Really disappointed with the customer service and attitude against problems...

rodest

New member
I bought a laptop in February. When I received it, it had some issues with the fan. I sent it back twice but PCSpecialist couldn't fix the issue. I spent almost 3 MONTHS discussing and arguing to have it fixed, proposing different alternatives that always got rejected. After a long time and quite bad customer service I convinced the manager to build a new laptop with similar specs (lower than the previous as they rejected to build a similar one for the same price). This new laptop was set as PRIORITY and took longer to get built than the first one with the standard process and when I received it the chassis wasn't correctly screwed!
The laptops are nice and have great specs but I would never recommend PCSpecialist to anyone after the huge lack of professionalism displayed by this company. I'm sorry but I'm hugely disappointed with you.

Attached a few pictures of the second laptop and the screwing mistake and a video of the fan issue in the first laptop...
 

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ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
I'm sorry you were disappointed, but it feels to me like there is a lot more to this story than we have so far heard...
 

rodest

New member
I didn't want to explain the whole version as it may be boring...
I bought the Proteus V on February, when it cam it had some issues with the fans. The fans where ramping up to 100% and down and up again randomly... It looked like a bug in the software that made it CPU temp be linked with the PC temp or something like that (my colleague has some IT experience and explained this to me). We sent the laptop back and they didn't test the noise, they just put some liquid metal in it and thought that may solve the problem but obviously it didn't... After spending some time trying to fix it ourselves (my colleague not me) and having some phone calls with PCSpecialist to see if it could be solved on the phone we had to send it back again as it couldn't be fixed that easy...
By this time I already had spent a month or maybe more without being able to use it. I sent it back for the second time and they spent more than three weeks with the laptop, saying they were having some conversations with the manufacturer as it was an issue out of their control. As I could see they weren't able to fix the problem, I just started some conversations with the managers asking for a new laptop if this couldn't be solved. Due to this problems, they had taken the Proteus off the website so I had to look for another one.
First of all I proposed a slightly higher spec laptop as there wasn't anything exactly the same and the refused it. So to avoid them giving my money back after spending 3 months waiting for nothing (no compensation or anything offered for the time wasted and the huge headaches trying to look for a solution as they were not proposing any) I had to low my specs and go for the Recoil.
They said they were going to place the order as PRIORITY due to the whole issue I had experience, but far from that, it took them longer to build this laptop than to build the Proteus without priority... And, on top of that, when I received it, as you can see in the pictures, the chassis was badly screwed...
So this is my whole adventure with PCSpecialist for the first and last time as you can imagine...
 

Roxborough

New member
I didn't want to explain the whole version as it may be boring...
I bought the Proteus V on February, when it cam it had some issues with the fans. The fans where ramping up to 100% and down and up again randomly... It looked like a bug in the software that made it CPU temp be linked with the PC temp or something like that (my colleague has some IT experience and explained this to me). We sent the laptop back and they didn't test the noise, they just put some liquid metal in it and thought that may solve the problem but obviously it didn't... After spending some time trying to fix it ourselves (my colleague not me) and having some phone calls with PCSpecialist to see if it could be solved on the phone we had to send it back again as it couldn't be fixed that easy...
By this time I already had spent a month or maybe more without being able to use it. I sent it back for the second time and they spent more than three weeks with the laptop, saying they were having some conversations with the manufacturer as it was an issue out of their control. As I could see they weren't able to fix the problem, I just started some conversations with the managers asking for a new laptop if this couldn't be solved. Due to this problems, they had taken the Proteus off the website so I had to look for another one.
First of all I proposed a slightly higher spec laptop as there wasn't anything exactly the same and the refused it. So to avoid them giving my money back after spending 3 months waiting for nothing (no compensation or anything offered for the time wasted and the huge headaches trying to look for a solution as they were not proposing any) I had to low my specs and go for the Recoil.
They said they were going to place the order as PRIORITY due to the whole issue I had experience, but far from that, it took them longer to build this laptop than to build the Proteus without priority... And, on top of that, when I received it, as you can see in the pictures, the chassis was badly screwed...
So this is my whole adventure with PCSpecialist for the first and last time as you can imagine...


Hi all,

I am the colleague in which he speaks of. I have 15 years IT experience and have used PC Specialist for years without too many issues (aside from my very first order of a Q6600 rig that came with a mix of 667mhz/800mhz RAM, which caused BSOD's everywhere). I have a little side business building & repairing PC's which has dwindled of late due to my career as a Building Surveyor. (I probably picked the wrong subject at uni... doh...)

So the issue with the Proteus V was down to the PCH temperature being directly linked with the CPU fan within the quanta command centre. So when the PCH hits the normal 70c, the BIOS reads the PCH temp as the CPU temperature and starts ramping it up to cool it down, even though it didn't need cooling. I noticed this issue after using the laptop for a mere 5 minutes, and almost diagnosed it straight away; which took PC Specialist 3 months.

After about 10 emails with PC Specialist, we finally agreed on an RMA. They got the laptop back and said there was "nothing wrong with it" but as a precaution they'd applied liquid metal as opposed to standard TIM.

I'd had the laptop back for 2 minutes before the issue presented itself again, anyone with ears could tell there was a problem with it; but unfortunately PC Specialist didn't pick up on it, probably because their workshop is quite loud (well that was their excuse), but even still, you'd see the RPM of the fans going up randomly, but the temperature of the CPU staying normal. I took another video and sent it to their team wondering why they had not tested this issue in a quiet room as requested.

