A Word of Warning for Circuit City Customers and for Cat Owners

[BlackShanglan]

First, I offer a word of warning those of you who might patronize Circuit City, and particularly those considering purchasing an extended warranty on a computer you buy from them. You might care to know the following:

(1) A laptop that, after working normally, begins to overheat to the point of being painful to use (one's hand must contact the overheating portion) but continues to run programs is not, in fact, considered to have a "hardware failure" and according to their service representitives will not be serviced in any way.

(2) A laptop that overheats in said manner will be suggested to have "a software problem." What manner of software problem could conceivably cause the noted problems will not be mentioned.

(3) This nearly goes without saying, of course, but the store personel will tell you to go home and call the out-of-store service folk, and the out-of-store service folk will immediately attempt to send you back to the store. For a "software problem."

(4) If you recall that part of your extended service plan contract that indicates that any future dispute about the service will be subject to "arbitration," you may be under the impression that this is used in the normal sense of the word - an independent entity that reviews and resolves conflicts between the customer and the company. In fact, their service department will direct you to an "arbitration" entity that is in fact the legal department of the company that sells the warranty.

(5) If you happen to have access to someone who is able to identify a specific individual part of the computer that is not functioning, such as the fan, that person might achieve slightly more - in our case, a written agreement that we could take the laptop apart and examine the fan ourselves without voiding the warranty. Yes, for just $160, we had purchased a warranty that allowed us to service the machine ourselves. Stunning.

And for the cat owners amongst you ...

(1) The fan may very well be running on your computer, but that alone will not help if the fan exhaust vent is blocked by a felt-like block of cat hair and dust.

Here's hoping that we've fixed it. The good Lord knows Circuit City never will.

Shanglan

 

[Stella_Omega]

You've just reminded me to open my tower and check for that very same block of felt, thank you!

 

[BlackShanglan]

You've just reminded me to open my tower and check for that very same block of felt, thank you!

My pleasure! Every pet owner has that added chore. The dog, of course, has a much larger supply of fuzz, but the fine texture of this blockage seems to indicate a feline origin.

 

[Salvor-Hardon]

I'm still wondering why anyone buys computers at circuit city anymore.

I thought they proved themselves incompetent in that realm years ago.

 

[Guest]

Sympathies for Circuit City dealings.

We frequently vacuum such things in our house. It's frightening how much kitty fur can accumulate in such a short amount of time.

 

[MsWet]

On a similiar note

I seriuously recommend not buying a computer system from Best Buy also.
They do not stand by their warranties & have given numerous people I know, including myself, the run around leaving me very frustrated with my computer.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

I don't let anyone or thing into my room, so all of the dust is pretty much just me.

And I don't shop at Circuit City because they always seemed like a second rate store to me. All of their departments are a mess, they don't sell as wide a variety of hardware or software as Best Buy or CompUSA, and they just seem to have an attitude about them that I don't like.

And I never buy extended warrenties either

 

[Liar]

The feline is one of the reasons I have a fanless computer. Cost me a bit more, but it is a) dust safe and b) totally quiet.

And I don't buy extended warranties fron the store either. I got a good separare insurance deal on household gadgetry that works the same way, but whithout the fuss.

 

[R. Richard]

Shanglan:
What do you expect? You have a cat problem with a store that sells mouses.

 

[BlackShanglan]

Shanglan:
What do you expect? You have a cat problem with a store that sells mouses.

*groan*

Bang. Bang. Bang.

"Hello, Circuit City Service Dept.? My computer appears to have a horse-head-shaped dent in the keyboard ... Hello? Hello?"

 

[BlackShanglan]

And I don't shop at Circuit City because they always seemed like a second rate store to me. All of their departments are a mess, they don't sell as wide a variety of hardware or software as Best Buy or CompUSA, and they just seem to have an attitude about them that I don't like.

And I never buy extended warrenties either

Alas, my options for computer purchases here are slim. I never used to buy extended warranties either, but the SO got one for the car over my sincere objections and it turned out to save us $1900. Then there was the stove ... and the home warranty ... and at this point I haven't a leg to stand on (even as a horse) because they've paid for themselves so often now. That said, I would never buy one from this company again.

And I don't buy extended warranties fron the store either. I got a good separare insurance deal on household gadgetry that works the same way, but whithout the fuss.

Oooh, I like that sound of that. Might have to look into it!

Shanglan

 

[jomar]

Thanks for the heads up, Shanglan. On the other hand, I have had good luck with a Sony TV I bought at Circuit City several years ago.

