PortableOne/Laptops Inc. review

Based on everyone's recommendations in this forum, I ordered my laptop from PortableOne. At the time of the order, they informed me when my laptop would ship (about 3 weeks out) and I asked if they could hold it a day so that it would deliver on a day when I'd be home. At the time, they said "sure, no problem" and asked the I email them with the request. About a week later I called to verify that they'd received the necessary documentation to get the student discount and I asked again about delaying shipment and got the same answer. So, prior to them receiving the equipment in from Fujitsu, I sent and email requesting that they delay shipment by one day and I got an email response that they'd do this.

Much to my amazement, I received a order status change notification on the originally planned shipment date telling me that my order had indeed shipped, and that they had not delayed the shipment as requested. Unfortunately, FedEx wouldn't talk to me until after the first delivery attempt because I wasn't the shipper and my email to PortableOne was responded to inadequately. I did, however, receive a call and an email from PortableOne telling me that they had contacted FedEx and that my shipment would be held as requested, but it was still delivered on a day when I was out of state.

I relay all this as a warning to anyone who requests any type of "special" service from PortableOne that it outside their normal operating parameters. Yes, I did eventually get the laptop and it was exactly what I ordered. Yes, I did get the student discount, though they were unable to show this to me via their order status notification. But no, I am not happy with the quality of the customer service I received or with their ability to do what I'd requested that they do (and what they'd agreed to do). After the fact, I'm not sure the add'l hassle was worth the discount and sales tax savings when I could have driven 2 miles and picked up the same laptop at Fry's.

 

I think they need to get their hearing check. They were kinda screw up on mine too.

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Fujitsu S6210, 1GB DDR333, 80GB 5400RPM, DVD+/-RW
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Sorry to hear this...at least you are in the minority. Problems will happen, at least you got your baby!

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

On the contrary, I would say they had pretty good custormer service for even being willing to accomodate a "special request". They apparently intended to uphold your request or they wouldn't have kept telling you it was ok and to please remind them. It is unfortunate that the message was forgotten on shipping day, however, it's not like you paid for an extra service you didn't receive.

 

Here's my recent experience with P1. By and large they did a good job. I ordered through the website; the order status never updated throghout the entire process, but my e-mails were answered.

My P7010D was scheduled to ship by Friday, August 13. The day before, I get a call saying it is going out but they need my shipping address, as the printout had been torn or was somehow illegible. I give them my work address. Since it is going out a day before I expected, I ask if I could upgrade to overnight so I can have it for the weekend (oh boy!). The fellow says no problem, so I am thrilled.

I don't get any indication of a tracking number the rest of the day or next morning, so about 10 a.m. on Friday I call and ask for it. When I check the FedEx site, I learn the package was sent as a 2-day shipment. I call and ask what happened, and am told they will call FedEx and try to upgrade the delivery. Shortly after, I get a message from P1 saying it couldn't be upgraded.

That afternoon FedEx shows that the box arrived at the Indianapolis airport (a 1 hour drive) about 3:30 p.m. I call FedEx and ask if I can pick it up. They check and say no, because it is in the midst of a plane-sized container. They say I might be able to get it on Saturday, to call back.

On Saturday morning I call FedEx and ask if I can pick up a shipment in Indy. They say "no problem" (uh-oh) and go to check the details. They come back and say the location is closed on Saturday, so I'll have to wait until Monday.

Monday comes: 11:00 a.m. rolls around and the tracking shows it is still on the truck. Since FedEx usually arrives at 10, I start to get concerned. Sure enough, about the same time the tracking shows a delivery attempt was made and nobody was there, my wife calls and says there is a note from FedEx on our front door.

I call FedEx again, they tell me I can pick up the box from the local location, but not until 5:30 when the driver returns. By now I'm ready to ask where the driver is so I can go get it from him, but I decide I'd better not. At 5:45 I pick up the box from FedEx.

Ivan apologized for the mix-up, and offered to throw in a case. I assured him it wasn't necessary, and I was okay with the service. Although the whole process was frustrating, I understand these things happen.

But there's more.

On Wednesday evening I try to set up the fingerprint scanner. I didn't see anything in the start or proogram menus, so I pull out the manual (Manuals!? We don' need no steenkin' manuals!). It tells me to install OmniPass from the included CD. I look and find no CD that conatins anything like this, so I send Ivan an e-mail asking if the CD was missed somehow. A few hours later I get a bounce message indicating problems with the portableone.com adress. No answer comes by Thursday, so I re-send the e-mail to both portableone.com and laptopsinc.com addresses. No bounces this time, but also no reply. In the meantime, I discover on a web forum that the OmniPass software is auto-installed from a "Click-Me" link on the XP start menu. Since one ofthe first things I did was configure the start menu to the W2k format, I never saw this. Apparently the manual is wrong and there's no Omni-Pass CD, but it would have been nice if P1 had responded to my request.

All in all, I'm satisfied with PortableOne, despite the problems I experienced.

 

Just an informational question. Is Fujitsu more than an advertiser on this thread? Is Brian (and others) employed by Portable One or Fujitsu?

Not a critism --just curious!!

SDM

 

LOL - no. Fujitsu doesn't advertise with us, nor do they support us by sending notebooks for review. P1 is running a small campaign to promote their new branded machines, but I assure you, that has no impact on our recommendation of them as a company.

To prove the point, I challenge anyone to find a better Fujitsu reseller than P1. Factor in price, return policy and support...you can't beat them.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

I have had experience with them with a P2120! All on repair side! Some not so great! I do realize a few anecdotal experiences may not be representative, but still!!

Computer places, IMHO, are like people--Even the best--have good days, bad days, etc.
Its just by reading your impressions--they seem to 'walk on water'--and they might!! But, credibilty wise, hearing the good, the bad and the ugly seems to give one a more realistic picture!

