TP service in France

[fschwep]

Anyone with experience concerning servicing a T42 (or other model for that matter) in France? My T42 crashed on me (seems like a mobo failure, dead in the water) and I called IBM/Lenovo France on the contact number given on the web. They picked up the phone pretty fast, and gave me a case number, but the transport company that was supposed to bring me a box and pick up the T42 for repair today did not show up. Around 17:00 I called to warn IBM so they could ensure the guys would stop by tomorrow, and they told me 'they can still arrive, it's not yet 18:00, please call us tomorrow if they did not show up'. I live in a rural area one hour from the nearest large city with a distribution centre for UPS or TNT, the two transporters they use. So when nobody shows up by 17:00, nobody will show up after that.
Now, I supposedly have 3 year on-site international warranty and they never offered me service on site (the TP was purchased in the Netherlands, and its warranty status clearly states I have right to on-site repair service, something I paid extra for as a servicepack). Is it normal that on-site is in fact not on-site outside the country of origin?
Does anyone have experience with IBM service on TP's in France or elsewhere in Europe? Are they anywhere as good as they seem to be in the US?

[Pascal_TTH]

If you speak french, you can got there : http://forum.tt-hardware.com/cat-3--Ord ... tables.htm

I have already ordered FRU and used the IBM sav in Belgium to change a keybaord. They prefer to get the laptop because issue may be the keyboard or the system board.

I don't have to complain.

[Roy_W]

Bonjour fschwep,

I live in France ( TP was purchased in Switzerland) and my previous laptop a T41p was returned on 3 seperate occasions, "Dead Pixels", "MB Failure", "Dull Spot /pixels again".

Each time the service was excellent, I forget the carriers name ( TNT, I think). The carrier/driver was the same each time.

* Phone IBM - Open a case.
* Carrier arrived next day.
* Carrier returned 2/3 days later.

I work in the middle of town and I know that the carrier was based in Annecy 60kms from where I am based. Each time the carrier arrived directly in the office and took care of everything as expected. I presume it all depends on exactly where you live and the location of the closest carrier.

[Pascal_TTH]

Bonjour fschwep,

I live in France ( TP was purchased in Switzerland) and my previous laptop a T41p was returned on 3 seperate occasions, "Dead Pixels", "MB Failure", "Dull Spot /pixels again".

Each time the service was excellent, I forget the carriers name ( TNT, I think). The carrier/driver was the same each time.

* Phone IBM - Open a case.
* Carrier arrived next day.
* Carrier returned 2/3 days later.

I work in the middle of town and I know that the carrier was based in Annecy 60kms from where I am based. Each time the carrier arrived directly in the office and took care of everything as expected. I presume it all depends on exactly where you live and the location of the closest carrier.

Fribourg ?

[Roy_W]

Fribourg ?

Annemasse, just next to Geneva.

[fschwep]

Bonjour fschwep,

I live in France ( TP was purchased in Switzerland) and my previous laptop a T41p was returned on 3 seperate occasions, "Dead Pixels", "MB Failure", "Dull Spot /pixels again".

Each time the service was excellent, I forget the carriers name ( TNT, I think). The carrier/driver was the same each time.

* Phone IBM - Open a case.
* Carrier arrived next day.
* Carrier returned 2/3 days later.

I work in the middle of town and I know that the carrier was based in Annecy 60kms from where I am based. Each time the carrier arrived directly in the office and took care of everything as expected. I presume it all depends on exactly where you live and the location of the closest carrier.

Well, the carrier (TNT) arrived early this morning and indeed seemed to know his business. Even advised me to tick the NO box on the case form so IBM will call me first before wiping the harddisk. Very friendly and efficient. I do understahd why they would prefer to have the TP at their repair centre instead of sending a technician somewhere out in the woods. I was just worried that the pickup might be delayed - when you live in a small village like I do (less than 200 people) these things tend to take more time.

Will keep you posted.

[bashjojo]

Bonjour fschwep,

Each time the service was excellent, I forget the carriers name ( TNT, I think). The carrier/driver was the same each time.

* Phone IBM - Open a case.
* Carrier arrived next day.
* Carrier returned 2/3 days later.

I work in the middle of town and I know that the carrier was based in Annecy 60kms from where I am based. Each time the carrier arrived directly in the office and took care of everything as expected. I presume it all depends on exactly where you live and the location of the closest carrier.

Am I an unlucky guy ? I live near Paris, I work near Paris and my T43P was not yet inspected for a week by IBM Repair Service.

The call to IBM, the carrier who arrived next day is perfect (30-may). All is OK at this point.
But, today, they can't tell me where is really the problem and how many times they will take to repair my Thinkpad.

