Scan RMA - worth the hassle?

[highschooltech]

Hello everybody - I've been buying my kit from Scan since Christmas 2008, I only used Scan on an irregular basis before that. I ordered components for a full system just after Christmas 2008, which included two Samsung DVD-RW drives.

I want to keep this as short as possible, but here is what has happened;

- after four months of use, one of the Samsung drives developed a suspected fault - I would open the CD tray, and most of the time it would immediately close by itself. I performed thorough testing and concluded that the drive was faulty.

- emailed Scan RMA and sent the drive back.
- next day got an email saying drive was not faulty.
- I queried this with Amanda S over the phone, and Michael W via email. Scan wanted to charge me £20 test fee and £10 return shipping for a £15 drive!!!
- I provided more info as per Michael's request, he said he'd try to get it tested again.
- heard nothing for a day.
- got emails saying the drive was coming back, tested non-faulty.
- received drive today, plugged it straight onto a different PSU, stand-alone (no motherboard or anything, just the drive and PSU) - several times I powered the drive up and down and was able to replicate the fault immediately. Before sending the drive back I had tried the drive in two (different) full PC systems and the fault persisted, which I explained in my initial RMA request.
- Rang Scan back and told them the drive WAS faulty - by luck spoke to Amanda again. I told her that I'd filmed the drive and could send her the movie, which I did.
- they emailed me back this afternoon saying I should try it with a different PSU - sorry, but I thought I told you that I have already taken this measure. The drive is faulty for sure. Video evidence is not enough for you???

I'm really disappointed and frustrated. OK, the RMA item was tested quickly enough, but there have been gaps in communication, and an inexplicable breakdown in the testing process.

You're making me jump through hoops here for a £15 drive, if I'd known this would happen I'd have thrown it in the bin and just bought a new one (not from Scan!).

Last time I stopped using Scan it was because of the slow delivery times. I've started using you again, and now I find that your returns service is patchy at best.

I understand that this forum is viewed by Scan employees, can anybody shed light on how I can get my RMA resolved properly, without any further expense to myself?

[Mossy]

I unfortunately have no access to systems from home but i am positive the drive would have been tested. I presume this is the reason you was asked to try a different supply as it works fine with our systems. I understand you have video evidence it was not working with your system but if we test it with ours and it works fine we have to look if the fault is somewhere else hence the question.

I hope this is a reasonable explanation, if you can supply your invoice reference number I can check into this on Tuesday.

Regards

[highschooltech]

Hi PaulM - thanks for the reply.

When I initially raised my RMA request I clearly explained that I had connected the drive to two completely different computers. By this I mean different CPU, motherboard, PSU, cabling, etc., etc.

Furthermore I have emailed video evidence of the fault to Scan RMA staff, using a third power supply and no other components attached. This test was performed immediately after the drive was returned to me as 'non-faulty'. I believe that I have performed 'testing' on this drive with a much wider variety of hardware than Scan technical staff have.

The fault persists, and I can replicate it every time, whether connected to my Intel Xeon X3220 system, my Celeron Skt478 system, or stand-alone with a random 250W PSU borrowed from the parts bin where I work.

Annoyingly I can't post the URL to the video that I have posted on YouTube of this faulty DVD-RW; - I haven't made enough posts yet - I actually made three separate videos but chose this one as it was the shortest and proved easier to email. One of the other videos showed that the fault does not occur every time the drive tray is opened, but occurs next time it is opened.

I believe that I have supplied enough evidence to Scan to have the drive replaced now, this really is a tiresome procedure to have to go through. I really can't believe your RMA staff have tested this drive properly, unless you can send me a video to prove otherwise?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

It's RMA 203201 by the way.

[leepen@scan]

highschooltech,

I'm there tomorrow, I'll make a note of your RMA. You're not by any chance, using a Molex to SATA converter are you? Only thing I can think of if you've tried it with multiple PSU's but to the same end. The drive may not even be SATA so I could just be waffling and I'll check in the morning to see if there's anything I can do.

