A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) representative has reviewed our customer complaint. Our customer set up a repair to Toshiba Repair Services (TRS) for his laptop and paid for $131 for the diagnostic and shipping fee. According to Toshiba Repair Services (TRS) website, "After diagnosis,...
if you elect not to have your unit repaired, there is a nonrefundable $131 diagnostic and shipping fee". Our customer has discretion if they will continue with the repair. If the customer has any questions or concern they may contact (TRS) at ###-###-####. At this time we consider this matter closed.
A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) representative has reviewed our customer’s complaint. After doing a research TAIS found out that our customer’s computer was already repaired and delivered as of Monday 8/24/2015 1:22pm and (singed for by: [redacted]). Our customer has been contacted by one of our case managers and they informed that we will provide a 2 months extension of the warranty for the unit as a compensation for the inconvenience our customer has experienced. However our customer declined the offer and requests to have a refund. In accordance to the Standard Limited Warranty a refund is not the option. If our customer has any question or concerns they may contact our Technical Support Department. At this time we consider this matter closed.
Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I have purchased Toshiba computers and laptops in the past for companies I have worked for. This letter has nothing to do with the brand name of Toshiba. I believe that they are quality computers/laptops.
I have also purchased personal laptops in the past. My last Toshiba laptop, prior to the current Toshiba laptop that I purchased earlier this year, actually still works and I have had it for probably 14 years or more. My experience when I have bought these computers/laptops is that when they had issues they were repaired quickly, even having to have a motherboard replaced. I had no complaints with the service I was provided as a customer. I wish I could say that the same is true in this case but I cannot.
I am someone who has worked as a computer support person, network administrator, MSDBA, and Software Engineer for 20+ years. I have troubleshot issues with hardware as well as software.
I have been using Touchpads since they first became available on laptops, even before they were the standard. I also went out and bought an external Touchpad to use on my work desktop, so I know from many years of experience how they are designed to function and how to use them.
What I am saying is based on these many years of experience, both professionally as well as with Toshiba.
I have multiple emails from Toshiba, their Repair Depot, and [redacted] confirming what I am saying and can provide these if needed.
I have spoken with two separate escalation team members from Toshiba. Both of these team members have offered for me to send the laptop to [redacted] for repair and I did so on two separate occasions. As you will see, the laptop has been further damaged by Toshiba or their agents and this is what I have issue with. I will also demonstrate that I have a laptop that is damaged and has not been repaired, as Toshiba indicated in their response.
I purchased this laptop from toshiba.com in March 2014 after working with Toshiba sales to find a Laptop that would meet my needs.
The purpose of this laptop was so I could use it to work from home, where I mostly work from. Since I have purchased this laptop and as of today I have not been able to use it for work. I do not want to spend hours loading software on it again just to have to “roll it back” to “out of box condition” to send it off.
I would like to include additional information to my initial complaint, due to the limitation of characters allowed on the complaint format. I am providing additional information because it has been requested so that I can justify the necessity of the only proper resolution is for Toshiba to replace the laptop. I was promised this would happen by their first executive team member. The escalation team member stated if they were not able to resolve the issue, a replacement laptop would be the appropriate resolution. I also included this as my acceptable resolution in my original complaint.
As I mentioned I purchased a laptop from toshiba.com in March and it was delivered in April 2014. This laptop was made to order via the Toshiba website.
Within minutes of removing my new laptop that was shipped from China, where it was manufactured, the grommets or rubber stoppers that cover the screws on the bottom of the laptop were falling out. I attempted to put them back in the laptop but did not succeed with this. The stoppers would not remain in place.
I turned on the laptop and set it up to use my network etc., as it was Windows 8.1 Professional. As I was doing this, and after I downloaded all of the Updates from Microsoft and installed such things as Microsoft Word, I was having issues with the "Right" click on the Touchpad. I found that I had to touch the Touchpad in a very specific location, under the portion of the raised bar on the Touchpad indicating where the right click should be, in order to get a "Right Click" instead of a "Left Click" to function.
From my years in computer usage, as a professional, I have never encountered a touchpad that had to have a precise location on the said button for the right click to function. Typically by design of a Touchpad you can touch anywhere in the designated button area to obtain the desired click.
I went into the PC Properties and changed the Touchpad to be a "Left Handed" mouse instead of "Right Handed" as this would swap the button functions around. I then proceeded to test the Touchpad as a "Left Handed" Mouse. Taping on the base of the Touchpad now provided the "Right Click" as it should have, however now when I again clicked under the appropriate bar for the right click, if I did not touch it in the very specific place I would get a "Left Click" instead of the "Right Click" that I would now obtain if double tapping the main body of the Touchpad.
This indicated to me there was an issue with the alignment of the Touchpad or a faulty Touchpad. Because I should have always had a right click when touching the area indicated as the right button, but it was malfunctioning to a left click. This is how I knew there was a problem.
This is where my initial complaint was. It is something that needs tactile testing because, if they run a diagnostics on the Touchpad it will pass as it does have a left and right click and will pass the escape sequence associated with each click. I even told that to the [redacted] tech when he called me prior to sending it to them the second time.
So I reached out to Toshiba to find out what was required to obtain service on this brand new laptop. I called the number provided with the laptop. I was told by the person who answered the phone that I needed to return it to the place I bought it and for them to exchange it for a new one and it should not be an issue since it was brand new. This was a Toshiba employee telling me that it just needed to be returned and exchanged. I explained that I purchased it from Toshiba directly by ordering it from toshiba.com . I was told that because the laptop had been purchased from toshiba.com they were not able to assist me. My question would be then why did Toshiba provide me with this as my resource for information? It took 3 additional phone calls before someone gave me a number to call and I was told that if they could not help me to call her back and she would see what else she could do, the first helpful person with Toshiba. I finally was able to get someone to agree that I needed to send it in for repair. I was told that they needed to send me a box so I could send it to the Toshiba Depot facility in I believe Indiana for repair. I verified with them my address so they could send me the box. According to my emails from Toshiba this was on April 25, 2014.
I waited until after the box should have arrived, which it had not so I called the same support number where I was eventually able to obtain support help. I was told that it was delivered and that it was now my problem. I had not checked my email prior to contacting them; I guess this was my mistake. After hanging up, not being assisted and frustrated with how I was treated and blamed for not having the box, I looked in my email and found that the box had indeed been delivered as I was told but instead of being delivered to Tracy California where I live and work, it was delivered to New York, New York which is clear across the country from me. Why it was delivered to New York, I have no idea. I have never lived in New York. I called the support center back and told them about the issue. They told me they would send me another box but it would not go out until the next day and it would arrive 2 business days later but given the weekend it would not be until the next week. I tried to get them to overnight this to me as it was 100% their fault but they would not agree to this even when I asked to speak with a supervisor I was told they could not do that. I found it interesting that I had to find out the mishap in the delivery. The resource center seems to have a scripted set of answers and in my case did not troubleshoot the issue nor did they attempt to find out why I hadn’t received the box but resorted to telling me it was now my problem.
I finally received the return delivery box and was able to send off the laptop to the Toshiba Depot facility. From the emails I received, the laptop arrived at their facility about May 19, 2014. This is approximately a month after I received the laptop originally and had not been able to use it. In another email from the depot on May 25, 2014 they finished working on the laptop.
When I received the laptop back I was very disappointed when I opened the box and found out that they ran a test with the Touchpad and it had passed, as I previously stated it would. They did not even attempt to replace any of the grommets or rubber stoppers on the bottom of the laptop. The top cover of the laptop had a very large black scratch on it (this scratch is confirmed by [redacted] on the first shipment to them). This scratch was not present when I shipped the laptop to the depot. They also did not place the battery in properly and it no longer sat 100% flush with the bottom of the laptop. At this point, I have a laptop no longer in the new condition that I bought it in, no fault of my own. I would expect that when I send equipment off to their service center that it would return repaired and with no further damage done to it, but they did not resolve the issues and returned it further damaged and now would require more repairs to what is no longer a new computer.
Upon noticing this, I looked up the number for Toshiba in the US and found that they are based in Irvine CA and made a call to them. Upon explaining my extensive faulty repair, I was transferred to their escalation team and left them a message for them to return my call. To this point, I am the one that continues to initiate communication to Toshiba. They have not called to ask if the laptop has been received and the problem resolved.
