James says (to Best Buy):

Finally, on NOVEMBER 12th, I received a message from the Geek Squad asking if the service call that took place on November 5th had gone satisfactorily. This was news to me as I had never been informed that anyone had tried to come to take a look at my TV. I didn't receive a phone call before November 5th to schedule the appointment. I didn't receive a call on November 5th to tell me a tech would be coming at some point during the day. I didn't receive a call after November 5th to tell me that I had missed an appointment.

As of today, November 19, 2008, I have no idea where else to turn for help but it has now been almost 3 months since I first called in for assistance. In that time, I have been left with a TV that works WORSE than when I first called and have been left waiting for a phone call that never came SIX TIMES. In your latest press release, you said that "we [Best Buy] continue to see improvements in employee turnover, customer satisfaction and market share". If this is the type of service that you are offering, I cannot imagine how the second and third of those three could possibly be true.

Oh, that's harsh, quoting the press release. We hope your EECB is successful, James. If it isn't, you can always try small claims court!

For more information about launching your own EECB, click here.
(Photo: dooleymtv )

Cody says:

I just wanted to let you know that Logitech's service department gets an A+ in my book. Nearly a year ago, I purchased a Logitech Harmony 880 universal remote from an Amazon reseller. I purchased a refurbished model, which offers no warranty of any kind. Well a few months ago, the remote would not take a charge any longer.

I called Logitech support, and they quickly determined that either my battery or charger were no longer functioning properly. Long story short, I received an e-mail the following day from a rep named Allan stating that while my remote offered no warranty, he was going to send me a brand new remote the next day, free of charge. Even better, he didn't require me to return the defective unit. As it turns out, it was the charger that was bad. I've now got two remotes, one for each of my entertainment setups.

Only one charger, but that's no big deal since a charge lasts a couple of weeks. I couldn't be happier with Logitech. I will continue to be a loyal Logitech user for all of hardware needs, thanks to Allan's fantastic service. I just wanted your readers to know that they can have 100% faith in purchasing Logitech products!

Kind of gives you a warm fuzzy feeling, doesn't it?

Will Circuit City's bankruptcy affect your shopping plans?

Ignacio says:

I would like anyone who has considered buying this plan for a computer or has one to be aware that this warranty is useless and a waste of money. Don’t buy it.

I had purchased a Sony Vaio TZ laptop about a year ago with the accidental protection damage (ACH) for several reasons, but mainly because the sales man suggested it for such a small laptop and for how expensive it was ($2200). Buying this warranty was a peace of mind that the sales man a year ago assured me of.

Jumping forward in time, a year later, I accidentally dropped my laptop and took in for repairs at the Geek Squad. The gentleman who attended me was very helpful and assured me that I would be taken care of with what he called “a high end laptop”. As a side note he even admired the size and weight of the laptop, which was the main selling factor for these laptops from Sony and why they were so expensive.

I received a call yesterday (10/31/08) from Best Buy saying the repairs were too costly and that my laptop would be replaced under warranty. I drove there today (11/1/08) to pick up a replacement. The attendant showed me a what she referred to as a comparable model (Vaio Z) and said I could take that as a replacement or use that money($2000) towards another computer , in essence store credit. I picked out a computer that was more expensive and she said it was fine, but I had to pay the difference. When we got to the register and as she started to ring me up, she stated that she had not done this type of return before and she asked a colleague to help her. She was told it was being done incorrectly and we were sent to talk to the supervisor of the computer department. This is where the trouble began.

I was told because of the specs of my computer the most comparable model was $600, which was an Asus EEE pc, but they would do me a favor and give me $1200 for a 15” Dell. When I stated to them that neither of them were comparable, because the sized and features that the TZ, they replied that they do it spec for spec and that my laptop only had 1gig of ram, a 1ghz processor and 100gig hard drive, and that was the closest computer. When I tried to explain to them that this computer was expensive because of the size features and ultra-portability; they ignored me and threatened to make my in-store credit less than $400 for some other netbook. I said that was not fair, the supervisor printed a gift card for $1200 gave it to me walked away. I asked to speak with the store manager.

The store manager, Huff, came and I explained to him what had happened in the last hour. He tried to understand what had happened and brought the supervisor from the Geek Squad department to help him out because he admittedly said, “I am not good with computers.” The supervisor told me the same as the rest that spec for spec there is no comparable computer, and that was the best they could do and I should be happy with that and instead of $600. I asked him to check Sony’s website so he can see that even a year later the TZ models are in fact cheaper, but more than $1200, and just as comparable with the one I bought. He said that he would not check any “junk” websites and only base his decision on what they had in the store. He told me to call Best Buy, and then yelled at the manager behind me, “This conversation is over,” and left. I was left standing at the cash register in the Customer Service area.

I called Best Buy customer relations from within the store, but they were of no help. They said they would not replace base on purchase price but “comparable technology.” When I said they were being unfair about comparing my computer the attendant on the phone said that was policy and there was nothing she could do.

So basically, to summarize, I bought a premium ultra portable laptop from Sony and it was compared to an Asus EEE netbook, under replacement, or a 15” Dell brick of a laptop that is worthless and not comparable. Salesmen are misleading when they are trying to sell you something. Good thing I didn’t order my laptop with the solid state hard dive, or else a comparable model would only have 60gigs of hard dive space. That is how “knowledgeable” the Geek Squad employees are, especially when the supervisor compares a premium notebook to a netbook.

I will not buy anything from Best Buy again. I spend thousands of dollars personally and more through my business, and I often refer my friends there as well. Not anymore, customer service is bad, the prices are more expensive when compared to internet shopping, and they rip you off. I encourage anyone not to buy from Best Buy and if you have to buy something there don’t waste your money any “peace of mind” insurance plans.

-Ignacio

We think Ignacio should launch an EECB (Executive Email Carpet Bomb) and see what Best Buy has to say, but we thought we'd throw this one out to the crowd first.

So, what do you think?

PREVIOUSLY: Casio Voids Warranty, Claims There's A Fingerprint Inside New Camera

Sam can't get his 6-month-old Casio camera repaired under warranty because Casio's U.S. repair center says the camera has been opened. Sam writes that he's even sent in copies of his fingerprints to compare to the inside of the camera, but so far Casio won't budge. We have a particular dislike of Casio and won't buy from them again due to their incompetent repair facilities, so we sympathize with you, Sam. Since he's getting nowhere with Casio's customer service, he's written the following letter to their Executive Customer Service and their Complaints Department in Japan.

Sent via Fax & Mail to: 973-537-8972 (Casio- Dover, NJ)
Sent Via Mail to: 6-2, Hon-machi 1-chome, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-8543, Japan
To: Casio President Kazuo Kashio, Executive Customer Service, and Complaints Department:

On April 24, 2008 I purchased a Casio EX-F1 camera from Sandrian Camera shop in Clinton, NJ (USA). I loved the form factor and the capabilities of this truly remarkable product. On October 5,2008 I tried turning on the power to my camera. It would not power on and only a red status light would blink on and off. As the camera was only six months old I took comfort in the fact that I had bought it new from an authorized Casio camera shop, thus the 1 year warranty would cover this glitch.

After contacting Casio I was instructed to send in the camera, insured, at my expense to Casio's repair center in Dover, NJ (USA). About five days later I was sent an email stating that the estimated cost of repair is $470.75. Assuming this had to be a mistake I called up Casio only to be told that the warranty is voided because the camera appeared to be dissembled and a finger print is located inside. Outraged, I began a search to contact some level of executive customer service or higher management in Casio.

