How to buy a computer at best buy without getting hustled

INTRO
A while ago when I started to work at Best Buy as a college job, I took notice on how many kids were working at Best Buy, and most of them seemed really obsessed with their job. Everything they did was around Best Buy, a lot of them wanted to make their job a career, so these kids would try to sell a laptop or desktop which ever way they could so they could get notice from their supervisors and managers, including LYING TO CUSTOMERS.

As I started to work on the floor in the computer section, the supervisors and veterans would suggest we lie to the customers to make a sale. They taught us that most of the money Best Buy made was from services. In computers one of the services was PC-set up with 1 year antivirus, ($90 value, laptops/desktops come with 6 months free antivirus), other ones were, PC-set up with restoration CD's ($120-$160), and PC-set up with restoration CD's and Geek Squad services ($200-$300). So basically you pay for your laptop plus whatever else you got, which is stupid cause a PC set up can take 2 minutes.

I noticed a lot of people would come in after driving miles (because they were sent from another Best Buy) looking for the computer they want with no services just to be shut down with a SORRY WE DON'T HAVE IT just because they didn't want services. These computers are called in the Best Buy world, NAKED computers. From about 200 laptop only around 50 are taken to Geek Squad to be turned into PC-set ups ready to be sold. So in the warehouse we would have 150 laptops with no services.

I had customers coming in with a budget and they would ask me to help them to look for a laptop. When they found the laptop I had to push them to get the PC-set up, if they didn't want it I had to tell them that we don't have them in stock with no set up while in the back there were 150.... I started to get upset with the lying to people so I quit. But while working there I picked up a few tricks on how people can go to Best Buy and get a computer without getting hustled.


TRICK 1:
when you walk in to a Best Buy with intends of buying a laptop you would be approached by on of our sharks. You first say, Hi do you guys have some sort of protection plan? (That right there will let the employee know they are gonna make a nice sell) you than continue looking for whatever laptop you want. After you found it let the employee know you really need a protection plan. He is than gonna try to get you to buy the PC-set up, just say no thanks. The employee will be ok with it cause he thinks you're going to get a protection plan and he will go looking for the NAKED laptop. After he comes back with it, make sure it doesn't have a set up and proceed to register. Once you're checking out at the register just let them know you don't want the protection plan anymore and they will be forced to sell you a NAKED.


TRICK 2:
This other trick is simple but it might not work in some cases. When you walk in to a Best Buy and go to the computer section, let one of the employees help you and wait till they tell you the whole PC-set up deal and just say, a friend of mine works here and told me to ask for a NAKED laptop. (If they ask who your friend is tell them you'd rather not say)

Do any of these two tricks and you won't be hustled into paying for stuff you don't need.



PS: Best Buy employees do not work on commission or amount of sales.

Trick 3:

Learn enough about PCs to understand that a newer processor = a better processor and newer ram = better ram, more ram = more applications running at once, ghz = speed of processor(although a newer processor at 2.0ghz may beat a older processor at 3.0ghz), and spend the extra hour or two learning this stuff then

order it off www.newegg.com...

Be smart!

Good post.

I'm the person people want to take to Best Buy to help them buy a computer. It is literally astonishing to me they have a service to "clean up" all the applications that are pre installed. The last time I went with a friend to pick out a laptop the desktop was covered in applications. For some amount of money you can let the geek squad get rid of all the stuff the manufacturer put on there. I'm not sold on the fact its all manufacturer applications after looking at them (sorry I don't remember exactly which programs).

To get past all the upselling the employee was throwing our way I ended up just saying we had a copy of windows and we were going to reinstall the operating system right out of the box. He looked confused and a little disappointed.

So trick number 3.) Get the laptop in hand, tell them you want to put windows 7 professional/ultimate on it and if they try upselling you services just keep repeating you are going to do a clean reinstall of your version of windows. You don't have to actually do this, you just have to convince one person you are, =).

Best PC out there to buy currently are the core i series of processors.
The mac daddy processor being the core i7.

It may be out of your budget but it's worth the money to get one. a core i7 processor computer can keep you in the game for several years to come.

My top pic for a desktop pc is a intel core i7 64bit processor.

