I need someone who is knowledgable about: laptop (PC) hardware repair, the prices for those said repairs, and dealing with the morons at Best Buy's Geek Squad.
Okay, first off, I have a Dell Studio XPS 16. I purchased it from Best Buy with the whole bells-and-whistles protection plan (I think they call it Black Tie Protection Plan); since expensive things I own have been known to have mishaps. Well, a couple of weeks ago, I had my lap top sitting on a chair that I bumped into and the laptop fell - cracking the plastic part where the charger is inserted into it. For a few days, I was still able to plug the charger into the cracked part, it was loose, but it still charged. Then when I took the charger out, the actual piece (plastic outside and metal inside) where the charger goes into came out as well. It looked as if two wires (a red and a white one, if I remember correctly) had been severed from whatever component it's supposed to attach to (I was told the motherboard). I brought it into Best Buy thinking they'd send it out and it would be a relatively painless repair. I guess I forgot I was dealing with Best Buy....
I got a call from them today informing me that repairing the laptop would cost more than the laptop itself ($1100 or $1200, I forget), so I can come in and get a new replacement laptop for that same value; BUT, bye-bye $350 protection plan. According to the protection plan, if the repairs are more costly than the laptop itself, this is the policy. However, I have a hard time believing that this repair is over $1000.
Are they trying to screw me over? And if so, what information should I bring in with me to argue this point? (Please keep in mind: I am a student, living out of state, in Miami. I am able to get rides from friends but overall it's not that easy to get around - therefore, I can't make continuous trips back and forth to settle this. ALSO - I'm a student! I don't have money to waste on what would be a desperately needed new protection plan!)
[sorry about the lack of technicalities when referring to parts...if I need to be more specific about anything just point it out and I'll try my best to clarify]
Okay, first off, I have a Dell Studio XPS 16. I purchased it from Best Buy with the whole bells-and-whistles protection plan (I think they call it Black Tie Protection Plan); since expensive things I own have been known to have mishaps. Well, a couple of weeks ago, I had my lap top sitting on a chair that I bumped into and the laptop fell - cracking the plastic part where the charger is inserted into it. For a few days, I was still able to plug the charger into the cracked part, it was loose, but it still charged. Then when I took the charger out, the actual piece (plastic outside and metal inside) where the charger goes into came out as well. It looked as if two wires (a red and a white one, if I remember correctly) had been severed from whatever component it's supposed to attach to (I was told the motherboard). I brought it into Best Buy thinking they'd send it out and it would be a relatively painless repair. I guess I forgot I was dealing with Best Buy....
I got a call from them today informing me that repairing the laptop would cost more than the laptop itself ($1100 or $1200, I forget), so I can come in and get a new replacement laptop for that same value; BUT, bye-bye $350 protection plan. According to the protection plan, if the repairs are more costly than the laptop itself, this is the policy. However, I have a hard time believing that this repair is over $1000.
Are they trying to screw me over? And if so, what information should I bring in with me to argue this point? (Please keep in mind: I am a student, living out of state, in Miami. I am able to get rides from friends but overall it's not that easy to get around - therefore, I can't make continuous trips back and forth to settle this. ALSO - I'm a student! I don't have money to waste on what would be a desperately needed new protection plan!)
[sorry about the lack of technicalities when referring to parts...if I need to be more specific about anything just point it out and I'll try my best to clarify]
