Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with laptop and warranty

Voided Warranty?

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:30:07 -0800

Is a Dell technician going to discover I've opened the computer before? The video card on my Dell XPS M1330 has crapped out. It's under warranty, so a quick chat with Dell support has them sending a technician out to replace the motherboard in the next few days. I just remembered, however, that I've opened the laptop a few times to clean dust out of the fans and adjust a cable that was being pinched. Will the tech be able to tell, and more importantly, will they refuse to service the laptop or charge me under the grounds that I've voided my warranty?

The problem I'm having with the M1330's video card appears to be widespread (see: "colored vertical lines" problem), so it's unlikely that i caused or affected it in any way by opening it up.

How can I get Geek Squad to replace my laptop?

emilyd22222 — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:38:01 -0800

How can I get Geek Squad/Best Buy to replace my laptop? In a couple of hours, I am taking my computer to Best Buy for repairs under my 3-year extended service plan, which expires in a few months. Right now, the computer is having a hard time recognizing the AC adapter, which has happened about 4 times with this computer- they always replace either the motherboard or the adapter itself. It also tends to go through periods where it processes very slowly, and Geek Squad hasn't been able to ID the problem. It completely crashed a couple years ago, requiring data recovery and serious repair work. I've heard that sometimes they'll offer you a new computer when you've been in for repairs enough- I was planning on buying a new one when my service plan expires in August, but I'd like to see if I can get a free one out of them.

What could I say or do to get them to give me a new one?

HP laptop warranty question

SweetTeaAndABiscuit — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:09:56 -0800

Warranty filter: My HP laptop is covered under an extended warranty for a host of known problems with wireless cards, power issues, etc. Now my laptop is having problems with these issues and HP has authorized me to send it in for free repair. The original a/c adapter was broken and replaced with a generic one. Instructions for returning the laptop say to include the a/c adapter if having problems with the computer starting with battery only (I am). My question: Will returning it with a generic a/c adapter instead of the original one void my warranty and lead to HP not making this free repair? Would it better just to ignore the instructions and NOT include the adapter and hope they will fix it anyway?? Thanks for any light you can shed!!

HP Laptop died 2 months out of warranty

criticalbill — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:59:47 -0800

A few lights blink, but no-one's a home. No bios, no whirring, no help from the retailer (PC World UK, and no I didn't go there, this question is for a friend)... PC World say that the motherboard is finished and that it will cost more than the £700 original cost to fix it.

Now this thread offers some good sounding advice for someone in a very similar position but with two vital differences: it was still in warranty and they are in the US, so the tip for getting to a Level 2 rep probably won't work so well.

My main question is am I right in thinking that the warranty is not the be-all and end-all of the situation? 14 months is very much like 12 months, if you ask me, especially for a underused and never dropped, no spills, no damage etc. laptop. (This thread seems to say that EU regs say a warranty must be minimum of 2 years, does anyone know if this has any force in the UK?) Secondly, has anyone got any good tips for handling HP UK?

Is 3 1/2 months too long to wait for a laptop to be repaired?

any major dude — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:12:50 -0800

Averatec is holding my laptop hostage for the last three months, what should I do? They've had the computer since September 29th when I sent it back for an under warranty repair for a faulty motherboard. When I have gotten through on the phone they keep telling me the part is on backorder and they don't know when it's coming in. I asked them if they can get some kind of time frame from the vendor and they say they cannot. They've used this excuse about 5 times. They have a repair log online that I can access but it hasn't been updated since October 3rd. I reported it to the Better Business Bureau about 3 weeks ago asking them to repair, replace or refund my laptop and haven't heard anything back aside from a confirmation email that the complaint was logged. I haven't been able to get through to customer service for the last week. At what point does this become theft? I just don't understand how a company stays in business holding someone's computer for 3.5 months.

Help! My MacBook is now a MilkBook.

gazole — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 17:02:16 -0800

Spilled milk in my MacBook's keyboard, and the technician at Apple suggested I bend the rules to get it fixed or replaced. What does my warranty cover, anyway? While I was away at work today, my 3 year old (bless him) spilled about 1/2 cup of milk into the keyboard of my new MacBook (purchased this past Sept.) It immediately powered off.

