
Janie of Towaco, NJ on March 12, 2010
On February 23, 2010, my laptop T500, crashed, so I called their support hotline, the support tech walked me through their diagnostic test which was performed on my laptop but failed. So I called again, a UPS box from IBM was on order to my house so that I can return my laptop for repair. But to retrieve data back-up, I had to do it myself.
So it took me couple of days waiting for my enclosure for my 2 1/2" hard drive for data back-up. When it arrived, I failed numerous times in retrieving the data, the hard drive was beyond repair. So I had to send my laptop for hard drive replacement.
On March 8, 2010, my broken laptop was shipped by UPS to Lenovo/IBM Easy Services, c/o Flextronics, Memphis, TN 38141 for repair. A replacement for a new hard drive and re-image of the hard drive was requested. The laptop was shipped back to me on March 10, 2010, with a packing slip stating the laptop was replaced with a new hard drive, and that it has updated BIOS/embedded controller, performed PC Doctor diagnostics to ensure hardware functionality, and reloaded Factory Installed Software.
But as soon as I turned on the laptop, nothing worked, only a blue screen. So I called IBM Tech support hotline again to report the problem, and they went through a diagnostic test with me over the phone. Nothing works, and I was instructed to call for a set of Recover Disks sent to my home address.
The next day, March 11, 2010, approximately 8:00am, I called IBM Tech Support and filed a complaint with Mr. Michael **, 770-858-7922, Escalation Team. He requested a technician to call me personally to set up a time to come for on-site repair to my laptop. Meanwhile, he also confirmed the shipment of Recovery Disks sent to my home.
On March 11, 2010, 10am, I went online and filed a complaint letter to the CEO of IBM the message of the online complaint is as follows:--beginning of IBM online complaint. My initial service call was on 2/23/2010, and as of today, March 11, 2010, my T500 laptop is still not working. It was sent to your service department in Tn for a hard drive replacement and re-imaging of OS, and came back yesterday (March 10, 2010). As soon as I turned it on, it froze, and only a blue screen. Now I have to request for a set of recovery disks sent to me and a technician for on-site service which will delay my repair further. I am very disappointed and dissatisfied with the service to my T500. I am appalled to know that your service department would service an equipment and sent out still defective. Assuming there is QC and testing done on my machine, but what happened? This issue has to be resolved pronto!
As of today, March 12, 2010, 11:21am, the status of my complaint is that a technician named, Michael M, called at approximately 10am, and I was informed that he has only partial shipment of the tools that he needed to repair my laptop, the new hard drive has not been shipped to him. So I was misled to think the earliest time he can come is Monday, March 15, 2010. But when I called the IBM, Escalation Team, Mr. Michael **, he informed me that all the three items was shipped in the same package not separately. So I requested that he contact the technician personally and request that the technician come to my home to fix the laptop today; and not waste any more of my time.
Telephone conversations were exchanged between Michael ** and Michael M, it was made clear to the technician that he should check his supplies and all were sent to him. Finally, a set time was reached to come to my house around 1pm today, March 12, 2010.
When the technician Michael M. performed a diagnostic test on my broken laptop, the read verification failed, so he had to again, the second time, replaced a new hard drive to this already factory replaced and presumably new and functioning hard drive. But through all this hassle and frustrations, after the technician installed the second new hard drive, then he informed me that since the sets of Recovery Disks has not yet arrived at my home, he cannot re-image the new hard drive that he has replaced.
So now, after two hours of fumbling with my broken laptop, nothing has been fixed. Why can't IBM send the Recovery Disks to the technician in the same tool package together with the new hard drive so that the technician can do all the necessary repair on-call? Why all this waiting and wasting of the customer's precious time?
The final solution as of now is that I am to wait till the Recovery Disks arrived at my home, and I am to installed them myself onto my hard drive to fix this problem. After today, IBM will no longer send a technician on-site to help fix my problem. I am left on my own.
I relied totally on this laptop to perform web development for my company which I work from home. Since the initial failure of this laptop; I have not been able to perform work and the initial service report was made on 2/23/2010 by telephone to the IBM Support Center at 800-426-7378. Today is 3/12/2010, it has been almost three weeks and I am still without a working computer. As a result, I had to endure the emotional stress of losing all my personal data on the broken hard drive which I cannot retrieve any data back-up; and the financial burden of having to purchase another computer on top of no work performance for my company for nearly three weeks.
I am very frustrated, dissatisfied, and very angry with this situation. I have expressed my complaint to different personnel at IBM and have requested to have a new laptop replaced instead of wasting additional time in this repair process. But my request was flatly turned down. I still strongly believe the broken laptop T500 that I have in possession is beyond repair, and I strongly request that IBM replace this inferior machine with a brand new replacement. I sincerely ask that this request can be resolved through my complaint with Consumers Affairs.