Acer - very poor support

[timmypup]

I bought a low cost Acer Aspire SA60 Desktop Intel 2.8GHz for £270 in January 2006.

I got the same email several times when I enquired about my monitor.

Seriously, write them a snotty email or letter thretending to take legal action or writing a report to some PC magazine. You may get some results.

Saying that, I still have not received the replacement monitor they said they were going to send instead of fixing my old one.

 

[MikeCross]

I have emailed a letter to Computer Shopper suggesting that when they review equipment, they should take into account the track record in Support and Repair. In a technological age, one must go with the other.

From reading the accounts in this thread, it seems to me that we can do very little to speed up our repairs. What we can do is make a noise so that manufacturers who do not implement their warranty are exposed. If they do not respond to this they will go out of business.

 

[bapiow]

Thats Esplex General Manager - Martin Rigby (Newly appointed only a couple of months ago by Acer)

And Repair Centre Manager - Michael Trainor ( Been there since day 1 and has never picked up a screwdriver in his life - Was a call centre person )

Dont be forgetting Sarita Banyard - the new Customer Service Manager.

I worked in the Repair Centre itself for over 12 months, its very interesting to see forum posts like this, sounds really bad this replacement system, sounds like the trick is to have Acer Advantage Warranty cover - They are the priority jobs given to people to deal with first.

All the other warranty types have longer time spans to deal with and are not put as the priority. Legally also the Repair Centre can take upto something like 3 months without getting into trouble as I understand it. But not with Acer Advantage, its written into its coverage lots of strict rules on speedy repair & replacement if not done. Doing some background reading on your legal standing then actually beginning the process of legal proceedings is the way to really get Esplex moving.

Before I left they froze pay rises for the staff, setup a new staff bonus system where employees bonuses are now 80% dependant on other people doing their job, shifted half the managers job titles to get them hidden pay rises and to top it all started using unskilled labour with the basic of 1 day training by an unqualified trainer (albeit the most experienced repair person in the centre) to repair things.

You can imagine how happy the staff are to be seeing the company pay twice as much money to a temporary recruitement agency and 3rd party company to have unskilled, inexperienced, non-english speaking workers on site who do not have to be declared on the books as employees so statistics can be maintained to show how well things are working.

When in reality the repair jobs are sub standard !

When I left the staffs morale in the Repair Centre was at rock bottom, management had promised for two years in a row to install an air conditioner for the Repair Centre, they still dont have it. Try maintaining your concentration in a tin can building breathing triple used air in 30 degrees C day in day out during the summer !

Seriously, the only way to make things move in Esplex is to start legal proceedings

Wrote to Esplex General Manager - Martin Rigby over a week ago about the never ending problem I have had trying to get my monitor repaired or replaced. ( over 3 months with Acer now ) I never got a reply, why am I not surprised. have now had a email offering me a refund, should I believe this.

 

[WaverleyRocker]

After reading this I am very worried. My aspire 5652 died after just 4 days - it is going to esplex. However, after reading these horror stories I am very worried about sending it away for repair as I would like to see it again within say a week.

Am i in my rights to ask for a refeund or complete replacement?? If possible it would be great if someone who knows could I.M me with details asap.

 

[bapiow]

After reading this I am very worried. My aspire 5652 died after just 4 days - it is going to esplex. However, after reading these horror stories I am very worried about sending it away for repair as I would like to see it again within say a week.

Am i in my rights to ask for a refeund or complete replacement?? If possible it would be great if someone who knows could I.M me with details asap.

Died after 4 days, you should get in touch with your supplier, they should replace the laptop or give you a full refund.
Sending it back to Acer/Esplex for a repair should be your last resort.

 

[bapiow]

A post from another forum.

I recommend you go to BBC Watchdog and put Acer/Esplex on TV, it might get them to clean up their act.

Alternatively you could drive down to Plymouth, go to Esplex, kick off and refuse to leave till someone has dealt with your problem - and returned the laptop or given you a definite date/solution to the problem! (Solution normally being a replacement if there are no parts at all for the machine)

Acer have been taken to court before by dissatisfied customers - and they lost twice, had to pay a hefty amount of compensation - and I can now reveal why parts are never available, for all of you who are wondering.

No, the parts are not coming from outer space - Esplex don't pay their suppliers on time. This means - no payment. No payment means - no parts! No parts to fix your machines! It seems they like making money out of your many phone calls but don't want to buy those parts. They don't like replacing either trust me on that one! They want people to disappear into oblivion with their machine unrepaired. So get them on Watchdog as quick as poss - Nicky Campbell & Co are waiting for your call!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/consumer/tv_and_radio/watchdog/contact_index.shtml

 

[imagecd]

Court action next ?

