nephilim
06-03-2004, 04:41 PM
Or DigitalNetworks or whatever they're calling themselves these days.
Understand that I am usually very courteous with support staff. These people have a difficult job, little support in unusual circumstances, and are generally abused on an ongoing basis. (I also find that getting a support rep. to help you is best done by sympathizing with them. One, "I know this isn't your fault," will do wonders.) The point still remains that there is a quality of service I expect in any business transaction. I know my rights as a consumer, and there are some companies that seem to rely on their customers' ignorance.
These guys also own ReplayTV (Which I'll never touch. Tivos are cheaper, and if I want more function I'll build a MythTV box which would STILL be cheaper and have MORE functions.)
Bought a Rio Karma (read: Cheap iPod-esque thingy.) and within 2 months managed to crack the LCD element in the screen. Totally my fault, and as expected not covered by warranty. Turns out they have an Out-Of-Warranty service to replace said MP3 player for $200, which is cheaper than retail.
I was told, bar nothing, that EVERYTHING had to be returned. Might have been the new guy at the office, but that's what he said. Imagine my surprise when I receive my new Rio with only the base unit, no docking station, power cord, etc. Not only that, but they sent me a REFURBISHED unit. Being that I paid < $250 for the original, I take exception with the fact that they think the base unit alone is worth $200, let alone refurbished.
Willing to take a hit regarding the used unit, I call them back and explain my difficulty with the lack of parts. I am coldly informed that I should have, gasp, only sent the base unit. I explain further that I was told to send everything, and ask could they please send my stuff back. (Apparently my things were lost somehow, and it didn't occur to anyone that erroneously mailed accessories should perhaps be put aside and the sender called to rectify his mistake.) After about twenty minutes on hold I was informed by the rep. that they could send me the missing parts if I would just pay a shipping fee of $25 (!) and two weeks wait.
As I said, the original unit cost less than two-fifty, and $225 for a refurbished unit is hardly my idea of a straight deal. (Also the place I bought it from had free shipping. Natch.) I informed them as such, and further insinuated (as I had conscientiously avoided doing before) that misrepresenting a refurbished unit as a "replacement" is hardly an act of good faith, and after another twenty minute stint of hold music was informed that they would waive the shipment fee.
Three weeks later (again, natch) I get a box. In this box is a docking station, which was fine, but instead of the nice Sennheiser earbuds that were supposed to come with the unit there was a bulky set of generic over-the-earphones. Worse, there was no power cord, no mini-USB 2.0 cord, no RCA-to-3.5mm cord, and no network cable. (Other things were missing, but I was willing to overlook the manual, etc.)
I called again. This time instead of hold music there was an intermittent Windows error chime every twenty seconds or so, and the rep. had an Indian (dot, not feather) accent so thick I could barely understand him. I do him a disservice, as he was genuinely helpful and did solve my problem, but by that point I was more than a little irate. He agreed to send the other parts without charge.
Two weeks later I'm still waiting for parts. God help me.
Understand that I am usually very courteous with support staff. These people have a difficult job, little support in unusual circumstances, and are generally abused on an ongoing basis. (I also find that getting a support rep. to help you is best done by sympathizing with them. One, "I know this isn't your fault," will do wonders.) The point still remains that there is a quality of service I expect in any business transaction. I know my rights as a consumer, and there are some companies that seem to rely on their customers' ignorance.
These guys also own ReplayTV (Which I'll never touch. Tivos are cheaper, and if I want more function I'll build a MythTV box which would STILL be cheaper and have MORE functions.)
Bought a Rio Karma (read: Cheap iPod-esque thingy.) and within 2 months managed to crack the LCD element in the screen. Totally my fault, and as expected not covered by warranty. Turns out they have an Out-Of-Warranty service to replace said MP3 player for $200, which is cheaper than retail.
I was told, bar nothing, that EVERYTHING had to be returned. Might have been the new guy at the office, but that's what he said. Imagine my surprise when I receive my new Rio with only the base unit, no docking station, power cord, etc. Not only that, but they sent me a REFURBISHED unit. Being that I paid < $250 for the original, I take exception with the fact that they think the base unit alone is worth $200, let alone refurbished.
Willing to take a hit regarding the used unit, I call them back and explain my difficulty with the lack of parts. I am coldly informed that I should have, gasp, only sent the base unit. I explain further that I was told to send everything, and ask could they please send my stuff back. (Apparently my things were lost somehow, and it didn't occur to anyone that erroneously mailed accessories should perhaps be put aside and the sender called to rectify his mistake.) After about twenty minutes on hold I was informed by the rep. that they could send me the missing parts if I would just pay a shipping fee of $25 (!) and two weeks wait.
As I said, the original unit cost less than two-fifty, and $225 for a refurbished unit is hardly my idea of a straight deal. (Also the place I bought it from had free shipping. Natch.) I informed them as such, and further insinuated (as I had conscientiously avoided doing before) that misrepresenting a refurbished unit as a "replacement" is hardly an act of good faith, and after another twenty minute stint of hold music was informed that they would waive the shipment fee.
Three weeks later (again, natch) I get a box. In this box is a docking station, which was fine, but instead of the nice Sennheiser earbuds that were supposed to come with the unit there was a bulky set of generic over-the-earphones. Worse, there was no power cord, no mini-USB 2.0 cord, no RCA-to-3.5mm cord, and no network cable. (Other things were missing, but I was willing to overlook the manual, etc.)
I called again. This time instead of hold music there was an intermittent Windows error chime every twenty seconds or so, and the rep. had an Indian (dot, not feather) accent so thick I could barely understand him. I do him a disservice, as he was genuinely helpful and did solve my problem, but by that point I was more than a little irate. He agreed to send the other parts without charge.
Two weeks later I'm still waiting for parts. God help me.