8.21.2009

back on again

Well. 3+ weeks after I took our computer in for a weird start-up thing it was doing, we have it back and fully working. NO THANKS TO BEST BUY. Here's the low down. I'm still fuming mad about the whole thing...

Monday, July 27th-Took in computer (1.5 years old) to Best Buy (BB). Geek guy plugged it in and immediately knew what was going on. 30 seconds later it was fixed. Then he convinced me to have a diagnostic test, just to *enhance* it's performance and check for any future problems. I hesitated (big red flag here) but did it anyways, for it was included in our service plan. It would take 5-7 business days. WHAT? Okay, whatever. I can survive without my computer for a week or so....

Wednesday, Aug 5th-8 business days later, I call BB that evening to see if it's ready yet. Yes. Yes it is. And they found nothing. Big surprise, computer was fine to begin with. But did streamlined our internet video(?). So I brave the rain better than the 3 kiddos and pick it up that night. Bring it home and can't get it to connect to the internet. Wait til morning to look into it more.

Thursday, Aug 6th-Call Comcast. Twice. Both took me through all sorts of computer files I didn't know a thing about. Both saw the bad IP address. Both came to the conclusion that it's the netcard in our computer. Haul it back into BB with 3 kids. They plug it right into the internet and say nothings wrong. It's your cable connection. Try different cable cords. Nothing. Try different cables cords from modem to computer. Nothing. Joey brings home work laptop. Hooks up instantly.

Friday, Aug 7th-Call BB. Refuse to tell me anything over the phone. Must bring it back in. So I do. Joey and the kids wait in the car for 45 minutes (this was our Zoo day). Nothing wrong. Try uninstalling your antivirus protection. They don't do it, just tell me to do it. After a fun day, go home and nope, didn't work.

Saturday, Aug 8th-Call Comcast. Go through same things. Cable is working fine. Call BB. Must bring it in. Finally get someone who listens and actually tries to do something. Works on it trying to fix our bad IP address (of which another Geek tried to say was the "Best Buy IP address") Finally gets it to change. Come home. Nope, didn't work. Well, this time it partially loaded a page in about 5 minutes. Do finally thing suggested. Completely reload the computer. Completely wipe it out and start over. Nope. Still didn't work. I completely flip out. Take it out on Joey. Poor guy. Call Comcast again. Same thing. But this time they'll send someone out tomorrow. No, lets do Monday instead. Joey takes it back to BB, tells them our netcard it bad. Please fix it. No it's not, but we'll replace it for $90. Even though you paid for the protection plan. Brings it home and we just wait until Monday.

Monday, Aug 10th-Comcast guy comes. Is here about an hour. Tries everything. His computer hooks right up to the internet. It's that bad IP address. We need a new netcard.

Tuesday, Aug 11th-Take it back into BB with 3 kids. Tell them again we need a new netcard. Guy looks at me like I don't know what I'm talking about. We hang out for an hour while he "tries" stuff. Then sends me back home with it. Of course it doesn't work.

Wednesday, Aug 12th-Take it back into BB with 3 kids. This time they'll run another diagnostic test.

Friday, Aug 14th-Joey calls to check on it. They're busy, will call back.

Saturday, Aug 15th -Joey calls again to check on it. It's done, but they want to run another test on it.

Sunday, Aug 16th-Get a recorded message that our computer is ready.

Monday, Aug 17th-Wait until Marryn gets out of school so she can push Christian in the stroller and go pick it up. They found nothing. What a surprise. Still doesn't work.

Wednesday, Aug 19th-Joey goes to BB, without computer, to buy a netcard. Girl helping him says they don't have any. He asks someone else who shows him about 5 different brands he could choose from. He pays $35 for one. Installs it himself thanks to coworker who showed him how easy it was to do it and what do you know, we connect to the internet no problem.

What was that again we kept telling BB we needed? A new netcard? Oh no, that's not the problem. It's your internet, the one that others can hook up to but you can't. And that bad IP address (code for BAD netcard), oh, that's just our IP address. All those Comcast people don't know what they're talking about. So what was that protection plan we purchased good for? A diagnostic test on a perfect computer that left us without a fulling functioning computer for 24 days! And in the end, we had to buy the part and install it ourselves! To be fair, nobody at Comcast could really explain why we could connect to the internet at BB with a bad IP address. Thoughts were, it might have connected wirelessly or just that BB had a larger network or something like that. We're not computer nerds, but we do know one thing. We will never purchase a computer with the lame-o protection plan from Best Buy again. No, we'll pay less at Costco or somewhere and when something goes wrong, we'll find someone who knows what they're doing to help us. Joey does work for a computer company, of sorts, full of tech nerds;)
And now, I've going through the process of reinstalling all our software and getting out computer back to normal. It's a pain, but I must admit that I like how I can decide what goes on it and not the BB guys who sold it to us...

3 happy thoughts:

Kim said...

OH MY GOODNESS! Can I just tell you that I could feel my blood pressure rising as I was reading your story. If it makes you feel better I will protest BB and never shop there again as long as I live. GGGRRRR! I hate that! I hate that they can get away with that. Things like this are why people go postal! I've got to take a breather now!

Katielin317 said...

Oh man...no THAT is frustrating. I've been spoiled with a dad who is the VP of Info Tech at a bank. He knows his stuff. Thank goodness. I'm glad its working now!! We've been missing you!!

MK said...

Wow! I would be fuming too. I sometimes have rage issues and they certainly would have come out in this case. I am so sorry you had to deal with that. We bought our laptop from there with a service plan too, woops!