Beware Ebuyer's £150 Canon PixmaMP780 all-in-one offer. It doesn't print to CD/DVD!

[Bob Crabtree]

I ordered one of these "award-winning" Canon Pixma PM780 multi-function printers on Friday from Ebuyer thinking I'd got a massive bargain.

It was £50 less than the best priced I'd seen anywhere else - at Amazon UK.

I'd already placed an order with Amazon but had been quoted delivery towards the end of the month. Not surprisingly, I chose to cancel the Amazon order (a very simple process to carry out - thanks Amazon for not making a fuss) and buy from Ebuyer who had stock and were able to deliver on Monday (today) if I paid a small premium - which I was happy to do, given that I thought I'd just saved £50.

Doing this has turned out to be a serious mistake.

The printer WAS delivered today but is NOT as specifiied by Ebuyer.

It does NOT print directly to CDs and DVDs - one of the key features I wanted - which almost certainly explains why it's £50 cheaper than anyone else's price!

It looks like what Ebuyer delivered to me (and others) is the US model, which doesn't have any CD/DVD direct-print capabilities.

Another thing to note - the courier tried to deliver two of these printers to me!

This was because when I'd done the original order with Ebuyer, it had appeared to fail, so I started all over again. To my horror, I soon after received two emails confirming I'd bought two printers - despite the fact that the first "order" wasn't completed because the final credit-card verification never took place.

Oh, and naturally, I did try to cancel the first "order" but simply could find no way to achieve this in sufficient time. The only option open to me was to leave an "enote" and these, it transpires, are seemingly not read for days after they're posted.

D'oh!

Today, I've tried repeatedly to ring Ebuyer's customer support number to sort this all out on the phone but failed there, too.

The phone is auto-answered, I'm told that "Calls may be recorded for training purposes", and then the call is immediately terminated with this advice, "Please replace the handset".

So, now I've got to figure out:

a/ Whether or not I keep this or get Ebuyer to take it back (ie is the CD/DVD printing worth £50 to me?)

b/ Either way, how to get Ebuyer to refund my credit card for the order I tried to cancel.

Out of curiosity and to try to help out others in the same position as me (and because I'm a tight git), I've asked Canon UK to check and let me know whether the US model can be modded to print to CD/DVD.

By modded, I mean, removing the blanking plate which appears to cover the CD/DVD printing slot, and also buying a CD/DVD printing tray and getting hold of a UK installer CD for the printer.

Of course, all this begs the question - when will we ever learn?

If a deal looks too good to be true, it almost inevitably is.


Bob C

[herulach]

If it says on the ebuyer websit it prints to CD then youre well within your rights to send it back for a full refund. AS far as the seond goes, assuming you didnt accept the delivery just get your card company to cancel teh payment.

[Flibb]

The US version of the IP4000 didnt print to cd/dvd either (UK version did), havent a clue why though. Surelly ebuyer should supply the UK specific version?

[Bob Crabtree]

herulach,

Thanks.

I'd pretty much made both assumptions but as for keeping the one I've got, I think I've now got to decide whether the extra £50 it's going to cost me to get CD/DVD printing is worth it.

On balance, I think it will be, and I'll probably demand a full refund.

But I'm also curious (and think others in the same boat as me would like to know) about whether or not a CD/DVD print tray (plus the right software) for the UK version will allow me to mod the one I've got to do direct-to-disc printing.
+++++++++++++

Flibb,

I guess that the person who bought in the stock for ebuyer didn't know about the difference between the US and UK versions or didn't care.

And it is the case that the info on Ebuyer's site is wrong - it specifically states that CD/DVD printing is one of the features.

What's also irritating is that the model numbers for the US and UK models are exactly the same (at least, the model numbers that end users see) despite there being this very big difference between the versions.

Bob

[Bob Crabtree]

I still don't know if it's possible to get the printer to print direct to disc by adding the print tray and installing the UK software but at least I do know how much these two items will cost.

Each one is £12 (£14.10 with delivery and VAT).

So, if Canon tells me that this idea will work - and if I can get some kind person to duplicate and send me a CD of the UK software (anyone?) - I could mod the US model for £14.10.

Two companies are selling these items, CRC and H. Lehmans, each quoting the same price. Their contact details are listed on this Canon page.

However, CRC offered to sell me both with only one delivery charge if I ordered them together.

Now awaiting Canon's response with baited breath.

Bob C
(who's never modded a printer before!)

[Andy]

EBuyer quote some really silly times for techsupport calls on its website:

Longest wait Friday: 18 minutes 44 secs
Average wait Friday: 4 minutes 46 secs
Longest wait today: 10 minutes 30 secs
Average wait today: 4 minutes 49 secs

statistics as at 10:00am 11th August 2005

18mins!!!!!!! I cant belive EBuyer actively advertise these facts!!

[5lab]

i think its good they're being honest about it. their pr devision will see that and use it to force the call centres to employ more staff -> shorter on hold times

[Andy]

i think its good they're being honest about it. their pr devision will see that and use it to force the call centres to employ more staff -> shorter on hold times

I agree, but its commercial suicide to tell people that they will have to wait upto 20mins on an 0845 number to speak to someone. For god sake EBuyer, employ some more service staff!!!!!

[jimborae]

Another example of Ebuyer & their dodgy grey imports.

[Bob Crabtree]

It appears that ebuyer now know about this and is doing nothing to correct the situation.

How so?

Well, when I went to the company's site this morning, there was one review that had been posted (dated Saturday but not visible, I think, until this morning) and which pointed out that the product was the US version and thus did not include CD/DVD printing.

