Best Buy and Geek Squad computer privacy issues

[kr0]

Apparently there is an issue with the Geek Squad at Best Buy viewing
personal files on computers. It seems that customers who have left their
personal computers to be serviced are concerned about unauthorized viewing
of pictures, information and other files. If you check out
https://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/case/best_buy_geek_squad they have the
information on this as well as what can be done about it. There is a free
case evaluation provided for those who may have experienced such an issue. I
thought this was interesting and hope that it might be of some help.

kr0

 

[James Sweet]

Apparently there is an issue with the Geek Squad at Best Buy viewing
personal files on computers. It seems that customers who have left their
personal computers to be serviced are concerned about unauthorized viewing
of pictures, information and other files. If you check out
https://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/case/best_buy_geek_squad they have the
information on this as well as what can be done about it. There is a free
case evaluation provided for those who may have experienced such an issue. I
thought this was interesting and hope that it might be of some help.

kr0

I'm not sure what the surprise is, you'd be hard pressed to find a
computer repair shop where the techs don't poke around a little. That's
why it's common sense to remove sensitive data from a PC before taking
it in for service.

 

[Ray L. Volts]

I'm not sure what the surprise is, you'd be hard pressed to find a
computer repair shop where the techs don't poke around a little. That's
why it's common sense to remove sensitive data from a PC before taking it
in for service.

That's assuming the fault doesn't prevent removal of data. After all, most
people only take one in for service when there is no choice (e.g., it won't
boot) and they can't even access their hard drives. If the HD is
accessible, the customer could remove it before service, but a lot of folks
don't feel comfortable doing this with a desktop, much less a laptop.

If that isn't bad enough, a customer can't remove sensitive data if the very
reason they're submitting the unit is for data retrieval (e.g., IDE drive
crash requiring a board swap). The only ways to prevent techs from snooping
in this case is for the customer to do the repair him/herself or look over
the tech's shoulder while their HD is being fixed. Most customers won't
bother attempting such a repair and I'm certain there aren't many techs who
would agree to the latter.

That's why you must always remember to regularly BACKUP all your important
stuff, people! BACK IT UP or prepare to be devastated -- or at least
paranoid about snooping -- when your hard drive bites it.

 

[sonyfunai]

What a surprise... Geek Squad employees have to spend at least 7.5 of their
8 hour day doing something halfway constructive. The last half hour they use
shining up the Volkswagen.

As far as I'm concerned any info on a computer that's taken to a repair shop
is open and fair game. It's the responsibility of the computer owner to back
up and delete sensitive data and totally their fault if they do not. How do
you think most folks get caught and serve jail time for illegal porn?

 

[Ray L. Volts]

What a surprise... Geek Squad employees have to spend at least 7.5 of
their 8 hour day doing something halfway constructive. The last half hour
they use shining up the Volkswagen.

As far as I'm concerned any info on a computer that's taken to a repair
shop is open and fair game. It's the responsibility of the computer owner
to back up and delete sensitive data and totally their fault if they do
not. How do you think most folks get caught and serve jail time for
illegal porn?

Not sure about most, but it seems a great MANY are just plain stupid -- they
use their own valid credit cards to pay for memberships/downloads on illegal
sites! Gee, I wonder if the feds might just be monitoring such
transactions. =o

 

[Jeff Liebermann]

Apparently there is an issue with the Geek Squad at Best Buy viewing
personal files on computers. It seems that customers who have left their
personal computers to be serviced are concerned about unauthorized viewing
of pictures, information and other files. If you check out
https://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/case/best_buy_geek_squad they have the
information on this as well as what can be done about it. There is a free
case evaluation provided for those who may have experienced such an issue. I
thought this was interesting and hope that it might be of some help.

Lovely. Quoteing the complaint:
Allegations include unauthorized viewing of personal files,
information and pictures while the computers are left with the Geek
Squad resulting in embarrassment, breach of confidentiality, and
fear of dissemination of personal information.

Note that embarrassment is probably self-embarrassment, breach of
confidence is not actionable, and fear of dissemination doesn't
indicate that any dissemination took place. In other words, just
looking at the customers data is apparently the complaint. No actual
damage, embarrassment, or disclosure has taken place. Smells like a
fishing expedition.

Geek Squad privacy policy:
http://www.geeksquad.com/privacy/
Nothing on customers computer privacy issues.

It's impossible to untrash a Windoze machine without looking at the
files and programs installed on a machine. I run into machines full
of porno all the time. It's amazingly common. I don't look for it,
but it's hard to miss during scans, backups, updates, and config
exercises.

I saw a potential problem with testing programs after a repair job.
For example, running MS Word or Excel and opening the most recently
used document is the way I usually test for MS Office problems. If
it's some kind of embarrassing document, the customer will see what
I've been looked at in the MRU history list. This worries me for the
same reasons that the Geek Squad is being "investigated" so I usually
erase the MRU's and clean up Windoze with:
http://www.ccleaner.com
or any of the multitude of cleanup software available.

 

[Mike Berger]

I don't know how prevalent it is. We don't do it at our shop.
None of our techs have the time to waste, and we respect our
customers' privacy.