In the past, I had a similar problem with my DELL Inspiron 8500. Exactly the same things happened : excessive call to DELL, a different response/status at each call, money lost at each call... Well a very bad service.

You say, in this Forum, that IBM Service (warranty) is excellent and very fast. I think, with this first problem, that their Service is bad as DELL Service. But with a difference : Thinkpad with 3 years warranty is more expensive (very more) that a simple DELL Inspiron ! What the extra if IBM (Lenovo ???) deal with they customer as DELL ?

Well, IBM Service is definitly bad for me


My config : T43P 2668-WLN
Problem : video card crash and can't display over 640x480
IBM Call Service diag : replace the motherboard
Today : wait, wait, wait, wait, wait....
(Sorry for my poor English)

[thibouille27]

Fribourg ?

LOL, mine does

[fschwep]

Update: we got a call from an IBM tech last Tuesday (meaning over a week after my call and the 5th day after my T42 was picked up), to ask if I had given them the proper password... The machine would not recignize it (which was part of the original problem, I had told them; apparently the BIOS chip was grilled; and I had supplied them with the system pw in writing). So while I have paid a lot for international 3-year warranty with on-site next business day service response, in reality the machine had 1) to be picked up and 2) it took them over a week from my first distress call to start working on it. So at least the 'on-site' and 'next business day response' parts are quite doubtful. I noticed that today Lenovo charges exactly the same for pickup/return warranty packages as they do for on-site warranty for many models, which makes me think that the on-site will, in many cases, in reality be turned into pickup/return.
It looks like it is going to take at least two weeks from my first call before the machine will be back, which is not funny for a computer one earns one's living with. Fortunately I have an R51 as a backup and all my work data backed up on an external HD. Even then it remains a hassle.
PC's these days just tend to break down. All of them. My former tower PC grilled its motherboard, video card and harddisk all at the same time due to a power supply failure; my ThinkPad A22m gave up when we had a nearby lightning strike, in spite of a whole cascade of power spike protection, now my T42 managed to freeze up completely (and a week earlier my brother's Dell desktop of barely one year old crashed its harddisk, plus my father's TP i-series is slowly falling apart, beginning with a hinge)... all gear hardly three years old, in some cases just a year or so. Is our high-tech gear just getting too vulnerable?

[draco2527]

......... Is our high-tech gear just getting too vulnerable?

Nope, it is called a "Global Market" were things HAVE to be cheaper. Today a T60p with all the bells and whistles is $3K, 6 or seven years ago the same machine with 1/10 the goddies was $10K.....so here we can see the difference. Cost of living has risen, a lot of things have changed; but computers offer more for your "bang/buck" then ever before; I think all this comes at a "price". There are HD's out there that at one point their cost was more then some Thinkpads today, and they are still running! Why? Because you paid for something that was designed to last!

I do not blame the manufactures entirely for this, we are part of the problem too!! If we buy new hardware every year, two or three; then why design something that will be able to last 10?



My $.02, and good luck with the repairs..

[bashjojo]

Update: we got a call from an IBM tech last Tuesday (meaning over a week after my call and the 5th day after my T42 was picked up), to ask if I had given them the proper password... The machine would not recignize it (which was part of the original problem, I had told them; apparently the BIOS chip was grilled; and I had supplied them with the system pw in writing).

My case is the same : after a long week, they asked me that a new motherBoard had been ordered (the same day of my call of course ! ) . A new call today : "The first order was a wrong motherboard. We had re-order a new motherboard... "
It's a bad joke from their "Customers Service" ??... Very, very

So while I have paid a lot for international 3-year warranty with on-site next business day service response, in reality the machine had 1) to be picked up and 2) it took them over a week from my first distress call to start working on it. So at least the 'on-site' and 'next business day response' parts are quite doubtful. I noticed that today Lenovo charges exactly the same for pickup/return warranty packages as they do for on-site warranty for many models, which makes me think that the on-site will, in many cases, in reality be turned into pickup/return.

I had paid this service too (my reseller confirmed me) : 3-year warranty with on-site next business day service. It seems that Lenevo prefer pickup/return in all case.
I think, in their Center, they can take some weeks to repair without any stress !!!

It looks like it is going to take at least two weeks from my first call before the machine will be back, which is not funny for a computer one earns one's living with.

