Disney Broke DH's laptop, any recourse (long)

[Mono~rail]

Look at it this way - suppose the TV in your room stopped working after you left. You know you didn't break it, but the hotel tries to charge you for it. Wouldn't you raise cain over being charged for something when they can't proove it was you?

Good analogy!

 

[LoraJ]

It sounds like a cable or something got knocked loose during your travels. Could have happened anywhere.

 

[Taqwus]

We checked into the boardwalk on 6/15 gave our bags to the bellman and did valet parking. DH pointed out bag to the bellman that contained his laptop among other electronics and asked him to be careful as bag contained a laptop computer among other fragile items. We later checked in and had bags brought up by bellman - different from the one who took our bags. DH immediately removes his laptop from the bag and turns it on. The screen does not light up, and computer makes sound of booting up and then shutting down (Microsoft windows tune) DH tries for at least 30 minutes to get computer to boot up and remain on to no avail. He is VERY upset and frustrated at this time. He takes computer, bag it was in and heads to front desk. He's directed to bellman desk where Bellman manager, and Disney manager take information, act very apologetic and hand him claim form, etc. Disney says, they are not responsible for laptop, bell services contractor is. Bell Services manager says someone will contact him to settle claim. We returned home Sunday and Bell Services people call to happily inform DH that they have reviewed the claim and determined DH has no proof that Bell Services broke his laptop, so claim is denied. They tell him computers break all the time, he should return to store where purchased and see if they can repair it since computer is probably still under warranty - it is not.

I'm not sure what proof they need - a picture of bellman throwing bag? computer was working without problems the day we arrived. We stayed at another hotel overnight prior to arriving at Disney. DH used laptop that morning without problem. Now the screen will not turn on and computer will not boot up.

Does DH just have to kiss his laptop goodbye?

Is it booting up to where you hear your login music.
If so it might just have gotten on external monitor only. If you have an external monitor near you plug it up to it and see what happens

but without knowing the state it was in when you gave it to the belldudes you really can not hold them liable

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

I have to agree with everyone else, you just never know if it was the bellmans fault. In May we went to WDW and my father (an IT guy) had his laptop with us and our room was not ready at check in, so he wouldn't let it out of his sight b/c he knows how much he needs it. We had to bring it with us to the parks that day, but no biggie as it just slid in under our huge stroller!

 

[TSM1993]

The problem you described in your orginal post sounds similar to what happened to 2 of my laptops. When you boot up your laptop does the edges of your screen light up or are the dark black? If edges are dark black my suggestion is they power inverter contained in lid of the laptop blew. Upto this point have you noticed any hotspots surrounding the lcd. If so, this is a telltale sign of the cause of your problem. This can be fixed for less than $100.00.


If you want further clarification please dont hesitate to PM me I will be glad to answer your questions.

 

[Cindy B]

DH usually brings the spare laptop with us (a lesser expensive older one which is used just to check email and dump pictures)

If you don't have an older spare--this spare is from 2000, carry it with you. First off, DH doesn't trust Bell Services to begin with. He'd rather handle bags himself.

He also times the trip so the room is ready so he can put everything away ourselves. We limit ourselves to one bag per person and they are rolling bags.

If by any weird chance the room isn't ready, he will walk around with it himself.

 

[wdwluver]

The problem you described in your orginal post sounds similar to what happened to 2 of my laptops. When you boot up your laptop does the edges of your screen light up or are the dark black? If edges are dark black my suggestion is they power inverter contained in lid of the laptop blew. Upto this point have you noticed any hotspots surrounding the lcd. If so, this is a telltale sign of the cause of your problem. This can be fixed for less than $100.00.


If you want further clarification please dont hesitate to PM me I will be glad to answer your questions.

Thanks for your comment TSM1993 - (and everyone else!) When DH boots up the laptop, the login music sounds, the screen is dark black and then the logoff music sounds (I know, very technical) if it is just a $100 fix, I know DH will be estatic. I'll have him check into it. Thanks!

 

[RadioNate]

that sounds similar to a virus issue I had several years ago. It was a pretty rare one that hit about 3.5 years ago.

I'd also consider that the power supply went bad. Before you declare it officially dead I'd have it checked out.

 

[LadyShiva]

Thanks for your comment TSM1993 - (and everyone else!) When DH boots up the laptop, the login music sounds, the screen is dark black and then the logoff music sounds (I know, very technical) if it is just a $100 fix, I know DH will be estatic. I'll have him check into it. Thanks!

He also could have triggered the laptop to send the video to an external monitor or something easy like that.

