I called Toshiba Support line concerning a problem with my laptop Satellite A505-S6005 Think twice about sending your laptop to Toshiba Repair Depot, do you know who is really taking your laptop apart? UPS!! Yes UPS story is below. Don't buy Toshiba Laptop again, Toshiba will not does not stand behind there product!

I called Toshiba Support line concerning a problem with my laptop two USB ports on the right hand side, they where loose and flopping around. I was told that I had a little over 30 days left on my warranty and I had to send my laptop to them for repair, a box would me mail to me. I asked why I could not take it to an authorized dealer here in my town? I was told when I register my laptop I didn't pay for that option, so either I mailed it to them or pay for the repair my self. I asked how long would it take for the box to be mail to me, two days I was told, I was also told when they received my laptop it would take about seven (7) days to repair it, that I needed to remove all password and backup all information I had on my laptop. After backing up all my information from my laptop, and getting it ready to be shipped to them, I took photos of my laptop and began searching to see if anyone else was having the same problem and I found so many of Toshiba laptops with the same problems.

I boxed up my laptop in the box that was sent to me, copied all information. My laptop was taken to UPS on December 29, 2010 at 10:38 a.m. and it was received by Toshiba repair depot on December 31, 2010 at 9:30 a.m. for repair. On January 04, 2011 at 4:12 p.m. I received a call from Toshiba @ 800-457-7777 telling me they received my laptop and it was being repaired,

January 17, 2011 I had not received a call, email, nothing telling me when my laptop will be returned to me. Its been approx Nine (9 Mon-Friday) business days and thirteen (13) total days. From my ipod I emailed them asking for the status of my laptop, I was told it should not take no more then seven days to repair the two right side USB ports that should have never come loose. Ive always trusted Toshiba laptops and have always told friends to buy Toshiba laptop, but not any more from what I'm finding out now, and going through. The information I'm finding, this is becoming a regular and major problem with Toshiba laptops.

After sending the email I received an out of office email then thirty min later I got another email telling me that I needed to call Toshiba that this was an non warranty issue and the cost would be $175.99 with a list of credit cards they take. I was upset, my laptop was still under warranty, Toshiba should know USB ports are used on a constant bases on a laptop for your cameras, external drives, flash drives, ipods, etc.These items are being plugged in and out of these USB ports and should not come loose. Why Toshiba didn't contact me on this issue, they had my laptop all this time and never contacted me until I contacted them.

On January 18, 2011 I called the 1-800-457-7777 number at 1:17 p.m. was placed on hold for 42 min, and 35 sec, my phone shows the time line. When a woman took my call at 1:58 p.m.I asked her name, Dorothy I was told, she asked me for my depot number and I gave it to her. She then went on to explain to me it would cost me $175.99 for what they call when they don't want to honor the warranty is an non warranty repair.

I said what!!, you have my laptop all this time and never once tried to contact me, and asked why was this an non warranty issue when my laptop is still under warranty, to make a long story short, I was told that plugging items into the USB ports and unplugging them will cause them to come loose and they call this over abuse use and that makes it an non warranty issue, then she stated are you going to pay the $175.99? I could not believe what this person just stated to me.

I told her NO! send my laptop back to me, with a letter explaining why they are calling this an non warranty issue, I also stated to her who I was contacting, she replied she didn't care, I asked to speak to a supervisor and she went on to say something else and again I was placed on hold, (music came back on the line) she came back and stated did you understand what I said, told her no, you cut me off, she stated she would be transferring me to costumer relation service, time now 2:03 p.m.

When a person answer the phone I asked who I was speaking with, I was told case manager, I then asked her for her name, she said it was Pearl, I explained the problem again to her, and she said the same, due to the fact that your plugging items into the USB port and unplugging, its an non warranty issue, I told her who I was contacting, she was also told that I wanted my laptop mail back. I have photos of my laptop before it was sent in. I also told her I wanted an letter explaining why this is an non warranty issue, she stated because your plugging and unplugging items into the usb ports this is over use and that makes it an non warranty issue. I told her that was a bunch of bull ???? I repeated what she said, "so when your plugging things in and unplugging them that is over use and that is how Toshiba gets out of not honoring there warranty", she said you should leave them in, I asked her did she just say, when you use your USB ports you should leave the item plugged in, she said yes, I told her what sense does that make, if that is the case, why do we need a laptop if it's not portable we might as well go back to desktop. She said I'm sorry. She said she would make a report and gave me an report number.

