Charged To Experience

Yesterday, I went to Pantip Plaza to have my new HP notebook's battery replaced because it wasn't charging at all. If my notebook is not covered by the warranty, then it will be too expensive to buy a new one. They said it would cost me around 5,000 baht just for that thing. It was like half the price of my notebook when I bought it.

Going to Pantip Plaza from Ramkamhaeng 150 will take you two hours because of the traffic jam. It was ridiculous indeed as I stayed for only 10 short minutes to talk with them regarding my two concerns. However, the travel time was 4 long hours, back and forth. My two main reasons were: 1.) to complain about the VAT refund for tourists, which I wasn't able to claim because of their *BS* tricks. and 2.) to ask for a battery replacement.

First, when I went to the 3rd floor of the CSC Electronics store. I brought my passport and the official receipt with me so they could validate my identity and the notebook that I bought from their store last December 22, 2010. I asserted that my notebook was under warranty and they told me to go to the 4th floor (the store's service center).

While I was on the 4th floor, I also complained that I haven't got my VAT refund for a tourist last time that I went to the Philippines because they (the store) didn't give me a yellow form when I asked and they said that I should get it at the airport. Duh~! I told them that I went to the airport and explained to them the same but they were saying that the store was not listed as "accredited" to distribute the yellow form.

The staff/technician who speaks English asked me if I know the person who told me that, of course, I didn't know her personally but I remember her face. He said, he would try his best to help. He left for 3 minutes and then when he came back he told me that I wouldn't be able to get my refund because the receipt was addressed in Thailand where I am staying and it was almost 3 months when I bought it, so there's no other possible way that I could get it refunded. I thanked him for his effort in explaining it to me. But then, again... it's a charge to experience.

Moreover, he accompanied me to the 3rd floor of HP's Authorized Service Center and he turned me over to the staff in charge. In fairness, they were so accommodating and friendly. They found out that my battery was not charging. Since it is still under warranty (less than three months old), they will provide the replacement at their expense. My HP notebook is under one year warranty and it is really a good help. But, I wish for the best.

They said that they will get my notebook because they need to replace the battery. But, I told them how can I use my notebook if they'll get it from me. They smiled and said, "Oh okay~ so you're using your notebook every day! No problem, we will just take off the battery so you could still be able to use your notebook while waiting for the replacement".

Finally, they told me that I will call them or they will call me after 3 working days, to know if they have the new battery for me. I gave them my mobile number, passport details, email address, and home address. They asked me to sign the incident report before I left. They gave me a copy of it, which I will show when I claim the replacement.

Important Tips During A Family Interview @ The US Embassy Applying for Newborn Passport

This image is not mine, photo credit from www.rd.com/Google images

My hubby said that personal appearance is very, very important for applying for a US passport/Citizenship. We weren't aware of the questions that they might ask. I was a little nervous because it was my first time being interviewed at the US Embassy in my whole life. But I pretended to be calm so that everything will be okay (somehow).

When we were called, my hubby handed the forms along with our passports. The one in charge told us to go to the "privacy room" where nobody could see or hear what we were discussing.

The Family interview has two parts:

1. Questions about the validity of the documents, the officer in charge scanned our documents if they were completely and correctly filled out. It also mentioned about the process of getting the Certificate of Live Birth Abroad, Social Security Number, and Passport.

2. Questions about personal like:

*When, where, and how did you meet? (This question is included probably because of child trafficking and mail-order bride, the US government would like to make sure that I am not selling my baby for illegal adoption or probably things beyond my imagination.)

*Tell me something about your relationship. (I already gathered some pictures of us together as a couple, like the first time we met and our love letters from email and registered mail when my hub was still writing me. Good thing, I am a very sentimental person. I gathered all his letters and pictures as proof that we have a relationship.)

The following questions were too personal.

*Are you married? If not, then why not? Are you planning to get married? Do you have previous marriages? 

*How long have you been together? How many years have you been together, before you got pregnant? When and in which country did you get pregnant? 

*How many children do you have?

*Do you have plans on going home to the US, just in case? Are you going to bring your newborn? When and where? Are you going to take your wife, too?

*Do you wish to apply for your wife's visa, in the future. if ever? What is her educational attainment?

*Do you work? What is your job in Thailand?

I hope these questions help you with your family interview. These are some of the questions that they might ask you when you apply for a newborn US passport. They would even check the pictures of the newborn and the parents. If the baby does not look like his/her mom and/or dad, they might ask for DNA through a saliva sample.

For more information about US Visas and Passports please visit - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports.html/