Author Topic: NewEgg (Read 31328 times)

Deozaan · « **on:** June 18, 2008, 06:48 PM »

I ordered a 500GB SATA hard drive from NewEgg. It was Dead On Arrival (DOA). It was making clicking sounds and my computer wouldn't recognize it. But just to be sure I called tech support (India) to verify that it was defective.

I was at first very unhappy with the tech support since it said I had a 13 minute wait and after 15 minutes the first time I was disconnected before talking to anybody, then when I called back I was disconnected again after only 2 minutes. Finally when I called the third time I was on hold for about 20 minutes before someone answered. Someone with an Indian accent. It didn't look pretty.

But I have to say that this was probably the best experience I've had with Indian tech support. His accent wasn't too thick and we got through the troubleshooting steps without much delay and without feeling like he was reading a script. Yes, I'm sure he probably was following a script (I've worked tech support before for Dell and DirecTV--you pretty much always follow a script or you get in trouble), but it didn't seem to me like he was reading everything word for word. In other words, he either knew what he was talking about or was good at rephrasing the script into his own words. Or I guess it was just a really awesome script, but that's unlikely.

So we determined it was DOA, I got my case number, then I referred to NewEgg documentation for how to get an RMA and send it back for a working drive. I saw on the packing slip that I could do the RMA stuff online, went to the website and it said I had to pay shipping to send it back.

I was not happy about that at all!

Nevertheless, I bought the shipping label, printed it out, and shipped the hard drive off. Sometime within the next couple of days I decided to write a customer review on NewEgg for the product. I informed other customers that the drive came defective and mentioned that NewEgg was making me pay to send it back. I also found out that "TigerDirect" and "India" are in the inappropriate words filter for customer reviews. I can understand why they don't allow TigerDirect, but why "India" was a "bad word" is beyond me.

Then I found a form to send an e-mail, and the blurb talked about NewEgg's "Legendary Customer service," (all while cynically thinking, "Legendary? Yeah right!") and proceeded to write an e-mail using my "angry voice" to express my displeasure with having to pay extra to get what I paid for in working condition. I mentioned that I could have bought it from TigerDirect for less, once these extra charges had been placed on there. I got an e-mail back the next day saying sorry for the inconvenience and that the shipping costs would be refunded to my card.

That appeased me but the experience still left a sour taste in my mouth, so to speak. Their reputation had dropped a level, in my book. I still felt a mixture of "Thanks!" and "You're smurfing right you'll be refunding my money!"

I got that e-mail two days ago, on the 16th.

Today I received another e-mail from NewEgg.

Apparently someone in NewEgg Product Support had read my customer review, forwarded my information and the review to someone else who could do something about it, and asked them to correct the error of charging me for shipping. All of his own volition.

That action right there completely restores my faith in NewEgg. Even though the "problem" was already taken care of due to my own complaining, this man has fixed the real problem: removing the bad aftertaste of the experience and restoring (and improving) my faith in NewEgg.

NewEgg: I just have to say this experience was a bit rocky, but in the end I'm a very happy customer!

mouser · « **Reply #1 on:** June 18, 2008, 06:59 PM »

NewEgg is a reliably great place to order hardware from. On the rare occasion I've had a hardware problem they are more than happy to exchange it. Prices are good and they are FAST to ship stuff.

The user reviews on newegg are also invaluable -- there are a lot of knowledgeable and expert hardware people who order through newegg and their comments on products really help. The user comments alone make it the first place i ever go before buying hardware (in the same way that when ordering a book i always go to amazon.com first to look at reader reviews).

Deozaan · « **Reply #2 on:** June 18, 2008, 07:08 PM »

Feeling a good deed deserves to be recognized, I submitted a positive note to NewEgg Customer service (limited to 1000 characters):

This transaction left me on shaky footing in regards to my opinion of NewEgg's reputation. That is, until Dennis from Product Support read my negative product review and saw I was unhappy, then on his own volition forwarded my review to the people who could solve my problem.

