Geek Squad

Google Needs Its Own Genius Bar, How About the Geek Squad?

Fixing your Pixel would be much easier if you could just walk into Best Buy. A new partnership with Google for flagship repair shops could make that happen.

Tech News Florence Ion Aug 4

The Pros and Cons of Repairing Your Own Gadgets

Should you DIY your cracked screen, or take it to a repair shop?

Gadgets David Nield Feb 24

The Top 10 Scams of 2022, According to the Government

Scammers never sleep. They pay close attention to the news cycle, so they can have just the right info to scam you.

Tech News Jody Serrano Dec 17

You Can Soon Get Your Busted Samsung Galaxy S and Z Phones Fixed at Best Buy

Samsung claims Best Buy will be able to provide same-day repairs for most of Samsung's non-foldable phones.

Gadgets Sam Rutherford Oct 25

United’s Newest Planes Finally Support Bluetooth Audio, and It’s About Damn Time

We need to talk about the state of in-flight technology, because it's dire.

Tech News Sam Rutherford Jun 30

FBI’s Use of Paid Best Buy Informants Goes Deeper Than We Knew

Questions were raised last year about whether FBI agents were actively recruiting technicians at Best Buy’s Geek Squad to search for illegal content on customer devices. According to newly released documents, however, prior reports only scratched the surface: Best Buy’s ties with the FBI appear more complex than once surmised. The existence of the Geek…

Privacy & Security Dell Cameron Mar 6

The FBI Is Allegedly Recruiting Geek Squad Members to Find Child Porn

We know that the FBI has had a hard time finding tech talent and the current administration has so far shown little interest in hiring technology experts, but we didn’t expect this. New federal court documents show that the FBI has been actively coordinating with members of Best Buy’s “Geek Squad” to hunt for child…

Tech News Rhett Jones Apr 3

Why You Should Never Pick a Risqué File Name

At any moment, your computer could crash, and you will need to hand it over, unedited, to a repair person. If weird filenames freak out that person and the police, they can open your files, a court has ruled. Ugh. An Alabama man got 10 years in jail after taking his computer in for repair…

Privacy & Security Ryan Tate Oct 13

Best Buy Responds to 3D Glasses Setup Service

Best Buy is known for charging a lot of money to do very little with its setup services, but its “3D glasses syncing” seemed to bring things to a whole new level. They’ve responded. https://gizmodo.com/best-buys-mac-optimization-makes-its-normal-optimizatio-5440510 The offer was for a free setup of your TV, BD player and syncing your 3D glasses with them both,…

Tech News Adam Frucci Mar 23

Best Buy Now Completely Full of Crap in 3D

If you drop a few grand on a 3DTV package, the Geek Squad will “sync” those 3D glasses for you free—part of a “$149.99 value.” The problem? Syncing shutter glasses only requires that you LOOK AT THE SCREEN. So HDGuru called three different Best Buy locations to figure out what’s so complicated about getting 3D…

Tech News Mark Wilson Mar 19

Best Buy’s “Optimization” Update: Technically Optional, Still Dickish

An email sent to Consumerist by a Best Buy employee lays out the changes Best Buy has made in pushing their optimization service. Basically, you can’t be forced to pay for optimization—but the salesman won’t tell you that. https://gizmodo.com/best-buys-optimization-is-officially-a-huge-evil-scam-5439590 What starts out promising soon turns shitty. Before, Best Buy would often advertise computers at a…

Tech News Dan Nosowitz Jan 29

Best Buy Is Epically Botching This TV Repair

I once had to wait an extra four weeks for a couch. I was furious. All I can say is that I’m glad I’m not this dude on the Best Buy repair forums trying to get his TV fixed. Just in case this post “mysteriously” disappears from the Best Buy site, here is the full…

Tech News Sean Fallon Jan 12

Leaked Memo: Geek Squad Killing Its Scammy “Optimization” Services

The Best Buy Geek Squad’s PC and Mac optimization services are worse than a bad deal, since they can actually make your new computer slower. Apparently Best Buy heard our heckling: bullshit optimization is on its way out. https://gizmodo.com/best-buys-optimization-is-officially-a-huge-evil-scam-5439590 A tipster sent us this memo, which outlines Best Buy’s new Best Buy Installer Software, which…

Tech News John Herrman Jan 7

Geek Squad’s CES Ads Are Surprisingly Honest

Thanks, Geek Squad, for basically writing the headline for our next story on your borderline fraudulent “optimization” scams! Spotted in in the CES Press room, of all places. https://gizmodo.com/best-buys-mac-optimization-makes-its-normal-optimizatio-5440510

