eBits PC Laptop

I dropped my laptop and broke the built-in display. Other than the display, the laptop functioned normally: in fact, I ended up using it with a docking station for 8 months after eBits looked at, without issues. (This is relevant.) I took the laptop into eBits' Capitol Hill store, explained the problem and agreed to pay a $50 charge for diagnostics. Since the laptop had been dropped, it was possible that there was other internal damage, though getting the built-in display fixed was my primary concern. That store held it for a couple of days and then shipped it off to their U-District location for more investigation. A week after I'd dropped it off, eBits reported that a/the memory board was failing and that the CPU socket had cracked and would probably cause the entire system to fail "in a few months". They recommended a new motherboard w/memory. I asked how either of those conditions explained why the built-in display didn't work, but the system worked normally with an external monitor: they suggested "bad memory". Memory errors can cause all kinds of problems: often random errors of various sorts, not consistent failure of a single hardware component. They apparently hadn't tried simply attaching another flat-panel display to see what happened. Not satisfied with their proposed -- and expensive -- fix, I took the laptop home. Eight months later -- during which time the laptop functioned fine attached to its docking station -- I decided to try another computer repair store (which I've also reviewed): they determine the built-in LCD panel was indeed shot, successfully replaced it, and didn't see signs of the two problems that eBits claimed. Given that the laptop was dropped, I don't fault eBits for doing a general check on it, however they failed to do a simple check to see whether the built-in screen was even functional, and ultimately recommended a fix that addressed two non-existent issues and failed to address the issue I'd reported. How they got so far off in the weeds, I don't know, but I won't be entrusting them with any more hardware.

They were able to retrieve much more than I expected from the hard drive and were very nice to work with.

Laptop was running slowly and poorly. They collected $50 when we brought the laptop in to the Lake City store for diagnostics. We contacted them in a couple of days and they said they would need to remove data, reformat, then reload the data for $200 (including diagnostic fee). They said we would need to pick it up at the U District store. When we went to pick it up they did not have the power cord that we had left with it. We came back the next day they tried to charge us $200 without taking off the original payment until I showed them my receipt. They also failed to reactivate the operating system, so it crashed 30 days later until we reactivated it. They do appear to know how to do what they say, but they clearly don't care about the customer. Either they are dishonest or very sloppy in the way they keep records on their customers.