I purchased and Averatec Laptop from Sam's Club over a year ago. At that time I also purchased an extended service agreement with N.E.W. Through Sam's Club. Within the last few months I began having problems with my laptop... The hinges were cracked (which was listed as cosmetic damage), but eventually the entire LCD housing began coming apart. The CD drive had ceased working, the USB ports had stopped, a fan had died within the machine, and the keyboard had warped from heat build-up caused by the broken fan.
I contacted N.E.W. Through the Sam's Club Service Agreement number I was provided and they said they would send me a box to ship my computer to a service provider (CyberTest). At that time, the box was shipped to the wrong address, so I never recieved it. I again contacted N.E.W. And this time they sent a box to the correct address. I shipped the computer out and within two weeks recieved it back.
The CD drive had been replaced, which was good, as had the fan which had stopped inside the machine. At this time I also noticed that the computer's PCMCIA card port, which had been working when I sent the unit to CyberTest had stopped working and that the LCD housing was in even worse shape.in addition, the USB ports were still nonfunctional. I contacted N.E.W. Who told me to contact the service provider CyberTest. CyberTest informed me that they would need authorization from the Authorizations Department of N.E.W.in order to fix the LCD housing, and told me it did, indeed, look like the housing was begining to come apart (or so I was told by someone representing himself as a technician) so N.E.W. Would most likely authorize them to repair that aspect of the computer. He said I should note where the case was coming apart with tape arrows and in documentation and return the unit. They would also repair the USB ports and the PCMCIA slot.
A week later I contacted N.E.W. As to the progress of my computer and they informed me that CyberTest had contacted them with a report saying that I had opened the unit, damaged the internal components, and voided the warranty. I was, in a word, shocked.
Just a week prior CyberTest had been telling me that they agreed that the housing was coming apart, from normal wear and tear, and now I was to understand I was being accused of intentionally damaging the computer. The N.E.W. Service representative I spoke with said that I would be contacted by the N.E.W. Authorizations Department concerning the report, that "no decisions have been made" and they would help me deal with the issue.
Well, when I hadn't heard back from the Authorizations Department I contacted N.E.W. Again (through the Sam's Club Service Agreement number I was provided on my contract). This time I was connected to a "Floor Supervisor" who informed me that "Authorizations isn't somebody you _get_ to talk to" and that CyberTest told them I had voided the warranty and so I was no longer under contract with them. She informed me that I should contact CyberTest to inquire about the report they had sent N.E.W., which I did.
CyberTest responded that they had taken photos of the portions of the computer needing repairs and sent them to N.E.W., and that under no circumstances would they (CyberTest) accuse me of intentionally damaging the computer. All decisions as to the warranty and contract were the domain of N.E.W... Who had just told me, not five minutes earlier, that it was CYBERTEST who had made a determination on my responsibility in the matter.
So now I'm left feeling like I'm being accused of something by some ephemeral group I'm intentionally not allowed to speak to. I can't talk to CyberTest technicians, I'm not allowed to talk to N.E.W. Authorizations Personel, and so, it seems, at any point when N.E.W. Feels like they don't want to repair a product they can decide to blame the consumer and void my contract. I'm very distressed about this. At no time did I open or in any way attempt to break or repair an internal component of this laptop. The LCD housing IS broken, through normal wear and tear. This laptop is used for work on a daily basis, the lid is opened and closed several times a day. I understood when fractures appeared that laptops undergo stress and that was normal. I attempted to mitigate the problem, not open the laptop as often, and even put some tape on the OUTSIDE of the case to help minimize the damage.
Eventually, however, the problem became so severe that I felt it necessary to call N.E.W. For help. This is, after all, why I purchased a warranty. If the product failed during the time of the warranty, N.E.W. Was supposed to help me make it right. The product failed... Not through misuse, not through damage, but through daily wear and tear which my contract lists in rather large print as being covered.
I've tried to be as understanding as I could be. Once the problems had become physically debilitating issues with the computer, however, I thought it was time for N.E.W. To put it right.instead I'm ACCUSED (and it feels very much like an accusation) of damaging the product and informed that my contract is void.
This doesn't feel like customer service, it feels like N.E.W. Took their cut from Sam's Club and I'm left holding the bag. I'm VERY dissatisfied with the run-around, with the accusations, and the general fact that I'm not receiving the assurance that I supposedly paid for in buying an extended warranty.
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