The truth is that the shipping costs were not the real problem, as I'd already written and been told the money would be refunded. But I still had a bad aftertaste from the experience and was generally displeased.

But Dennis was on the lookout to solve my problem without even receiving an e-mail from me complaining, and wanted to fix it. That action restored my faith in NewEgg and fortified it!

Dennis deserves to be recognized and rewarded for his efforts in going the extra mile and making sure customers are not only satisfied, but that they have an "Eggcellent" Experience!

f0dder · « **Reply #3 on:** June 19, 2008, 08:27 AM »

Well, there isn't much you can do to prevent DOA - especially considering how the various postal services work (I should know

). So it all comes down to how RMAs are handled, really. Sucks that you have to go through a support call (and to India, ugh) before you can just fill out a bloody RMA slip. Having to pay for postage is pretty normal, though :/

mouser · « **Reply #4 on:** June 19, 2008, 08:33 AM »

Sucks that you have to go through a support call (and to India, ugh) before you can just fill out a bloody RMA slip

i think deo just said he wanted to call tech support to get some support; newegg has never required a call to get an RMA to my memory.

Deozaan · « **Reply #5 on:** June 24, 2008, 03:02 AM »

Yeah, the tech support was for Western Digital, not NewEgg. I've never done an RMA from NewEgg before and thought you needed a case number or something, so I called.

I'm still waiting for the hard drive... I can't believe how long it's taking.

mouser · « **Reply #6 on:** June 24, 2008, 03:29 AM »

one of the things newegg has done for me before (don't remember if i requested or they suggested), is send me a new one before i even sent old back, by charging me and then auto-refunding when they get back the rma one.

Stoic Joker · « **Reply #7 on:** June 24, 2008, 05:55 AM »

one of the things newegg has done for me before (don't remember if i requested or they suggested), is send me a new one before i even sent old back, by charging me and then auto-refunding when they get back the rma one.
-mouser (June 24, 2008, 03:29 AM)

It's an option on the request RMA form, I did it once with an Asus Commando motherboard (no support calls required) that died a week after I got it. Actually as I recall, they just kept the card info "on record" and never charged it because I got the Mboard back within the 2 week grace period.

...Besides there are way too many transaction fees (cost to NewEgg) to do a charge/refund.

Deozaan · « **Reply #8 on:** June 24, 2008, 02:01 PM »

one of the things newegg has done for me before (don't remember if i requested or they suggested), is send me a new one before i even sent old back, by charging me and then auto-refunding when they get back the rma one.
-mouser (June 24, 2008, 03:29 AM)

Yeah I did that with a bad monitor (lots of dead pixels) from TigerDirect a few years ago. But I didn't see that option during the RMA process with NewEgg.

Deozaan · « **Reply #9 on:** June 26, 2008, 12:57 AM »

Okay this experience is starting to head toward the negative again.

I ordered the hard drive on Jun 4th because my important Documents hard drive started making clicking sounds. This means I've basically been unable to work on anything for nearly a month now because a working hard drive still has not arrived!

I got an e-mail last Friday (20th) saying the new drive shipped, using 3-Day shipping. Tracking information says it should have arrived today (the 25th). Funny how when it gets close to midnight and still no package has arrived the Estimated Arrival date just sort of disappears from the Track Order page.

Estimated delivery never.png

To make matters worse, I'm in the process of packing everything up so I can move about 150 miles this Saturday. While I will likely have it by Friday at the latest, it would have been nice to have all this taken care of last week or even today when the tracking information said it would be arriving.

I really should have gone with TigerDirect this time.

f0dder · « **Reply #10 on:** June 26, 2008, 04:32 AM »

Sorry to hear that, Deozaan!

A service I'm really fond of that post.dk offers is "Track & Trace" which, as the name implies, lets you see where your package currently is, and "what's happening to it" (e.g., "received", "misrouted", "out for final delivery"). Obviously Denmark isn't super big, and it shouldn't ever take more than 2 days for something to ship, but sh*t does happen and it's nice knowing what happened

wraith808 · « **Reply #11 on:** June 26, 2008, 02:15 PM »

But it's out of newegg's hands at this time, isn't it? When you track it from the UPS site, do you get the same results?

