Charging port replacement

My laptop charging port was acting up—some plastic bit inside probably snapped, so I had to wiggle the cord just right to get any juice. Took it to the Best Buy repair desk, but they just sent it off to some random kid doing shady side jobs. First thing they did was demand my login password.
Why on earth would they need my password?
Anyway, the guy fixed the port and now wants $133 for that. But wait, it gets better: he totally nuked my Windows install and wiped all my files, so now he’s hitting me with an extra $133 just to reinstall Windows?!
What do you guys think about this absolute scam?

My take? It’s just pure unprofessionalism...

Zachary Bailey64 said:My laptop charging port was acting up—it felt like some plastic component had snapped off inside, requiring me to hold the cable at a very specific angle just to get a charge. I took it to the local Best Buy repair center, and they ended up handing it off to some kid working under the table. To make matters worse, they actually demanded my Windows login password before they’d even touch it, which I provided.
Why on earth would they need my password?
The guy eventually fixed the connector and is now billing me $133 for that. But here's the kicker: he somehow wiped my entire drive and trashed my Windows installation, so now he's demanding an additional $133 just to reinstall the OS?!
What’s your take on this whole mess?

How does a legitimate repair shop justify outsourcing work to some unlicensed kid working off the books?

Jeremy Lopez57 said:How could a repair shop just hand over a laptop to some kid doing side work on the sly?

hgspot isn't even a repair shop, just a computer store. They told me they wouldn't go through official channels and would just do it under the table, and I said fine since I didn't see any other way to get it fixed.

Zachary Bailey64 said:HGSpot isn't some service provider; they’re just a computer hardware retailer. They told me they wouldn't handle this through the official manufacturer's warranty, but would instead do it "under the table." I went along with it because, frankly, I didn't see any other way to fix the issue at the time.

I'm aware. I've purchased gear from them before, and whenever something failed, I'd drop it off for them to pass along to the actual repair center. But suggesting they bypass the official service channels to work off the books? That's pure nonsense. It's unprofessional, and quite frankly, it's illegal.
As for installing Windows for $133, that's an absurd amount to charge. I hope you have a friend who knows their way around a PC; you could probably get it sorted for the price of a couple of beers.

Jeremy Lopez57 said:Look, I used to buy stuff from them, and if anything broke, I’d drop it off so they could send it to the official repair center. But this whole thing where they try to bypass the actual service department and do shady side jobs? Total nonsense. It's unprofessional and definitely illegal.
As for installing Windows for $133, that’s just ridiculous. Hope you have a buddy who knows how to do it so you can probably get it done for a six-pack.

A lot went down today, but I honestly don't even have the energy to write it all out, I'm mentally fried... basically, there was tons of shady business going on, but after I threatened to call the cops, the guy finally brought the laptop back. He said he pulled the connector out again (that's his excuse), but believe it or not, Windows and all my files are totally untouched! Claims he didn't touch a single thing on the machine (even though we were literally settling the payment and handoff details just the day before).
So, this guy working at Best Buy—this older dude, not some kid, just this one specific employee who's always part of the drama—is taking laptops from customers and running side repairs under the table! 🤣 He's either screwing over Best Buy or straight up scamming people for extra cash on top of what they already pay for official service. Unbelievable. Probably only happens in San Francisco...

Zachary Bailey64 said:It’s been one of those days where everything goes sideways, and frankly, I don't have the mental bandwidth to recount the whole mess. It was a lot of smoke and mirrors, but eventually, after I threatened to call the cops, the guy actually handed over the laptop. He claimed he just pulled the connector out—said he’d put it back—but believe it or not, Windows and all my files are perfectly intact. He insists he didn't touch anything on the machine, even though we had already hashed out the handover and payment details the day before.
So, here’s the deal: this guy working at Best Buy takes laptops from customers and runs his own shady side business out of the shop. 🤣 He’s either sabotaging Best Buy’s reputation or just straight-up scamming people for extra cash on top of what they already paid official service fees. It’s unbelievable. You only see this kind of grift in cities like San Francisco...

I’m glad you managed to get some semblance of a resolution and that your data is safe. Honestly, it might be worth reporting him to Best Buy management so he doesn't keep running these scams on unsuspecting people.
Good luck getting that connector fixed.