Best Buy, Dell Agreement between Best Buy and Dell Inc. prevent timely service of Dell computer systems Nationwide

I myself bought a Dell Hybrid desktop at Best Buy and was actually missinformed.
The sales person told be that it had a one year DELL warranty. That's only partly true. In fact what I have learned is that Dell support takes care of operational problems like setup and driver issues. Best Buy Geek Squad takes care of any hardware failures. I guess this is not such a bad deal except for the fact that if it takes several weeks for a repair that would be unacceptable. My own opinion is that Dell is still responsible for its hardware and is using Best Buy as a third part vendor for repairs. So the warranty still falls with Dell. Anybody not satisfied with this arrangement should contact Dell and complain if Best Buy gives you such a long estamate for repairs.

Your feelings towards Dell are warranted. To receive different levels of customer service based on where you purchased the item, seems like a bad deal. Also Dell should have honored their manufacturer's warranty and given you an address to mail your computer; keep in mind, you might have incurred the shipping costs.

However, I feel that Best Buy did not fail you on this one. It is not a salesperson job to recite every disclaimer, terms of condition, and manufacturer's warranty of a specific item; however, if you ask specific questions, I believe they should point you in the right direction (via web site, pamphlet, etc.). Most of the persons working retail are making minimum wage or just slightly above. I have also found that Best Buy's sales staff offers a higher level of customer service than Circuit City, Wal-Mart, Etc. Besides, do you think a person working in a computer department knows the trade agreement that Dell and Best Buy struck?

One way to avoid this confusion is do your research before entering a store, no matter what the purchase may be.

my sources within Best Buy & Dell clarified the position:

Dell is required to provide 1st level phone windows support .. customers who contact Dell should get both the support case# and agent ID# at the start of the call,

if you are refused support based on the fact they purchased a Dell at Best Buy and refered to geek squad without provide any type of windows troubleshooting should first ask to speak with the support agent supervisor (get his contact info) and if it isn't resolved.. contact both Dell & Best Buy's Corporate Executive Resolutions (CEO) office to report the issue. and you should be taken care of..

Basically the two companies are saying this is a "training issue" with a small group of support people.. and not company policy.. the truth is they probably realized how serious this situation was and moved to resolve it..

you can see the offical Dell response on thier website corporate blog.

I'm not an attorney, but I believe you may have Class Action here against Dell & Best Buy... here's why.


Microsoft allows 3rd party vendors like Dell, HP etc. to either install Retail versions of Windows and MSFT will handle all software issues via phone directly, and the hardware vendor will handle hardware issues.. or the OEM vendor can install OEM copies of windows.. the benefit is a discount to Dell on bulk OS purchases.. but the responsiblity of handling windows support calls. (for example windows movie maker isn't working.. can you walk me through fixing it)

Dell wants to sidestep this responsiblity..

and the trend of all PC vendors is NOT to troubleshoot windows problems, but to have all customers backup & reinstall the OS. The only hope I have found to avoid this is business class machines/support.

currently when a customer calls DELL for a PC purchased at Best Buy, they refer the customer to Geek Squad.. Geek squad policy is that they will provide FREE Hardware support (in other words, can I boot DOS6.22 boot disk ..run a memory check, and Hard drive test and does it work ok) if the answer is NO, they will send it into thier service center for repair if the answer YES... then it's a windows problem and they will charge you

the problem is windows support: OEM's (my understanding) are legally required under the Windows OEM agreement to provide windows phone support. Geek Squad (phone support 1-800-geek-squad) will not do this for free under MFG and stores will charge $199 to fix the OS (or if an OS Reinstall is needed an additional $159 for data backup) and DELL is refering customers back to Geek Squad.. which I believe violates the OEM agreement

the BIGGER issue is customers who purchase a DELL PC from Best Buy are NEVER informed of this situation (either verbally/signs instore -or was thier a notice in the retail box about contacting Geek Squad?? not Dell for support ) also from talking with BBY Sales people, 90% are completely unaware of the situation. in fact most of them will probably say "after the 14day return policy you need to contact the vendor for free support under the MFG warranty" - this is where I believe AG action is possible.

how to resolve this issue

Either Dell Management needs to inform it's front end outsourced phone tech agents they MUST handle all phone support issues with Dell Customers and can ONLY tell a customer to go into a Best Buy store (Geek Squad Precinct) for hardware tests and must have thier dell support case# with them and if the tests pass customers will be referred back to dell phone support for windows support


or if the agreement between Dell & Best Buy actually does say, Geek Squad is to handle ALL Technical issues.. then Dell customers would be directly to 1-800-geek-squad for Free phone support (which they currently charge for) and some backend billing from Best Buy to Dell.. per BBY Policy instore Techs can't provide phone support.

this is why I suggest avoiding the OEM Vendor completely.. if the PC comes with Vista Basic, installing a retail copy of Vista Ultimate. and dealing directly with Microsoft support. I would write a complaint to both FTC.GOV AG office, Dell & Best buy.. and another complaint letter to Microsoft stating Dell is violating the OEM agreement.

