Overclockers.co.uk - The Saga Continues.

[Stewart]

Right then, are you sitting comfortably? Good, then I'll begin.

So, I'm using my new PC a few weeks ago, and I turn it off at 8:30pm, and it refuses to turn back on at 9pm. Something’s up.

After trying everything I could think of, I rang a mate who builds computers for a living (and built this one), and he's at a loss. Anyway, as the system was ordered from several different places, I need to know which bits are broken, and which bits work.

So, I take the PC to a local, and highly respected, PC repair firm, and ask them to tell me, which they do - its the graphics card, a Sapphire Radeon 9800pro (£280), and the motherboard, an ABit NF7-S (£84).

So, I get an RMA number from Overclockers and send them back, at a postage cost of £18.50 for next day, insured delivery.

At this stage I'm well out of pocket, but at least I sorting the situation.

Now, on the Monday my RMA arrives at their store, and Tuesday it’s posted back out. Great! I even posted a thread on these forums, telling people about these RMA turn over time.

So, imagine my surprise, when the same items arrive back, complete with a £30 charge, and a note saying they both work.

I am not chuffed.

So I test them again, and they are (obviously) still broken. I re-read the print out of the highly respect computer company, and yep - still say they are broken.

So, I drive to my mate’s house - the one who builds systems for a living, and he kindly agrees to test them, on his systems, and with spare parts, for nowt.

Guess what? The parts are broken.

So I send them the broken parts, after confirming at great expense to myself, that they are broken, Overclockers receive them, and then put them in a slightly different box, and post them back to me, still broken, with a £30 charge for returning 'working items.'

This is now getting beyond a joke.

Not only are they refusing to replace items that are confirmed not working, and still under guarantee, but they are charging additional costs to my credit card, under false pretences. They either have not bothered to test the items, or have somehow managed to identify two completely broken items as working.

I am now £280 out of pocket on the graphics card, £84 out of pocket on the Motherboard, £18.50 out of pocket on the shipping charges, and £30 out of pocket for the charges of returning the items, still not working, to me.

I'm going to ring them now, and have it out, then I'm going to ring Barclay Card and explain that they are charging my card when they have no right to do so, as well as refusing to replace items that are under warranty, and then, if needs be, I'll jump in the motor, with the old man, and drive to their store, and sort it out.

This is really starting to get on my tits. AVOID.

I know I'm not the only person on the boards currently fighting to get some sort of service out of Overclockers either... not good, not good at all.

[Jiff Lemon]

Did you get the goods on credit card?
If so, write (you can't phone) to your credit card company explaining the situation. Credit card should refund you your money and take it up with OCUK.

[da_ging]

if u say the goods are faulty then it is upto ocuk to Prove that they are not

id get onto trading standards ,it might also be worth contacting spie (ocuk owner) and explaining this all

spie@overclockers.co.uk

also try writing to bbc watchdog program thingy

btw what is the fault with the bits?

[Swafe]

email spie threatening trading standards

then he will pay as hes the owner, but if he doesnt- he will hate you, hes one mean guy from what ive heard

[joshwa]

can you return the items to the manufacturers?

[Stewart]

They (Overclockers) are being contacted as we speak, by phone, by the person who ordered the stuff. I'm going to give them the chance to give me my money back in full, before washing my hands of it, and telling Barclay Card to sort it out.

I don't want another 6 month wait, for them to sort me out a new 3d card and board. I'm already massively out of pocket as it is, both in time and money.

The problem? I don't really know mate. I do know, however, that I payed £52.88, to find out that it was the Motherboard and Graphics card that were broken. Both confirmed broken, by 2 seperate computer repair firms... and returned to me as 'working' by Overclockers for a charge of £33.

They really must be having a laugh.

I mean, what did they do? Get the stuff on Monday, throw it in a different box, and post it back to me Tuesday?

If they did test it, they how can they come to the conclusion that two dead items are working? I find it impossible to believe that they could make that mistake, but also impossible to belive that they are cocky enough to not bother testing the items, and charge me £30 for the privlage.

I'll let you know how the phone call went, and continue to update you on the situation.

Oh - can anyone reccomend a place for me to get replacement items, 9800pro and Abit NF7-s board?

I've heard nothing but good things about Casetech.co.uk. Anyone used them?

[bouncin]

from the replys ive read on ocuk forums he,s not such a mean guy but he will back his staff to the hilt unless you can prove they r wrong he,s generally a good bloke.

