Complain about a product or service

CompUSA - Tech Support & Repair

CompUSA • Advertised specials • Financing • Rebates • Returns • Customer service • TAP • Tech support --- News • CompUSA Settles FTC Rebate Charges

Martin of Madison WI (2/19/03):
I had noticed just before I left college my fan, or some spinning part inside my computer, was acting very noisily. When I came back home and tried to diagnose the problem, I deducted it was most likely a fan inside. I called up AppleCare and they provided me with some nearby places and numbers. So I decided I would give CompUSA a try. Bad decision.

When I submitted it, I told the guy exactly what was going wrong with my computer. Nothing would happen unless the computer is running for an hour or more, then the fan would act up. He said they would have a look at it when the Apple technician visits the store later in the week. The next week I get a call and take the machine home. The guy says he couldn't find anything, but cleaned out the interior of my computer. I was a little suspicious that they didn't find anything, but given that I could easily be wrong since they must know what they're doing (HA) I took it home.

I immediately tried it out. The computer starts up, and I leave the room while it does and come back to find it's no longer on. So I try starting it up again, except it doesn't. I call AppleCare back up and we try a few things and deduct it's a bad power supply. I tell them I'm not comfortable going back there. They refer me to another place and also take down a report of the malpractice at CompUSA, collecting as much information as I can provide.

So I go to a small, independent computer shop that of all places happens to be right across the steeet from CompUSA (well, past the huge parking lot and double-laned road). They say they've fixed hundreds of Macs before, most specifically all of the school district computers. They diagnosed it as a bad power supply and fixed the fan in a matter of days. Fortunately the additional parts (well, everything) was covered by Apple through my plan so I didn't have to pay a penny. But I paid plenty hauling my computer around, waiting two weeks to get it fixed, and having my computer sabotaged instead of repaired. I lost all my trust in them through this one experience. I'll NEVER go back to CompUSA.

Karen, M.D., New York NY (10/6/02):
After hours of time on the phone with tech support we finally brought our Compaq computer into the store to be repaired, even though we paid for in-home service. They kept it there for 2+ weeks without contacting us. I called and called, getting no answer or a machine in the repair dept. Then I got a message I needed to buy a restore disc from Compaq and bring it to them. I did this.

When I picked up my computer and brought it home it was more broken than when I brought it in. They replaced a hard drive that did not need replacement. They left a screw out. They returned it with no drivers or sound. Then I had the in-home service come. They replaced memory that did not need to be fixed. My computer still freezes every few minutes. Now they say they want to replace the hard drive again. It is 6 weeks since the computer broke and we cannot use it. They seem to have no idea what they are doing and won't just give us a new computer (soon to be less expensive than the cost of all these failed repairs).

My 15 year old daughter has not had a computer for her school work for 6 weeks. I am a busy physician and mother and have spent hours and hours on the telephone because IT IS UNDER WARRANTY. It would have cost me less in tme to just order a new desktop from Dell or Gateway, but I felt entitled to the repair because I paid for a warranty. Now they are saying that because the store put in a new hard drive we have to bring it back to the store, even though I have in home service. This is absurd. It never needed the new hard drive to begin with.

Dick of Middletown OH (2/7/03):
January 7th, 2003, I took a Dell Latitude 400C laptop and a Dell Inspiron 3800 laptop to the CompUSA store No. 427 near the Dayton Mall in Dayton Ohio. I wanted my files transferred from the Latitude hard drive to the Inspiron hard drive so that I could return the Latitude to my former employer and continue work on the Inspiron provided by my new employer. I also asked for the addition of 128M of RAM to the Inspiron.

The salesman I talked to was Lewis A. I also asked for expedited service since any time without a laptop computer and my client data represented non-productive time. Initially Lewis quoted me a price for the data transfer that was applicable to a desktop computer. He then came back and indicated that he had made a mistake and that the charge would be $139.95, which was $40 higher than the price he had quoted. I asked for a technician to explain why the cost was\ higher and the technician, Bob Tester, explained that the process for data transfer with a laptop is much “trickier”, involving the removal of both hard drives and “if we break anything, we have to fix it”. Following that discussion, Lewis and Warren, another salesman apparently in training, prepared the paperwork, handed it to me and said, “sign here”. I did and left.

At no time during these exchanges did anyone inquire about whether my data was backed up or offer to back up the data which is a service they offer for $99. No one checked to see that I had read and understood a liability statement at the bottom of the work order regarding loss of data. Later that evening just before closing, I returned to pick up the laptops and was told that there was “a little problem”. I was told by another technician that my hard drive had a short in it and that it had destroyed the motherboard of their transfer unit and that it was dead. No transfer of data had occurred and now I was still liable for the data transfer charges because, “we tried”.