[redacted], a member of the escalation team returned my call. We talked about the issues I was having with the Touchpad, the missing grommets, the battery no longer sitting completely flush, and the new black scratch on the top cover. [redacted] agreed that it needed to be sent off for repair and agreed to have it sent to an outside independent service provider, [redacted] for repair. [redacted] assured me she was going to stay on this case and make sure it is repaired this time. [redacted] assured me that this time if they could not fix it, that they would look into replacing it. Because of this assurance, I was willing to try [redacted]. Once again I had to send it off, still unable to use the new laptop.
I was excited when I looked on the [redacted] website to inquire on the progress of the laptop and it stated that they were ordering parts. The parts ordered were only the rubber grommets that cover the screws. The issue of the battery not sitting flush was not addressed. The black scratch was not addressed and only documented. Once again the same test was run on the Touchpad and it again passed, as I mentioned it would. They did nothing to fix the issue with the Touchpad. To once again add insult to the remaining initial issue, this time when I received the laptop back, the lighted keyboard was no longer working. Each time I have sent this laptop off, it is returned further damaged and depreciated. In addition it was also not functioning the way it was when I sent it off. I tried to see if there was a setting that would enable/disable the keyboard light but could not find anything, including within the BIOS.
During this time, I was unable to address the laptop issue and the lack of it being repaired, as it has taken many hours of work, on my part, to obtain help from Toshiba. I also had other commitments I needed to attend to for a few weeks. Again, after it was returned to me there was never a phone call from Toshiba to check on the status. When I had the time, I again called the corporate office and again was sent to leave a message with their escalation team. Once again, I am the one initiating the communication as there has been no follow up promised me with the escalation team.
I once again restored the laptop, using the provided recovery media that I made from their image, to the out of box condition to see if this resolved the Touchpad issue, it again did not resolve it. I also wanted it to be this way when it would be sent off again as I knew that it would be the resolution Toshiba would have for me. I wanted to eliminate this portion of the troubleshooting so that they would dig more extensively to resolve the issues.
This time, a team member named [redacted] returned my call. We talked about the various issues I was having with the laptop. Again the grommets had fallen out of the bottom of the laptop. We talked about the Touchpad. I was forced to attach a mouse to the laptop if I wanted to use the "Right Click" which is something I use lots in Microsoft Products to enable the context menus. This is something that I should not have needed to do as the laptop is designed with a Touchpad and should have both Left and Right clicks. We talked about the battery again, and also the keyboard light not working as designed.
[redacted] convinced me to send the laptop again to [redacted] for repairs. Since I could not use the laptop because of the issues I did not need to roll back the laptop, I was able to place it in the box and send it like it was. This is now the third time this laptop is being sent out for the same repair that I originally complained about back in April 2014 when I received the Laptop as well as to fix issues caused by Toshiba repair facilities or vendors.
This time someone from [redacted] called me later that day. The main reason they were calling was to see if they could just send me a shipment label via email and for me to use the last box to ship it to them. This was not a problem for me as the laptop was being stored in the box as it really was not useable as a laptop without the right click. I shouldn't have to attach a mouse to get this functionality. I also explained to this individual that they needed to play with the laptop itself using applications to test the "Right Click" that it would pass their tests but a human needed to interact with it to see the issue I was reporting, it needed a human touching the Touchpad and not a machine reading and running a program.
So once again it was sent to [redacted]. Again, I saw they were ordering parts so I thought that perhaps they had found the issue. Once again the only thing they addressed was the grommets that had fallen out. They also address the lighted keyboard. Even though in their own print out, sent to my email, they showed the issue with the battery nothing was done with this and again they said nothing was wrong with the laptop’s Touchpad.
When I received the laptop back I took it out of the box they shipped it in. I looked at the enclosed paper to see what repairs were done. I was frustrated as they had not found anything wrong with the Touchpad. I turned it over to look at the laptop to see if they fixed the grommets, which they had. I noticed that they had left one side of the battery out of the laptop this time when they shipped it, same as the Toshiba Service had done the first time it was sent in for repair (the first time [redacted] sent it back to me they did not do this). I left it this way and returned it to the box, still inside the bag. So once again I called the Corporate Office and went through the same routine as previously.
On October 17, 2014 (now 7 months after I bought and ordered the laptop) I once again spoke with [redacted]. I explained to her once again the additional damage that was done to the laptop by their vendor. She asked if I had tested the laptop and I told her I had not as I found the battery not put in correctly and wanted to leave it that way so others could see it. She asked me to take it out and turn it on.
I removed the Laptop from the box and bag. I opened up the battery so that I could put it in correctly and turn on the laptop. I observed that now when I turned the Laptop upright and turned it on. I discovered that the battery now stuck out substantially more than when it was sent in to [redacted]. So now this is the third time I have sent the laptop of to be repaired and the third time that it was returned to me with additional damage done by the repair facility.
I explained that I was still having issues with the Touchpad. I even sent her pictures of the Touchpad and my understanding of how the "Right Click" should function.
I also sent her pictures of the gap with the battery; I used quarters to demonstrate how large the gap was. The gap was the height of 3 stacked quarters and it was still a little more than this. These pictures were sent to [redacted] in two separate emails on the same day as the size of the pictures were to large to put in a single email.
It was amongst these conversations that [redacted] mentioned that we needed to probably look at changing out the laptop for a different model, one that did not use this version of Touchpad.
In speaking with [redacted], I was not getting anywhere. In desperation to find a resolution I went out to the Internet and looked to see if there were any known issues with this version of Touchpad. I learned that there were some known issues with Windows 8.0 but I was running 8.1 so the Touchpad issue should have been resolved, but not in my Toshiba laptop obviously. So I went to Synaptics website, the manufacture of the Touchpad and respected manufacture of Touchpads, to download their latest driver to see if it could resolve the issue with the "Right Click". Also, important to note there is a warning on the Synaptics website that says you should only use the latest driver supplied by the manufacture of the Computer. The Toshiba driver is much older than the one that is available on Synaptics’ site but with my years of experience using drivers I decided that it would be safe to use this driver from Synaptics. I installed this driver but it did not resolve the issue and validated my feelings that the issue should have been resolved with Windows 8.1, that the issue I am having with the Touchpad is hardware and not software/driver related. This explains why the test ran by the depot and [redacted] passes as well.
I hadn't heard from Toshiba for several days after sending the email. I wanted to follow-up and make sure the email was received. I again called Toshiba Corporate and went through the ritual of leaving the message again.
[redacted] returned my call on October 27, 2014. She explained to me that she had spoken with [redacted] and they concluded that the actual bar ridge of the Touchpad had to be clicked for the Touchpad to obtain the "Right Click". I explained that this would be awkward to always have to touch the ridge and this means that the design of this Touchpad is of poor design and something I could not imagine Synaptics ever doing. That in all the years I had never heard of this but that the ridge defined the end of the Touchpad and the beginning of the "buttons", even though it was integrated into a single unit. I should be able to click anywhere under the right ridge for the "Right Click". This is customary of the design of Touchpad. If the conclusion was that a precise space needed to be touched it defeated the Touchpad evolution.
[redacted] sent me the section of the Owner’s Manual addressing the Touchpad as Toshiba explained in their response to my complaint. So Toshiba responded by saying the following regarding this:
”Tristar explained to our customer that the touchpad is working on how it was manufactured and therefore they did not find any trouble with that. Corporate representative also provided our customer a manual that can instruct on how to use the functionality of the touchpad.”
First in response to this [redacted] never spoke with me or sent me anything in writing as Toshiba indicated in their response to my complaint.
I did read the section provided and responded to [redacted] about this on October 27, 2014. I told her that it was inconclusive and that the owner’s manual actually illustrated a finger pushing UNDER the ridge (which is contrary to what [redacted] concluded in stating that you had to click on the ridge itself).
In the same email where I responded to the Owner’s Manual, I sent [redacted] pictures that I took of the Laptop as I had discovered what portion of the battery storage had been broken after I sent it to [redacted] the last time. [redacted] told me that she would look at things and get back with me with an acceptable solution.
I feel that I should not have to be the one doing the troubleshooting on my own laptop that this is what the warranty and repair centers should be doing but I have lost all confidence in the Toshiba Depot as well as with [redacted]. It seems to me that I know more about laptops and how they should function and how they should appear cosmetically then either repair facility does.
The exact issue with the battery is there are 2 release levers/sliders on the underneath side of the laptop. These sliders are used to lock the battery in place and hold it flush with the lower case of the laptop. One actually locks so it cannot be bumped and come undone, you have to physically move it both directions and you can feel it snap into a locked position in both directions. The other is spring loaded and springs back when released. On the side that springs back, within the body of the laptop case, the portion that would hook on to the battery and hold it flush with the case is missing and broken off of the mechanism. This means there is nothing holding the battery in on that side of the case. If the other side is unlocked and the laptop is turned upright the battery will literally fall out of the laptop. This definitely is not acceptable and not the design of the laptop.