After another 20 or so emails, discussing BIOS revisions and such from the manufacturers we decided to send it back a second time. After the first few days, they proclaimed that there was again, nothing wrong with it.

Then we receive an update a week later saying they have found the issue; and after a conversation with one of their staff on the phone I found out they'd had other complaints, when I initially asked this question it was a resounding no. PC Specialist said they were in talks with the manufacturer Quanta, and this took weeks, with no response. It is as simple as editing a small line of code within the BIOS to alter the fan profile/choose which sensor is what, yet quanta didn't seem keen to resolve the issue it would appear. Hopefully PC Specialist will now be testing for these kinds of BIOS issues.

Shortly after, I noticed the Proteus V was pulled from their product line on the website. We had opted for the GTX 1070 version, and there were no alternatives with a GTX 1070 in that price bracket, we had to choose the recoil with a 1060 as a compromise, with a refund of the difference.

The build time on the Recoil did exceed the "fast tracked" option we had negotiated, when we finally got it, I noticed a 2-3mm gap below the DC jack port, this was due to a screw not correctly screwed in, leaving the chassis to flex freely. It was a simple fix, but non-the less I sent an email to PC Specialist wondering how they could miss such a fundamental step in the assembly of a laptop. The response we got was "the recoil is new in, and this is down to teething issues"... I'm sorry, but all laptops have screws... it is the same process, stick a screw driver in and turn it clockwise to secure... and make sure the chassis is together; there's also no way this screw came loose in transit either.

After the 3 months of going backwards and forwards, hours and hours of my time, and for the new laptop to turn up with that kind of a defect, it was kind of insulting. Especially considering it was no-where near "like for like". But due to the Proteus V being removed, and nothing there to replace it in that price bracket we had no choice.

In future, if I do order from PC specialist, I will be writing a check list to avoid these kinds of things happening in the future. I can't imagine they have an individual competent enough to test these products before they bring them into their product line; how can you miss such a fundamental thing such as noise and fan RPM's? Maybe their test product didn't have this issue, maybe it did, but it doesn't give me much confidence.

I genuinely tried all kinds to bypass the BIOS setting using software, and the fan curve/RPM's were completely locked.

I really hope this has been a learning experience for PC Specialist, and I'm sure it is probably an isolated incident. But for a customer to be waiting 3 long months for a laptop he NEEDED 3 months prior, is a little insulting, especially considering the sheer lack of compensation for all this time wasted.

You won't believe my inbox on my emails, there's 153 emails betweeen Rod & PC Specialist. That's right, 153!!!!!!!!! What a complete WASTE of time.
 
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Oussebon

Multiverse Poster
Due to this problems, they had taken the Proteus off the website so I had to look for another one.
Out of interest, did PCS explicitly say this is why they removed the model from sale?

The 8th Gen Intel CPUs came out and they've done a major refresh across their chassis, with older models being apparently phased out in the weeks prior from what I could see.

They might have taken the chassis down as they were EOL. If they did take them down due to an apparently over aggressive fan profile then it's fortunate timing that the industry also had new CPUs and a chassis refresh going on such that new options became available for consumers shortly after!

Edit: I think this might have been answered above - hadn't seen the OP's friend's post when I started mine :) Plus clarification that it wasn't exactly the fan profile.
 
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SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
I have to say, it all seems pretty legit to me and it’s such a shame that you’ve faced these issues.

I’m wondering if we mods could raise this to the admin team for further investigation?
 

Tony1044

Prolific Poster
I have to say on the face of things, PCS haven't covered themselves in glory on this one and I don't know the Proteus but even in a server room I can hear the fans run up on my Defiance.

Of course, with all due respect to both posters, we've only had one side of the story.
 

WhatCanIKeep?

Administrator
Staff member
Hello,

Thank you for posting here and providing this feedback, it is certainly regretful that you have had such a negative experience, not one that we would want for any customer. I want to confirm that our forums are not a formal avenue for support and we would be happy to discuss any further feedback with you directly.

The feedback and pictures you have shared here will be passed to our operations manager and technical manager. We would not want to add a product to our range that would cause problems for our customers. The lack of completion on your new order is an immediate concern and the feedback will be handed over. I am very sorry that this has been your experience.

I understand that you have been in touch with our Customer Care Supervisor as you outline above, while you had suggested several options unfortunately; some that we were unable to provide. As your outline, we did provide a discount, warranty upgrade and priority service. As this was a newly released item, from my understanding our supervisor confirmed the new order may have a longer wait until the chassis arrived. Once it arrived with us we ensured there were no delays in its production.

Oussebon is correct that the product was taken down during a period of chipset transition.

I would be happy to discuss your feedback directly,

Thank you,

Mustafa.
 

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
I would suggest that since we've now had an official response from a PCS employee it's probably best to allow PCS to handle this directly with the OP.

Beyond hoping there is a good resolution I don't think the community can help at all and I'd suggest that we wait and see whether either the OP or PCS come back with an update before commenting further.

Thanks :)
 
Oh boy have I had similar problems with PC Specialists as the OP, in fact there customer service in my numerous cases was outstandingly poor, 100% would not recommend them to anyone.
 

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Oh boy have I had similar problems with PC Specialists as the OP, in fact there customer service in my numerous cases was outstandingly poor, 100% would not recommend them to anyone.

You've come on to the forum immediately negative. If you have a problem then maybe ask for help rather than nonconstructively trolling.
 
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