Overclockers.co.uk - The Saga Continues.

[Sk!mD4Rk]

Absolutely horrendous... And i'm not surprised they are treating you like this. I suffered a similar fate and do not use them now.

3 or 4 years ago when they were fairly small they were great but greed and ignorance have replaced good old customer care and service.

I suppose we can't say don't buy from them as this thread will probably get closed but we can recommend other places to shop from ok guys?.

Back to your sorry tale, i know what i would do. I'd go down there and demand to see an engineers report for said items but get your own as well that shows that they are faulty. Then you can ask why they charged you when you shouldn't have been and you have better grounds for a FULL refund.

Bloody good luck to you mate.

[Platinum]

Seems very odd to me that both the vid card and mobo died after 3 weeks, dodgy PSU perhaps?

When I worked at OCS we had situations simalar to this, customer claimed that the part didnt work and we tested it and found it worked fine.

the best thing you can do is go down there and watch them test it, only downside there is the embarresment if the parts do actualy work...

[daniel_owen_uk]

Personally I would phone them up and explain the circumstances, tell the person on the phone that you want the full cost of everything refunding to your card. If the person says that he/she cant do that, ask for someone that can, speak to a manager explain that you have the written documents proving that the items didn't work before you sent them back and don't work now, explain that they are from reputable certified pc hardware engineers.

Make sure you get a name and ask them to follow up the conversation with the information in writting.

If they refuse to meet your demands threaten with trading standards (at which stage they will poo bricks, especially if you get the bit above about documentation right).

If all else fail I would suggest a car bomb or smashing up Spies 911 porsche.

[Stewart]

Originally posted by Platinum
Seems very odd to me that both the vid card and mobo died after 3 weeks, dodgy PSU perhaps?

No. The written document that I have from the reapir firm also states that the RAM, CPU and Power Supply have all been tested seperately, and found to be working 100%.

The Graphics card and Motherboard have been tested and found to be 100% broken; by the same reapir firm, and everyone else who's had a ganders.

Actually, I'll quote the reapir firms document:

WORK AND CORRECTIVE ACTION TAKEN:

Tested system with new graphics card, RAM and CPU, no VGA output. Tested all other componets in a new board, and found to all function perfectly.

The items in this system that are not functioning are the graphics card and motherboard.

There's a bit more, about power to all devices, and the fans turning, but that's the important bit.

Waiting for a reply email from Spie, before contacting trading standards, and letting the Credit Card people do their stuff.

[Spritzup]

Keep up the updates, I'm interested to see this saga resolved.

[Dorza]

Put your ur system back together. take the base unit up to OcUK. Tell them who you are and say here u go see if u can get it working. Put the ball in their half now. They havent proved that they are working infront of u, so make them prove it. If they cant and they say its been put back together incorrectly (ie u have now broken them after putting them back) say it was done professionaly by ur m8 (ask him first, im sure he'd back u up), they cant say nething to that. And get it sorted on that day.

[Twigman]

Few thing you coudl do:
Write letters to them and keep a copy, send them recorded delivery (yes it will cost extra ), then you can prove they have recieved you correspondance, and someone at their company signed for it.
This means they have defo recieved your letter and cannot blag their way out if it. Ok this is slower than email phone calls, but you have a proper record.
Keep every bit of paperwork ever, reciepts email (print them out), t&cs of their website, back statements etc...
Once you have done all of this, if they have still not refunded you put it all in a ring binder, and drive down to them.
Ask to speak to some head honcho, and show him your file of correspondance. Explain the situation in person, and if they dont do anything take you "file of condeming evidence" to watchdog, post on every forum you can (including their own one), and contact trading standards.
You will have so much stuff that they will be hard pushed to stop it anyway.
Find a lwayer friend (university friend/relative etc) and get them to write to them (preferably from a reputable law firm on headed paper), sayin that you are going to take it futher.
They will give in eventually, and they will have had so much bad press from you that it will be worth all the effort (and you can obviously see it is quite a bit of effort).

Also how old was the computer? If its under 6 months these links should help:
http://www.pcmag.co.uk/News/1139881 - Useful summary
http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2002/20023045.htm - Boring legal mumbo jumbo...but still from the government, so they cant argue with it.

Hopefully this should solve your problem.

[DizMatt]

seems a shame this and awfully bad luck that both items are damaged...
keep it up, if they are actually damaged then you should win your side of the arguement and do keep us updated

[sparky191]

I've had similar experiences with them before. If it were me I'd go up there and watch them test it. But be nice about it as theres always the slim possibility that your mate and the local shop aren't testing it properly either. Back in the old days when I bought a celeron 300a off them and they used to guarantee overclocks on CPUS they were a great crowd to deal with. IMO they have slipped a lot in the past year or two, especially with regard to returns. Its disappointing because it used to be a great store.

[NicktheNorse]

Originally posted by daniel_owen_uk
Oh and as for OCUK I wouldn't order from them ever again after the way they treat me on the forums, staff at store seem ok but the mods just seem plain retarded.

You do realize the forums are completely seperate from the store and that the mods have nothing to do with the running of the business?

and for the guy who posted above saying he was banned for complaining about OcUK's service - it is against the forum rules because RMA matters cant be taken up over a forum - you have to contact them directly.

