Ongoing problems with EasyServ Repair Depot and others [ Edited ]

[durian]

Bear with me. I am sick and haven't had much sleep this past week. Here's what has been going on. 

(Shipped: Feb 24)

Problem sent in:

• LCD screen hummed around mid brightness 
  • (6-11 brightness setting a hiss came from the actual screen)
• IBM nub loose
• Top left screen bezel was loose from factory
  • (it's an annoyance and captures dirt and crumbs constantly. it also creaks when you touch it)
• Left speaker was dead

(Product Received:  Feb 25)

(Service Completed: March 7)

EasyServ replaced:

• 14.1 LCD WWXGA+
• SPEAKER UNIT VECO
• KEYBOARD NMBUS ENGLISH

When calling the initial customer support the call center agent was rude and silent. I had to ask "are you still there?" 

EasyServ called me twice because what I wrote on the invoice did not match the description the guy put in. All he wrote was dead left speaker. Didn't even mention the screen, according to the repair depot people.

They replaced my defective screen with a new screen with a different defect. (LOL) The dead speaker was replaced with a defective speaker... Should I call that an improvement??? The bezel is squeaky as always. After all that it took 10 days at the repair depot and 2 days shipping to essentially only fix the nub.

I called the "Not completely satisfied Lenovo Support number" and sent it back in.

(Shipped: March 14)

Problem sent in:

• LCD screen has a vertical green line
• Top left screen bezel wasn't repaired
• Left speaker has distorted sound.

(Product Received:  March 15)

(Service Completed: March 16)

EasyServ replaced:

• 14.1 LCD WWXGA+
• PLNR CARD
• SPEAKER UNIT VECO

The repair depot called and asked for more information I think. Honestly speaking, I'm not too sure on this call. I'm calling them so much the events are beginning to blur together.

So they fixed the screen only after two tries. The speaker still has the same problem. And the bezel was not taken care of after two people at the repair depot said it would be fixed.

I called the "Not completely satisfied Lenovo Support number" The lady said the bezel problem was never entered in the computer and it might not be fixed because it's cosmetic. For Lenovo cutting back repair costs, I bet all the prepaid boxes back and forth could buy two bezels. She also said it would be bumped up to a higher level repair tier. 

(Shipped: March 30)

Problem sent in:

• Top left screen bezel wasn't repaired
• Left speaker has distorted sound.

EasyServ called me Friday afternoon and left a voice-mail. Like a dummy, I tried to return the call on the weekend. They really need to setup their phones to tell people the office hours for (877) 273-7835. Would have been nice to mention the office hours on the voice-mail. I was on hold for 40 minutes before I Googled the office hours. Luckily I had a speakerphone and was doing other things while waiting.

I returned a call to the repair depot again just now. The techs couldn't find the speaker problem again. The screen bezel wasn't even looked at again. I was too flustered to ask if it was listed with the speaker problem. From this last conversation and the use of words and tone, I have a rather strong feeling they'll send it back unrepaired. I don't care if the repair depot can't reproduce the problem. I can. I can on Windows 7 off the hard drive. I can on openSUSE live DVD. I can on Unbuntu live CD. Do I have to make a youtube video or something to prove it? Maybe I'm just oversensitive and irate right now, but I had the feeling the lady I spoke with did not believe me.

[IPnaSh Guru]

A Youtube video can be very useful to technicians. It's a great idea. Also, If you want, write a letter and put it inside your laptop.

I will report this thread to any Lenovo employee and maybe someone can lend you a hand. I remember you this is an user community, but sometimes there're a few Lenovo exployees helping here! Just be patient please.

Which system do you have? Can you tell us the exact name and model? What kind of Windows installation do you have? Factory installation or custom one?

Regards.

[durian]

Thanks for replying IPnaSh

With the youtube video, I assumed that even if I did make it, the techs wouldn't view it.

I'm trying to be patient. It's hard after the repair depot calls for more information and yet does not fix the problem.

Back in 2010 I had my laptop sent in for repair. On the 2010 Lenovo EasyServ Product Repair Summary,  it had a passed PC Doctor hardware test and had a quality inspection stamp with a persons signature. The 2011 forms have the hardware test, yet lack the signature. The "Quality inspection passed by:" is blank. Do they not inspect it after repairing besides running PC Doctor? Is signing a name too time consuming or maybe they don't want to own up to their shoddy workmanship?

