ONE COUNTRY, as proven by Ironcat.

I know its just so scummy. I have never heard of any one being ripped off though. And the few times I have gone to computer stores they have always been above board. Also if they did do it to you it wouldn't take much to put pressure on them to make it fair.

[Ironcat]

Sorry, didn't mean to be a dick and burst your bubble about Oz business, but I get my cheap thrills from conflicting stories... I argue both sides of almost any issue... I will often ask my friends for a favor and then argue with them about why they should not do it.

My dad used to say that I would kill myself and go to hell if the devil would let me argue about it.

Then again, my Mom used to say that I was such a horndog I'd **** a snake if someone held it's head...

I wonder why I am not closer to my parents.

[simon275]

Sorry, didn't mean to be a dick and burst your bubble about Oz business, but I get my cheap thrills from conflicting stories... I argue both sides of almost any issue... I will often ask my friends for a favor and then argue with them about why they should not do it.



Its ok.

You should be a lawyer!

[b4i7]

as far as ive seen...(3 or 4 different bestbuy geek squad) they are all half retarded or they dont really know anything...

[nil8]

Geeksquad doesn't have very high standards. They don't even require A+ or 1 year experience.

[ESX]

And thats what they call a geek squad? lol

[DaveW]

And thats what they call a geek squad? lol

Hahaha! We could grab a random noob of the boards and they'd be able to beat the whole lot. If we grabbed one of the regulars...

-Dave

[Omega]

Hahaha! We could grab a random noob of the boards and they'd be able to beat the whole lot. If we grabbed one of the regulars...

-Dave

Christ. If we grabbed one of the regulars... oh god.

I wonder if the people at Geek Squad know how to analyze POST Codes for the Proper BIOS...

Gentlemen, I think we have a job to do.

[DaveW]

BIOS?

Isn't that like...washing powder?

:D

-Dave

[simon275]

BIOS?

Isn't that like...washing powder?

:D

-Dave

Hahah zing!

[Aero]

BIOS?

Isn't that like...washing powder?

:D

-Dave

Or imagine if they say it written down

BI OS....

This runs XP and OSX at the same time.


But seriously, even small computer repair businesses can suck. Last year my motherboard got blown because of an error in the making of the motherboard, so when I attach anything to the front USB port *fizzle* its dead. But I bought my PC before I got into modding through a company and got the extended warrenty (actually my parents said it would be useful and paid for it, but either way it was covered). So after going through the crap of waiting on the phone and walking through tutorial of how to fix this or test that. They agreed the motherbored was broken (actually both the PSU and motherbored were bad..I really f'ed that one up). But to be in complience with the warrenty they had to send out an authorized techniction to do the install. They guy came out, and was acting all super smart, talking about how he just got back from CES and what new stuff he had seen. Then he started talking about his business and what not. He said it was done, turned it on and saw the Bios come up and said "ok you should be good" and left. Well after that the PC wouldn't stay on long enough to intstall windows. So after about 5 tries, I go into the bios and look at the diagnostics immediatly after it crashes. Everything seems to be good...untill I get to the CPU temperature..110 degrees Celcius! Wow I look inside, the oh so brilliant "authorized tech" forgot to hook up my heatsink to the mobo...dumbass.

[jaxspades]

Wow, that's horrible. All I charge is 5 bucks an hour for simple repairs...so the worst anyone has had to pay me is like 10 so far.