nuff said
Toshiba makes good computers, I have to admit, but the level of customer support offered is pathetic. The following is the text of a letter I'm sending to the head of Toshiba America and Toshiba Japan. "*****" indicates an omission.
February 7, 2005
Hideo Ito
Toshiba America, Inc.
1251 Avenue of the Americas
Suite 4110
New York, NY 10020
**************
Dear Mr. Ito:
I?m writing out of anger and frustration at my treatment by Toshiba. I purchased a Toshiba Tecra M2 through Toshiba Direct earlier this year. The computer has given me nothing but problems ? all of which are Toshiba?s doing (as you will see below). I need you to help fix this problem. I?m a ****** and I should be in your target market for the computer, which, as you know, is the top-of-the-line business mobile laptop. Instead, after spending over $2,200 on the computer, I?ve gotten nothing but excuses and lies from Toshiba personnel. If I receive no help from you, I intend to publicize this treatment by Toshiba to every person I can ? I am that fed up.
I configured and ordered the computer on Jan 15, 2005, and the computer was shipped to me on January 24, 2005. I have included the email receipt. The Serial No. of the computer is **********.
There was an immediate and serious problem with the computer: The Super Multi CD/DVD Drive would not close. I spent many minutes talking to Toshiba technicians who at first tried to treat this as a ?software problem.? After much back and forth, I was sent a box to send the computer to the Toshiba repair Depot. I specifically asked that the computer be sent back to me overnight because I was in urgent need of it. I also sent the following note in the shipping box:
I need this computer for work, so I would appreciate your taking care of the problem soon. If you replace the drive, please make sure that the new drive is also a super multi drive, because I will need to record DVDs.
The computer was sent back after ?repair? by 2 day mail. I found out that Toshiba had ?fixed? the problem by replacing the defective Super MultiDrive I had ordered and received (which supports ?RW and +RW formats) with a Multidrive (which does not read +RW) formats. This is either incredible incompetence, theft, or downright fraud. Because of my note above, which specifically pointed out that I had ordered the Super multi drive, I am inclined to think that this was theft or fraud, and also that it was a deliberate policy on the part of Toshiba.
I have now spent several additional hours on the phone with Toshiba Customer Support, most recently with a ?supervisor? named ?*****? at your Toronto, Canada customer support center on ********, 2005. There is still no solution in sight. I do not appreciate being treated this way after paying so much money. Unless this problem is fixed immediately, i.e. a new drive is sent to me or a properly configured computer is sent to me overnight at your expense, I intend do what is in my power to spread the word about Toshiba America?s shabby treatment of its customers. I will also pursue any other remedy I have available.
One unacceptable way to fix this problem is for me to have the computer sent to the depot again. I cannot part with the computer since I use it for work. Further, since my personal data is now installed on the computer (after many hours of downloading) I will not ship my computer anywhere for fear of identity theft. This is a problem that Toshiba created ? and it should be fixed by Toshiba. You should either send a technician to my office or you should send me a super multidrive with instructions for installing. (I?m pretty capable technically and can do the job. Indeed, the first time I called Toshiba Tech Support, technician had me remove the and reinstall the drive.) I will send Toshiba the other multidrive provided you send me a postage paid envelope.
I also want to bring to your attention the treatment I received at one of your customer support employees ? somebody named ******** ? who I spoke to on February 5, 2005. He was rude, dismissive, and incompetent. He asked me to download a patch to a program, without making sure I had the program I was downloading the patch to ? another example of Toshiba wasting my time.
Here are the details you will need to fix this problem:
? The latest ticket no. is *********.
? The computer was sent to your Louisville, Kentucky depot. The technician who did the repair and stole my super multidrive is identified as *****. The bottom of the Repair Summary indicates that this person?s last name is ?********."
? I am including copies of the following to assist you in fixing my problem:
1) Original email receipt showing that I ordered the Super MultiDrive in the Tecra M2;
2) Repair Depot Packing Slip;
3) The note I sent with my computer to the repair depot; and
4) The Repair Summary sheet.
Again: Words cannot describe how fed up and angry I feel towards your company at this point. Toshiba has wasted my time, drained my energy, destroyed any good feeling I might have had towards it. I need you to fix this problem right now. Please call me at ********** to confirm that you are dealing with this.
Sincerely,
**************
Cc: Yoshihiro Matsumoto,
Toshiba America Consumer Products
82 Totowa Rd
Wayne, New Jersey 07470
Tadashi Okamura
Toshiba Corporation
1-1, Shibaura 1-chome, Minato-ku,
Tokyo 105-8001, Japan
Deborah Majoras
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20580

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