SCAN - too slow at sending replacements for bad hardware

[duffster]

Why does it take so long to send out replacements for bad hardware?

A few weeks ago I bought some RAM. One of the sticks was DOA so I RMA'd it.
Scan sent round a courier to collect it, and 2 days later it was confirmed via email as tested and faulty.
Then? Nothing...

After 3 days I rang up to ask where my replacement was, and was told it was taking 3-5 days for RMA replacements to be processed. I asked why this was given that the RAM had been tested, and they had the same part in stock which I could order on the website for delivery the next day. The response was some frankly incoherent rambling about how there no was point in explaining how the RMA dept works, and there was no way to know when it would be sent out, and nothing could be done to speed things up and that I'd have to wait.

So I waited until the end of the 5th day. Still nothing. I call, and am now told that it could take up to 10 days rather than the 3-5 previously mentioned. Again I ask why this is, again I get some incoherent and deeply unsatisfactory answer.

After I got off the phone, I re-ordered the RAM and sent an email requesting a refund of the original RAM, and a refund of the delivery cost I had now additionally incurred.
It took just 15 minutes to get an email saying my refund was being processed (funny I thought it was going to take 10 days?) and no mention whatsoever of refunding my additional delivery cost, nor any apology for making me wait unnecessarily for so long with a new PC that couldn't be used until the RAM arrived.

So please, Scan, would you care to explain why you can't send out a replacement as soon as you've confirmed something is faulty? Or are you just hoping people will give up waiting and pay for a new delivery to be sent out themselves rather than you paying for it.

I'm not impressed.

[Chris P]

duffster

Please confirm your invoice number.

Best Regards

[duffster]

original invoice: E1696587
RMA: 250471
invoice for replacement: E1711709

Note that I ordered cheaper RAM for the replacement, rather than the identical one. They seemed to have the same spec, but it turned out that the cheaper one doesn't have a heat spreader on it.

[wesleyaldred]

duffster,

I can only apologise for the delays our warranty team are currently experiencing, this has been the focus of our attentions and we hope to be fully upto date by early next week.

[DWhitley]

"A few weeks ago I bought some RAM. One of the sticks was DOA so I RMA'd it.
Scan sent round a courier to collect it"

I've just had to RMA a motherboard but I don't think collection was an option. The cost, with insurance, wasn't insignificant.

Have I missed something here?

[duffster]

duffster,

I can only apologise for the delays our warranty team are currently experiencing, this has been the focus of our attentions and we hope to be fully upto date by early next week.

You see. You're doing it again.

I've asked a simple question: "Why couldn't you send me a replacement straight away?" and you've responded by saying the team are busy.

They had finished testing the RAM! It took me less than 5 minutes to order one on your website after having waited for 5 DAYS for Scan to do it. How long would it have taken the team to do the same thing? I spent far longer than that on the phone trying to get someone to send it to me.
Your suggestion that they are too busy and that nothing could be done makes no sense whatsoever.

This is a pathetic level of customer service, and none of you are willing to take responsibility for it or to do anything about it. You could at least make the token gesture of apologising and refunding my delivery costs for the replacement. It would be much better if you accepted that your process is deeply flawed and you got replacements sent out immediately once the fault has been verified.

[duffster]

"A few weeks ago I bought some RAM. One of the sticks was DOA so I RMA'd it.
Scan sent round a courier to collect it"

I've just had to RMA a motherboard but I don't think collection was an option. The cost, with insurance, wasn't insignificant.

Have I missed something here?

Have you missed something? Quite possibly.

The Distance Selling Regulations specifically state that it is the supplier and not the customer who pays for the return of faulty goods.

I had to ask Scan to organise this after the RMA was raised, which they did without argument. I feel they should have done it without having to be asked.

However, I feel that they may have been deliberately slow in sending me the replacement in order to get me to pay for redelivery. I can't see any other reason why they were making me wait. Perhaps they can enlighten us?

[wesleyaldred]

You see. You're doing it again.

I've asked a simple question: "Why couldn't you send me a replacement straight away?" and you've responded by saying the team are busy.

