Bruce, I'm really sorry you're missing my point.
1) If you read my story carefully, the "ETA unknown" didn't come up until three days after the machine was received. Prior to that it was ETA February. Although >you< said it wouldn't be 5 months, >IBM< said it would be, and that's all that's relevant as far as my complaining about my service experience goes. I was told 5 months in the same conversation where I was encouraged to accept an XGA screen. Anyway, this point is minor compared to my main point.
I was reporting the facts sequentially for the interpretation of the list. We can all interpret them differently, but please don't get confused about what actually happened.
2) The guy today offered me an XGA screen when HE KNEW SXGA's were likely available. As soon as I repeated my refusal to him, he acknowledged that he knew about the SXGA's before he called me. Explain to me why he didn't tell me about the SXGA shipment BEFORE asking me again to accept the XGA. THAT is the focus of my complaint.
The stuff you say in your message below does not apply to the story I have reported. I am not focusing my complaint on the delay. The delay is less than optimal, and runs counter to the estimate IBM had given me when I mailed them the machine, so that's a less than optimal situation. But that is NOT the focus of my complaint.
And I'm sorry that you decided to personalize it by characterizing what kind of customer I am. If you read my complaint carefully, I was specifically misled by a manager, who admitted to me that he already had information suggesting that I would be foolish to accept his offer of an inferior replacement.
If you are defending that manager's behavior, then perhaps you are letting us know what kind of a seller you'd be.
As has been mentioned repeatedly by others on this list, one reason people pay a premium price for IBM's is that they expect superior repair service. If you would describe my situation as superior, then I suppose we'd never come to agreement.
I am grateful to yours and the other Thinkpad list members' contributions in this issue, which have been very helpful. Like I said, I'll report back with a final update when the machine comes back to me.
- TK
At 02:40 PM 9/17/04 -0400, Bruce Markowitz wrote:
>I think you have gone off the deep end. ETA unknown does not mean 6 months,
>it always means a few days to two weeks max, and I told you that before.
>Someone gave you bad info, that is not the same as "IBM lies".
>Dan Rather lies, but that's another matter!
>They offered you an XGA screen because those were on hand, and they could
>get it fixed the same day and on the way back to you. That is GREAT service.
>You yourself agreed that they told you they would take it back and replace
>the screen again when the better screen was available.
>So what exactly did you want? They DID NOT HAVE THE SCREEN ON HAND. So they
>offered a "reasonable" replacement immediately, with a promise of the update
>when available.
>Try to get Compaq to give you an offer like that!
>And, in all, this is FOUR DAYS. Are you kidding? In the past I have had
>Sonys and Toshibas in factory service for SIX WEEKS!
>Personally, I would not want any customers like you, you are totally
>unreasonable. I agree that someone gave you bad information, but when you
>posted here, you received what turned out to be the right info, based on our
>experience. OK, you are correct, IBM did not have the proper screen sitting
>on the shelf just awaiting your call. Of that, they are guilty. But get off
>your soapbox. Four days???? Immediate temporary repair??
>What the heck else could they offer you if the part was not instantly
>available?
>Grow up. You do not get a new machine because of a four day wait for service
>(I have a feeling that is what you were angling for). You will almost
>certainly get a brand new screen, they do use "servicable used parts" at
>times, but that screen is uncommon enough that probably you will get a new
>one. If there is a problem with the screen they give you, just send it back
>and they will replace it again. What more could anyone do for you?
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "TK" <kmysql@counterfolk.com>
>
>> Another important fact is that the manager today repeated the offer of an
>XGA screen, and then in the next breath, after I repeated my refusal,
>proceeded to inform me that SXGA's are probably available anyway.
>>
>> >>> b) I was clearly baited to accept an inferior replacement by someone
>who immediately admitted that he already knew that a better option was
>already available. <<<
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Received on Fri Sep 17 15:13:42 2004
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