Deozaan · « **Reply #12 on:** June 27, 2008, 03:41 AM »

Well it arrived today (the 26th). After a few hours of messing with it I finally managed to get it to work. That in itself was such a hassle that I'm mostly just left bitter about the whole thing.

Currently copying data over. I hope my failing drive lasts long enough to make it.

Still, shipping on the 20th and arriving on the 26th is 7 days. Even if you subtract a day for Sunday and another day for the delivery day that's still nearly twice as long as 3-day shipping that was promised.

f0dder (or any others with the knowledge): While copying data over I found out that somehow some files got flagged as "Encrypt data to protect its contents" and I can't copy the files or open them or anything. They show up green in Windows Explorer. Any idea how to decrypt these files? I have no idea how they became encrypted and they're just the stupid default themes (php) for the Vanilla forum software.

I don't have any other user accounts on this system, and I have no idea how that checkbox got ticked for all the files in there...

f0dder · « **Reply #13 on:** June 27, 2008, 08:42 AM »

That sounds pretty strange, Deozaan! Perhaps your filesystem became slightly corrupted? Your old disk is dying, right? Never seen something like that happen, though.

I don't know particularly much about how NTFS encryption works internally, but iirc it's 3DES, and the encryption keys are stored in the registry per-user, iirc also somehow protected by your account password. Which means that once you're logged in, everything should be automagic.

Have you transferred your current harddrive from another windows install? Re-installing windows without exporting + importing the crypto keys will leave encrypted files inaccessible.

mouser · « **Reply #14 on:** June 27, 2008, 08:45 AM »

is there a chance deo has some kind of virus or trojan? it's hard to imagine why files would get encrypted like that by accident..

f0dder · « **Reply #15 on:** June 27, 2008, 08:49 AM »

is there a chance deo has some kind of virus or trojan? it's hard to imagine why files would get encrypted like that by accident..
-mouser (June 27, 2008, 08:45 AM)

I doubt such a thing would use NTFS encryption though - the known trojans that encrypt files certainly don't.

Deozaan · « **Reply #16 on:** June 27, 2008, 05:10 PM »

That sounds pretty strange, Deozaan! Perhaps your filesystem became slightly corrupted? Your old disk is dying, right? Never seen something like that happen, though.
-f0dder (June 27, 2008, 08:42 AM)

Yeah, it's on it's last legs. Occasionally making clicking noises, etc.

Have you transferred your current harddrive from another windows install? Re-installing windows without exporting + importing the crypto keys will leave encrypted files inaccessible.
-f0dder (June 27, 2008, 08:42 AM)

I believe this disc was new or formatted for this particular Windows install. And I've never even had a password on my user account (I know, shame on me

) for any previous OS install. And besides all that, I've never used NTFS encryption before. I just barely learned of it from the DC forum very recently. I've never seen green text in Windows Explorer before.

Like I said, they're just some php scripts for a theme/skin, so they're not critical files I need to read or copy. I'm just trying to figure out how/why they got encrypted and how to remove the encryption. Windows doesn't seem to complain when I move them to the recycle bin, so if all else fails I can delete them and get them back from my web host or by downloading the latest Vanilla package.

f0dder · « **Reply #17 on:** June 27, 2008, 06:02 PM »

I have no idea how those files ended up encrypted. It would take quite a few accidental keystrokes for it to happen through explorer... and the metadata corruption theory is a long shot as well.

Windows works in mysterious ways, baby

mrainey · « **Reply #18 on:** June 27, 2008, 07:41 PM »

I've consistently had very positive experiences with NewEgg's customer service. They once volunteered to pay for next-day delivery of a TV, after the one I ordered for my mother in law's birthday arrived broken. That's service!

