Hitting .300 likely earns you a starting spot on a Major League Baseball roster, but in the field of Fort Lauderdale computer repair?

Not exactly MVP type stuff.

Clandestine investigations and surveys of South Florida computer repair services show that the .300 (30 percent) figure is about what you're likely to encounter if you take your chances with no recommendation, though.

At run of the mill Broward computer repair shops, employees often have a startling lack of basic knowledge about machines they are paid to fix.

Moreover, while they're misdiagnosing your technical problems, they are not unlikely overcharge you. For the final blow, they may illicitly access your personal files and pose security threats. Sound like fun?

For someone who depends on their computer but lacks the time, resources and technical aptitude do fix it, these revelations regarding the state of Fort Lauderdale computer repair are likely to be rather troubling.

Recent reports do find that major repair companies, including Best Buy's Geek Squad and Staples, commit some of the most flagrant abuses. But while it is almost always advisable to consult a smaller company, these problems are by no means limited to big box retailers.

Whether you take your problems to a small, independent South Florida computer repair agency or a large retail company, you can encounter the worst possible people who take advantage of unsuspecting customers.

This may not come as a surprise for some, but it is cause for concern. Make sure you get references for any provider of network support and computer repair in Ft. Lauderdale and beyond, and are talked through the entire process of what the technician will be handling. It's your money.