Bought a HP N40L from them during last month's sale. The server arrived with 2nd and 3rd front USB ports not working, I opened the box and found that the USB connector wire is broken. I lodged a case with them but was told they do not deal with it (not even repair it) because it's after 7 days DOA period. I have lodged a complaint with Consumer Affairs Victoria and is still waiting for a case manager. Beware of them!
Not always. I've had monitors like Samsung and LG in the past and after a certain period of time you have to deal directly with the manufacturer in regards to warranty claims.
Not sure what the case is with HP though.
Even so, their customer service in this case is way below par and unexceptable. It's odd as I've only heard good things about Shopping Express so far.
Agreed. Sometimes, I actually find it more expedient to deal directly with the manufacturer on certain warranty issues. Often, the retailer would only send it back to them anyway outside the DOA period…if it's pickup/return wty or you've got a local service agent you can save yourself some time by cutting out the middle man!
I'm also not sure how much joy anyone would get out of HPA though! :p
I've been very happy with the service I've recieved from SE, I'd have no hesitation in buying from them again! :)
A quick and angry call to the ACCC solves that in my opinion. Then you ring them back and let them know that you've contacted the ACCC.
Hi Sionghua,
I believe my colleague has advised you that we brought this issue up with HP and your case had been rejected as physical damage from the photo you provided (we have provided a case id to you b4 regarding this). It has been explained that physical damage products are not covered under warranty. At the same time, we have also offered you to contact HP again and if they gave you a letter with case ID for refund, we would gladly do a refund.
Regards
Shopping Express
Nup that's not going to fly rep. It's not good enough and precisely the kind of retail denial of responsibility that the governing bodies are starting to crack skulls over. You have sold a product which is not in saleable condition; you should be refunding/replacing what you sold to the customer, and taking your case up with the manufacturer.
Alternatively, if OP pursues their statutory warranty rights as a consumer (and most small claims adjudicators grow tired of your brand of bs), the onus of wearing the cost of replacement/repair falls solely and squarely on your shoulders as the retailer. And HP will know it ;)
So I almost hope they raise a claim…
Oh, and sionghua: don't you pay one cent for the shipping of repair/replacement when the time comes. Here's your exact case with the ACCC: http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/918525/fro…
Nail 'em to the wall if they give you any more sh*t.
Dude, seriously…this case is nothing like what Mwave were doing before. The 'damage' was reported 15 days after delivery, there could be more to this than meets the eye IMHO! :o
@Sionghua, can you please post a link to the photo of the 'damage' for us to suss it out? I don't like to second-guess your motivations without evidence. Cheers! :)
Yeah possibly more to it Stew - I had a long day yesterday and had to deal with one of these myself. A bit arked up by the time I wrote this, could you tell ;)
Where did you spot the 15 days part? I only saw 'after 7'. Was thinking that it's entirely possible that the 2nd & 3rd ports weren't even used/checked until the problem was found, and given the relative price even 15 days would be a no-brainer statutory warranty claim.
Unless it's got a big axe mark to the front. "Heeeeeere's Johnny!"…
out of all the microservers sold, this one has a broken USB wire
really?
a person would never damage the thing to get a refund would they?
I think you're reaching a bit far tonyjzx. Why would OP deliberately damage it and seek a repair? Read the post again.
I would think that out of all the microservers sold, what are the odds of never having a faulty one?
http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/69618 had this comment by SE:
Brand new sealed in box, with no reported physical damage on box delivered. With a report of damage to us from customer 15 days after the product arrived?
Don't worry Matty, I'm happy to jump on the consumer rights thing myself at times! Yep, I agree that it's easy to miss minor things over a week or two, but HP's blanket refusal to repair a simple thing on server grade hardware based on photographic evidence is kinda odd…I'd love to see the photo.
I LOL'd at the axe mark reference, now I think Sionghua's server name was gonna be 'ЯEDЯUM'! ;)
Haha I'd + you twice if I could for the special characters ;)
lets break it down… these have onsite warranty
now if you log a job with HP they will come to you and fix it
if you were dumb enough to provide a photo to hang yourself well what do you expect?
my 1st microserver had a faulty SAS cable and i logged it and they came and fixed it… do i blame the dropshipper? no
i suspect this person will be a one post wonder and we'll never see a photo
Out of curiosity, wouldn't opening up the box cause the warranty to become void ?
If you're referring to the server box (case), I'd say not if it comes with a key!!!
Well, you wouldn't order something and cause damage to obtain a refund. Unless they meant the packaging was damaged!? Either way, where did the physical damage happen… Obviously either from delivery people, or, the manufacturer when it was made. I mean, if the OP ordered something then just changed their mind, there's far less obvious ways to "kill" electronics and guarantee a refund - like, turn it on and bridge out some pins with the tip of a pair of scissors. Or just resell it on ebay, or here, or… etc.
