I was given a new Acer laptop for Christmas. It was an Acer Aspire 3003, but within a week a key fell off. I took it back to the store and they said that they had a tech coming in later that day that was good with replacing keys. They would have him look at it and if he could not fix it, they would send it off.
My husband had bought a 3 yr extended warranty including accidental. I asked for a replacement since it happened with in a week and I would just return that one. They could not because it was already "extinct" and they would be getting no more. I could get another one but we would have to pay a 15 % restocking fee, even though I feel it was a defective item and I should not be responsible in paying for Acers problem.
So, later that evening the tech called, said he could not replace it, and I needed to fill in some forms so they can send it back. I had him fax it to me and I immediately faxed it back, him having said it would go back either that evening or the next day.
Well, 2 weeks later, I recieved a call saying she was told to call me and take care of this matter. I asked what, and she said I had to come in and send the computer back myself. I was of course furious, 2 weeks after it was to have been sent off. I asked to talk to the manager "Brian" and after a little while, he said he would send it back, but I wanted to return it and get another computer. He agreed to that so I would not have to pay restocking fee?
We did that, $500 more, and another Acer, but a Aspire 5004 model. Got it home, and i could not get any programs, Microsoft one to download on it. I shut down the security to try and still to no avail.
I took it back to the store, tech said he could find no problems with the setup, and I could keep it and bring it back, "I had forgot to bring in the software", or to exchange for a new just like that one. I did that, feeling there was probably something wrong with that ones disk drive, and not wanting to continue to go back and forth living 45 min. away.
I took that one home, and by george, it did the same. I worked with it for 5 days but could do nothing to make it work. I found though even more problems with it ie. not allowing be to update windows, saying files may be corrupt. I took it back, a tech looked at it, said to give him a 1/2 hr and if he could not fix it by then, then something was wrong.
I returned and by then he had run the programs on the computer at their desk, "not and Acer" and they worked fine. He was running them on the store demo Acer just like mine when I went in. Well, they did the very same thing again. 3 Acer 5004 laptops. I wanted my money back. I had the original box, brought in all the accessories, and receipt. So went to the customer service desk.
The lady there was very nice and was going to give my cash back until the manager Brian came in. Asked what she was doing and he said I had to pay the 15% restocking fee or buy another computer there. Again me furious, why am I responsible for a restocking fee for defected computers. I had already tried 3 of them since xmas. It was just their way to keep my business. I got the # for the "corporative offices" to speak to a manager over him. All it was was the main office and I could only speak to a supervisor who sounded as if he were reading from a manuscript saying the same thing as "Brian".
I went back to customer sevice, Brian gone and talked to the lady again. In the long run, what she ended up doing, on her own, was give my cash back for all but the 15% and put it on a ciruit city card, where at least I would not loose, just have to use it there. But, better then $1500 on circuit city card.
Was I wrong to be so frustrated that they basically demanded I buy from them again, after 3 trys, or pay restocking fees on something that they would send back to the company and not keep?
Thanks though to the girl for making it as easy as she could, but hope she got into know trouble.
Ellen
elkton, Virginia
U.S.A.
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