[Stewart]

I couldn't give a monkies if he's a mean guy or not. When I told my dad about the situation, he drove to the local garage, filled the car up, and told me to get the package, and lets drive to Stoke.

I prefer to sort things out in the proper way to be honest (phone call, contact credit card people, etc), but I can see where the old man is coming from.

Why should a business be able to take the piss like this?

[Jonny M]

I'd do what your Dad suggested. Saying "I'm going to get them somewhere else because I cba with the hassle" means OcUK win. Take the package to them, watch them set it up, watch it work (or not work). Don't leave until you are satisfied.

You may be able to send the items back to the manufacturer, but your contract is with OcUK, not Abit or Sapphire. OcUK tell people this all too often - the manufacturer doesn't have to do ANYTHING. You bought the goods from OcUK, therefore they sort them out.

[Stewart]

Oh no mate, I'm getting the stuff from somewhere else AFTER I get my money back from Overclockers.

I'll let things calm down a bit first before driving to Stoke, if needs be, as a lot of people are feeling that they are being taken for mugs at the moment, and a lot of people well out of pocket, and understanably fuming, and its best to try and sort it ot via the normal channels, before driving up there to sort it out.

I just want my stuff replaced, that stopped working after 3 weeks. Now, after they've dragged their feet, and took even more cash from my card without asking and under false pretences, I want my money back, so I never have to have anything to do with them again.

[Dorza]

I had a huge problem like this last year regarding a brand new mobo (my post is else where). my parents did every thing they could to try and get a replacement or money back, we even threatened to contact the ferret (ppl in wales will know this program) but it was like they didnt care. They we very rude to me and my parents. They sent the item back broken after my mum payed 18 od quid for a next day return with what they claim was an email from one member or staff to another saying that the user is to blame for the problem (which i wasnt). that email looked like it was typed in word, i have to say. i posted a complaint on their forums under a thread which was asking what do u think of OcUK aftersales (somthing along them lines) and i got banned for it. So if a company cant take criticism and improve them selfs from that, what does that tell you about them?
The people at OcUK are very very hard to deal with, we found. Keep at them all the time, but dont be suprised if they win, thats the way they are. If i were u i would take my custom else where next time, like i now do.

good luck

[Nox]

ack, not good. hope you get it sorted out. If you are going drive up there, speak with their customer services first, get them involved. atleast let them know to expect you, then they won't have any excuse 'the technician who tested isn't here so we can't check' etc I always try and buy MB/CPU/RAM from same company these days, preferably somewhere vaguely close! i've had a broken processor taken it back to someone i KNEW (like went drinking beer with) at a PC store who tested this cpu in another rig fine, i watched it, taken my mobo/and ram in too on his advice 2 hours later (they kept cpu there) and then said 'CPU is broken' even though it stopped working in my pc, it was fine on others.

I've also got a HD sat on my desk atm which has been working in my girlfriends PC for 2 years, then two days ago the PC refuses to power up with this HD in it. pop in another HD - its fine. pop the 'broken' HD in another PC, fine. copy all her data over to her PC with new HD, great, but I have a 'working/broken' HD now no idea why it won't work, and why it used to.

may not be entirely their fault, but I really think they should of called you with the 'no fault found' thing, and especially to let you know about the charge going to credit card.

Nox

[bouncin]

Yeah i agree the service is terrible i had to take my mobo up there in person when i rung up two weeks l8r to see what was happening they had no record of the return but gave me a refund which i spose is ok but not considering the board i took back was a replacement sent out after a 10 week rma

[daniel_owen_uk]

Are you testing the card and motherboard together? Or seperatly, is it possible that the card works and the mobo works but they dont work together,

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.

[Stewart]

Right, an update.

Basically, they are saying that the motherboard and graphics card work, that's why they didn't replace them, and also why they charged £30 to return them to me.

This is beyond belief - I have it in writing from 2 different PC repair shops that the items do not work, and they have not worked in every PC they have been tested in, and Overclockers just think that saying 'well, they work' is good enough.

What do I do now then? The items are broken, PC repair shops have confirmed this, I've confirmed this, a friend of mine who runs his own PC repair shop has confirmed this, these items DO NOT WORK.

Overclockers say they do, and refuse to budge. I can prove that they don't, but they don't seem interested.

They are not doing me out of £400, I can tell you that for nothing.

Trading Standards, Small claims Court, car trip up there?

I'm emailing Spie, and also the repair shop that confirmed they don't work now.

Disgraceful set of circumstances.

[Jonny M]

Take a trip up there. They cant put the phone down if you are there in person. It may also work out cheaper than phoning them.