I think that my case will be worse (> 2 weeks)

PC's these days just tend to break down. All of them. My former tower PC grilled its motherboard, video card and harddisk all at the same time due to a power supply failure; my ThinkPad A22m gave up when we had a nearby lightning strike, in spite of a whole cascade of power spike protection, now my T42 managed to freeze up completely (and a week earlier my brother's Dell desktop of barely one year old crashed its harddisk, plus my father's TP i-series is slowly falling apart, beginning with a hinge)... all gear hardly three years old, in some cases just a year or so. Is our high-tech gear just getting too vulnerable?

It is normal that a machine crash. Nothings is reliable especially with Technologies.

But, sorry, when we PAID extra price for a "physical" thing and for THE "Premium" Service, we expected to a best follow-up of the problem.

IBM/Lenovo Service in France are very bad. When I learn/read that in other country, their TP4x had been repaired in a week (call/pickup/return) !

[fschwep]

Called IBM/Lenovo France yesterday. 'Your machine is waiting for a new motherboard, it is not in stock and we have no indication when a new one will arrive.'
'So this may take a week, or three months?'
'Oui monsieur. Call us later this week, we may know more.'
The girl who picked up the phone also told me that the T42 2373 is known to suffer frequent motherboard failures. Apparently nobody thought to stock a good containerload of the things (or, rather, considered it too expensive). I guess it is now underway from China by rowing boat. Or packed with loads of living poultry on the Transsiberia railway. Such is commerce today. Big Blue has sold out and its service in a European country that has or had a large IBM manufacturing and R&D center (Montpellier) has suffered as a result.
Unfortunately they make such awfully good keyboards (or they did, I don't know how the latest Lenovo boards hold up) that I tend to stick with them no matter what.

[christopher_wolf]

Called IBM/Lenovo France yesterday. 'Your machine is waiting for a new motherboard, it is not in stock and we have no indication when a new one will arrive.'
'So this may take a week, or three months?'
'Oui monsieur. Call us later this week, we may know more.'
The girl who picked up the phone also told me that the T42 2373 is known to suffer frequent motherboard failures. Apparently nobody thought to stock a good containerload of the things (or, rather, considered it too expensive). I guess it is now underway from China by rowing boat. Or packed with loads of living poultry on the Transsiberia railway. Such is commerce today. Big Blue has sold out and its service in a European country that has or had a large IBM manufacturing and R&D center (Montpellier) has suffered as a result.
Unfortunately they make such awfully good keyboards (or they did, I don't know how the latest Lenovo boards hold up) that I tend to stick with them no matter what.

Big Blue sold out? Never.

[fschwep]

Well, my T42 has been returned. It took exactly three weeks from the day I called them to get it serviced. The reason for the delay obviously was that the proper type of motherboard was out of stock (2373, these apparently are in great demand).
I must say they do not skimp on the transport. Yesterday afternoon just after 16:00 they were still putting the machine back together at their service centre, apparently somewhere near Paris or another large city (it might be Montpellier, IBM has always had a stronghold there). This morning at 07:30 a young courier from TNT called at the door to deliver my computer. And I live in a very rural area, smack in the Auvergne, many hundreds of kilometres away from the repair centre, wherever it may be situated. So if a part is in stock they must be able to get you a pretty quick turnaround time.
I'm typing this on the T42 while it is picking up three weeks worth of e-mail from the various servers I have accounts with. First check showed it to be in full working order, I managed to set all BIOS user and supervisor passwords, something the old mobo somehow always was confused about (probably a sign that something was fishy from the very beginning). They also updated the BIOS, apparantly installed the latest MS .NET services, tested it and cleaned it (they probably got rid of a load of crumbs under the keyboard...). It looks like new.
While it was away and service was taking far too long, I got really depressed even though I was able to use a very decent R51 machine (our own second machine) to continue working, so I wrote some rather dark-mooded posts in this forum. As someone said: give praise where praise is due, and tell about bad experiences as well. So this has been a mixed bag: technically, the service seems excellent, no parts seem to have gone missing etc. ; IBM's repair centre in France also picks up the phone rather quickly without all sorts of waiting tunes. But they do have a parts stock problem, which may cause a TP to stay away for service rather longer than expected.

In the mean time I have ordered a used X30 through eBay, to have a backup machine that is also suitable for lightweight travel. My girlfriend and I had to fight over the only TP left in the house for three weeks and I prefer to let everybody have a working machine at their own desk in all cases, even if equipment is in repair.

Anyway, all seems well now

[GomJabbar]

My girlfriend and I had to fight over the only TP left in the house for three weeks and I prefer to let everybody have a working machine at their own desk in all cases, even if equipment is in repair.

That must not have been a pretty sight!

I am happy to hear you are back in running order now, and peace can be restored in your house.

[dsigma6]

after five years of french, i can comfortably say that "ordinateurs" means computer- and that's all i remember.