Then, my wife (bless her) unwittingly made things potentially much worse by attempting to turn it on several times and plugging it in, then using a hair dryer to attempt to hasten drying the milk. (It won't turn on.)

She called the Apple phone support 800 number, and the tech told her there's nothing they can do, that the warranty expires in 6 days, and that what she should do is buy the Apple Protection Plan, then send it in without telling them about the spill.

I found this information odd, to say the least. A little research online reveals that phone support is the "warranty" that expires next week, and the regular limited warranty is good until next September.

So my course of action to (hopefully) recover my computer or at least its data (what seems like my entire life) depends on a few things.

- Does the actual warranty status change 90 days after purchase of a MacBook? Would ponying up for the Apple Protection Plan change this?
- If we send it in to Apple for repair or replacement wouldn't they find it obvious there was a spill, and tell us we're out of luck?
- Is there any point to us taking the machine to the local Apple Store for a second opinion?

Where do we go from here? Thank you, MeFi, for any help you can offer.

Should I extend the warrently?

TheSlate — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 10:00:17 -0800

Is extending my Dell Inspiron 6000 laptops warranty for three years worth $160 or would that make me a sucker? I got a call from Dell informing me my warrenty is up, and they tried to pull the hard sell for extending it for three years for only $160. On principle I walk away from hard sales pitches. Hard sales pitches are for suckers.

Still, I do see myself using the laptop in three years. I added RAM myself and am my considering replacing the hard drive with something bigger, so that may invalidate a warranty.

So really I have three questions:
1. Is extending my Dell Inspiron 6000 laptops warranty for three years worth $160?
2. If it is worth it, will Dell reject any future claims because I added my own RAM or hard drive?
3. Is Dell any good at honoring their warranties? IE, fix things with little hassle and not try to weasel out of honoring warranties. I'm looking more for customer satisfaction data rather than good or bad anecdotes.

Thanks!

does apple's warranty cover this?

thinkingwoman — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 15:56:58 -0800

does apple's 1-year warranty cover damage caused by static electricity? i got a strong shock from my ibook when pressing the space bar to wake up my computer from sleep. the shock caused the computer to turn off; when i restarted it all my files were intact but the computer no longer recognizes my battery and there is something wrong with the keyboard--i have to type very slowly (about one key per second) or else i'll start "losing" letters (it's not a delay--it just skips the ones that are input too quickly). so far nothing else seems to be amiss.

anyway, i'm taking my notebook into the applestore tomorrow for a diagnosis, but am sort of hoping to get some advance warning on what to expect, costwise. the apple website is, perhaps intentionally, a little unclear about its warranty terms.

HP Sold Me A $1400 Craptop!

my homunculus is drowning — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 15:14:21 -0800

My HP laptop (DV8000) crapped out on me with just over one month left on the 1 year manufacturer warranty. They've had the computer for almost a month now and are giving me the run around, even trying to sell me a brand new computer. What can I do? About a month and a half ago the internal power supply and screen went out on my laptop, I'd had it for only 10 months. When I called HP they took my information, sent me a box to send my notebook back to them for repairs, and promised an e-mail letting me know what the problem was and when it was going to be sent back to me. I was never contacted. After 2 weeks I finally got a hold of somebody who told me that they received my computer but it was completely water damaged (and therefore not covered)! I'm fairly positive that isn't true. I take good care of it and haven't had any spills on it. When I asked further questions I was told he didn't know anything. I asked to speak to a manager but none have been available any of the several times I've called. I've been told several times that I would be contacted within 24-48 business hours. I've now called and gotten this same response 4 times.
I called again this morning and was greeted with yet a different response. After being transfered for the 3rd time (and almost an hour spent on the phone) the man I spoke with tried to sell me a new computer. Here was his shtick, "as a valued customer you are entitled to receive a new computer for the low low price of $700 in lieu of having your computer repaired, I think we have your credit card on file, do you ok the purchase?". He continued to say that it would be almost $700 just to fix the computer, because the warranty that I have doesn't cover accidental spills, which again I'm certain never happened.
Do I have any legal recourse against HP? Can I force them to fix and return my laptop? Has anyone else had this sort of problem with them before? Help!!!