[bouncin]

The forums are linked to the store and a few of the mods are actually staff at ocuk.

but as for them being retarded 3/4 of them are just normal guys like you and me and dont wanna listen to aggravated fools dribble on at them when there is nothing they can do about it

[wasabi]

Can you get the PC repair shops you've been to to provide some sort of note on headed paper? Maybe faxing that off to them might prove that you'vre not just another wally doing something stupid. And also say that a copy of same note is going to trading standards and barclaycard fraud investigation team. That sould be how I'd approach it, otherwise its your word against theirs.

I stopped dealing with them a couple of years back because I personally found Spie to be an offensive $%^% Not all the staff there were bad though - I just got the impression they were too busy to sort things out.

[Stewart]

Well, I'll give Spie until Monday to reply to the email I've sent, and give them one more call, then if they refuse to budge, I'll contact the Barclaycard fraud people, and trading standards.

I've tested them, and they don't work. I have written statements from 2 highly respected PC repair shops that these items don't work, and everyone who's tested them so far, in a profressional capacity, has confirmed that they don't work.

Good enough for everyone? Good enough for me.

I'm not sure why the bloke I spoke to at Overclockers is telling me they work, but its dragged on for so long now, I'm not really that interested.

I can prove that they are broken, the don't seem to want to prove that they work, any more than telling me as much over the phone.

Its just a shame that you have to go to these lengths to replace 2 broken items, that are confirmed broken and under guarentee.

I now understand why they are 20th on that list on Romulus.

[sparky191]

I know that trying to return a Gainward card to them was nigh impossible. Eventually they took it though. Another time I tried to return a CDRW I got lots of delaying tactics from from their support guy. I had it RMA'd and returned to and from the OEM in the time the OcUK had even responded to my emails. It has put me off buying stuff off them in the future in fairness. I'm disappointed with them since I used to find their store great. I guess when a place gets bigger the little guys get forgotten. Its a shame.

[Vini]

I hate to say this, but working in an RMA Dept myself, i know that this problem is oh too common.

Customers return items for testing, as theyve been instructed by Local Computer shops that "these" items are definitely to blame.

Yes, the items get returned only to be found working. So you contact the customer and theyre like, no way they DO NOT WORK

"i have personally tried them in 15211 setups, reinstalled windows 716 times and spoken to Bill Gates in person about the problems, even my dog saw me test them as faulty"

yet still you cannot get them to believe you. They go on about SCC, Money back etc... yes fair enough we understand that you cannot be spending £300+ on items you cant get to work.

Local Computer firms do not often deal in high quality item's and from Local firms ive dealt with in the past, know that theyre not the sharpest tool in the shed. (If theyre owt like our local shops anyway)

Chances are the local firm will say anything to get you off their back, i know what its like.

I find it hard to believe they can report both a Graphics Card and Motherboard faulty. They obviously havent gone deep enough into the problem. I mean it only takes 2 seconds to stick another graphics card into the motherboard to see if it works, if it does then fair enough, the suspected graphics card is obviously not well. Again if they test all your items on a new board and they work, you know it must be the motherboard. I say this because it is VERY UNLIKELY that both a new motherboard and graphics card are DOA, unless theyve been killed

I would say that out of all the returns i do, most are down to memory/cpu problems, seeing a chipped/crushed core is all too common, and in fairness is becoming boring

If OcUK have tested them, then im sure they have. Why would they say they havent (maybe for the £30 - unlikely) going back to my point where you have it tested in local shops and then return it to supplier, one says it works the other doesnt, who has the proof? its your word vs theirs.

You could ask OcUK to provide a picture of the setup working, yes they could be using any items, but why would they bother if they were working?

In short, i dont think OcUK have done anything wrong, apart from charging an extortionate amount as a testing fee, and not contacting you for permission to bill your card (obviously they know you'd say no to a £30 fee for items you believe are dead, and they have other ideas)

I dont mean to sound mean, or offensive... but i am all to familiar with the scenario.

[Stewart]

I can prove the items are not working, as I have written documention, saying as much. The local computer firm is highly respected, and know what they are talking about.

Regardless, this isn't just me and the local firm who can't get them to work, it is EVERYBODY who has tried.

If I can't get them to work, and the local firm can't get them to work, and a 2nd firm can't get them to work, then they don't work, and I want a refund.

In short, Overclockers have done something wrong - they have given me £400 worth of faulty goods, which they are refusing to replace, despite being under warrenty.

What are you suggesting I do? Just say "Oh well, Overclockers say they work", and kiss goodbye to £400, because I, nor anyone else, can get them to work?

I'm not paying £400 for items I can't use. I wouldn't expect anyone else to either.

And if they refuse to give me a refund, then I will contact Barclay Cards fraud protect department, and then Trading standards, and then a trip to the Citizens Advice people, and then the small claims court, and then whatever else it takes to get my money back, no matter how much effort I have to put in, no matter who I have to get invovled, and no matter how long it takes.

Look - I wish Overclockers were right, I don't want to cause trouble, I just want a working 9800pro and ABit NF7-S motherboard. That's what I payed for, and that's what I want. I do not want a broken 9800pro and ABit board, that Overclockers claim is working, despite no-one else I've spoken to being able to get anything out of them.

Perhaps you'd like to offer an explanation as to why these 'working' items do not work in my system, any of my friends systems, and several computer repair firms systems?

I can't think of any reason, above and beyond the items themselves being broken... can you?

I'm all ears mate...