Eventually after leaving messages with Casio's technical representative and customer service I was told that a senior technician would take a second look at the camera. Two days later I received a phone call from Adrienne, a customer service rep telling me that Casio would not honor the warranty and my two options are to pay $14.95 to have the broken camera shipped back or pay $470.75 to have the camera repaired. Either way my camera's warranty is voided.

As a consumer and avid Casio camera user (numerous of the exlim series) I took a chance and immediately bought your flagship camera immediately after it came out. I now fear this to be a mistake. On both fronts I am at a loss to Casio's position to not stand by their product and to not honor the warranty. Now my only options are to pay for a camera that should not have been broken in the first place, and not have any warranty on it? I did not open the camera at any point in my short six months of ownership. I did not let anyone open the camera, and it has always been in my direct possession.

Using logic, why would any one open up a $1000.00US camera that is covered under warranty? I am not a technical person, I am a marketing manger, I wouldn't even know how to open it.

I bought the camera brand new and I can have, if necessary the camera shop (Sandrian, Clinton NJ) write a letter stating they sold me a brand new camera. Casio should stand on its reputation and stand behind its product and once again restore a consumers faith to purchase Casio products again, which I am confident Casio will do.

Left with no choice I will have open up a case with the Better Business Bureau (USA). I am consumer looking for options as I have reached no resolution with Casio. As an avid camera user I am a member of numerous web blogs, camera groups and consumer protection websites. While I am sure my case is an isolated one, I will begin to explain my predicament and course of action to [anyone] who will listen. As a consumer, how can I stand behind any Casio product in the future if I know for 100% fact I never opened the camera, [never] gave it to anyone to open, and bought the camera brand new from an authorized agent? I purchased your flagship camera in the correct manner (not grey market), and I have followed the correct channels to have the camera replaced, and all Casio has told me is either pay $14.95 to ship back my broken camera or pay $470.75 to have it repaired (again with a voided warranty, when in reality it that should have more then 6 month left on it ).

I am looking for any assistance. I hope I can resolve this issue with Casio as soon as possible and once again restore my faith to continue to recommend and purchase your products (as I have avidly done in the past). I simply want a 100% functioning Casio Ex-F1 with full intact warranty. If there are components inside my camera that Casio would not represent as a brand new (when I purchased it), I expect Casio to replace the camera with a brand new one. I took a chance in buying Casio's first attempt into entering a higher end camera market. I hope that I can continue to do as I had in the past and voice positive remarks and convince others with my opinions to purchase your products.

Thank you for you time.
Sam
Casio Camera user since 2002

Vickie writes:

I have used the Delta PermEnamel Products for several years with marvelous results. This was an isolated incident which I would not expect to recur. This isolated incident has been resolved to my complete satisfaction. Thank you, Delta Creative, Inc.

Vickie Silcox/Artist
A Painted Setting

(Photo: Getty Images)

I have used the Delta PermEnamel Products for several years with marvelous results. This was an isolated incident which I would not expect to recur. This isolated incident has been resolved to my complete satisfaction. Thank you, Delta Creative, Inc.

Vickie Silcox/Artist
A Painted Setting

Congrats, Vickie! We're glad Delta Creative came through in the end.

If you're finding this for the first time, you can still read the original post below:

First of all, this is a story about Delta Creative, not Delta Airlines. Delta Creative makes craft and hobby supplies, including something called PermEnamel glass paint. Vickie, a glass artist who says she's painted "literally thousands of pieces" using PermEnamel, had it fail on her recently. It ruined almost 100 of her pieces and cost her approximately $2,000. She says Delta confirmed the product failed, and approved a reimbursement request—but then "the President of Delta Creative, Bill George, stepped in and said they don't guarantee their products, nor is he in the business of reimbursement," and he denied it.

Here's Vickie's story:

I have lost nearly 100 pieces, at a value of nearly $2,000.00, due to the failure of Delta Permenamel surface conditioner. Their technical department confirmed the failure, the Director of Marketing approved the claim for time and materials, and the President declined reimbursement to me stating that Delta is not in the business of reimbursement! Most importantly, he stated to me that the company does not and will not guarantee the products.

I have painted thousands of pieces, with fantastic results, never one dissatisfied client....you might say I was a Delta disciple, proficient in every way in the application of these products.......but I am no longer that gal. I will never touch this product again.

I lost the ability to sell these 100 pieces and Delta Creative is responsible, and I am now suffering the aftermath. Loss of inventory to sell, loss of revenue to purchase glass, paint, book future shows. Cut off at the knees.

I'm posting this to give other Glass Painters using Delta Permenamel products the opportunity to weigh the risk that they are taking when using this paint. And to seriously evaluate the consequences, if the process fails. You will have no recourse.

I have reported Delta Creative with the Better Business Bureau, and will take further steps if necessary for them to right this wrong.

Finally, when you read that label that says "dishwasher safe", what it should really say is "sometimes dishwasher safe" or perhaps...."dishwasher safe only at the Delta Plant.

You may not be in the business of "guaranteeing" products, Bill George, but you'd think some sort of goodwill reimbursement at the very least would be a smart idea. Regardless of your behavior, however, we agree with Vickie that other glass artists should know that if (when?) PermEnamel fails, it will be their problem, not Delta Creative's.

(Photo: Getty Images)

They acknowledge the router got an upgraded firmware image automatically (forget the fact I had explicitly disabled that feature for this very reason), but I'm shit out of luck. Even though the fact my formerly perfectly working 6100 is now bricked because of something Verizon did without my approval or knowledge, they will not provide me with a new one for free because the router is out of warranty.

Brielle, try this Verizon contact info to reach someone who can resolve your issue.

Update: Brielle has added the following to her post on her own site, in response to people suggesting she flash the router:

There is no way to flash the router at this point. I've not been able to find an actual image file of the firmware, just a tool in .exe, which does not work right cause it really stupidly assumes anything in 10/8 is 255.0.0.0. My home network is 10.14.1.0/255.255.255.0. Tool can't find router, so no way to force an old firmware on to it.

"Verizon is a bunch of assholes" [Brielle's Ramblings] (Thanks to Mickey!)
(Photo: *nomad*)

I purchased a Sony Notebook computer from Circuit City and added the CityAdvantage extended warranty when I paid for it. One day it died and would not power up so I sent it in. They sent the computer back to me and denied the repairs stating that the computer shows signs of water damage.

This was April 2008 so I contacted CityAdvantage and the repair center, they said they would email photos of the alleged water damage. I waited 2 months and never received the photos so I contacted them again in June 2008, once again they said they would email photos proving water damage and once again I did not receive them.

In Sept 2008, I contacted them again and requested the photos but this time the person was very helpful and had me hold while they took care of the request to make sure it was done right. That night I received the photos and I am shocked that they are claiming this is water damage. To me it appears to be some type of electrostatic dust attraction rather than water damage. There isn't a single dried up water droplet anywhere!

The type of damage they are claiming would mean that I literally submerged the computer in water. If I had been careless enough to spill water on it, it certainly would not look like this. Just to be sure, I ran the photos by every IT/computer tech geek I could find and all of them said that it is not water damage. Water damage shows up as dried up water spots, calcium deposits, corroded terminals, etc. The circuit board is clean, and as hard as they looked, they could not find a single dried up water droplet either.