I do not see how Toshiba can say “Our customer was informed by two of our repair facilities that they did not find any issue on the battery…” I have never seen anything in writing from any facility (note the only one that this was brought to was [redacted] as the Toshiba Depot are the ones that caused it) that they found nothing wrong with the battery. I have also sent to Toshiba, via email to [redacted], pictures of the actual damage to the laptop. As Toshiba claims there is nothing wrong with this I will include the pictures I provided to [redacted] in this complaint as well.
Again I had not heard anything from [redacted] or anyone at Toshiba regarding the situation, so once again I called Toshiba Corporate so I could speak to someone. This time, in my message I requested to speak with [redacted]'s supervisor as I was not getting anywhere with her and needed to find an acceptable resolution to the issue and the continued additional damage being done by Toshiba or their agents.
On November 12, 2014 at 7:30 in the morning, to my surprise [redacted] was the team member returning my call. She was very belligerent and not willing to accept the resolution I had been promised months earlier in replacing the laptop. She had once again gone against what she had told me we needed to do in looking at a different laptop. She told me that once again I needed to send the laptop off to their development or another department to look at and repair the laptop. This was totally not acceptable to me but she was set in her mind, she argued and insisted that this was the only resolution available.
My wife was in the car and had been hearing [redacted]’s loud voice and sensed my frustration. I asked [redacted] to hold on and handed my cell phone to my wife, [redacted]. We put [redacted] on speaker so we both could hear what was being said. [redacted] introduced herself to [redacted]. [redacted] told [redacted] that we were tired of sending the computer, which was no longer “new” back and forth and NEVER being able to use it. [redacted] continued to be belligerent and demeaning to my wife. [redacted] told us that her decision was final and nobody would ever go against her decision. My wife on multiple occasions had to tell [redacted] to quit interrupting and listen. [redacted] was loudly scripting her reply of her resolution that was not acceptable to us.
My wife tried to reason with [redacted] by using an analogy of having bought a new dress and the owner noticing a needed repair when she brought it home, without ever wearing it. The dress is returned for the repairs. While the dress is in the care of the repair shop, the workers create a stain on the new dress. The dress is returned, with the needed repair not done and with a stain that is left. “Would this be acceptable?” This is how it was returned as an example of what has been done to this laptop.
[redacted] did not acknowledge the analogy or question. She continued in a scripted answer that the laptop must be returned for repairs. We tried to convey that we no longer trusted that we would get a repaired laptop nor did we trust that the laptop would not be further damaged. Since [redacted] was unreceptive, we asked to speak with her supervisor. She told us that she did not have one. We requested to speak to the Vice President or whoever over sees her department; she answered that there was nobody above her. We knew this was not true as everyone has someone they have to report to. My wife even said who is it that signs your paycheck because perhaps this is who we need to speak to, which [redacted] refused to answer. Eventually we insisted that we needed to talk with someone else. She put us on hold and then came back to say her manager and everyone else was in a meeting and they could not speak with us at that time. We were astonished that now she had a manager. Since her creditability was flawed, we were done talking with her. She continued to argue, but we told her that we needed a call back that day from someone other than her. She agreed but continued to argue and we told her thank you and hung up the phone. As we expected, no one returned our call that day. In our conversation with [redacted], we promised that we were going to find an acceptable resolution even if we had to contact the President’s office and we also told her that we were now at the point where we felt we needed to involve the Revdex.com as we had not been given an acceptable resolution and this had gone on so long.
As that deadline came and went, on November 14, 2014, I again called the corporate offices and requested to be transferred to the President’s office, I was declined with the explanation that they could only transfer me to the infamous escalation department. The receptionist also said she would send an email to that escalation department expressing my concerns and stating someone other than [redacted] needed to contact me. She told me she wished she could do something more to help me obtain a new laptop. I again left a message stating that I did not want to ever work with [redacted] again. On this same day, after speaking with Toshiba Corporate I filed the complaint with the Revdex.com.
On November 18, 2014, I was contacted by [redacted], the first person from the escalation department that I worked with previously. She was very polite to me and wanted to work with me to try to resolve the issue with the Touchpad. She sent me links to information on toshiba.com. She also had me download the driver from their support website for the Touchpad for this model of Laptop, this did mean I was rolling the driver back to an earlier version but I did not disagree with her on this, at this point I was willing to try anything if it would mean an acceptable resolution to the issue. I think we were on the phone for an hour working on this. Despite my years of experience and knowing how to do most of the things that I am asked to do, I appreciate the fact that I was sent the information that they would send to others as I feel this does show professionalism on their part and that they do not assume I knew what they were talking about. As previously noted, I had concluded that it was a hardware issue and not a software/driver issue. This troubleshooting with [redacted] did not resolve the issues with the Touchpad. While doing the troubleshooting with [redacted] I did find more evidence as to the hardware issue. I discovered if I tapped on the right edge of the Touchpad in the area where the ridge indicated the right click button should be but where the scroll feature is located, instead of getting the scroll I obtained the right click and the context menu.
During this conversation, [redacted] never stated that the only solution to my issue was the one that [redacted] insisted was the ONLY resolution presented to my wife and me. [redacted] treated me professionally, even when the troubleshooting did not work in solving the issue. We ended the conversation with [redacted] telling me that since she had done what she could, now she would need to speak with others to figure out what further resolution should be and she would be in touch with me. To date I have not heard back from her nor any one from Toshiba.
Now to address the final part of the response from Toshiba, I would like for them to go back and listen to the last conversation we had with [redacted] and see that we told her over and over again that sending the laptop again to whoever was not acceptable to us. I would also like them to listen to the last conversation I had with [redacted] and see that [redacted] did not leave me a resolution but stated that she would find out what further options there was for resolution. Toshiba is incorrect in stating that we accepted [redacted]’s resolution when we were insistent that we would not again send the laptop for repair. Replacement or a refund was now our only acceptable resolution.
As of today, I have not been sent a box or label to send this once new laptop, now in refurbished condition, anywhere and it remains damaged and sitting in my home, not being used. If we had agreed, as Toshiba stated in their reply, why have they not sent me a box and or label to send it off once again?
How many months should I have to deal with my initial issue with the laptop? How many times should I have to send it off for the same repairs? How many times should Toshiba or their agents be allowed to further damage the equipment? I feel these are questions that should be asked and that any reasonable person would agree that I have done more then I should have had to put up with.
If I could have taken this into a local repair facility or had a repair technician come to my house, I could have demonstrated to them the issue I have reported and they would agree that there is an issue with the Touchpad. They would have replaced the part or deemed it a defective laptop but this was never presented as an option. Today I feel that this is not an acceptable option but perhaps something Toshiba should perhaps consider doing moving forward with their products.
We have been cooperative, far more than an average customer. It has been about 8 months since we received a newly purchased made to order laptop from Toshiba. We have not been able to use this laptop but have spent many hours on the phone, hours of frustration and time packing and shipping a laptop. Many hours repeating and troubleshooting the same issue over and over again. We have been treated less than professional and been made to feel that Toshiba does not care about their consumers. Toshiba has not initiated a single call to follow up on this issue. I have had to be the lead and also I have been the one that has spent many hours and found the problems in their system.
I feel that this laptop has been damaged by Toshiba or their agents every time I have sent it out for repairs. I have not been able to use this laptop as it is designed to be used or for the purpose I purchased it for. At this point, I feel that this laptop is the most expensive paper weight I have ever bought.
This is now a refurbished laptop and not a new laptop like I purchased. I am still having the exact same issues that I reported upon receiving it…and now I have a damaged (not from me- the consumer, but from the company and their repair centers) laptop. I feel that the only correct course of action is for Toshiba to do what they promised months ago to me and replace this laptop. I do not have a problem sending it back to them but I want a different and NEW laptop in return. As it is now almost 8 months since the laptop was shipped from China, and I have not been able to use it, I want them to restart all warranties effective on when I receive the new laptop. Their add-on purchase that I believe they call “Even Trade Protection” also needs to start when I receive the NEW LAPTOP. In my initial complaint, I stated in my resolution my requirements for the replacement laptop and Toshiba needs to honor this as this was a made to order laptop with high end add-ons selected.
I feel that the person who responded to this complaint did not look into everything and stated things as to the resolution that I had not agreed to. I also feel that the Toshiba response goes to show how they react to this situation and that they did not look into the issue/case in detail and did not share all of the facts that have been presented. Why would [redacted] have told me she would get back to me with an acceptable resolution if this matter was resolved?
