Enigma PC Is Ghosting Me on A Warranty Claim

muhammedtj on 10/05/2024 - 14:04
Last edited 13/05/2024 - 19:36 by 2 other users

End of last year I bought a PC from Enigma PC, this listing to be specific.

Upon receiving I noticed issue where I was not able to use a mic/headphone that was plugged into the audio jack, I contacted them mentioning the issue asking if they can do anything about it, after diagnosis they found out that the audio chip on the mother board was faulty and they said they would send it back to Asus for it to be repaired.

I waited an entire 2/3 weeks while they were "repairing it" I got a call back from them saying that they received it back from ASUS and upon testing it and making sure everything is working fine they tell me that they in fact did not repair anything and they want to send it back again.

I was already fuming at that point took my workstation for 2/3 weeks and conclude that they did squat. I expressed that I wasn't happy and that they should offer me an alternative solution, they can't just waste my time again. I proposed to them that if you don't have stock at the moment then can I pick up my system and use it while they wait for stock and when they receive stock, they replace my motherboard then. We agreed and I got them to give their statement in writing acknowledging that I have proof when the time comes, and they won't just screw me over.

They told me they would have stock by April, its already mid May and I haven't received any communication, I have called them hundreds of times with the line ringing for 10 minutes and no answer. I emailed them attaching their email response saying that they will provide a replacement it's been a few days no answer, I put in a request via their chatbot still no response.

Anyone been in a similar situation before/ or could provide me with assistance as to what should I do. Can I take this matter higher to the ACCC or any sort of government board. Any advice will be greatly appreciated, I know where their "shop" is but it's a 40-minute drive and major inconvenience but if worse comes to worst it is an option.

UPDATE: Finally got an email from them saying that they apologise for slow response as they were short stuffed. The gave me 2 option, A) I continue waiting till they get stock.
B) A refund of ($229) for the Mobo.
Im considering the second option i could buy the identical replacement or i could get something possibly better. Any opinions?

Computing Computer Desktop Computer

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Comments

  • spackbace on 10/05/2024 - 14:09
    +1

    @enigmapc

    Ugh last seen in March tho…

    • spackbace on 10/05/2024 - 14:10
      +1

      Seems strange, monthly or so deal posts but nothing for 2024 so far

      Even their site still lists "Christmas Hours"… why hasn't this been changed now we're up to May

      • Jimothy Wongingtons on 10/05/2024 - 14:11
        +1

        was going to say damn lucky i hesitated last year- was ready to place an order since there was some decent feedback but wanted to see what 2024 bought in terms of pricing/tech/bundles…

      • spackbace on 10/05/2024 - 14:11
        +2

        To add, FB page hasn't had any posts since October

        Google reviews certainly seem to leave a lot to be desired

      • wgradwell on 11/05/2024 - 16:11
        +9

        Strong indication of business shutdown / insolvency in this thread.

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 10/05/2024 - 14:12
    +1

    Accc

    Yeah you can lodge a case

    but they are relatively toothless in what can actually be done, below extract from website if you havent read it already:

    What the ACCC can't do
    We don’t resolve individual complaints or provide legal advice on your rights and obligations under the law.
    We don’t make formal decisions on whether a person or business has breached the law as only the courts can do this.
    We generally don’t comment on our investigations or what action we may take from the information provided in reports we receive.

    Not sure of what $$$$ are at stake here or how much your time costs to you, but may need to escalate to small claims court (first step is usually to put in written communication the request for a solution and put a time limit on it, usually up to 2 weeks).

  • garetz on 10/05/2024 - 14:15
    +7

    It's a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. They are so enigmatic that they might not even exist anymore.

  • spackbace on 10/05/2024 - 14:16
    +2

    The board is only $259… tbh I'd probably just take buy the replacement myself, the $$ hit personally, and leave them a bad review everywhere you can…

    • pharkurnell on 10/05/2024 - 14:17

      fair call.. pick ya battles in life… this appears to be one you wont win…

    • muhammedtj on 10/05/2024 - 14:26

      Farout yeah that is a fair solution (can anyone give me a suggestion on which mobo should i consider at the moment Ive got (ASUS TUF B650M-E WiFi - DDR5)).Im a student so when i bought it i already forked over 1.7k thinking I'm going to get a product and service worth my money.

      • ldd-mn on 10/05/2024 - 14:31

        Well the same board, that's the one they linked

    • SBOB on 10/05/2024 - 19:34
      +14

      A replacement sound card or USB external sound interface might be a more cost effective self fix

  • pharkurnell on 10/05/2024 - 14:16
    +1

    i have called them hundreds of times with the line ringing for 10 minutes and no answer.

    they have caller ID runnin….
    call from somewhere else ;)

    • muhammedtj on 10/05/2024 - 14:22

      yep tried that used 5 different numbers.

