My Experience with TechFast (for Future Purchasers)

LChunnykai on 19/12/2020 - 19:15
Last edited 20/12/2020 - 13:39

First things first, I understand that the 30 series card is something of extremely high demand and had been severely back ordered. But this post regards more of my experience POST-PURCHASE.

MOBO - Gigabyte b550 gaming x
GPU - Gigabyte Eagle OC RTX 3080 10GB - October Card
CPU - Ryzen 5 3600
PSU - Gigabyte P750GM 750W 80+ Gold
RAM - Bundled 16GB (8 x 2) DDR4

I bought my system from Techfast on 20th Sep. PC arrived 10th Dec due to GPU shortages. During that 3 months, there was no update from Techfast unless an email was sent to them to request for an update.
PC arrived DOA (Could not turn it on, no LED, no fans spinning) on the 10th Dec. Keep in mind that I was told that the system was "carefully installed" and “stress tested” prior to shipping. Support email was sent on the same day. First reply from Techfast came on 14th Dec to ask for further pictures. I sent them the relevant information right away on the same day and had no reply from then onwards (19th Dec as I'm writing this forum).

As you can see, the experience was not great and nobody deserves to be treated this way. At this point of time, I’m just wishing to get my system up and running before the 1 year warranty expires.

PSA: Thanks to everyone that has commented, your help is greatly appreciated.

Computing

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Comments

  • dualcore on 19/12/2020 - 20:08
    +9

    How did you pay? Credit card? You usually only have a 6 month chargeback period. If you contact Fair Trading (or your state equivalent), their advice to you would be to chargeback before it is too late.

    This is the time when you fill out your credit card chargeback form. They have boxes you can tick, just tick the "Defective" checkbox and submit it. This is 100% a valid reason to chargeback as you received something DOA and you have given more than enough time for them to respond/make it right.

    That will expedite your case and ensure you get a replacement/refund. I know TechFast is busy but there is NO excuse for 9 days and pending DOA for a $$$$ purchase. If you bought a $$$$ good/appliance from a retailer and it didn't turn on, you return to the shop, they verify it and give you a refund/replacement on the spot.

    P.S. I don't blame techfast for the DOA as things can damaged with shipping, even when packaged properly, but they need better customer service than this.

    • dmbminaret on 19/12/2020 - 21:09

      This is the time when you fill out your credit card chargeback form. They have boxes you can tick, just tick the "Defective" checkbox and submit it. This is 100% a valid reason to chargeback as you received something DOA and you have given more than enough time for them to respond/make it right.

      What facilities are covered by chargeback methods? Is it any Visa/Mastercard credit card or only opted in credit issuers? Does it extend to debit mastercard/visa, or only credit?

      Cheers.

  • p1 ama on 19/12/2020 - 20:31
    +11

    I keep saying this, but if you expect any sort of support and/or cannot diagnose and fix your own problems, don't buy from Techfast.

    The reason why Techfast is so cheap (often even cheaper than purchasing parts) is because they basically offer no service and have barely existent warranty (which I'm sure is just to fulfil the bare minimum of any legal requirements).

    If you're not tech-savvy, don't know how to build or fix computers, or want someone to hold your hand, that's fine - you can go buy from Origin PC where they have fantastic after-sales support and pay 20% extra on top of the price of your parts. You pay a price for idiot-proof service.

    Nothing is free in this world. Cheap things are cheap for a reason. I remember back when MSY used to be the cheapest retailer in town by a mile. Then idiots who didn't know what they were doing kept flocking there, wanted BS returns and expected support and someone to hold their hand, eventually leading to ACCC investigations, fines and now MSY is even more expensive than other retailers.

    Moral of the story is that if you don't have the expertise to be cheap, then you can't afford to be cheap. Everything has a cost and someone has to pay up somewhere.

    • burningrage on 19/12/2020 - 20:46
      +3

      Actually in your defense, this is true.

      MSY used to be synonymous to cheapest place to buy PC stuff UNTIL ACCC got its hands into it and nobody mentioned about them anymore.

      Well… at least I can't remember the last time MSY was ever mentioned in OzB and I am a regular OzB patron.

      • dmbminaret on 19/12/2020 - 21:03
        +2

        haha patron

      • stratbargain on 20/12/2020 - 10:20
        +1

        I'd never thought about that but you're not wrong.

