I am wondering if I am just being unlucky and not having the best experience with hardware support or if there is a more fundamental issue.
I bought a new Framework 13 AI 360, in the middle of November, it arrived on Monday the 24th of November. By the Thursday it was clear there was an issue as sometimes I get terrible vertical artefacting on the screen, this seemed to coincide with it being hot or charging but not 100% clear.
I contacted support on the Thursday, now I appreciate it was Thanksgiving so I was fine that nothing happened until the Monday morning, when I was asked to take many photos and reseat the display cable etc.
All of which didn’t fix the issue. Then it was escalated to some other team and I was told they would send me a new screen, since then Radio Silence, no update on when the screen might be sent/arrive etc.
Now I am not really happy that the proposed solution is even Sending out a new Screen. I cannot understand why they are not shipping a replacement unit ASAP. This laptop arrived defective it is brand new, RMA procedures at a non-premium brand would just replace it - it is basically unusable. This is a premium laptop that is very expensive.
So right now, I have a $1500+ laptop that is brand new and unusable, a new screen may arrive at some unknown time in the future, which may or may not fix the issue - I was told that if it didn’t then they would look at further hardware changes.
In the abstract I love the laptop - keyboard, screen (when it doesn’t have artefacts on it), also I am 100% on board with the upgrade/repair/general philosophy of the company. Hence I was happy to spend extra. But now I am left feeling like I made a mistake.
Keep in mind that Framework offers a 30 day return period. If you don’t like anything, the laptop or just the way they deal with warranty issues, you can send it back.
This is part of their current repair system, how warranty repairs are done. You are not just enabled to do repairs and upgrades, if you wish to. But you also have to install the parts if a warranty issue comes up.
If I may quote a recent post, where someone asked if FW would be recommended for non-tech-savvy family members
I absolutely agree that this is far from ideal for laptops that arrived with an issue. I wish they either had either a different procedure for the first 15 to 30 days, or they put it more front & center that all warranty issues involve troubleshooting & the user putting in replacement parts.
It’s a significant tradeoff, in exchange for the upgrade/repair/general philosophy, considering the premium cost. Don’t feel bad if it just isn’t acceptable for you at this time. You could always come back to Framework at a later time.
Welcome to the forum by the way. Sorry an issue is what brought you here.
Thanks for the reply. I would be 100% on board with replacing parts if a “warranty” issue arose. This is not a warranty issue, this is a defective product delivered broken.
I will look into returning the laptop, as this is unacceptable. Though I do also notice in their help centre that they claim “We may also deduct shipping costs from the refund”, they cannot do this if the product is defective - the attitude is all wrong.
Yep. That’s certainly how I would feel. Your laptop is a week and a half old.
I don’t know, but I suspect that FW doesn’t treat the first 30 days as different because they have either calculated, or seen first-hand that it would kill them. What I mean is, by encouraging people to poke around inside the computers, posting such easy step-by-step guides and videos for every single part, a certain number of people will be doing that. Opening their brand-new laptops to take a look, poke around, see how things are arranged, to assess how easy it would be to repair. I know would. Maybe before even turning it on! Because, I have done that, with many things. I’d be unplugging parts, partially disassembling it.
But the problem is… a certain percentage of people are going to cause an issue, like leaving a connector slightly misaligned, or just straight break something. I believe a higher percentage, than if it wasn’t for FW’s upgrade/repair/general philosophy and their easy guides. FW, at their current size, I think just can’t absorb that. Some people will claim defects instead of admitting they broke something, it has been an issue.
After an audit of warranty claim tickets recently, it’s pretty clear that there are a good number of incidents were damage was caused by the customer, and is not covered under Framework’s Limited Warranty. The stories I’ve read are quite grand, and entertaining, but our team/engineers are pretty skilled at determining actual product failures or CID (Customer Induced Damage). While we understand that having to pay for replacement parts is a bummer when mistakes are made, which can happen given the DIY-nature of our products, our Support team is far more willing to find amicable solutions and alternatives to standard replacement if customers simply own the error and tell the truth vs taking us down a long, windy path full of false statements, and honestly, impossible scenarios.
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Now to be clear, I am not suggesting that your issue, was your doing. Just saying that legit issues with new laptops get caught up in this. And I think there might be no ideal solution for both customer experience with a laptop which shipped with an issue, and for FW’s survival.
@MJ1 has a fairly extensive experience with Framework (we are all users on the forum here just FYI; Framework encourages support/feedback through the ticket system as a means to contact them) Everything he has said is spot on.
I honestly believe from the description of the original post that something was not correct with the original product shipped. Whether it is the screen, connector, both, or even something else it appears to be defective upon arrival. The easiest means to navigate through this is to initiate a return for the laptop; keep reading though…
Yes, they MAY issue a fee to return the machine, though in practice and especially where there is a defect from the beginning; others have reported that no fee was deducted. This language is in place because people have abused the system and having the ability to charge fees is only valid if customers know up front not after the fact which is why the language is there. In practice Framework appears to use a lot of discretion if the fees are applied or not.
Once the return is initiated or after the return is received; it is perfectly fine to reorder the Framework laptop of your choosing. This sounds odd in that “Why would they just not replace it?” mindset. However, this is how their current system is setup with the size of their company and the nature of their products.
Just like MJ1 said, many of us have zero issues tearing into a new machine to see how it ticks and replacing a part or two if defective. There is going to be a small portion of their customers who do not wish to do this or are understandably apprehensive to take apart a premium product on their own. We are glad you are encouraged by Framework’s premise and the product that they are offering.
This is the current process and even Framework themselves are ok with it because it has cut down dramatically on the CID (Customer Induced Damage) which really effects a small tech company like Framework.
Let us know how it turns out. Welcome again to the community!
This is a very good distinction. DOA is not a warranty case.
The return/refund window (as well as warranty coverage) should only start when the defective unit is replaced/fixed, otherwise you actively hurt yourself if you engage with support to fix whatever the issue there is instead of initiating a straight return.
Because, I have done that, with many things. I’d be unplugging parts, partially disassembling it.