More on that MPC mess

“I paid over $2000 for a Gateway computer and another $200 for a four-year warranty,” writes Heather. “In the first year, the computer broke, and I attempted to utilize my warranty. The company reps just gave me the runaround for a couple of months, and then I finally found out they were filing bankruptcy. I just got an e-mail today that confirmed the worst of my fears. The company had not come out of bankruptcy successfully and will not be servicing warranties. I would be interested in filing a class-action suit against either Gateway or MPC and am looking for people who would like to do the same.”

Unfortunately, I’ve gotten a lot of letters like Heather’s over the past few weeks. I have already covered this MPC disaster several times, and all the news is bad. But I have a modicum of information to share, and a lot of you have asked for an update, so here goes.

I posted an internal memo about the company’s liquidation a couple of weeks ago, and the Idaho Business review covered the company’s failure to get it together under Chapter 11. According to that story, “MPC told the state that efforts to reorganize under Chapter 11 have proven unsuccessful.” As Bob points out in the comments to that story, Logan and Company is handling the case.

There is a link to a form for seeking warranty repairs at the MPC Web site, but I doubt it does much good, as I believe most of the employees there have moved on.

One of Gripe Line’s readers, though, forwarded me the following memo sent to him — a customer. Many of you maybe have also gotten this memo, but it has some useful information — especially if your computer is out for warranty repair and you want it back — so here it is:

Re: warranty information

MPC Corporation and all of its direct and indirect subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) have made the decision to discontinue operations and to liquidate all remaining assets. The Company will not be able to service your warranty needs on an ongoing basis or fill any of your existing orders for goods or services.

If you currently have systems located at one of MPC’s repair facilities and would like the system returned directly to you, please contact the appropriate facility directly to arrange for the systems to be returned and/or repaired:

Nashville (Quanta)

Systems included: 450RGH, 450ROG, C140, CX200, CX210, E265, E475, E295, M255, M275, M280, M285, M360, M405, M460, M465, M675, M680, M685, NX260X, NX500, NX510S, NX510X, NX550, NX560, NX570, NX850, NX860, S7200C, S7210M, S7225C, S7235, S7310M, S7410M, S7500N, S7510N, N7700N, S7710N. Contact information: info@authorizednotebookrepair.com

Teleplan

Systems included: All Gateway desktops, Profile 4-6, TransPort ZX, XT, XT2, U1000, T3200e, T3200, T2500, T2400, T2300, T2300, T2200, T2000, T1300, T1300e, T1000, LT-R, LT, GX3, GX2, GX+, GX. Contact information: mpcsupport@teleplan.com

Jabil/Incline

Systems included: ClientPro AIO (414,424,434), TransPort X3100, X3000, X1000, V1000, T3100,T3000, T2100, T1200. Contact information: (877) 748-2410

Flextronics (Arima)

Systems included: 4541BZ, 4543BZ, C-120X, E-100M, E-155, M210, M250, M320, M325, M520, NX100X, NX200, NX250, NX270, S-7110M, S7125C, S7200N. Contact information: kay.jenks@flextronics.com

MPC (Nampa, ID)

Systems included: U1100, MPC desktops excluding the AIO product line. Contact information: repairsystem@mpccorp.com

Please include the following information:
• Customer name
• RMA # (include in the subject line)
• OEM serial number
• Ship-to address (city/state/zip)
• Phone number
• E-mail address (to forward tracking #)
• Shipping information: see below
• *Carrier name
• *Carrier account number
• *Delivery method (UPS COD — Ground, Next Day, etc.)
• *The customer is responsible for ALL carrier cost

I get a dead site when I attempt to find www.authorizednotebookrepair.com. (The first resource listed in the memo.) But perhaps the e-mail address works?

I am also planning a more general post on what to do when a vendor goes under, as well as the pros and cons of a class-action suit. So stay tuned for that.

Got gripes? Send them to christina_tynan-wood@infoworld.com.