Lorna and Nick Themelis say Staples’ computer technicians must have been incompetent when they quoted them more than $1,100 to retrieve data from their laptop’s hard drive.

There was nothing wrong with the hard drive, or the data on it.

“To me, they’ve got absolutely no credibility left,” Lorna Themelis said.

“I would never, ever recommend anybody use Staples for computer repair.”

The problems began when Nick, who is partly paralyzed because of a stroke, spilled a mug of hot coffee on the keyboard.

“We mopped it up and the computer didn’t want to work,” Lorna Themelis said.

Lorna and Nick Themelis say Staples quoted them $1,139 to retrieve data their computer hard-drive, which another shop determined had nothing wrong with it. (CBC) “We couldn’t get past the password because the computer was just putting in hundreds of ‘m’s and we couldn’t do anything with it.”

Much of the couple’s tax information, along with personal photos, were on the computer, and they were worried it could all be lost.

“If the computer could be fixed, that was a big bonus,” she said. “But we were most interested in getting some of the data off there.”

They took the laptop to a Staples store in North Edmonton that advertises fast, expert and guaranteed repairs.

Themelis says a week later she got a call from Staples.

“They told us it was going to cost $1,139 just to get the data off, but that the hard drive was shot. They weren’t going to be able to fix the computer,” she said.

“I think they were expecting me to say, ‘Well, go ahead and do that,’ because I had stressed it was very important to get the data off.”

Instead, the Themelises asked for the laptop back, and took it to an independent computer store recommended by a friend.

Themelis said within half an hour the shop had determined the laptop’s keyboard was ruined, but the hard drive and data were fine.

The total bill for the diagnosis and installation of a new keyboard was $113.40, including GST.

“I was surprised, not only at how fast he was able to do it, but how inexpensively. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the computer. We use it, it’s fine,” Themelis said.

Staples ‘didn’t seem to care’, customer says

Themelis says she went back to the Staples store to complain.

“They really didn’t seem to care,” she said.

“They said there wasn’t really too much that they could do, because they send it out to a third party and they can’t guarantee the third party’s work.”

Staples says it stands by its third-party technicians, despite the apparently faulty diagnosis. (CBC ) Themelis said that’s no excuse.

“I took my computer to Staples to get it fixed. I paid Staples to do the diagnosis. They chose to send it somewhere else,” Themelis said. “I thought Staples stood behind their work.”

Staples’ technicians are ‘global authorities’, spokeswoman says

In an emailed statement, Staples spokeswoman Madalina Secareanu said “(o)ur service technicians are trained to estimate and charge the lowest possible price based on circumstances surrounding the diagnostics. The actual costs are based on the service performed and could be lower than the initial estimates. We apologize that this process was not properly communicated.”

Secareanu called Staples’ third-party contractor “a global authority in this area”.

The Themelises were not offered a refund of the $59 they paid for the questionable diagnosis.

Staples’ written terms and conditions state the $59 is non-refundable.

Staples’ estimate ‘a rip-off’, independent technician says

Making the correct diagnosis of a hard drive’s condition isn’t difficult, according to Raff Shah of Your Mobile on Jasper Avenue.

“I say 99 per cent of the time you should be able to give the customer the right answer,” Shah said.

“You plug it in, it turns on, it works. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t work.”

Shah also said Staples’ estimate to retrieve data from a damaged hard drive was excessive.

“That’s too much,” Shah said. “That’s a rip-off.”

Lorna Themelis said she doesn’t know what to think of Staples’ estimate.

“Was there a diagnosis done? I don’t know. Or was it just somebody really incompetent?”

Lorna Themelis would still like her $59 back.

“But more than that, I would like to see them start offering actual service, decent value for the money paid. Because I really don't want see a bunch of other people going through what I did.”