8 gigs of ram at least with 16 gigs being optimal.

Win 7 64bit operating system home premium.

1 terrabyte of disk space at minimum 2 if you can afford it. SATA 7200rpm drives. If you can afford the 2 TB then
you have the option of doing a raid array with parity so you can mirror the data on both drives in case of a hard drive failure.

2 geforce video card in sli config. something over a GTX x50. With video card with a higher series number over 50 is good for gaming. Like a GTX 580. Though not everyone may want to spend 300 dollars for a video card. do your due diligence when buying a video card.

Sharkey has buyers guides you may want to look into.
www.sharkyextreme.com...

Always research when buying a pc. There are tons of places to buy a pc besides best buy.

The best way not to get hustled when buying a new computer from ~insert name of department store here~ is to just not buy one from there. You get more 'bang' for your buck building it from scratch yourself, not to mention you get to pick your parts. I wouldn't waste my time with something from a store, all the parts are generic aside from the processor and videocard (if it even comes with one). Or in the case of laptops, hit up a local PC store that sells them, probable on order. But miles better and cheaper than Acer & HP

This is a reply to everyone.

He stated laptop. Yes, we all know if you build your own desktop it not only will be better but it will most likely be cheaper. Yes, I know there are DIY laptop kits out there. When you do the math the DIY laptop kits are only a small savings and you have to put it together. I never hesitate to tell one of my friends to just buy a laptop. I'm not going to speak for the OP but I assumed that the thread was about buying a laptop for the sticker price instead of getting pummeled by sales pitch after sales pitch.

Again, good thread!

Indeed a good post.
Very good tips on how to avoid getting those extra services that, are pretty useless. But i think a simple "No Thankyou" works just as well as coming up with a falsified story.

Good post though, Happy computering

reply to post by jhonnyjj


I have to agree with AzureSky's post recommendation to DIY your next PC. But that won't fly for the masses as most folks don't have that level of geek in them, or they are lazy, or time is too short -- there are a hundred excuses.

I think a consumer should do their homework, educate themself about features & benefits and know what they want to buy before visiting the first related website or brick & mortar. This holds true for any purchase of importance that puts a hole in your wallet. Prepare yourself. Be informed.

The last time we bought a PC at Best Buy was several years ago. This PC was for my wife (she was setting up a complete home office from scratch) and she had a good idea of her wants and needs to begin with. I provided geek support. We didn't let the helpful young sales floor fellow steer us at all, just the opposite. We ran him ragged and he was a good sport about it.

I told him right up front we had full intentions on buying a complete computer set-up, that we were going to spend good money, and that we are the type to squeeze a Nickel until the Buffalo poops twice. That young man was all over the store racks like a monkey, he worked his heart out. Got the wife a Media Edition HP PC Pavilion series, a flat screen monitor (both on sale, with tasty rebates), and when we went to check out the All-In-Ones it just so happened to be a day when a HP Rep lady was there. She gave us a deep discount on that HP item, and tossed in free paper, ink and photo-paper as well.

My wife also wanted a new digital camera but there was no 'real' marked-down values, it was the typical marked-up marked downs (lol!). I spoke with the Best Buy fellow, told him we want a camera and we want a discount. He went and spoke to his boss, who allowed him to use his personal store discount so we could save a few bucks! How nice was that?

WHAT PISSED ME OFF ABOUT BEST BUY was when I went to tip this helpful, hard working young man for a job well done. He explained that BB employees are not allowed to accept tips and that he could lose his job. Those youngsters don't make a lot of scratch I'm sure, and for some Corporate a-holes that make big figures per year without knowing the real meaning of work to not allow their employees to accept tips is mean and cold-hearted. Some people, you just can't slap them hard enough.

As far as I'm concerned, the management & executives of Best Buy can kiss my fat foul behind. After I learned of the Best Buy "no tipping" policy I stopped being a BB customer. I learned a long time ago that consumer dollars are like votes. And I'll never vote for Best Buy again.

Most people DON'T HAVE and WILL NOT ACQUIRE the skills that you guys and I have to either buy what they want or build their own. End-users are idiots. We all know that. They won't learn anything as long as they can depend on us.