On the other hand, their ordering process is an exercise in needless complexity. It takes me several times as long to order from NewEgg as it does from Amazon. Forget about using your credit card to have something delivered to a different address. I've actually given up once or twice and bought elsewhere.

steeladept · « **Reply #19 on:** July 17, 2008, 12:12 AM »

On the other hand, their ordering process is an exercise in needless complexity. It takes me several times as long to order from NewEgg as it does from Amazon. Forget about using your credit card to have something delivered to a different address. I've actually given up once or twice and bought elsewhere.
-mrainey (June 27, 2008, 07:41 PM)

This is EXACTLY why I will never use NewEgg again! While the service was great, the prices outstanding, and the selection unbeatable - I just can't accept that their method of "protecting my credit card" is the best (or even desireable) way. When I moved houses, I couldn't get my order - period. I tried having it shipped to my work address (where they sent several items for me before, but they couldn't comment on that) and I couldn't have it sent to my house because it "wasn't verifiable". According to them, the only verifiable way to deal with this is to have the credit card company make a note of all addresses available to send to. WHAT!!! Since when is it the CREDIT CARD COMPANY'S Business where anyone sends me anything!!! Moreover, why would they ever WANT to open themselves to such liability?!?

Very Peved and Annoyed, I tried it their way. Guess what? My credit card company would not put such a note on the account. They stated they had no way to input that data. When I asked them to enter it in the notes section, they stated they could only use that for internal accounting notes for their company. Such extraneous uses were not their problem. Gee, sound familiar NewEgg?

The worst part is I even gave them business process advice (you will see how I even got it to what one would hope would be the right person in a moment). That was simply to take the great web site that already tracks accounts in a secured database - at least it better since they do transaction processing of credit cards - and add a field where the user can enter valid addresses. Then they send out a mailer to the credit card billing address so the owner can verify billing (not unlike when you change your pin number on the phone). This address can be inactive for x number of days to give the owner time to protest. Lastly, to keep people happy, you can even allow them to send to this address with the understanding that there will be a delay while the address is validated as a good address for the credit card. It isn't rocket science here - or if it is, there are a whole lot of rocket scientists running around in millions of buisnesses world-wide.

So eventually I get the obligatory "I am sorry, there is nothing we can do. No the general manager is not available, and I can't forward you to them even if they were. I can only take a number for you and hopefully they will call you back." Yeah, right...I have NEVER had that happen. So I go to the Better Business Bureau. Filed a complaint. If you have never filed a complaint before, there is a place where you write in what you would like to see as a resolution. So I entered the above business process change. All I got was a response of - I am sorry, but our business processes do not allow us to send to any address other than the billing address or addresses listed on the credit card notes section. (paraphrased). No S*IT, What the H*LL did you think my complaint was about! Then the BBB closed the dispute with a note of how to reopen if I was not satisfied.

A lot of good that did. So I will now take my money elsewhere. Amazon is almost as good on most things and certainly has better billing and shipping. So now I usually start there. Fortunately for me, there is no shortage of places to get what NewEgg sells at close to the same prices (sometimes even cheaper, but that is rare).

</RANT> (again

)

Dormouse · « **Reply #20 on:** July 17, 2008, 02:20 AM »

This is EXACTLY why I will never use NewEgg again! While the service was great, the prices outstanding, and the selection unbeatable - I just can't accept that their method of "protecting my credit card" is the best (or even desireable) way.
-steeladept (July 17, 2008, 12:12 AM)

Your problem is precisely the reason that you were attracted to them in the first place. They keep their prices so low (with service etc good) precisely by reducing or cutting out all unnecessary risks and costs. And one of those risks is delivery to another address, that unfortunately you find necessary. In the context of their business as a whole, they have obviously decided that they are better off without customers who require that service.

mrainey · « **Reply #21 on:** July 17, 2008, 07:10 AM »

And one of those risks is delivery to another address, that unfortunately you find necessary.

