The horror of having to speak with Toshiba Support

I have a great story to share with everyone. So my MIL got a new laptop for Christmas and it has Vista on it. She doesn't like Vista and wanted me to put Windows Xp on it. I get an XP Pro disc and start the install. Well I finish the install and then I run into problems. All of the wireless drivers are for Vista only. I figure I can go to their website and download an XP driver. Only Vista is available for the laptop. I call up phone support to inquire about a downgrade disc. The trouble begins here. I get a rep that speaks broken English. We go through his reading his book. I explain to him I would like to know if they have a cd available to downgrade. The rep tells me all I have to do is buy a Windows XP cd and do that. Hahahahah I beat you to it. Already done Sir. I tell him I installed Windows XP and I can't get the wireless drivers anywhere. I even checked the manufacturer. Do to th toshiba website he tells me. I tell him I am there and I would love for him to find the driver there for me. He starts stuttering his words and then it happens. As it has been done many times. The rep hangs up on me because I know what I am talking about and he can't give me some bs answer. I can't deal with these people anymore. I get too annoyed when they try to bs me. So who else has a good story about tech support?

Re: The horror of having to speak with Toshiba Support

Man, what a PITA. Did you call back and get another useless rep?

Re: The horror of having to speak with Toshiba Support

Re: The horror of having to speak with Toshiba Support

Re: The horror of having to speak with Toshiba Support

Funny, I had the EXACT same experience with Toshiba. My sales rep assured me that Vista and XP could dual boot, since I couldn't get that model without it being pre-loaded with Vista.

I went so far to look into MS Virtual PC, when I was told the laptop was changing hands and the new user didn't care whether it had Vista or not.

You could check out VMWare also - I think they still have a free version, don't they?

No offense to Toshiba, I hear they have a good product. But if I'm going to support a machine, I'm going with Dell. They are the devil I know, and I can work the reps on the phone to get what I want in a short amount of time. Not to mention, I can customize the operating system so I'm not forced to choose something I don't want. And as far as I'm concerned, no one has better documentation on the internet.

Here's a story for you... My husband bought a Sony Vaio years and years ago. Suddenly, the y/g/h/b keys stop working on the keyboard. Common thing with laptops, I tell him to just get the replacement keyboard from Sony and I'll put it in. I had done this on a bunch of Dell Latitudes in the past.

So he calls and they want $120. for the keyboard. And also want to sell him a rep to replace it for much more money. He declines, they send the part.

Well, let me tell you. Sony has NO online documentation at all. So I wing it. I start removing screws from the bottom of the laptop, and try to pry it up.

Hours later, my desk looks like a parts warehouse and my husband is getting nervous. I've removed screws, fans, the hard drive... And I've BENT the corner of the keyboard trying to get the damn thing out.

I finally hang my head in shame, completely frustrated. I'm staring in desperation at the keyboard.

Then I see it. A little glimmer, a shine, a teeny tiny little piece of metal that I didn't see before.

I take a screwdriver from the jeweler's set I bought for this purpose and push the sliver of metal. Sure as sh*t, it pops back and the keyboard pops right up.

TWO DAMN LITTLE SLIVERS OF METAL. The keyboard wasn't held in place by screws AT ALL. Once I got those pieces back, it took 2 minutes to replace. And another 30 minutes to put the whole damn thing back together again.

Needless to say, I hold a grudge against them and vowed never to buy a Sony computer again.

Re: The horror of having to speak with Toshiba Support

Posted by greenfreak

Funny, I had the EXACT same experience with Toshiba. My sales rep assured me that Vista and XP could dual boot, since I couldn't get that model without it being pre-loaded with Vista.

I went so far to look into MS Virtual PC, when I was told the laptop was changing hands and the new user didn't care whether it had Vista or not.

You could check out VMWare also - I think they still have a free version, don't they?

No offense to Toshiba, I hear they have a good product. But if I'm going to support a machine, I'm going with Dell. They are the devil I know, and I can work the reps on the phone to get what I want in a short amount of time. Not to mention, I can customize the operating system so I'm not forced to choose something I don't want. And as far as I'm concerned, no one has better documentation on the internet.

Here's a story for you... My husband bought a Sony Vaio years and years ago. Suddenly, the y/g/h/b keys stop working on the keyboard. Common thing with laptops, I tell him to just get the replacement keyboard from Sony and I'll put it in. I had done this on a bunch of Dell Latitudes in the past.

So he calls and they want $120. for the keyboard. And also want to sell him a rep to replace it for much more money. He declines, they send the part.

Well, let me tell you. Sony has NO online documentation at all. So I wing it. I start removing screws from the bottom of the laptop, and try to pry it up.

Hours later, my desk looks like a parts warehouse and my husband is getting nervous. I've removed screws, fans, the hard drive... And I've BENT the corner of the keyboard trying to get the damn thing out.

I finally hang my head in shame, completely frustrated. I'm staring in desperation at the keyboard.

Then I see it. A little glimmer, a shine, a teeny tiny little piece of metal that I didn't see before.

I take a screwdriver from the jeweler's set I bought for this purpose and push the sliver of metal. Sure as sh*t, it pops back and the keyboard pops right up.

TWO DAMN LITTLE SLIVERS OF METAL. The keyboard wasn't held in place by screws AT ALL. Once I got those pieces back, it took 2 minutes to replace. And another 30 minutes to put the whole damn thing back together again.

Needless to say, I hold a grudge against them and vowed never to buy a Sony computer again.