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First, some background - My boss has left for another job, and the store is for sale, so I've been pushed, for lack of a better term, into managing the computer part of the store.
A customer came in last week with a computer with suspected electrical damage. What we usually do is test the system to see if anything is salvageable, then write up a letter and a quote for repair / replacement for the customer to present to their insurance company.
Well, I opened up the machine, and found this above the CPU socket. The picture of the tops of the caps leaking is the same as what I saw.
I call the customer and inform him of the bad capacitors, and explain because of them, I can't accurately say that electrical damage caused his system to fail. He asks if I can write up a insurance letter anyway, and I said that I can. Here is the letter with names & places cut out:
(customer's name)
Dear Sir,
We have evaluated your computer system. The motherboard is no longer functional. Due to the age of the system, we feel that the computer is uneconomical to repair.
Sincerely,
RichS
Computer Technician
Well, I said I could write the letter, but I wasn't going to say the system was damaged by surge if I saw another contributing factor...
Which led to Friday. He came in, asking if his insurance agent called, and complaining that the insurance company couldn't take the letter because it was "too vague" - they needed something that said that it was damaged by "low-surge, high-surge, whatever".
Me: "I can't truthfully say that it was damaged by a surge, because of the bad caps. It's a widespread problem."
SC: "So you're not going to type up anything???" (said in a condescending tone)
Me: "Sorry, I can't."
SC: "Can I at least have my insurance company call you?"
Me: "Yes."
SC: "Otherwise, I'll have wasted $45." (our bench charge)
SC then exits the building, muttering under his breath.
Well, I'm certainly not going to help him commit insurance fraud. If his agent calls, I'm telling them the same thing I told him. If he comes back to complain, I'll just refund him.
Anyone get into anything similar?
A customer came in last week with a computer with suspected electrical damage. What we usually do is test the system to see if anything is salvageable, then write up a letter and a quote for repair / replacement for the customer to present to their insurance company.
Well, I opened up the machine, and found this above the CPU socket. The picture of the tops of the caps leaking is the same as what I saw.
I call the customer and inform him of the bad capacitors, and explain because of them, I can't accurately say that electrical damage caused his system to fail. He asks if I can write up a insurance letter anyway, and I said that I can. Here is the letter with names & places cut out:
(customer's name)
Dear Sir,
We have evaluated your computer system. The motherboard is no longer functional. Due to the age of the system, we feel that the computer is uneconomical to repair.
Sincerely,
RichS
Computer Technician
Well, I said I could write the letter, but I wasn't going to say the system was damaged by surge if I saw another contributing factor...
Which led to Friday. He came in, asking if his insurance agent called, and complaining that the insurance company couldn't take the letter because it was "too vague" - they needed something that said that it was damaged by "low-surge, high-surge, whatever".
Me: "I can't truthfully say that it was damaged by a surge, because of the bad caps. It's a widespread problem."
SC: "So you're not going to type up anything???" (said in a condescending tone)
Me: "Sorry, I can't."
SC: "Can I at least have my insurance company call you?"
Me: "Yes."
SC: "Otherwise, I'll have wasted $45." (our bench charge)
SC then exits the building, muttering under his breath.
Well, I'm certainly not going to help him commit insurance fraud. If his agent calls, I'm telling them the same thing I told him. If he comes back to complain, I'll just refund him.
Anyone get into anything similar?
Man, I've seen popped ones but not leaking....Board = total rightoff
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