October 22, 2009
A unnamed Best Buy store is taking the liberty of cracking open new Xbox 360s and updating them with the latest firmware. The only problem? They slap on an additional $29.99 charge for the service.
A reader of the Consumerist website snapped the pics to prove it. Updated consoles were resealed, given an “Inspected by Best Buy” sticker and adorned with magic marker indicating the date that the firmware update had been applied.
The story was originally posted on the Consumerist a few weeks ago, but we thought it was still worthwhile for those who hadn’t seen it. What do you think—a value-added service for those without Internet or consumer gouging?
Comments
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
Great, I can see some Geek Squad guy switching his 360 with a new working one.....
If they do this too all their systems then I will refuse to buy any systems or devices from Best Buy
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
Gouging, taking advantage of the consumers who don't know how to do this themselves. But then again, any service is doing the same, particularly GeekSquad and any crap like that.
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
Consumerist isn't a Gawker site (anymore?) - they were bought by Consumer Reports some time ago.
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
Not sure if Xbox is the same way, but I rememebr on my PSP if your firmware was out of date, they included the patch on the game disc in order for you to play it. Im sure it is the same way for Xbox. If not, they wouldnt sell games that wont play on their own system. That I know of...
I wish I knew someone who got suckered into this. So I can laugh my ass off at them.
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
It's the same for Xbox. I brought my copy of Batman: Arkham Asylum over to a friend's place where he hasn't connected his 360 to the Internet ever, and it installed NXE for him.
Seriously, this is gouging. The closest thing to a performance upgrade by patch you will get is the installation of NXE and hard drive installs (I suppose Later NXE with Slightly Smaller Hard Drive Installs is a possibility, too), and by now the 360s on the shelves ought to be updated that much.
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
Let me see if I have this straight:
Best Buy is charging people extra for 360s with the warranties pre-voided?
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
Ahh Consumerist, making a stink over a company offering a completely optional service that no one is forced to partake in. Cause you know, there aren't any real issues of actual fraud for them to report on, or at least ones that don't easily generate so many clicks. Shouldn't expect less from a Gawker site though.
Parallax Abstraction
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
blog.digital-lifeline.ca
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
Yep, completely pointless of them to report on a shop that's exploting the stupid. /sarcasm
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Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
I don't see how people being too stupid to research a multi hundred dollar purchase before they make it becomes the fault of the store. Firmware updates can be useful. If you don't want the store to install it for you, no one forces you to. People who are stupid have only themselves to blame for that.
Parallax Abstraction
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
blog.digital-lifeline.ca
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
The only problem with your line of thinking is this: Best Buy is pre-installing the firmware. The customer cannot opt out of this update as it has already been done. I am sure that if you wanted to, you can raise a stink and demand to not be charged for the service that you did not ask for, but that shouldn't have to happen.
Now if Best Buy simply posted a sign stating that for $30 extra, they would hook it up and update the firmware at the time of purchase, this would be a non issue. But that is not the case.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
Random Tower: Game News and Commentary
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
And how are they supposed to research it if, according to you, websites like this shouldn't be bothering to report that the store in question is ripping customers off with this service?
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Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
Gouging. If you wanna update the firmware so bad, all you need do is just borrow an internet connection from a friend.
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
I predict that Best Buy will be out of business in less than 10 years. The Wiz, CompUSA, and Circuit City were once good stores with helpful and knowledgeable staff. Little by little, they all went to shit as their stores got crummy, their "services" became ripoffs, and their employees became little more than knuckle-draggers.
Best Buy is well on its way following this trend.
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
I remember seeing them advertising outrageous prices to have Geek Squad "install" and update your PS3 for you. I mean what is even the hell? Taking advantage of the casuals maybe?
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
I saw that too- it cost hundreds of dollars (don't remember original price). Fools and their money are easily parted, too.
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
Some people I know are overqualified to work at Geek Squad. Boy they really are afraid of people that know every way to hack through to get an internet connection for free.
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
If you're not going to play 360 online, updating with the new firmware doesn't mean anything, since almost all of the firmware updates have to do with internet-related items.
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
I would think the same. Because if you are planning on using the features, then it will update automatically. But there may be games that require some of the updates; I remember trying to play Blue Dragon before we hooked ours up online - it wouldn't let me play the game without some kind of update.
It's absurd that they want to charge people $30 to put the system online for 2 minutes to download a free update.
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
Yea. That's exactly what I was thinking. Also if you aren't gonna hook it up to the internet why get it at all.
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
For the single-player games.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
"The story was originally posted on the Consumerist a few weeks ago"
And reported on GP shortly afterwards.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
Really? Where?
Andrew Eisen
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
I checked and for some strange reason the article has vanished, unless I'm using bad searching.
But I distinctly remember both the article and comments, right down to the crudely hand-written label on the box of the console and how people were commenting about how they bet if you tried to RETURN that console with the written-label, Best Buy wouldn't take it back because they box was defaced,
There was also a lot of talk about how Geek Squad rip peope off with their laptop 'services' amongst other things.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
I think you're confused about where you read this. I've read every article on GP since at least May of this year and this story has never been on here.
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
Yep, I was indeed. I read it on The Escapist on the 2nd of October. I don't usually read any of their articles which would explain why I assumed I'd read it here already when this one cropped up.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
I'm with Senior Correspondent Andrew Eisen. This one ain't ringing no bells for me, either.
Re: Best Buy Store Updates New 360s, For a Fee
There is no point in using this bs service.
http://www.magicinkgaming.com/