Laptop Repair

[Sir_Sanuk]

After being in Thailand for about a month my Toshiba Satelite 1100 laptop decided that it had had enough and refuses to switch on at all. Also when I plug it in to the mains the AC power / battery charge light no longer comes on.

I took it to a repair shop in Pantip Plaza called 'Notebook House' on the 3rd floor. After a week of waiting they finally rang to say that to fix it would involve replacing a 'chip in the motherboard' which controls the power supply and that it will cost 6,500 baht.

I have no idea if this is really what they will do or more importantly if this is a fair price...i desperately need my laptop for work so i'm tempted to just pay it, but thought i'd ask for some other people's opinions here first.

Any ideas what the problem is, (i recently replaced the battery..maybe that has something to do with it??) and is 6500 baht a special price just for farangs?

Thanks

[NextStationBangkok]

Better to check with Thoshiba support and decide. Pantip fix normally expensive and no warrenty for that. Those f**kers can mange to crash your installations and data in the disk while fixing your problem. One i was about to leave to Srilanka mission, upgraded my RAM with those people, they have given me back an empty hard disk. I am always happy with my brand Acer support. Genune support is better.

http://www.toshiba.co.th/

[Nordlys]

If the problem is really with something on the motherboard then it normally involves replacement of the entire motherboard if you bring it in to the manufacturer service center (as far as notebook is concerned), which might cost way more than B6,500. Why don't you bring it to the Toshiba service center and have them inspect the machine and quote the service fee, and if it turns out the problem is really where the shop in Pantip pointed out and quote higher than Pantip, then I'd have the Pantip shop service the machine. Does Pantip shop offer any warranty for the job they do? If no warranty I would not have them fix it unless they are authorized for service by Toshiba (well if it is then it should have a warranty).

[Crossy]

It's always difficult to decide if a repair price is fair or not (I did PC repairs in the UK a few years back). What many people fail to comprehend is that when you've got as far as quoting for a fix, you've done most of the work (you've diagnosed the problem) and, yes, I've charged 50 squid for changing a 20p fuse.

I'd suggest that your 6500 is about right / a bit over the top for a MB repair (as opposed to a replacement). If it's actually the external PSU that's dead 2-3000 is nearer the mark for a replacement.

If they offer a warranty on the fix, I'd go for it just to get the machine back in a working condition (check how long it will take to fix). If no warranty get it back off them (may not be easy) and take it to Toshiba service to fix.

I doubt you will get away with going to toshi and then back to the shop coz they are cheaper though

[Gary A]

That sounds like a farang special price to me. Have a Thai friend take it to a couple of different shops for quotes.

I loaned my laptop to a Bangkok expat friend of mine. He used it for about six months and told me it quit working. I asked him to take it in and see how much they wanted to repair it. It was a ridiculous amount so I told him I'd pick it up when I got to Bangkok. After I got it back home and checked it out I decided that he had neglected to have a decent anti virus program and it was full of all sorts of strange things. I formatted the hard drive and it is still working just fine.

[The Coder]

It is suspicious to me to replace just a "chip" in the last couple decades. As someone else mentioned swapping mobo's is the norm. The reason is you normally can't even buy stuff at the component level because it is cheaper to swap mobo's than have someone someone isolate and change a chip. I would be surprised if there are people working at those shops who are good enough to identify a bad chip on an arbitrary mobo. And changing a surface mount chip is very tough! If you go ahead with it, I would tell them up front you are expecting the "bad" chip when they are done. But on the other hand the price they quote seems too cheap to be a new mobo so possibly they are swapping the power supply or a component there. It's technically possible they are genuine, but I'd be careful to keep them honest here.

[mike_l]

I had the very same problem with my Acer laptop of the power light no longer coming on when it was plugged in, and so when the battery was flat it was impossible to turn it on.

The Acer service center there said it was a motherboard problem, and quoted 15,000B for a new motherboard. As others have said, it seems unlikely they would fit a new motherboard for only 6500B. In the end, I went to a different place in Pantip who decided it was just the connector part where the power supply was plugged in that was the problem, and replaced it and fixed the problem for under 2000B. So it sounds to me they might be charging you over the odds if they're just changing a power supply component.