        I used to not bother looking at any other prices than MSY and personally I had no issues with their service etc. But the last few times I've checked their pricing has been similar or worse than others (scorptec, cpl, pccasegear etc). And their service is definitely no where near the likes of Scorptec or PCCG.

        Their price increase due to ACCC and handling warranties properly makes a lot of sense

    • jaejae69 on 20/12/2020 - 10:51
      +5

      The OP did not buy a tech fast system expecting the shop to hold their hand in powering on and maybe show him how to install programs. The simple expectation was that a prebuilt system comes working out of the box.

      Obviously stuff happens and I think the OP has been quite understanding but to have so little communication over an obvious DOA is absolutely unacceptable regardless of price. If your price precludes you from offering a proper warranty service then you have no legal standing to operate a business in Australia. Your example of MSY perfectly demonstrates this.

      Australian consumer protections are some of the best in the world and I wouldn’t have it any other way after having seen first hand the alternative while I was living in Japan.

      • thebadmachine on 20/12/2020 - 12:05

        after having seen first hand the alternative while I was living in Japan.

        Please share I am interested.
        * moves to edge of seat *

      • p1 ama on 20/12/2020 - 17:36
        -1

        Yes, but ultimately someone has to pay for good service. It's not cheap. If you want someone on hand to answer emails within 6 hours, you need to pay someone to do that. If you want phone support, you need to pay for that. If you want to have technicians on hand that can timely take back a system, figure out its faults and send it back out, you need to pay for that.

        Based on your post, you've never run a business, I have. It was a small startup of < 5 people and we ran a private retail store that tried to pay our staff good rates, get knowledgeable people, provide good customer service, but all of those things cost money and people don't want to pay. Everyone is cheap until shit hits the fan. As a business, you can't compete with those who cut corners, offer no service, hire 16 year-olds and basically just offer the lowest prices possible.

        Techfast is that sort of business. You can do the calculations yourself and figure out their margins. Obviously Techfast should provide the legally required warranty and support, but you have to accept waiting more and potentially figuring things out on your own. If you can't do that, then buy from Origin PC where you pay for someone to be nice to you and answer the phone 24/7.

        Again, I don't have any private stake in Techfast doing well, but I like cheap stuff.

    • Chunnykai on 20/12/2020 - 13:38
      +2

      Hi p1 ama,

      Your argument is completely valid and I agree, cheap things are cheap for their reasons. I was not aware of the case of MSY and from what I'm getting from you, its similar to the issue that I'm facing now.

      However, though cheap things are cheap for their reasons, the bare minimum is that they should work isn't it? I paid $2k for what the company deems worth of my system (if you check now, they started charging more for the following 3080 systems) and what they sent me was something that couldn't even be used out of the box.

      I'm not a complete PC idiot that only knows how to turn a system on and off, I've done my best troubleshooting the system myself as I know it myself that there's limited help that I'll be getting from TechFast. In my post, the system arrived DOA (no response after pressing power button, no fans, no LED), troubleshooted the PSU myself and realised that the PSU is dead and forked out additional money to get a new one. PC turns on now, but no display on monitor (meaning further problems and troubleshooting)

      I'm not asking for TechFast to hold my hands and guide me through this troubleshooting. I'm actually perfectly okay with the PSU not working and am very willing to fork money from my own pockets even through they sent me one thats faulty in the first place. But what actually drove me to post on this forum is that this system that was sent to me seemed to have more problems than simply a faulty PSU.

    • adzyau on 20/12/2020 - 21:02
      +4

      Mate im gonna disagree. If you pay for a product the expectation is that it works. If the product doesnt work you should get a decent level of customer service.

      • Clear on 20/12/2020 - 21:22
        -2

        Yes that's right you should but he's saying to expect that you won't because you get what you pay for. The countless forum posts are evidence of that.

      • p1 ama on 20/12/2020 - 22:04

        Mate im gonna disagree. If you pay for a product the expectation is that it works.

        That's not what I said. The long and short of what I said is that you get what you pay for (in terms of quality of service). If you buy from a premium retailer, they might fix your issue in 3 days, perhaps even onsite support. If you buy from a bargain basement retailer, expect everything to be slow because it's likely they're getting their techs to respond to emails during their lunchbreaks or whatever cost-saving measure they're implementing.