My 17"" Acer monitor died after about 15 months, I contacted the retailer who sold it to me as "3 year warranty" but guess what - I quote "did you buy the warranty from us" I answered no you told me it came with a 3 year warranty - reply " that's nothing to do with us it's the manufacturers, you should contact them". For a start under UK consumer law the retailer is responsible - so I'll be taking that up with the head office on Monday.
However I did the usual phone esplex - phone courier - courier collected it and I waited and waited and waited and.......

Eventually I e-mailed esplex & got the usual it's awaiting parts etc' etc'
After 6 weeks I e-mailed again - the reply - "our records show the item has been returned to you" - needless to say it wasn't.

I phoned & phoned each time promises to call back - nothing - basically Esplex lost my Monitor for 6 weeks as someone had issued the case ID number twice & nobody had the sense to look at the letter I included with the monitor showing the serial number, my name, address, phone number, mobile number & e-mail address. They just dumped it in the corner of a loading bay somewhere.

When it was eventually found I was told it would take another 10 days for repair - I protested & today a week after I was told it would be 10 days it was returned ... hooray ??? NO not even a smile, yes the monitor arrived but with the wrong power supply a tatty old box, an even tattier mains lead plus a mouse ... yes a mouse .. so if you are short of a Dell mouse when your PC is returned by Esplex, tell them you know where it is.

I decided not to waste any more money on phoning 0870 numbers so I called Acer direct - guess what - no call back.

This weekend I'm preparing a letter before action, this will go to the retailer, Esplex & Acer, I hope I don't have to go to court but I'm prepared for it.

These companies have lost a customer due to poor customer service, in future I'll do my homework & make sure no other product I buy is likely to be repaired by Esplex, the retailer has also lost out as I purchased a lot of items from them but never again.

Good luck to everyone with their Acer problems.

 

[bapiow]

Take Esplex to county court. it's been done before and they have lost on several occasions
As to my 19 inch Ferrari monitor they can't get the parts for it, so can't repair it.
I got a phone call from Acer, I assume head office! as it was a London number I think, started with 01.
They said I would receive a cheque within ten days for the full amount.
I won't hold my breath.
I don't think it is Acer products, just that Esplex people are it seems from all the postings on the net, a bunch of idiots.

Will let you know if and when I get my money from Acer!!!!

 

[imagecd]

Acer phoned me !!!!!

Update to my post yesterday.

Acer head office actually phoned me at 5.45pm yesterday.

Went through the usual, trying to justify the problems & saying the systen doesn't allow items to disappear etc' etc'.

I got a bit cross & then the penny dropped with Acer that I couldn't even check the monitor as the PSU was the wrong one.

Acer head office phoned Esplex & rang me back just before 6pm & told me a new PSU had been ordered. They know I expect my phone calls to be re-imbursed & they know they have 7 days to sort it or it's County Court time.

One interesting point I did discover during my conversations with Acer head office - Acer actually own Esplex !!!!!

Bapiow, hope you get your refund soon, I'll let you know when/if I get the PSU & when/if I get my phone calls reimbursed or if all else fails ... the court date.

 

[bapiow]

Update to my post yesterday.

Acer head office actually phoned me at 5.45pm yesterday.

Went through the usual, trying to justify the problems & saying the systen doesn't allow items to disappear etc' etc'.

I got a bit cross & then the penny dropped with Acer that I couldn't even check the monitor as the PSU was the wrong one.

Acer head office phoned Esplex & rang me back just before 6pm & told me a new PSU had been ordered. They know I expect my phone calls to be re-imbursed & they know they have 7 days to sort it or it's County Court time.

One interesting point I did discover during my conversations with Acer head office - Acer actually own Esplex !!!!!

Bapiow, hope you get your refund soon, I'll let you know when/if I get the PSU & when/if I get my phone calls reimbursed or if all else fails ... the court date.

Why am I not surprised that Acer own Esplex.
Now we know why head office don't seem concerned with constant complaints against Esplex.
If I have put off just one person from buying Acer product's it's worth all the postings.

 

[timmypup]

At last!

Hi guys, me again.

On Thursday I finally got my new monitor. I thought I would get it the other week when I received that letter but I had to call again to ask what was going on due to a no-show. They didnt update their records to show that i'd contacted them after recieving the letter so nothing had happened. Bloody hell they are ****!

Anyway, got one back. It looks like its a refurbished one, from some french company (there's a French looking sticker on it and all the on-screen setup menus were in French - luckily I could change them to English). Looks alright, its a bit chunky but it'll do I guess. It IS bigger than my previous one however it's not DVI like my one was. Kind of annoying as I have to get a DVI/VGA adapter to use with my graphics card (which has one VGA and one DVI port).

Appears to be no dead pixels, I just wonder how long it'll take before this one fails.

Never EVER buying from ACER again after this.

I would love to take them to court over this but I think it's a little late now, I have a monitor.