I'm not an attorney, but I believe you may have Class Action here against Dell & Best Buy... here's why.


Microsoft allows 3rd party vendors like Dell, HP etc. to either install Retail versions of Windows and MSFT will handle all software issues via phone directly, and the hardware vendor will handle hardware issues.. or the OEM vendor can install OEM copies of windows.. the benefit is a discount to Dell on bulk OS purchases.. but the responsiblity of handling windows support calls. (for example windows movie maker isn't working.. can you walk me through fixing it)

Dell wants to sidestep this responsiblity..

and the trend of all PC vendors is NOT to troubleshoot windows problems, but to have all customers backup & reinstall the OS. The only hope I have found to avoid this is business class machines/support.

currently when a customer calls DELL for a PC purchased at Best Buy, they refer the customer to Geek Squad.. Geek squad policy is that they will provide FREE Hardware support (in other words, can I boot DOS6.22 boot disk ..run a memory check, and Hard drive test and does it work ok) if the answer is NO, they will send it into thier service center for repair if the answer YES... then it's a windows problem and they will charge you

the problem is windows support: OEM's (my understanding) are legally required under the Windows OEM agreement to provide windows phone support. Geek Squad (phone support 1-800-geek-squad) will not do this for free under MFG and stores will charge $199 to fix the OS (or if an OS Reinstall is needed an additional $159 for data backup) and DELL is refering customers back to Geek Squad.. which I believe violates the OEM agreement

the BIGGER issue is customers who purchase a DELL PC from Best Buy are NEVER informed of this situation (either verbally/signs instore -or was thier a notice in the retail box about contacting Geek Squad?? not Dell for support ) also from talking with BBY Sales people, 90% are completely unaware of the situation. in fact most of them will probably say "after the 14day return policy you need to contact the vendor for free support under the MFG warranty" - this is where I believe AG action is possible.

how to resolve this issue

Either Dell Management needs to inform it's front end outsourced phone tech agents they MUST handle all phone support issues with Dell Customers and can ONLY tell a customer to go into a Best Buy store (Geek Squad Precinct) for hardware tests and must have thier dell support case# with them and if the tests pass customers will be referred back to dell phone support for windows support


or if the agreement between Dell & Best Buy actually does say, Geek Squad is to handle ALL Technical issues.. then Dell customers would be directly to 1-800-geek-squad for Free phone support (which they currently charge for) and some backend billing from Best Buy to Dell.. per BBY Policy instore Techs can't provide phone support.

this is why I suggest avoiding the OEM Vendor completely.. if the PC comes with Vista Basic, installing a retail copy of Vista Ultimate. and dealing directly with Microsoft support. I would write a complaint to both FTC.GOV AG office, Dell & Best buy.. and another complaint letter to Microsoft stating Dell is violating the OEM agreement.

I'm not an attorney, but I believe you may have Class Action here against Dell & Best Buy... here's why.


Microsoft allows 3rd party vendors like Dell, HP etc. to either install Retail versions of Windows and MSFT will handle all software issues via phone directly, and the hardware vendor will handle hardware issues.. or the OEM vendor can install OEM copies of windows.. the benefit is a discount to Dell on bulk OS purchases.. but the responsiblity of handling windows support calls. (for example windows movie maker isn't working.. can you walk me through fixing it)

Dell wants to sidestep this responsiblity..

and the trend of all PC vendors is NOT to troubleshoot windows problems, but to have all customers backup & reinstall the OS. The only hope I have found to avoid this is business class machines/support.

currently when a customer calls DELL for a PC purchased at Best Buy, they refer the customer to Geek Squad.. Geek squad policy is that they will provide FREE Hardware support (in other words, can I boot DOS6.22 boot disk ..run a memory check, and Hard drive test and does it work ok) if the answer is NO, they will send it into thier service center for repair if the answer YES... then it's a windows problem and they will charge you

the problem is windows support: OEM's (my understanding) are legally required under the Windows OEM agreement to provide windows phone support. Geek Squad (phone support 1-800-geek-squad) will not do this for free under MFG and stores will charge $199 to fix the OS (or if an OS Reinstall is needed an additional $159 for data backup) and DELL is refering customers back to Geek Squad.. which I believe violates the OEM agreement

the BIGGER issue is customers who purchase a DELL PC from Best Buy are NEVER informed of this situation (either verbally/signs instore -or was thier a notice in the retail box about contacting Geek Squad?? not Dell for support ) also from talking with BBY Sales people, 90% are completely unaware of the situation. in fact most of them will probably say "after the 14day return policy you need to contact the vendor for free support under the MFG warranty" - this is where I believe AG action is possible.

