Case ID: 668373N

London, 19 January 2009

Re: Acer Aspire 7720 / Case ID: 668373N / Serial: LXALN0X24874************


Dear Sir,


Past Problems

Back in 2007 I had a terrible experience with your customer care / repair service when I sent you a unit to be repaired and not just the problem was not fixed but it also came back with few new faults. After sending the unit for repair for the second time it took a month to get it back. Most of the times I phone your service up to find out what was going on I was treated very badly and in a couple of occasions insulted. I have put through a formal complaint and have received apologies. I have also made it public posting details of the problem on computing web sites and even the BBC Watchdog show.

A couple of months after the whole thing I upgraded my laptop and, for my regret, it was another Acer. Now I am going through the very same problem, again.

New Problems

Most of times I phone the costumer care I cannot help feeling that they are not listening to me or just picking a few words of what I am saying but not exactly getting my point.

When I called the customer care for the first time about the new laptop - which is an Aspire 7720G - I tried to be as clear as possible about what was wrong. I knew exactly what the problem was and I was very careful in explaining it.

This is the part I hate to mention, but I have to, I am a web designer, JavaScript, Flash ActionScript, ASP programmer, IIS Server Administrator and have also done hardware repairs for local businesses in Worcester. I have been working with IT since the infamous monochrome screens back in 1993. I understand about software more than anyone I know and I thought that being extremely precise about how I was taking the problem would help me get the thing done. It's not about being a "prick" or arrogant. It's about getting the problem solved and working together.

I was wrong.

The person who took the details, not just twisted my words but he also forgot to do his job. He asked me to fax him the proof of purchase, which I did the same day and still have the delivery report provided by the fax machine. On this document was a cover letter to him, with all the information and case ID. None ever got back to me and I had to phone you up once more to get the instructions for booking a collection with DHL. Then, I was asked to fax the proof of purchase again, this time, by Ben. So I did.

Quotation.

I received a quotation. Three bad surprises.

1. I was not supposed to be charged for the repair as I logged the problem before the end of the warranty period. I provided TWICE the proof of purchase.
2. The problems supposedly found on my laptop are completely unrelated to the real ones.
3. Once again, Acer customer care has shown how incompetent they can be by, just not adding the important information to the notes, but also adding something that will not help the technical support team investigate the real problem. Paul, put on his notes: "Problem Description :
   cust reports webcam stops working if usb plugged in
   and doesn't say what is plugged in - no pop up - odd
   doesn't always read HDDVD's - adv of sw charges,
   says he doesn't care because he is a "web
   designer" and knows what he is doing - PMM
   windows password: nouvelle"

This problem description in big letters on the quotation sheet is the proof of how negligent your staff can be and this needs to be taken care of. I will take this further as I feel nothing but disappointed with the way you care for your customers.

Details about the problem:

As explained very carefully to Paul: the webcam isn't working. IT IS NOT A SOFTWARE/DRIVER ISSUE. Why am I so sure it's not a software issue? I am using dual boot on this laptop: the Acer provided version of Windows Vista Home Premium (but without the Acer softwares, just the OS) and a retail copy of Windows XP which I alternate when I want to play heavy games. The internal webcam will not work on either Windows Vista or XP. Drivers installed for both OSs are up to date, dowloaded from Acer drivers page and/or updated automatically by Windows Update. Another odd behaviour is that if I plug anything to any USB port, such as a pen drive, USB modem or my PDA a balloon will keep popping up saying a hardware inserted was detected but not recognized. However, the not recognized hardware IS NOT the USB device I just plugged in, but the internal webcam!! For some real strange reason, it will keep plugging itself in and out sometimes trigged by another USB device plugged in to any port or just randomly. You can tell by the annoying balloon and the hardware insert/removal sound.

Second Call

When speaking to someone who I believe is called David Milan or anything similar, for the first time in years I felt like hurting someone. This gentleman had the worst behaviour I have ever dealt with. He was not just unhelpful, he was obnoxious, arrogant, negligent and a few more words I rather not to say. I had received the quotation and I phone you up to find out why I was being charged for the repair and why they were trying to fix something that was not faulty. The advisor on the phone refused to listen to my complaints putting me as the one who did not know what was saying. He refused to accept the idea that the unit might have not been checked properly and the problems I described could have been investigated a little bit further. I also told him, that by fixing sound card, rather than the faulty webcam would just make it more expensive for Acer itself, as I would send the laptop back as soon as I received it. He just kept treating me bad and talking to me in a dreadful manner. I hang up, but before I said some things he deserved to hear.

Third Call

The best experience with the Acer Customer Care so far. This man, who sounded a little bit older than the others, not just had the patience to hear my problem but he was also very polite plus he seemed genuinely intended to help. He understood my issues, he listened to my description of the faults and he was going to send some emails to see if anything could be done. It does not take much to help, does it? Just have to want to.


Timing.

This all happened on the week starting on 4/01/09 and went on and on. I went for holidays abroad on the 8/01/09 and returned yesterday. My phone has been on all the time and no one tried to reach me. I have not been contacted by Acer since then. I would like to know what is the next step.

What I want

Mind you: the ONLY problem with the laptop is the webcam and it's nothing to do with software. The hddvd drive isn't working 100% but at this point, and after all this hassle, just leave it. Fix the webcam and please send it back to me. That's all I ask. If engineers still insist on software problem, ask them to install their software and test the webcam for a few days. You will see...