Warranties for laptops

Mave_80 — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:45:12 -0800

Buying a laptop in the USA but giving to someone in the UK - anybody know about international warranties? My mother has set her sights on a particular HP laptop, which appears to be about half the price for a similar spec in the UK (she's determined to do an HP given how the HP integrated mouse pad is set up). While warranty is not a huge issue, it would be great if we could get an extended one that worked in the UK. Does anybody know of anything (talking to HP doesn't seem to do much good) that might work?

Also, for bonus points, does anybody know what the standard HP warranty covers that comes with the PC? I can't seem to find a copy of their terms on the HP website.

Blinky the Laptop

TheGoldenOne — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 07:47:29 -0800

Laptop screen blackout issues: Sometimes my laptop screen will flicker black. Sometimes it will stay blacked out until I play with the angle of the screen, then it flickers a little more and eventually goes back to normal. What's going on here? Bad connection? Do I need to send it back from whence it came? If so, how do I back up everything?

-It's a new laptop. I got it in December. I've been gentle.

Can they really get away with this?

sourwookie — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 07:49:03 -0800

Gather 'round ye Mefites, come and listen to my song about me and my laptop and how BEST BUY done me wrong. My laptop died while in their arms, they claim she never cried, my tale is a woeful one, you bet there's So my folks got me a Toshiba laptop about a year and a half ago as a gift--with their service plan. A year or so into owning it the HDD staerted acting squirelly, bad sectors found upon booting, etc.

So I take it to them and they confirm that, yes the HDD is going bad, and, yes, I'm covered, but they will have to ship it off to fix it and I won't see it for a couple of months.

Now being without my laptop that long was unacceptable, and I was within a week of saving up for my iBook, so I told them to do the diagnostic and paperwork right then. When I got my iBook I would give them the Toshiba so they could work on it with no rush. Agreed diagnostic was done, paperwork was filled, and I took my Toshiba home.

A weed later I was carrying it in a tote bag and knocked the edge of it (containing a WIFI card) against a door frame. Card slot now not working.

I get my iBook and figure it's time to take my Toshiba in. I go to the store. They do another diagnostic. THE COMPUTER STILL WORKS AT THIS POINT--it just has an HDD of questionable reliability and a broken card slot (I figure I'll just use UBS WIFI from here on out).

Weeks later I get a call from the out-of-state service center. They explain that while the HDD is covered by the service plan, broken card slot is not, as it was the result of trauma. I agree to have them replace the HDD and return it with the broken card slot (See, the computer still worked when I gave it to them and I was fine with the idea of USB WIFI)

A week or so later I get a call from the local Best Buy store imforming my my computer had been shipped back but when they fired it up to do the check-out diagnostics instead of booting it displayed a warning that the cooling system was not working and the computer could not be started and should be shut down immediately. They told me they were going to ship it to the service center to get the cooling sytem hooked up. I agreed.

NOW, I get a call from the service center explaining that I was somehow responsible for the broken cooling sytem, and unless I shell out about $700 for a new motherboard the laptop cannot be started and they will just return it to me as is. The hell? I told them not to return it to me, to do nothing, and just hold it while I investigate my options.

Here's the skinny: I gave them a working computer and only wanted the HDD replaced. They want to return to me a dead brick and walk away from the whole thing. The whole idea that they could kill my computer in their care and take no responsibility for it boggles me.

I feel this is the crux: I gave them a working computer and they want to return to me a dead one.

So...what do I do?

ebay laptop experiences.

mhuckaba — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 16:34:39 -0800

Thinking of selling/taking back my current laptop and buying a laptop off ebay. Opinions/experiences requested. I recently purchased a laptop on Black Friday (the Acer Aspire 5002, Turion 64 1.6GHZ, 1GB Ram, 100GB HD, Dual Layer DVD+_RW, XP Home, integrated graphics, 1280x800 native resolution, 800 dollars after rebate). Having never owned a laptop before, but having some experience using a high end laptop (my Ex's was a 2500 dollar laptop purchased last fall), this new laptop doesn't really satisfy me.