how to resolve this issue

Either Dell Management needs to inform it's front end outsourced phone tech agents they MUST handle all phone support issues with Dell Customers and can ONLY tell a customer to go into a Best Buy store (Geek Squad Precinct) for hardware tests and must have thier dell support case# with them and if the tests pass customers will be referred back to dell phone support for windows support


or if the agreement between Dell & Best Buy actually does say, Geek Squad is to handle ALL Technical issues.. then Dell customers would be directly to 1-800-geek-squad for Free phone support (which they currently charge for) and some backend billing from Best Buy to Dell.. per BBY Policy instore Techs can't provide phone support.

this is why I suggest avoiding the OEM Vendor completely.. if the PC comes with Vista Basic, installing a retail copy of Vista Ultimate. and dealing directly with Microsoft support. I would write a complaint to both FTC.GOV AG office, Dell & Best buy.. and another complaint letter to Microsoft stating Dell is violating the OEM agreement.

I'm not an attorney, but I believe you may have Class Action here against Dell & Best Buy... here's why.


Microsoft allows 3rd party vendors like Dell, HP etc. to either install Retail versions of Windows and MSFT will handle all software issues via phone directly, and the hardware vendor will handle hardware issues.. or the OEM vendor can install OEM copies of windows.. the benefit is a discount to Dell on bulk OS purchases.. but the responsiblity of handling windows support calls. (for example windows movie maker isn't working.. can you walk me through fixing it)

Dell wants to sidestep this responsiblity..

and the trend of all PC vendors is NOT to troubleshoot windows problems, but to have all customers backup & reinstall the OS. The only hope I have found to avoid this is business class machines/support.

currently when a customer calls DELL for a PC purchased at Best Buy, they refer the customer to Geek Squad.. Geek squad policy is that they will provide FREE Hardware support (in other words, can I boot DOS6.22 boot disk ..run a memory check, and Hard drive test and does it work ok) if the answer is NO, they will send it into thier service center for repair if the answer YES... then it's a windows problem and they will charge you

the problem is windows support: OEM's (my understanding) are legally required under the Windows OEM agreement to provide windows phone support. Geek Squad (phone support 1-800-geek-squad) will not do this for free under MFG and stores will charge $199 to fix the OS (or if an OS Reinstall is needed an additional $159 for data backup) and DELL is refering customers back to Geek Squad.. which I believe violates the OEM agreement

the BIGGER issue is customers who purchase a DELL PC from Best Buy are NEVER informed of this situation (either verbally/signs instore -or was thier a notice in the retail box about contacting Geek Squad?? not Dell for support ) also from talking with BBY Sales people, 90% are completely unaware of the situation. in fact most of them will probably say "after the 14day return policy you need to contact the vendor for free support under the MFG warranty" - this is where I believe AG action is possible.

how to resolve this issue

Either Dell Management needs to inform it's front end outsourced phone tech agents they MUST handle all phone support issues with Dell Customers and can ONLY tell a customer to go into a Best Buy store (Geek Squad Precinct) for hardware tests and must have thier dell support case# with them and if the tests pass customers will be referred back to dell phone support for windows support


or if the agreement between Dell & Best Buy actually does say, Geek Squad is to handle ALL Technical issues.. then Dell customers would be directly to 1-800-geek-squad for Free phone support (which they currently charge for) and some backend billing from Best Buy to Dell.. per BBY Policy instore Techs can't provide phone support.

this is why I suggest avoiding the OEM Vendor completely.. if the PC comes with Vista Basic, installing a retail copy of Vista Ultimate. and dealing directly with Microsoft support. I would write a complaint to both FTC.GOV AG office, Dell & Best buy.. and another complaint letter to Microsoft stating Dell is violating the OEM agreement.

first i think this is just wrong and with that said tell best buys that THEY will be adding the time it takes them to fix it to the warranty so if it takes them 6 weeks or 3 months THEY WILL be covering it that much longer as you didn't have the use for that time.

"""I understand your concerns, we have an agreement with best buy that all computers sold through best buy will be serviced by the best buy technical support called the geek squad.""

Utterly shocked. (shaking head) What is Micheal Dell thinking???

Next thing ya know, they'll do the same with Circuit City and their "firedog" service.

I agree with you, they SHOULD inform potential customers of this PRIOR to purchase. I don't know of any law this might violate, but it doesn't appear to be on the "up and up" so to speak. This is very dissappointing news indeed.

I suppose I shouldn't be too unhappy about this. I'll probably get more business fixing their mistakes.