likely an isolated incident, but an easyserv horror story

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eric530 · #1 Post by **eric530** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 12:37 am

This is probably an isolated incident of a bad tech who screwed up, and was lazy. Long story short, my t43 was returned to me with stripped screw holes, and scotch tape wrapped around the threads to hold it in. So if anyone sends in their machine to easyserv, they might wanna check the workmanship closely the second they recieve it.

http://thesnowfort.com/ezserv.jpg one of the screws exactly how it was when I pried it out with my finger nail.

Called easyserv, they apologized, are sending out a new box and it will go to the "escalation service". I'll update if it comes back crappy again.

Long story

I recently sent in my t43 in to easyserv because it was crashing every 5-10 minutes, the phone tech and I agreed it was most likely a motherboard problem and to have it replaced

First, just beware Easyserv claimed the was spill damage, and the case needed to go to the billing department, which delayed the service 3 days, so they could check I had the Protection Plan....

I can truthfully say there was no spill damage, and if there was, thank god I have TPP, so I would have outright said, there's spill damage, replace all the screwed up parts. After I asked for photos of the spill damage, on the "keyboard, palmrest, fan and edge of the system board" spill damage was never mentioned again.

Laptop was returned to me today, (2 weeks later) Mainboard was replaced, it works fine, doesnt crash anymore. little scratches, all the parts returned.

It's the quality of work that bothers me. Noticed loose screws so I tried tightening them, so far I've pulled out three screws that have been shoved in with scotch tape, i'm assuming the tech stripped the holes or even drilled out the screws, decided not to replace the risers or parts, and just used scotch tape to keep the screw it. I'm leaving the machine the way it is now for easyserv to investigate and fix, so I haven't tried to take out anymore screws, and I have no idea if the work inside the laptop is like this too. (btw the screws I found where the palmrest and keyboard bezel screws)

Easyserv has promised to fix my laptop right this time, so hopefully they'll do a real nice job this time.

I just wanted to make sure people checked for something as odd as this, if the screws weren't tightened all the way, I never would of noticed this until I took my thinkpad apart. (which for the normal person is probably when it breaks after the warranty expires.) Hopefully this was just one bad tech.

egibbs · #2 Post by **egibbs** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 7:07 am

So I guess this answers the eternal question of whether EZ-Serv actually replaces the one-time-use nylon coated screws...

Ed Gibbs

DIGITALgimpus · #3 Post by **DIGITALgimpus** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 9:17 am

I'm not suprised, ezserv is terrible. They killed my laptop. It came back to me with a completely dead display.

If they don't want to fix it, they just call it spill damage... because it's their decision.

Really sad what it's turned into.

#4 Post by **K. Eng** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 7:22 pm

Sounds like EZServ hasn't been doing a very good job recently. I'll let you know how my ThinkPad comes back... I sent it in to have some bezel plastics replaced. Hope they did a good job, should know by tommorow.

#5 Post by **jdhurst** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 7:28 pm

That is truly sloppy workmanship. I have taken my T41 apart to change the processor and to add a mini-PCI card at different times. It takes no effort (none, zero, nada) to put a screw in a hole, turn it lightly backward to drop correctly, turn it lightly forward to mesh correctly, and turn lightly until first seated. If the tech uses less than one percent of their brainpower, closes one eye and puts one hand behind their back, it still takes a real effort under those circumstances to do it wrong. Sheesh!
... JD Hurst

#6 Post by **draco2527** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 2:27 am

Based on my experiences with EZserv over the last 8~10 years (can't remember) and the experience I had just this year, I am not surprised with the story above.

I heard it from the horses mouth.... Lenovo is looking for a new Service provider and it seems Solectron is making their life a living hell (this process should take sometime to resolve!!!). On the same token, they are working with Solectron to try to keep them! I guess Lenovo might be trying to cut costs ? I can't comment on it anymore then that, since that is all that was mentioned to me.....

I just purchased a T42p and for $300 I will be upgrading to NBD service and the TPP plan....for 3 years of coverage...I do not care if I have to walk to the local service center and drop the laptop off, I am never sending my TP to solectron again......Unless I want IBM/Lenovo to issue me a new laptop..

My $.02 on the matter......