I want Toshiba to stand behind fixing their products and own the fact that this is a defective product by honoring what I have been told by 3 of their employees since my issues began on day one, replacing the laptop.
At this point the only thing I will accept is what is stated in the previous paragraph or a full refund of everything I spent back in March 2014 for this laptop including extended warranties and other add-ons that were purchased for this laptop at the time I ordered it.
Regards,[redacted]
A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) representative has reviewed our customer complaint. After doing a research our customer was able to speak to one of our case managers and has advised that her computer will be send to our VIP repair facility. Currently the computer is in-transit going to...
our repair facility under Fed-Ex tracking number [redacted]. At this time we consider this matter closed.
A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) representative has reviewed our customer's complaint. After doing a research TAIS found out that the repair process of the unit was already completed and has been shipped out going to our customer's location. However the package was delivered to a...
different address. Our customer was able to speak with our case managers regarding with this concern and our representatives already coordinated with the courier to deliver the unit to the correct address of the customer. Our customer will be updated for any details that will be provided of the courier.
A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) representative has reviewed our customer complaint. After doing a research one of our technicians checked the unit of our customer and they found out that the issue is not covered by the warranty. TAIS has informed our customer that any physical or accidental damage (meaning not intended damage) is not covered under the Standard Limited Warranty (SLW). Our customer was also told by one of the Authorized Service Providers (ASP) that they will not continue the repair since there’s a crack on the back of the screen. If our customer wishes to continue the repair, they will need to shoulder the cost since the issue is not part and covered by the Standard Limited Warranty (SLW). And for the warranty details it’s for the economical purposes (paperless) so that’s why we have the online warranty website that our customer can access www.warranty.toshiba.com. At this time we consider this matter closed.
A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) representative has reviewed our customer’s complaint. After doing a research TAIS found out that our customer was able to speak with one of our technical support representative and they determine that the computer has a possible virus that caused the problem on the unit. Our representative performed necessary troubleshooting on the unit to isolate the issue further however they figured out that the unit needs a repair. Since the warranty was expired our customer was referred to an Authorized service provider where they can bring the computer for repair and the phone support was already refunded. Seeing as the customer has exceeded the warranty period they are now responsible for any repairs/ and or technical assistance. Our customer can contact Toshiba Repair Services at 1-800-438-3910. At this time we consider this matter closed.
A Toshiba
America Information Systems (TAIS) representative has reviewed our customer
complaint. After doing a research TAIS found out that our customer's unit
considered as physical damage after the diagnosis of our technicians and in
accordance to the standard limited warranty of the unit...
any physical or
accidental damaged is not covered. Our customer can contact Toshiba Repair
Services at ###-###-####. At this time we consider this matter closed.
A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) representative has reviewed our customer complaint. After doing a research TAIS has informed our customer that any physical or accidental damage is not covered under the warranty and that was the reason why our customer was referred to Toshiba Repair...
Services (TRS) and it will be at their own cost since the issue is not in accordance with the Standard Limited Warranty (SLW). At this time we consider this matter closed.
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
The toshiba rep told me they have called their subcontractor multiple times but have kept being transferred to the general number. They have not yet resolved the open item. I told the toshiba rep that I am waiting for toshiba to resolve the open item and I will then consider the matter closed. The toshiba rep said they did not expect me to accept the matter closed until they had resolved the open item.
Regards,
[redacted]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I fail to understand why Toshiba refuses to acknowledge the repairs of the motherboard that were in excess of $550. Upon receiving the computer after repairs, none of the USB ports on the right side worked. This required sending the unit back to the repair facility where the computer is currently located. I fail to see the professionalism or the customer care a first rate company should exhibit in their daily interactions with customers.. It is apparently clear no one at this organization cares enough to stand behind their product. I hope all these executives that are drawing big salaries will at some point in their life run into a brick wall in which they get treated the same why they have treated me. There has been no gesture of reconciliation nor any apology offered for this series of technological blunders which only make the company appear inept and cold.
Regards,
[redacted]
A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) representative has reviewed our customer complaint. After doing a research TAIS found out that our customer was able to speak to one of our case managers and has offered a $100.00 check for refund due to the lost shipment. Our customer agreed and accepted...
the offer. TAIS has advised our customer that it will be process within 7-10 business days. At this time we consider this matter closed.
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
When I first called Toshiba, I was advised NOT to purchase a replacement battery NOR to travel to a local repair site (I was willing to purchase a battery and/or travel locally). The agent told me on 15 March to complete a form sent to me via email to schedule an onsite visit from a Toshiba representative. I did so, my son waited at home while on Spring Break from college for three days, then when I called the repair people, they said that they couldn't get a battery and that Toshiba had cancelled it. When I called Toshiba back, the agent informed me that I was not eligible and that what I was told was wrong and that I should have been called but that they had no record of anyone calling me. When I pressed, the agent said they would get back to me (and did not). The next time I called back I was told the battery was ordered and should be available - it never has been available to me. These calls have continued, and no one has been able to provide a solution that either maintains the laptop as a laptop or avoids sending the laptop, which is used in college, away for two weeks or more. I am asking for what Toshiba promised me - a repaired laptop onsite so my son can continue his education unhindered, the whole reason we purchased a laptop. No one contacted me to tell me that Toshiba changed it's mind. I am okay, if Toshiba determines that they do not wish to repair the battery (as indicated in their response), that they compensate my son for three days of wasted time waiting for a repair person to show that Toshiba effectively cancelled. I too have wasted hours on the phone trying to get this resolved as I was promised in the beginning.Will Toshiba not stand behind their own agents? Will Toshiba not take responsibility for poor customer service and/or lies told to me repeatedly (battery ordered, people will show up for repair, battery reordered)? I understand Toshiba's legalese response; I don't understand how Toshiba cannot stand behind what their call centers say, do, or ignore - they chose their call center partner for a reason, so they should stand behind their promises. Please keep your commitment.
Regards,
[redacted]
A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) representative has reviewed our customer complaint. After doing a research all refurbished/reconditioned computers from Toshiba has a 90day warranty only, like our customer’s computer with a Model Part Number: [redacted]. Our customer can visit our website www.warranty.toshiba.com to check the warranty of his computer. Our customer can also contact [redacted] which is a 3rd party company where he purchased the unit. If the customer has any questions or concern they may contact our technical support department at ###-###-####. At this time we consider this matter closed.
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
Regards,
[redacted]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me once a representative has contacted me and has provided confirmation that a brand new laptop has been shipped. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
Regards,
[redacted]
A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) representative
has reviewed our customer complaint. After doing a research TAIS found out that
the unit has been diagnosed by our technicians and they found out that the computer
has physical damage which is not covered by the standard limited warranty of
the unit. As stated in the Standard Limited Warranty;
What Does this Warranty Not Cover? On-site service/repair, or service made necessary by accident,
misuse,
abuse, neglect, improper installation/maintenance, modifications, fire, theft,
acts of God,
power
failures, surges or electric shortages, lightning, or repairs by non-Toshiba
authorized service
providers,
use outside of the environmental or operating parameters, or use with
incompatible third
party
products.
Service of Product on which the TOSHIBA label
or logo, rating label or serial number have been
defaced or removed.
Preventive maintenance, cosmetic damage or
wear and tear (e.g., scratches, dents, or scratched, faded
or missing keycaps or keyboard cover (if
applicable), replacement of missing parts, provision/
installation/removal of retrofits or
peripherals, replacement or fixes of software; repair or replacement
of covers, plastics, or appearance parts such
as interior or exterior finishes or trim.
Our customer can contact Toshiba Repair Services to
schedule a repair at ###-###-####. At this time we consider this matter closed.
A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) represetative has reviewed our customer's complaint. After doing a research the service order number did not recognized by our system and based on the response that our customer provided, the unit is with best buy repair facility not in Toshiba. TAIS doesn't have access with the repair of the computer since it was sent to best buy repair facility. Our customer may contact best buy for more information regarding the status of their unit.
A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) representative has reviewed our customer complaint. After doing a research TAIS received our customer’s unit on 8/20/2014 in our repair facility and determined that there is a Physical Damaged (dock board, hinge assembly, & LCD cover), which is out of scope of the warranty (out of scope meaning it is not covered under the standard limited warranty). Our customer was advised that we can send it to our VIP/Toshiba Engineer’s repair so we can have a final diagnosis for the unit and set the right expectation that she will be quoted once they determine the damaged is not covered by the warranty. However our customer declined that offer. At this time we consider this matter closed.