 

[Vermilion]

My pleasure! Every pet owner has that added chore. The dog, of course, has a much larger supply of fuzz, but the fine texture of this blockage seems to indicate a feline origin.

Yup, fluff and dust sodded my tower up too We fixed it though...
x
V

 

[BlackShanglan]

Now I'm just trying to restrain the urge to mail the wad of matted cat hair and dust to them with a note that reads "I believe I have located the 'software problem.'"

 

[lisa123414]

I seriuously recommend not buying a computer system from Best Buy also.
They do not stand by their warranties & have given numerous people I know, including myself, the run around leaving me very frustrated with my computer.

Agreed! When the power cord died on my laptop, I brought it to Best Buy Geek Squad, the computer was under a year old and the cord was covered under warranty. The Geek Squad wanted to mail the entire laptop off the the mfgr, and told me I would get it back in a three or four weeks. I went home and called the Toshiba 800 number, talked to someone lord knows where, they mailed me a new cord in three days, all I had to do was to mail the defective cord back - in the postage paid, pre-addressed box they supplied.

 

[neonlyte]

And I don't buy extended warranties fron the store either. I got a good separare insurance deal on household gadgetry that works the same way, but whithout the fuss.

Best way to go. The 'specialist warranty insurance' seems designed to hold more holes than a fishermans net. My household insurer replaced my damaged Powerbook on the strength of a phonecall from a repair store and mailed the cheque the same day.

 

[TxRad]

Now I'm just trying to restrain the urge to mail the wad of matted cat hair and dust to them with a note that reads "I believe I have located the 'software problem.'"

I dare ya.......

Best Buy needs to pay more money to their help.... Then they could afford a f3ew really good Geeks and not the nerds they have now.....

 

[SeaCat]

LOLOL

Because I have Cats, and have had them for quite some time I have come up with some cures for problems like this. The first is that anything with a fan system in it gets an external filter placed over the inlets. (A very fine one I can easily replace or clean.) (And yes this does include the Air Handler for my trailer.)

My cats are brushed every other day.

I run several pass through fans with filters, at least one in each room.

I have upon occasion thought about varnishing the Cats but have decided against it for aesthetic reasons.

Cat

 

[Just-Legal]

On the other hand, I've had brilliant experience with the extended warranties of both PC World and Comet in England.

PC World - got the extended warranty that covered up to 6 years in total. During that time my sister managed to completely destroy the hard drive with viri and spyware. PC was taken in, cleaned up, everything reinstalled and they managed to save a lot - if not all - of the documents etc on the PC.

Later, when I got it back in my custody, it went *bang* they happily sent out a lovely young gentleman who confirmed it was the power supply that went, and had brought both a new power supply and motherboard for me. He also turned a blind eye to the video card and memory I'd installed on my own (which technically voided said warranty).

-

Comet replaced my monitor (which was busted the day I got it home) without query and also rang me a few weeks later to check the new one was still ok. Had this machine six months so far and no other problems Warranty has another 5.5 years to go.

My theory on the above is the day I buy a machine with my own money, I'll buy it from a firm with crappy warranties, or a really busted machine...

 

[SlickTony]

We got our printer at Circuit City, we're very happy with it.

 

[FallingToFly]

Warranties also do not cover two year olds with odd ideas.

Shortly after I joined literotica, many, many years ago (The first incarnation I had was in 00) my oldest put my brand new computer out of commission for almost six months.

Cheez-its are not Windows compatible.

 

[cheerful_deviant]

I have the same trouble with my laptop. It's an older Pentium 4, 2.8gz and it runs unbeleviably hot, especially when running a graphics intensive program like games. You actually cant even use my laptop as a laptop because it will burn the hair off the tops of your legs. I have to pull the cover off the heatsink which is half the size of a pack os smokes) and clean the fuzzies out along with any in the 2 fans or it overheats.

And yes, Circuit City sucks. That's why they are teetering on the edge of going out of buisness.

 

[SlickTony]

Warranties also do not cover two year olds with odd ideas

Tell me about it. When my son was 3 he managed to corrupt my Windows 3.1 (I still don't know how he managed to do it) and I had to reinstall it.

 

[OhMissScarlett]

THIS might explain why Circuit City can't fix anything. They might've fired everyone who sort of knew what they were doing.

 

[carsonshepherd]

THIS might explain why Circuit City can't fix anything. They might've fired everyone who sort of knew what they were doing.

Sick bastards. That makes me so mad