As God is my witness, this computer has never seen water. I have a feeling this is a scam to deny warranty claims on computers they can't repair or are too costly to repair. Here is a link to a similar story.

We're not sure the link is much help, because it doesn't have enough details about the "water damage" claim and there are no pictures. But Robert has plenty of pictures of his allegedly damaged computer, which we'll share below. What's your opinion? Does water damage ever look like this, or is Circuit City in the wrong?

Below I detail a problem I encountered with my 2005 F-150 pickup and what I thought were covered damages and repairs under the initial warranty or the ExtraCARE extended coverage.

Basically, my truck was making a pinging noise pretty much from the outset of purchase, the original dealer said it was normal, only to find out later that it was not and was going to be a very expensive repair.

Here is the letter Jeff sent to Ford:

This documents the events surrounding the engine noise problem experienced with our 2005 Ford F-150. We purchased the truck in April 2005. The truck was new and only had 5 miles on it. I purchased the ExtraCARE for four years/100,000 miles.

I also received free routine maintenance for the first 30,000 miles from the dealer, Koons Sterling Ford in Sterling, VA. I brought the vehicle in every 5,000 miles approximately for this service. Early on, the engine developed a pinging noise. I asked the mechanic and service manager at Koons about this and they said this was the normal sound of the fuel injectors. Since the truck ran fine otherwise, I took them at their word as this truck was more up to date than my previous 1993 Ford F-150. I never experienced any other mechanical problems with the truck and it ran fine, albeit with the pinging noise.

After the 30,000 mile free maintenance was up, I started taking the truck to Jiffy Lube – first the one in Leesburg, VA then the one in Ashburn, VA. I started going to the one in Ashburn because they had the newer equipment which could service the automatic transmission fluid. All during this approximately 28,000 miles nothing changed in how the truck performed or in how it sounded. The “fuel injector” ping was still there.

This changed when I drove my truck near a friend one day and he mentioned that we probably had a lifter problem. I said the noise was attributable to the fuel injectors. He advised that if that was so, why didn't all fuel injected Ford trucks make this sound? I realized he was right as I have never heard another vehicle make this sound, truck or otherwise. I made an appointment at Jerry’s Ford in Leesburg to have them look into the noise. If the noise was truly fuel injectors, they would know about it and tell me so. I advised that no other performance problem was being experienced, just the noise.

They advised that the problem stemmed from the camshaft position sensor. The said it would have to be replaced. They did so, but the problem persisted. They continued to work on the truck, and we (the dealership and I) agreed that the extended warranty covered us. This was the last week of February/first week of March 2007. A week later they still had not found the actual cause of the problem, but had continued to tear the engine down looking for it. In the meantime, since this was covered by the ExtraCARE and Jerry’s had agreed, I had rented a rental car, and Jerry’s even called Enterprise car rental to alert them to me having ExtraCARE maintenance plan work being performed and that the plan would pick up a portion of the rental car. They said it would pay for 10 days at approximately $28 per day.

On March 7 2007, the service employee at Jerry’s called me to alert me to the problem stemming from the use of an aftermarket oil filter. I reiterated that the problem predated the use of aftermarket filters, and that the true problem had to be caused by something else. They pointed me to a service bulletin (attachment bm3.jpg) which stated that the use of low quality aftermarket oil filters can cause pinging and would result in damage not covered by a warranty. This bulletin did not state what brand or which service, such as Jiffy Lube, might be suspect. This service bulletin also does NOT cover the actual engine installed in my truck. Please see attachment bo3.jpg, my buyer’s order, for detail of my vehicle. At this point they stated that the maintenance plan probably would not cover this repair. I once again alerted them to the fact that this noise predated the use of aftermarket oil filters. They checked their Ford records from our maintenance visits to Koons, but nothing of this detail was recorded on our records from that time period.

I started investigating my rights under the warranty, consumer protection services, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, and what the proper procedure would be if a dispute continued. Jerry’s said a Ford inspector would visit on Thursday, 08 March 2007 to see the truck and make a determination of my case. Initially, Jerry’s said there was not enough debris from the filter in the oil to have caused the pinging. I again reiterated that the pinging predated the use of aftermarket oil filters. At this point, their tact with me changed and they pretty much ignored anything further I had to say concerning the condition which predated the use of aftermarket oil filters.

I received word late on Thursday, 08 March 2007, that my warranty claim was denied and that there would be a hefty bill for the repairs. The engine could be put back together for $2800, the cylinder head could be replaced for $6200, or an entire new engine could be installed for $7800. I chose the second option, giving them the benefit of the doubt that something had to be done to rectify the problem. I authorized Jerry’s to perform the work and they stated that the truck could probably be finished on Monday, 12 March 2007.

I then started to gather information on how to best challenge this maintenance plan denial. I called Ford ESP (Extended Service Plan) after talking to Jerry's service manager. The service manager advised this was going to be the best route to challenge the denial. I gave them all of the pertinent information, having to spell out in great detail where I purchased the truck and where I was getting it serviced. The representative of Ford ESP I spoke with was quite unfamiliar with the concept of going to different dealers. She did recommend that in order to get a favorable decision I should go to different Ford dealers in the area. I advised that the maintenance plan does not require that, since I had been dealing with an authorized Ford dealership and maintenance shop. She also did not know or understand what a “Jiffy Lube” was. I did not explain this to her further, but asked to speak to someone else who might be able to change the warranty denial for me.

I was connected to the technical manager, “Bill”. I gave him the full history and waited to find out what Ford ESP could do for me. He advised that they had not seen the inspection report yet, but that the failure of an oil filter which caused the damage would not be covered under the warranty. I reiterated to him that the noise was preexisting, explaining again about how I alerted the original dealership's service department to it. Bill advised that he had no evidence or documentation to back this up. He also stated that even Ford Motorcraft oil filters, had they been used and failed, would also invalidate any warranty claim for repair of damage. He said there was nothing else he could do for me. He gave me the phone number of an arbitration service. I continued to have to rent a rental car, but now completely out of pocket for the entire expense, until the truck is done. Ford ESP also stated that the inspection records and photos were the property of Ford and I would not be receiving a copy of it.

I called the Ford Customer Center in Dearborn, MI on Friday, 16 March 2007. After a lot of pleasant conversation, questions, answers, and being on hold, Ford informed me their guideline was to support the dealership and side with them. They stick behind the idea that an aftermarket oil filter was the culprit. They said if I wanted to get the inspection report I would have to talk to the dealership; the dealership said I would have to talk to Ford ESP. The answer from Ford ESP is stated above.

I also submitted my information to the Dispute Settlement Board to no avail. Based on this information, Ford is blaming an aftermarket oil filter even when the problem predated the use of aftermarket (i.e., Jiffy Lube) filters. Ford is not standing behind even the products they recommend and use. The failure of these replaceable parts could possibly damage warranty covered parts, which would invalidate the warranty. This could mean one of several things: this is a convenient excuse for voiding customer’s maintenance plans; Ford has no faith in even their own filters; Ford maintenance itself uses aftermarket filters of a questionable brand.

This also begs the question of whether or not Ford officially applied for a waiver to the tie-in sales prohibition of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. Invalidating a warranty based on a claim such as this should create evidence which could be used against the aftermarket manufacturer or the service company (Jiffy Lube). Ford’s unwillingness to part with this information tends to make me think there is something wrong with even their filters, or they have simply found an easy scapegoat for invalidating customer’s warranties.