        If the product doesnt work you should get a decent level of customer service.

        If you want decent customer service, then you pay for it. I don't understand this mindset. There's plenty of information online about the type of service you'll get from certain businesses. People buy from cheap places knowing full well they won't get any decent service. They accept that when they buy because they want a good price. Well, that's what they paid for.

        If they bought a PC from a premium retailer, I would sympathise, but in this case, buyer beware.

        • jaejae69 on 20/12/2020 - 22:44
          +2

          Whether or not I run a business (2 actually) is completely irrelevant. The only facts that matter in this case are

          1. OP has bought a PC for presumable $2599, not a small amount of money by any measure. Purchase was from an Australian company with a physical location.
          2. Said PC has arrived DOA
          3. For a week after providing the requested pictures, Techfast has not given a single update. So for 10 days now, OP is stuck with a $2599 brick, for which he has no idea how or when a resolution is going to be provided by the retailer. That is simply not acceptable.

          You keep talking about how because it's so cheap then OP shouldn't expect any better. I would be inclined to agree if the value of the PC wasnt almost 3 grand. I don't care how the business isn't making enough money to be able to send me an email within 7 days. That's not my concern as the consumer. As the consumer, all I care about is how I spend my money and what I get in return. So far, for $2599 OP has gotten zilch in return.

          Everything you said about running a business in terms of getting good staff, paying good money, providing good service, and keeping prices low is literally Business 101. Running a business means you strike a balance between all those factors or choose to prioritise certain aspects over others. I agree that one viable option to keep prices low is to have less staff and thus slower sales support. However, the line has to be drawn somewhere and IMO it should be drawn well before the ACCC have to get involved like with MSY. Techfast in this case are well out of line and I hope OP gets his issue resolved soon.

          • p1 ama on 20/12/2020 - 23:31
            -3

            @jaejae69:

            You keep talking about how because it's so cheap then OP shouldn't expect any better. I would be inclined to agree if the value of the PC wasnt almost 3 grand.

            Irrelevant how much the PC actually is, the relevant point of comparison is what others are charging. Again, when you purchase from a retailer that systematically sells below what the parts themselves cost, you'd think there'd be some alarm bells ringing as to why it's so cheap?

            If you can't afford to be cheap and fix your own problems, then choose a retailer that makes customer service a priority. But of course, OP wanted to save a buck instead. You can't have your lunch and eat it too.

            I don't care how the business isn't making enough money to be able to send me an email within 7 days. That's not my concern as the consumer. As the consumer, all I care about is how I spend my money and what I get in return. So far, for $2599 OP has gotten zilch in return.

            As I said before, if you care about support, you want someone to answer your emails, pick up the phone…etc. then you go with a retailer that offers that. When you have an online-only retailer that has no storefront, basically no staff, no phone number, no support, plenty of reviews right here about issues with their after-sales support, what do you expect?

            I agree that one viable option to keep prices low is to have less staff and thus slower sales support. However, the line has to be drawn somewhere and IMO it should be drawn well before the ACCC have to get involved like with MSY. Techfast in this case are well out of line and I hope OP gets his issue resolved soon.

            How about choosing to purchase from a retailer that makes support a priority? Ohhhh wait, that would involve actually paying more, riiiiiight, back to square one we go.

            • jaejae69 on 21/12/2020 - 00:01
              -1

              @p1 ama: So tell me at what point do you consider the action or rather inaction in this case, of the business to be unacceptable? In your view they can just drag out a warranty process as long as they want because they sold at a comparatively cheaper price? If you actually think this we can end this discussion here as you're clearly trolling or work for Techfast.

              Stop making Techfast out to be some altruistic god who is mercifully granting us cheap prices for which we need to be forever thankful. Your argument is valid to an extent but there are limits and clearly I'm not the only one who feels Techfast are well beyond being "reasonable".

              • p1 ama on 21/12/2020 - 01:35

                @jaejae69:

                So tell me at what point do you consider the action or rather inaction in this case, of the business to be unacceptable? In your view they can just drag out a warranty process as long as they want because they sold at a comparatively cheaper price? If you actually think this we can end this discussion here as you're clearly trolling or work for Techfast.