For your questions:

Lenovo ThinkPad T410 

(2516)

Windows 7 Pro 64-bit

openSUSE 11.4 64-bit

Zenwalk 7.0

[durian]

On April 4th I wrote, "From this last conversation and the use of words and tone, I have a rather strong feeling they'll send it back unrepaired. "

I was half right. They sent my laptop back unrepaired but as a bonus gift they damaged the bezel even more. The left speaker still has the same problem.

Part Description:

LCD BEZEL

No Problem Found.

Symptom:

BROKEN PLASTICS/WEAR AND TEAR

It's not wear and tear since I had that problem from the first unboxing. It was only a problem on the left side. Now it's damaged on the right side. So not only did they refuse to replace the bezel. They broke it even further.

YouTube Video:

Lenovo ThinkPad T410 Bezel

To make sure it wasn't an OS specific problem I tried it with Ubuntu 10.10 instead of the others listed above

Recorded a YouTube clip from Dr.Strangelove.  Left Speaker Right Speaker

As I type this on the laptop.

Current state of this request: active 

Status Status Date/time received Time zone Description

OS	04/04/2011 07:08:00	E	Machine being repaired
HF	04/01/2011 13:15:00	E	Hold for customer information
OS	03/31/2011 08:35:00	E	Machine being repaired
AK	03/25/2011 15:36:00	E	Carrier processing request to ship container
AK	03/25/2011 13:12:00	E	Carrier processing request to ship container

[Mark_Lenovo Administrator]

Durian,

Sorry about all this - I've replied on your other thread about the DVD left in the drive too...

Can you send me a PM with your contact details ? (name, address, phone, MT/Serial, and your depot case # would be great)   

I'd like to bring this in for us to have a look at rather than sending back to the depot again.  We can get this resolved.

Apologies again for the hassle.  Thanks for the great summary in your first post and for the videos.  Very helpful.

Best regards,

Mark

[durian]

Thanks for the reply mark. Just sent a PM.

I hope the left vs. right speaker videos captured the speaker problem enough. It's was recorded on a sucky point and shoot.

Edit added 4/14:

I just spoke with a really nice lady named Doris from customer relations. I'm feeling optomistic. 

[durian]

Mailed in the third week of April for repair.

I had to leave the state for a week to a week an a half starting on 05/04 and just got back. It came today.

I left a voicemail for Doris on 04/29 with her prerecorded message saying she's on vacation til 05/02. I asked if the laptop would be back before 05/04 so I could take it with me. On her prerecorded message there was an emergency backup for someone named Craig. I left a voicemail on 04/30 on his machine. It has been over a full business week and no return phonecall, but I don't need a callback anymore.

The bezel is fixed yet the sound problem remains. I don't think its the testclip that is the problem. The clip is just the tail end of a random video downmixed to single channel audio. At half volume, the left speaker has distortions versus the right which is perfect. It also sounds good on an Acer laptop. I may upload a video showing the problem if I have the ambition later. 

Honestly speaking i'm worn out with Lenovo and the whole process. Somehow the set of UPS/FedEX return boxes turned into an impromptu coffeetable. Looking at it makes me feel tired. Not angry just tired. I don't even know if I have the energy to send it in again. Oh wow it May already and I first had problems in February. The weather went from shoveling snow to jumping in a pool already. 

Does anybody know of an inherent flaw with the left speaker? Be it the current batch of speakers, the wiring that connects them, the motherboard connection, the chassis that holds it, etc? Because if three people at the EasyServ repair depot cannot fix it and the senior technician who attempted repair cannot, i'm beginning to wonder if it's not the skill that's lacking but rather the part quality.

Edit #1:

There may be a problem with the fingerprint reader now. link

Edit #2:

The Bluetooth may be missing. link

Edit #3:

TouchPad problem... link

To sum it up:

• Distorted sound from left speaker
• TouchPad does not work
• Fingerprint reader does not work
• Bluetooth might be missing

I don't think i'll check further for more problems tonight... I think i'll go out for pizza and get me some vodka .

[qiaowenqian]

I have the similar experience. I have sent the box three times. I hope lenovo can replace the machine which has been repaired several times by a new one.

[durian]

Do you mean recently with your dead motherboard thats out of warranty? What was still wrong with it?

[qiaowenqian]

no. my machine is still in warranty. But everytime i got my repaired machine, new problem pops out.