My experience with IBM's service

Message

pramit · #1 Post by **pramit** » Fri Aug 06, 2004 7:44 pm

Since it's too long to type here, you can read it here:

http://pramit.nairi.net/ibm/

Not to scare you, but more to educate you about what you can do if you feel you're getting the short end of the stick when it comes to your computer.

eriqesque · #2 Post by **eriqesque** » Fri Aug 06, 2004 9:06 pm

Iam not very happy right now with the service I have received so far either. I have just gotten off the phone with tech support and they are sending me yet another box to send it back in.
They forgot to put a thermal pad back on the GPU, my palmrest is now making a popping sound under the HD side and the wireless card has gone south since they changed the cover and LCD bezel. So this will be my 3rd time in 3 weeks this machine has had to be repaired.

sugo · #3 Post by **sugo** » Fri Aug 06, 2004 10:10 pm

Pramit, please please post know any updates.

I have to look at IBM from a whole different angle from now on.

MrStaticVoid · #4 Post by **MrStaticVoid** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 12:49 am

My experience with IBM ez-serv was less than satisfactory as well. I recently sent my T41p in for an LCD replacement. My LCD has 8 bad pixels, which is in spec, but I thought I would give it a chance. Everything else was fine.

Well before anything else, I guess he noticed that the touch pad wasn't working. Well it was working, I actually just turned it off in the BIOS, but I guess he didn't see that, so he just replaced the palm rest. He didn't install it properly so I had to redo that. No biggie. Then he noticed a "dancing pixel" which he thought he could fix by replacing the motherboard. IBM says it is policy to update the BIOS when they replace the motherboard, so he did. No biggie. I guess the guy then noticed that I didn't have a predesktop area. Well guess what, I deleted that purposly, but he installed that too. That [censored] me off. I HAD CHECKED AND SIGNED THE BOX SAYING NOT TO TOUCH MY HDD OR ANY OF THE DATA ON IT. Well by him reinstalling that service partition, it screwed up my partition table! I FREAKING LOST ALL OF MY DATA! Luckily I didn't have anything too important. (The summary sheet also said he also did a complimentary virus scan, but I really don't know how when all I run is Linux.)

I was [censored] off. I picked up my package at the local DHL and opened it up in the car. I never swore so much. I called IBM as soon as I got home and yelled a bit, but the guy on the phone did a good job at comforting me. I'm fine now. If nothing else, the new palm rest doesn't squeak so much.

Well I guess I learned my lesson: don't send the product in when its in spec and hope that the technician won't check (he only saw 2 of the 8 pixels anyway) and always take out the hard drive.

I'm glad it is all working out for you in the end pramit.

Sorry if what I wrote above is completely incoherent, it is very late (or early depending on how you look at it). I need sleep. Good night!

pramit · #5 Post by **pramit** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 12:52 am

eriqesque wrote:They forgot to put a thermal pad back on the GPU, my palmrest is now making a popping sound under the HD side and the wireless card has gone south since they changed the cover and LCD bezel. So this will be my 3rd time in 3 weeks this machine has had to be repaired.

eriqesque,
don't hesitate to escalate the matter. IBM's service has not exactly been stellar. keep the fight on rationally and sensibly and you'll see that they will listen once you escalate the matter high enough. also, keep all the documents and each person's name that you speak to. it helps to have your facts straight and not have to settle for anything except what's right.

as i heard in a south park episode a while ago:
"this is america. if something sucks, you can get your money back."

Biggie2 · #6 Post by **Biggie2** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 12:57 am

I dunno, they messed up and it sucks, but it happeneds. Their practices seem rather good though, everything overnighted. Veronica should have responded... so she sucks... but she was the only one out of the numerouse people you talked to that gave less than 100%.

In the end it seems to have worked out with a new computer.

Ive personally had worse experiences... It sucks big time of course... i get a pit in my stomach just thinking about my bad PC experiences... i understand though that it does happen, and no manufactorer can do anything about it completely.

Thank you for the post though, good read, and it is certainly something a prospective buyer should know about.

T23_Owner · #7 Post by **T23_Owner** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 2:05 am

Boy oh boy. If they messed it up 2 times or more you are entitled to a new computer of your choice. Its IBM policy. I got a brand new T42p when they messed up my T23. Escalate, escalate, escalate until you get a new computer. Be upset but not rude though.

rhema83 · #8 Post by **rhema83** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 7:07 am

What do you mean by "new computer of your choice"? You mean if they mess up my T42, I could ask for a T42p?

Anyway the support was not that great. I waited 20 minutes on the Customer Service and at least 10 on Technical Support. And once I was routed to some Indian who didn't know what I was talking about.

Qapf · #9 Post by **Qapf** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 7:48 am

Ya know, I have to say that all of these reports I am reading have to do with depot support, and I am glad to have chosen the in home response. Here where I am IBM does their own in home product support, but as well they are contracted to do support for Dell's, Toshibas, and a few others, as such I actualy know my IBM repair dude and I have his direct line from all the times my Dell nosedived and needed support

I had exactly one issue which actualy was kinna my fault with the Ethernet port, seems the port on the T41p is VERY shallow, and can easily be damaged from a odd ethernet jack. The guy had my laptop for 24 hours and back in my hands, in perfect working condition, with exactly what I wanted fixed. Pretty much all I need to do to get service is get a service call opened for any issue with IBM themselves, and the tech has authority to add any problems he finds upon inspection, order parts, and generaly work to making everything right. Last problem was a kind of nonproblem with creaking on the right palmrest, but he took that apart on my dining room counter and explained to me the issue of there being no real support point where the creak was. He stuck some sticky felt under where the creek was and the problem simply went away. Gotta tip my hat to IBM for employing such good people.

sktn77a · #10 Post by **sktn77a** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 8:26 am

Eriquesque: You might want to think twice about sending it back if the processor is running cool without the thermal paste.

eriqesque · #11 Post by **eriqesque** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 9:32 am

Well I assume the processor has thermal paste. Its the GPU that is missing the thermal pad. I think the processor is running cooler because it has the original fan. My main concern this time is that they screwed up my wireless card and palmrest and as we all know on my machine being a/b I can not remove the palmrest.

mattfromomaha · #12 Post by **mattfromomaha** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 10:30 am

As much as this sucks, I think every brand has the ocassional horror story about service. I had almost the exact same problem with the Compaq Evo N600c I bought prior to my T30. After being persistent, they replaced it with a new computer (which went on eBay and was replaced with the T30!).

meditate2001 · #13 Post by **meditate2001** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 12:03 pm

My Combodrive crashed some days ago. I called IBM (Germany) and the next(!) day a courier came with a brandnew(!) combo drive and i gave him my broken one for exchange !!!
Thats what i call a really great service.

The computer magazine CT made a service test of the bigger brands, IBM was nearly in every test at least number 2. Behind apple....

eriqesque · #14 Post by **eriqesque** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 9:54 am

I don't think anyone here has mentioned anything about the service of the IBM when it comes to CRU's. It mostly the depot that has had the problems.

My experience with IBM's service

My experience with IBM's service

Who is online