Travel Technology - IBM ThinkPad onsite service - extended warranty questions

I have one of these coverage options on my ThinkPad that is having the RAM problems I discussed in the other thread. Im wondering if anybody else here has similar coverage and what experience they have with the service. I will be in NYC Monday and Tuesday and am wondering if that will be time enough for them to fix my problem and return my laptop before I depart JFK Tuesday evening.

Gaucho, your best bet for some quicker information might be the ThinkPad listserv that I mentioned in the other thread. There is lots and lots of first-hand experience with IBM warranty work.

Thanks Chuck... http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/thumbsup.gif

When I recently bought my Thinkpad X31, I had a RAM problem also. IBM was more than willing to do depot service or send me a return box, pay freight, and do the repair within 48 hours.

Instead, I bought a 3 year onsite next business day warranty thingie, for less than $100. They came out, spent an hour fixing it, and I am happy. They called to make sure I was happy.

The other day I had a tech question. I called and explained my question, then realized I knew the answer. The next day, they called to make sure I was doing okay and if the question had been answered. I am extremely pleased with IBM's service.

Thanks for sharing your experience, Richard. Do you have the number you called handy..? Im now in NYC and need to call them early tomorrow morning to see if I can get this solved.

1-800-426-7378

Gracias Richard... http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/thumbsup.gif

de nada

So.. I scheduled a service call yesterday, the techie should be here today. At first they said they could not schedule a service call at a hotel and that I could not use a cell phone as a telephone contact, but I just placed a second service call, didnt identify the address as a hotel and just gave them my phone number (a 917 area code cellphone) and all seems to have worked.

I followed up today with a second call and they confirmed a technitian will be in touch this morning to schedule the time of service. So far, so good... http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/thumbsup.gif

Well... I guess things are not that easy. I called IBM twice more to verify what was going on, and despite promises from the telephone agent that the tech would get in touch with me, he never did. I guess I will have to transfer my warranty to the international program and see if they can fix this in EZE... http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/frown.gif

So I arrive in EZE today and check my messages on my US cellphone. I have 3 messages from the tech doode... I guess next day for IBM is one day after next.....

Ive transferred the warranty to the international coverage, lets see if IBM here in EZE can take care of this.

Warning: IBM onsite coverage taken out in the USA becomes bring into shop coverage when extended to international warranty.... http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/mad.gif

And the nightmare continues... http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/rolleyes.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/mad.gif

So, after doing all the paperwork and transferring over the warranty to Internaional Coverage, I contact the local support no. here in EZE. They take my service request, and refer me to a local authorized IBM dealer. I make an appointment to see them, they do a quick diags, and order the parts from IBM. Im supposed to call next day to schedule a time to conduct the repair. Next day I call, but they say that IBM will not honor the warranty unless I can produce official documentation of argentine customs related to my importation of the machine into the country.... http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/mad.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/rolleyes.gif

For Petesake, this is a USED laptop, I didnt need to go through any paperwork to get it into the country, and now the local subsidiary of big blue is giving me crap with red tape..??!!!!!!! Of course, when I call the US support no. they tell me its an issue with IBM Argentina and they cant make any exceptions...