This is not a rant! (Eventho hard to tell)

 

SDM,
You are right. We do tend to speak very highly of P1. I haven't searched the older posts, but until recently I don't recall anyone with problems to post about P1. Maybe they are getting more business than they know what to do with? But as you say, they are sure to have good days and bad days, as they are only human.

PS. A few less exclamation points might make your post seem less like a rant

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by jlashfor

 

Portable One, or Laptopsinc when I ordered from them, performed admirably for me. Ivan was very accomodating. My only gripe (and this is nothing P1 can remedy) is that they're in California as I am, thus forcing me to pay stupid sales tax! Hey, wait a minute...there is something they can do! Ivan, please move your operation to Nevada! Or, wait, Oregon! Oregon has no state sales tax. Plus, you guys are pretty close to Oregon, right? What's a 200 mile commute so I can save $160 in sales tax!? [ ]

Nobbie[ ]

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Fujitsu P5010D - 512MB - 40GB - XP
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To Brian the Administrator:

For informational purposes, who pays for the ads at the top of the page! Some say Fujitsu with a link to its site! Others Laptops Inc. They do keep changing!!I don't feel it's a LOL question (or answer).

Are you donating your expertise to these threads?

Thank you very much if that is so!

SDM

 

We use an ad network called Tribal Fusion with Google AdWords as filler. To my knowledge, Fujitsu has never advertised on any one of our sites. I'm not sure where you got that information. If you have an issue with our advertisers I suggest you contact me directly.

As for my posts...they are my opinion along with information I gain from having direct connections with most manufacturers. I really like Fujitsu's ultraports and thin and lights. I do not love their entire brand though and have continually preached buying the notebook and not the brand.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

My information was obtained simply by clicking on a Fujitsu ad--(on this page top)!!This took me DIRECTLY to the Fujitsu web site! I have NO issues with any advertiser, nor YOU!
I broached the question in a resonable (so I thought) attempt to understand if there may be a bias in the opinions expressed!!
Your response was "LOL. We never had Fujitsu...etc. I also asked if an administrator is 'paid' for their work on this!!
(I felt the 'LOL' comment was inappropriate.)
I certainly did not mean, "you" specifically!! That is unimportant!!
Taking a step back and looking at the response...All I can unequivocally state is that the ad at the top MOST certainly goes directly to the Fujitsu site--AND -there was no answer to my second question!
I have no desire to persue this further!! Thank you for responses!!

SDM

 

SDM,
The adds that you see at the top of the page are based on the content of the page you are looking at. Go to the Asus forum, and you get asus adds. Hence, here in fujitsu pages, you get fujitsu adds. Pretty clever if you ask me. Make the advertising fit the content of the page. Would you rather there were x10 adds?[ ] I would rather see laptop adds.

 

I bought my n5010 from p1 and didnt have any problems. I wish when I rma'd it I had gone through them instead of fujitsu since it took a month to get it back from fujitsu got lost somehow somewhere along the way....

 

This is my first post here. I've seen so many good reviews about P1 here so I decided to buy my S7010D from them. I placed my order on Aug 1 and I received it on Sept. 7. I guess some would say it's too long, but I'm OK with that part. While on other part.....
well, I actually sent P1 an complaint email and let me post the major part of that email here:
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To P1:

I got my order 2 days ago. Much to my surprise, it was sent to my home address, which is NOT the shipping address I requested (should be my office)when I placed my order.

When I saw the Sales Receipt inside the package I was even more surprised, cause the "ship to" address you had is mixed up--it's my office street but with my home town. I guess that's why on FedEx tracking page I saw the wrong town showing on the destination column. I was lucky that the package even reached my hand without any further trouble!

Besides, I didn't get any email notice when my order was shipped. When I called to inquire, I was told that my email address was not in your file. I've checked the invoice print out & my order status page on your site, both showed my correct email address & of course, my office address on the "ship to" column.

Right after I placed my order I've sent an email asking a question. I got an email from you 2 days later but that didn't seem to be a reply to my question. So I sent an email again but got no reply at all. All through this order, that is the only email notice from you. I don't know if this is normal? Furthermore, 15 days after ordering I called Portable One, only to be told that there was no stock of the S7010D I ordered, and no specific date could be offered. I said I could wait, but I want to be updated about the progress, even if it's "no stock & no date" I still need to be notified. The guy on the phone said sure they'll do that in the future.

But it was only after I called I knew after 30 days my order finally would be shipped from Fujitsu to P1, and later it was also only after I called I knew P1 had shipped the order to me, plus I had to wait for some time for my tracking number to turn up because my "email wasn't in the system."

Again, I'm a patient customer & I don't mind to wait almost 40 days. But I need to know what was happening to my order, especially after my credit card was charged. Shouldn't I at least get some idea where my order was & when I can expect to get it--in the place I expected, of course!
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I believe a lot of people do have good experiences with P1. But as you can see on the above, after what I've been through I just can't give a too positive review regarding P1's service. I do wish what happened to me won't happen to other people in the future.

 

Victor from P1 called today. He apoligized for the shipping problem and did his best to show that P1 cares much about our business. I do appreciate his effort. Again, I believe what I've seen here that P1 is mostly a good store and my case is just one of the few unfortunate ones. By posting my experience I just wish P1 to know what they could do better, and what details to pay a little more attention to if you're buying from P1 in the future.

BTW, the S7010D is quite a nice machine & so far it's been working wonderfully.

 

[ ] my s6220 is on its winged way from Osaka -- woo hoo!! Finally -- damn that took long enough, 24 days! Now P1 is supposed to check screen, customize and ship to me.

Communication w/ P1 has so far been somewhat sketchy, but i'm witholding judgement till i get my baby as requested... i trust they will come through in the end.