How long does it take to RMA a laptop?

[Druid]

Say you buy a laptop, and something breaks, how long does it usually take to send it to the company and get it back?

The reason I am asking is because my parents want to buy a laptop from my school for 1 grand that has:

2.4 Ghz core 2 duo
2 GB Ram
160 GB HDD
Intel GMA 4500 HD graphics

just because you can take it to the campus tech store if something goes wrong with it.

I would rather have this for the same price: Asus - Laptop with Intel® Centrino® 2 Processor Technology - White/Black - G51VX-RX05

It is superior in every way except it has a weaker processor and probably a lower resolution screen, but a lower res screen will just let me crank the settings up higher. Hmm, I wonder how much weaker the centrinos are than the duos anyway.

How long would a full cycle RMA process take from Asus or maybe even Acer or Msi? They're convinced it would take 6 weeks which is totally wrong. If it is just like 2 weeks or something, I think I would be ok because I do plan on bringing my desktop now.

Has anyone had any experience with this?

 

[Burn]

my brother had to RMA his HP laptop at one point. I think it took about 2 weeks (maybe less, cant quite remember) for him to get it back.

I'm going to assume that that's how long Asus or ever Acer and Msi would take.

 

[Druid]

Just another question, do they send you a box to send it in in like microsoft does for the 360 or no?

 

[Harper]

Say you buy a laptop, and something breaks, how long does it usually take to send it to the company and get it back?

Depends on the company.
Depends on the thier work load at time.
Depends on the logistics of sending laptop of for service and back again.
Depends on the avalability of spare parts
Depends on your ability to pretend that you are really a computer consultant and this laptop is getting RMAed on their behalf.

Things that I do to speed things up....

1. Pretend that I am a computer consultant and that the laptop really belongs to a customer of mine whom I orginally recommended [XYZ Brand] Laptop to them in the first place.
1a. Pretend that the laptop belongs to some a laywer or some one that works in the taxation office.

2. Actually send the laptop down there yourself. Since you can put in the effort into taking the goods down to the repair centre yourself, you will give the RMA staff the impression that this laptop is important and that you would like a quicker turn around.

3. Never RMA goods between Christmas and New Years. And pray that you never have a to RMA any thing during chinese new year. All of Asia shuts down for 2 weeks. I have laptop take about 4 - 6 weeks to get repaired during this period just the vendor is waiting for parts to come in.

Apart from that. 1 to 2 weeks is what i would expect for turn around on any product.

 

[Burn]

Just another question, do they send you a box to send it in in like microsoft does for the 360 or no?

HP did for my brother.

+1 to what Keyboard Cowboy suggested though

 

[Harper]

HP did for my brother.

+1 to what Keyboard Cowboy suggested though

Don't use that lawyer or government office excuse one too often. However just by going down to the service centre yourself, you are going be saving about 2 - 4 days where the goods are in transit. Now that I think of it, you pretty much loose a 2 - 4 business days just in the logistics of sending and recieving your goods. Effectively, there is one 1 week gone already.

 

[Druid]

Yeah, I found another laptop I might get if I can get my parents to back off the other one due to this one being cheaper.

Newegg.com - HP Pavilion dv6-1268nr NoteBook AMD Turion X2 Ultra ZM-82(2.20GHz) 15.6" 4GB Memory 320GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 - Laptops / Notebooks

I went on Hp's site and found a warranty information page, but I didn't find this one listed.

Newegg.com - HP Pavilion dv6-1268nr NoteBook AMD Turion X2 Ultra ZM-82(2.20GHz) 15.6" 4GB Memory 320GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 - Laptops / Notebooks