A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) representative has reviewed our customer complaint. Our customer set up a repair to Toshiba Repair Services (TRS) for his laptop and paid for $131 for the diagnostic and shipping fee. According to Toshiba Repair Services (TRS) website, "After diagnosis,...
if you elect not to have your unit repaired, there is a nonrefundable $131 diagnostic and shipping fee". Our customer has discretion if they will continue with the repair. If the customer has any questions or concern they may contact (TRS) at ###-###-####. At this time we consider this matter closed.
I was not asked for additional information, what do you require?
A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) representative has reviewed our customer’s complaint. After doing a research TAIS found out that our customer’s computer was already repaired and delivered as of Monday 8/24/2015 1:22pm and (singed for by: [redacted]). Our customer has been contacted by one of our case managers and they informed that we will provide a 2 months extension of the warranty for the unit as a compensation for the inconvenience our customer has experienced. However our customer declined the offer and requests to have a refund. In accordance to the Standard Limited Warranty a refund is not the option. If our customer has any question or concerns they may contact our Technical Support Department. At this time we consider this matter closed.
Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I have purchased Toshiba computers and laptops in the past for companies I have worked for. This letter has nothing to do with the brand name of Toshiba. I believe that they are quality computers/laptops.
I have also purchased personal laptops in the past. My last Toshiba laptop, prior to the current Toshiba laptop that I purchased earlier this year, actually still works and I have had it for probably 14 years or more. My experience when I have bought these computers/laptops is that when they had issues they were repaired quickly, even having to have a motherboard replaced. I had no complaints with the service I was provided as a customer. I wish I could say that the same is true in this case but I cannot.
I am someone who has worked as a computer support person, network administrator, MSDBA, and Software Engineer for 20+ years. I have troubleshot issues with hardware as well as software.
I have been using Touchpads since they first became available on laptops, even before they were the standard. I also went out and bought an external Touchpad to use on my work desktop, so I know from many years of experience how they are designed to function and how to use them.
What I am saying is based on these many years of experience, both professionally as well as with Toshiba.
I have multiple emails from Toshiba, their Repair Depot, and [redacted] confirming what I am saying and can provide these if needed.
I have spoken with two separate escalation team members from Toshiba. Both of these team members have offered for me to send the laptop to [redacted] for repair and I did so on two separate occasions. As you will see, the laptop has been further damaged by Toshiba or their agents and this is what I have issue with. I will also demonstrate that I have a laptop that is damaged and has not been repaired, as Toshiba indicated in their response.
I purchased this laptop from toshiba.com in March 2014 after working with Toshiba sales to find a Laptop that would meet my needs.
The purpose of this laptop was so I could use it to work from home, where I mostly work from. Since I have purchased this laptop and as of today I have not been able to use it for work. I do not want to spend hours loading software on it again just to have to “roll it back” to “out of box condition” to send it off.
I would like to include additional information to my initial complaint, due to the limitation of characters allowed on the complaint format. I am providing additional information because it has been requested so that I can justify the necessity of the only proper resolution is for Toshiba to replace the laptop. I was promised this would happen by their first executive team member. The escalation team member stated if they were not able to resolve the issue, a replacement laptop would be the appropriate resolution. I also included this as my acceptable resolution in my original complaint.
As I mentioned I purchased a laptop from toshiba.com in March and it was delivered in April 2014. This laptop was made to order via the Toshiba website.
Within minutes of removing my new laptop that was shipped from China, where it was manufactured, the grommets or rubber stoppers that cover the screws on the bottom of the laptop were falling out. I attempted to put them back in the laptop but did not succeed with this. The stoppers would not remain in place.
I turned on the laptop and set it up to use my network etc., as it was Windows 8.1 Professional. As I was doing this, and after I downloaded all of the Updates from Microsoft and installed such things as Microsoft Word, I was having issues with the "Right" click on the Touchpad. I found that I had to touch the Touchpad in a very specific location, under the portion of the raised bar on the Touchpad indicating where the right click should be, in order to get a "Right Click" instead of a "Left Click" to function.
From my years in computer usage, as a professional, I have never encountered a touchpad that had to have a precise location on the said button for the right click to function. Typically by design of a Touchpad you can touch anywhere in the designated button area to obtain the desired click.
I went into the PC Properties and changed the Touchpad to be a "Left Handed" mouse instead of "Right Handed" as this would swap the button functions around. I then proceeded to test the Touchpad as a "Left Handed" Mouse. Taping on the base of the Touchpad now provided the "Right Click" as it should have, however now when I again clicked under the appropriate bar for the right click, if I did not touch it in the very specific place I would get a "Left Click" instead of the "Right Click" that I would now obtain if double tapping the main body of the Touchpad.
This indicated to me there was an issue with the alignment of the Touchpad or a faulty Touchpad. Because I should have always had a right click when touching the area indicated as the right button, but it was malfunctioning to a left click. This is how I knew there was a problem.
This is where my initial complaint was. It is something that needs tactile testing because, if they run a diagnostics on the Touchpad it will pass as it does have a left and right click and will pass the escape sequence associated with each click. I even told that to the [redacted] tech when he called me prior to sending it to them the second time.
So I reached out to Toshiba to find out what was required to obtain service on this brand new laptop. I called the number provided with the laptop. I was told by the person who answered the phone that I needed to return it to the place I bought it and for them to exchange it for a new one and it should not be an issue since it was brand new. This was a Toshiba employee telling me that it just needed to be returned and exchanged. I explained that I purchased it from Toshiba directly by ordering it from toshiba.com . I was told that because the laptop had been purchased from toshiba.com they were not able to assist me. My question would be then why did Toshiba provide me with this as my resource for information? It took 3 additional phone calls before someone gave me a number to call and I was told that if they could not help me to call her back and she would see what else she could do, the first helpful person with Toshiba. I finally was able to get someone to agree that I needed to send it in for repair. I was told that they needed to send me a box so I could send it to the Toshiba Depot facility in I believe Indiana for repair. I verified with them my address so they could send me the box. According to my emails from Toshiba this was on April 25, 2014.
I waited until after the box should have arrived, which it had not so I called the same support number where I was eventually able to obtain support help. I was told that it was delivered and that it was now my problem. I had not checked my email prior to contacting them; I guess this was my mistake. After hanging up, not being assisted and frustrated with how I was treated and blamed for not having the box, I looked in my email and found that the box had indeed been delivered as I was told but instead of being delivered to Tracy California where I live and work, it was delivered to New York, New York which is clear across the country from me. Why it was delivered to New York, I have no idea. I have never lived in New York. I called the support center back and told them about the issue. They told me they would send me another box but it would not go out until the next day and it would arrive 2 business days later but given the weekend it would not be until the next week. I tried to get them to overnight this to me as it was 100% their fault but they would not agree to this even when I asked to speak with a supervisor I was told they could not do that. I found it interesting that I had to find out the mishap in the delivery. The resource center seems to have a scripted set of answers and in my case did not troubleshoot the issue nor did they attempt to find out why I hadn’t received the box but resorted to telling me it was now my problem.
I finally received the return delivery box and was able to send off the laptop to the Toshiba Depot facility. From the emails I received, the laptop arrived at their facility about May 19, 2014. This is approximately a month after I received the laptop originally and had not been able to use it. In another email from the depot on May 25, 2014 they finished working on the laptop.
When I received the laptop back I was very disappointed when I opened the box and found out that they ran a test with the Touchpad and it had passed, as I previously stated it would. They did not even attempt to replace any of the grommets or rubber stoppers on the bottom of the laptop. The top cover of the laptop had a very large black scratch on it (this scratch is confirmed by [redacted] on the first shipment to them). This scratch was not present when I shipped the laptop to the depot. They also did not place the battery in properly and it no longer sat 100% flush with the bottom of the laptop. At this point, I have a laptop no longer in the new condition that I bought it in, no fault of my own. I would expect that when I send equipment off to their service center that it would return repaired and with no further damage done to it, but they did not resolve the issues and returned it further damaged and now would require more repairs to what is no longer a new computer.
Upon noticing this, I looked up the number for Toshiba in the US and found that they are based in Irvine CA and made a call to them. Upon explaining my extensive faulty repair, I was transferred to their escalation team and left them a message for them to return my call. To this point, I am the one that continues to initiate communication to Toshiba. They have not called to ask if the laptop has been received and the problem resolved.