      • pharkurnell on 10/05/2024 - 14:26
        +2

        Go and knock on their front door.. or stand at front door calling them on your mobile

        • smartazz104 on 12/05/2024 - 13:54

          There's probably no-one behind that door…

  • scrimshaw on 10/05/2024 - 14:18
    +13

    These guys are owned by TechDash, and it appears their website has gone offline. http://techdash.com.au/ (Cloudflare error)

    https://au.trustpilot.com/review/techdash.com.au

    I guess this business is in the process of closing down and you might have to solve the problem yourself by either getting a PCIE or USB sound card.

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 10/05/2024 - 14:20
      +4

      nice detective work mate

      • muhammedtj on 10/05/2024 - 14:27
        +1

        struth mate,

    • ldd-mn on 10/05/2024 - 14:26

      The domain for TechDash is registered under ELYSIAN EDUCATION PTY LTD which is interesting…

      • djsweet on 10/05/2024 - 15:28

        I wonder if related to Elysian energy which also went bust?

    • pharkurnell on 10/05/2024 - 14:28
      +2

      nice feedback…

      Placed an order for a server on TechDash just under to $6,200 AUD and paid additional $70 for next business day delivery. Straight away after ordering they ask for an extra $750 because apparently they were selling under cost so I paid the difference after price match. Its been 3 days since then and no tracking number, no answer to my multiple phone calls over Friday and today (Monday) and no reply to my emails or messages from last week.

    • spackbace on 10/05/2024 - 14:35

      28/2/24 they filed a document for:

      Change to Company Details Change of Registered Address (484B)

  • freefall101 on 10/05/2024 - 14:19
    +2

    i have called them hundreds of times with the line ringing for 10 minutes and no answer.

    i know where their "shop" is but it's a 40-minute drive and major inconvenience

    If one 40 minute drive is a major inconvenience, what does that make thousands of minutes on the phone?

    Anyway, I'd cut your losses and buy a cheap USB sound card instead. Can pick them up off Amazon for $20-30

    • muhammedtj on 10/05/2024 - 14:29
      +1

      Ive got a packed timetable, fulltime uni student and working. These guys aren't open during the weekends even.

      • freefall101 on 10/05/2024 - 14:31
        +3

        Fair enough. I'd definitely go a USB soundcard then.

    • 2esc on 11/05/2024 - 09:39
      -3

      40 minutes? Thats not far time wise at all. Plan your trip to do some other shopping in the area. Majority of shops for me are 40 plus minutes away. You're probably spent more time today looking at a screen.

    • skidexa on 12/05/2024 - 13:48
      +1

      Usuually people would dial and just leave it on speaker while they do something else until someone picks up.

  • carlJack on 10/05/2024 - 14:20
    +1

    40 min drive is a major inconvenience? and you are prepared to wait instead of just going there and asking them in person?

    • pharkurnell on 10/05/2024 - 14:26
      +6

      .. it is when you get there and they disappeared and closed up months ago.. ;)

      • terrywang on 04/07/2024 - 18:08

        Wow, no wonder the domain name is unresolvable, it's gone ;-)

    • muhammedtj on 10/05/2024 - 14:33
      +2

      40 mins each way. yeah its a bit of a nuisance esp if its pointless

  • Sye on 10/05/2024 - 14:28
    +4

    Bikies

  • Caped Baldy on 10/05/2024 - 14:41
    +1

    Upon receiving i noticed issue where i was able to use a mic/headphone that was plugged into the audio jack

    unable??

    It sucks, but you can get a usb to 3.5mm adapter. It's probably not worth your time chasing up.

    • muhammedtj on 10/05/2024 - 14:45

      the sound is card faulty, so via the aux port or the ports in the back they dont work.

      edit: spelling

      • Caped Baldy on 10/05/2024 - 14:50

        Ahhh I see. That is pretty shit on their end. Could go directly to Asus?

        Could it be a software issue rather than hardware?

        • xuqi on 10/05/2024 - 18:15

          Forget it Asus Australia warranty sucks….. They won't RMA PC parts directly. and always insist on it being sent back via the reseller.

          • Boomstick on 11/05/2024 - 09:57

            @xuqi: Seconded. Asus direct support is garbage at best.

      • bobokingdom on 10/05/2024 - 20:01
        +1

        Can it be driver issue? Sometimes update the wrong driver by mistake. (as most of the ports these days are auto detected…if the auto detected failed, it won't have sound coming out.)

        • muhammedtj on 12/05/2024 - 14:57

          I looked into it, the issue is that when you plug in a headset the audio works, but the mic does not. if you play around with it, it picks up as you're plugging it in then drops and doesn't recognise the mic at all. I've tested the headphones on other devices they aren't the issue.

