I've had this computer about 2.5 months and it has this blue dot on the screen which is because it has a dead pixel in the screen, I have more than twenty computers which are older some as old as 5 years and none of them has a single dead pixel but Toshiba is trying to tell me this is normal for the display to have a few dead pixels, anything which has been designed for a specific function and does not perform that said function is broken or defective, there was no warranty read to me upon purchase that stated anything about if there should happen to be dead pixels and unless they were greater than 10 pixels Toshiba would not warranty the LCD display, all that was said is the computer had a 1 year warranty for parts and labor, Now anyone like me would never buy a product with a crazy policy that if one of the primary components like the screen would not be covered unless there was a major defect of 10-13 pixels. If Toshiba can’t produce computers to the same standards as all the other computer manufacturers can then they should stop making computers. Toshiba should honor their warranty and stop trying to stiff the consumers with their poor manufacturing problems. I’m not the one that decided to have the computer made in China. One dead pixel bothers me and it can be seen, what about 10 or more ….. Even one pixel out is a defect no matter what Toshiba says the pixel has a certain function which is to present a visual presentation on the screen and when that pixel can’t present that specific information there is a color that should not be presented in the information on the screen which is now a blue dot on a black background.

I made a YouTube version of this report, seen here:

http://youtu.be/bV4u1r6oEwk


I purchased a Toshiba Notebook and found that the “8” top-row key was broken and had fallen off. I bought myself a new key but, when I tried to install it, I realized that the metal underneath where I was supposed to insert the new “8” was bent. I could have put the key in, myself, but I would have to the shove the key in crookedly if I were to do so.

I called Toshiba and they sent me a box where I could ship my computer in for repairs.

I knew there was a problem when I saw the condition the box was in when I got the computer back. It was pretty beat up. When I opened the box itself I saw that there were what appeared to be skid marks under my computer.

When I opened up the box, the first thing I noticed was the fact that the key was in crooked. Toshiba had not taken the time and effort to replace the keyboard and instead shoved the key in like I could have done, myself.

As well, when I turned the computer on, I found that some of the computer screen's pixels had died while it was in their hands.

There was a laptop repair summary paper along with the computer. Here’s what it said:

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Repaired and Cared For On: 7/20/10 10:33 PM

Proudly Repaired by:

First Name Eric S. Tech ID eXeII


Serial Number: 4A197500Q

Service Order: V-19806219


Symptoms:

Case Detail: Key fell off

Customer CD/DVD disc shipped with unit.


Notes: Repaired keyboard key. Updated DMI & BIOS. Passed all tests

-----

As you might have noticed, the paper acknowledged the fact that the key had fallen out, but there was no mention of the metal piece underneath being either damaged or repaired.

When I called customer service, they said they were going to simply list is under “Problem not fixed” and that they were going to do something about the screen.

They did not acknowledge my mention of the metal piece despite my attempts to bring it up numerous times.

I received a second shipping box in the mail on July 27th. It was horribly damaged. I’m not comfortable with shipping my computer back to them in what they sent me. In fact, I shouldn’t be considering shipping out the computer at all.

The only thing I need is the address to send my replacement part to. I'm only under warranty for a few more weeks and my AC Adapter went bad. I do not have a credit card to go through the process of letting them hold $145 on a card to send me a part, so that I could send them the old one back. ONE of the case managers that actually helped somewhat said I could send my part first, then they will send the new part when they receive it, BUT NOBODY KNOWS THE ADDRESS TO SEND IT TO. I talked to 3-4 case managers, customer service 4 times, technical support, who in turn, sent me back to customer service. The last call was at 8:24 am today, where the customer service rep had me on hold forever waiting for a case manager, then redirected me to the automated system, then the system hung up on me. All I need is the address that would be on the returned parts envelope that they would send. Nobody in the whole company seems to know this address. And they just cost me $89 for a new adapter and numerous daytime minutes spent. This is the worst customer service I've ever had.

So back in december I bought a Toshiba Satellite A505-s6980 while in Houston at Best buy, for 600 dollars plus tax, which was a great price I thought. Also included international warranty, which I thought was great since I live and work in Mexico. So I bought the laptop and started using it and realized that the indicator leds at the front of the laptop weren't working correctly, so I went back to Best buy after Christmas and they gave me a new laptop.

A few days later I went back to Mexico and started getting an error saying my hard drive was about to fail, laptop wasn't even 2 weeks old. So I contacted the repair centers near me and they all said it would be the equivalent of 150 dollars to fix the laptop, which I thought was ridiculous since a new hard 500gb Sata hard drive for a laptop, even in Mexico, costs less than 115 dollars.

I started calling the toshiba headquarters in Mexico city, and all I kept getting was rude technical support people who told me that I shouldn't have bought a Toshiba laptop if I didn't like the guarantee or to take advantage of a future trip to the states to get the laptop fixed. Which obviously was absurd because what kind of laptop maker says that? After many calls to them I finally got through to the boss of Customer Care, who said they couldn't do anything because it was their company policy to set a fixed rate of 150 dollars to fix the laptop and I should really take advantage of a trip to get it fixed. I asked him how he can explain that a "warranty" is charging me 150 dollars and that if I go to any computer store I can get the actual part for the equivalent of 115 dollars. He said that the hard drive was "special", which obviously is bs, and that they get all the parts from the US and that shipping costs that amount. Obviously I wasn't born yesterday and I know that 150 dollars to send a hard drive, even internationally is a complete lie.

I put a complaint with PROFECO in Mexico, which supposedly helps customers with abusive product providers. It took them 4 months to do different processes to talk to toshiba and what not, and all that toshiba offered was a 10% discount to get this fixed, which obviously is completely absurd, because why should I have to pay for badly made parts sold to me from Toshiba. One of the people from toshiba also tried saying that the part that was failing, is something they don't warranty because it is not a toshiba part. This is ridiculous considering that, 1) it is a part Toshiba sells, they need to take responsability for what they sell, and 2) the hard drive is Toshiba brand... In the end nothing was resolved with PROFECO, because they don't have any laws in Mexico against constumer warranty abuse on pcs and laptops...

Obviously I will never buy Toshiba again nor will I ever recommend that brand to anyone, as I basically have had to pay 650 Dollars (including Tax), 115 dollars new hard drive, plus countless time arguing with toshiba, 35 dollars of international calls to toshiba USA.

Toshiba is by far the worst laptop provider ever.

Purchased a laptop along with 2 year extended warranty in Aug of 09 from Walmart. Screen had glitches in June 10. Contacted Walmart who informed me 2 year extended did not come into effect until 1 year manufacturers was up. Contacted Toshiba. Nothing but obstacles and jumping through hoops to register product had to call 3 diff #'s and fax original receipt + personal info in all for nothing. This process took a week and a half only for them to tell me they dont cover parts - it would be $400+ to have it repaired; which is more that I paid for the laptop. I asked for them to send somethig stating they wont cover the repair so my Walmart warranty can take effect and they wont. Called Walmart and very helpful lady (SHONDA) helped me. Walmart contacted Toshiba and after much struggle (I was conferenced on the call) the lady ended up talking to her supervisor @ Walmart and called me back. I take from it that Walmart will be changing their information to state that Toshiba's 1 year manufacturers only cover parts for 3 mos or something like that... In the end it looks like Walmart will be helping me but I will never again purchase a TOSHIBA product and I will make sure to let everyone I know and come in contact with that TOSHIBA IS A JOKE!