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Can I get my money back of Hardwareversand?

  • 02-08-2012 10:39AM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29


    Hi guys,

    I ordered a PC from Hardwareversand in late July which I finally got several weeks later. The PC was broken when it arrived and I promptly shipped it back to them.

    When DHL confirmed delivery I rang them several times, each time they hung up when I asked for an English speaker. I then requested a call back from an English speaker, who had no knowledge of the return but said it would take several days for it to show up in the system and said that I would be contacted in 2 or 3 days. That was on the 23rd of July.

    I have emailed several times since then, all of which have been unanswered.
    I have requested call backs in English via their web site on an almost daily basis, none of which have been made. All attempts to ring them have resulted in hangups with the exception of one call (yesterday), whereby the guy stated that the system had no record of the return and that I should ring
    back tomorrow.

    To make things worse, the parts that I know to be broken are out of out of stock and wont be in until the middle of next week. So I assume this is going to drag on for at least a week or two more.

    I want my money back, plain and simple. Am I within my rights?
    Technically the parts have been opened and used as they built the PC for me, even though I have never booted it up.

    It is over 5 weeks since I placed the order for a 1K plus rig. I am well p*ssed of at this stage. This is the worst customer service I have ever experienced.

    Any info appreciated.

    K.


Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,224 ✭✭✭Procrastastudy


    To clarify when did the parts go back the 23rd?

    A seller may offer a repair or replacement - if that is not done in a reasonable time (around 4 weeks) then you can reject the goods and insist on a refund.

    I suggest keeping your messages very simple and use google translate. That or hope there is some kind soul on here who speaks German. I'd give them a bit more time. If the situation isn't resolved you can use the Small Claims Court to adjudicate European matters the fee is the usual €25.

    I'm sorry but I'm going to advise people against using their build service it seems more hassle that its worth.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,307 ✭✭✭ZeroThreat


    hanging up if someone calls not speaking German, wow.. great way for a company dealing with international sales to handle non-German speaking customers.
    :rolleyes:

    Just glad I bought my pc from them as individual parts for assembly.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29 Klaatu


    Got an email (in German) stating that the PC was being dispatched to me today. No sign of any UPS details as yet, probably come home in a week or so to find a delivery leaflet in the door.

    I requested that the OS be loaded so that I have some confidence that the PC is in full working order when it leaves their office. I'll be amazed if it arrives with the OS installed and in working order.

    I will never buy anything off them again, way too much hassle.I bought a Dell 2312HM from Amazon.co.uk. Ordered it on Monday morning in work and it arrived last night in perfect working order. I could have got it cheaper from HWVS................. Lesson learnt.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,224 ✭✭✭Procrastastudy


    If its buggered up this time give us a shout here and I'm sure there would be a few of us that will get it up and running for you. At least then you can just RMA the parts that gets damaged in transit.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 210 ✭✭Craig B


    After reading this thread I presume that people are against the HWVS assembly service? Just out of curiosity.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,224 ✭✭✭Procrastastudy


    I personally am - a few people have used it and are very happy with it.

    To be fair I have no personal experience of it but to my mind its basic physics.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,330 ✭✭✭N64


    Thats one area where HWVS could really improve on - Communication. When I had to RMA a graphics card a few years ago, the told me it would take up to 1 month and they were going to repair it, but a week later I got a brand new in the mail the following week :o

    Yeah, I have no personal experience with the build service myself however a good few posters have had problems with the build (mainly items damaged in transit)

    NCIX.com (a canadian retailer of computer components) offer a similar service to HWVS, but they ship the graphics card in a separate box as its really easy for it to get damaged in the mail when its installed in the pc case.


  • Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 4,282 Mod ✭✭✭✭deconduo


    The biggest problem is the delivery. Once it gets to Ireland its put the 'capable' hands of An Post, where I suspect any damage that is taken occurs.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 144 ✭✭Chris.Buckley


    An post are a joke. I often used to see them literally throwing large amazon packages from the vans onto the ground outside the post office early in the morning. no care whatsoever. I'm sure they break very expensive gear on a daily basis and don't give a s**t..


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 881 ✭✭✭Bloodwing


    deconduo wrote: »
    The biggest problem is the delivery. Once it gets to Ireland its put the 'capable' hands of An Post, where I suspect any damage that is taken occurs.
    An post are a joke. I often used to see them literally throwing large amazon packages from the vans onto the ground outside the post office early in the morning. no care whatsoever. I'm sure they break very expensive gear on a daily basis and don't give a s**t..