  • askbargain on 10/05/2024 - 14:48

    chargeback

    nvm outside 120 days

    maybe you used paypal?

  • lachhelix on 10/05/2024 - 15:19
    +5

    For the sake of $15 can you really be bothered calling every single day with no response?
    Just buy one of these and be done with it
    https://www.umart.com.au/product/simplecom-usb-to-3-5mm-audi…

  • brad1-8tsi on 10/05/2024 - 15:40
    +1

    Bypass the shop and deal with ASUS direct.

    https://www.asus.com/au/support/callus/

    • muhammedtj on 10/05/2024 - 15:43
      +2

      yep just done that, i didnt think of doing that yet because i figured i wouldve needed to go through enigma then asus. because it was prebuilt. Excuse my ignorance first time PC buyer

      • xuqi on 10/05/2024 - 18:20

        Have you tried checking for and disconnecting the internal AUX cable that normally connects motherboard audio to the case, in case there is something amiss with the case cabling?

        Also, worthwhile updating the Realtek drivers with the latest on the MS site:

        https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=high%…

        Realtek Semiconductor Corp. - MEDIA - 6.0.9648.1 (26/02/2024)

        Extract files from CAB and direct Windows device manager to look for the updated driver at the location.

        This audio chip is used so commonly that you'd have to be really SOL to end up with a dud IC.

        • muhammedtj on 12/05/2024 - 14:51

          I didn't try anything with the physical, as it is supposedly under warranty i expected them to be the experts and be able to help when needed, i looked into possible driver issue but it got a fair bit confusing and i didn't want to corrupt anything else, i was/am fairly new to computer troubleshooting, I've been using a mac till now:\

    • xuqi on 10/05/2024 - 18:23
      +1

      Goodluck with that, speaking from personal experience Asus Australia are utterly useless at directly RMA's PC parts, and always insist on parts being returned via the reseller.

      The only systems or peripherals they provide direct RMA support for, belong the groups listed on your link (excludes motherboards, GPU's, etc.).

  • teacherer on 10/05/2024 - 15:57

    That's sh*t, i recommended their deals to mates

  • randomusername2017 on 10/05/2024 - 17:02
    +1

    🎵 another one bites the dust 🎵

  • reactor-au on 11/05/2024 - 10:21
    +1

    USB headset easier, cheaper unless you want to use speakers. Will be better quality sound compared to onboard chip. Otherwise maybe your PC had Bluetooth but that would be poor for gaming.

  • AB100 on 11/05/2024 - 13:45
    +5

    I had similar issues with my son's ASUS X570 ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING motherboard. (Seems to be an issue with quite a few ASUS boards).
    After doing a lot of research into the issue, I came across the following website with more up-to-date audio drivers for ASUS motherboards.
    https://rog-forum.asus.com/t5/downloads-for-motherboards/dri…
    There a quite a lot of different Realtek chipsets drivers listed, and you will need to select the correct one.
    On the ASUS web page for my motherboard, under features, it says that my audio has DTS® Sound Unbound. To double check I googled the audio driver listed on ASUS support page (Realtek Audio Driver V6.0.9411.1 For Windows 10/11 64-bit) and from that I was able to see that it was a SS3 version.
    So, for me the correct driver to install was for the ASUS ROG SS3 & SS3|DTS Sound Unbound motherboards driver - "Realtek Audio Drivers (UAD - ASUS ROG SS3-DTS) : Drivers : 6.0.9667.1 WHQL [09/04/2024]" - this driver was 2 years newer than the driver on the ASUS web page for my motherboard.
    After following the steps to install this driver, the audio has been working flawlessly.

    • THICKnSLOW on 12/05/2024 - 12:49

      That's a very specific solution, thanks for sharing.

      It just makes me think, maybe enigma are choosing grey import channels to source their products to make a margin, as they're probably not given the support needed to resolve the matter quickly.

    • muhammedtj on 12/05/2024 - 15:12

      this sounds promising, I'll look into it. I am using the asus mobo application Armoury crate and it does say that the latest Realtek audio driver is 6.0.9448.1 and ive got that installed.

      • AB100 on 12/05/2024 - 16:29

        Your driver appears to have been released around the 29th November 2022, so it's quite a bit out-of-date. The newest drivers are from April 2024.

  • trapper on 12/05/2024 - 12:20

    If you can't get a very quick repair, or immediate replace, then ask for a refund. Take your money elsewhere to get the item.