Truthfully, I'd prefer that they have it all done by the Geek Squad, but it's not gonna happen. Somehow they already figure out how to buy them without the setup/cleanup/protection plans. Knowing that afterward they'll just call us or bring them to work and ask you or me to fix it for them.

Don't get me wrong; thanks, OP, for the advice. But I say let's keep this a secret among ourselves--a conspiracy, if you will....

You don't buy a computer from there without getting hustled. They carry junk. If you know anything about PC's you'll know that anything they carry is crap-o-la. Pick your flavor.

reply to post by jhonnyjj

Sir when you were hired you signed some papers that if you read them they said you couldn't distribute anything information have learned or seen in working hours. If we find out who you are you can be in real big problems, the best thing to do is take this post down and turn yourself in, we would consider that when or if we sue you.
Thank you very much.

Wow...post above me. He joined to tell you that Another member made a fake name? Just happened to "find" your post on a search? Odd...
Anyway...
Thanks for sharing the Info. Not one of my fav places Good info in case I end up having to shop there...I'm weary of the company from 'slight' experience...
Upon a job interview when I was younger pre- finishing college-, their job hiring practice was enough to chase myself and other prospective employers from wanting to go to another 10 man interview if not hired the first time.
Seems they put you into a robotic mode that is all or nothing, slave to them because they are the best or get out of the way.

I bought a laptop from Best Buy a couple of months ago and man were they ever annoying about trying to up sell!
It was enough to make me never want to go back.
There is nothing more irritating to a customer than to be told what they want.
All those "extras" are a ridiculous waste of money.

Many years ago Radio Shack was the first company that I experienced were they asked you your name, address and telephone number.

I tell them NO, YOU MAY NOT HAVE MY NAME. ADDRESS and TELEPHONE NUMBER!
That is unless is might be worth some real $ from you.

Originally posted by mrjoe
reply to post by jhonnyjj

 

Sir when you were hired you signed some papers that if you read them they said you couldn't distribute anything information have learned or seen in working hours. If we find out who you are you can be in real big problems, the best thing to do is take this post down and turn yourself in, we would consider that when or if we sue you.
Thank you very much.

Hahaha how hilarious is that! If this guy really works with/for Best Buy, he must think his employees are just as stupid as he thinks the customers are!

IF you find out who he is? How exactly are you going to find out? Give me a break. What an embarrassment to yourself and Best Buy that post it. You think your going to get a warant to trace his IP because of his post or something? Maybe you will be clever and send him a "You won 1 Million dollars!" private message to get his information? How stupid could you be.

If this guy is really connected to best buy in any way, he is trying to intimidate the OP into "turning himself in" (LOL) by making threats on a message board? What a looser hahaha..

Anyway OP,

Good looking out. I'd never shop at Best Buy but many people obviously do, so if you can help them to not get ripped off too bad then thumbs up for you! S&F

reply to post by jhonnyjj


I went not too long ago to buy my wife a new laptop. Went to Best Buy first, the salesmen were stupid about computer knowledge. I asked them if I could purchase a laptop with no operating system, as we run Linux on our machines. He told me this is illegal to do. Do you believe that? After arguing with is for awhile, we went to Walmart, and I got her a Toshiba 64 bit, 3 Gb of RAM and a big HD. Ran D-Ban and erased the hated Windows from it, and installed PC Linux KDE. It runs stable and fast, and boots inside 20 seconds. Virus? Pop ups? What are those?
Linux user for many years.

Hahaha don't even worry about it this is a dummy account I made just for this thread. Best way to buy a computer is online. trust me

reply to post by mrjoe


you would think someone from corporate would have better things to do than ATS. How old are you 17?

If you have the knowledge to DIY on a new PC you will save yourself hundreds of dollars by buying your components separately.

An easy way to do quick research is to just go to HP or DELL's website and build a PC or Laptop there where you can go step by step on components, figure out where and why the extra costs come from and go into your local Best Buy with a little more knowledge.

If you want to buy a high end gaming machine stay away from Best Buy or you will be very sorry and still end up spending more money on a good video card.

OP and other posters excellent info I learned some new things and followed some link to get more info Good stuff this is what ATS should be for- educating people to make better decisions. Not conspiracy crap and phone UFO posts