IndustryGamers - Informing the Games Industry

Best Buy's Geek Squad has been great for me. They unboxed my PS3, connected the cables, and turned it on for me...all for $50. :-)

Its not really a scam...that implies that their actions are illegal and they know that what they are doing is illegal. This is just capitalism at its finest. Preying on the ignorant and lazy to make a few extra dollars on top of a $300+ purchase. They aren't selling the updates, they are selling a service, that service is to perform these updates, among other options. I'd venture a guess that 95 to 99 percent of consumers wont fall for this, but,even that small percentage that are completely oblivious and just that lazy and flushed with money, must represent a significant amount of potential revenue. I think its actually quite brilliant, I would do the exact same thing. Isn't that capitalism? Isn't that America? Take advantage of the ignorant for your own financial gain...ah, I love being American.

Remember, this is the same store that sells HDMI cables for $40+ when you can get equally as good cables for less than $4.

For what it's worth, since you present the opinion that this is a scam, which would infer some form of dishonesty, I'd like to point out something quite relevant from your article.

Your headline states that Best Buy is charging thirty dollars for firmware updates.

Your opening paragraph goes even further, specifying the charge is "just to upgrade the firmware," which means that nothing else is included.

However, if one reads the entire article, they see that you are being dishonest, because it has been made clear to you that it is not "just to upgrade the firmware," as you had said word for word earlier in this same article.

Who's scamming? Who's being straightforward? I see a retailer being honest about the service they offer and a tech site blatantly misleading to build drama and drive traffic.

If you want to preach ethics, you have to be ethical. Just sayin'.

And another reason why I don't buy from "Best Buy" any longer.

If they want to sell such a service it should be offered separate NOT as a pre-installed part of the manufacturers product (which as pointed out elsehwere has essentially turned the product into an open box used system). I wouldn't be suprised if these systems aren't repackaged returns as well hiding behind this "add on service" that users cannot opt out of.

On top of this these "other services" such as account creation and setting parental controls.... once again, if the consumer needs help, they'll ask for it. Charging every single consumer for this without giving the option is pretty sleezy.

Kudo's to the author of this article. At least he isn't shy about pointing out what's really going on here. Keep up the good work.

@Santiago:
Reading comprehension much? Nothing in this article says this is a required charge. It is an option service that Best Buy offers through thier Geek Squad service. If people are dumb enough to pay for it, then it's thier own fault. Next time try reading the article before forming an opinion.

edit: Meant optional service.

There's no scam here. As mentioned in a previous post this is capitalism. They charge this because.... hold on.... wait for it.... PEOPLE PAY IT! Why? Because when it comes to technology stuff Miss Soccer Mom driving the mini van and getting the PS3 for 6 year old Johnny doesn't know how to do these things, and guess what? They don't want to learn. So if they have the money to pay for it they will pay for it! As a matter of fact it doesn't matter how simple the service is these people will pay it because they consider it a helpful useful service.

"quite easily downloaded and installed"

Only with broadband internet and the console connected. Not everyone has broadband internet. Some people don't have internet at all. How do you expect them to update their firmware?

"Although some might feel charging $30 for a firmware upgrade is a complete scam"

A company charging for a service they provide and the customer wants. This is a scam?

I'm sure your heroic actions of defending our corporate overlords will be noted. Instead of helpfully teaching people how to update their firmware (which is push-button easy) they instead charge for the privilege - if you think it's great they do stuff like that fine; to me, it is not.

@scottmcd: If they don't have internet then they don't really need the firmware update. You only really need the firmware update to continue using the PS3 online. If you have no intention of going online then you don't need the latest firmware and you certainly don't need to pay Best Buy $30 to push a button for you.

@scottmcd - Most ps3 exclusive games come with the latest firmware on the discs, so your point is still moot.

since when did they start servicing consoles!? brought my ps3 in because i needed help with and they told me they don't work on consoles! they need more consistency and to think i trusted them! BAKA!

I've gotta say. Generally, I find myself in complete agreement with Industry Gamers' editorializiing, but I think that in this case you guys are being a little unfair. It's easy to bash on Best Buy (and lord knows that there are plenty of legitimate reasons), but I think that @Alan Pugh makes some pretty legitimate points on this subject.

I just doesn't sound like it's fair to me to characterize Best Buy as charging $30 just for what should be free firmware updates. It sounds to me like they are offering a comprehensive PS3 setup service which happens to include downloading firmware updates. Sure, you'd have to be a pretty technologically hopeless consumer (and one might wonder what you need a PS3 for) if you actually require this service, but I can certainly imagine a subset of the market that would. Hey, it's their $30, if they're too ignorant or lazy to set the thing up on their own, then they have the right to pay someone else to do it for them.