[felbie]

I think its only fair after all the good reviews of safeware to give people another look at this company.
This issue was originally not with safeware but more a problem with the company they contract out to, which is The Laptop Guy.


I made my claim on the 19th of December, a day or two later a box ends up on my doorstep preaddressed to The Laptop Guy. the laptop is sent to them with an outline of the problems I was having, Loud noise coming from the computer, the speakers didnt work. loose keys, loose lcd, the lcd casing is misaligned and rubbing against the top case, large dents(bulging) on both sides of the computer, more on the right side. and things started getting behind the lcd, very visible. as well as loose keys that would pop off.

I send the laptop out and they recieved it on the 21st, i called up safeware a couple of days after christmas to see if they had a diagnosis(Laptop Guys website boasts that they diagnose the day they recieve the computer.It wasnt done yet. I was told that the whole repair takes 7-10 business days, plus a day or two more if parts needed to be ordered. Almost a week later they finally diagnose that the hard drive needs to be replaced. I said alrite and asked about the speakers and other problems that I was having. Laptop Guy was e-mailed about the problems and a week later theyre still waiting on the part. no ones looked at the machine again yet. I was also told a 60 GB hard drive was ordered to replace my 80 gb hard drive. I then recieved the number directly to laptop guy, I spoke to name redacted, who stated he "runs the safeware show over here" I expressed my concern with the time it was taking to get the part and the original diagnosis time. also the fact that nothing else was even addressed yet. He told me that the computer did not start up when they recieved it. He told me that the hard drive was scanned and had multiple bad sectors.

also told me he would look at it personally. I called back a few days later to find out that the parts should be in at the end of the week, and that the speakers were working. I asked him how they tested the speakers with no audio source, since the computer didnt start. He didnt have an answer. Meanwhile he said he didnt notice the problems that I mentioned on the computerand that maybe they fixed it and it didnt need to be replaced. and He couldnt see the dust and hair getting under the screen, I explained that he would not see it until the LCD was on

They recieved the hard drive supposedly that friday, I was told to call him back, I called throughout the day with no answer, no returned calls. I call safeware and they tell me that they recieved an affidavit for the logic board. I try again to call the laptop guy to find out about this, multiple people put notes on his computer and I didnt get a call back at all, I called the following monday and finally got through. I am now told "well your speakers were working but now theyre not" I reassured him that they never worked and told him I was upset that nothing was properly diagnosed.

Meanwhile he still had not acknowledged the other problems. He gets the computer in front of him and then tells me that this is the first time he has seen the computer. Although he told me he didnt see the damage before, he still tells me he didnt see it. I reiterated the keyboard problem and what not. He says hes going to order the keyboard, I asked him to call me back with anupdate. he calls back 10 minutes later and tells me that as of 30 seconds ago, he had ordered the keyboard and logic board. I then called Mike Cole who is a supervisor at safeware and he got involved and got them to overnight the parts and then overnight the computer. I recieved the computer and was quite upset when i found that the separation of the case was still there, the screen was not altered at all, the keyboard was not replaced and my hard drive still had everything on it. my speakers did work though. I called other name redacted and told him about this and also told him I would bring the computer to apple so I can compare the case issues and the screen. to be fair. I went there, and then called him back and let him know. He asked me to have them look at the computer and get a quote and to determine whether the problems would "affect the integrity of the machine" and was not purely cosmetic, because that is the distinction I was given between cosmetic and noncosmetic damage. I wait around for about 3 hours to get someone to look at the machine. they give me a quote of 1017.00 to fix the machine completely. and a turn around time of 2 weeks. I send Mike Cole the quote the following day and I get an e-mail back stating that the condition reported at the apple store was inconsistent with the way it left the shop according to the technician. and that I would need to send it back, when I have time because I am in school and need to use the computer for it. He cannot authorize an 1100 dollar repair after already spending 1000 to fix it, without seeing it again. Now why would I want to send it back to the same company that messed up in the first place?. so to recap.


They had the computer for almost a month, I recieved it back and the only problem that was fixed was the speakers. The hard drive had NOT been replaced. turns out that wasnt the problem, it was the logic board. So 1 month, no significant repair. After I questioned the logic board because my serial number was still available. I was then told that the logic board was not replaced, just the audio portion of it.