My intention all along has been to maintain the truck so it will last as long as possible, performing the service for which it was designed. I believe I have done everything practically possible to this end. I availed myself of the maintenance offered by Koons for the first 30,000 miles. While I notified them of the noise, they informed me it was “normal” and just the “fuel injectors”. Since they were being held up by Ford as the local experts, I believed them and took them at their word. Obviously, now I know they were wrong, lying, or incompetent. If they were improperly trained or too inexperienced to diagnose problems, shame on them. If they were lying to me, that is fraud. My vehicle was brand new, under warranty and they were choosing to not address a concern brought to them by a customer.

I respectfully request repayment of $5698.37 to cover that amount of the attached work order (wo10f3, wo2of3, wo3of3 jpgs) and remaining portion of the rental car expense. I have also provided a copy of the rental receipt (rental.jpg) and a copy of my title (title.jpg) and registration of the vehicle to show I own it (registration2.jpg).

Should you not consider this request deserving of a refund, I will be posting all of this information online (e.g., Consumerist.com) for others use in consideration of your products. A positive response can also be posted to show how well you take care of your long-term and repeat customers.

I have been a Ford truck owner since 1993 and truly enjoy the vehicles. I want to stay with the Ford brand for future truck needs. Your positive response to this request will go a long way to ensuring just that. Thank you in advance for your prompt and professional attention to my request.

Sincerely,

John Y.
[contact info redacted]

I worked through Ford’s Customer Relationship center, their Dispute Settlement Board and the BBB. Getting no satisfaction, I am now writing Consumerist. The above information was sent via EECB (Thank you Consumerist for this information!) to several high level managers and members of the board of directors for which I could come up with names. I ferreted out the most probable names of the e-mail addresses and sent the above letter. I starting getting a few delivery failures right away and kept track of those. I also received immediate responses from a few people at Ford who have since moved on to other duties within the company and do not handle these areas. I also started to get phone calls from a local Ford rep who wanted to quickly offer me a one time Goodwill payment of ½ of the repair costs. I stated that was not good enough and told her to check with her superiors over the weekend for a better offer. I reiterated that this would not go away and I would definitely make a stink of this on the Internet.

The next week I also started to receive phonecalls from Detroit from Ford’s headquarters and executive offices. I thought this was directly related to the other phonecalls. Apparently, when you send an EECB to a large company and to several people, you might get independent responses that do not know about each other. Detroit called to say they were standing behind their inspectors and were going to offer me nothing. I do not know why they felt compelled to call me to say this. I again reiterated that this was unacceptable and I and the issue were not going away quietly. I thought that was over then. I started receiving calls again while I was out of the office with several voicemails being left by Detroit. I thought they had changed their mind when they said they had an “exciting offer” for me. The offer was for the X-Plan to purchase a new vehicle at a low cost. This just goes to show how out of touch Ford is with their truck buying customers.

I have since received a check for half of the repair costs from the original Ford rep. It came through one of the local dealers with no stipulations about keeping quiet if I cashed it. I cashed it and am now making good on my promise to write this up for all to read on your site.

I feel Ford still owes me for the other half of the repair work and the cost of the rental car. This totals $3567. The rental car alone was almost $900.

At this point I think it is fair to say I will not be doing business with any of the Koons dealerships or the Jerry’s dealerships in the Washington, DC area, nor buying any more Ford products. They are dead to me. However, if they choose to respond to this posting in a positive fashion (e.g., money) I would be willing to write you with a positive update.

As an aside, it was very interesting to find out what the Better Business Bureau can, and cannot, do for you. Their response to my complaint letter said that since the mileage on my truck at the time was outside the initial warranty, they could not help me at all. Good to know what the scope of your interest is, BBB.

Thanks a lot for all you do for all of us consumers. It really helps.

Also, here are the email addresses of Ford executives which did NOT receive a delivery error:

Lbooth@Ford.com
Dleclair@ford.com
Bfowler@Ford.com
Pdaniel@ford.com
Dhazel@ford.com
Eford@ford.com

While my story hasn't cost me thousands of dollars, it's brought me a lot of disappointment with the company I used to work for. For two years and three months, I was employee [redacted] at Store [redacted]. I sold computers, service plans, accessories, Geek Squad services and everything else they wanted me to like a good employee. I often defended the company online from people who had complaints and offered advice on what to do, based on my "inside" knowledge, to get these issues handled. So imagine my disappointment in the Geek Squad upon having to use a Performance Service Plan (PSP) on a Samsung monitor I had purchased.

On the morning of August 20th, I discovered my Samsung 204T was not responding to anything I was doing. After determining it was not the computer, based on a second monitor I have, I decided to make use of the PSP I had purchased for the monitor nearly three years prior when I was still working for Best Buy. I brought it to a different store than the one I worked at, and after having a small chat with the Geek Squad employee about it, he determined it would need to be shipped off to the repair facility. That's fine, I was expecting that. I asked him point blank "What are the turn around times like these days?"

"7-10 days" was the response. I commented "Oh, back when I used to work here it was closer to 2-3 weeks. Good to see it's gotten faster."

I figure that this is great, I'm going on vacation anyways and when I get back, the monitor should either be repaired or ready to be exchanged. Geek Squad even sends a tracking number to track the repair status of the monitor.

But nothing changes. Until August 29th, when it says it's arrived at the repair facility. Again, as a former employee I know that the service centers are USA based. Nine day shipping on the continental United States? What? I decide not to question it at the time. Status updates later in the day saying Parts Have Been Ordered. I'm a little disappointed that they're going to fix it instead of giving me a new one, but whatever. On September 4th, the status updates are saying that it's being repaired currently. No update until September 10th, at which point it is changed to "Exchange Assessment." "Product is in the process of approval or has been approved for an exchange. Please contact the Geek Squad Precinct within your Best Buy store for additional information." Great, I can get it exchanged finally!

So I head to the store with the paperwork from the Geek Squad page. Hey, it's the same guy that told me 7-10 days. But I let that slide at first when I show him the paperwork. He looks into the system and can't find any information on exchanging the monitor. He calls over a customer service representative, Rebecca, and the two of them look over the information on my repair. I hear some mumblings about the monitor being "junk out", and knowing what that is, I'm annoyed they're even looking at that since it has nothing to do with the exchange or repair. They also mention to each other about the parts for the monitor not even being available to order. Which makes me wonder where did 4 days of ordering parts and 6 days of repair go to when the parts didn't even exist? But I bite my tongue, hoping they'll just exchange it. At this point, they both inform me that the exchange has not been approved yet. I'm pissed now, and for the most part I keep my cool. The exchange I have with the Geek Squad employee goes like this.

Me: "When I first brought this in, you told me 7 to 10 days."
Him: "Business days"
Me: "That was like three weeks ago!"
Him: "Well there's nothing I can do about the service center being backed up."
Me: "You know, I used to work here. Why would you lie to me about the turn around time? That's bullshit."
Him: "All I can tell you is that this is the second to last step and the turn around for this should be pretty fast."
Me: "Whatever, I'll be back."

At that point, I leave. That was September 10th. At the time of this e-mail, it's September 15th and the system still has not updated.