  • core101 on 12/05/2024 - 12:24

    mic/headphone that was plugged into the audio jack

    1. Did you plug in a 4-pin phone-style (mic/headphone) plug directly into a single 3.5mm audio socket, 2. Was this directly plugged in on the back of the motherboard, bypassing the case wiring/socket?
    • muhammedtj on 12/05/2024 - 14:44

      yes i plugged in a regular 4 pin into the front 3.5mm audio socket. no it was placed in where it opens up in the case

  • skittlebrau on 12/05/2024 - 12:50

    You could give them an ultimatum that if you don’t have your issue resolved in a timely manner, then you’ll be taking this to small claims court. That is, assuming you have the time to actually follow through.

  • core101 on 12/05/2024 - 16:44
    +1

    Are there two 3.5mm sockets at the front, and on the back of the motherboard a green (output) and a red (input) 3.5mm?

    You may need a cable like this to separate the speaker from microphone.

    If you have plain headphones with the 3-pin 3.5mm plug, you could use it to test the motherboard audio output.
    Likewise if you have a microphone, you could use that to test input.

  • Kelvin on 16/05/2024 - 08:37
    +1

    See above… Core101 probably has it right…

    There are three sorts of heaset connections..

    See guide below..

    https://www.headsetsdirect.com/articles/educational-headphon…

    You are probably using a TRRS connection..
    Most if not all desktop computers (that I have seen) use dual 3.5mm for headset..

    the TRRS connection is most commonly found on notebooks and phones, which only have a single 3.5mm jack…

    If you plus a TRRS headset into a mixed computer output 3.5mm desktop port.. you generally only get audio out and the microphone doesn't work..

    Some headsets provide you with the "splitter cable" see the core101 link above.. many do not..

    During COVID I had the fun of organising three kids learning from home.. plus the wife and I intermittently working from home…
    I had the "fun" of organising headsets for all of them..

  • Kelvin on 16/05/2024 - 08:40
    +1

    Even more confusining when you mixed video in as well.. (but thats another story…)

    https://www.cablechick.com.au/blog/understanding-trrs-and-au…

  • Kelvin on 16/05/2024 - 08:42
    +1

    a bit more details here..

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phone_connector_(audio)

    computer (desktop outputs) tend to be TRS not TRRS…

  • commiewealth on 17/05/2024 - 16:49

    If your audio works but not the microphone then likely what others said about TRRS is right, you need a splitter.

    e.g if you plug in apple earpods directly into a desktop PC, the audio will work but the microphone won't work, to get the microphone working you have to plug the earpods into the splitter then plug the green/red jacks into the PC - https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/719JxYBJEtL.jpg

  • richplatt on 23/05/2024 - 14:24

    I originally purchased two high specification PC's from Enigma. The builds were great and assembled well. The customer support was quick and helpful. The pricing on components was very competitive.

    Everything was great until I had an issue. I had to return the PC to them and they decided to replace the GPU. After just over a week, I picked up the PC, but had the exact same issue. I decided to troubleshoot myself and realised the PSU had burnted cables. They requested the PC back again, however I needed the machine and so purchased a replacement PSU locally. I returned the faulty PSU to them asking for a refund. They ignored me for weeks due to the 'Christmas shutdown. There was no auto response for the support email. I wasted a lot of time, effort and money to resolve an issue they missed. The replacement PSU was $159 and I had to pay $18 to post the faulty one. They offered $75 and only incrased to $95 after I pushed back. I appreciate they have tight margins, but I feel the lack of transparency and delays made a normal support process painful.

    They pushed the boundaries of the ACCC recommendations for reasonable timeframes, return costs and fixing a major issue.

  • spackbace on 21/06/2024 - 12:28

    What's the status on this?

    Going back through Enigma's previous stuff, I found this interesting, and this further comment about their prior company, Tech Dash.

    So that makes 2 companies these guys have created and run away from.

    Time will tell if a 3rd pops up…

    • muhammedtj on 22/06/2024 - 14:44
      +2

      They got back to me after some time (their excuse was they were understaffed) and offered me refund on the mobo, or could send it it back to asus again for repairs, or they offered a sound card or i could wait until they get stock.

  • Genclone on 20/07/2024 - 15:34
    +4

    https://connectonline.asic.gov.au/RegistrySearch/faces/landi…

    Company is currently being wound up. Just FYI if anyone is wondering wtf is going on.

  • FBK on 30/07/2024 - 12:59

    bought a gaming pc from them at the end of last year and online search took me to this page. They've filed for voluntary administration of their company. Seems like they have been running scams since day one.
    and their website isn't working either.
    click on their facebook link via google and it takes you to some thai language facebook.

  • Viospeed on 31/07/2024 - 14:29

    Lesson learnt, stay away from shitty no name computer stores.

    • Naigrabzo on 28/08/2024 - 14:23

      it's hard man. They all use the same template and look slick.

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