I've just revisited the relevant page and that review - which, admittedly, was a little harsh in its wording - appears to have been pulled.

So, that must mean that someone has read it and - in at least one way - acted upon it but the production description still says (my emboldening):

"Productive features include a 35-page Automatic Document Feeder, dual paper trays, direct printing on CD-R/DVDs and an automatic duplex unit."

I suspect, now, that Ebuyer is skating on VERY thin legal ice and is in danger of getting itself into rather deep, hot water - if you'll forgive the somewhat contradictory mixed metaphors.

Bob C

[Rave]

Since ebuyer have advertised the printer as being able to print on CDs/DVDs, you have the right to a refund as the goods were not fit for the purpose for which they were sold. Since ebuyer will then end up with a printer that has been opened, they'll clearly have to attempt to resell it as b-grade stock, so if I were you I'd press them to supply you with the tray and software for free if it is indeed possible to mod the printer- it's surely in their interest.

However, you may find that as well as the tray you also need all the internal gears and switches etc. You may want to do some research and see whether Canon USA sell the CD tray as an upgrade option (if you already have then sorry). If they do then you're sorted.

[Swafe]

Hey, if you dont want it you can get it returned for a full refund within 14 days due to the distance selling act, whether it prints dvds or not

Seing as it doesnt print dvds, you should be entitled to a refund for a while longer than that, seing as they've sent you the wrong product (Doesnt do what they said, so it isnt the same?) So its obviously them at fault as theyve made an error.

[Bob Crabtree]

Andy,

You might think that those figures are poor - and they are, of course - and you might think it stupid to display those figures on the company's contact-us page.

However, the truth of the matter is the figures are grossly misleading since the waits involved are HUGELY worse than the figures suggest.

The current stats for today say:
Longest wait today: 10 minutes 30 secs
Average wait today: 4 minutes 49 secs

But, of course, what the figures don't include are any stats about the number of times anyone has to attempt to call and ends up failing even to be put into a queue!

I've been calling on and off throughout the day and have not once been placed in a queue.

One of two things happens - in each case it starts of with me being told by an answering system, "Calls may be recorded for training purposes".

In one case the call is immediately terminated with this advice (generated, I think by my phone supplier), "Please replace the handset".

In the other case, I'm auto-advised by Ebuyer to call back later because all operators are busy.

So, in effect, the wait isn't measure in minutes, it's measure in hours - and, quite possibly, in days.

I've never had any problems before with ebuyer but can now see why others who frequent the DVdoctor boards are so very reluctant to deal with the company.

But, what I want to know is why doesn't Scan stock Canon printers?.

Bob

EBuyer quote some really silly times for techsupport calls on its website:



18mins!!!!!!! I cant belive EBuyer actively advertise these facts!!

[Bob Crabtree]

Thanks for the suggestion.

You are right in thinking that this strategy may be the one that saves Ebuyer most money (and maybe, me too) but my guess is that my inability to communicate the idea to Ebuyer in anything approaching a timely fashion - simply because the company's systems don't allow it - would mean that I'd be kippered completely.

I've just put in a request - on the company's web site - for a full refund and await with interest the company's response (including whether they attempt not to refund the delivery charge if they do refund for the printer itself).

Nonetheless, I will report back here (and attempt to do so via Ebuyer's reviews facility) what my contacts at Canon say about the practicality of using the UK software and a UK-bought CD-tray to turn the US model into something that will work properly for CD/DVD printing

And now I'm off to put in another RMA request for the duplicate printer that they attempted to deliver and which I refused!

Ho hum.


Bob C

Since ebuyer have advertised the printer as being able to print on CDs/DVDs, you have the right to a refund as the goods were not fit for the purpose for which they were sold. Since ebuyer will then end up with a printer that has been opened, they'll clearly have to attempt to resell it as b-grade stock, so if I were you I'd press them to supply you with the tray and software for free if it is indeed possible to mod the printer- it's surely in their interest.

However, you may find that as well as the tray you also need all the internal gears and switches etc. You may want to do some research and see whether Canon USA sell the CD tray as an upgrade option (if you already have then sorry). If they do then you're sorted.

[tim_n]

oh don't even bother :- )

I had a problem with a motherboard, went online and setup an RMA. But because you're only allowed 3 addresses which you can't modify yourself, I couldn't actually send it back to the right address. Fine thought I. I added an enote saying that my address needed to be changed. I added another enote to the RMA with the updated address. I stuck a note inside the box and outside the box warning the handler to change the address. I wrote them a letter (I like to be sure about these things...)

And yet it was still delivered back to the wrong address.

I couldn't be bothered to drive 200 miles to pick it up (when the board cost £13) so I waited for ebuyer to reply to my enote. 3 weeks go past. I get a helpful 'enote too old to be answered' and it's closed.

I write a letter detailing my grievences to their MD. I give him a resolution date. Nothing happens. I write to them regarding a court date. Nothing happens.

One day after the deadline for court action, I get a reply to my enote 'have refunded motherboard'.

Doesn't matter, they're still going to court over it.

btw - since when have they started giving phone support again???

[Bob Crabtree]

I got this response from ebuyer via email (about the duplicated order):

===========
We have been contacted by Initial City link who have confirmed that the goods have been refused by yourself.

As this is the case we have requested your order returned to us and a refund will be processed once this is received back.

Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience you have been caused by this situation.

If you do have any further difficulty please get back in touch.

Kind Regards
- SNIP-

========
So, that's one down and one to go (assuming I do get refunded, of course).


Bob C