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Best Buy’s Geek Squad Being… Them.

Just recently I've spoken about some pretty good deals I've gotten through Best Buy. That's because Best Buy doesn't make their money from sales; they make it from preying on uninformed electronics consumers. From overpriced warranties to computer repair that consists of reboot/virus scan/reformat/get paid, Best Buy doesn't care if they sell you an electronics product for cost, because they'll make up their money (and then some) after the sale is complete. Quick Protip: if it says "Geek Squad", run. Quickly.

So I'm standing in line to pick up a game I ordered through Best Buy's website (at 50% off - again, Best Buy can be good if you know what to use them for) when I see this at the customer service/pick up desk:

[click for larger image, and excuse the blurriness]

The ad was offering a "package deal", where you could get Apple's Smart Cover (a nifty device), a ZAGG Invisible Shield, and "Geek Squad ZAGG Invisible Shield Installation" FOR ONLY $84.97. Sure, doing the math, this was a good deal for the package: $39.99 for the Smart Cover, $24.99 for the SHIELD, and $39.99 for the install is $104.97, so Best Buy is helping you save $20. Isn't that SWELL of them?

OK, here's the thing. An Apple Smart Cover (made by Apple) retails through them for $39, so there's a 99 cent markup there. That's normal. The ZAGG Invisible Shield is $29.99 on their website, so Best Buy's retail price there is actually $5 cheaper. It's the INSTALL that blows my mind, mainly because the Smart Cover is held on by magnets. Hell, Apple's major selling point to the thing is how mind-numbingly easy it is to put on and take off. No really, watch the video on their site.

As for the Invisible Shield? IT'S A STICKER. Granted, a very protective sticker that does well protecting your iPad from scratches, but it's still A STICKER. For what amounts to $20 ($40 if you don't do the package deal), a Geek Squad tech will put down his sandwich for a second, stick a magnet and sticker on your iPad, then go through your pictures, watch porn on it, and play Angry Birds for a few days before you can come pick it back up.

If Best Buy actually wanted to look a little better in peoples' eyes, they might try a more customer-oriented approach to their sales tactics. Apparently, the Apple Store will put the Invisible Shield on your iPad if you buy it there - no charge. But that's the kind of thing you expect from an Apple Store, and sadly what I described earlier is what you'd expect from Best Buy.