I also told her there's no excuse to keep someone on hold with no responds for forty two min (42 Min) and 35 sec, also no responds when you have my laptop for thirteen days (13) and you never tried to even contact me at all, no phone call, no email until I emailed you. You called to let me know you got my laptop but your going to hold it knowing your trying to pull a non warranty and not contact me. I repeated to her that I wanted my laptop back.

I told her everything that has taken place with Toshiba speaks volume about there company and how they treat there costumers. All she would say is I'm making a claim report and your laptop will be mail back to you. I asked her for the tracking number, that all she gave me was an report number she said they will call you with the tracking number and I told her they never contacted me about my laptop she said she would not have the tracking number they would call me. Call was ended at 2:09 p.m. 52 min and 35 seconds. I spent more time on hold then any help from Toshiba.

I did some more searching and really got upset when I found out who is really doing the repairs if they do them at all. Now I know why they would not allow me to take it to an authorized dealer, If I did I would have to pay the cost of repairs. Here's the kicker, Toshiba partnered with the United Parcel Service (UPS) to design a more efficient repair process. Customers are told to drop off their laptops at a UPS Store, from which they will be shipped to Toshiba for repairs and then sent back to the customer. The laptops are in fact shipped off to an authorized UPS-run repair facility in Louisville, Ky, Southern, IN, and some other places where UPS repairs the laptops themselves and ships them back to the customer directly. Toshiba does not even handle the laptops UPS does.

If I had known this and Toshiba should have told me that UPS would be doing the repairs I would have never sent my laptop to them, they can't deliver a package without damage, now I'm really worried about my laptop. Othere's have posted when there laptop came back it had worse problems then when they sent it in, and the main problem was never fixed. I checked on Jan 20, 2011 for the status of my laptop it's still showing repair status waiting for me to ok the repair for $175.99, I sent another email and told them to mail my laptop back to me, gave the report number that Pearl had given me and told them I was not paying anything, to send me my laptop undamaged.

I received an email reply stating my laptop was being mail back to me. As of today, Jan 23, 2011 it is still showing in repair status, no phone call telling me it's been mail with a tracking number. On Jan 24, 2011 late in evening I got an email telling me my laptop had been shipped on Jan 23, 2011 two day air, alone with a link to UPS for tracking here's the kicker, Tracking Number:N/A so that Tuesday Jan 25, 2011 I called them which if the information was correct I should had gotten my laptop but without a number I can't track it. I got a person name Jesi explain to her, gave her information she need she looked it up and is going to tell me maybe they haven shipped it yet, I read the email to her and she said have to transfer you. I got this time, person name Robin, explain the problem to her, she said she could not find anything either and she didn't know where my laptop was. So she was going to email them and call me in the morning the next day, I asked her to also email me. She said she could not do that. She gave me a REF number. Again I spent more time on hold then I did getting help. Have no clue where my laptop is.

Jan 25, 2011 No call from Robin at all, it's after 2:30p.m. at 2:50p.m. UPS brings my laptop, got my laptop video taped me opening up the box taking my laptop out, now being an repair shop that does not honor warranties, when I turn my system it, the first thing I got and it's on video was that nasty blue screen telling you windows was not shut down that data could have been lost etc. giving options it was on start windows normal, I just hit enter, still video it all. Notice my cover for the express slot was missing, other problems, so I called them, again explain to Ray what's missing, he tells me he has to transfer me. Here goes the games again, after holding and holding I got a Don, repair Depot center is where my call was sent to.

I told Don what was missing, he said did you send it. I told him I've never use the express slot the slot cover had never been taken off, and I want my express card slot cover! He asked me to hold on, then he comes back and ask me "What is an express slot cover" I said what? I then gave him the tech ID that had my laptop, I was told to hold on again. He comes back and say well we will mail it to you if we find it, he called out my address I told him you will send me my express slot cover period. Also I wanted an Ref number, he said we don't give that, ok, I said I want an Conformation on this, he said we don't give that either. OK, email me what we have talked about here, he said I can't do that, you just have to trust me. I said Trust you, you got to be kidding me. So when I got off the phone, I email the repair depot and emailed them every thing that was said and told them I want my cover, I have a large area that is left open on my laptop it was not like that when I sent it to you and I want my cover. I took photos before I sent them my laptop. If I had know before hand that USP does the repairs I would not have sent my laptop to them. I'm not going to let this rest, even If I have to take them to small claim court.

I've also noticed doing all the searching I've done, is there some form of connection between Toshiba and Best Buy, everything I've came across with Toshiba laptop problems and these non warranty or warranty issue the laptops where bought at best buy, are these laptops already damaged before we buy them?