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 Channel Futures

Best Practices


Geek Squad: Linux Voids Your Netbook Warranty

  • Written by Dave Courbanou 1
  • January 19, 2010
An interesting story has been floating around the 'net about an unfortunate Linux user and his Best Buy experience. If you're a Linux aficionado and looking for something to rage about, read on. This one's a doozie.

Screen shot 2010-01-11 at 7.05.36 PMAn interesting story has been floating around the ‘net about an unfortunate Linux user and his Best Buy experience. If you’re a Linux aficionado and looking for something to rage about, read on. This one’s a doozie.

If you haven’t had the dubious pleasure of dealing with the Best Buy “Geek Squad” you’re probably better off in life. According to this TheConsumerist complaint, our intrepid Linux user purchased a netbook from Best Buy and then purchased the $80 “black tie” protection plan.

According to The Consumerist:

After buying the netbook, the user replaced Windows with Linux. Apparently that was a mistake (at least according to Geek Squad).

When the user had a problem with his power-supply and touch pad not working, he took it to get repaired. The Geek Squad manger said Linux voided the warranty, and if he wanted to get it fixed, Windows would need to be re-installed. The user User agreed. User took the netbook back, touchpad and power problems still withstanding. The Geek Squad manager said that the problems were related  to his Linux install, and that since that fell under a “modification” of the system, the warranty was null and void.

The situation escalated into a near confrontation. The User was escorted via security out of the Best Buy, requested by the Geek Squad manager who refused to honor the warranty.

Best Buy Makes Good

A call to corporate customer service was the ultimate remedy (they offered him a full refund at an alternate Best Buy, plus a $25 Best Buy gift card, and a note that the Geek Squad manger would have a talking too since he ‘handled the situation poorly’). But the story itself is quite an eye opener for Linux users and Best Buy goers. Does Linux really ‘void’ your warranty? Is software a modification that can break hardware?

Ideally, the user should’ve just installed Windows fresh before he took in for repairs, but it’s an absurd story nonetheless. Sure, software can overclock and damage hardware. And yes, a Firmware upgrade could mess up a peripheral. But  a trackpad and power supply problem should be easily diagnosed as NOT the symptoms of a Linux install. Any real trained professional would’ve known that.

Food for thought: If you like to customize your system, think twice before taking your computer anywhere near the Geek Squad.

Tags: Cloud Service Providers Digital Service Providers MSPs VARs/SIs Best Practices Mobility Open Source

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7 comments

  1. Avatar Tonya March 20, 2010 @ 4:59 am
    Reply

    Geek squad sucks! I knew that before and this article just confirmed it.

  2. Avatar Anon June 16, 2010 @ 3:27 pm
    Reply

    I fucking hate geek squad. I bought a sony vaio from best buy and payed them 1000 dollars cash, and asked the manager that if i have any problems if i should get it replaced. He told me yes. When my harddrive failed 8 months later I was told that “Its not their problem since sony wont let anyone touch their machines” Honestly i havent walked into a best buy ever since and I laugh upon anyone who says they work for the Geek Squad. Theyre all a bunch of dumbfuck low-fi computer techs who couldnt get real tech jobs the way they avoid work like the plague.

  3. Avatar Meh September 21, 2010 @ 5:20 pm
    Reply

    Installing Linux doesn’t void the warranty. The worst that could happen is if your hard drive failed during the Prime95 stress testing they’d replace it under MFGW or PSPBTP and not reinstall windows for you. Sounds like the store you went is like the 80% of stores out there with agents who really know nothing about the technology their dealing with.

    Easiest way to describe it; Linux is software, neither Manufacturer’s Warranty or Black Tie Protection covers software. It’s the same as if you get a virus or OS corruption, it’s not covered, but it won’t void your warranty.

  4. Avatar The VAR Guy September 21, 2010 @ 10:42 pm
    Reply

    Meh: Thanks for breathing new life into an old comment string. The VAR Guy appreciates your opinion. In this case, it seems as if Best Buy wasn’t interested in supporting a Linux customer. And if you check Best Buy’s shelves in the US, it seems like Linux netbooks have all but disappeared. Agreed?
    -TVG

  5. Avatar Yaro Kasear December 5, 2010 @ 8:50 pm
    Reply

    I don’t see why this would be a wake-up call for Linux users. It’s actually common knowledge that Linux does NOT void warranties. It’s also pretty much common knowledge that Geek Squad is fail.

  6. Avatar Netbook 2011 January 8, 2011 @ 4:21 am
    Reply

    It’s funny about stupid Geek squad. By the way, I appreciate Windows so no need to worry this 🙂

  7. Avatar Yaro Kasear January 8, 2011 @ 4:52 pm
    Reply

    I don’t appreciate Windows, though. And I would be pissed off if my OEM tried to pull this crap.

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