I have an IBM Thinkpad and an HP that also decide to not show the video occasionally when I close them. I either close the laptop back and reopen it and possibly push the function button on the keyboard (ThinkPad), or close, reopen, check it, get annoyed and reboot the darn thing (HP) by just pushing the power button until reboots.

Brandie

 

[Loreniki]

OMG.. that's soo bad... and yeah some of thm still very expensive!!! soo that's a bad thing to do for any worker in any hotel, restaurant, etc .. etc...

 

[dreamcometrue]

you know, that sounds EXACTLY like what my laptop did a few years ago. I turned it on, it starts to boot up, then boots down immediately, screen stayed black, but I could hear it (music). It ended up being the power supply. Don't remember how much it was to get it replaced. This just happened...worked just fine the night before, I shut it down when I went to bed. Left it on the dining room table, and when I came back to it the next morning, it acted up!

Sad to say, this may have just been bad luck and had nothing to do with the bell service. Computers seem to break at the drop of a hat, with no warning whatsoever!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Not sure if this applies at Disney..but we stayed at a Hilton Hotel in Hawaii and we had our laptop. More so to just be safe from sticky fingers, but also due to the fragile nature of the laptop, we were able to put it in a safe deposit box for free in the interim that the laptop wasn't in our hotel room. I would try that in the future.

Sadly--I think that is why most places have some type of policy against being responsible for damages. Unless they deliberately did something to the laptop--short of proving it was functioning prior to handing it over to them, they are right there is no proof.

I do hope you can get some recourse.

Of course my computers break when I look at them funny. Had my laptop done what yours did...it may have been cause for hysterics.

 

[auntpolly]

I don't think they can be held responsible but I completely understand the frustration of the OP. It's just a big coincidence but I'm sure they aren't liable.

Doesn't it seem like this stuff always happens - on the way home from getting your oil changed in your car, you hear a clunking noise and there's something really wrong -- you can't "prove" they did it during the oil change, but it's just such a coincidence that it drives you crazy!!! And then to hear them say it "couldn't" have been them that did it??

This brings up a good question - those of you with laptops and other electronics - what the heck are you supposed to do with those things while they get your room ready. I'll bet the OP carried his laptop on the plane and took it out during security etc etc etc, but when he arrived at the resort and had to leave his stuff with bell services so he could enjoy his day at WDW (since we all know how long they can take to get those rooms ready) what was he supposed to do? Carry it along with him to the MK and stow it in the little net purse holder on splash mountain?????

I always check any electronics I have with them -- what else can you do?

 

[WillCAD]

Doesn't it seem like this stuff always happens - on the way home from getting your oil changed in your car, you hear a clunking noise and there's something really wrong -- you can't "prove" they did it during the oil change, but it's just such a coincidence that it drives you crazy!!! And then to hear them say it "couldn't" have been them that did it??

That's a good analogy, but it proves my point as much as it proves yours - what about the potholes or metal plates you drove over after leaving Jiffy Lube? What if there was something wrong before you even dropped it off but the clunking noise didn't start till you were on your way home? Jiffy Lubs is not responsible for that.

Of course, I once had my oil changed and had the oil light come on a few days later. Upon opening my hood, I discovered that the oil place had left the fill cap off and all the oil splashed its way out of the fill port and all over my engine compartment. How do I know that they were responsible? Because the hood had not been opened since they opened it, and the fill cap was sitting on the engine block.

This brings up a good question - those of you with laptops and other electronics - what the heck are you supposed to do with those things while they get your room ready. I'll bet the OP carried his laptop on the plane and took it out during security etc etc etc, but when he arrived at the resort and had to leave his stuff with bell services so he could enjoy his day at WDW (since we all know how long they can take to get those rooms ready) what was he supposed to do? Carry it along with him to the MK and stow it in the little net purse holder on splash mountain?????

I always check any electronics I have with them -- what else can you do?

OPs situation is similar to mine - they had a car, as I always do when at WDW, and my solution is to leave my luggage in the trunk until my room is ready.

Those without cars need a heavily padded, locking laptop bag of some kind, and you also need to know one thing - any time your laptop leaves your posession it might be damaged or stolen. It's a risk that you must accept, and you must also accept the fact that unless you whitness someone damaging your laptop, you will not be able to prove who did it and wil have to eat the cost of repair or replacement.

 

[Snowysmom]

I would not leave anything the least bit fragile with Bell Services. MY DH prefers to handle our luggage. When we were at the Yacht Club last week, DS saw a bellman wheeling a cart down the hall. A huge box was precariously balanced on top of the luggage. It fell to the floor. The bellman looked around to see if any one saw it (DS was out of his line of sight) and then he just put the box back on the cart, in the same place. Accidents do happen so it is probably a good idea to keep fragile things with you. I hope the laptop can be easily fixed.