What $2,700 will buy you at Toshiba

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

I don't like to read long posts, so I'm going to give a few examples of
my experience with Toshiba's Customer Service, and hopefully give you
an idea of what to expect if you're thinking of buying a toshiba
laptop.

I purchased my laptop for $2,700, buying probably one of the "best"
machines out there at the time ( 5205-s705 ). In about a year and three
months, it's been in and out of the repair center 5 times, each time
because of a problem with (atleast) the cd/dvd drive. For those
interested, it's a matsushita uj-810. Recently, I sent it again and
tried to find out exactly what was happening and why toshiba weren't
fixing the problem. Here is what I found out.

a) Toshiba doesn't know what the problem with the cd/dvd drive is, and
why it keeps failing. In fact, they don't care. All they know is that
the drive is bad, and it needs replacement.
b) It doesn't bother them what the problem is, even if the laptop comes
in 10, 20 or 30 times (the precise words of customer service). All they
know is how to replace the drive.
c) According to Customer service, the laptop won't be replaced, because
that is not Toshiba policy. In fact, this is the first thing they will
tell you when you speak to customer service. Interestingly, the
standard one year warranty states otherwise.
d) If you call them and ask what they plan to do to fix the problem,
they'll promise to look into it in detail and discuss it with you when
the laptop is in for repairs. But when the laptop is actually in for
repairs, you will never hear from them or be able to talk to anyone
about what is actually happening, because...
e) You, as a customer, are not allowed to speak to technicians. In
fact, Customer Service cannot guarantee that they will be able to speak
to them either.
f) If you call up Toshiba support and speak to a Customer Service Rep,
and are not happy with their response, just too bad. Their supervisors
are in the corporate office, and customer support are not authorized to
give you their phone number (this is what they tell you).
Interestingly, it is available freely on www.toshiba.com.
g) Slightly less surprising, nobody at toshiba will ever call you back
if you leave your number. I left a message with 5 different people over
the course of a week, not one called back.
h) Lastly, but most importantly, everyone at Customer Service are
arrogant. If you try to reason with them, they'll give you illogical
statements (look below). So, frankly, there is really nothing you can
do. This is the most important, because at the end of the day, even if
you do put forward a very good case for replacement, they just throw it
out. And because there is no accountability, there is nothing you can
do about it.

I just got my laptop back from repair today, and found a brand new
problem with the laptop. This is after their "thorough" testing at the
repair center. Now they want me to send the unit back for repairs
again.

I'm not sure how support services are at other places, but in itself,
they represent the worst experience I've **ever** had.

Now, a nice funny story of what you get when you reason with toshiba. I
called up toshiba around 7:30 PM to talk to cusotmer support, but tech
support informed me that they close at 8 PM. When I told the lady that
it was a bit early to close, she asked me which time zone I was in. I
replied EST. "Well, those guys are on the west coast sir".

My true opinion about toshiba is that even though I think they design
very nice laptops, it really hurts to see one treated like this after
having spent so much money. So be careful if you you're thinking of
buying a toshiba.

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Similar experience with Toshiba. I posted my missive on this group some
time ago and have had a few responses ... albeit not from Toshiba. The
latest was a magazine in Japan that wanted to do a phone interview for
my opinion on Toshiba products... can't imagine I'd say anything good
about them!!!

Synopsis:

I bought a Qosmio in November 2004 (~ $2700.00) from Best Buy in Texas.
Got the thing home and discovered a small red ring on the screen, which
is bad pixels. Took it back and Best Buy immediately replaced it. With
the new screen technology on this machine, I purchased the Best Buy
warranty - which is something I NEVER do when buying a machine. The
new machine was working wonderfully for about a week. Then I went on a
trip to the remote jungles of Nigeria, where I work for a month or
longer at a time. Some time between when I left and a few days after
arrival, the keyboard went bad. Called Toshiba and about all they could
do was open a case for me and tell me my nearest service center is
Jo'berg SA or Capetown. So I went out and eventually found a USB
keyboard that got me functional. Then the cd/dvd drive (same matsushita
uj-810) started giving me fits, making several expensive drink coasters
from DVD blanks. Again, Toshiba opened a case for me and told me to
take it in to the 'nearest' service center (almost 6,000 miles away).
Well I eventually got back to the USA. Took the machine to Best Buy.
Voile' they just replaced the machine right there... Best Buy is
DEFINITELY the way to go when buying laptops. So after loading
everything back on.... guess what??? More trouble with the cd/dvd !!!
Now I have a set of 12 drink coasters :-) About the only blanks
this drive will write is DVD+RW. Wonder what the heck is going on
with Toshiba switching to the UJ-810. My old Toshiba S420 had a
Panasonic DVD writer and I NEVER had a problem with it...

So I'm basically with you on Toshiba. Great designed laptop, poor
service and maybe poor choice of components and/or quality control.

Chuck
Remote outpost in a steamy jungle...

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

I found two good authorized Toshiba tech repair places, one in san
diego, CA, and the other in tempe (Phoenix), AZ. You can talk with the
techs there and they've treated me nicely, especially the San Diego
place, CPU, where i've been a few times. Agoura tech solved a problem
for me over the phone once, plus I've been there once.



Tempe: Agoura Data Systems Website: http://www.agouradata.com/



San Diego - CPU on Lusk Blv. - website:

http://www.cpurepair.com/

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Thanks for the info. I actually called SSI first, but they told me that
they would have to hold onto my computer for a while, whereas CPU was
able to fix it right away.

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Thanks for the advise! I'll try to get in touch with them.

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

On 26 Feb 2005 22:24:24 -0800, "comter" <srin04@gmail.com> wrote:

:>I agree i have a toshiba 5205-s703 and it has been in the shop more
:>than it is at home. Toshiba is not makeing good computers at all.

Just to help balance the scales here I have a 5205-S703 purchased new over 2
years ago that has never needed any repairs. The only time it has ever been
turned off is when I'm carrying it to and from work. So during the week it
is on around 22 hours a day and on weekends it is on 24 hours a day. A
friend of mine has a 5205-S503 and a 5205-S703 again purchased new over 2
years ago and neither one has needed any repairs. And his wife who is a CPA
and Tax Accountant has a 5205-S703 purchased new over 2 years ago that she
carries everywhere and it also has never needed any repairs.

So now I guess we can say that 4 out of 5 5205 Toshibas have never needed
any repairs. :-)

me/2