I'm so disappointed in the service I've received on this monitor. It makes me feel bad that I sold these services for over two years, only to see this is how they were treating customers. One of the core things we were taught was to "Under promise, over deliver." Meaning that if a customer asks how long something is going to take, always go with the high end, and if takes less, great! Happy customer that we did something faster than we stated. If it takes the time we quoted, still happy that we did it on time. To see this core idea violated to this degree, it really cheapens what I did for them.

We recommend sending an EECB (Executive Email Carpet Bomb) to your former bosses. Just because you used to work there doesn't mean that you're not a customer, too. For more information about launching an EECB, click here. Maybe hearing from one of their own will be a wake-up call.

If not, if you used a credit card to pay for the monitor and warranty, you can always contact your credit card company and see if they'll help you get what you paid for.

(Photo: dooleymtv )

I have a first generation Nintendo Wii and I recently bought the game Boom Blox for it. When I put the game in to start playing it would often lock up at the health warning screen and I would have to restart my Wii by unplugging it since no other method would work.

Here's what happened when he contacted Nintendo for help.

I first expected it was a problem with the disc since Gamestop sold it to me as New when the case was opened already (another story for another time) but the disc was in perfect condition. I also noticed my other games were acting weird and my Wii channels would give errors that they couldn’t load properly even though they were. This prompted me to go online and see what I could do.

I work in tech support and moderate some support forums so I hate when people don’t look for answers before asking questions or calling for help so I went to the Nintendo forums to see what I could find. Unfortunately there really wasn’t any information about errors with this particular game or any Wii related defects that fit what I was experiencing. I was wary about getting email support but it seemed to be Nintendo’s preferred next step so I sent an email to them with everything I was experiencing.

I was surprised when a day later I got an email stating my problem would probably not be best handled using email correspondence and to call in. I called in and the person on the phone (I wish I could remember her name) was very nice and very helpful. She quickly looked up my account with Nintendo and immediately suggested I should send my Wii in for repair. She said it would probably waste my time troubleshooting the issue further since it wasn’t anything she’d seen and seemed beyond any fixes she could offer. She noted that I was a few months out of warranty but offered free shipping and free repair anyway without me even bringing it up. I immediately received a shipping label and sent the system in the next day.

I was bummed not having anything to play for what I’d expected to be a month long fix and was shocked to receive an email on the day they received the package stating they had received it and repaired it the same day. They also shipped it back out to me that day as well! So all in all it took one week from start to finish to submit a help request and have a fixed Wii returned to me. It has worked great ever since and I no longer have any problems with it. There are so many places where this could have been a bad experience but Nintendo really did a stellar job. They provided fast responses and did more than they needed to make sure I was a happy customer and will continue to purchase their products. Great job!

Nintendo, what the hell? We don't know what you're up to with this "good customer service" routine, but pulling shenanigans like this doesn't keep our tipline stuffed with complaints. Please think about this the next time you offer to repair a broken Wii.

Aaron writes:

Dear Consumerist,
I recently purchased a Craftsman snow thrower from sears.com during an online 12-hour 10% off sale. I selected the store pickup option as the website stated that my local Waterford, CT Sears had this model in stock. Well, later in the morning the local department clerk called to inform me that the only available unit of that model snow thrower was a floor model. The clerk told me that this was last years model that had been reduced and he could possibly get me a bigger discount if I agreed to continue with the purchase & take the floor model. Now the clerk tries to apply a larger discount on top of the ten percent I've already received but can't, the computer is telling him that I've already reached my limit on discounts on this sale. Ok, I've received the 10% from the 12-hour sale then another $5 discount for signing up for sears.com emails. Fine, I decide to take the unit anyway as long as the unit is complete, manual, keys, etc...

Cut to later the next morning, Waterford, CT Sears. During my lunch break I leave the office to drive to the store to pick up the machine. I first stop by the Lawn & Garden dept to confirm that the snow thrower does in fact carry all the relevant warranties and is not an 'as-is' purchase. The clerk, different from the one I talked with the previous day, confirmed that the unit is not an 'as-is' sale and the unit carries all associated warranties. Fine, I head up to merchandise pickup. He further confirms that the unit was assembled two weeks ago and everything is upstairs waiting for pickup.

Upstairs, merchandise pickup:
Two associates very promptly bring out the machine, just the machine, and no user manual. I tell the associates that I will not accept the unit without all relevant accessories. They go back into their area and leave me for about ten minutes. This time one associate returns with user manual but he tells me that he can’t find the key to start the machine. I am left waiting for another ten minutes, at least. He comes back with a plan that Ray from Lawn & Garden will “mail me the key” when he gets back from his day off. I tell the associate that this is unacceptable. I will not accept the unit unless it is complete. Take it off the truck and do what you will with it, just refund my money. The associate tells me that it will get “complicated” if I refuse the unit and he heads back to further search for the key; further leaving me hanging for another ten minutes and making me late for an appointment. After another ten minutes he returns with the key from another model Craftsman snow thrower and tells me that the keys are basically universal. He leaves and I take the key & go to the truck to try it in my model. It doesn’t fit.

As it turns out there were two other merchandise pick up associates walking by as I was on the truck trying out the key. They walk over ask if it’s working. I explain that it isn’t. They both look at the machine & notice that the unit is missing a critical piece of equipment that fits onto the electric start socket. The machine will not start with out this piece. I thank them & tell them to remove the snow thrower from my truck. The associate processes the order as a return & I leave extremely unsatisfied.

Now, there's a sign hanging up at merchandise pickup that states if the associates don't have your order out in five minutes then you're entitled to a $5 coupon good on a future purchase. I take this into account when I email sears.com about my experience. The following day the operation manager from Waterford Sears contacts me and apologizes for my inconvenience. She offers me a new in box unit (apparently they found one sitting around) for $499, discounting it $90. I tell her this is untrue, as I paid $526. She puts me on hold & comes back with her final offer of $489. So it's not $90 off, it's $37 off.

$37 off, for my trouble. Thirty-seven dollars. I was lied to by the lawn & garden clerk, waited at merchandise pickup for upwards of forty minutes, drove forty five minutes round trip to borrow a pickup truck to haul the snow thrower, took over an hour off of work. Oh, and my eight month pregnant wife was with me the whole time waiting. I decline her offer & email national customer service to have a regional manager contact me. Nothing, not even a reply.

Thanks for nothing. So long Sears.

(Photo: Getty)

Just tell them that ASUS voided your warranty, they didn't honor your warranty. They made you run around in circles to get an RMA, then simply shipped you the device back unfixed. That will be enough.

In the letter that follows, Mike makes it clear that he would rather ASUS pay for it, rather than any of the transaction partners, to teach the computer-maker a lesson. If ASUS was an entity capable of learning, they probably wouldn't have done this to you in the first place. As savvy consumers involved in a transaction dispute, it's important to stay rational and focused on the bottom line: getting what you paid for, in the form of a refund or a replacement, the quickest way possible. Getting what you deserve without wasting any more of your time is the best revenge possible.

So, definitely give your credit card company a call and ask them. You've spent this much time working on it, one phone call can't hurt, and it has a high likelihood of fixing your problem outright!

Here's Mike's followup letter:

I just wanted to reply to let you know that I REALLY appreciate your
time you took to respond and look up some info for me.