Tech News John Herrman Jan 7

Best Buy’s Mac Optimization Makes Its Normal Optimizations Seem Downright Reasonable

Yesterday, I told you about a new Consumerist investigation into the huge ripoffy nature of Best Buy’s computer optimizations. But hoo boy, $40 to enter a username into a new Mac? That’s tough to justify. https://gizmodo.com/best-buys-optimization-is-officially-a-huge-evil-scam-5439590 Just what do you get when you give the Geek Squad $40 to optimize your new MacBook Pro? As…

Tech News Adam Frucci Jan 5

Best Buy’s ‘Optimization’ Is Officially a Huge, Evil Scam

Best Buy’s computer optimization service costs $40 and promises to double the speed of your computer. They push it hard, so hard that you’re often forced to get it against your wishes. The trouble? It makes computers slower. If you’ve ever bought a computer from Best Buy, you’ve doubtlessly been pitched an optimization. And you…

Tech News Adam Frucci Jan 4

Humor: Geek Squad’s Real Agenda Exposed

In this exclusive, never-before-seen training footage from The Geek Squad, the horrible truth of their agenda is finally revealed. Brian Hogg is a puppeteer and a writer. He builds puppets for money at Hoggworks Studios—including the Mosspuppet and Ask Palpatine—and likes to make fun of people.

Tech News Wilson Rothman Nov 28

Remainders – Things We Didn’t Post

Apple Unleashes Billboard So Large It’s Actually Illegal…Win 7 Touchscreen Commits Seppuku on Live Japanese TV…Wal-Mart Gets a Gear Installer Squad of Its Own…RIM Kills Our Dreams, Says No To Smartwatch… I don’t know what’s funnier, that Apple has the balls to erect a billboard so large it’s illegal, or that Apple has such pull—financial…

Tech News Wilson Rothman Oct 23

The Geek Squad’s Newest Racket: CD Ripping

Building on a proud tradition of charging for things that shouldn’t cost anything, Best Buy’s crack team of dudes who can fill out inane bubble tests will now rip your CDs, for the low low price of $1 a disc. https://gizmodo.com/best-buy-iphone-3g-buy-bs-accessory-package-geek-squa-5045706 Lest you judge too quickly, let’s take a look at the Geek Squad’s latest…

Tech News John Herrman Sep 17

Geek Squad Certification Test Is Absolutely Stupid

If you thought that Geek Squad employees were kind of dumb, well, you may be right. At least, that’s the impression I get by looking at the absolutely stupid multiple-choice answers in their CompTIA A+ preparation test: https://gizmodo.com/geek-squad-attempting-first-look-at-naked-female-gets-251738 According to our anonymous tipster: I collected some pictures from a GS Test new Agents take while…

Tech News Jesus Diaz Aug 10

Geek Squad

Google Needs Its Own Genius Bar, How About the Geek Squad?

The Pros and Cons of Repairing Your Own Gadgets

The Top 10 Scams of 2022, According to the Government

You Can Soon Get Your Busted Samsung Galaxy S and Z Phones Fixed at Best Buy

United’s Newest Planes Finally Support Bluetooth Audio, and It’s About Damn Time

FBI’s Use of Paid Best Buy Informants Goes Deeper Than We Knew

The FBI Is Allegedly Recruiting Geek Squad Members to Find Child Porn

Why You Should Never Pick a Risqué File Name

Best Buy Responds to 3D Glasses Setup Service

Best Buy Now Completely Full of Crap in 3D

Best Buy’s “Optimization” Update: Technically Optional, Still Dickish

Best Buy Is Epically Botching This TV Repair

Leaked Memo: Geek Squad Killing Its Scammy “Optimization” Services

Geek Squad’s CES Ads Are Surprisingly Honest

Best Buy’s Mac Optimization Makes Its Normal Optimizations Seem Downright Reasonable

Best Buy’s ‘Optimization’ Is Officially a Huge, Evil Scam

Humor: Geek Squad’s Real Agenda Exposed

Remainders – Things We Didn’t Post

The Geek Squad’s Newest Racket: CD Ripping

Geek Squad Certification Test Is Absolutely Stupid

The ‘Mass Effect’ Show is Getting Rewritten to Get Greenlit

See the Early Stages of How ‘Project Hail Mary’ Brought Rocky to Life

‘Cognitive Surrender’ Is a New and Useful Term for How AI Melts Brains

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Marshall Acton III Home Speaker Drops to a Record Low, the Deal Countdown Has Already Started

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

I’m Worried About the Helpless AI Disruptors of the Future

Russia Allegedly Swung at VPNs but Accidentally Hit Its Own Banking Sector Instead

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

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