[redacted], a member of the escalation team returned my call. We talked about the issues I was having with the Touchpad, the missing grommets, the battery no longer sitting completely flush, and the new black scratch on the top cover. [redacted] agreed that it needed to be sent off for repair and agreed to have it sent to an outside independent service provider, [redacted] for repair. [redacted] assured me she was going to stay on this case and make sure it is repaired this time. [redacted] assured me that this time if they could not fix it, that they would look into replacing it. Because of this assurance, I was willing to try [redacted]. Once again I had to send it off, still unable to use the new laptop.
I was excited when I looked on the [redacted] website to inquire on the progress of the laptop and it stated that they were ordering parts. The parts ordered were only the rubber grommets that cover the screws. The issue of the battery not sitting flush was not addressed. The black scratch was not addressed and only documented. Once again the same test was run on the Touchpad and it again passed, as I mentioned it would. They did nothing to fix the issue with the Touchpad. To once again add insult to the remaining initial issue, this time when I received the laptop back, the lighted keyboard was no longer working. Each time I have sent this laptop off, it is returned further damaged and depreciated. In addition it was also not functioning the way it was when I sent it off. I tried to see if there was a setting that would enable/disable the keyboard light but could not find anything, including within the BIOS.
During this time, I was unable to address the laptop issue and the lack of it being repaired, as it has taken many hours of work, on my part, to obtain help from Toshiba. I also had other commitments I needed to attend to for a few weeks. Again, after it was returned to me there was never a phone call from Toshiba to check on the status. When I had the time, I again called the corporate office and again was sent to leave a message with their escalation team. Once again, I am the one initiating the communication as there has been no follow up promised me with the escalation team.
I once again restored the laptop, using the provided recovery media that I made from their image, to the out of box condition to see if this resolved the Touchpad issue, it again did not resolve it. I also wanted it to be this way when it would be sent off again as I knew that it would be the resolution Toshiba would have for me. I wanted to eliminate this portion of the troubleshooting so that they would dig more extensively to resolve the issues.
This time, a team member named [redacted] returned my call. We talked about the various issues I was having with the laptop. Again the grommets had fallen out of the bottom of the laptop. We talked about the Touchpad. I was forced to attach a mouse to the laptop if I wanted to use the "Right Click" which is something I use lots in Microsoft Products to enable the context menus. This is something that I should not have needed to do as the laptop is designed with a Touchpad and should have both Left and Right clicks. We talked about the battery again, and also the keyboard light not working as designed.
[redacted] convinced me to send the laptop again to [redacted] for repairs. Since I could not use the laptop because of the issues I did not need to roll back the laptop, I was able to place it in the box and send it like it was. This is now the third time this laptop is being sent out for the same repair that I originally complained about back in April 2014 when I received the Laptop as well as to fix issues caused by Toshiba repair facilities or vendors.
This time someone from [redacted] called me later that day. The main reason they were calling was to see if they could just send me a shipment label via email and for me to use the last box to ship it to them. This was not a problem for me as the laptop was being stored in the box as it really was not useable as a laptop without the right click. I shouldn't have to attach a mouse to get this functionality. I also explained to this individual that they needed to play with the laptop itself using applications to test the "Right Click" that it would pass their tests but a human needed to interact with it to see the issue I was reporting, it needed a human touching the Touchpad and not a machine reading and running a program.
So once again it was sent to [redacted]. Again, I saw they were ordering parts so I thought that perhaps they had found the issue. Once again the only thing they addressed was the grommets that had fallen out. They also address the lighted keyboard. Even though in their own print out, sent to my email, they showed the issue with the battery nothing was done with this and again they said nothing was wrong with the laptop’s Touchpad.
When I received the laptop back I took it out of the box they shipped it in. I looked at the enclosed paper to see what repairs were done. I was frustrated as they had not found anything wrong with the Touchpad. I turned it over to look at the laptop to see if they fixed the grommets, which they had. I noticed that they had left one side of the battery out of the laptop this time when they shipped it, same as the Toshiba Service had done the first time it was sent in for repair (the first time [redacted] sent it back to me they did not do this). I left it this way and returned it to the box, still inside the bag. So once again I called the Corporate Office and went through the same routine as previously.
On October 17, 2014 (now 7 months after I bought and ordered the laptop) I once again spoke with [redacted]. I explained to her once again the additional damage that was done to the laptop by their vendor. She asked if I had tested the laptop and I told her I had not as I found the battery not put in correctly and wanted to leave it that way so others could see it. She asked me to take it out and turn it on.
I removed the Laptop from the box and bag. I opened up the battery so that I could put it in correctly and turn on the laptop. I observed that now when I turned the Laptop upright and turned it on. I discovered that the battery now stuck out substantially more than when it was sent in to [redacted]. So now this is the third time I have sent the laptop of to be repaired and the third time that it was returned to me with additional damage done by the repair facility.
I explained that I was still having issues with the Touchpad. I even sent her pictures of the Touchpad and my understanding of how the "Right Click" should function.
I also sent her pictures of the gap with the battery; I used quarters to demonstrate how large the gap was. The gap was the height of 3 stacked quarters and it was still a little more than this. These pictures were sent to [redacted] in two separate emails on the same day as the size of the pictures were to large to put in a single email.
It was amongst these conversations that [redacted] mentioned that we needed to probably look at changing out the laptop for a different model, one that did not use this version of Touchpad.
In speaking with [redacted], I was not getting anywhere. In desperation to find a resolution I went out to the Internet and looked to see if there were any known issues with this version of Touchpad. I learned that there were some known issues with Windows 8.0 but I was running 8.1 so the Touchpad issue should have been resolved, but not in my Toshiba laptop obviously. So I went to Synaptics website, the manufacture of the Touchpad and respected manufacture of Touchpads, to download their latest driver to see if it could resolve the issue with the "Right Click". Also, important to note there is a warning on the Synaptics website that says you should only use the latest driver supplied by the manufacture of the Computer. The Toshiba driver is much older than the one that is available on Synaptics’ site but with my years of experience using drivers I decided that it would be safe to use this driver from Synaptics. I installed this driver but it did not resolve the issue and validated my feelings that the issue should have been resolved with Windows 8.1, that the issue I am having with the Touchpad is hardware and not software/driver related. This explains why the test ran by the depot and [redacted] passes as well.
I hadn't heard from Toshiba for several days after sending the email. I wanted to follow-up and make sure the email was received. I again called Toshiba Corporate and went through the ritual of leaving the message again.
[redacted] returned my call on October 27, 2014. She explained to me that she had spoken with [redacted] and they concluded that the actual bar ridge of the Touchpad had to be clicked for the Touchpad to obtain the "Right Click". I explained that this would be awkward to always have to touch the ridge and this means that the design of this Touchpad is of poor design and something I could not imagine Synaptics ever doing. That in all the years I had never heard of this but that the ridge defined the end of the Touchpad and the beginning of the "buttons", even though it was integrated into a single unit. I should be able to click anywhere under the right ridge for the "Right Click". This is customary of the design of Touchpad. If the conclusion was that a precise space needed to be touched it defeated the Touchpad evolution.
[redacted] sent me the section of the Owner’s Manual addressing the Touchpad as Toshiba explained in their response to my complaint. So Toshiba responded by saying the following regarding this:
”Tristar explained to our customer that the touchpad is working on how it was manufactured and therefore they did not find any trouble with that. Corporate representative also provided our customer a manual that can instruct on how to use the functionality of the touchpad.”
First in response to this [redacted] never spoke with me or sent me anything in writing as Toshiba indicated in their response to my complaint.
I did read the section provided and responded to [redacted] about this on October 27, 2014. I told her that it was inconclusive and that the owner’s manual actually illustrated a finger pushing UNDER the ridge (which is contrary to what [redacted] concluded in stating that you had to click on the ridge itself).
In the same email where I responded to the Owner’s Manual, I sent [redacted] pictures that I took of the Laptop as I had discovered what portion of the battery storage had been broken after I sent it to [redacted] the last time. [redacted] told me that she would look at things and get back with me with an acceptable solution.
I feel that I should not have to be the one doing the troubleshooting on my own laptop that this is what the warranty and repair centers should be doing but I have lost all confidence in the Toshiba Depot as well as with [redacted]. It seems to me that I know more about laptops and how they should function and how they should appear cosmetically then either repair facility does.
The exact issue with the battery is there are 2 release levers/sliders on the underneath side of the laptop. These sliders are used to lock the battery in place and hold it flush with the lower case of the laptop. One actually locks so it cannot be bumped and come undone, you have to physically move it both directions and you can feel it snap into a locked position in both directions. The other is spring loaded and springs back when released. On the side that springs back, within the body of the laptop case, the portion that would hook on to the battery and hold it flush with the case is missing and broken off of the mechanism. This means there is nothing holding the battery in on that side of the case. If the other side is unlocked and the laptop is turned upright the battery will literally fall out of the laptop. This definitely is not acceptable and not the design of the laptop.