I called Amazon and they can only give me a refund within 30 days (I haven't tried their ECS yet, I might at some point but really Asus is the problem, not Amazon). My credit card has an extended warranty but since it is still in warranty with Asus, that can't help. However I am also out of the 3 month period in which I can dispute it via phone apparently, and I have to write to them to perform a dispute. This is not a terrible option but I am always worried in these cases that my credit card might eat the cost which isn't what I want at all; I like my credit card company and don't want them to pay for my misfortunes if they haven't done anything wrong, and I DO want Asus to be the one paying.

I copied you on my email to Eric Chen (the address you provided me with), and if that doesn't go anywhere I am wondering if my next best step isn't small claims court. I saw Suing Big Companies In Small Claims Court Is Fun And Easy and the linked article, and it sounds like a decent option which would allow me to sue for the price of my non-working laptop and the shipping back to them, plus a small reasonable amount for all my time as well.

The only thing I have to figure out is what would or would not make Asus a business/corporate/sueable entity in New York or my specific region, to ensure I can proceed. I imagine a clerk can help me with this. Sounds like if I don't hear back from Eric I have a trip to court to make!

We asked ASUS whether Mike's experience was standard practice or if their warranty department is experiencing some kind of malfunction, and await their response.

PREVIOUSLY: EEEPC Return A Recursive Hellhole

(Photo: Getty)

UPDATE: 9/02/08 Mike says Asus' RMA department contacted him and is Fedexing him a return label. He writes, "Let's hope it comes back working this time. If not I guess I'll see what MasterCard has to say."

7 reasons to review term life coverage [Bankrate] "There are several life events that may modify your need for term life insurance coverage."

Seven Tips for the Newly Unemployed [Wise Bread] "Here are some tips that could be helpful for those [facing unemployment]."

Four Habits of Financially Peaceful People [Yahoo Finance] "Some people who have found financial peace — and the habits they share."

4 Ways to Save on College Textbooks [Smart Money] "Here are some other ways students can save [on textbooks]."

— FREE MONEY FINANCE
(Photo: balotto)

I purchased an Acer Travelmate 8100 my freshman year of college, and with it the 3 year extended warranty. The first two years I had it, it worked decently, but there were issues with the screen sometimes taking on a green hue. I tried twice to get it repaired, but nothing permanently fixed it. Given that the problem did not occur frequently I gave up trying to get it fixed, since doing so involved almost a month without a computer (a week each way for shipping and a little over a week in the shop). Also, on two separate occasions, I was told I did not have a warranty, and had to fax in all of the applicable paperwork. The first time this happened, I chalked it up to some sort of error in activating my warranty, but when my trying to set up my next repair three months later, I was told the exact same thing and there was mysteriously no record of anyone in the company having spoken to me ever.

Going into its third year, however, the laptop started to fail miserably. Innumerable problems started occurring, including my hard drive dying, my wireless card refusing to work, and of course my screen was getting worse. After sending it in two or three more times, and getting every part I know of in it replaced (according to the memos sent back by Acer), halfway through the school year my screen died completely and would only project an image for about five minutes a day if I was lucky. I once again started the process of calling Acer, setting up a repair, shipping it, waiting for it to be repaired, waiting for it to ship back.

The day my computer arrived, I opened it, turned it on, and before it could even finish booting, the screen died. Nothing I could do would bring the image back, and so I, fairly irritated at this point, have to call Acer again to set up a new repair. Despite the fact that I had just gotten the laptop back from its "repair," and five minutes later it was unusable again, they refused to help me out with faster shipping, or faster repair, or anything other than a standard repair. After this repair, I get the laptop back, again the screen does not work, again I have to send it back in. This time I was told it would be sent to a "senior repair technician" and red flagged to move through the system faster.

Two weeks later, I get my laptop back from its second repair, and discover upon taking it out of the box that it will not even turn on, making it less functional than when I sent it to them. I call Acer back and at this point tell them that since they are clearly unable to repair my laptop, I would like a refund for it. I was not hopeful that they would agree, and they did not, but I had to try. They try to tell me that I need to send it in for repair again, and when I refuse and tell them that some other action needs to be taken, they start bouncing me between various levels of CSRs to try to get someone who would deal with me. The first higher level person I was assigned to gave me a direct number to reach him at in order to avoid the wait when calling them (which has never been under half an hour in the 15+ times I have called).

The next day, I discover this is not a valid number when I try to call. I work my way through the calling system again and am finally assigned to a helpful person. They tell me they will try to find a replacement computer, but since they no longer manufacture the model I have, it might take some time. A week later, I call back and am told that they still have no computer for me. When I ask how long this could take, I was told there was no way to tell. I suggest that they send me a different model computer, but they refuse saying any other model would be a downgrade from my laptop and they cannot do that (despite my willingness to).

At this point it had been more than three months since I had a working laptop, and being an engineering student this was wreaking havoc on my life, so I finally simply had to buy a new laptop. The last time I talked to an Acer representative was about five months ago, and they said they would call me when they have a replacement computer. I had given up on this, but recently started reading the Consumerist and figured if there was any last hope of resolving this situation, it was with you.

If it makes you feel any better, Alex, you're not the first person to run into trouble getting Acer to repair their laptop. It took this guy 7 months.

We're not sure what the terms of your warranty are, but you have several options. First, you can launch an EECB (Executive Email Carpet Bomb) on Acer and see if that shakes a laptop loose. If you bought this laptop with a credit card, contact your credit card company and tell them that Acer is not abiding by the terms of your warranty and has refused to replace or (competently) repair your computer. If your credit card has decent warranty protection they should be able to help you.

As a last resort, consider filing a small claims lawsuit against Acer. It sounds hard and scary, but it really isn't. Here's some information about what small claims court is and how it can help you. For more information about launching an EECB, click here.

I'd just like to follow up with you guys after you were nice enough to post my story and get me help (incredibly quickly!). You guys were able to connect me to Lonny Paul at CompUSA who was able to support my warranty directly. I have my new adapter for my laptop (which I'm using now!), and everything is back to normal. Now, I am very satisfied by the level of support provided by the new CompUSA, however I feel Assurant Solutions is lacking. I would have a expensive Toshiba paperweight if it weren't for you guys, and I really appreciate all the help you guys have given me. Keep up the good work!

Remember, if you can't get anywhere with good-for-nothing Assurant Solutions on your TAP agreement, and you've got a legitimate repair, call CompUSA. From their director of e-commerce:

The All-New CompUSA would like to help ANYONE having issues with service and we hope they will contact our customer service department at 1-800-COMPUSA if they cannot have their issue resolved directly by Assurant.

(Photo: Getty)

Olevia Files for Bankruptcy [Marketnews]
PREVIOUSLY: Olevia TV-Maker Files For Bankruptcy. Goodbye, Warranties.

From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:

"I'll tell you the truth," a criminal complaint quotes an apparently inebriated Keith Walendowski. "I got pissed because my lawn mower wouldn't start, so I got my shotgun and shot it.

"I can do that. It's my lawn mower and my yard, so I can shoot it if I want," Walendowski told police.

Well, no. Anyway, even if shooting your lawnmower is legal in your area, its certainly not recommended.

Dick Wagner of Wagner's Garden Mart, 6075 N. Green Bay Ave., said shooting the mower didn't help Walendowski's odds of getting it repaired.

"Anything not factory recommended would void the warranty," he said.

Yep, it sure will, Dick.

Man charged with shooting lawn mower [JS Online] (Thanks, Erik!)

The All-New CompUSA will do everything they can to assure customer satisfaction, including working with Assurant to ensure satisfacton or handle it ourselves.

