WOW... I know the author of this article and he is very precise and not one to lose patients, or exaggerate events so this is VERY disturbing. That does not bode well. ASUS, I'm ashamed to have recommended your products to my personal customers.
I have been pretty loyal to Asus for quite some time now, from the early days of the AMD Athlon processor. Throughout the years I have noticed that some of their mobos are poorly designed out of the box, and some of them have been solid as hell. However, I never really found a more reliable, consistent brand, so I just stuck with ASUS. I can't say that I have ever had any problem as severe as this, but I can say that I never liked dealing with their customer support, it was always just terrible.
This is also quite surprising to me, because a recent study showed that ASUS was the 2nd most reliable laptop next to Toshiba. But what good is a "reliable" laptop if you can't get support for it, and you happen to be one of the few people that ends up having problems like this.
I have to agree, I'll never buy another ASUS product again. Even if I go with a brand that is less reliable, you can damn well bet they'll have better customer service.
Also, I seem to remember once reading that ASUS declared war on Intel, then started making Intel mobos about a year later. Am I mistaken, does anyone else remember this?
Sucks to be sure, but at least you didn't have to RMA it 5 times for the exact same issue. That said, if my experience with MSI is any indication, you'll probably end up with better results if you demand that it be replaced with a newer model of comparable value as opposed to a refund. Just my 2c.
My last 2 motherboards were from ASUS and both of them sucked. Both of them had problems with the USB ports (random lockups, speed drops, unable to see anything connected to them), the ethernet port on the first one died. But the worst problem, however, was with the second motherboard; it took a few weeks before they came out with a BIOS update that made it work properly; before that, the PC was nearly unusable...
I know ASUS has a good reputation, but given my prior experience with them, I just don't want to see another ASUS product ever again. Also, their website is a joke... One of my motherboards wasn't even listed on their website, you had to know what the page for it was.
Oh yeah, one more thing. I also had an ASUS video card. It died after 2 years of usage...
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KwitkoSheriff of Banning (Retired)By the thing near the stuffIcrontian
Sadly, I think this is a general trend for the RMA process on laptops.
My wife has a laptop from "iBuyPower" (I purchased it through Costco several years ago)
Last year this laptop started experiencing the lost video symptom that seemed common on that generation of laptops with the GeForce 8600 chipset - the melting solder issue.
I RMA'd the laptop, initiated the RMA through the Costco Concierge Tech support, which is great to use. Unfortunately, as soon as they handed me off to the tech support from the manufacturer, things got ugly.
They kept the laptop for several months, lagged in replying to my queries for status, and ultimately they sent it back and said all they had to do was change out one of the two sticks of RAM. I knew that was a lie because when I did my own troubleshooting prior to the RMA I had taken out BOTH sticks of RAM and put in a known good stick, and still had the problem.
Luckily I had a spare laptop at the time for my wife to use, otherwise she would have been completely without a PC for months.
So far I've only had halfway decent RMA experiences with HP and Dell, which sucks because it's not nearly as easy to find a laptop with discrete graphics from them as it is to get one from the likes of Asus or third parties (such as iBuyPower) that just rebadge the standard chassis from manufacturers like Sager and PowerPro.
Sad to say, this story was the straw that broke the camel's back. I've been waiting for my backordered Transformer Prime since Nov. 26, but after reading the hell Nick went through, I cancelled my order. I was looking forward to my first tablet, but I am not putting myself or my wife through this customer service nightmare....
I don't have experience with HP's RMA process for consumer products, but I did have to get service for one of my displays (a ZR24w). Sent a tech support request and within a couple hours had a shipment notification. A replacement display arrived the next day along with a return shipping label.
I guess the lesson is don't buy consumer-level products.
I've had fantastic experiences with Sony, Dell, and HP for RMAs. The worst offender in my personal experience has always been MSI. They are horrible, and I had a "Nick and ASUS" level experience with them once.
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KwitkoSheriff of Banning (Retired)By the thing near the stuffIcrontian
After reading this, I wouldn't even accept a freeasuslaptop from them. Quite sad. Poor QA, poor customer service. To top it off, I heard they just hired Paul Christoforo.
I think a lot of it is cultural. I think companies that are based in Taiwan don't "get" American expectations and standards for customer service.
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AnnesTripped Up by Libidos and HubrisAlexandria, VAIcrontian
I had an ASUS motherboard years ago and had so many issues with RMAing it I just bought something new. You couldn't RMA online and had to call a phone number which didn't even put your into a phone tree - it was either available or busy. Bullshit. Never again will I buy ASUS.
Nick, you know my HP Envy17 from Expo last year, right? (The one that was giving me first and second degree burns on my palm.) Definitely 'consumer grade,' and I know for a fact it goes to the same repair center as Pavilions.
HP sent me a box and shipping label, UPS NextDay Air. I shipped it on a Thursday. I had it back, repaired correctly, with a form detailing the repairs (cleaned out, new paste, new HSF assembly) less than 7 calendar days later.
So yes, we can authoritatively say that HP 'consumer grade' service does great too. It's just a few truly terrible vendors who should be run out of business (or at least certain market segments.)
Nick, you know my HP Envy17 from Expo last year, right? (The one that was giving me first and second degree burns on my palm.) Definitely 'consumer grade,' and I know for a fact it goes to the same repair center as Pavilions.
HP sent me a box and shipping label, UPS NextDay Air. I shipped it on a Thursday. I had it back, repaired correctly, with a form detailing the repairs (cleaned out, new paste, new HSF assembly) less than 7 calendar days later.