    In the interest of fairness and balance I've had many items, from PC components to bottles of whiskey delivered by An Post and I'm yet to have an issue with them. I had one bottle of perfume go missing between here and the states but that could have been down to the seller, the US postal service or An Post.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,224 ✭✭✭Procrastastudy


    An post or any courier company is going to have some muppetry along the way - pre-built PCs are just waiting to be broken in transit tbh. The way single components are packed is great - I don't understand why people bother having machines built its no more difficult than putting together Ikea furniture.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29 Klaatu


    Next time I'll order the components from an English speaking vendor and do the assembly myself. I only ordered the assembly service from HWVS for several reasons:

    1> Lazy.
    2> It's an ITX build and I thought it might be a bit tricky due to space issues in the case.
    3> Cheap.

    All false economies at the end of the day. If it does not work when it arrives I will break it down to it's components and rebuild it myself.

    TBH, now that the Bitfenix Prodigy case is out I'm probably going to do it anyway as it is much nicer than the Lian-Li PC-Q08 that I have ordered.

    K.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,979 ✭✭✭Tea_Bag


    what was broken with the PC in the first place? the OS is not going to be installed unless you pay the premium for the service.

    did it actually take "several weeks to arrive"? did you order parts that were out of stock?

    I think you're being a bit unfair on HWVS to be honest. If this were to happen with any other retailer it'd be a lengthy turnaround too.

    you were a bit unfortunate with some tool in the postal service.

    yea not many people speak English in the customer service office, but they're in no way obliged to. I usually get through to the lady who speaks English on the second or third attempt. she doesn't work on weekends though, and perhaps she was on holidays or sick or whatever. if someone rang you up shouting in German you'd hang up too.

    I can't defend their email service. I don't know who manages that, but they're crap at it.

    Your new PC probably took some time to prep cause again, the parts were out of stock. I bet the motherboard isn't even for sale anymore?

    I've had to use HWVS 3 times for RMAs, and they're much better than my dealings with dabs and Amazon, the latter of which I had to pay for postage (non refundable) to get it shipped to the manufacturer cause it was over 31 days old (it was 33) and the former being Irish based.

    Amazon are fast, but you pay a large premium for their service. also, HWVS is their supplier ;)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29 Klaatu


    The case was broken (power button had fallen into it) ,the mobo was damaged (wifi connecters broken) and I could not get the OS to load from the DVD drive, leading to the suspicion that the PC had been well bounced around.

    It took a total of 17 days to arrive. All parts were in stock when it was ordered and still are, otherwise I would not have included them in the build. WRT the repairs, I emailed them stating that if any parts were out of stock I would accept alternatives that were in stock.

    Many Emails were sent to them in German as well as call back requests in German to get some feedback. I received 1 call back from a woman who spoke English who could find no reference to the returned PC in their system.

    I requested the OS to be installed and have agreed to pay for this on collection at the post office. This is purely so that I know that the PC is functional when it leaves their office. I have emailed them several times, in German, requesting confirmation that the OS has been installed. I have received no replies. I got 1 email stating that the PC had been fixed and was being returned to me. I have received no UPS details regarding the return.

    Their phone & email customer support is appalling. If I buy something from an English language website I expect some level of support in English. If someone emailed at work in a foreign language I would use Google translate to read it and reply. I would never hang up on someone in my work capacity regardless of the circumstances. I work a lot with foreign companies and am used to ringing their offices when I do not speak the language.

    When I purchased the PC as a business customer they were able to organise the VAT deduction through English without any major issues and were relatively prompt in their correspondence.

    As with many companies, you get one level of service when you have a purchase to make and another when it comes to service and repairs. One is a revenue gathering activity for the company, the other is a cost to them.

    As I mentioned earlier I have no UPS details for the return but I am assuming that it has been sent and will arrive in about a week. That will make almost six weeks since the order was initially placed. Now that really is p*ss poor.

    I appreciate that many people here have had excellent service from HWVS WRT parts and returns, but from my own experience it is a different story with PC builds. If I had ordered the parts withe the intention of building the PC myself I am sure I would be delighted with them as they are dirt cheap, but that saving has to come from somewhere.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,224 ✭✭✭Procrastastudy


    To be honest I dont think HWVS would be classed as good service - they are a bit Ryanair - cheap and get you there. Having dealt with the likes of Scan who, with the exception of the fecking stupid insurance, have amazingly good customer service.