DOCUMENT EVERYTHING, ESCALATE, ESCALATE and ESCALATE if by the third try your TP is still FK'd up..ask for a REPLACEMENT! Make sure to have a POP ( I found out later, there is no NEED for POP; BUT the rep that will replace the machine can only do a LIMITED number of NON-POP replacements per year) ready and just wait for your new machine. Make sure you let them know when you call that you want a NEW machine...

Also if you do talk to someone! MAKE SURE that you are talking with IBM/Lenovo in Atlanta; most of the other prompts for service take you to solectron and you get the run around!!!

Hope they fix it right......

egibbs · #7 Post by **egibbs** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:03 am

jdhurst wrote:That is truly sloppy workmanship. I have taken my T41 apart to change the processor and to add a mini-PCI card at different times. It takes no effort (none, zero, nada) to put a screw in a hole, turn it lightly backward to drop correctly, turn it lightly forward to mesh correctly, and turn lightly until first seated. If the tech uses less than one percent of their brainpower, closes one eye and puts one hand behind their back, it still takes a real effort under those circumstances to do it wrong. Sheesh!
... JD Hurst

Two words JD - Power Screwdriver.

In a prooduction environment where a tech has to turn hundreds of screws a day, power makes a big difference in productivity. Of course it's also next to impossible to feel if a screw is cross-threaded or not, but hey - it's not their laptop.

Ed Gibbs

#8 Post by **K. Eng** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 9:51 am

I just got off the phone with EZServ. Their website didn't show any status on my ThinkPad, so I called to demand where it was. They said it shipped out to me yesterday, and gave me a DHL tracking #.

So I put the tracking # into the DHL website and it says that there was an "attempted delivery" at 8:58AM. The desk guard at my apt. building says DHL never came

So I called DHL and apparently EZServ never put my building or apt. # on the return shipping label, so the delivery man didn't know which building to go to.

I am unhappy with the way this has been handled so far. The EZServ website's tracking system doesn't work, and I had no idea what the status of my repair was. My complete address was on the label of the box that went to EZServ, and my information is in the IBM Customer Support database, and still EZServ failed to put my complete address on the box containing my repaired ThinkPad going back to me.

What kind of idiot cannot read the shipping label on the box and transcribe it onto a return label?

Edit - The DHL person said the driver would attempt redelivery at around 1PM this afternoon - it's almost 2 now and no ThinkPad. Looks like I'll have to wait till tommorow, thanks to that idiot at EZServ.

#9 Post by **Kyocera** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 10:17 am

Probably the same one who torqued out the screws on the OP's Thinkpad.
Yikes. I believe egibbs is right.

hoya · #10 Post by **hoya** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 11:08 am

I could give you a really long story about Solectron / EZ Serv being the worst ever, but I'll just say this:

they replaced three system boards in less than a month, all of which failed.

one time, they scratched the case so badly that it looked like they have taken a screwdriver and 'keyed' my T42. a gash that deep couldn't have been an 'accident.'

after lots of frustrating phone calls, I finally got an IBM employee:
Dedicated Resolution Owner
Client Satisfaction and Loyalty Project Office
IBM IGS Technical Support

she offered a T42 or T43 as a replacement, but she wouldn't give me an upgrade (I wanted something for my time), and she also said the warranty would be my original T42 warranty. very frustrating.

the lesson I learned is this: I will only get on-site service for my machine, or I'll drive it to the nearest authorized service center. something is terribly wrong with Solectron and I really hope it changes.

my advice is to complain, complain, complain. get a person from IBM on the phone (they're in Atlanta).

good luck.

#11 Post by **AlphaKilo470** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 12:41 pm

Hmm, I guess there is something good after all about having a ThinkPad old enough for me to buy replacement parts cheply on eBay and do repairs myself.

As for support, since I work right across from the IBM Tower in Atlanta, I'll just walk across the street on my lunch break and yell at someone if I ever have trouble with support.

#12 Post by **K. Eng** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 5:37 pm

The DHL guy did swing by around 4PM, and I just got my ThinkPad back a few mins ago after returning from the office.

I put the HDD back in, boot her up, and...

Son of a $#(*Y@! Windows tried to resume but then got stuck. Blank screen. Nothing.

So I did a manual poweroff, rebooted, and crossed my fingers. Got into Windows, everything *seems* to be ok. EZServ flashed the BIOS and updated the embedded controler even though I specifically asked them NOT to do this

And on top of it all, the repair technician left out a #4 screw on the righthand side (near where the arrow keys are) and lost the hex screw that locks in the optical bay. WTF.