So yes, we can authoritatively say that HP 'consumer grade' service does great too. It's just a few truly terrible vendors who should be run out of business (or at least certain market segments.)
Yeah, I am very happy with HP's service across the board (consumer through large enterprise.) They really got their act together over the past few years. These days, there's just no excuse for conduct like ASUS'. Especially when there's a clear pattern of ASUS shipping lemons and doing everything they can to avoid honoring warranty claims, repairing their own products, or even having basic competency to repair laptops.
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AnnesTripped Up by Libidos and HubrisAlexandria, VAIcrontian
I think a lot of it is cultural. I think companies that are based in Taiwan don't "get" American expectations and standards for customer service.
I don't understand how this can be possible. Is there no Taiwanese expectations that things they pay for work properly?
Probably less that and more they can't afford electronics in the first place.
I was thinking more the other way - electronics are so cheap they're practically disposable goods. I'm not familiar with the intricacies of trade and markup of electronics, though.
I've been using an asus laptop for three years, it's the G50vt. Never had a problem with it and it still handles a lot of the latest games and intensive tasks without any issues. So one guy had a bad experience, I think its kind of presumptuous to blame every asus product due to one persons bad experience.
I've been using an asus laptop for three years, it's the G50vt. Never had a problem with it and it still handles a lot of the latest games and intensive tasks without any issues. So one guy had a bad experience, I think its kind of presumptuous to blame every asus product due to one persons bad experience.
And I think it a bit presumptuous to assume this is my only Asus product.
Nick's ASUS has gained Legendary Status as the benchmark of poor customer service and how to kill off customers through neglect. Anyone still willing to send ASUS money, defend their products and make excuses for their "service"...I have some swampland for sale....
I had extremely poor service for a broken eeepc; so bad that I gave up and put the unusable pc on the shelf. I will never purchase any ASUS product again.
To be fair, a friend purchased a MB and got excellent service for a problem it had. He is happy with ASUS.
These companies just outsource all their customer service and RMAs to small "authorized" local repair shops, and you end up with paid under the table 15 year old who built one or two computers and thinks they know what they are doing fixing your shit and fucking it up at the same time. I would know, I used to work at one of these shops and I used to be that 15 year old.
I've had amazing experiences with my Asus laptops. They work really well when they work, but the warranty and rma program is apparently a joke. I've had one Asus motherboard and one Asus video card. Both sucked horribly.
Frankly, in this case, and ALL cases I think ordering something that is critical for your work should involve ordering a product that has been on the market for a bit and has had a very warm reception. Mr. Mert took a risk buying something like this. He didn't at all deserve all the madness that ensued, but still it was a risk and it didn't work out. It's life.
My $300 Asus VE276 27 inch widescreen monitor has been working great so far, and it better stay that way for at least 2 years! I've had it about 3 months now.
mertesn
I am Bobby MillerYukon, OK Icrontian
Comments
This is also quite surprising to me, because a recent study showed that ASUS was the 2nd most reliable laptop next to Toshiba. But what good is a "reliable" laptop if you can't get support for it, and you happen to be one of the few people that ends up having problems like this.
I have to agree, I'll never buy another ASUS product again. Even if I go with a brand that is less reliable, you can damn well bet they'll have better customer service.
I know ASUS has a good reputation, but given my prior experience with them, I just don't want to see another ASUS product ever again. Also, their website is a joke... One of my motherboards wasn't even listed on their website, you had to know what the page for it was.
Oh yeah, one more thing. I also had an ASUS video card. It died after 2 years of usage...
My wife has a laptop from "iBuyPower" (I purchased it through Costco several years ago)
Last year this laptop started experiencing the lost video symptom that seemed common on that generation of laptops with the GeForce 8600 chipset - the melting solder issue.
I RMA'd the laptop, initiated the RMA through the Costco Concierge Tech support, which is great to use. Unfortunately, as soon as they handed me off to the tech support from the manufacturer, things got ugly.
They kept the laptop for several months, lagged in replying to my queries for status, and ultimately they sent it back and said all they had to do was change out one of the two sticks of RAM. I knew that was a lie because when I did my own troubleshooting prior to the RMA I had taken out BOTH sticks of RAM and put in a known good stick, and still had the problem.
Luckily I had a spare laptop at the time for my wife to use, otherwise she would have been completely without a PC for months.
So far I've only had halfway decent RMA experiences with HP and Dell, which sucks because it's not nearly as easy to find a laptop with discrete graphics from them as it is to get one from the likes of Asus or third parties (such as iBuyPower) that just rebadge the standard chassis from manufacturers like Sager and PowerPro.
I hope you are reading this ASUS...
I guess the lesson is don't buy consumer-level products.
HP sent me a box and shipping label, UPS NextDay Air. I shipped it on a Thursday. I had it back, repaired correctly, with a form detailing the repairs (cleaned out, new paste, new HSF assembly) less than 7 calendar days later.
So yes, we can authoritatively say that HP 'consumer grade' service does great too. It's just a few truly terrible vendors who should be run out of business (or at least certain market segments.)
To be fair, a friend purchased a MB and got excellent service for a problem it had. He is happy with ASUS.
I've had amazing experiences with my Asus laptops. They work really well when they work, but the warranty and rma program is apparently a joke. I've had one Asus motherboard and one Asus video card. Both sucked horribly.
Frankly, in this case, and ALL cases I think ordering something that is critical for your work should involve ordering a product that has been on the market for a bit and has had a very warm reception. Mr. Mert took a risk buying something like this. He didn't at all deserve all the madness that ensued, but still it was a risk and it didn't work out. It's life.