Some people truly amaze me with their shear lack of ethics.

[Vindekarr]

Just got my PC back and back up N running.

 

I had a tech come in yesterday to try and fix this ongoing STEAM issue I've been having, but man, was he a piece of work...

 

He then told me my antivirus needed work and that I should back up my machine, when I told him "maybe" he then offered to "help" me get a hard-drive aswell. Since the machine did need some work I grudgingly left it to be fixed. The next morning I got a phone call saying the hard drive was "fitted improperly and in need of repair" and that there was dormant malware in the system. And that they could fix it for a small fee, say... $600 including the work I'd already had done. I told them they'd be more likely to start a flying pig ranch, and that I'd pay them for what I owed them and take the machine back, I'd fix it myself.

 

They put up a massive fight just to get the machine back-I eventualy had to make 6 diferent phonecalls to get it back, and it was delivered significantly late aswell, and even when it wa, the guy had the balls to off me something. I subsequently dropped it on the desk and checked the "problem" with the HDD mounts.

 

The case hadn't even been opened. The bolts were fine-I tightened them myself only recently, and they're the sort used to hold cars together, they don't "get fitted improperly" and the case hadn't even been opened, the whole story was a pile of BS. What's more, a second opinion on the software proved the "dormant malware" was nonexistant, a phoney temp file, and that the $120 cleanup I'd paid for had only removed a handful of temp, leaving 90% of the job unfinished. I feel pretty PO'd right now, but at the same time very relieved that I walked away from this without being conned into buying anything beyond what I'd initialy intended to-the cleanup and software check I'd had in mind when I called them. If nothing else I learned who to trust-one tech shop that can't be trusted, and one that can.(who rebiult the whole install on my dad's machine for 95 bucks, AND that covered them fixing the massive viral infection and doing a general cleanup too)

Edited September 2, 2011 by Vindekarr

[iansutton91]

That's why it's such a great skill to have; being able to fix one's own computer. Thankfully, my brother is a computer engineer so I just get him to fix my stuff for me. Same goes with car mechanics. I'm lucky that my mechanic is someone my dad has done business with for over 20 years.

[Fonger]

hope you reported this to the police

[Vagrant0]

hope you reported this to the police

No proof. Local media might be a better call, they like doing stings and generally have more effect.

 

Anyway, yeah, this is why it helps to take the time to get familiar with your own computer and have ways to disinfect or reformat when things go bad.

[Illiad86]

Yeah, I'd call the papers or the news about that, that's total BS.

 

Indeed, learn your computer...of course then you'll have your computer illiterate family members calling you constantly on how to fix everything lol. My dad's computer took a crap and he asked me how to reformat Windows XP OVER THE PHONE... :facepalm: Wound up writing him a 5 page tutorial with pictures and mailing it to him lol (lives about 300 miles away from here now).

[BarefootWarrior]

I think now days everyone should have an understanding of how their system works. I build my own PC's and no one touches them. I taught my cousin the basics by letting her build her own system...she may not have known what each component did...but, she did build it herself, including installing the OS. I just pointed and told her what to do, how to do it and explained what each thing did. When she pushed the button for the first time I though she was going to bust, but she built the system herself. It paid off, recently her video card failed. She did her research and then bought a new one and replaced it herself...then told me. I'm rather proud of her.

 

As Illiad86 says above, always try and learn your system and at least have an understanding of how it works and what you can do to keep it lean and mean. There is a ton of free programs out there for anti-virus, mal-ware detection and more. I use Avast anti-virus and it works fine.

 

But my golden rule is, my systems never leave my house. Guess I have a trust issue, but there you have it... :thumbsup:

 

Sorry you had to have an experience like that, hope things got worked out for ya.

[UncleRoe]

Obvious scam. There is no way they had the organization to properly start a flying pig ranch Edited September 3, 2011 by Uncle Roe

[billyro]

I would have based them. :)