I do not see how Toshiba can say “Our customer was informed by two of our repair facilities that they did not find any issue on the battery…” I have never seen anything in writing from any facility (note the only one that this was brought to was [redacted] as the Toshiba Depot are the ones that caused it) that they found nothing wrong with the battery. I have also sent to Toshiba, via email to [redacted], pictures of the actual damage to the laptop. As Toshiba claims there is nothing wrong with this I will include the pictures I provided to [redacted] in this complaint as well.
Again I had not heard anything from [redacted] or anyone at Toshiba regarding the situation, so once again I called Toshiba Corporate so I could speak to someone. This time, in my message I requested to speak with [redacted]'s supervisor as I was not getting anywhere with her and needed to find an acceptable resolution to the issue and the continued additional damage being done by Toshiba or their agents.
On November 12, 2014 at 7:30 in the morning, to my surprise [redacted] was the team member returning my call. She was very belligerent and not willing to accept the resolution I had been promised months earlier in replacing the laptop. She had once again gone against what she had told me we needed to do in looking at a different laptop. She told me that once again I needed to send the laptop off to their development or another department to look at and repair the laptop. This was totally not acceptable to me but she was set in her mind, she argued and insisted that this was the only resolution available.
My wife was in the car and had been hearing [redacted]’s loud voice and sensed my frustration. I asked [redacted] to hold on and handed my cell phone to my wife, [redacted]. We put [redacted] on speaker so we both could hear what was being said. [redacted] introduced herself to [redacted]. [redacted] told [redacted] that we were tired of sending the computer, which was no longer “new” back and forth and NEVER being able to use it. [redacted] continued to be belligerent and demeaning to my wife. [redacted] told us that her decision was final and nobody would ever go against her decision. My wife on multiple occasions had to tell [redacted] to quit interrupting and listen. [redacted] was loudly scripting her reply of her resolution that was not acceptable to us.
My wife tried to reason with [redacted] by using an analogy of having bought a new dress and the owner noticing a needed repair when she brought it home, without ever wearing it. The dress is returned for the repairs. While the dress is in the care of the repair shop, the workers create a stain on the new dress. The dress is returned, with the needed repair not done and with a stain that is left. “Would this be acceptable?” This is how it was returned as an example of what has been done to this laptop.
[redacted] did not acknowledge the analogy or question. She continued in a scripted answer that the laptop must be returned for repairs. We tried to convey that we no longer trusted that we would get a repaired laptop nor did we trust that the laptop would not be further damaged. Since [redacted] was unreceptive, we asked to speak with her supervisor. She told us that she did not have one. We requested to speak to the Vice President or whoever over sees her department; she answered that there was nobody above her. We knew this was not true as everyone has someone they have to report to. My wife even said who is it that signs your paycheck because perhaps this is who we need to speak to, which [redacted] refused to answer. Eventually we insisted that we needed to talk with someone else. She put us on hold and then came back to say her manager and everyone else was in a meeting and they could not speak with us at that time. We were astonished that now she had a manager. Since her creditability was flawed, we were done talking with her. She continued to argue, but we told her that we needed a call back that day from someone other than her. She agreed but continued to argue and we told her thank you and hung up the phone. As we expected, no one returned our call that day. In our conversation with [redacted], we promised that we were going to find an acceptable resolution even if we had to contact the President’s office and we also told her that we were now at the point where we felt we needed to involve the Revdex.com as we had not been given an acceptable resolution and this had gone on so long.
As that deadline came and went, on November 14, 2014, I again called the corporate offices and requested to be transferred to the President’s office, I was declined with the explanation that they could only transfer me to the infamous escalation department. The receptionist also said she would send an email to that escalation department expressing my concerns and stating someone other than [redacted] needed to contact me. She told me she wished she could do something more to help me obtain a new laptop. I again left a message stating that I did not want to ever work with [redacted] again. On this same day, after speaking with Toshiba Corporate I filed the complaint with the Revdex.com.
On November 18, 2014, I was contacted by [redacted], the first person from the escalation department that I worked with previously. She was very polite to me and wanted to work with me to try to resolve the issue with the Touchpad. She sent me links to information on toshiba.com. She also had me download the driver from their support website for the Touchpad for this model of Laptop, this did mean I was rolling the driver back to an earlier version but I did not disagree with her on this, at this point I was willing to try anything if it would mean an acceptable resolution to the issue. I think we were on the phone for an hour working on this. Despite my years of experience and knowing how to do most of the things that I am asked to do, I appreciate the fact that I was sent the information that they would send to others as I feel this does show professionalism on their part and that they do not assume I knew what they were talking about. As previously noted, I had concluded that it was a hardware issue and not a software/driver issue. This troubleshooting with [redacted] did not resolve the issues with the Touchpad. While doing the troubleshooting with [redacted] I did find more evidence as to the hardware issue. I discovered if I tapped on the right edge of the Touchpad in the area where the ridge indicated the right click button should be but where the scroll feature is located, instead of getting the scroll I obtained the right click and the context menu.
During this conversation, [redacted] never stated that the only solution to my issue was the one that [redacted] insisted was the ONLY resolution presented to my wife and me. [redacted] treated me professionally, even when the troubleshooting did not work in solving the issue. We ended the conversation with [redacted] telling me that since she had done what she could, now she would need to speak with others to figure out what further resolution should be and she would be in touch with me. To date I have not heard back from her nor any one from Toshiba.
Now to address the final part of the response from Toshiba, I would like for them to go back and listen to the last conversation we had with [redacted] and see that we told her over and over again that sending the laptop again to whoever was not acceptable to us. I would also like them to listen to the last conversation I had with [redacted] and see that [redacted] did not leave me a resolution but stated that she would find out what further options there was for resolution. Toshiba is incorrect in stating that we accepted [redacted]’s resolution when we were insistent that we would not again send the laptop for repair. Replacement or a refund was now our only acceptable resolution.
As of today, I have not been sent a box or label to send this once new laptop, now in refurbished condition, anywhere and it remains damaged and sitting in my home, not being used. If we had agreed, as Toshiba stated in their reply, why have they not sent me a box and or label to send it off once again?
How many months should I have to deal with my initial issue with the laptop? How many times should I have to send it off for the same repairs? How many times should Toshiba or their agents be allowed to further damage the equipment? I feel these are questions that should be asked and that any reasonable person would agree that I have done more then I should have had to put up with.
If I could have taken this into a local repair facility or had a repair technician come to my house, I could have demonstrated to them the issue I have reported and they would agree that there is an issue with the Touchpad. They would have replaced the part or deemed it a defective laptop but this was never presented as an option. Today I feel that this is not an acceptable option but perhaps something Toshiba should perhaps consider doing moving forward with their products.
We have been cooperative, far more than an average customer. It has been about 8 months since we received a newly purchased made to order laptop from Toshiba. We have not been able to use this laptop but have spent many hours on the phone, hours of frustration and time packing and shipping a laptop. Many hours repeating and troubleshooting the same issue over and over again. We have been treated less than professional and been made to feel that Toshiba does not care about their consumers. Toshiba has not initiated a single call to follow up on this issue. I have had to be the lead and also I have been the one that has spent many hours and found the problems in their system.
I feel that this laptop has been damaged by Toshiba or their agents every time I have sent it out for repairs. I have not been able to use this laptop as it is designed to be used or for the purpose I purchased it for. At this point, I feel that this laptop is the most expensive paper weight I have ever bought.
This is now a refurbished laptop and not a new laptop like I purchased. I am still having the exact same issues that I reported upon receiving it…and now I have a damaged (not from me- the consumer, but from the company and their repair centers) laptop. I feel that the only correct course of action is for Toshiba to do what they promised months ago to me and replace this laptop. I do not have a problem sending it back to them but I want a different and NEW laptop in return. As it is now almost 8 months since the laptop was shipped from China, and I have not been able to use it, I want them to restart all warranties effective on when I receive the new laptop. Their add-on purchase that I believe they call “Even Trade Protection” also needs to start when I receive the NEW LAPTOP. In my initial complaint, I stated in my resolution my requirements for the replacement laptop and Toshiba needs to honor this as this was a made to order laptop with high end add-ons selected.
I feel that the person who responded to this complaint did not look into everything and stated things as to the resolution that I had not agreed to. I also feel that the Toshiba response goes to show how they react to this situation and that they did not look into the issue/case in detail and did not share all of the facts that have been presented. Why would [redacted] have told me she would get back to me with an acceptable resolution if this matter was resolved?
