Average Joe In SmartMoney Magazine - UPDATED

A while back, I spent a great deal of time fighting with Toshiba and the Better Business Bureau about the lemon notebook computer I purchased from Toshiba. My blog posts caught the eye of a writer for The Wall Street Journal Magazine SmartMoney and he contacted me about interviewing for an article.

That article hits the newsstands in the October issue of SmartMoney magazine, with a picture of yours truly gracing the top half of page 82. Though the article only spends a half-paragraph (below) discussing my particular issue, the author did contact Toshiba on my behalf, which resulted in a brand new replacement computer being shipped to me with a full warranty. Can't complain about that.

UPDATE: You can now read the full article online.

From SmartMoney Magazine, October 2008:

That would include folks like Jeff Cole, a 40-year-old Indianapolis resident who says complaining to the BBB just put him back at square one. He had griped that a perennially broken laptop from Toshiba needed to be replaced, not just fixed, but the bureau was satisfied after the company offered yet another repair. "I felt abandoned by the BBB," says Cole. Indeed, he got a new computer only after SmartMoney contacted Toshiba, which now says it "regrets" not resolving the case sooner. The BBB has regrets too and says it was "atypical" for it to close the case when it did.

So there you have it. Thanks to SmartMoney for playing their part in the replacement of my Toshiba computer. Grab your copy of the magazine at newsstands now.

Your comments?

Joe

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The New Toshiba Computer

This morning, Toshiba finally lived up to what I believe is their obligation of honoring the warranty on the lemon Toshiba notebook computer I have been struggling with for the past eighteen months. At approximately 9:00 this morning, FedEx pulled up to the front door with a package from Toshiba, containing a brand new Toshiba Satellite A205-S5878 notebook computer. At the same time, he picked up the old A135-S2276 to be returned to Toshiba.

The new computer boasts more RAM, a bigger hard drive, a faster processor, Windows Vista Home Premium, a Web Cam, and more. Most importantly, it includes a full one year manufacturer's warranty.

I've been fighting for the replacement of this computer for seven months. I will, of course, continue to use the new Sony Vaio I bought in May when the computer was repaired for the final time, and have given the new Toshiba to my wife.

Your comments?

Joe

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Toshiba Finally To Replace Lemon Computer

Before reading on, you might want to read the various other postings about my Toshiba Satellite notebook computer.

• Toshiba Disregards Lemon Product Issues
• Toshiba System Board Fails Again
• Toshiba Computer Repairs Continually FAIL
• Toshiba Computer Fails Me Again
• Toshiba Computer Heading Out Tomorrow
• The Toshiba Lemon Returns
  

Read enough? Interestingly enough, I received word about two months ago from a friend who works for a major media outlet (who, by the way, contacted Toshiba on my behalf without my knowledge several months ago) that Toshiba had notified him that they would be taking the steps to replace my Toshiba Satellite notebook computer. The response he received from Toshiba read as follows:

"Toshiba regrets that it was not able to resolve [the] technical difficulties through our established customer service program. Toshiba prides itself on serving its customers with speed and integrity, and strives to rectify its customers concerns. Toshiba has based its actions to rectify this problem with the customer through open discussion and then took the steps to resolve this complaint. We believed that this issue had been resolved but will now take the steps to further rectify this situation with our customer and will replace the computer.”

I don't discount the fact that this response was most likely motivated by the fact that my friend works for a major media outlet that has the capacity to provide some negative publicity for Toshiba, if it so wished. However, when it's the little guy against the big tech companies, we need every advantage we can get.

I waited some two months to hear from Toshiba about the "steps to further rectify this situation ... and replace the computer." Two months, and nothing, until my friend contacted me again for an update. Two days after telling him that I had not yet heard anything from Toshiba, I received a phone call from a Mr. John Kelly, with TAIS (Toshiba America Information Systems). He seemed very happy to notify me that he was going to replace my computer, although he was very clear about the fact that "Toshiba doesn't have to do this."

Either way, I received in email yesterday with the shipping label and authorization forms to send my old computer back to Toshiba and receive a new replacement computer. The documents from Toshiba included the following text:

Toshiba American Information Systems, Inc. (TAIS) would like to offer you a replacement for your Satellite. A Factory New Satellite, with like-for-like technology, equal to or exceeding that of your current unit at no cost to you.

Limited Warranty: The Limited Warranty period for your replacement unit will be One (1) Year from the date of shipment, or the remainder of the Limited warranty period of the unit being replaced, whichever is longer.

I was most surprised to learn that the computer would be replaced with a new system, as opposed to refurbished, and that the new system would include a one year manufacturer's warranty. I spoke with Mr. Kelly again today and was informed that my new computer will arrive via FedEx tomorrow morning, at which time I will send the old unit back to Toshiba.