A limit on days after purchase doesn't cut it either. (Harvey Norman tried this one on me once, with a scanner I purchased, but didn't get to open for two weeks because I was flat out busy. It was USED and repackaged as new! Scratches all over it…) Anyway, it could have been delivered to him while he was on holiday, or, bought as a gift for an upcoming birthday but only opened the day after that condition expired, or not had a change to use all the bells & whistles yet…
So I'd expect the company that sold it to wear the cost. I mean I have nothing to do with this - yet I'm already making mental notes, if I order something from this business, not only is there a risk products could arrive damaged - but if they do - I'll lose my money as well. So by not giving one customer the benefit of the doubt, the company loses (who knows how many) future ones.
I used to work in sales. They once purchased an expensive sales course all the reps had to watch. (A course based on honesty, not the "con-man" sales garbage like energy company door knockers do.) There was a saying in it that went something like: "A happy customer might tell 10 of their friends - IF you're lucky. An unhappy customer tells EVERYONE."
Ah, ok - box was damaged on delivery but guy didn't report it. But even so, why should that change anything. I've had lots of things delivered in a damaged box. What are you supposed to do - refuse to accept the delivery!? If you do that, you not only wear the cost of delivery, but lose the item you bought. And you don't know the item inside is damaged until you fully open the box anyway. But as soon as you accept it from Oz Post, they leave. I mean, they're not going to hang around until you test it out, are they. Also a damaged box wouldn't cause… what was it exactly, broken wires? Not without punching a hole right through the unit itself. If the box had been fine, the unit still wouldn't have worked. So what has a damaged cardboard box got to do with a refund on a non-functioning item that was never constructed properly!
The guy just wants what he paid for. He didn't receive that. If the manufacturer won't do the right thing, then the retailer should demand that they do. If they still won't, the retailer should do it instead. Goodness knows they're happy to take money from us all when they have a sale, and some goodwill would have cemented their reputation here for the future.
I've had lots of things delivered in a damaged box. What are you supposed to do - refuse to accept the delivery!?
Yes, that's exactly what you're supposed to do and you have that right to refuse delivery (tell them to return to sender since the carton is damaged). If the box was moderately / heavily damaged and Australia Post had already completed delivery, I would leave the box sealed and take it to the nearst Post Office and write on the box "Return to sender — damaged carton on delivery."
a damaged box wouldn't cause… what was it exactly, broken wires?
The USB wires could have easily broken from the incident that caused the box to be damaged (although I'm not saying that's what actually happened in this case).
A damaged box means that it could have fallen off a truck / forklift / whatever. That's a potential height of around 1.5m. That's a fair impact when it hits the ground. The USB wires connected to the back of a USB port are quite tiny indeed, not to mention the location of the USB ports are located on the outside edge of the case. Such an impact on the box around the area of the USB ports could surely cause broken wires.
Who is ultimately responsible if it has been proven that the product was in fact damaged in transit, or for that matter lost in transit? Why should a retailer be responsible for the negligence of a courier company or Australia Post?
Even a trustworthy company like Unique Mobiles has the option in shipping options to add delivery insurance, approx. $3.00 extra on normal delivery.
well the owner took a photo and HP apparently said it was user induced damage
wasn't happy with that so went to Fair Trading…
I dunno camelgrass, look at it from the consumer's point of view: when you pay for a product + delivery why would you be satisfied with anything other than that product delivered in working order?
How can we possibly shift the cost of damage from a courier (paid to deliver competently) to the consumer?
If I order a pizza and the delivery guys drops it on the street in front of my place he doesn't rock up to the door and say "here's your box of cr*p". Since I paid for a product to be delivered to my door the pizza store apologizes, and replaces/refunds my purchase.
But in that circumstance you would refuse delivery…. Not take it in, eat it and complain about it 2 weeks later….
You're right I wouldn't. But then again I can open the pizza box immediately and see the damage. So yes andy, as with all analogies there are inherent limitations in comparison.
For instance, unlike a molested pizza it's conceivable one might not realise the damage to a microserver (not just its packaging) until they opened the case or tried to use the damaged ports.
I stand corrected, of course, if you are in fact in the habit of eating your computer parts whilst still warm from delivery.
But I agree entirely with camelgrass below: this is all conjecture short of seeing the photos, inspecting the damage and knowing all the facts.
Yeah, true Matty. I'm not really siding one way or the other regarding the matter and the parties involved.
Just pointing out that retailers AS WELL as consumers have rights. The truth is none of know the real story here.
I'm siding with HP here. They treat this server like a real server that cost $2,000.
They are happy to come onsite and spend whatever time it takes to fix it. I don't care for megabuy or shopping express or whoever… I take it as read that they're all just dropshippers and the less I have to deal with them the better. I will never go back to them for support.
I've found HP server support to be pretty generous all around and if you explain the problem, even via email or webchat, they are happy to help you out.
