Circuit City/GE Zurich
Circuit City Rip-Off Re: Extended Service Warranty for Laptop

I purchased my Compaq 1930 laptop from Circuit City, Daly City, CA on February 7 for $2000. I received a hefty reduction in price because it was a floor model. An extended warranty was purchased at the same time for $429 with the understanding that Circuit City did its own repairs. This was an important factor for me becauswe I live in Washington State as well as California and I was assured I could have it repaired at any Circuit City.

Shortly after September 11 I downloaded an American Flag for my desktop and a patriotic screensaver. Within a few days I noticed a horizontal line across the screen. This occurred while I was in WA and because I would be leaving for CA in November, I opted to wait and have it repaired at the Circuit City in Daly City, CA.

Upon my return to CA I immediately took the computer to CC to be repaired. I was told they no longer did in-house repairs for laptops and was given a telephone number to call for service. I placed the call for service. The technician ran the computer through some tests and determined it was most likely a software problem/and or VIRUS. My thoughts raced... Could this possibly be a virus picked up by my patriotic screensaver? The technician advised running a virus program. I told him I would take the computer to my neighbor, a computer technician, and we would both get on the telephone with him. He ran us through more tests. The virus program verified that there were no viruses to be found on the computer. This technician also advised me that before I could send the computer in for service, he would have to walk me through a total erasure of my hard drive and that I would be responsible for saving any data I didn't want to lose in the process. He also told me that 95% of the time, this horizontal line across the screen is caused by software problems.

My neighbor advised me to buy a zip drive to save my data, costing me $265, plus I paid Skydesk/backup another $50 to back up my genealogy files.

Alas, on January 22 I placed another call to the service technician to tell him I was ready to go through the steps to erase my hard drive. This technician began telling me once again that I needed a "bootable virus program" to test the computer. What, I said... We've been through this already... Let me write this down... What did you say I needed?" HE HUNG UP ON ME.

I placed a second call and got another technician. This new technician advised me they no longer run the virus test, nor do they erase the hard drive. He put the computer through another test lasting almost 1 hour and again determined it was not a software problem. He would order a shipping box be sent to me.

My shipping box arrived and on January 30 I photographed the computer on all sides and sent it via UPS to them for repair.

I returned from Utah on February 9 to find a message on my answering machine from Katie at Computer Parts Unlimited telline me "Unfortunately GE has denied service because of tap separation". She went on to say "that's when you hold the screen a certain way and over time it flexes the screen... If you have any questions call 800-555-4615".

On February 10, I placed a call to that number. Tony #4659 answered my call and calmed me down and told me his version of tap separation. He said that tap separation meant that the computer was ABUSED. I informed him that I'm a 58 year old female, that I took extremely good care of this computer and in no way did I abuse this laptop.

Several technicians told me that 95% of the time the line was caused by software or virus problems. Not one mentioned tap separation. COULD IT BE THAT EVERY COMPUTER RECEIVED WITH A HORIZONTAL LINE THAT ISN'T CAUSED BY SOFTWARE/VIRUS ENDS UP IN THAT CATEGORY SO THE SERVICE PROVIDER CAN DENY REPAIR? HOW DO I KNOW THAT THE TECHNICIAN WHO TOOK IT APART TO EXAMINE IT DIDN'T CAUS THIS TAP SEPARATION?

I was not given a service agreement when I purchased the extended warranty service spelling out exactly what is or what is not covered. I took the word of the CC salesman, Mr. Dung Hoang that I needed this contract because as he put it, "screens on laptops always break and any defects would be covered".

The above is the exact letter I wrote to Computer Parts Unlimited, P.O. Box 551756, Dallas, TX 75355. I was also given a FAX number, so I tried to fax the letter. I had been given the wrong fax number so I placed another call. This time I got technician Jessica #4131. She put me on hold and went over my case. When she finally came back on the line here's what she told me..."tap separation happens when you try to open the lid without unlatching it".

I now have 3 different versions of what causes tap separation.

The laptop was returned to me on February 12. I removed it from its box, plugged it in and turned it on. The lid was wobbly. It was not wobbly when I sent it in to be repaired. This computer was damaged by someone, either by taking it apart, or deliberate.

By February 15, I still had not received a response to my letter or fax, so I placed a call. I was told that Daryl was handling my case and he had my letter. On February 16 I received a call from Daryl asking "how can I help you"? He had my 5-page letter. I told him I wanted my computer fixed. I had thought my fax letter had gone to Circuit City Corporate Office, but instead, Daryl turned out to be a representative of GE Computer Support Plus (the warranty company). He refused to hear my words and again denied my request to fix my laptop. Abuse, he said, was not covered under the warranty.

So, I packed up the laptop and headed to Circuit City, Daly City. My lucky day, the store manager was in. He looked at my documentation and within 15 minutes, he issued a store credit. Happy ending for me. I left with a new laptop, after nearly 4 months of hell dealing with those idiots from Computer Parts Unlimited, aka GE Zurich, aka GE Computer Support Plus.

Sharon
Moss Beach, California

Company: Circuit City/GE Zurich
Country: USA
State: California
City: Daly City
Address: Store #53
Phone: 6507550101

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