The screen is somewhat grainy with what appears to be 16bit colors although it says 32bit, it looks kind of funny during DVDs. It is incredibly reflective, even in a dimly lit room. The scroll button doesn't functionally work (its not that its broken, it just doesn't do anything useful, I can't use it to middle click in Firefox or anything). Furthermore with integrated graphics, I can't really game at all. Had I gotten this for a present or something, I wouldn't complain in the slightest, but since I'm a college student(CS Major) paying out of pocket for this thing, I really want something that will fulfill all of my needs.

All that said, I was told my one of my friends that I should try to sell it on ebay for a profit, that he had a few friends who sold Black Friday stuff on ebay. I hop on and check and I see that my laptop is going for 700-900 bucks. I can't really make a profit off of it if its only 100 bucks over, that just barely covers tax.

I noticed in my browsing that there are Acer Ferrari laptops for sale for around 900-1200 bucks. These things are perfect. Matte screen, higher resolution(1680 x 1050 vs 1280x800), better screen type (WSXGA+ instead of WXGA), Radeon X700 GPU. Most are factory sealed, come with a mouse, and case, everything I need. So I'm pondering ditching my system, either taking it back to Circuit City or ebaying it, and then buying one of these Ferraris. How can these be so cheap? Are they stolen? Quite a few are shipping from the EU and China (I know they were probably made in China, my current Acer was shipped from Shanghai). Will Acer warranty these laptops? If the seller has awesome feedback, should there be any cause for concern? Has anyone had any experience with the Ferraris (I have read reviews and they seem to be mostly good)? Thanks in advance.

Extended warranty/accidental damage coverage for laptops?

enrevanche — Mon, 14 Mar 2005 08:57:24 -0800

I just bought a spiffy new HP laptop. I declined the third-party extended warranty at the time of purchase... ...thinking that I would explore my options later on. Specifically, I wanted to get an extended warranty plan that includes accidental damage coverage--and the in-store plan didn't (most don't.)

I just discovered that HP has the perfect plan, but they can't sell it in New York. Naturally, I live in New York City.

I've already checked with my renter's insurance provider, and there doesn't seem to be a way to add a rider for accidental-damage-to-laptop coverage. (Theft? sure. Damage? no.)

So. Can anyone recommend a reputable supplier of extended warranty service and accidental damage insurance coverage for laptops?

Sony Warranty

geoff. — Tue, 25 May 2004 09:32:00 -0800

Major Sony warranty problems. My friend purchased a laptop on May 14, 2003. For some time it had random reboots. I told him to call Sony, which he did and they told him to reinstall Windows, which he did. This did not solve the problem. On May 16, 2004 (2 days after the warrant expired) I called Sony to tell them they never resolved the initial problem. They told me that in their records he called in for a "NTDLR missing", which may have been one of his problems reinstalling Windows but he definitely called in for the random reboot (or he would never had reinstalled Windows). So of course when I call in on May 16, describing the problem Mr. English-As-A-Second-Language insists that it's a different problem now occuring, and won't talk to me at all without charging me. (Gasp, breaking my own rule, more inside). So I assume, after ruling out power supply problems, that it most likely is faulty RAM. I take it into a local mom & pop place and ask them if they can switch out the RAM and see if that helps. I figure an $80 RAM replacement is better than dealing with Sony and could save my friend major hassle.

Several days later I receive a call back from the mom & pop place and they tell me that the whole motherboard needs replacing at around $800, and tell me that it's probably not even worth it. I agree, and right now I'm about to head up on there with my friend and take the laptop back.

Ok so now what do I do? Obviously Sony should be at fault as they did not solve the problem, but how do I convince them otherwise? My friend has kept detailed records of every called made (thank god) but if their records say the problem is different, and refuse to talk to us, there's not much that can be done. I'm close to calling, being mean, arrogant and an asshole so that they'll cave in. I'm hoping for a more civil way of dealing with this.

Intermittent laptop touchpad problem

ferociouskitty — Mon, 22 Dec 2003 14:59:42 -0800

Is there any way to make an intermittent problem with a laptop more regular? I have a year-old laptop that they talked me into getting an extended warranty for, and there is a problem with the touchpad I've tried to get them to fix twice, but it's never a problem when it's in for service. How can I give them something to fix?