Every time I read about someone getting prosecuted for something
found on his computer by a repair technician, I wonder about
the stupidity of the perpetrator, and the integrity of the
technician. While snooping around invading the privacy of
his customer, he found something that morally outraged him
enough to report it. It's awfully hypocritical.

The only time you have to look at user's files is if they
ask you to recover data, and in that case they'd expect
you to be looking at it.

 

[Mike Berger]

Yeah, and the motophoto clerks never looked at the photos
they were processing or made copies of the ... interesting
ones.

Your equivocation would make Bush proud.

They have no business looking at the data. End of story.
If they are poking around in customer's files where they
don't belong, why should anybody believe they'd have the
integrity to keep the information to themselves? And if
they're sharing with other technicians, they clearly don't.

 

[Puckdropper]

@roundup.shout.net:

*snip*

They have no business looking at the data. End of story.
If they are poking around in customer's files where they
don't belong, why should anybody believe they'd have the
integrity to keep the information to themselves? And if
they're sharing with other technicians, they clearly don't.

In some repairs, it is necessary to look at a customer's files (or at
least a file on their computer) to verify the repair was done properly.
As a tech, you should be aware of this and try to determine if such a
thing would be necessary and ask permission before hand. "You have a
problem with Office crashing when you open files? What documents can I
look at to attempt to fix this problem?"

This debate is actually YEARS old, I remember reading guidelines that
said something to the extent of "If you find it necessary to view a
customer's files, you should keep whatever's in the file to yourself."

Puckdropper
--
www.uncreativelabs.net

Old computers are getting to be a lost art. Here at Uncreative Labs, we
still enjoy using the old computers. Sometimes we want to see how far a
particular system can go, other times we use a stock system to remind
ourselves of what we once had.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

 

[Jeff Liebermann]

Yeah, and the motophoto clerks never looked at the photos
they were processing or made copies of the ... interesting
ones.

Your equivocation would make Bush proud.

I don't consider testing MS Office to be equivocation. Would you
suggest I open my own test files from a cdrom or network server
instead? Perhaps you also don't look at the list of programs
installed in Add/Remove Software. Maybe you also don't bother to
check what's starting is MSCONFIG. If the disk is rather full, I'm
sure your busy techs don't bother checking what's hogging all the
diskspace. Naturally, you don't bother to test if their email is
functioning. Surly, you would consider checking the virus and spyware
scanner log files for past infections an invasion of privacy. Yeah,
privacy is so important that it justified returning the machine half
fixed and untested.

The problem I have is that I'll get a phone call a few weeks or
sometimes months later asking if I had erased some file of theirs, or
perhaps retained a backup copy.

They have no business looking at the data. End of story.

Well, W2K and XP Pro have EFS (Encrypted File Services).

If they are poking around in customer's files where they
don't belong, why should anybody believe they'd have the
integrity to keep the information to themselves?

The original complaint did not mention anything about disclosure on
the part of the Geek Squad. Did you find any information that
indicates that there had been a disclosure of customers information?

And if
they're sharing with other technicians, they clearly don't.

Assumption again. Got any evidence or examples of disclosure?

I'm not so sure if absolute non-disclosure is possible. If the Geek
Squad finds a file sharing program, with an open DSL connection,
possibly run by a trojan horse program, and the customer is
complaining that their internet connection is slow, it would be
necessary to inform them of the problem and ask if they wanted it
removed or if file sharing was their primary activity. It might be
possible to investigate the problem and remove the programs involved
without looking at what was being downloaded, but I doubt it. When
I've run into such situations, I burn a DVD of the downloaded files
for the customer, and remove the whole mess. If I goofed and they
actually wanted to run a file sharing system, then they can re-install
it themselves. This is fairly mild compared to what some
manufacturers will do with warranty returns. Reformatting the hard
disk and restoring it to original manufacturers condition is quite
common.

 

[Tom MacIntyre]

@roundup.shout.net:

*snip*


In some repairs, it is necessary to look at a customer's files (or at
least a file on their computer) to verify the repair was done properly.
As a tech, you should be aware of this and try to determine if such a
thing would be necessary and ask permission before hand. "You have a
problem with Office crashing when you open files? What documents can I
look at to attempt to fix this problem?"

Why can't the technician use his own documents?

Tom

 

[Puckdropper]

Why can't the technician use his own documents?

Tom

In some cases, this is possible. In other cases, the problem is related
to the document and/or the location of it.

There may be 50 ways to accomplish the same task (in this case fix the
computer), but only one way to do so easily and/or properly.

Puckdropper
--
www.uncreativelabs.net

Old computers are getting to be a lost art. Here at Uncreative Labs, we
still enjoy using the old computers. Sometimes we want to see how far a
particular system can go, other times we use a stock system to remind
ourselves of what we once had.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

 

[James Sweet]

What a surprise... Geek Squad employees have to spend at least 7.5 of their
8 hour day doing something halfway constructive. The last half hour they use
shining up the Volkswagen.

As far as I'm concerned any info on a computer that's taken to a repair shop
is open and fair game. It's the responsibility of the computer owner to back
up and delete sensitive data and totally their fault if they do not. How do
you think most folks get caught and serve jail time for illegal porn?