    I cocked up an order - canceled it they emailed me and gave me free shipping to apoligise for my balls up lol.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,787 ✭✭✭weisses


    I don't think they are that much cheaper at all then Komplett for instance ... considering delivery costs and all ... (all depends on how much you buy of course)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,224 ✭✭✭Procrastastudy


    Very much so - I normally go with Komplett tbh as I but single items - soemone should get on to them and see if there is some sort of multi item discount.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,861 ✭✭✭FlyingIrishMan


    I agree with Tea_Bag, you guys are being too harsh on HWVS.
    I've only bought one thing from them in the past, and it was my first time buying anything big online. So I emailed them with a few questions, they got back to me the next day - in english. Then when I went to pay, I was unsure about the bank transfer so I rang them, got through to an english speaker on the first call and he walked me through the bank transfer perfectly. Build was ordered and arrived 6 days later, fully built and the packaging was brilliant. It was inside two boxes, the first box had bubble wrap in it, the second one had the pc in it which was held in place by Styrofoam. Then all the manuals and cds and any spare parts were sealed inside the motherboard box.

    In cases like this its just unfortunate. But I would think it happened during shipping, there is no way a reputable company like HWVS would ship it out in the condition you are describing.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 555 ✭✭✭Beaver1


    in the interest of fairness

    I too phone them and got through to an English speaking person in the first phone call, Ive only bought from them once and the service was excellent, I would def recommend them, I also sent them an email and went to goggle translate and translated it into German, then when I got their mail I used goggle translate and translated into English, was quiet simple really.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 378 ✭✭gagomes


    any update on how this soap turned out? :D

    I'm sort of in the process to put an order with them and now I'm slightly nervous and unsure if I should go with individual parts or get the assembly out of the way for the 20 euros. I also get nervous about assembling a whole computer myself after many years without building them myself.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 555 ✭✭✭Beaver1


    Ive gotten 2 computers built with them, its well worth the €20 to get it assembled, as I said above, I highly recommend them, I would def buy from them. go for it you wont be disappointed.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 976 ✭✭✭unseenfootage


    I use computeruniverse.net . Very efficient service, great website , love their product filter. All the agents are friendly and speak english. Sent back a part that had been opened, which they accepted and credited my account no questions asked.. They accept paypal, credit card and bank transefer.

    A bit more expensive with HWVS but at least you get peace of mind.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 11,631 ✭✭✭✭Hank Scorpio


    2 pc's in our household came from HWVS, both pre built.

    Not one single ounce of bother, I`l admit there communication could be much better but there is no way I wouldn't recommend them


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,828 ✭✭✭ven0m


    I'm unable to ring their number - been dialling 00 49 1805 711 117 on a landline & on a mobile & keep getting an invalid number type tone on each ??

    tried calling DHL germany which has a similar 185 xxx xxx number & get the same thing ?? Has there been a change to calling 1805 xxx xxx numbers in Germany from outside????

    Can call local numbers in germany fine .....


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 378 ✭✭gagomes


    ven0m wrote: »
    I'm unable to ring their number - been dialling 00 49 1805 711 117 on a landline & on a mobile & keep getting an invalid number type tone on each ??

    tried calling DHL germany which has a similar 185 xxx xxx number & get the same thing ?? Has there been a change to calling 1805 xxx xxx numbers in Germany from outside????

    Can call local numbers in germany fine .....

    The phone call goes through, I just tried it and because the phone call was automatically accepted, I've been charged but that's fine in the spirit of boards.

    It doesn't seem to ring,it just goes straight to this voice recording in german, where you probably must wait until someone takes the call


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,584 ✭✭✭Pangea


    I got the PC built by them, but I think I would do it myself next time.
    The wiring was a bit of a mess, they didn't use the cable management holes in my case so ended up doing that myself.
    Plus Germany to Ireland is a long way to travel with such fragile components all ready to turn on.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 976 ✭✭✭unseenfootage


    When I called computeruniverse I used dialwise , a service which allows you to make international calls to certain countries at local call rates.

    And I had no trouble getting through.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,828 ✭✭✭ven0m


    gagomes wrote: »
    The phone call goes through, I just tried it and because the phone call was automatically accepted, I've been charged but that's fine in the spirit of boards.

    It doesn't seem to ring,it just goes straight to this voice recording in german, where you probably must wait until someone takes the call

    I'm not even getting that ....... not even on the fax number.

    Or on DHL Germany, or one one or two others I tried. Either from my landline, or my vodafone & o2 mobiles ......

    And I've only noticed this change since last week, as I was on to them the week before :-(

    kinda out of ideas atm :-(

    UPDATE :
    Tried a call on a friends mobile with Three & same deal ...... so stuck some credit on my skype account, was able to call ......... they're now sorting it for me (even with my horrible HORRIBLE German)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 976 ✭✭✭unseenfootage


    Update: I got my DHL parcel from computeruniverse today through an post.

    Eight days is not to bad.

    Installed the RAM and it works great.


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