I just completed repairs on my 12th gen i7-1260P with a replacement Mainboard from Framework. The process of getting a spare part however, was not as smooth as I expected. Despite my early suspicion of a faulty graphic chip, I had to endure a time-consuming procedure, which involved convincing support of the defect, taking a plethora of screenshots and photos, and experimenting with different power supplies and Linux live distros.
While I comprehend Framework’s intent to rule out common issues initially, I question the relevance of troubleshooting steps such as inspecting a bent battery connector pin or updating the BIOS when dealing with a machine that out of the blue starts consistently freezing during i915 GPU initialization. I must acknowledge the support team’s responsiveness and detailed follow-ups, but I can’t shake off the feeling that they were focusing on minor user-caused defects, seemingly to deny warranty.
I genuinely believe the target group of the Framework Laptop would appreciate a more trust-based RMA process, in line with the company’s repairability ethos. This ethos, I must commend, is beautifully manifested in the machine’s hardware engineering - swapping the mainboard was impressively straightforward.
However, a streamlined RMA process, which potentially trusts the users’ ability to identify defects, would not only save valuable time and resources on both ends, but also contribute to an overall positive user experience. Yes, this approach might lead to occasional unnecessary replacements, but as in my case, it could also eliminate tedious and lengthy procedures.
I urge Framework to consider these thoughts for a more user-friendly RMA process. I believe it’s not only about providing brilliantly engineered hardware, but also ensuring efficient and responsive organizational support.
If you read this reddit post it seems pretty clear that some users have abused Framework’s trust or at least Framework thinks they tried to do so.
Framework needs to make money, and unnecessarily sending out brand new motherboards worth hundreds of dollars won’t help them. I can definitely see that some procedures might seem unnecessary and I don’t see the reason to check the battery if the GPU has problems myself, but the support will have their procedures and maybe there’s even a technical reason for checking that.
Easily repairable items encourage those with less skills to be more exploratory, and I think that is a culture we want to embrace. However, the result of that is going to be people who accidentally break a very expensive item they cannot easily replace and abusing the RMA process is the path of least resistance… typically.
The unfortunate reality is resistance has to be put into place to deter those who are gaming the system. I don’t mean to make excuses for Framework, but I don’t envy the spot this puts them in. There are some hard decisions being made.
Had a similar experience. I contacted framework support because the thunderbolt 4 ports disconnect randomly for like a second when the battery charge limiter is set below 100%. I spent a month going back and forth with their support, doing test after disruptive test. After a month, their conclusion was just:
This concludes that the Thunderbolt 4 on 11th Gen requires 100% battery in order to sustain the connection on your device.
Will there be anything else we can help you with?
… I know that, that’s what I said on literally the first email. Framework support needs some help. Now the matte screen they sent me is DOA so unfortunately I am once again having to deal with their support. Wish me luck!