I've done a cursory visual inspection and there don't appear to be any scratches on the outside, or damage, but the screw caps were replaced fairly sloppily (all crooked and so forth).

At least there's no screw rattling around inside - the last time I had a system board failure and the ThinkPad came back, there was a screw loose INSIDE the ThinkPad and I had to open it up to get it out

I am NOT a happy customer right now

Edit - I called IBM up and they're sending me out a screw kit. IBM has always been great about sending me replacement parts, and their telephone support is very good. I just think they need to get rid of Solectron/EZServ.

#13 Post by **BillMorrow** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 12:03 am

K. Eng wrote:...........I just think they need to get rid of Solectron/EZServ.

FWIW..

this has been the consensus of opinion for years..
and an escalating consensus it seems..

a LONG time ago (high tech time!) ibm sold the repair facility off..
(or so i was told)
and the level of service has been getting worse..

the sad part is that we forget the occasionally GREAT service that they are still capable of delivering and we remember forever the screwups..

#14 Post by **K. Eng** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 7:31 pm

I just got the replacement screw kit in the mail... I've got more replacement T4x screws than I know what to do with

I've gotta hand it to IBM, their telephone reps are great, and they are without question the fastest company to get me replacement components.

egibbs · #15 Post by **egibbs** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 7:08 am

Agreed. I've called them at 5PM from a hotel room and had the part at the front desk the next morning.

All of this has got me thinking... What if they offered a "fi-it-yourself" option for the warranty - no depot service, whatever breaks they send you the part and you install it yourself, and they knock $100 or so off the cost of the machine.

I'd take that in a heartbeat.

Ed Gibbs

hoya · #16 Post by **hoya** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 8:24 am

egibbs wrote:What if they offered a "fi-it-yourself" option for the warranty - no depot service, whatever breaks they send you the part and you install it yourself,

believe me, changing a system board or LCD is no easy task. lots of different screws (this will change on T60), several wires that could easily be pinched, and of course the possibility of dust or other contaminants entering the notebook.

swapping keyboards, RAM, hard drives and even WiFi cards is the extent of what a savvy user should do. everything else should be left to the 'pro's' for nothing else than insurance.

egibbs · #17 Post by **egibbs** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 9:13 am

hoya wrote:swapping keyboards, RAM, hard drives and even WiFi cards is the extent of what a savvy user should do. everything else should be left to the 'pro's' for nothing else than insurance.

I heard a great line yesterday. Noah's Ark was built by volunteers, but the Titanic was built by professionals.

I'd take patience, basic skills, and a vested interest in doing it right over a trained professional with a ridiculous workload any day.

Ed Gibbs

Website · #18 Post by **tfflivemb2** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 9:43 am

hoya wrote:swapping keyboards, RAM, hard drives and even WiFi cards is the extent of what a savvy user should do. everything else should be left to the 'pro's' for nothing else than insurance.

What's interesting about this is that IBM/Lenovo give you EXACT details on how to replace these parts. It really aren't hard. I just replaced a T23 systemboard in a matter of about 25 minutes start to finish. As long as you create a layout for the screws (like next to each part removed) it is very easy.

IBM has always been awesome for they way that they build things. For example, I can complete remove the Systemboard from a 600E and only have about 5-6 different types of screws (not counting the hard drive screw). I worked on a Toshiba before that just getting to the systemboard (not actually removing it, just getting to it), and there were about 15 different types/sizes in screws. That was more of a nightmare.

hoya · #19 Post by **hoya** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 11:25 am

egibbs wrote: I'd take patience, basic skills, and a vested interest in doing it right over a trained professional with a ridiculous workload any day.

Ed Gibbs

just for the record, I was using a hint of sarcasm when I said 'pro's.'

I have no doubt that most of us can do these things without a problem, but just yesterday a friend of mine attempted to replace the PCMCIA slot on his 600e and the entire thing is now inoperable. we think he shorted the system board but we're not certain.

like I said, some of the Solectron guys are sloppy and terrible, but at least when they screw up it's THEIR mistake and THEY have to fix it, even if it means arguing with some rep on the phone.

likely an isolated incident, but an easyserv horror story

likely an isolated incident, but an easyserv horror story

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