Geek Available (AKA GeekAvailable) would not release my computer without my first paying an alleged evaluation fee. Rodrigo Pereira himself was not there; I spoke with Suelen dos Santos Ferreira and with Rafael Schneider. I told them that they wouldn't get to keep the money, because I would recover it by way of the Better Business Bureau or by way of the courts. Mr Schneider claimed not to know much of what happened, and for all that I know he may have been telling the truth. I related events to him, emphasizing that I could document essential points, and explained that, in the context of the delays and lies, and failure to let me know that they were attempting to obtain the part by way of a dubious channel, they were not entitled to any fee. Mr Schneider called Rod Pereira, who apparently insisted that they charge the fee. (Of course, things having played-out in this way precludes Pereira being able to claim that he hadn't intended to charge the fee.) Mr Schneider said that, as an employee, he was compelled to take the fee, and that I could do what I thought was fair in response. I told him that what I thought was fair and intended to do was to see to it that the business failed. I advised him to look for employment elsewhere.

So I paid the fee — writing under protest above my signature on the credit card form — was given my computer, and left. I paused in the hall to put the computer in its back-pack. As I did so, Ms Ferreira came after me with a form, telling me that she needed for me to sign it, to show that I'd taken receipt of my computer. I said I understand. and left without signing. While I of course won't pretend that I didn't recover my computer, I really had no reason to facilitate their paperwork.

Meanwhile, the review that I had most recently posted to Kudzu was again deleted, and when I attempted to repost it I twice got an error message about Kudzu being unable to understand my search. I wasn't attempting to search, but I figured that perhaps Kudzu might stop behaving oddly if I used a different account. That worked.

Tags: computers, Geek Available, GeekAvailable, Laptop Repair San Diego, Rodrigo Pereira

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