DO NOT BUY MICROSOFT HARDWARE (HIGH RISK!!) - There is absolutely no support from Microsoft at all..... few 3rd parties will touch it...

Question

Microsoft it appears, UNLIKE APPLE, just want you to buy their sexy products and actually have no intention of offering any support to their customers who have spent £1700+. The advice is essentially, if it fails (which it will do eventually), if out of warranty, it is largely unfixable so they don't want to get involved.....and also don't make the parts available as they would much rather you just bought another one! This is what every 3rd party company have essentially confirmed, I have spoken with 3 reputable businesses. I'm gutted as this was the first time I have really invested in a sexy piece of my own computer hardware and I thought I would be safe with the combination of Microsoft hard and software. YOU ARE NOT and the net is littered with people having the same issues!!! BEWARE!!!

I have had a surface book from 3 years now. It hardly got used for the first two years as I spent 90% of my time on my work laptop. I started using it full time when I started my own business about a year ago. During this time I have had a number of issues and there is NO BACK UP FROM MICROSOFT AT ALL!!! 

Problem 1 - the external screen port became damaged and needed repair URGENTLY. It's out of warranty. I eventually managed to speak to a Microsoft rep who advised me to return it to the vendor or contact a local computer shop! PC World said that they could send to away, at a cost c£450 with no guarantee of repair and it could be away for up to 40 days as it had to go to Germany. Ridiculous. If it couldn't be repaired then would be replaced with a reconditioned machine at significant extra cost. I went for the 3rd party option and got a successful repair, cost £250. The 3rd party said that "Microsoft are a nightmare as it's extremely difficult or impossible to get hold of the replacement parts and Microsoft do not make them available. I have now heard this from 3 3rd party computer support businesses!!!

Problem 2 - Battery 2 in the base failed and stopped charging. THERE ARE COUNTLESS ACCOUNTS OF THIS ONLINE. Microsoft advice is that the batteries are perishable  and may need replacing...but don't offer this service. Brilliant. I have two chargers, neither work, I did a factory reset to mitigate any soft ware issues. No success. 3rd Party replaced the battery and it still doesn't charge. Cost £180. Spoke with a separate 3rd party who said that it could be a number of issues which they may or may not be able to fix and the best option would be to get a recon-ed base £450...this however may not resolve it for various reasons. An option would be to buy a reconditioned machine exactly the same c£750 which would then give me a second screen and a keyboard that would work with both. BUT the recon'ed Microsoft machines can be an "utter nightmare" and they have loads of issues.......

Havind spent £1700 on the device, I have now spent £430 in repairs after 2.5 years of light usage. The advice now is that I buy a complete new machine at a further £750 or new base unit at £450 with no guarantee of resolution. MICROSOFT OFFER NO SUPPORT WHAT-SO-EVER!!!

I absolutely will not be risking my cash on Microsoft hardware again. I suggest you do the same and look elsewhere.

Answer 1

I absolutely agree with this. I am from Chennai, India. I have a Surface Laptop where its not charging. Its just 1 year and 3 months since I bought it. I googled and found the Walk In Service center some 25 km away only to be told by them that they do not undertake any Service, but only replace.

I tried logging a complaint. First it told me that its out of warranty. then I raised a service request for a Charger only to be told that its not available.

I called helpline, and I was told that the nearest service center is in Sydney, Australia.

I was told to login and connect to the service helpline number where they said they would trouble shoot.  When the charger is not working, how does one expect the computer to work when it has no charge. 

If they do not plan to provide service, why do they sell their laptops in India.

I have Macbook PRO, Dell. None of these have such issues. 

Surface chargers are so flimsy and wait for the warrant to get over and conk off.

Answer 2

Not only will MS just leave you standing in the rain when you have an issue, they will also renege on the law and even rgeir own promises. 

How many times have we read, that MS is not honouring the two years guarantee legally provided in all of the EU? They just point to their own small print, claiming that the law does not apply to them. 

At best, they will refer you to the EU Customer Complaint Resolution Center and let you rot. 

In my book, MS's Behaviour towards their customers is on the verge of qualified fraud. And I am a lawyer, too

Answer 3

As a follow-up to my last post. I actually found a 3rd party independent "Surface specialist", who without hesitation or any comments like...".*well they're really tricky and we can't guarantee...etc"*as ALL of the other three providers did, told me exactly what the options are and the likely outcomes. They filled me with confidence so I took a chance and sent them my Surface Book 1. The were extremely professional, always picked up the phone and fixed the problem sending me video clips of the problem resolved. I need this machine for work and they tuned it round quickly and sent it back. I've been using it now for two weeks and it is running perfectly. Top job in a sea of Microsoft customer service ****!

I highly recommend UK Repairs https://uk-repairs.com/repairs/surface-book-repair/ . If you have an issue call and speak with Ali who is awesome.

This is the last fix I'm doing on this machine and when it dies, I'll be moving to Mac.

Good luck everyone!!!

Answer 4

Very happy you found competent 3rd party and had good results.  However, I am in the US and shipping my book is not worth the expense nor the weeks? of being with out this tool.  

Am still out here, like many previous  long-time loyal customers, waiting to see if Microsoft will own up to the fact that when we purchased in good faith that we were buying a safe product - extremely hot (possibly exploding) battery in the tablet  is hardly safe - we also thought the company would stand with their product and have our backside covered.  I otherwise love my book, but can not except that Microsoft is not recalling machine affected with the faulty battery and replacing them.  So Sad...…… beginning to feel I will need to buy hardware from another source if the company doesn't come forward and do the right thing.

Hope your book gives many more weeks of productivity.

Answer 5

Thanks for the note xroad. Good luck, I hope you get this sorted out. Once my Book has finally died...I'm hoping i'll get another year out of it, I'll be moving to Mac. Being self employed, Microsoft is just not a stable enough platform in terms of hardware or software. Sad but it's a fact and the advice I have been given from multiple sources much more qualified than me!!

Hope you find someone to sort the battery. Mine has been changed too and the guy who changed it said it had "expanded" and failed....what ever that means!