It is very important to the All-New CompUSA that every customer know that things are much different. In addition to the wider selection and lower prices, there is a higher level of customer service.

There are many people who think they have lost their investment in protecting their products - and it is simply untrue. Most people don't know there is a number to call, and that number is 1-877-520-8324.

The All-New CompUSA would like to help ANYONE having issues with service and we hope they will contact our customer service department at 1-800-COMPUSA if they cannot have their issue resolved directly by Assurant.

So all of you who left stories of bad TAP follow-through in the comments earlier today, give the new CompUSA a call and see if they can help you out—and let us know how it turns out.

Our tipster writes:

If you aren’t aware, Asus makes an estimated 1 in 3 computer main boards sold globally and in addition to their own brand of products also provide system boards to a number of major OEM builders such as HP/Compaq and Dell. In January, AsusTek split into three separate entities – Asus, which deals primarily with Asus-branded PCs and laptops including the wildly popular EEE PC, ‘Pegatron’, which handles the motherboard business (though we keep the Asus brand name on them), and ‘Unihan’, which handles many of the other non-PC related Asus product line. As a result, each entity was suddenly responsible for its own profitability. No biggie, right? Well, as most of your readers know, customer service and support play a key role in the buyer experience. Given that so many products are similar in specification and performance these days, often it’s the after-the-sale support that can mean the difference in long term repeat business and losing a customer.

Not long after the company split, management began obsessing over numbers, and how to make what is normally an accepted expense (customer support) profitable. It was determined that the new company, ‘Pegatron’, would charge the parent company (Asus) for each technical support phone call, email, or live chat session that was received and responded to. While I cannot attest to the actual dollar amount charged for each call, I do know that phone calls generate the most income, followed by live chats, then emails. Ok, you say, no big deal, how does that affect me? Well, that’s what I’m about to show you, with 10 steps anyone can take in an attempt to get the best possible support by circumnavigating the games played with customers to generate revenue.

1. If you need technical support for any Asus product CALL.
Do NOT send an email, and use the live support feature at your own risk. A single phone call generates more revenue for the company than a couple of Live Support sessions, and more revenue than half a dozen email responses. As a result, nearly ZERO emphasis is placed on answering them, and emails are often replied to with canned ‘cut and paste’ responses which may not be relevant to your case.

2. Best Times For Calling With Low Hold Time
When calling, there are times that give you the best chances to get through with a minimal hold time. Since the support center is based in the Eastern Time Zone, and the best time to call is before 12 noon EST. The very best days to call are Tuesday through Thursday. From Noon-6pm hold times can be somewhat lengthy, as by that time working hours are in play nationwide. At any given time there are only 8-10 staff to take phone calls (yes, we’re grossly understaffed), email queries and answer Live chats. The U.S. office supports all of North America including Canada as well as Western Europe. That translates into a very heavy call volume for a small amount of people.

3. We're stressed, don't take it personally
If the representative you speak to seems curt, ill tempered, or rude, it’s not on purpose, nor personally directed toward you. All support representatives are instructed to strive for taking 70 calls per day. When you factor in a lunch hour and 2 fifteen minute breaks it leaves 450 minutes in a day. For us to reach our goal, we must be off the phone with you in 6.42 minutes. We aren’t supposed to care that it’s the tenth time you’ve called us (which isn’t toll free), or that you can’t stay on long enough to accurately even describe your issue.

4. Can I take a message?
We have recently adopted ‘messaging’ in order to achieve an objective from management that all incoming calls be answered in 60 seconds or less. To that end, we have hired a few people from temp services to answer calls, and when we experience a heavy load, they take your name and number with the promise of a return call. While calls are returned, it may take hours, if not days to get a return call. This serves three hidden purposes. If we message your call, we get paid for taking it even though no support was rendered. When we call you back, we get paid again for making a call. And currently, management has contests running offering cash rewards for most calls handled by a person during the month. Guess what? If we take a message, call you back once or twice, or you yourself call back out of frustration, we may get paid 2 or 3 times before you can speak with someone, all in the name of bonus money.

5. Don't get through? Call back in 10 minutes
If you do get ‘messaged’, you’re better off calling back in 10 or 15 minutes if you have the time. While messages should be returned within 2 hours, it’s often not the case, and generally messaging is done only long enough to clear the incoming call queue, so it’s unlikely you’d be messaged twice in that amount of time. (unless someone is intentionally messaging you, then calling back to generate more revenue and a chance at a nice cash bonus)

6. Write down your case number. Really.
When you FINALLY reach someone, you will likely be assigned a case number. This is a good thing, as it will document the nature of the call and enable someone qualified (hopefully, more on that later) to answer your questions. If you already have a case number, please state it when you first begin your conversation, it will give the technician more time to troubleshoot your problem.

7. It's just like in a game, except not fun
There are 3 ‘levels’ of tech support. Level 1 technicians primarily answer the phones and generate case numbers. There isn’t much point in trying to go into detail about your problem, as most will have a better grasp of basket weaving than solving PC issues. They will most likely transfer you to our level 2 support, where the fun begins. Many of our representatives are competent enough to handle your questions, but if you EVER question the accuracy of the advice you are getting, you can request to be connected to the top tier of support (Level 3) at ANY time.

8. We have the long-term memory of a snail
The reason you may wish to ask for Level 2 or 3 support immediately is this: Pegatron/Asus offers zero informational training about Asus products – past, present, or future. Typically we are not aware that a new motherboard/router/PDA has hit the street until we start getting calls about it. There is no ‘informational meeting’, no product info cheat sheets, or anything of the sort offered to the support team. Normally, the more senior members are tech-oriented, and stay up to date from home, so your chances improve greatly of getting the help you need by asking for a higher tier. Sadly, even some Level 2 agents are lacking basic skills and cannot help you with BIOS settings, RAID setup, installation of an operating system and so forth, nor will they know offhand the specs of the latest and greatest boards.

9. There is no such thing as a ‘known issue’.
Every company that has every produced a physical product has occasionally put out a junk product. We are under direct orders not to confirm ANY problem as a ‘known issue’, EVER. It doesn’t matter if every single model ‘X’ PDA plays ‘Jingle Bells’ every time you turn it on, it’s not a ‘known’ issue and we will not admit to one. If you happen into one of these products that turns out to have ‘known issues’, calling tech support won’t get you anywhere. We will offer to exchange it for an identical product only, which is just as likely to have the same ‘nonexistent’ issue. Since Asus does not sell direct to the public, you won’t be getting a refund either. Sad, but true, so you may wish to browse a few forums and seek outside input before considering any purchase.

10. Merchant refunds and returns are your special friend
If you do have a problem with a new Asus product and are within the return or exchange window offered by your reseller (often 14 to 30 days), don’t waste your time calling us. Simply return the defective product for an exchange or refund. Generally speaking, returning a product to Asus (motherboards in particular), can mean a 2-3 week wait before you see your board returned to you. In addition, it’s likely a refurbished motherboard which likely underwent no extensive testing before being dropped into a Fed Ex box and sent back to you. There is a separate department on the repair floor to handle 2nd and 3rd time returns, and once you’ve reached that level, you r chances of getting a tested board improve marginally. However, these boards won’t be cleaned, and may have thermal paste, grease, smudges, fingerprints, etc on them. It’s no fun to invest $300 in a new top of the line board, only to have an issue with it and get one back that looks like Timmy kicked it down the street for half a mile before putting it in your box. Not fun.