Is it really so unusual to want to buy something (a gift, perhaps) and have it shipped directly to another address?

f0dder · « **Reply #22 on:** July 17, 2008, 07:37 AM »

And one of those risks is delivery to another address, that unfortunately you find necessary.

Is it really so unusual to want to buy something (a gift, perhaps) and have it shipped directly to another address?
-mrainey (July 17, 2008, 07:10 AM)

I wonder what happens most: people buying stuff for other people, or evil bastards abusing stolen credit cards? :/

Dormouse · « **Reply #23 on:** July 17, 2008, 07:44 AM »

Is it really so unusual to want to buy something (a gift, perhaps) and have it shipped directly to another address?
-mrainey (July 17, 2008, 07:10 AM)

I don't think it is at all unusual. It's just that there's a higher rate of theft and risk to the retailer when things are shipped to another address. So firms on tight margins can easily decide that they cannot afford to have that business on those margins.

J-Mac · « **Reply #24 on:** July 23, 2008, 03:24 PM »

Newegg has been kind of schizophrenic in my experience. They are basically a very good online vendor but every now and then I have had a case with their support where it seemed like I had just entered the Twilight Zone!

At one time early in their life their shipping & handling charges were all over the spectrum and generally on the high side. E.g., if I placed six items in my shopping cart, each having had a S&H price on the product page, they would sometimes add up in my cart to a total amount that was much greater than the sum of the separate S&H's listed. I had a couple of email correspondences with their shipping customer support (Stateside, not overseas at the time) and it was actually very productive. They even implemented two of my suggestions almost immediately and then wrote me to tell me about it and also to give me a sizable coupon as a "Thank you" token. I was appropriately surprised and grateful.

Yet their S&H can still go haywire occasionally, and their Customer Service is not quite as competent anymore, unfortunately.

Recently I tried to purchase a Canon MP830 All-In-One that was on sale in a promotional email I received. I had already purchased one of these two years earlier from Newegg and it is excellent, but wearing out a little. The promo price showed as $205 with free S&H. Cool! So I placed it in my shopping cart directly from the Promo page that the email directs you to. However in my cart the AIO was listed as $215.99 with $4.99 S&H. Uh-oh. I double-checked the ad and the cart was definitely wrong. So I wrote immediately to Newegg support because the promotion was only for a day or two. The response I got was both mystifying and disappointing. Here's my message and their response:

to: [email protected]
from: [email protected]
date Sun, Feb 17, 2008 at 5:56 PM
subject Newegg.com - >(Mail #17022008672665)*
Item#:N82E16828102008 & N82E16828102

Message: You have a combo promotion that states "Your Price $205.00 after $10.00 Instant Rebate" on this page: http://promotions.ne...rs/021308/index.html. It also said the shipping is free. Yet when I placed it in my cart it is priced at $215.99, plus when I enter my ZIP it adds another $4.99 to that total. I already purchased this same printer from Newegg back in August of 2006 and it is so good I am willing to buy another just in case. And that promo is what prompted me. But I just thought you should know that something is not working with the pricing on that promo.

Thanks! Jim McGxxxx

Requested Mail Copy: Yes

> Dear Customer,
> Thank you for contacting Newegg.
> Unfortunately we apologize for the inconvenience, our web site is run at
> real time and current market value of the items. We do not price protect or
> price match any of our prices may change in minutes, hours or days without
> notice.
>
> * Please note that an item advertised as "free" in a combo special may still
> incur a shipping charge.
> If you have any further questions or concerns, please visit our FAQs page.
> If you still need assistance, please feel free to email me directly and I
> will be happy to assist you.
>
> Thank you,
> Martin Ruiz

Sounded like they thought I was looking for some sort of lowest price-matching, but I only wanted the promotional price offered. I did reply to this and got an auto-responder reply, but never did get anything after that.

I do still buy there, but I am very careful to check my shopping cart to make sure it matches what the product page says, and then also the confirmation to make sure they only charged what they were supposed to charge. I don't quite trust their systems anymore. And I certainly don't trust their overseas support!

Thanks!

Jim