Gizmodo Australia » geek squad

The Geek Squad’s Newest Racket: CD Ripping

John Herrman — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:40:00 +0000

Building on a proud tradition of charging for things that shouldn’t cost anything, Best Buy’s crack team of dudes will now rip your CDs, for the low low price of $US1 a disc.

Lest you judge too quickly, let’s take a look at the Geek Squad’s latest service in their own words:

CD conversion requires care and expertise. We’ll rip your CD collection into MP3, AAC, WAV, WMA, WMA-Lossless, or OGG formats, and return it to you (along with your CDs) on DVDs

Translation: We’ll take whatever is on your disc and put it on another disc.

We pull quality, accurate metadata from multiple sources such as AMG and GD3 and rip your CDs with the finest error correction software. We also hand-groom your digital music collection making searching and organizing your collection a breeze and ready to play as soon as you receive it.

Translation: We have iTunes.

Wondering where we are with your conversion? Simply login on our website and view the status of your order at any time.

Translation: This is going to take a while.

Have a few CDs with peanut butter and jelly on them?

Translation: You are clearly an idiot.

Need an iPod, hard drive, or music server with your CD Ripping? Add it to your cart and we’ll transfer (load) your entire collection to the selected hardware FREE of charge.

Translation: And now that we know you’re an idiot, we would like to steal from you.

I’m sure there’s a market for this—old folks? the chronically lazy? someone’s been paying for this shit for years—but really, you’re paying a dollar for someone to click on a few buttons, and pass it off as something that you can’t do yourself. Or hey, maybe I’m being unfair. Let me know! Just email me your thoughts, and I’ll post them as comments for, let’s say $US0.50 a word? Great. [Consumerist]

Verizon Rolling Out Geek Squad Knockoff Called ‘Expert Care’

Sean Fallon — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:00:00 +0000

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]

Best Buy iPhone 3G: Buy BS Accessory Package, Geek Squad Will Do What Apple Store Does for Free

Matt Buchanan — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:30:00 +0000

The iPhone 3G is making its Best Buy debut this Sunday, and a copy of the ad you’ll see in your local paper confirms that even though Best Buy has the distinction of being the iPhone’s first independent US retailer, it’ll be the same old Best Buy peddling it.

If you buy one of four bullshit accessory packages—going for US$106 to US$234, according to AppleInsider—Geek Squad will set up your phone and email for free. In other words, something they have to do anyway (activate your phone), and another that’s complimentary at the Apple Store or easy enough to do yourself. Thanks, Geek Squad. [Apple Insider]

Wal-Mart Fires Broadside Into Best Buy With Talk of Geek Squad Knockoff

Gizmodo US Edition — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 22:00:00 +0000

By way of sister site The Consumerist comes word this afternoon that big box chain Wal-Mart is “very interested” in expanding its services into Best Buy’s Geek Squad territory. “We are looking at different options,” said Gary Severson, a Wal-Mart senior vice president. Tough luck for Best Buy on that one, should it come to pass. According to MarketWatch, analysts consider Best Buy’s Geek Squad operation a key differentiator compared to Wal-Mart. So, the question is, if Geek Squad guys drive those black and white VW Beetles, would Wal-Mart ~~stormtroopers~~ technicians ~~fly Star Destroyers~~ drive SMART cars? [MarketWatch via Consumerist]

The World Hates the Geek Squad

Seamus Byrne — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 10:08:04 +0000

According to the American Dentists Association, the US Mime Artists Syndicate and this Random Good Stuff t-shirt, 9.99 out of 10 US citizens hate Geek Squad. Apparently the statistical error works for Geek Squad and doesn’t even love itself. In fact, not even Jesus loves them. Me neither. – Jesus Diaz

Pushy retailers [Random Good Stuff]