Verizon Rolling Out Geek Squad Knockoff Called ‘Expert Care’

Starting today, Verizon will join a growing list of companies including Best Buy and AT&T that offer a service dedicated to in-home customer support. Verizon’s ‘Expert Care’ will offer a ‘protection pack’ that provides home repair and replacement coverage for your computers, televisions, and telephones as well as monitors, modems, keyboards, mice, OEM remote controls and FiOS backup batteries. Service starts at $US5 a month and can run up to $US20 depending on your equipment. They are also offering a “Premium Technical Support” service that adds 24/7 phone and online support for $US15 a month.

If you want to really go nuts, there is a 3rd tier “Premium Onsite Support” branch that will offer assistance with problems like OS and network installations for a price that falls between $US100-$US300 depending on the service. That’s all well and good if you are loyal to Verizon, but with the market for home repair service getting so competitive, one has to wonder whether all of these companies can carve out their own piece of the pie. [Verizon via Ars Technica]