Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Three strikes against CompUSA- auction and eBay
I know a little bit about customer service. I know what it means to give it and I've been on the receiving end of both good and bad. I always try to be civil with the CSR no matter how badly things have gone awry. This particular example is one of the worst I've ever encountered and surely tried my patience. The folks here managed to convince me that, despite all their assurances that they wanted my business, they really didn't care. At some point you just have to judge someone on their actions and this case left me with the feeling that I dodged a bullet; I was able to get my money back and wasn't stuck with a lemon. They even offered to give me free shipping; but after three chances to ship a working unit and three failures, why give them another opportunity to fail? I swear this is the kind of thing that makes you wonder how someone can stay in business (it must be the volume). You put this into the context of CompUSA's FTC problems over rebates and it doesn't inspire a whole lot of corporate confidence.
I was dealing with customer service for the CompUSA auction site. Heads-up, these same people handle the CompUSA eBay store where they also sell quite a bit of refurbished electronics. The facts, as stated here, were presented to them with a request that they dispute any factual inaccuracy. I, of course, heard nothing from them.
I bought at auction a Medion Disney computer. I set out why here. I was really pretty happy with the computer; not blazingly fast but a good back-up for the price. I got a deal which is why I really didn't want to give it up and why I gave them that third chance. They really had to screw-up in order to dissuade me.
After a month of using the computer it developed an electrothermal problem, that from experience, I recognized as most likely being the motherboard. The system would freeze-up, I'd lose I/O and it would shut down. I emailed them and they issued a pick-up for it. I had a chance at a refund this time and said no. They said it was the memory and I told them then I didn't think so. I thought about it overnight and called them back to tell them, "I guess I'll just have to take your word on it".
Well, I got the computer back and within a couple hours of running it was displaying the same symptoms. I called them and arranged for it to be picked up, again. There was a holiday and an intervening weekend so I gave them more than a week before I contacted them.
I called on Friday, the 8th of July. The CSR told me they had just received it the day before. FedEx tracking told me they had gotten it on the morning of the 6th. I was told that an OK was needed to replace the machine and they would be calling me on Monday. I was still willing to take the deal.
When I hadn't heard anything by Tuesday, I called back. The CSR begged over-work and actually told me they were swamped with returns. After I mentioned that I had been without the computer for about a month of the two I had owned it, they assured me it would be shipped overnight to me the next day. I called back Thursday because I hadn't received it and found out that it wasn't shipped. I was cool with the CSR but I was really cheesed-off and told them I didn't think I wanted it now. I sent an email that night laying out the facts as I have here and asked if there was any dispute to what I had written. I called back Friday and was told that they hadn't received the email. They didn't want to lose my business and they would do anything to keep it. The rep said think about it over the weekend. I was still a little iffy and said I'd send the email again, show it to your manager and have him call me Monday.
Well, when I didn't hear anything I called back on Wednesday. The rep started back-peddling; I showed my manager the email, I didn't think you wanted it and all we can do is give you free shipping this time. I said; no, I'll be canceling my account at your site and that when I shop on eBay I'll be avoiding your store there.
If the manager had bothered to call me back on Monday and offered me a gift certificate or something where I would have ended up spending more at the auction or a CompUSA retail store they would have had my business.
Instead, now they have someone who is completely soured on CompUSA. They not only exhibited a technical incompetence but also an utter disregard and disorganization. You can say all you want but after a while it comes down to what you really do for the customer.
Update, 8-6-05: CompUSA has persuaded me to give 'em another
chance. I'll be writing about how this turns out. ¶ 7/20/2005 05:10:00 PM
I was dealing with customer service for the CompUSA auction site. Heads-up, these same people handle the CompUSA eBay store where they also sell quite a bit of refurbished electronics. The facts, as stated here, were presented to them with a request that they dispute any factual inaccuracy. I, of course, heard nothing from them.
I bought at auction a Medion Disney computer. I set out why here. I was really pretty happy with the computer; not blazingly fast but a good back-up for the price. I got a deal which is why I really didn't want to give it up and why I gave them that third chance. They really had to screw-up in order to dissuade me.
After a month of using the computer it developed an electrothermal problem, that from experience, I recognized as most likely being the motherboard. The system would freeze-up, I'd lose I/O and it would shut down. I emailed them and they issued a pick-up for it. I had a chance at a refund this time and said no. They said it was the memory and I told them then I didn't think so. I thought about it overnight and called them back to tell them, "I guess I'll just have to take your word on it".
Well, I got the computer back and within a couple hours of running it was displaying the same symptoms. I called them and arranged for it to be picked up, again. There was a holiday and an intervening weekend so I gave them more than a week before I contacted them.
I called on Friday, the 8th of July. The CSR told me they had just received it the day before. FedEx tracking told me they had gotten it on the morning of the 6th. I was told that an OK was needed to replace the machine and they would be calling me on Monday. I was still willing to take the deal.
When I hadn't heard anything by Tuesday, I called back. The CSR begged over-work and actually told me they were swamped with returns. After I mentioned that I had been without the computer for about a month of the two I had owned it, they assured me it would be shipped overnight to me the next day. I called back Thursday because I hadn't received it and found out that it wasn't shipped. I was cool with the CSR but I was really cheesed-off and told them I didn't think I wanted it now. I sent an email that night laying out the facts as I have here and asked if there was any dispute to what I had written. I called back Friday and was told that they hadn't received the email. They didn't want to lose my business and they would do anything to keep it. The rep said think about it over the weekend. I was still a little iffy and said I'd send the email again, show it to your manager and have him call me Monday.
Well, when I didn't hear anything I called back on Wednesday. The rep started back-peddling; I showed my manager the email, I didn't think you wanted it and all we can do is give you free shipping this time. I said; no, I'll be canceling my account at your site and that when I shop on eBay I'll be avoiding your store there.
If the manager had bothered to call me back on Monday and offered me a gift certificate or something where I would have ended up spending more at the auction or a CompUSA retail store they would have had my business.
Instead, now they have someone who is completely soured on CompUSA. They not only exhibited a technical incompetence but also an utter disregard and disorganization. You can say all you want but after a while it comes down to what you really do for the customer.
Update, 8-6-05: CompUSA has persuaded me to give 'em another
chance. I'll be writing about how this turns out. ¶ 7/20/2005 05:10:00 PM
