September 1, 2008 - 1:11am
Filing under humor because it's so ridiculous as to be funny. Do you know about Firedog? They're Circuit City's answer to Best Buy's Geek Squad. Their name keeps popping up on Consumerist, so I took it upon myself to take a closer look...and subsequently had a good, out-loud laugh.
- DVD Backup, In-Home: Copies files to a DVD...$139.99
- DVD burning software costs less and is reusable. These days, an external DVD burner (multiformat) will only cost you $50. Heck, you could buy an external burner AND software and still come out $65 cheaper on the first DVD and $139.99 for each thereafter!!
- Computer Tune-Up, Online: Defrag, Anti-Virus...$129.99
- First off, defrag is free...it's a utility built into the operating system. Second, you can buy legit anti-virus AND anti-spyware software for $29.99. So what are you getting for the other $100??
- First off, defrag is free...it's a utility built into the operating system. Second, you can buy legit anti-virus AND anti-spyware software for $29.99. So what are you getting for the other $100??
- New Computer Setup, In-Store: Run updates, delete icons...$39.99
- Why are you buying a computer if you aren't willing to learn these most basic of tasks? Windows has updates turned on by default now, and if you can't delete an icon...you deserve to have $40 stolen from you.
- Why are you buying a computer if you aren't willing to learn these most basic of tasks? Windows has updates turned on by default now, and if you can't delete an icon...you deserve to have $40 stolen from you.
- Vista Installation, In-Home: Installing Vista...$229.99
- WTF? You put the disk in and press "OK" - what about that is worth $229.99? Oh, well, maybe it's because they bring you a new upgrade disk, too? Nope. The actual disk will cost you another $219.99. Grand total? $449.98 plus tax.
- WTF? You put the disk in and press "OK" - what about that is worth $229.99? Oh, well, maybe it's because they bring you a new upgrade disk, too? Nope. The actual disk will cost you another $219.99. Grand total? $449.98 plus tax.
- Software Installation, In-Store: One title...$29.99
- Same deal. They take your disk out of the box, put it in the disk drive, and push "OK". Then they take the disk out, and they put it back in the box. If you can do that for movies, why can't you do that for software?
- Console Setup for Online Gaming, In-Home: One title...$149.99
- Seriously?? If you need this, you should really reassess your ability to be a "gamer" at all. It's not like for $149.99 they're going to farm gold for you - this is another press "OK" deal with a little "let's pick your character name" sprinkled into the mix. If you were paying a neighborhood kid minimum wage, they could spend over 22 hours getting you from a noob level one to something respectable...for the same cash.
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Mechanics
I have a lot of "car buddies" that say the same thing about people who pay someone to change their oil or brake pads. It may be ridiculous to you and me but it's prevalent in pretty much any service industry. If you don't know or don't care to know how to do it, you're going to pay way more than you should.
Not quite the same...
I could see that but then, it's not quite the same. Changing your oil and brake pads are both physical activities that require a lift...or a ditch...or some jacks. And if you don't do it right, you could die. Or at least seriously damage your car, which is a lot more $$$ than your typical home desktop. Software installation is more like putting air in your tires. Not too dirty, pretty easy, and definitely not worth $30 and a trip to the shop. And console setup for online gaming? That's like saying you want to be a chef and then have a personal shopper go to the market for you.
"Software installation is
"Software installation is more like putting air in your tires. Not too dirty, pretty easy, and definitely not worth $30 and a trip to the shop."
...and yet people died because their Firestone were underinflated on their SUVs. :-) or is it :-( ?
Naah...
I wasn't due to inflation, it was a defect - the inflation blame was a coverup. Wikipedia says so. They even give a citation. You know that means quality information. ;)