jdmce@ecsvax.UUCP (Duncan McEwen) (11/24/87)
Are there Toshiba T3100 owners out there with enough experience with the machine to comment on the Toshiba Exceptional Care program. For $747 the original warranty is extended an additional 2 years, and Toshiba agrees to provide a replacement computer within 24hrs in the event of breakdown. Any comments on whether the plan is cost effective given the expectable rate of failure? Duncan McEwen bitnet:..jdmce@ecsvax usenet:..!decvax!mcnc!ecsvax!jdmce
Isaac_K_Rabinovitch@cup.portal.com (11/25/87)
->
->
->Are there Toshiba T3100 owners out there with enough experience
->with the machine to comment on the Toshiba Exceptional Care
->program. For $747 the original warranty is extended an
->additional 2 years, and Toshiba agrees to provide a replacement
->computer within 24hrs in the event of breakdown.
->
->Any comments on whether the plan is cost effective given the
->expectable rate of failure?
->
->Duncan McEwen
->
->bitnet:..jdmce@ecsvax
->usenet:..!decvax!mcnc!ecsvax!jdmce
I have a Toshiba T1100. Shortly after I got it I had some trouble
with the Modem/Clock card, and called Toshiba. Problems:
1) Major hassle getting through, due to inconsistent information in the
Exceptional Care packet, busy phone number, phones that weren't answered
(once it was picked up and put down again quickly, obviously by
someone tired of hearing it ring), phones that were answered by
people who'd never heard of the Exceptional Care Program, phones
answered by people who wouldn't help me until I told them whether
it was a software or hardware problem (something I needed *them* to
tell *me*), phones answered by people who told me that someone who
knew the problem would call me back (liars!). To add injury to
insult, the 800 numbers Toshiba gave me are only good *outside*
California.
2) When you do finally get someone who's willing and able to help you,
you have to practically threaten a lawsuit before they'll authorize
a return. Actually, there's good reason for this:
3) Forget about the 24-hour fix-or-replace guarantee. I didn't get my
machine back in a day, and I didn't get it back in a week. And this
was an extremely simple repair, perhaps two hours of technician
time. When I hassled them about the delay, they admitted flat out
that they didn't have enough machines in the replacement pool to send
me one and that had been why the avoided a return.
Really, I should have sued them for false advertising. I notice they no
longer advertise the EC program extensively. Yet another case of a
computer company making promises they didn't have the resources to keep.
Isaac Rabinovitch
isaac.rabinovitch@cup.portal.com
ucbvax!sun!cup.portal.com!isaac.rabinovitch
Disclaimer: Just because I think you're wrong, doesn't
mean I don't think you're a fun person!
:-)berger@clio.las.uiuc.edu (11/26/87)
I anticipate replacing a power supply and floppy disk drive or keyboard
every couple of years in a conventional machine. I save a lot of money
by banking the service contract fee, and replacing components and
subassemblies. Admittedly, the portable machines can't use generic
replacement components, and you may not have the technical expertise
to do the swap or repair yourself. If it's urgent that a particular
machine be available at all times, it might be worth the money for you.
Remember that service contracts are given for profit, not just for the
benefit of the customer.
In my own experience, service contracts would have given us no benefit,
but cost significantly more than we pay for maintenance as needed.
Mike Berger
Center for Advanced Study
University of Illinois
berger@clio.las.uiuc.edu
{ihnp4 | convex | pur-ee}!uiucuxc!clio!bergernu013809@ndsuvm1.bitnet.UUCP (12/03/87)
I cannot comment directly on the Extended Warranty plan for the Toshiba
laptop computers but I can comment on Toshiba's technical services.
I have been installing a large number of Toshiba 3.5 inch micro-floppies
on a wide variety of computers here on campus. I ran into problems with
one on a True Blue IBM-PC XT. I had already installed a large number
of these so I was no virgin with respect to monkeying around with them.
I exhausted about half a day to no avail and decided to call their
technical support number as I was beginning to think there was a problem
I didn't know about.
To make a long story short the performance of Toshiba's technical support
was totally unacceptable. I was put on hold (my call) listening to their
MUSAC system for about 10-15 minutes. When I did get ahold of someone
he was a rude, arrogant SOB. He treated me like a total incompetent and
raised his voice when I tried to explain to him that I was fairly
familiar with the product and that his suggestion to try reading the
package documentation was not going to assist me very much.
I know that a lot of these technical support numbers must get called by
people who don't know a thing about what their doing but people manning
these phones should also be able to recognize someone who knows what their
doing. I handle technical support calls myself and I usually know within
about the first 20 seconds if the person on the other end is technically
competent and familiar with the nature of the problem.
After this experience I am trying to discontinue our involvment with Toshiba
and their products as much as possible. I know that I can't impact on
a company such as this very much but it was satisfying to cancel my local
orders for their products and seek alternate vendors. It is also
gratifying to be able to advertise what I considered their incompetent
behavior to national exposure through the net.
As always,
G.W. Wettstein