Don't Ever Repair Your Computer At The Depot!!!

So on 12/15/2010, I discovered that my ethernet port (LAN) wasn't working properly in my office. I took my laptop (Qosmio X505) home and tried it there, no such luck. I took it into my campus computer assistance, and they came to the same conclusion...the LAN port is bad. I called into Toshiba technical support on 12/15 and they suggested I format my harddrive after attempting to ping the port and the internet with no success. After a full system wipe, and an update to the driver, the ethernet port STILL didn't work. However, since I'm a graduate student, I had to wait until I had free time to ship out my computer to the depot. Well on 3/15, I called back to tech support, we ran through a few more diagnostics just to be certain i couldn't fix it, and he sent me a box. On 3/25, I shipped my computer to the repair depot in Kentucky. Keep in mind, I was able to use this computer via the wireless internet for the 3 months before I sent it out. I had full functionality of the entire computer, doing research, writing thesis, everything.

**Here's where things get out of hand**

The computer arrived at the depot and was checked in on 4/1. Took until 4/5 to be looked at and they diagnosed the problem as a dead LAN port. Mazel Tov! I could have told them that. However, apparently when they went to replace the ethernet card, they "found that the system board and VGA board were also damaged beyond repair." Well...how the heck did this happen? When I sent it and packaged it properly, it worked fine here. Should have been an hour and a half MAX repair time.

Well, I called the depot for the expected repair date and found out that my parts are on backorder. Until when? JUNE 15th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! JUNE 15!!!!!! OVER 2 MONTHS AWAY! So I was immediately connected to customer relations who told me I had no choice but to wait until a 3 week period until they could do anything. Wait...what? So you're going to break my computer then tell me to wait? On what planet does that make sense!?!?! So I've been talking to a woman who says they can start working on replacing it as early as Friday...so it's either Friday...or today....what's the difference!? I'm still without a computer and it's still YOUR fault! They will not admit that they broke it, and they simply stated that the reason for the damage was "a downward spiral that happens when one part breaks." So what you're saying is that my motherboard and VGA board broke as a result of my ethernet card? So I really haven't been using my computer for 3 months? It's all a figment of my imagination? If you're a toshiba person reading this, it's T1-1164213. This isn't the first time the tech guys have had an unbelievebly long ETA for a backordered part with no one willing to do anything about it. This is unacceptable treatment of customers. AVOID BUYING A TOSHIBA AT ALL COSTS IF NOTHING ELSE BUT TO AVOID THEIR TECHNICAL AND CUSTOMER SUPPORT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

This has been covered before.

Toshiba [like many manufacturers; HP, Lenovo, SONY, etc...] does NOT repair their own laptops. They have sub-contracted the work out to a repair company called Service.Net [which is owned by UPS]. Don't believe me? Next time you talk to them ask them about being owned by UPS.

Anyways, what makes me suspicious of such contract work, is that they have the incentive to go a step further and say "Oh BTW we found X,Y,and Z problems also". That equals more work for them and more reimbursements from Toshiba. It doesn't mean this is what happened with your laptop, but it is of suspect.

The lesson to take away is for your next laptop purchase, upgrade the warranty to On-Site repair (it's like $50 more a year); the repairer comes to your house in a few days. Basically Service.Net will sub-contract the work to a local repair guy. This way you can keep an eye on them the entire time, and will not have the incentive to claim other hardware is faulty when it is not.

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Hopefully you'll get it back in June and it will be problem free

 

Well I called into Customer Relations yesterday due to this being absolutely rediculous, and at first they offerred to send me my computer back unrepaired. Now, I would have had no problem with that, except that THEY BROKE IT while it was there...so now it's not even working in the slightest. Or...they said I could wait until it was repaired...aka...June 15th. I quoted my warranty which is FULL system replacement and she said she couldn't help me. I inquired as to why not, and she said I had to call systemguard in order to file for a replacement. I did, and systemguard said it was Toshiba's call. So I guess I was just talking to someone over in Customer Relations that must have gotten hired from the street, because she obviously had no idea what she was talking about. Also, when I'd asked to go a step higher, she said there wasn't one. I told her it was nice to be speaking to the CEO of the company, and when she said she wasn't the CEO, I expressed my displeasure in being told there wasn't anyone higher. So basically, I'm going to wait to see what happens today and tomorrow, and if the ETA of June 15th doesn't change, I'm going to be upset because I've been without my computer now for officially 2 weeks. This is unacceptable treatment of a customer.

OH! And I'd asked about the UPS thing, and they say that they DO subcontract out, but that it's not service.net and nor is it owned by UPS. That's what the rep said anyways. But everything else you said was true about the reimbursement for parts.

 

Escalate, escalate, escalate to the higher ups pronto and don't take NO for and ANSWER !!!

 

I hope your right, but there are older articles [2004] that confirm the UPS deal with Toshiba and the location, Kentucky. Though, I do hope your right and they have someone else doing the repairs now. And like Rodster said, keep escalating.

Toshiba Will Have UPS Fix Its Laptops - Forbes.com


I don't know why the links are not working, but the Toshiba Warranty pages used to show (only a few weeks ago), that "All Service Plans are issued by Service Net".
Extended Service Plans

 

I feel sorry for your case but the lesson is that end users might consider learning diy whenever possible. This is not fair and may cost you more but will save you lots of headache in the long run.

 

Honestly, square trade warranty. It's cheaper and they either repair or replace at full cost. I bought a 3 yr warranty for my Toshiba for 129.00.