iBuypower and I: the tech support story (round 2)

Hey people.

you might remember my "Ibuypower and Me' thread, the link is still found in my sig. The problem was that my screen died. Well, hello to problem number 2, my eithernet port died, and that sucks, because I was about to do a gentoo install (try #3) and I need networking for that. The good news is that I still have about 3 or 4 weeks on my warranty, and if I have to, I'll use it. As you might remember, it took almost a month for me to get my laptop back, lets hope it won't take this long here. Well, at least I have a backup system this time around (IBM T23) so its not like I am totally stranded without a laptop. Just now I called the tech support company (ibuypower does not do techsupport, they have a different service take care of it) and since everyone in the laptop department was busy, i was asked to leave my number and they would call me back. Now I wait. Last time i called they called back within 40 minutes, lets hope I won't be waiting forever because i have so much stuff to do right now. Just like last time, I'll be keeping this thread running until the very end when I recieve my laptop back (If it goes that far) and give you all the details, good and bad. And as last time, you'll find the link in my sig so if you read my posts in some other thread, you'll be reminded of this and come on here and give me some good reply on the topic.

and an open note to icalculatore (sry dude, don't know spelling, too lazy to look it up and i know you're not a calculator): this is not an ibuypower flaming thread, it really isn't. last time when i had to get my system fixed, although they sure took their time, at least i got it back fixed and better than ever.

Well, i guess this is all the news for now. I'll keep you guys posted

see, thing with ibuypower is that they are in cali, and i am in chicago. shipping is UPS ground from me to them (prepaid by ibuypower) and shipping from them to me is FedEX Ground (paid by them) so only en route to and from it spends around 10-12 days! Then, if they don't have tha part in stock (like last time it was the screen, this time the mobo) they have to send it to Uniwill in Taiwan, which is again, a huge pain in the royal arse


edit: and btw, UPDATE:
i didn't feel like waiting for tech support to call me back so i called IBP's RMA dept an requested an RMA, now i wait for the prepaid label to be emailed to me

alright. so i got tied of waiting and called up ibuypower again. they said that my RMA is pending because the tech support company (not ibuypower) has to call me and confirm some stuff and send me the prepaid sticker by mail or email. they should be gettting in touch with me rather soon, but if they aren't....grr. meanwhile i packaged up my laptop into the original box. let me tell you man, that box has spent so much time on the road (from them to me when the laptop was new. then from me to them to taiwan back to them and back to me on the screen-related rma, and now its about to do the same thing) let me tell you...crazy. well.....if anything else goes wrong with that laptop i guess i am gonna go buy myself an Acer Ferarri 4005. but i am hoping it wont come to that

UPDATE: 7/27/05

Earlier today the tech support company called me. The rep was really friendly and told me she scheduled a FedEX pickup for either Thursday or Friday between 10 and 5. Not the greatest schedule to be honest. It basically means i am stuck at home on both days for 7 hours waiting for the fedex tub of lard to show up and pick up the laptop. I asked if they could jsut email me a label, she said no because then they can't provide a warranty on it and if it gets lost or damaged during shipping, i am practically screwed.

So now i wait for fedex

UPDATE:

Just got off the phone with the IBP RMA dept and I was told that a tech is checking out the connection problem right now, if all goes well it will be shipped back by the end of the week, so figure that would set me at week #4 again. Ibuypower the only company where you count turnarounds in weeks, not days.

UPDATE:

got my lappy back by fedex like 5 minutes ago Well, the ethernet problem has been fixed. However, they managed to lose a piece of my laptop again. Last time they lost the PCMCIA slot cover (returned to me next week) but this time they lost a rubber leg, and it was a corner one too, not the center one, so now the lappy wobbles a little bit. I am on tech support by phone right now as we speak. Ugh....lol...lets hope they rush it to me ASAP

EDIT:

After a few minutes on hold (about 5...longest i've ever been on hold with them) a mexican guy picked up with the regular "Hello, ibuypower RMA department, how may i help you?" I told him my customer number and my problem. What I said is well outlined in these points:
1- i JUST got the laptop back from repair
2 - one of the rubber legs on the bottom is missing
3 - it creates a bad balance and the laptop tips a little during use
4 - the leg has not come off during shipping, I checked the package and found nothing
5 - you (ibp) shipped it wrong. I send it to you (ibp) inside the original box inside another box with a layer of packing peanut in between, you sent it back wrapped in plastic in a box of packing peanuts.

the IBP rep said:
1 - i don't know man, you must have sent it to us like that

after i gave him some more crap he said

2- alright, i'll go check and if i can find one i'll ship it to you.
3- thanks, bye


So now i wait for fedex to show up again. Also I now have to go to walgreens and buy some superglue. Jesus.

wouldn't that cause some type of roach problem in my lappy bag?

wouldn't it look almost funky? i mean with 5 feet being original uniwill and 1 being after-market? anyone care to email uniwill for me (or make a call to taiwan) and find out of they can ship me a foot or 2 (never hurts to have a spare if they loose another one on RMA 3)