h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So a little after the new year my faithfull laptop decided to shuffle off the mortal coil.

As the laptop is provided through a scheme at work i thought no worries i'll call (insert name of large telecoms company) home computing and they'll sort it.

Oh dear how naive of me.

called tech support number of (insert name of large telecoms company) home computing and was given the number of T*shiba tech support, ho hum thinks i and off i trot to call them.

They arrange to have the laptop collected so they can provide a quote for the repair as they say it is out of warranty (hmm thinks i, something smells a tad piscine here already)

Well T*shiba arrange for a collection of the laptop from my office (saving a day off) and say they will call in a couple op days with a quote.

2 weeks pass

As i am now a little vexed i call T*shiba again and am informed the quote went out in writing to my office address (head office of a large bank so somewhat unlikely to find its way to me) they then agree to send a quote out by e-mail.

Quote duly arrives and i am a litle amazed to discover the inventive price of £484 being quoted to replace a faulty power jack ( amazed as the pin in the jack has broken preventing the laptop from charging, cost of part on t'internet £12) apparently t*shiba think the best way to fix this part is to replace the entire motherboard!

Being by this point sure that the laptop should be under warranty i call the company benefits helpline (as the laptop was provided at a reduced cost as a company benefit) they confirm that the laptop is indeed under warranty.

So i call T8shiba back and they feign ignorance and claim there is no extended warranty. by this point i have passed a little vexed and am passing into irritated.

I decide to call (insert name of large telecoms company) home computing again and am promised a call back in 48 hours. The next day i am called by someone who promises to look into the matter for me, several phone calls later i am informed that the laptop is indeed under warranty and given another (insert name of large telecoms company) home computing number to call. Knowing full well the tricks of call centres i ask this personif i need any refernce at all (as i have none) and am informed that no refernce is required.

Well guess what... as soon as i get through to the other number i am greeted by "can i take your account number please" "ARRRGGGGHHHH!!!!" says I, following 10 minutes of fruitlessly trying to locate my details in their system i am forced to call back the number i called originally (as cunningly the individual who gave me this number to call has no number i can call him on, a fact i find a tad unconvincing).

Calling back i discover that tyhis department is a response team and is therefore not able to do anything other than request a call back. I thereofore resort to the next step in dealing with call centres and ask for a manager, the manager is also unable to do anything and as such i grudingly settle for a call back in the next two days.

3 days pass

By this point my blood is beginning to boil, so at this point i call back and speak to the same manager again and am forced to go through this whole story again. The best i can achieve is a call back in 24 hours as apparently (insert name of large telecoms company) home computing customer services have the amazing ability of not being contactable by the customers ( a new and frankly staggering approach by companies that clearly have no interest in after sales service)

about 30 minutes later as i am on my way home i get a message on my answerphone (they managed to call during the 5 minute period on my trip home where i have no service) the message refers me to the number i was given before which demands an account number!

By this point i have almost entireley lost my rag and call this number again, 15 minutes of fighting the urge to ask what the f*ck they are playing at results in me managing to get my account number and then being informed that i need to call back tomorrow as the warranty people have all gone home.

Must resist urge to track down (insert name of large telecoms company) home computing customer services manager and instruct him in appropriate methods of compalint handling with a red hot poker!

So what do you recon are the chances of actually gettin it fixed and back to you?

Take some deep breaths!




and sharpen that poker!

Well arranty guys called today, they've located my laptop at t*shiba and are sending the warranty papers to them and arrange the repair (free of charge) tomorrow

although based on past experience this should all be described as "alledgedly"

I bought my laptop through my work's HCI and considering the kerfuffle in getting the thing delivered to me in the first place, I sincerely hope my laptop doesn't break down

Well stone the crows, positive progress at last. the extended warranty detailarrivced in the post yesterday and i just got a call this morning to say the laptop is being fixed and should be ready in a couple of days! woo!

Great news!

So is it fixed and ready to rock and le roll?