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Thread: Question and Request to Spread the Word about Bestbuy

  1. #11
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    Re: Question and Request to Spread the Word about Bestbuy

    Maybe, maybe not, but that line of thinking is basically the death of customer service as we know it.
    I know I shouldn't use tildes for decoration, but they always make me feel at home~

  2. #12
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    Re: Question and Request to Spread the Word about Bestbuy

    When i returned my first laptop, the geek squad at Best Buy checks out the return...basically, all they do is boot it up and if windows appears, they are satisfied...and i didn't tell them, of course, that ubuntu HAD been on there...i simply restored windows so that the computer was as i bought it and told them it works fine but it didn't meet my needs...case closed...refund issued...THAT is the way you do it...you don't TELL THEM you are going to or did change the OS on the computer....common sense applies here...

  3. #13
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    Re: Question and Request to Spread the Word about Bestbuy

    It is not just Best Buy that wants Windows intact for a return or warranty repair. That is why I always make restore disk(s) when I first get a computer. I understand that Windows 8/8.1 use USB and it is 3 - 6 GB depending on the bloatware/trial-ware.
    Use whatever OS or desktop works for you. Dual boot or use VMs if you want. Backup your computer regularly, and definitely before upgrading, partitioning, or installing an OS.

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  4. #14
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    Re: Question and Request to Spread the Word about Bestbuy

    Have you ever taken a USB drive to Best Buy and asked to try a live Linuux on a pc before you bought it to make sure it worked? I did. After telling the sale person to get a tech they final let me try it. Before long I had a crowd gathered around and ended up giving a demo of Ubuntu. Got a lot of questions like, "where can I get a USB like that?" After answering the questions, I then showed them how to run it off the USB in a VirtualBox or VM. Told them to down load a program in Windows, "LiLi USB Creator" and it would setup the VirtualBox for them. Here are the screen shots.
    Screenshot (98).jpg Screenshot (97).jpg
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  5. #15
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    Hardy Heron (Ubuntu Development)

    Re: Question and Request to Spread the Word about Bestbuy

    Quote Originally Posted by craig10x View Post
    When i returned my first laptop, the geek squad at Best Buy checks out the return...basically, all they do is boot it up and if windows appears, they are satisfied...and i didn't tell them, of course, that ubuntu HAD been on there...i simply restored windows so that the computer was as i bought it and told them it works fine but it didn't meet my needs...case closed...refund issued...THAT is the way you do it...you don't TELL THEM you are going to or did change the OS on the computer....common sense applies here...
    Exactly. If you've restored it to its original configuration and you don't tell them what you did, there's no way they're going to know. I think the Geek Squad guy was just trying to scare the OP out of installing Linux.

    Quote Originally Posted by irv View Post
    Have you ever taken a USB drive to Best Buy and asked to try a live Linuux on a pc before you bought it to make sure it worked? I did. After telling the sale person to get a tech they final let me try it. Before long I had a crowd gathered around and ended up giving a demo of Ubuntu. Got a lot of questions like, "where can I get a USB like that?" After answering the questions, I then showed them how to run it off the USB in a VirtualBox or VM. Told them to down load a program in Windows, "LiLi USB Creator" and it would setup the VirtualBox for them. Here are the screen shots.
    Screenshot (98).jpg Screenshot (97).jpg
    That's awesome.
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  6. #16
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    Re: Question and Request to Spread the Word about Bestbuy

    I can see their perspective. Modifying the device, and they're going to have to send time returning it to its original state. Maybe insignificant, maybe not, depending.

    Why not just restore the original OS and return it? There's absolutely no way they'd know if you do it right.
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  7. #17
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    Re: Question and Request to Spread the Word about Bestbuy

    Absolutely...that is what he should do, and of course return it to a DIFFERENT location where they haven't dealt with him...just tell them it works fine but he wasn't happy with it or didn't meet his needs...
    Of course, this is assuming he made the restore discs before he put on ubuntu (assuming he wiped out windows and didn't dual boot)...of course, if he was dual booting, he still has access to making the discs on the "windows side"...

  8. #18
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    Re: Question and Request to Spread the Word about Bestbuy

    I'm actually suprised they don't check not only if windows is booting up but also if the recovery partition(s) are there as well which if I recall is often accessed via a hotkey at the BIOS screen at some point. Seeing as for some reason or another the industry has pretty much gone away from including actual physical media to reinstall Windows, or at least reinstall Windows along with all the manufactuer's bloatware and instead relies on partition's, I just see it as an inconvience for the owner of the PC.
    "Ah, for the days when a commanding officer could dump a useless minion out the airlock without having to worry about filling in forms..." ―Captain Gilad Pellaeon

  9. #19
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    Re: Question and Request to Spread the Word about Bestbuy

    I don't see it as being unreasonable to expect a returned product to be in the same state as when it was offered at purchase. Be that an OS or a charger/power brick missing (amazing how many people leave out the charger).

    How hard is it to restore a machine to factory defaults? It's a piece of cake. It's not on Best Buy that will do this but most retailers & distributors will have similar policies.

    I purchased a laptop years ago (2005), installed linux on it and had ethernet port issue. I restored windows and returned it no problem. The thought of returning it in a different state with linux on it never even crossed my mind.


    OP,

    Do you still have time left in those 15 day return period? If 'yes' I would just restore windows and return it.

    If not then give us the model details & problems so we can try and sort out your issues.
    Last edited by mips; April 23rd, 2014 at 01:27 PM.

  10. #20
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    Hardy Heron (Ubuntu Development)

    Re: Question and Request to Spread the Word about Bestbuy

    Quote Originally Posted by Gilad_Pellaeon View Post
    I'm actually suprised they don't check not only if windows is booting up but also if the recovery partition(s) are there as well which if I recall is often accessed via a hotkey at the BIOS screen at some point. Seeing as for some reason or another the industry has pretty much gone away from including actual physical media to reinstall Windows, or at least reinstall Windows along with all the manufactuer's bloatware and instead relies on partition's, I just see it as an inconvience for the owner of the PC.
    This brings up my question about the partitions. A lot of times when people install Linux and use the whole disc, they just wipe out all of the partitions and start from scratch, partitioning the drives how they want them, or how the installation disc wants them. So that's kind of part of returning it to its original state. If it came with a restore partition, and you wiped it out, you're probably not going to be able to get it back to the exact state it was in when you bought it, even if you do get the original OS and crapware reinstalled.

    This is a pretty big lesson that you should test out a new computer for a while, and try out the LiveCD/USB first before you just wipe everything off and install Linux.
    Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You. - Dr. Seuss

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