I want Toshiba to stand behind fixing their products and own the fact that this is a defective product by honoring what I have been told by 3 of their employees since my issues began on day one, replacing the laptop.
At this point the only thing I will accept is what is stated in the previous paragraph or a full refund of everything I spent back in March 2014 for this laptop including extended warranties and other add-ons that were purchased for this laptop at the time I ordered it.
Regards,[redacted]
A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) representative has reviewed our customer complaint. After doing a research our customer was able to speak to one of our case managers and has advised that her computer will be send to our VIP repair facility. Currently the computer is in-transit going to...
our repair facility under Fed-Ex tracking number [redacted]. At this time we consider this matter closed.
A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) representative has reviewed our customer's complaint. After doing a research TAIS found out that the repair process of the unit was already completed and has been shipped out going to our customer's location. However the package was delivered to a...
different address. Our customer was able to speak with our case managers regarding with this concern and our representatives already coordinated with the courier to deliver the unit to the correct address of the customer. Our customer will be updated for any details that will be provided of the courier.
A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) representative has reviewed our customer complaint. After doing a research one of our technicians checked the unit of our customer and they found out that the issue is not covered by the warranty. TAIS has informed our customer that any physical or accidental damage (meaning not intended damage) is not covered under the Standard Limited Warranty (SLW). Our customer was also told by one of the Authorized Service Providers (ASP) that they will not continue the repair since there’s a crack on the back of the screen. If our customer wishes to continue the repair, they will need to shoulder the cost since the issue is not part and covered by the Standard Limited Warranty (SLW). And for the warranty details it’s for the economical purposes (paperless) so that’s why we have the online warranty website that our customer can access www.warranty.toshiba.com. At this time we consider this matter closed.
A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) representative has reviewed our customer’s complaint. After doing a research TAIS found out that our customer was able to speak with one of our technical support representative and they determine that the computer has a possible virus that caused the problem on the unit. Our representative performed necessary troubleshooting on the unit to isolate the issue further however they figured out that the unit needs a repair. Since the warranty was expired our customer was referred to an Authorized service provider where they can bring the computer for repair and the phone support was already refunded. Seeing as the customer has exceeded the warranty period they are now responsible for any repairs/ and or technical assistance. Our customer can contact Toshiba Repair Services at 1-800-438-3910. At this time we consider this matter closed.
A Toshiba
America Information Systems (TAIS) representative has reviewed our customer
complaint. After doing a research TAIS found out that our customer's unit
considered as physical damage after the diagnosis of our technicians and in
accordance to the standard limited warranty of the unit...
any physical or
accidental damaged is not covered. Our customer can contact Toshiba Repair
Services at ###-###-####. At this time we consider this matter closed.
A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) representative has reviewed our customer complaint. After doing a research TAIS has informed our customer that any physical or accidental damage is not covered under the warranty and that was the reason why our customer was referred to Toshiba Repair...
Services (TRS) and it will be at their own cost since the issue is not in accordance with the Standard Limited Warranty (SLW). At this time we consider this matter closed.
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
The toshiba rep told me they have called their subcontractor multiple times but have kept being transferred to the general number. They have not yet resolved the open item. I told the toshiba rep that I am waiting for toshiba to resolve the open item and I will then consider the matter closed. The toshiba rep said they did not expect me to accept the matter closed until they had resolved the open item.
Regards,
[redacted]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I fail to understand why Toshiba refuses to acknowledge the repairs of the motherboard that were in excess of $550. Upon receiving the computer after repairs, none of the USB ports on the right side worked. This required sending the unit back to the repair facility where the computer is currently located. I fail to see the professionalism or the customer care a first rate company should exhibit in their daily interactions with customers.. It is apparently clear no one at this organization cares enough to stand behind their product. I hope all these executives that are drawing big salaries will at some point in their life run into a brick wall in which they get treated the same why they have treated me. There has been no gesture of reconciliation nor any apology offered for this series of technological blunders which only make the company appear inept and cold.
Regards,
[redacted]
A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) representative has reviewed our customer complaint. After doing a research TAIS found out that our customer was able to speak to one of our case managers and has offered a $100.00 check for refund due to the lost shipment. Our customer agreed and accepted...
the offer. TAIS has advised our customer that it will be process within 7-10 business days. At this time we consider this matter closed.
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
When I first called Toshiba, I was advised NOT to purchase a replacement battery NOR to travel to a local repair site (I was willing to purchase a battery and/or travel locally). The agent told me on 15 March to complete a form sent to me via email to schedule an onsite visit from a Toshiba representative. I did so, my son waited at home while on Spring Break from college for three days, then when I called the repair people, they said that they couldn't get a battery and that Toshiba had cancelled it. When I called Toshiba back, the agent informed me that I was not eligible and that what I was told was wrong and that I should have been called but that they had no record of anyone calling me. When I pressed, the agent said they would get back to me (and did not). The next time I called back I was told the battery was ordered and should be available - it never has been available to me. These calls have continued, and no one has been able to provide a solution that either maintains the laptop as a laptop or avoids sending the laptop, which is used in college, away for two weeks or more. I am asking for what Toshiba promised me - a repaired laptop onsite so my son can continue his education unhindered, the whole reason we purchased a laptop. No one contacted me to tell me that Toshiba changed it's mind. I am okay, if Toshiba determines that they do not wish to repair the battery (as indicated in their response), that they compensate my son for three days of wasted time waiting for a repair person to show that Toshiba effectively cancelled. I too have wasted hours on the phone trying to get this resolved as I was promised in the beginning.Will Toshiba not stand behind their own agents? Will Toshiba not take responsibility for poor customer service and/or lies told to me repeatedly (battery ordered, people will show up for repair, battery reordered)? I understand Toshiba's legalese response; I don't understand how Toshiba cannot stand behind what their call centers say, do, or ignore - they chose their call center partner for a reason, so they should stand behind their promises. Please keep your commitment.
Regards,
[redacted]
A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) representative has reviewed our customer complaint. After doing a research all refurbished/reconditioned computers from Toshiba has a 90day warranty only, like our customer’s computer with a Model Part Number: [redacted]. Our customer can visit our website www.warranty.toshiba.com to check the warranty of his computer. Our customer can also contact [redacted] which is a 3rd party company where he purchased the unit. If the customer has any questions or concern they may contact our technical support department at ###-###-####. At this time we consider this matter closed.
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
Regards,
[redacted]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me once a representative has contacted me and has provided confirmation that a brand new laptop has been shipped. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
Regards,
[redacted]
A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) representative
has reviewed our customer complaint. After doing a research TAIS found out that
the unit has been diagnosed by our technicians and they found out that the computer
has physical damage which is not covered by the standard limited warranty of
the unit. As stated in the Standard Limited Warranty;
What Does this Warranty Not Cover? On-site service/repair, or service made necessary by accident,
misuse,
abuse, neglect, improper installation/maintenance, modifications, fire, theft,
acts of God,
power
failures, surges or electric shortages, lightning, or repairs by non-Toshiba
authorized service
providers,
use outside of the environmental or operating parameters, or use with
incompatible third
party
products.
Service of Product on which the TOSHIBA label
or logo, rating label or serial number have been
defaced or removed.
Preventive maintenance, cosmetic damage or
wear and tear (e.g., scratches, dents, or scratched, faded
or missing keycaps or keyboard cover (if
applicable), replacement of missing parts, provision/
installation/removal of retrofits or
peripherals, replacement or fixes of software; repair or replacement
of covers, plastics, or appearance parts such
as interior or exterior finishes or trim.
Our customer can contact Toshiba Repair Services to
schedule a repair at ###-###-####. At this time we consider this matter closed.
A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) represetative has reviewed our customer's complaint. After doing a research the service order number did not recognized by our system and based on the response that our customer provided, the unit is with best buy repair facility not in Toshiba. TAIS doesn't have access with the repair of the computer since it was sent to best buy repair facility. Our customer may contact best buy for more information regarding the status of their unit.
A Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) representative has reviewed our customer complaint. After doing a research TAIS received our customer’s unit on 8/20/2014 in our repair facility and determined that there is a Physical Damaged (dock board, hinge assembly, & LCD cover), which is out of scope of the warranty (out of scope meaning it is not covered under the standard limited warranty). Our customer was advised that we can send it to our VIP/Toshiba Engineer’s repair so we can have a final diagnosis for the unit and set the right expectation that she will be quoted once they determine the damaged is not covered by the warranty. However our customer declined that offer. At this time we consider this matter closed.