[britmaveric]

I had a similar problem to what you described - it was the control board. It was under warranty, so I have no idea what the cost would be.

[bino]

My Compaq laptop developed the same symptoms about 20 days after the warranty expired.

HP Compaq service replaced the motherboard. Didn't get enough change from 10000 baht to buy a cup of coffee.

[Hikage]

As Garry A said... looks like a farang special price. I had a couple of chips replaced in my monitor once. It was just a tiny shop in the condo complex. The guy fixed it as new for 250B (tipped him 500B). I was rapped. The first and only time I ever got good computer service in Thailand.

[astral]

Notebook components can be very expensive.

I was quoted 20,000 for a new keyboard.

More than the machine was worth at that stage.

I now live with one dodgy key!!

As a general rule.

If you have a brand name product, whether computer, HiFi, TV or whatever,

always go to the main dealer for repairs. If there are spares available, they will have them.

[nikster]

Pick up your laptop immediately and take it to Toshiba service center - even if its out of warranty. They will be happy to help you and you will be guaranteed a fair price. The simple reason is that Toshiba will want you to be happy with the laptop.

I found customer support here very friendly. Just keep smiling and insisting they fix the problem in the friendliest manner possible and they will do all they can.

I can't think of any part on the mainboard that would cost 6500 Baht. If the mainboard is broken (which happens, but rarely) then they need to replace the whole thing which will cost way more than 6500. 10,000 minimum, probably more.

Chances you are getting ripped off are very high.

[Sir_Sanuk]

Thanks for the replies...anyone know where exactly in BKK the Toshiba Support Centre is?

[Nordlys]

Thanks for the replies...anyone know where exactly in BKK the Toshiba Support Centre is?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Somebody already posted Toshiba Thailand web site link....

http://www.toshiba.co.th/service/detail.asp?ZoneID=01

This link shows all service centers in Bangkok and its vicinity.... but all in Thai. Where in Bangkok do you live? So I can pick the nearest service station to you from the list.

[JimmyGreaves]

Paid 9000 baht to have my dell 15 inch screen replaced with a second hand one, top floor pantip. Asked many places all about same price. Did it in 40 minutes. I was happy as in the UK they would have told me to buy a new one.

John

[johnboi]

I had a problem with my Compaq laptop last year and the power plug connection to the motherboard. took it to Pantip and was quoted 6000B for a fix. Thought this was a little high and took it to a local shop in Pattaya. The bloke fixed it like new for 200b.

[khastan]

I had a problem with my Compaq laptop last year and the power plug connection to the motherboard. took it to Pantip and was quoted 6000B for a fix. Thought this was a little high and took it to a local shop in Pattaya. The bloke fixed it like new for 200b.

I had a similair problem with a broken power jack on HP laptop. My local HP shop quoted me 15000 baht to replace mother board. After a bit of research obtained the power jack from ebay for less then a fiver inc postage. Took it to the same shop that said motherboard needs replacing. Total charge was 300 baht for installing new power jack!!

[issanpaul]

I had exact same problem also with my Acer notebook 3 years ago, took it to repair shop Buriram , apparantley it was full of ants, charged me only 300 baht to repair.

[Cuban]

An old thread re-bumped but I have two comments to pair up with the above.

Asking to see the SM chip that has been replaced before they do it - lends itself to allowing them to give you any old chip from misc. broken PCB. Do you really want to look up chip numbers etc. And yes mostly these days they will swap PCBs rather than repair, it's cheaper and less skilled.

In Thailand labor is cheap - I watched a guy rewind (replace the copper wire) a motor on a small desk fan some years ago - took him a few hours (while I had lunch next door) where as the replacement fan from Big C would have been 200 Baht?

[opjade]

Thanks for the replies...anyone know where exactly in BKK the Toshiba Support Centre is?

I has Toshiba notebook too. In Chiang Mai, I would recommend you to contact to SVOA center. There is a represent service center for Toshiba Thailand. It is located inside of the city most from Sriphoom corner about less than a kilo the building is on the left before Changpeauk Gate, next to DCOM.