In my experience that would have solved this customer's problems without making such a big deal out of this.
Haven't shopped much at Best Buy, but once I called their toll-free line and asked them if they offered over the phone troubleshooting, at a price. I was baffled on how to get rid of a partition on my old computer. They transferred me to a technician who walked me through the fix, for free, even though I told them I had not bought the computer at Best Buy.
I was pretty impressed with that.
I just checked, and both Circuit City and Best Buy have the online purchase option with in-store pickup. You need to select which store and they indicate if the item is in stock before purchasing.
Download a MS utility called "delpart.exe". Put it on a floppy and keep it in a safe place. It is an invaluable tool. Tiny but potent.