[dustrho]

I'm thinking about getting a new Macbook Pro today, and have been debating about buying it at my local Best Buy store. It's not any cheaper than going directly through Apple, but I could get the no interest for a year deal with their credit card. But, I have a couple questions regarding buying it through Best Buy:

- Is it a good idea or not to buy from Best Buy? Why or why not?
- Can I buy Best Buy's extended warranty for the MBP, and would it be just as good as AppleCare?

Any help or advice would be great. Thanks.

[MacosNerd]

What's the advantage of getting at BB as opposed to apple. Do they offer any incentives?

If its the same, I'd go with apple myself. As for the extended warranty, I'm not sure but I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't offer their warranty.

read the fine print of both and compare, since I'm not familiar with BBs extended warranties I don't want to say its better or worse.

[dustrho]

The only advantage of getting it at BB versus Apple is that I would get 0% interest for a year (if I'm not mistaken). Otherwise, if I go with Apple it's just 0% interest for 90 days, which isn't too bad I guess.

[bishopazrael]

Please JESUS GOD FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST AND ALL THAT IS HOLY DO NOT BUY FROM BEST BUY!!! (ugh I just threw up in my mouth a little bit!)

Do not buy anything from best buy. They are THE WORST company to buy from. If you need reasons listed via chapter and verse I'll direct you to:

The Consumerist: Shoppers Bite Back

and this will tell you why you shouldn't buy their "extended warranty":
The Ulitimate Best Buy Extended Warranty Nightmare (videos and pics attached ) - RedFlagDeals.com Forums


Look, you buy that PSP from best buy and you can count on the fact that you will never see your laptop in the condition it "should" be in when and if you ever get it back. Matter of fact I'm a little shocked that you're here asking us what we think about best buy when you haven't even googled best buy customer expieriences yet. There are so many horror stories out there that it baffles common sense that they're still in business. And the geek squad? OMFHG do you REALLY want these idiots touching your beloved Mac? They aren't even real techs! They have a CD that they run called Winternals that BB wound up having to buy because they were stealing the company's software.

The reason's are so numerous as to defy logic as to why anyone would buy from them at all. If you buy from them, you're asking for a world of hurt and for my part, won't recieve any sympathy at all when they butt rape you. And yes, it WILL happen at some point. Their employees are some of the most undertrained people on the face of the planet. I believe the word for them is "waste of oxygen".

Just buy your Mac from Apple. Or CompUSA, they're going out of business so they'll have some killer deals. But if you're looking to finance it, do it through Apple. And for God's sake, buy the Applecare. No one will cover your Mac like Apple, and no one will do the repairs and get it back to you inside of 10 days like Apple will.

[MacosNerd]

Wow tell us how you really feel at BB

Personally I've never had any problems with BB. I've bought a fair amount of electronics and they were fine. I'd never let them repair a computer, that's a whole different story but buying from them - sure.

I'd need an incentive though and personally 0% interest isn't that much of one, since the interest still compounds. You need to payoff the debt in the alloted time or the interest gets lumped back in, usually that lump amount is from the purchase date so you don't really save anything (unless you pay off the debt in time).

[bishopazrael]

Yes... but did you read the links I included? Just browse some of the horror stories from best buy. Just from memory I can tell you that best buy will do everything in their power to keep you from returning something. They'll even call the cops and tell them you were flipping out and threatening staff members. When the cops view security footage? You're calm as can be. Yes this was a real incident at BB.

How about that PSP coverage? If your Mac breaks or you need it covered, guess who gets to deal with it. That's right the geek squad. The same loosers who just recently were investigated and found that ALL geek squad locations had instances where they were copying customer hard drives and searching for porn. One geek was busted and arrested and charged for video taping a girl in a shower with his cell phone while he was there to fix a computer.

Or how about the story about how they found out that they had a porn star for a client and that started a whole ball of wax?

Confessions: Geek Squad Hatched Plot To Harvest Porn From Pornstar Jasmine Grey's HardDrive, Days Before She Died In Car Crash

for your viewing pleasure.

Now please tell me you still want to shop there again. PS.. this isn't personal.. don't get me wrong. But I hate that fracking compnay with the fire of a thousand suns. I'm just so fed up with my customers going there and getting hosed every which way. I've actually had to go there for several customers to get something returned because BB wouldn't let them. And don't even get me started on the fact that BB is the ONLY store I've heard of in the last 7 years that has sold someone a box of rox.. ie.. tiles in an ipod box and no ipod.... just floor tiles... and wouldn't help the customer out. Before you feed the monster any more just do me a huge favor and read about them and their business practices.