IIRC, most shops have it in the fine print that they're in no way
responsible for the integrity or security of your data, it may get wiped
out if they forat the drive and reinstall the OS to fix the problem or
it may get snooped, it's a risk you agree to take by bringing the
machine into a shop. You can of course hire a tech to come to your house
and work on it in your presense, at a correspondingly higher price.

 

[James Sweet]

@roundup.shout.net:

*snip*

I never said it was ethical, or even legal, but to assume it doesn't
happen is sticking one's head in the sand. A number of my friends worked
as computer techs in places like Best Buy, CompUSA, etc when we were in
highschool and most of the other techs were low paid teenagers too, kids
do that sort of thing.

 

[[email protected]]

I found a local company called Inteladyne Computer Services more
reasonable then $110 by Geek Squad. Much better computer repair,
computer upgrades. Geek Squad doesn't work on Linux plus I've heard bad
news on the teens from Geek Squad screwing up machines and charging
still.

 

[Mike Berger]

We fix computers and computer problems, not Windows.
We consider Windows issues to be an entirely different
class of problems.

And problems running applications or opening a particular
file are not the kind of problem people take to technicians.
Who sends their computer to Best Buy
for a problem with an Office document?

 

[Jeff Liebermann]

We fix computers and computer problems, not Windows.
We consider Windows issues to be an entirely different
class of problems.

I do whatever the customer needs and wants. That includes cleaning
the machine, applications issues, updates, hand-holding, remote admin,
and of course, Windoze untrashing. Full service gas station versus
minimal service.

And problems running applications or opening a particular
file are not the kind of problem people take to technicians.
Who sends their computer to Best Buy
for a problem with an Office document?

Nobody I know. The problem isn't the document, but the Office
application that needs testing. I know from experience that I can't
leave *ANY* problem unfixed. If I don't fix everything and anything,
the customer will complain. That includes software and apps. If some
game doesn't work, I'll hear about it. I simply don't return machines
that have anything wrong. No way to do that without diving deep into
the customers files.

Somehow, I have the impression that everyone does it like that. Am I
wrong, or are there shops that just fix the immediate problem and
ignore everything else?

Drivel: Both Sony and Dell have done on-site warranty replacements of
dead hard disk drives. The "tech" shows up, removes the old drive,
installs the new drive, and that's it. Does not install Windoze or
use the recovery cd. When asked, they say, "We don't support
Windoze".

 

[Ralph Wade Phillips]

Howdy!

I do whatever the customer needs and wants. That includes cleaning
the machine, applications issues, updates, hand-holding, remote admin,
and of course, Windoze untrashing. Full service gas station versus
minimal service.

What !I! wonder is how he's testing the computer and computer
problem, if he's not running what the customer's trying to run.

I mean, I've had video boards that only crapped out in certain games
because of how hard the game drove the board. So you have to run the game
to verify that a) it's b0rked, and b) that you actually DID fix it.

To rephrase it in automotive terms - the previous poster says "We
fix motors and transmissions, not drivability. We consider a car that won't
move an entirely different class of problem."

After all, if the problem is "At 120KPH, the car starts to shimmy"
then how can you test it if you never ever take it on the road?

Nobody I know. The problem isn't the document, but the Office
application that needs testing. I know from experience that I can't
leave *ANY* problem unfixed. If I don't fix everything and anything,
the customer will complain. That includes software and apps. If some
game doesn't work, I'll hear about it. I simply don't return machines
that have anything wrong. No way to do that without diving deep into
the customers files.

You're right - but yah, a LOT of people will take their computer to
Best Buy (if that's either where they bought it, or the only place they know
of) because they're having problems with their Office documents.

Somehow, I have the impression that everyone does it like that. Am I
wrong, or are there shops that just fix the immediate problem and
ignore everything else?

MOST shops only fix the immediate problem. This is, of course, an
outbreak of the "How can I charge the customer 300USD for fixing a problem
on a 300USD computer??" mentality.

Since some of these will take a bit of time to track down and fix
.... and even if you pay the tech minimum wage in the USA (where I am!), you
still need to bill a flat minimum of 4x the tech pay ... and at 23USD/hour
billing, that's only about 12 hours of troubleshooting. Some problems will
take that.

Pay the tech a decent wage (say 20USD/hour), the billing goes to
80USD/hour, and presto! You're at about 3.75 hours for 300USD ...

Drivel: Both Sony and Dell have done on-site warranty replacements of
dead hard disk drives. The "tech" shows up, removes the old drive,
installs the new drive, and that's it. Does not install Windoze or
use the recovery cd. When asked, they say, "We don't support
Windoze".

No, they don't. They support their original install, and the
install of software is a user item, not a tech item.

One reason why a few of my customers PAY me to do the install they'd
get for free under warranty B) I at least try to recover the data.

RwP

 

[Tom MacIntyre]

In some cases, this is possible. In other cases, the problem is related
to the document and/or the location of it.

Right, so you have eliminated the application as the problem...one
troubleshooting step accomplished.

Tom