                You're completely misinterpreting what I wrote. I'm not defending Techfast, but rather, pointing out the fact that good service costs money and that if we want good service, we should go with retailers that have a history of providing good service and who have built up a reputation over time (there are many retailers, e.g. Scorptec and PCCG are my favourites) even if it means that sometimes we have to pay a little more.

                I don't know why that's so hard to understand? If you shop at bargain basement retailers who have a bad reputation already, who are making slim margins, who don't even have a storefront, a phone number, or any form of support, what do you expect?

                Stop making Techfast out to be some altruistic god who is mercifully granting us cheap prices for which we need to be forever thankful. Your argument is valid to an extent but there are limits and clearly I'm not the only one who feels Techfast are well beyond being "reasonable".

                You're the one bringing emotional arguments into this. I'm the one presenting the simple accounting reality that good service costs money and if you're not willing to pay for it, then you can't complain when things go wrong.

                If you take the risk to go with a retailer that is super cheap and has a spotty track record, then you might win when you get a good price, but when things go wrong, you have to eat the consequences too right? As I said in my original post - nothing is free. Why's that so hard to get?

  • Unorthodox on 19/12/2020 - 20:39
    +2

    That's pretty bad - you'd imagine they would have set priority levels for enquiries etc.

    A DOA should be addressed ASAP with an exchange or replacement within a week at most. To think they're still at the to verify and then ship back stage is disappointing.

  • brokenglish on 19/12/2020 - 21:19
    +1

    The “carefully installed” is relative but I’m sure they did.
    The “stress testing” they are referring to is durability testing of the PC after being packed, washing machine style.

    • McOzbargainer on 20/12/2020 - 08:44

      They need to employ Linus to stress test the components by dropping them.

  • Curry123 on 19/12/2020 - 23:37
    +2

    make sure the power connectors from the psu that plugin to the motherboard and gpu, are Properly connected.

  • AustriaBargain on 20/12/2020 - 04:49

    You asked for a 3080 specifically, you probably should have mentioned that. I read through your post, didn't really read the list, and thought you were talking about a regular GPU, not a GPU that has only had an on-paper launch and isn't widely launched anywhere yet.

  • McOzbargainer on 20/12/2020 - 08:43

    "carefully installed" and “stress tested”. Lol scam. Get a chargeback as soon as possible because it does not look like they want to help you. If you get the chargeback, they should negotiate with you as the obviously want their money.

  • nxllson on 20/12/2020 - 10:40
    +2

    Hey Chunnykai,

    Not sure how Techfast would've got it wrong if it was "stress tested" but it's unlikely that computer manufacturers actually do this - unless they can prove it themselves then my opinions are valid.

    As with your PC, the reason why nothing is spinning is that the power going into your PC isn't actually flowing through to the motherboard, which would obviously bring your PC to life. Ensure the CPU Header plug is connected (very top left cable on the motherboard) properly, it'll require heaps of force. You'd also want to confirm that the power connector the motherboard itself. Next are the front panel connectors, ensure the 'POWER SW' is properly secured; these are on the bottom right in a series of small connectors. If nothing else works, let me know.

    • randomusername2017 on 21/12/2020 - 00:28

      Techfast would've got it wrong if it was "stress tested" but it's unlikely that computer manufacturers actually do this -

      Techfast have streamlined the process…they outsource to Australia post. …

  • hogpig on 20/12/2020 - 17:08
    +1

    Man All these Tech Fast and Tech Titan deals I would avoid if possible for the above reasons. Cheap prices but overpromising and underdelivering would make the whole experience tragic.

  • brendanm on 20/12/2020 - 19:23
    +3

    Chargeback, then buy from the company on here that actually has the stock before selling them.

  • randomusername2017 on 20/12/2020 - 22:47
    +4

    Where's WallyLuke?

  • Filbert on 24/12/2020 - 17:52
    +1

    I ordered a pre-order 3080 on the 12 nov. Arrived today 24/12.
    Plugged in and fired up no probs.
    Sorry you've had issues but my first experience has been fine.
    I did have ongoing dialogue with Luke during that time, conversational not demanding. Just 'any news?' 'heads up?' 'Thanks for the response'

    • adzyau on 24/12/2020 - 20:11

      Nice

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