Saturday, March 28, 2009
My laptop is being shipped back....
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Comments in Acer Aspire One review indicate more cracked screens
Some quotes from there:
Acer does not publish its warranty. My screen broke within the first month I bought the computer. I went on the website to see about getting this fixed. The page dealing with returns allows you to choose cracked screen as an option, and then directs you to send the computer to Acer. No limitations on screen replacement are listed, and no cost is listed, you’re just directed to send the computer in. I went ahead and sent the computer. Today I got a call saying the cracked screen isn’t covered by warranty, and that the replacement cost is TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS, more than half the price of the computer (currently going for about $350). I now hate Acer.
- Ingrid Says:
February 9th, 2009 at 10:01 pmFollow-up on cracked screen (see above) Well, they sent my Acer Aspire One back, and NOW it does have an internal crack where the lines are diverted (i.e. not vertical anymore). In addition, there are also now horizontal lines across the whole screen where the crack is. I was told that the crack just became ‘visible’ over time.There are more complaints about Acer Aspire One now on the Internet about cracked screens, even though people did not abuse them.
- Seven Says:
February 12th, 2009 at 11:20 amOur school has just recently purchased 200+ of these units, and now only two weeks into use we already have three cracked screens. Each of the students claims to have treated the units with care (very trustworthy students). I noticed that on all of the units with broken screens there is a faint slightly raised line in the centre of the top cover that runs parallel with the battery pack. This line can only be seen when you reflect light off the top casing, and it does not appear on all of the units. I would be interested to hear more from anyone else who has had similar experiences.
- Sergio Says:
February 16th, 2009 at 5:19 amMy gf was also taking good care of the aspire one I gave her for xmas, a perfectly centered vertical pink line just appeared on it, will send it in to the authorized acer service center here in Costa Rica, I´ll reply with the results in a couple days.
- Gem Says:
February 26th, 2009 at 11:49 pmAnother cracked screen. I’ve had no joy with accer or comet where i brought it from. I feel like i’ve been robbed. It makes me sick. What else can i do.
- Caz Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 10:04 amI bought a Acer Aspire One for my teenage daughter for xmas and within 6 weeks of her using it the screen stopped working and had like cracked lines in the lcd screen and this happened while it was being used and wasnt from it being dropped or banged or anything, it was always looked after well. So I rang ACER and they asked me to send it to them so did and then a week later got a bill for £140 to pay within a week stating that this damage was not covered under their warranty. They also said that if we dont pay for the repair they will send the notebook back unrepaired and would still charge us £40 for delivery!!! We are fumming and are trying argue the point with them and at the moment we have had no luck!!! Can anybody advise where we stand legally as we are going to try and take it further especially after reading that many others seem to be experiencing the same problem with the Aspire ones screen!!
- David Says:
March 3rd, 2009 at 3:35 pmMine’s also cracked for unknown reasons. One moment it worked perfectly, the other moment I came back to continue working it showed a ugly crack in the LCD screen. I called the Acer support. I payed 10 euro cent a minute to talk to a person who obviously used standard lines read from a computer. She told me to send the acer netbook in for a research and repair. After the send-in they would notify me what the problem was and, in case the don’t cover the problem, the costs for repairing the screen. I can also choose to not repair the netbook, however then i had to cover the research and transport costs of 50 euro.
After reading the comments i discovered that there is not ever a very slim chance that they would repair the LCD screen under warranty, even when the damage is outside of your fault. So if i choose to send the netbook i would be left for the choice of about 200 euro for a repaired netbook OR 50 euro for the same netbook with a broken LCD.
really really crappy service and support from Acer…
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Aspire One Cracked Screen -- My Story
In the brief time I owned it, I transported the Acer Aspire One with much care. I cushioned it when carrying it in my backpack and made sure that I held it with both hands or securely against my body when carrying it around the house. With its smaller size, it was easier to hold, but it was also more likely to fall off a lap or desk if jostled. So I made certain to take care.
The only place that I transported the computer was to work. I like to write during my free time, and I don't want to use the company provided
laptop for that purpose. So I transported the Acer Aspire One cushioned in the backpack, taking care to set it down gently, and to store it safely. Imagine my horror when, after only a couple of months of ownership, I saw the screen looking like the pictures shown. The Acer Aspire One's LCD appeared to be cracked like a dogeared page at the bottom left. I couldn't understand how my Acer Aspire One's screen could be broken. It was working earlier that day. It had not been dropped, shoved, stepped on, and had not left my sight since I last had it operating.
So I called Acer. After a brief conversation, I was told that it sounded like I had damaged my screen somehow. I said that I had done nothing to the PC and it was working fine earlier. The man on the other end said that a cracked screen was a sign of mishandling and would not be covered under my warranty. I asked about extended warranties, mentioning I'd looked into one for the Aspire One and found Acer offered none when I purchased it. He looked into it and seemed surprised that there wasn't one for it. I asked him how much it would cost to replace the broken screen on my Acer Aspire One and he advised me that it would be $200.
Honestly, the whole thing made me sick. I finally sent it back last week to have it looked at. I had had the Acer Aspire One less than two months before the thing cracked under what I consider far less severe conditions than normal use. And I'm guessing that Acer is going to come back and tell me that the repair is my fault. The question is, how does anyone prove that a broken screen is NOT their fault?
I have had five laptops that I have been the primary user of prior to the Acer Aspire One. One of those had a plastic hinge break two years into its use, but still worked well until the hard drive failed two years after that. Another work computer had a catastrophic hard drive failure three years into service. I also have seen dozens of laptops among my coworkers. In all of my time I have NEVER seen a cracked screen appear on any of these, and all of them receive far more use and abuse than my Acer Aspire One saw in its brief life.
I have seen numerous postings on the web from people who have had their Acer Aspire One screens crack. Some point to a damaging incident, others are puzzled like me. Given the fact that Acer is pushing the Aspire One's portability and usage as a kid's computer, these reports trouble me.
In examining my Acer Aspire One after the screen broke, I noticed that the PC has what may be a fatal flaw in its design. The two hinges on either side of the screen create a gap in the closure between the bottom of the screen and the top of the keyboard. Because the two halves don't fit flat and the plastics used are not extremely rigid, the entire space between these hinges becomes a stress point. Think of suspending a 8 or 9 inch piece of glass the thickness of a microscope slide between two bricks (the hinges) and what would happen if even a little pressure was applied in between the bricks. CRACK! A laptop closed flat should NOT have any sort of pressure points or vulnerability on the screen. I'm not saying this is what happened with mine, but it is the only theory I can come up with. Given the fact that this PC is likely to be held closed in a hand and transported, it isn't hard to see that there is the potential for many Acer Aspire One failures. (And note, I noticed this same gap in my wife's Acer Aspire One. It is still working, but we're afraid to take it anywhere and suffering the same loss).
I will be updating this blog to let you know how my Acer Aspire One's repair story is going. If Acer refuses to replace the screen under warranty, I plan to take the fight to get it fixed as high as possible.
If you have trouble with your Acer Aspire One, let me know in a comment.
January 3rd, 2009 at 9:36 pm
After 3 months my screen broke (no idea how and why); I did not drop it or anything along those lines. More than half of the screen is covered by vertical lines. I sent it to ACER, assuming it was covered udner warranty, but was told, it’s a cracked screen and not covered. Repair is 200.00. I’ve been unable to find any kind of warranty information online.
Seems mighty suspicious. Anybody else have a similar experience?
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:49 pm
I have the same problem. I never dropped my acer, yet half the screen has lines running down it. I just sent it into acer today and hoping they will come back with good news. If i dont get news they will be hearing from me.