They offer to order parts prior to me shipping the computer that way the repair can be done immediately and I wont be inconvenienced anymore. I said I would consider it.

I send pictures of the damage and I am now being told that before they consider paying to fix anything else they need it back as a seperate claim, no rushing, no expediting, brand new claim. they are saying that the damage is so apparent that it had to have happened after. they didnt do antyhing wrong and theyre basically saying Im lying about the condition. the original offer is off the table and they basically have no regard for my inconvenience in this situation.

note that this problem is MAINLY with the laptop guy. Unfortunately this is the company they use for their repairs, if you use someone else, you have to wait 2 weeks after the repair is done to get your computer back. Safeware is a good idea. if it is actually carried out properly, needless to say I am stuck now with a computer with over a thousand worth of damage and no reasonable resolution without large amounts of inconvenience, at this point I am awaiting a call from a supervisor to get this situation taking care of, if not there will be a complaint to the better business bureau and a lot of bad publicity for them.

Take this as a supplement to all of the positive reviews of safeware. and take it in your own context. but buyer beware.

[mduell]

Didn't you already post this once? I swear there was a similar horror story (Safeware and The Laptop Guy) a few weeks ago.

[romeosc]

Originally Posted by mduell 

Didn't you already post this once? I swear there was a similar horror story (Safeware and The Laptop Guy) a few weeks ago.

http://forums.macnn.com/69/powerbook...re-laptop-guy/


Different user story! Maybe The Laptop Guy is doing more of Safewares work!

[felbie]

Thats the way it seems, I warned the supervisor I spoke to at safeware that laptop guy is going to start dragging their name through the mud. and its already starting. Safeware is now going to order the parts that might need to be replaced and have the same company who is saying it didnt leave their in that condition rediagnose it. to determine the cause of damage. this was not an issue before the issue was that they IGNORED the damage completely.

ordinarily I would think they would see damage, determine the cause that way if its not something they cover, it wont be covered, but sending it back completely untouched after having it for an excessive amount of time.

Props to safeware though for doing whats within their power to make this right, Im accepting the offer to send it in with the parts preordered and an expedited repair/diagnosis. If all this doesnt happen. well, Ill be pissed to say the least..

Unfortunately the only other option would have been arbitration which wouldnt have been financially beneficial, but if you have a repair from safeware, INSIST on using a different repair facility then laptop guy, even if they send you a preaddressed box to them. theyre not the right people for the job


My personal opinion is that laptop guy is scamming safeware. After I mentioned the fact that I thought my hard drive wasnt replaced I was told it was the logic board not the hard drive, when I expressed concern that the logic board wasnt replaced i was told that it wasnt the logic board, just a portion of it. All I want is my powerbook to look and run good again.

Thank you for listening to my complaining

[LaptopGuy]

Removed Removed Removed

[jdfan]

Hmm... well, I can offer one additional data point. I recently dropped my macbook (in a bag, only a few inches but on a concrete floor) and destroyed the screen. I don't have Safeware so I dealt direct w/ Laptop Guy. They/he got me a shipper really quick and had it fixed and back in an amazingly short time. All told it was 10 business days from when I contacted them to when I got my mac back. And the price was reasonable, competitive with other vendors.

[felbie]

I did not say that this WAS the case i said that its what it seemed like to me, considering everytime I mentioned a part that I thought wasnt replaced that I was told WAS replaced it ended up not being replaced only after it was brought up. I am sure your company does great work, But I know what my computer looked like when it left and I know what it looked like when it came back. I am sending the computer back to name redacted, which I believe he is bringing it over to you guys to rediagnose and hopefully repair. I dont know what happened on that end but I know my computer was not fixed and I do know that problems were ignored rather than denied to warranty. Also my warranty ran out while the laptop guy had my computer for an excessive amount of time. specifically 2 days before it was recieved. If this were a warranty issue, it would have been covered, Im not making accusations, im only stating the condition in which I received my computer and it is exact to the way it left. If things get made right Ill be happy to take back my complaints. But like I said before, If i had received the computer back in a timely fashion. without mixed diagnosis of what happened to the computer. as well as if I had not specifically told various employees or people who "run the safeware show" over there, exactly where to look and it was still not fixed, thats where my complaints come in, Its not fun to be without your computer for a month when its supposed to be 7-10 days. and to get it back without it being fixed is not very comforting. Hopefully this will be resolved...