All the best,

[Saracen]

.....

Annoyingly I can't post the URL to the video that I have posted on YouTube of this faulty DVD-RW; - I haven't made enough posts yet - I actually made three separate videos but chose this one as it was the shortest and proved easier to email. One of the other videos showed that the fault does not occur every time the drive tray .....

Unfortunately, that's a restriction Hexus impose on all new members and not anything Scan have decided upon.

However, it should only require five posts, so you should be able to qualify for that in a minute or two by making three more posts, if you really want to post the links.

[highschooltech]

Hi Lee P - yep, the drive is SATA - the two computers in which I tried the drive have native SATA power connectors coming from the power supply. In the video which I sent to Scan, I used an older PSU with a Molex to SATA converter.

On all 3 of these occasions the fault occured - therefore it dosn't make a difference whether I use a native SATA power connector or a Molex to SATA converter.

@Saracen - I understand, it's a forum rule, nothing to do with Scan. I'm not aggrieved about not being able to post the URL. The video was emailed to Scan and it has been viewed.

Thanks everyone for your assistance so far.

[leepen@scan]

highschooltech,

This Invoice has been posted.
Completed 21 May 2009 17:35.

This item should have been delivered yesterday, if it hasn't for any reason please do let us know

All the best

[highschooltech]

Hi Lee P - thanks for the quick reply; what you're looking at there is the faulty drive being sent back to me. Michael W said he would try and get the RMA department to test the drive again, next thing I know the drive is being sent back as non-faulty.

So, yesterday (Fri 22nd) I got the drive back, powered it up immediately only to find that the drive was still exhibiting the issue. So I filmed the problem and sent it to scan after speaking to Amanda in tech support.

Hope this makes things clearer - basically you sent the faulty drive back and I have it in my possession again.

[highschooltech]

One more post and I can put up the link to the video...

[highschooltech]

Here is the linky to the video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juXCC8u0dQ8

[Lee H]

I've passed the link to the returns team and they will check this on Tuesday once they are back in the office after the bank holiday on Monday.

Best Regards,

[highschooltech]

Thanks, Lee - although as I have already explained, I have emailed the same video to your returns team yesterday, and they replied to say they'd watched it.

Hopefully watching it a second time might speed things up and you can get this RMA resolved to my satisfaction in this coming week?

[leepen@scan]

highschooltech,

I'll discuss this with our returns manager on Tuesday and look into a collection if at all possible. We run on skeleton staff on a weekend which makes it difficult to resolve these issues immediately. Bear with us and we'll get you sorted on Tues.

All the best,

[highschooltech]

OK, Lee. It really would be good if I didn't have to pay for return shipping on this item again.

I appreciate that your hands are tied to a certain extent at weekends. I look forward to speaking to somebody on Tuesday, as you say I am sure everything will get sorted in the end.

Thanks.

[highschooltech]

Update: I called Scan yesterday afternoon and explained my case to a member of tech support, who went to speak to the Returns Manager before emailing me back a couple of hours later.

The email suggested that I try the drive in a vertical position, i.e. stood up on it's side, because that was the only difference between the video evidence I had provided of the fault (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juXCC8u0dQ8), and the test that Scan performed.

I found that the drive tray stayed open OK when the drive was on its side, but the tray would close immediately by itself when laid down flat (the way which I use it)!

So hopefully we have gotten to the bottom of this - Scan tested the drive on its side, not laying down flat - the fault only occurs when the drive is flat. In all my computers and in the video, the drive is flat.

It was mentioned in the email that a replacement drive might be shipped to me dependent on the results of these test results - hopefully now Scan will accept that the drive is faulty, accept that it wasn't tested particularly thoroughly in the first instance, and I can get a working drive.

[PeterStoba]

Why was the drive tested on it's side if they are meant to be horizontal?