08-12-2020, 07:48 AM
So I bought a Pinebook Pro and it stopped charging within 3 days. I look on that forum and see this is a common problem, and that you have to open up the laptop, disconnect the battery, plug it in, then plug in the battery to "shock the system" into working again. I also read that it often takes many many times for this to work. I did this. I did it many dozens of times, multiple days over the course of two weeks. It never worked.
Then I realize the cord itself might be crap, so I switched it to direct power mode and tried plugging it in. Nothing happened, the cord itself failed. I submitted a complaint to Pine and explained this.
Here's what happened:
A day and a half after I submit the problem, Pine replied and tells me to check it with a multimeter or the USB-C cord they didn't send with the computer. I tell them I'm unable to do either of those things, this is the only charger they sent.
Three days later they day they don't understand what my problem is, because my ticket only says "power cord failed". Did they delete the detailed description I typed in? I retype the entire description.
Three days later, they respond asking me to try opening it up and putting it into direct power mode (i.e., the thing I already did a week before). I am to inform him whether or not the light blinks. I tell him I already did this a week ago and already told them twice.
Two days later I get a response simply asking of the light blinks or not. I reply *again* that the light does not blink, as I've stated three times now. In this time I got a multimeter and checked the power cord. It had failed, no electricity came through it. I sent another email telling Pine this, too.
Two days later Pine tells me I needed to borrow somebody's USB-C cord to try that. I don't have one to borrow so I had to go buy one and, wouldn't you know it, it charges the laptop because *the power cord was what failed*
So for those unable to keep track of how long that all took, it failed within 3 days, I spent several weeks trying this "just keep zapping your battery" thing, then got jerked around by Pine on email between July 27th and August 12. Today Pine told me tough luck because I'm now two weeks out of warranty.
This is a warning to anybody considering Pine products - you will receive no useful help from anyone at the company, any products you buy will take months to arrive, and it's cheap Chinese product sold as-is. Just consider it like you bought a used laptop of eBay.
Then I realize the cord itself might be crap, so I switched it to direct power mode and tried plugging it in. Nothing happened, the cord itself failed. I submitted a complaint to Pine and explained this.
Here's what happened:
A day and a half after I submit the problem, Pine replied and tells me to check it with a multimeter or the USB-C cord they didn't send with the computer. I tell them I'm unable to do either of those things, this is the only charger they sent.
Three days later they day they don't understand what my problem is, because my ticket only says "power cord failed". Did they delete the detailed description I typed in? I retype the entire description.
Three days later, they respond asking me to try opening it up and putting it into direct power mode (i.e., the thing I already did a week before). I am to inform him whether or not the light blinks. I tell him I already did this a week ago and already told them twice.
Two days later I get a response simply asking of the light blinks or not. I reply *again* that the light does not blink, as I've stated three times now. In this time I got a multimeter and checked the power cord. It had failed, no electricity came through it. I sent another email telling Pine this, too.
Two days later Pine tells me I needed to borrow somebody's USB-C cord to try that. I don't have one to borrow so I had to go buy one and, wouldn't you know it, it charges the laptop because *the power cord was what failed*
So for those unable to keep track of how long that all took, it failed within 3 days, I spent several weeks trying this "just keep zapping your battery" thing, then got jerked around by Pine on email between July 27th and August 12. Today Pine told me tough luck because I'm now two weeks out of warranty.
This is a warning to anybody considering Pine products - you will receive no useful help from anyone at the company, any products you buy will take months to arrive, and it's cheap Chinese product sold as-is. Just consider it like you bought a used laptop of eBay.