[MacosNerd]

That's why I said I wouldn't have BB fix the computer.

buying the stuff, I've never had a problem there. Personally I'd opt for the apple extended warranty.

And yes I still do and probably will buy from Bestbuy because I've always been treated nicely, and their products are nicely priced.

[bishopazrael]

Wow. Knowing all that info... you'd still support a company that... sleazy?

[bishopazrael]

woops.. here's the right thread:

Best Buy - Consumerist

[bballe336]

Would you let best buy work on your computer? I certainly wouldn't. I'd buy from apple and get the extended warranty, best buy's geeksquad is pretty awful.

[Chito]

Considering that the price is at least as good I would buy from BestBuy. Get the 12 months 0%. Don't buy their extended warranty buy AppleCare, don't go to BB for service go to the Apple Store. I don't care what links are posted....I've bought several things big and small from BB and have NEVER had a problem. I'm not saying that those horror stories are true or not...just that I don't care. I'm going where I can get the best deal. Period.....

[Dork.]

Is your local Best Buy an authorized Apple service center? If not, if the thing breaks they'll just send it back to Apple anyway. Or, at least they should, as if they try to work on it without being authorized, they'd be voiding Apple's warranty.

And I was under the impression that even at an authorized service center, most repairs beyond replacing a broken hard drive or optical drive are shipped back to the Mothership, anyway. So, theoretically, you would get the same service with AppleCare that you would with Best Buy's PSP, with a middleman added. And there are loads of stories on Teh Intarwebs about how Best Buy isn't exactly in the lead in terms of Customer Service.

If you can get a good deal at the Best Buy, by all means do it, but I don't think their PSP adds any more value to you. The one exception may be the battery: Apple has started tightening up their AppleCare policy on batteries, I believe it is difficult to get a replacement for a battery after a year, even if you do have AppleCare. I know nothing about the terms of Best Buy's PSP, but if it includes coverage for the battery that might be one area where it's better than Apple. But even then, you'll have to deal with Best Buy and their tendency to break things....

[dustrho]

I just ordered the middle-ranged MBP from Apple's online store.

Thanks everyone for the tips and suggestions.

[MacosNerd]

no problem

Enjoy the computer its awesome

[bishopazrael]

Good choice. As an in home repair tech I've gone through a lot with my customers. None of them have ever had a good BB experience. Apple will take care of that laptop much better and faster than anyone else. Just look at the horror stories on this forum about the laptop guy Todd and his crap company. One of the things I will miss about CompUSA is their exteneded warranties. On laptops they were one of the better ones out there. I can vouch for that personally. Why they're going out of business is beyond me.... but I can also testify to the fact that BB will do whatever they can to screw you on their PSP's.

And for the record, when people say things like:
"I've bought several things big and small from BB and have NEVER had a problem. I'm not saying that those horror stories are true or not...just that I don't care. I'm going where I can get the best deal. Period....."
Way to go man. You're just as low and devoid of feeling as the creeps who do this and condone this stuff. So you're basically saying it's OK for someone to steal customer data, to rip off customers, to basically jerk with people any way they can, just so long as they don't do it to you... nice example to set for your kids. Maybe you'll walk by some little old lady on the street when she's being robbed and turn your head and say "dont worry kids.. he's not robbing US."

We wonder as consumers why companies crap on us when we want some help or support. This is why. You've got to stand for something at some point in your life. If a retailer like BB can be that sleazy... lets not beat round the bush.. the stories are true.. .there are legal documents stating as much... either you're too lazy to care about another human being or too cheap. I'm sorry but if you shop there you're supporting people who act like that when you could just as easily go to CC or Comp or Frys or anywhere... thats just wrong. Saying you dont know if the story is true or not... dude come on thats a cop out... "I'm pretty sure the stories are true.. but they havent molested me yet and they give me a good deal so I'll still give them my money so they can harrass other people... just as long as they don't do it to me .. screw every one else." Thanks for showing your true colors. I'm sure you'll have some kind of come back.. but honestly you just showed everyone here on the forum you could care less about us.. wait... actually .. you DO care less about us.

Thanks.

Nice job being part of our society, thanks, but please... dont register to vote.. I'm scared you'll elect the next moron who wants to start a war over oil.... sand... dirt... air.. anything. Americans have gotten too fat, too lazy, too cheap to have any REAL standards or morals. I'm starting to believe this wohle country will be morally bankrupt by the end of the decade.