The new unit reportedly has a hard drive more than twice the size, four times the RAM, a faster processor, and an upgraded version of Windows Vista. Granted, I have yet to receive the new computer, but I have tracking number in hand and expect it to arrive tomorrow morning.

I am happy that Toshiba is honoring their warranty at long last by replacing what is clearly a lemon product, but just a bit disappointed that it took major media intervention to accomplish my goal. But hey, as I said, I'll take every advantage I can get.

I'll post an update here after receiving and evaluating the new unit, which I'll probably give to my wife as I have already replaced the unit with a new Sony Vaio notebook.

Your comments?

Joe

podsafe music network | ioda promonet | magnatune | airplay direct
ariel publicity | kennedy resource development | populuxe records | indie heaven
miles high productions | iris distribution

The Toshiba Lemon Returns

The old broken down Toshiba computer has finally arrived back from Toshiba's far away repair center. The diagnosis: another system board failure. That makes (by my count, though I've admittedly lost track) five system boards that have been in the unit.

To Toshiba's credit, they repaired the computer at no cost to me -- including shipping -- even though the warranty expired some 3-1/2 months ago. I expected no less, however, because during the warranty period the computer spent more time in Toshiba's repair centers than in my own hands (a slight exaggeration, but only slight).

As I explained some time ago, I have already replaced the computer with a new Sony Vaio VGN-NR220E, and have no intention of going back to the Toshiba. Which left me with the dilemma of just what to do with this old lemon of a notebook until the next system board failure. I have a friend/coworker interested in it, but the last thing I would do to someone that I like is curse him with that old Toshiba. I could sell it on eBay, but I'd hate to see the bad feedback I'd get when the next owner runs into the same problems I've had.

Which is why we have opted to give it to my four-year-old son. That's right, my son is probably the youngest kid in the neighborhood with his own laptop computer. Thanks to the quite thorough Parental Controls of Windows Vista, we're able to provide some serious restrictions to what he can do -- both online and off -- and when. It may seem a bit out of line to give such a young child his own laptop computer, but if you saw him on the computer, and how quickly he has adapted to the technology, I'm not so sure that every young toddler shouldn't have access to this great technology. I honestly believe that my son will be advanced beyond many others his age, as far as deductive thinking, hand/eye coordination, and technical thinking are concerned, because of his time allowed on a computer.

Of course, the amount of time that he spends on the computer each day will continue to be limited, but now he and his mother won't have to be limited by the fact that they both are using the same computer. My wife can now freely work on her laptop without my son asking if he can play on the computer.

My wife had one other possible option -- which I immediately vetoed -- sell the old Toshiba and put the proceeds toward a Nintendo Wii. I understand that there are many active games on the Wii, but the last thing I want to encourage is having my kids spend all of their time in front of the television, either watching TV or playing games on the TV. My son has a V-Tech V-Smile, which allows him to play somewhat more educational games on the TV, and is much more suited to his age than a Wii, and we've hooked up my wife's old Atari 2600 to a small television in the play room that my son and I can spend a little goof off time on when we want to play nonsense games. Frankly, the nostalgia benefit of it is unbeatable.

The only family member now that doesn't have her own laptop is my two-year-old daughter. Maybe by the time she's four, her mother or I will be due to upgrade again, and she can have our next hand-me-down. We'll see.

Joe

Toshiba Computer Heading Out Tomorrow

Just a quick update on the Toshiba fiasco.

Guy Lugo, so far, has been true to his word. An empty box arrived today, with a UPS prepaid ARS label to send my Toshiba notebook computer back to Toshiba in Irvine, California, for them to repair it. It's out of warranty by about two and a half months, but because I had the problem very well documented over the past several months, he says that he'll take care of the repairs at no cost to me.

A shocker, I know. Now that I have a new Sony Vaio notebook, which is much, much, much better than the Toshiba, I don't know what I'll do with it when it is returned repaired. Hopefully first I'll recover my data from the hard drive, then either sell it or give it to my four-year old son.

Yeah, really, my four-year old son. He is surprisingly computer literate. You would have to see it to believe it.

Joe

New Computer

I'm buying a new Sony computer. Done with Toshiba.

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Toshiba Computer Fails Me Again

Once again, just over two months after Toshiba said they found nothing wrong with my notebook computer, it is dead in the water.

