Very Unhappy.

**yb202** · 25-08-2008, 02:38 AM

Hi everyone, sorry for such a long first post but I am having a really awfull weekend thanks to scan.
I recently had dealings with scans returns people and I am not only very disappointed but frustrated as well. Quite a while ago, I bought a Tyan k8we motherboard from scan along with other components to build up a workstation. I was happy with the system until a couple of months ago, when I decided to max out the ram and install 16gb.

This motherboard has two CPUs and each has a bank of 4 dimm slots. I started having random bsods on xp64 startup. At first I thought it might be the ram or driver issues. I got down to testing, ran a couple of mem-test cycles (16gb takes forever

), did a fresh minimal install, but still had these problems. Two months ago I decided it was time to use my manufacturer's guarantee. I email-ed scan and asked them what the procedure was. They gave me an rma number and told me to send it to them and they'll sort it out if they find any faults. I was quite happy with this, but didn't expect what was about to come.

I sent them the motherboard and waited for some kind of update. None came. I phoned them and it turned out they couldn't find the board. They asked me for a tracking number, I gave it to them then continued waiting. This took a while, after several phone calls I was told the board was found and was being tested. Later I got an email stating there was a fault on the board.

I waited for an update about what was happening to it again but none came. When I phoned they told me sending the board to Tyan could take a while and couldn't tell me anything about its current status. So I thought I'd contact tyan and ask them what the status was. They said I'd need to get the RMA number they provided scan with in order to look it up. I phoned scan, but they couldn't tell me. They told me it was another department that deals with it and they'll email them. I waited again, but for the sake of consistency, yet again there was no response. I have worked in call centres myself, and understand how difficult the job can be, so I don't often loose my temper with call centner agents. But I also know that if you wanted to get something done quickly, the fastest way is to get up and walk over to the required department with a pen and piece of paper and just ask the customer's question. Some companies have call centres all over the world, so this wouldn't apply to them, but unless scan has their returns department in another city, it applies.

The phone calls went on for a while yet I could not get any help. Then I got fed up and started asking for a manager. This itself was a whole new process as there is no manager in on weekends, they finish at 16.00 (before the department closes), he was out to lunch or not at his table. Along with each of these responses I was told a manager would get back to me. Never happened. I finally did manage to get through and spoke to a manager. He told me the board was sent to the supplier here in the U.K. and not Tyan...... fair enough, I don't know what the procedures are, but why don't the agents know them either? Is it standard procedure to send it to the supplier instead of the manufacturer anyway ? I was promised a call back by the manager after he investigates the situation.

He called me back the same day to tell me the board should be back imminently. I asked what was done to the board, was it repaired or replaced, replaced with a new or refurbished model, he could not tell me.

I waited apprehensively for the board to arrive. One thing I should mention at this point is that I left the processors and the fan brackets on the board as the opteron 265s have the memory controller built into the CPU and not on the board, so I wasn't sure the fault was not in the CPU (scan confirmed them to be clean however). I got the board back, got the CPUs..... no fan brackets.Great! Phoned them up , the agent asks me if it was the second time I call about missing fan brackets for my tyan board that day. I said no, he then tells me some one else called with the same problem that day, how reassuring!! They couldn't get back my original brackets and backplates so I settled for what they sourced for me.Got it on Friday.

Here comes the finale (sorry if I put anyone to sleep). I put the system back together. Powered it on, Monitor was blank. It didn't start. Checked to make sure everything was properly connected. Started removing ram dims to check if the problem was still there, and of-course it was . The system started when only the fist dimm slot on CPU 1's bank was populated. I tried putting all of them back in but it didn't boot again. Thought I'd try taking the last one out, maybe I can narrow it down to a faulty dimm, and thats when it happened. I stopped testing immediately and powered down.The temperature emanating from the ram chips was high, very high. I put my hand over the bank of CPU 2 and that was normal.

I sent scan a board that had random bsods, got a board back that does not boot, and might have fried 8gb of ram. Great going SCAN. I've already spent £20 sending it to them once. How many times do I need to send it to them to get a working board? I'd love to know why a board was sent to me that did not work, and could have damaged my components. I would also like to know if scan is going to take responsibility for any damage done . Does scan have a complaints procedure as I couldn't find any on their web site? Any advice regarding this would be appreciated.

**shaolin chicken** · 25-08-2008, 10:01 AM

I'm sorry, I may have missed it but how long did the whole RMA procedure take?

Regardless, this doesn't paint a very good picture of Scan's RMA procedure.

Yb202, I hope everything gets sorted soon for you.

**Dr Cool** · 25-08-2008, 10:48 AM

I've just read your post word for word and I must say that is very worrying. But do not lose hope yet. I've had a lot of problems with scans customer support (phone calls) But on this forum they've very ten times as helpful and honest. Most of the time I just come here if I have an issue as half of the call center peeps tell me the wrong things.

**yb202** · 25-08-2008, 12:44 PM

Thanks for the support, its much appreciated. I am not sure when I phoned scan for the first time, but according to the post office tracking number , they received the board on the 21st of June 2008.

**Madafwo** · 26-08-2008, 12:05 AM

How long did you have the board before sending it back?

I can appriciate 2 months being a long time without a resolution to the issue, but if all Scan did was return the board to the supplier/manufacturer and then passed whatever they did on to you the blame can't all be levied at Scan.

Yeah, they could have been a bit forthcoming with answers to your questions but as you have worked in a call centre yourself, you will know that you can't always get up from your desk and ask the people questions straight away, you may actually have to answer some calls.

Also, what difference does it make if it was sent back to the supplier or the manufacturer, it had to be sent back somewhere that wasn't Scan, therefore it was out of their hands, and they had to wait for details from someone else before they could update you, and if they weren't updated what could they do? Give you a call to say "no news yet"?

Wait until someone at Scan gets on here tomorrow and no doubt the issue will be resolved as quickly as possible.

**yb202** · 26-08-2008, 12:53 AM

The date on the receipt is 21 April 2006, therefore the manufacturers warranty and not scan's warranty. If your next question would be why wait until now, thats in my post. I didn't have issue until populating all the dimm slots, the board couldn't handle it for some reason, the fault being with the board was confirmed by scan.

"all Scan did was return the board to the supplier/manufacturer and then passed whatever they did on to you the blame can't all be levied at Scan." No , not really. Scan mucked about and couldn't find my board before sending it to the supplier. Then they misinformed me about what was happening to the board and as you said they were not forthcoming.

As for your comment about me working in a call centre, all I can say is that I am confident that Scan's call agents have a hold button at their disposal and the occasional customer satisfaction surveys which I would rate extremely disappointing. Taking calls is NOT the job. I wish agents would realise this . Resolving customer queries is the job. I do not spend time calling call centres just to have some one to talk to

.

They could have updated me by telling me that they misinformed me in the first place and that the board was with such and such a company for such and such a reason. Yes, it matters who they send the board to as its a manufacturer's guarantee and if that guarantee was voided for any reason I need to know about it.

"no doubt the issue will be resolved as quickly as possible" I certainly hope so but after two months and a toaster for a board I have to ask,how do you know? Is it blind faith?

I'm sorry if I came of sounding angry or rude. But frankly, I am angry, and after reading some of the other complaints on this forums I noticed two things. First, things do seem to get sorted when a big enough fuss is kicked up, which is bitter sweet as it gives me hope, but at the same time makes me wonder why an online forum is the best place to deal with these matters and not over the phone while speaking to trained representatives. Second, your comments in the forums seem to be very biased in favour of scan and not always helpful in anyway.

**Madafwo** · 26-08-2008, 10:43 AM