Laptop sent in for repairs - returned in worse condition!

<p>I took my laptop to Dion Wired Woodlands in the morning on the 6th of February 2017. I explained to the technician at the store that, when switching on the laptop, the screen would light up but remain blank. After the problem started I had been successfully working on the laptop using an external display (screen) for a full week before I took the device in (therefore indicating that the issue with the laptop was, in fact the monitor). The technician explained to me that he would have a look at the laptop, and if possible, fix it at the store in Woodlands. If he was not able to do so, he stated that the laptop would then be sent in for an evaluation and that a quote for possible repairs would be sent to me. I enquired as to how long the repair would take and the technician assured me that it would take 5-8 working days.</p> <p> </p> <p>After 5 working days (on Monday,13th February), I had not yet received a quotation and therefore decided to phone the repair company (Incredible Solutions) to find out if any progress had been made. The lady that I spoke to explained to me that the quotation was being prepared at the time and that she would phone me back later in the day with more details (a phone call that I never received). This process was repeated on the 14th and 15th of February and each time the only feedback anyone could give me was that somebody else was busy with the quotation.</p> <p>The 15th of February marked the 8th working day since I had taken the laptop in, and I had still not received a quote. Since it became very clear that no progress was being made, I requested the address of Incredible Solutions so that I could personally go and fetch my device. Upon making this statement I was told that I would be allowed to fetch the laptop, but that I would have to pay a rejection fee. As I had not yet received a quotation, had already spent a significant amount of time and money enquiring about the repairs, and would have to drive from Pretoria to Germiston to fetch the laptop, I made it clear that I was not prepared to pay this fee. Only after stating that I was not prepared to pay the rejection fee did I manage to get a quotation. The quotation given to me telephonically was for R13 000, to replace the motherboard (the precise amount I had paid for the laptop, just less than 2 years before). Since I had successfully worked with the laptop for over a week using an external screen, I found it very strange that the entire motherboard had to be replaced. Nevertheless, I took an afternoon off from work and went to collect my laptop from Incredible Solutions in Germiston.</p> <p> </p> <p>After travelling over 120 km to collect the laptop from Incredible Solutions, I noticed that when switching on the laptop, an error message appeared in the top left corner of the screen stating that the HDD could not be detected. This was an error which I had never seen before, indicating that during the time the laptop was in for repairs, something had been tampered with. Therefore, I immediately took my laptop to another computer company to be evaluated and repaired. At this store, it was explained to me that while my initial problem was likely due to a faulty screen or connection, the error message displayed indicated that it was now probable that the motherboard was faulty.</p> <p> </p> <p>At Dion Wired, Woodlands, it was made clear to me that repairs would only be performed after I had received a quotation and given my consent for the repairs to be done. From the new problems that my laptop now has, it is clear that, despite not having my consent, something in my device has tampered with. Furthermore, I have since received a quotation from another company as to the cost of fixing the motherboard. The quotation given by this company is for R1800.00 in contrast to the R13 000 quoted by Incredible Solutions (to fix a problem that they caused).</p> <p> </p> <p>After laying complaints with Dion Wired and Incredible Solutions, none of my issues were addressed but, rather arrogantly, I was just sent the technical report of the evaluation done at Incredible Solutions. Nevertheless, this report validated several of the issues outlined in my initial complaint.</p> <p>1. The initial problem with the laptop was that of a faulty screen.</p> <p>2. My laptop was tampered with, even though I had not received any quote or given my consent for repairs to be made.</p> <p>3. From the period that I gave my laptop in at Dion Wired Woodlands, to the time when I personally had to collect it from Incredible Solutions, in Germiston, my laptop went from a state where it was usable with an external display to one where the motherboard was damaged, thereby making the device completely useless to me.</p> <p>In conclusion, I sent my laptop in to be repaired and after wasting a lot of time and money, I am now in a severely worse situation than I was before the laptop was taken in. While the repair company in question is Incredible Solutions, Dion Wired Woodlands is ultimately the responsible party as it was to them that I entrusted my laptop.</p> <p> </p> <p>For anyone considering purchasing or having products repaired at Dion Wired Woodlands or Incredible Solutions (Germiston) be prepared to have your devices destroyed and be subjected to the worst customer service ever!</p>