 

You can follow the history of it here:

 

Toshiba Computers Disregards Lemon Product Issues

 

Toshiba System Board Fails Again

 

More On Toshiba's Poor Customer Service Attitude

 

Toshiba Computer Repairs Continually Fail

 

Today, after checking my email and looking at a couple of things online, I left the computer for a while, turned on and booted into Ubuntu. When I returned to it later, the screen was black, but the power button was lighted, indicating that the system was turned on. I tried all of the usual things to wake it up, but it wouldn't wake it up. I pressed the power button once, which is set to shut down the system. Moments later, the Ubuntu shut down progress bar was on the screen, showing the progress complete, but the unit did not turn off. I pressed and held the power button to turn the system off.

 

Upon trying to restart the system, the power comes on, the lights light up as usual, but the then all lights go off besides the power indicator, the battery level indicator, and the external power indicator. The screen remains black, and nothing happens. I then manually opened the CD drive and inserted an Ubuntu Live CD, hoping to boot from the CD to determine if the hard drive had failed. No luck.

 

It appears, to my limited mind, that the system board has failed once again. I guess I'll be calling Guy Lugo again on Monday morning to see what, if anything, he plans to do about it. The computer is no longer under warranty, but he assured me back in February when they claimed that they could not find any problem with the computer (yet returned it to me in miraculously working condition) that he would help me out if anything else happened to it within a month or two of the warranty expiring. it has now been just over one month since the warranty expired.

 

I'll keep you posted. Meanwhile, there will probably be no episode of The Joe Show this weekend, as I would have to prepare it on my wife's system, starting from scratch.

 

Stay tuned...

 

Joe

Toshiba Computer Repairs Continually FAIL

My computer, which has been repaired numerous times and just returned from Toshiba's technicians less than two weeks ago, has had the same error pop up again. When Toshiba had it, they said they could not duplicate the problem. As the image shows, it still exists.

My computer warranty expired on 2/1/2008, and I was pressing Toshiba to replace it before the warranty expires because I was concerned they would just think they are off the hook now. Guy Lugo, Toshiba's head of customer service, assured me that if the problem came back within a couple of months of the warranty expiring, because it had already been well documented, he would take care of the issue for me. When I last spoke with him after receiving my computer back, he told me to call him directly if the trouble occurred again. I'll be calling him tomorrow morning. We'll see what Toshiba does this time.

Joe

Computer Update

Toshiba says No Problem Found.

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Computer Update

My computer has been returned from Toshiba. I'll test it tonight.

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More On Toshiba's Poor Customer Service Attitude

Yesterday, I shipped my notebeook computer off to Toshiba for them to either figure out what's wrong with it and fix it, or to replace it. You can find the complete history of the thing here, but briefly, it has been in the repair shop several times. The long list of replaced components includes a Hard Drive, two USB boards, and three System Boards. Now it also has a failed display screen backlight.

So I mailed the think off yesterday, and I receieved a notice in my email today from the Better Business Bureau -- with which I have filed a complaint against Toshiba -- that there has been activity on my complaint. What activity, you might ask?

Company's Final Response
Final Response - Posted 1-22-2008

A TAIS representative has contacted our customer, we are currently assisting the
customer with a repair. At this time we will consider this matter closed.

My computer hasn't even made it to Toshiba yet for them to figure out what's wrong with it, and they've already CLOSED my BBB complaint? And it doesn't appeart that the Better Business Bureau even gives me the chance to comment, etc., on the status of my complaint.

I've got news for Toshiba. There's much more looming on the horizon about this issue. More of that to come later.

In the meantime, you can view the entire complaint history here.

Joe

Computer Update

Shipped my notebook computer to Toshiba today for diagnosis.

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Computer Update

Backing up, purging, and prepping to ship my computer to Toshiba.

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Computer Update

Now my laptop screen back light doesn't work.

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Computer Update

Shipping my notebook to Toshiba next week for repair.

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Toshiba System Board Fails Again

I received my "repaired" Toshiba notebook computer back from the Toshiba Authorized Service Provider Friday afternoon, just four days ago, with a new system board and USB board installed. It was the THIRD replacement system board and the SECOND replacement USB board.

Sunday evening, just two days after picking up the so-called repaired computer, the USB problem repeated itself intermittently. Again on Monday night, no USB access at times. As of this morning, the USB ports were all totally disabled again. Then at lunch time today, and right now, they seem to be working.

I attempted to call Guy Lugo, Toshiba's head of Customer Service, at the number he provided to me last week (949-463-4127). I was unable to reach Mr. Lugo and left him a voicemail. At the time I did not have access to the same number I reached him at originally (949-461-4153), but will be attempting to reach him at that number tomorrow. I left him a voicemail today and have received no response as of yet.

The situation has received some attention on some very interesting fronts. More of that to come in the future.

Prior posts about the situation can be found at the following links:

September 3, 2007

September 9, 2007

November 27, 2007

January 2, 2007

Stay tuned for more information as the situation develops.




Joe