Faulty Laptop & repair

[pigmoose]

hailing from Illinois, USA

Hello,
I purchased a laptop from the company Newegg.com around 4 months ago. This model is sold by ABS, and you can find the link for my purchase here.

The laptop ran fine, until a series of chronic "blackouts" started to create it to fail as a running computer. It would crash, and not allow any startup after the blackout. Turning on the computer fails to show any display, though the computer itself seems to be otherwise "on". This blackout can last anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 WEEKS. I know, as it has taken me those amounts of time for the computer to start running functionally again.. in fact, my computer has not turned on in at least 2 weeks now!

You may read many accounts of this happening on their website forums: this problem has been reported several times over. The solution offered that works has only been to call the company and, ultimately, send the computer in under the warranty for service, as it comes with a 1 year warranty. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the blackout problem, the computer can start working anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 weeks from the date of a blackout, so many of these models sent in for repair have been sent back to the consumer, under the guise of "repair". In reality, I do not believe they laid a finger on the computer, only to find that it "works" again, and sent it back.

The above situation has prompted me to believe that I must act differently than other customers of this product, as I do not want to ship $50 of a defective computer to the company for 3 months of repair (waste of warranty time) only to get my faulty laptop back. As of a week ago, this model of computer was REPLACED by a new one on ABS's website. I'm wondering what my options are, and if this company has faulty business practices. Ultimately, all the computers requiring fixing are sent to ABS, so they must know the situation of this model of laptop.

Can I threaten a lawsuit if they fail to repair my computer? Is it possible to force a replacement with the new model they recently replaced the old one with on the market? What are my options?

Thank you.


I apologize if this is in the incorrect forum. Perhaps Lemon?

 

[shortbus]

Under the warranty they have a contractual obligation to repair your computer. You cannot force them to replace it with a brand-new one. Send in the computer for repair. If that doesn't work, then you can consider next steps.

And next time you buy a laptop ... spend the extra few bucks on a manufacturer with a better reputation for support.

 

[pigmoose]

UPDATE: I have sent in the laptop for repair. Unfortunately, I do not believe they will repair it.

The company is keeping their replies very slight in this public forum, only replying to give minimal information or to simply tell the customer to call them to address any questions. But the users that are knee-deep in their $1000 paper weight have gathered, slowly, information about what the company knows and what the problem involves.

Here is a lowdown of what other users have said, straight from the company's forum:

Todate, ABS refuses to dicuss any resolution for both laptops because they are not the 'retailer', since these were purchased thru NewEgg I don't have a ABS customer number.

Newegg, on the other hand, will only offer to RMA them back to ABS and can do nothing else because ABS is the 'manufacturer'.

After sending both laptops away repeatedly for months at a time the only 'repair' work performed is to update the bios and reload the factory disk image. Neither of which addresses a hardware defect that even a beginning technician should be able to recognize.

I'm not interested in having them reimaged back to factory, the above photographs and movie are of them the day they came back from the last repair.

I want a refund from Newegg (after spending hours on the phone and being refused this would probably require legal action of some type) or a replacement of a different model from ABS.

I do not want to be passed around tech support and told 'I can't authorize that', I want to speak to someone who can do the right thing.

Now I'm informed that it's up to the RMA dept. Who consistently returns notebooks with the same defective mainboard in them.

The reason so many people are posting here is not because they don't know they should RMA it, it because they know that RMA'ing it will not result in an actual repair and will just cost them time and money each time they do it.
I (and perhaps we) are requesting something more than that. I personally want my money back, I'll even let slide the cost of the 5 times I've shipped one of these. Failing that I want a replacement of a different model.
I am not interested in paying UPS (again) so that some tech can reload my operating system.

Regarding the actual laptop's problem, a tech had this to say:

According to your description, the video card on the barebone might be defective, I recommend you call us for a replacement.

And the poster who has already sent in his laptop 5 times says:

I know that, I knew that the first time it happened. The ABS tech I spoke to each time agreed with me, and yet each time they come back with the same mainboard and same black screen. I'm asking for something more.

It is apparent that they are KNOWINGLY sending back broken computers in order to skirt an expensive problem they should have recalled a long time ago, and as a result, they skirt customer contractual agreements to repair it. This fellow puts it better:

ABS's 'repair' is to reimage the drive back to default, which does nothing to address the actual defect.

From the other post's I've seen I think everyone's issue here is that they feel they are getting the run around on what is a basic yet expensive problem for ABS to take care. If a significant number of boards are bad then the whole chassis has to be replaced becuase just putting a new (and likely to be bad as well) board in doesn't work either. The impression is that ABS is just stalling each owner out until they give up.

I am very sure I will be receiving a non-repaired computer in a few days. As previously mentioned, the problem that exists will allow me to temporarily use the computer until it blackouts again, so it seems that this company can somewhat get away with letting the issue slide and not addressing it. If I do indeed receive my broken computer unfixed, what actions can I take knowing that THEY KNOW of this problem? I am not too savvy on my legal terms, but I do believe this is considered corporate negligence.

 

[shortbus]

At that point, you have a breach of warranty action. If the problem is as widespread as you say, you may want to take it to a law firm specializing in consumer class actions, and sue on behalf of all laptop owners.

 

[pigmoose]

Thank you for your response.

One customer sent in their laptop 4 months before their warranty expired. The company held the laptop for 6 months. They then told him that since the warranty period was up for 2 months, he would "only" have to pay for parts to repair it.

 

[shortbus]

That's plainly illegal.