Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

UPS - Your Computer Repair Depot?

Posted by timothy on from the contrary-incentives dept.

dcsmith writes "UPS and Toshiba are entering into an agreement to have UPS provide warranty service on Toshiba laptops. Might not be as weird as it sounds -- they claim that the bulk of the effort in a computer repair is moving the computer and the necessary parts together. The actual repair itself is often trivial. I'm not sure I'm onboard 100%, but if its a faulty display or a bad CD drive, this might actually work ..."

3 of 310 comments (clear)

  1. Oh, great. by qtp · · Score: 4, Informative

    Now UPS can read your hard drive as well as open your packages.

    Apparently, the only reason that the specific search in the linked case was questionable was the fact that the UPS employee opening the packages would sometimes allow DEA agents to assist her if they were on site and the package was difficult to open.

    Of course, a "Toshiba repair shop" would likely be free to do the same, as they are also a private entity. (Only government entities are "required" to abide by the Bill of Rights.)

    --
    Read, L
  2. Re:Soooo by DeepRedux · · Score: 4, Informative

    According to the linked article, the repairs are to be done at a central location (in Louisville, Ky) run by the UPS "logistics outsourcing division". This is really more of an outsourcing story than a shipping story.

  3. Re:As a former UPS Employee... by dave1791 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Did you ship them overnight? In my experience with antibodies (used for flow cytometry), they always go next day air. Did you not track the package online? If it really was a red (overnight) shipment, it should have been there by noon (at least that is the case in the states). You did not stick around for the UPS man?

    Here is a hint: If you will not stick around to wait for the package, don't order expensive-dry ice packed things at the end of the week.