They had finished testing the RAM! It took me less than 5 minutes to order one on your website after having waited for 5 DAYS for Scan to do it. How long would it have taken the team to do the same thing? I spent far longer than that on the phone trying to get someone to send it to me.
Your suggestion that they are too busy and that nothing could be done makes no sense whatsoever.

This is a pathetic level of customer service, and none of you are willing to take responsibility for it or to do anything about it. You could at least make the token gesture of apologising and refunding my delivery costs for the replacement. It would be much better if you accepted that your process is deeply flawed and you got replacements sent out immediately once the fault has been verified.

You asked asked a simple question and i answered it in the simpliest way i could, the warranty team are busy !

An order process is totally different from a warranty process

[duffster]

But they had tested my hardware. Why had they not sent out new RAM 5 days after testing it? I can see no rational reason for this. It's not like it would take up much of their time to do so, and certainly far less time than I spent on the phone trying to persuade one of your deeply unhelpful colleagues into doing something about it.

So yes, you've given me your throwaway answer. I'm asking you really - why does it take so long? If your warranty process is so cumbersome, perhaps you should consider processing everything as a refund and create a new order for each replacement. Then you could get the replacement out of the door the same day. And then you could fix your warranty process so they get the replacement out of the door the same day. What would be so hard about that?

Scan apparently pride themselves on customer service, and in this instance have entirely failed. Please provide a rational answer.

[Mossy]

But they had tested my hardware. Why had they not sent out new RAM 5 days after testing it? I can see no rational reason for this. It's not like it would take up much of their time to do so, and certainly far less time than I spent on the phone trying to persuade one of your deeply unhelpful colleagues into doing something about it.

So yes, you've given me your throwaway answer. I'm asking you really - why does it take so long? If your warranty process is so cumbersome, perhaps you should consider processing everything as a refund and create a new order for each replacement. Then you could get the replacement out of the door the same day. And then you could fix your warranty process so they get the replacement out of the door the same day. What would be so hard about that?

Scan apparently pride themselves on customer service, and in this instance have entirely failed. Please provide a rational answer.

simple answer we have to test if the hardware is faulty, we can not just take the customers word if a product is faulty especially when its a higher percentage hardware sent back to Scan has no fault at all. This is a business we have the right to test items before we send a replacement or make a refund, testing takes time in a company of our size hence we are allowed a reasonable time to turn your RMA around.

Regards

[duffster]

Okay, I get your point and it is entirely valid. However, you have misread what I wrote.

Scan tested my hardware and found it faulty. They sent me an email about this.

5 days AFTER testing it they still hadn't dispatched the replacement. This is what I am asking about. Why was I still waiting 5 days later? (That's 5 business days, so actually it was a full week later).

[EzyRyder]

simple answer we have to test if the hardware is faulty, we can not just take the customers word if a product is faulty especially when its a higher percentage hardware sent back to Scan has no fault at all. This is a business we have the right to test items before we send a replacement or make a refund, testing takes time in a company of our size hence we are allowed a reasonable time to turn your RMA around.

Regards

Paul,

I think you are missing his point. The stick had already been tested as faulty and then it took 5 days for something to happen. I think we can all appreciate that an item may take a few days to be tested.

I do agree with him if that is the case. I can appreciate your processes are your processes but may be its time they get updated. I basically can't see the problem why the person that processes the RMA as soon as they put it as faulty that should send an email to the customer with links to two options. Refund and replacement, as soon as either button is sent then it either processes the refund or creates a new order as if you were just ordering from the website. Surely you could customize the system to know that it was a warranty replacement and the original date of purchase of the original product as well.

Cheers!

[duffster]

So do you guys from Scan have anything to say?

[duffster]

So Scan, your lack of response speaks for itself - there are no excuses for your rubbish RMA procedures, hence you are unable to make any excuse. (Or do you have a 10-day turnaround on replying too?)

Well done, you made me pay £4.78 in extra delivery charges, in exchange for which you lose all my future business and that of everyone I know. Hope you're proud of your customer service.