[felbie]

JDFan, im glad your experience was better than mine. Hopefully you will be posting on here more than just to share a good experience with laptop guy . I noticed you only have one post and its this one. so come back some more

[Cross]

Its companys like this that cause problems for so may of us.

I am sorry to hear about whats happening to your unit. I hope it finally gets resolved. If not here is a place to post about both places that unlike the better business bureau will not be removed ever:


Rip-off Report.com - badbusinessbureau.com
---Seems they are not only on the BBB boards as pointed out in the other thread but also on this site as well---

Good luck and make sure you take all the steps you can if they fall through. Your protecting more of us then you know *thumbs up* for looking out for the community!

[rach]

A lot of these companies just do not have enough staff working for them. If that is the case here tend i would tend to think the fault would rest more with Safeway. I have been in a computer repair store before where there was only one staff who could fix computers and they took on just too many jobs so the delay was just too long.
OP-I hope that there is a resolution to your problem soon.

[Cross]

Originally Posted by rach 

A lot of these companies just do not have enough staff working for them. If that is the case here tend i would tend to think the fault would rest more with Safeway. I have been in a computer repair store before where there was only one staff who could fix computers and they took on just too many jobs so the delay was just too long.
OP-I hope that there is a resolution to your problem soon.

I agree, however if your going to do major repairs for a facaility 30days is to long to not even have looked at a system. Hell 10 days is to long.

I also own a repair center. I have since 2001 as well as recently opening a PC Gaming Center. You have to know your limits. If you can not do something you must let the company know as making customers suffer is not the right answer.

[felbie]

Thanks for the support and the website, im hoping they can make things right. and to clarify im not saying they damaged the computer, the damage that was there was not fixed or acknowledged. IF something was not covered, You note the problem, and explain why it wasnt covered(i.e. Warranty Issue, Wear and Tear, etc..) you do not send the computer back with no acknowledgment of the issue at all and then deny the damage was ever there. One of the dents on the case that is the main DENT that they disagree with was there before i sent it and there when i got it back. now maybe they bent it back and its POSSIBLE it was damaged during shipping, but the box didnt look to be damaged, and also, Im pretty sure when you have a metal like aluminum thats already bent, if there is ANY impact at all, the spot thats bent is going to take the damage, so if it took ANY damage in shipping, its going to pop right back out, in other words i assume it would lose its rigidity. It was very apparent to the people at the apple store(genius bar) Unfortunately i do not have the means to send it in until spring break, so I have to wait another month.

[bishopazrael]

A few things stand out about this. For background, I own Spaceage Computers in Albuquerque NM,(formerly of Portland Or.).

I've been doing repairs for quite a while now. First thing is that it sounds like the laptop guy needs to stop, rethink his operations and get adequetly staffed. You can't just blow customers off like that. If you have more than one complaint about a part of your service, consider them all valid and fix it.

Second. Please, laptop guy, stop with the canned responses. That makes me worry about your credibility all the more. For what it's worth, I worked for a guy who hardly spoke any english and would copy / paste paragraphs together for letters. OMFG! Seriously, take some pride and write your own letters.

Third, it sounds like the techs there aren't doing what they ought to be doing.

Fourth, it sounds like your case tracking and notation system needs help.

I'm a single owner/ operator so maybe its easier for me, but I can track any of my thousand odd customers right here on my laptop, I can tell you what i did for them last, on what machine, how much it cost, what parts were used and any other misc notes I make while on site.

Now I'm just a small business. If I can do that, why can't you?

Sorry but I won't be using Safeware or the laptop guy anytime soon.

Bishop

[felbie]

Just an update to let everyone know how Safeware/Laptop Guy ended up handling the situation,
I sent my powerbook back to them about 2 weeks ago, they received it and replaced the LCD assembly and repaired some of the dents which was all determined to be cosmetic, but either way the computer runs and they were able to take care of me and redeem themselves in my book, Thank You very much! They also replaced my power adapter which my dog did get a hold of, so its nice to be able to charge up again.

Anyways, good luck to anyone else who had a problem with them it seems like they are willing to make things right.