Funny thing, I asked for a full refund once and was refused saying they "dont do refunds" or even replacements. "Awaiting parts", how many times have I seen that excuse pop up inthis thread now?

 

[crazylegs]

it's not DVI like my one was. Kind of annoying as I have to get a DVI/VGA adapter to use with my graphics card (which has one VGA and one DVI port).

I would have none of it...Personally i would pack it up and drive to the head office (i don't care how far it is, i'm not having the **** taken out of me) and dump it on the staff there and ask for a proper replacement, and i wouldn't move until i got one...

 

[timmypup]

I would have none of it...Personally i would pack it up and drive to the head office (i don't care how far it is, i'm not having the **** taken out of me) and dump it on the staff there and ask for a proper replacement, and i wouldn't move until i got one...

I cant really be bothered anymore. I've got a replacement monitor thats the main thing. I don't think i'd even notice the difference between VGA and DVI anyway

 

[crazylegs]

I would.....But if your happy to take an inferior model to what you had originally purchased then so be it....

 

[timmypup]

It's ok, I cant be bothered to go through all the hassle. I should be grateful I have a monitor now.

I have a dual screen setup and i'll just use an adapter (they are cheap) for the DVI port on the graphics card. I dont even notice the difference between DVI and VGA quality anyway.

 

[bapiow]

Take Esplex to county court. it's been done before and they have lost on several occasions
As to my 19 inch Ferrari monitor they can't get the parts for it, so can't repair it.
I got a phone call from Acer They said I would receive a cheque within ten days for the full amount.
Will let you know if and when I get my money from Acer!!!!

Update.
4 months on.
I Received a full refund from Acer today, must admit I was surprised to get it so quick.
I can at least this time say, well done Acer.

I now have a NEC MultiSync® LCD20WGX2 20.1" Widescreen LCD Monitor.
Stunning monitor, can recommend.

 

[imagecd]

Update to last week with promise of new power supply for my 17" monitor.
Guess what it's a no show.
Now been told new Good news all new parts ordered" will take 10 -15 days.

For a start "all new" parts should have always been ordered.
I was told I should receive this by mid week & phone if it doesn't arrive.
They knew the deadline 7 days or legal action.

I've told them it's not acceptable & they must now collect the monitor & send a full refund.
Apparently the "Manager" I spoke to is not authorised to do that - so I told him to contact someone who is & they must contact me by the end of the day.

I'm off work on Monday so if they don't ring me back today to arrange collection of the Monitor I'm sorting the county Court paperwork first thing Monday morning.

Really disappointed in the manager I spoke to as he sounded genuine - but now I've had enough, if they try & deliver anything to me (other than a cheque) I'll refuse the deliveries - Acer needs to learn a lot about customer service.

 

[timmypup]

I've had my new monitor for about a week now and its been ok.

Recieved a text message from Acer this morning saying that my monitor that was faulty has been repaired and dispatched and that I should recieve it within 2 days.

So now i'll have my original one back AND this replacement one they sent me.

I'm not going to complain

They sent me a DHL tracking number, and I just checked it but its not valid.

Hm, maybe this text was supposed to have been sent last week and is talking about the replacement monitor?

 

[Vicky Pollard]

HI, nou-ba yeah-ba

I had my Aspire 5020 repaired under warranty by Esplex a couple of months ago,it took a while but came back OK. Or did it?

I have just realized they have replaced the original video card (ATI X 700,128 MB) with a lower-spec one (ATI 600, 64 MB). It seems from a previous message that Esplex uses second hand parts from spare laptops.

I phoned Technical Support just to be told I should do a factory settings restore with the recovery CD. Have you heard of anything more ludicrous?

What are my options? Watchdog, complaints or nothing ? (The laptop is working but the screen is sometimes dark when booting up on battery, restarting on mains usually works OK).

Also, having read this thread I fear that if I send it back to them, God knows when I'll get it back.

Shut up!!!

 

[bapiow]

HI, nou-ba yeah-ba

I had my Aspire 5020 repaired under warranty by Esplex a couple of months ago,it took a while but came back OK. Or did it?

I have just realized they have replaced the original video card (ATI X 700,128 MB) with a lower-spec one (ATI 600, 64 MB). It seems from a previous message that Esplex uses second hand parts from spare laptops.

I phoned Technical Support just to be told I should do a factory settings restore with the recovery CD. Have you heard of anything more ludicrous?

What are my options? Watchdog, complaints or nothing ? (The laptop is working but the screen is sometimes dark when booting up on battery, restarting on mains usually works OK).



Also, having read this thread I fear that if I send it back to them, God knows when I'll get it back.

Shut up!!!

Do you happen to live near Acer/Esplex?
They have their workshop at Eagle Road Plympton/Plymouth.
I know a few people that have driven to Esplex to sort things out.
If not, send it back again.
Don't give in.