If they say the thing is user damaged, its user damaged. They support the government, military, fortune 500 and whoever. They would happy fix whatever and wouldn't screw someone for a $200 server.
I'm not seeing any imageshack links yet??? :o
I doubt you'll get anything further from either party while they are presumably still in negotiations with Consumer Affairs Victoria.
After much complaints/posting on the web/calling HP, Shoppingexpress eventually double check with HP and sorted out the different information that was given to me and to them. Apparently the server was dropshipped from a HP reseller thus they have to produce the reseller invoice for HP to accept the replacement. After much drama finally I got my replacement. But not worth the trouble.
HP has a part to play as well coz one HP rep told them it's not covered by warranty while the other rep told me they can provide replacement.
Sadly, it looks like the extra miles we took didn't paid off for us this time. We reviewed the case and took a chunk of time to argue with HP to get the warranty approved, got the product back under our cost and send a new one as soon as we got the unit back.
it was worth your time, as now I have no concerns about buying from you :)
An account of the event from memory.
Glad and thankful finally issued resolved, but
1. Not impressed with how the case was handled before the online postings.
2. Would not have to go through this if bought through HP reseller.
3. HP's fault in telling different things to SE and myself.
4. SE claimed miscommunication by HP and they are authorised HP reseller but apparently need KS Computer invoice. Not sure if they are authorised HP reseller.
Also I lodged a claim with Paypal and was granted full refund because no response from SE, I have sent the money back to SE but apparently no one from SE is aware of this.
All in all SE made an effort to resolve the issue in the end, thanks.
Yep, never again for me.
They sent me a broken keyboard and I had to constantly follow up with them regarding my $33 refund! (Yes it's a cheap keyboard but it's my favourite) - Microsoft comfort Curve 2000.
It took them 8 days and many emails to get around to emailing me an RMA sticker. Actually the item is DOA and not an RMA but w/e.
I sent the item back and they didn't bother refunding me on the item arriving, instead i've had to chase for a further 8 days. I was promised a refund as they didn't want to keep me waiting (LOL) and they had no other keyboards to send out.
Eventually gave up, raised it as a paypal dispute, was told they wouldn't refund my postage as it was an RMA. Have now raised it to a paypal claim for the full amount.
Very disappointed with their approach to this all and won't recommend them to anyone.
What a waste of time for a POS bit of equipment.
I would avoid buying anything from these people. I did not receive a delivery and emailed them. Got an automated response email and then nothing. Tried to login to see their resposne but that didn't work either.
tried 3 times to get a new login but that was a fail. So don't get a response and can't login, hmmm, custoemr servie would be?
Terrible?
try using a phone?
Hi woftamjohn,
If you have issues contacting us via email - you can always reach us at 02-83388899. Please have your order number starting with N00xxxxx ready when you call so we can assist you efficiently.
Kind Regards
Shopping Express
Dear Glitchx,
Um, yes, I have heard of phones but you are missing the point here, do I need to spell it out for you?
lol, calm down.. its just that this is the holiday season and companies may be short staffed etc. etc. I have had a good experience with them, so I am sure its not all bad. Open a couple of tickets, try calling them, it should work out.
And Shopping Express, I have tried to contact you twice but you seem to think the customer should chase you?
How about responding directly to enquiries?
The rep has found your post, replied and given you a number to call if you're having issues with emails not being responded to. It might not be their end at fault re the emails, there's a lot of steps along the way where things can go awry.
I've had multiple dealings with the rep here and found them to be extremely helpful and honest. I recently ordered a N54L microserver after it was discovered they didn't come with a HDD as they were originally advertised and he still gave me the $20 credit even though I ordered knowing full well it was without the drive. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't happen most places.
Perhaps the rep tried to PM you only to find you have PM's disabled? Why not throw the rep here a PM if you don't want to call, detail your issue in a calm and collected manner and I'm certain he'll be able to help you.
Hi woftamjohn,
Was trying to help you after reading your message "Tried to login to see their resposne but that didn't work either", and i reckon you met up with issues contacting us via email - thus suggesting the contact number.
If you missed us twice via phone for some reason, please consider giving another try today? Our phone service available weekdays: 9:30am to 5:30pm AEST.
You may alternatively - leave down your order number and contact details with me via private message, so I can arrange our customer support to contact you?
Hi woftamjohn,
Just a follow up - have you resolved your issue with us? I have yet to receive any response from you.
Kind Regards
Shopping Express
I don't know what more you could possibly do to help this person, he has an apparent problem and you're here willing and able to help solve it.
Shrug.
Maybe you could ask a mod to PM him as he may not be checking this thread anymore?
Hi foobar,
Good idea, will give that a try.
Kind Regards
Shopping Express
sounds dodgy. the are obligated to honour the manufacturer's full warranty period.
given that it was doa, you could even insist on a refund if desired.