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Geek squad / Best buy Busted!

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Gothi[c]:
What I have always suspected:

Inexperienced computer users will call upon a computer repair service such as Geek squad when their computer is malfunctioning. I have always suspected that there must be lots of fraud in that field, since either the 'experts' don't know wtf they are doing,- or they just want to make an extra buck. I've heard stories of people that have worked in the field,... One guy I know said he was called in for a computer repair job, where appearantly the client had forgotten to plug in the power cable. He said he plugged in the cable, then waited 2 hours, when the client came back, he charged $200 for repair. ($100 / hour).

Just today I stumbled upon a news broadcast on youtube in which they use a hidden camera to expose fraud in Geek squad, Best Buy, and some other places.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBvUt2bIQFk

If you're not too knowledgeable in hardware, WATCH OUT!! Try to find a geek friend first.

nudone:
very interesting.

i got into computers when windows 3.1 was all the rage, which means i'm a bit of a novice compared with many people on this forum. but, like everyone else around here (i suspect) i've fixed many other peoples computers in my time. sometimes in return for money, sometimes not.

i'm not an expert in any field. i've done a few pc repair courses a few years ago but they didn't actually teach me anything regarding fixing a typical computer. just gaining experience is better of course.

right. i'm currently working on a portfolio for the creative things i can do but i'm living off of my savings in the bank. i can support myself for about a year or two if i'm very careful. this leads me to think that maybe i should do a little part time 'pc repair' thing or maybe even 'pc tuition'. to bring money in rather than have it going out all the time.

i've always felt that i've either undercharged clients/friends for the pc repair/tuition in the past or i've really just wasted a few hours of my life when i could have been doing something else. obviously, sometimes it's just nice to help someone and expect absolutely nothing in return except for their gratitude. sometimes it's just satisfying solving a pc problem for the sake of solving it - you've won the battle against the machine (for the time being).

i'd like to hear a few opinions from others that have found themselves in similar situations. are there any of you that have gone 'official' and made a living from pc fixing?

the geek squad sounds like a great idea but (as usual) it's open to abuse. i find myself belittling the effort involved to fix a pc a lot of the time and so will feel guilty about accepting payment (i know this contradicts what i said above), so it seems very difficult to me to know what to charge - have you any thoughts on this.

and lastly, i'm considering this 'pc repair' thing as an official means of self employment. i'm in the UK so i'd be following the law regarding tax and liability, etc.

if you think i'm talking nonsense then i'd like to know - i don't wish to think i can make a small 'living' from this if it's a bad idea. i'd only be working at the domestic level but should things get a bit more interesting there may be other people i could draft in if the task required it. maybe a 'part time' way of doing it would be pointless - if so, then i'd just forget about the whole idea as i need time to concentrate on my art/design portfolio wotsit.

Gothi[c]:
I feel the same, nudone,...

I've always tried to help people as much as I can with their trouble, and I wouldn't take no money,... I know that I would feel bad if I did. I never had a problem with it until I met a guy that would call me every other day with something. I started spending lots of time there every week, trying to explain him things. He was the kind of person that had to write everything down on paper, because he wouldn't otherwise remember what I had showed. After a while this started to frustrate me a bit, since I would never hear from him, unless there is a problem (which was at the time, quite often). Then I moved to the US, haven't heared the guy in a year, then out of the blew he finds me on msn, messaging me with a problem he has,...

Though, I think, if I would make a career out of it, I'd feel like I were ripping people off. (It would also suck because it'd be 'work' instead of hobby, if that makes any sense at all,... like, I enjoy programming, working on projects I choose; not running around all day plugging in cables people forgot to plug in and charge $1000),..

So, I guess you have to ask yourself, in the first place, if you would really enjoy it if you did it, and if you could live with yourself now that you're charging people money for what you'd normally do for free.

They did give some examples in the movie about the actual price of these services; they are quite high imo.

nudone:
Then I moved to the US, haven't heard the guy in a year, then out of the blew he finds me on msn, messaging me with a problem he has,...
--- End quote ---
haha, oh dear.

i know what you mean about whether it's something i'd be able to enjoy. i would consider it as a 'job' and not a hobby so i wouldn't be expecting it to be too much 'fun'. i worked in a school for a while as an IT technician and found it pretty dull. the people were great, it was nice to help them out but the boredom came from having to sit around and pretend you were busy when you waiting for the next problem. i imagine being self employed wouldn't be so dull as i'd be able to crack on with other stuff during the slack periods.

i could easily live with charging people for the service i'd provide - i can provide a more personalised service than a shop so that has to count for something AND the point of charging is so that you don't end up with 'friends' like you described above. no point resenting someone pestering you if you've made it clear to them that you are their free personal assistant, but if you make it clear there is a fair charge to be made and they don't wish to pay it then it's time for the them to find another sucker.

my only real issues are not whether to charge but how much to charge. i can price myself lower than the local pc shops but i'll not be dealing with as many customers as them so unfortunately i need to charge more to make it worth while. so, the service i provide has to be better than the competition - which might equate to spending more time helping the customer or just providing a better quality or faster service.

hard to say really with all this - i guess i've just got to do a trial run and learn as i go along rather than theorise about it all.

f0dder:
i find myself belittling the effort involved to fix a pc a lot of the time and so will feel guilty about accepting payment (i know this contradicts what i said above), so it seems very difficult to me to know what to charge - have you any thoughts on this.
-nudone
--- End quote ---
Exactly the same thing here.

I've stopped fixing people's PCs gratis, though. I still do it for mum, brothers and in-laws, but that's it. I used to feel that I had some sort of obligation just because I know my stuff, but I've slowly (but steadily) forced myself to accept that as a silly thought.

As for payment, I dunno. I still have a hard time demanding money, especially considering that the people I've fixed stuff for usually don't have wads of cash (otherwise they would just have taken the box to a shop). But I think that charging ~DKK150/hour is (more than) fair - that'd be $26, €20 or £13.

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