11. BONUS!!!!!
If you do weave your way through the Asus maze and find a helpful soul on the other end of the phone, don’t bank on he or she being there if you need them in the future. We have experienced close to 100% turnover in the past year, and those who remain are constantly threatened, both verbally and via email (proof available upon request, Ben) that they will lose their jobs for failure to make objectives. Sad, yes, but painfully true.

Do you have any tips for dealing with Asus, or Asus tech support stories to share? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Do Shingle Warranties Matter? [Roofery]

(Photo: Getty)

1-Syntax-Brillian files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy [Reuters]

I am having a nightmare with HP and my brother suggested I contact you. There is a documented problem with the HP DV9000 laptop left hinges, and thousands of people are experiencing their hinges/lcd panels cracking because of this. I initially contacted HP and told them about my problem, citing the various websites.documenting this problem, and they offered to fix it for free.

I sent in my notebook and they took the lcd case off, breaking it further, and said it was customer damage. They gave me a quote of nearly $800 to fix the damage, or they would send it back as-is. I opted to have it shipped to me after having all in-warranty repairs done.

It arrived in worse condition than when I sent it. I got a new case manager who told me to send it back to be fixed for free. So, like an idiot, I sent it back again.

This time they took the whole thing apart and without calling me, let it sit for 3 weeks at the service center (I thought it was being fixed.) I finally called and was told they found damage inside the computer, so could not fix it or even put it back together because if someday the damage would cause the unit to spark or catch on fire, HP would be liable.

The damage is supposedly due to some kind of liquid spill but it was working perfectly before I sent it in, besides the hinge crack which was obviously not my fault. The initial quote I got from the service center the first time I sent it in did not include repair for any liquid damage. The computer is still under warranty and less than a year old.

My husband also has an HP with a fan malfunction (also widespread and documented) and was initially told it was out of warranty and was quoted $700 to fix, but when he decided not to send it in they changed their story and said to send it in, it was under warranty and would be fixed for free. Don't worry we're not quite that stupid.

I don't know what to do other than alert others of this game HP is playing. I would file a small claim but I think they covered their a$$es with the "liquid damage liability" BS. I use my computer for work and have had considerable losses in addition to the loss of my computer. If you could give me any pointers on other steps I can take please let me know.

Well, you certainly are correct that this fault has been documented. Because you're simply not the only one who has fallen victim to HP's mind-bendingly f*cked up repair division, we've actually put together a list of 5 ways you can get your laptop back from HP. Obviously, you'd like them to fix it before they send it back, so why not keep pestering the case managers? Maybe you'll find a good one?

If that doesn't work, and, let's face it, it might not — we suggest contacting your credit card company (we assume you did not pay cash for the laptop.) Many credit cards (and some debit cards) have extended warranty protection. If yours does, explain that HP is refusing to honor their warranty and ask that your purchase be covered under the credit card's program.

As a last resort, you may also want to consider small claims court. The repair ticket that shows that HP examined the computer for the same problem and did not find liquid damage could give you a leg to stand on in court. And you never know, they may not even contest it. Good luck.

• laptop warranty voided because of dog hair under keyboard
• repair placed on hold because they need to reformat the hard drive
• hard drive needs to be replaced
• OS could not be replaced because product sticker in back was gone

Here's Dustin's sad, familiar tale (emphasis ours, because we think Dustin's mentioning of dog hair was used against him later by a lazy repair technician):

Dear Consumerist,

I am bringing you another HP horror story. On May 21, 2008 I started to notice that my AC jack on my HP Pavilion laptop started to become loose and my power cord would not stay in anymore. I didn't see this as a big problem so I called HP and setup a repair and figured I would be without a laptop for a week. I also asked the CSR to note to clean where the keyboard is as there was some dog hair (I think I might be a little OCD and a spray can didn't get all the hair out) she/he put it in the notes and I sent the box out the next day.

The next week goes by and HP has an estimated delivery date of June 3, 2008. So when June 2,2008 comes around I call HP to see if everything went smoothly. However I was greeted by some unpleasant news, the CSR told me my laptop warranty was voided because there was dog hair under the keyboard.(I have two big dogs and they just lay on my floor and are never by the laptop.)

I had come to the Consumerist and started to search for any contact information for HP. All I found was the HP Case manage line so I called them up and was greeted by Dan who gave me the case or transaction number 7500453987, he was baffled by how I got the number but the call went on. He apologized to me and requested picture from the repair center. The next day I called Dan to see how everything was going, Dan was at lunch so another manager read my notes and told me that Dan authorized the repair and I was feeling happy.

Waited a few days to see if there would be an estimated delivery date and still nothing, I call the normal HP support line to see what the hold up was. The CSR told me that my repair had been placed on hold because they needed to format the hardrive (I called earlier in the week and requested not to have the hardrive wiped if at all possible because I forgot to backup some data). I understood and told them that they could format the hardrive.

After a few days I called to see if there was an estimated delivery date and nothing so the CSR placed a request for an update. I called back 24 hours everyday for a week and each CSR put a request in. The last CSR made a request for the repair center to call me and they did today at around 10am MST. He told me that the laptop was not being repaired for the dog hair because it was customer damage he also said that my hardrive needed to be replaced and they found nothing else wrong.

I told them to check the AC jack because it was loose and the reason why it was sent in the Repair Center guy (I didn't catch his name) told me nothing else was wrong. He also added that the hardrive could be replaced but the Operation System not reinstalled because the product sticker in the back was gone. GONE! Which is a total lie, the sticker was worn out but not gone. I had used the laptop up to the minute the Fedex guy came to the door.

I called my Case Manager and he said he would get this sorted out. The Case Manager has been nothing but helpful but something needs to get done. I'm using a slow 433mhz/256ram computer and using this thing is giving me a headache. I emailed some executives and they said they would look into this but never replied. I don't know where to go from here I am really missing my laptop and if things keep going the way they do I will never buy an HP product again!

Confused and Lost,
Dustin

It sounds to us like HP's repair monkeys just glance at whatever notes are in the file, then convert what they read into a "reason this isn't repaired" excuse. Someone should make up a false detail the next time they send an HP notebook in for repair—"there's a piece of a parakeet feather jammed between the keys that I can't get out"—and then see whether or not that made-up detail is used against you weeks later when you're trying to find out where your laptop went off to.

On a related note, Dustin, you may want to contact this law firm and let them know about your AC problem and the extreme difficulty you've had in getting it repaired.

(Photo: jorritf)

Katy writes:

I got a voicemail on the 15th saying that my HP wouldn't ship until the 29th. That is when I decided to bite the bullet and purchase the macbook that I wanted. I get paid every 2 weeks, so on the morning of the 16th I came into work early to purchase my macbook online before I started work at 9. I got the confirmation email at 8:30 from Apple. At 9:30 I got an email from HP saying that my computer had shipped the day before. I received my HP that afternoon. It works, but is still having problems with the screen blanking out and with freezing up. I was supposed to get start up disks sent with it as well, and that never happened. I will stay in touch with both the case manager that somewhat worked with me, and the contact that I got from you guys to make sure I get the warranty that was promised to me. The HP will go to my brother, so at least it will have a good home and not be a pain in my ass anymore.

Thank you once again for the help!

Ah yes. Capitalism.