Complaint Review: Impact Computers

I just had the most unpleasant experience of my life. This past Tuesday Oct. 24 I discovered my laptop had a broken hinge on the LCD display. I didn't want to send out of town for fear I would never see it again. I search the internet and found a company locally. The website is www.repairlaptops.com. They are known locally as:

Impact Computer Electronics
2021 Coolidge Street
Hollywood, Florida 33020
(954) 920-3100

Imagine how happy I was that I found someone less than 10 minute from where I work. I went over with my laptop. I was greeted by a very nice young lady, Milagros. I started to tell her about the broken hinge when she called her service manager, Mozer. He came out and I started to tell him I needed the hinge replaced and the top cover was cracked. I asked him what the name of the cover was and he answered bezel. It turns out the proper name is palm rest. Anyway he said something about having to check it and diagnose it. I told I didn't need a diagnosis because I already knew what I wanted repaired. I wrote on their form to replace hinge, replace front latch (was not quoted), replace bezel (he told me that was the name of the cover) and to quote the memory upgrade. I filled out a form and left. I never approved the diagnoses.

Today, October 26, 2006 I received the quotation from them which I am including for your review. Imagine my shock when I saw they quoted $702.57. I called them up and spoke to Mozer. I asked him why they want to charge me a fee when I knew what I wanted repaired in the first place. He said he had to charge it because I didn't have the part numbers to the hinges. I told him that was ridiculous. I asked him why I would know the part numbers. I told him that when you take a car to have a ball joint replaced the mechanic doesn't ask you for the part number. Either way I told him this was ludicrous and unfair. I also told him that according to their service guide on their website, repairlaptops.com/seviceguide.html, it states: In the case where you diagnose the problem of your laptop, we will do the repair you request from us and it also says: The diagnose is optional.

I asked to speak to his supervisor. He told me that his supervisor was the VP of the company and he didn't talk to customers. I told him if I went over there with a deputy sheriff then would he come out to speak to me. He put me on hold. When he came back to the line he told me to pick up my laptop and that they would not repair it or do anything else with it.

When I went over to pick up my laptop they brought out my unit. I booted my system and I got the message; SYSTEM MEMORY HAS CHANGED HIT F1 to continue .My computer had 256MB and I got it back with 128MB. I asked Mozer why I was getting that message. I suspected they removed my memory. Mozer went and got some guy by the name of Pedro. I explained to him I was very unhappy and disappointed. I told him I wanted to keep my business locally. He said to me that it was his receptionist fault for all the mistakes. He said this right in front of the poor girl. He also said I was getting a free ride. I told I didn't want anything for free and that I thought there practice was unfair. He told me not to tell him how to do there business. I told Pedro about the memory missing. I told him I knew what I brought in as I am computer literate myself. He said it wasn't true and printed out a spec sheet from the original configuration on the Dell web page. He came out and told me to leave at which point I told him I would go to the police.

When I got back to work I was shocked to find that when I completed booting up my system the LCD now has a line running down the middle that was not there before.

This company; Impact Computer; is the reason why it is easier to do business overseas than with local companies.

William
Pembroke Park, Florida
U.S.A.