I pointed out that there had been no problem with my hard drive and that the Latitude had been performing perfectly (I had booted it up earlier to show them the password and the files to recover). I asked to see the manager and spoke to someone, not the general manager, who indicated that the technician had told him that I was having trouble with the unit when I brought it in. This was an absolute untruth. I was told I could speak with the technical manager at 10 AM the next day and I left with my laptops.

At my house, I reviewed the paperwork looking for names and information and saw the wording on liability for data loss. It clearly stated that if my data was lost during servicing CompUSA was not liable even if they were negligent. Wednesday January 8th I returned on Wednesday and spoke with the tech manager, Gary W. Gary seemed to be a reasonable individual and understood why I was so upset. He said he was still gathering facts about the incident. He indicated that they would take the two units back to the bench and try transfer/recovery. I pointed out that I felt someone, Lewis, Warren or Bob should have made sure that I understood the policy on data loss, particularly since this was a data transfer we were doing and Gary agreed. He said he would also get information on a third party data recovery if that service were needed.

Later that afternoon Gary called to say that the hard drive was indeed dead and that they would replace it at no charge. Gary gave me the name and number of a data recovery service that CompUSA have a contract with who could try to recover the data. When I asked how I would be compensated for that cost, he indicated that they would not pay for the data recovery. I asked him to check with his manager about that. He later left a message that the laptops were ready for pickup and that they would not pay for the data recovery. When I went in to pick up the units, I once again indicated that I felt the staff had erred in not discussing the liability policy or offering the backup service etc. I suggested that the loss of business from my family alone because of this incident would be far greater than the “guesstimated” vendor cost of $1200 for data recovery that I had received in a conversation with the third party vendor. I noted that I was going to buy a printer immediately and a laptop replacement later in the year. Gary went away to talk to his manager and when he returned he said, “We will take care of it.”

I was very pleased and told him that I was going to buy the printer now. Unfortunately they were out of stock and told me to return on Friday. Friday January 10th. I returned to the store and bought the printer. I was surprised to see that my hard drive had not been sent. That was troubling since, I had indicated how important the data was for my work as a consultant to the federal government. Gary explained that he had to get authorization for the work and had met with some resistance. He told me that from his investigation that they (CompUSA) had “messed up”, that they should have pointed out the liability clause and also should have offered me the backup service. I told him that I was upset that they had tried to lay the blame on my hard drive and he agreed that that was wrong. Gary said more than once that he wanted to do the right thing and even offered that they could take the cost of recovery “from my bonus”.

He indicated that they would wait to see what the evaluation indicated. When I asked what that meant, he said that if the cost was say $3000, that could be a problem. Monday January 13th I called from out of town and found that the hard drive had just been shipped out. Gary indicated that he had not had time to get to it on Friday or Saturday. He said it would be in the hands of the vendor on Tuesday and perhaps we would get a report the same day. He said he would call as well as email me the results.

Tuesday January 14th I called and left a message and heard nothing in response. Thursday January 16th I called and left another message. Gary left a message later in the day to say that they had received the evaluation, the data was recoverable and the cost would be $1595. He said that the cost was prohibitive and invited me to stop by the store. Later that evening on the way home from the airport, I revisited CompUSA. Gary said there was “no way” that they could pay that cost. When I discussed our agreement and all of the statements that he had made, he was unable to explain the turnaround and only said that there was no way they could pay the $1595. I reviewed again all of our discussions and said that it sounded like someone was “getting squeezed”. He acknowledged all that I said and indicated that he was the one getting squeezed. He apologized for what had occurred and his failure to “explain” the situation to me.

He indicated that they were not able to even share the cost and that CompUSA would not spend another cent on the problem. I asked for details about the discussion he had had with his manager on Wednesday the 8th and he was unable or unwillingly to provide that information. Friday January 17th I returned the printer and talked to the general manager, Vic Reasinger. He indicated that they could not pay for the data recovery. I asked him if he was aware of all of the discussions I had had with Gary. He said they could not and would not pay for the data recovery and indicated again that my hard drive had just coincidently crashed while they were working on it and said, “I can prove it”.

The third party vendor doing the data recovery does not agree and Gary had even indicated that he believed that CompUSA had messed up. In fact, at no time during our discussions, did Gary allege that it was my faulty hard drive that caused the problem. Regardless, the commitment was made on the 8th. “We will take care of it”. That oral agreement has been broken. I have authorized the third party to recover the data at a cost of about $1650 and am seeking recovery of those costs, which represent only a fraction of the cost impact to me from this event.

Dick should sue the company in Small Claims Court.

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.