customer service

[erhboy]

Hi all


I have to say the level of customer service from PC specialist has been at best poor. Its day 9 of my order and with the problems I’ve had and after reading these posts I’m in two minds weather to cancel the order and the finance if it’s this bad before I get it what will it be like once I get it home and something go`s wrong with it

 

[SpyderTracks]

What problems have you had and what have you done to get them rectified?

Can you post the full specs of the build you ordered?

 

[Oussebon]

There was the credit note thing:

Hi all not sure if this is the right place to post this so I apologise if it isn’t .iv just ordered a new PC a few days ago on finance it’s all been agreed and approved, but two days into the order I decided to change my PSU to the next one down saving myself £60 it says credit note but what does that mean will my finance agreement be adjusted? Or does it mean I get store credit or what?

https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?53859-credit-note&p=388835#post388835

If I read that thread correctly, there wasn't a problem exactly at that time, it was more that the OP was concerned that there might be a problem or at least a delay in getting the credit from PC Specialist. It was suggested that a slight delay might be expected due to the banks often taking at least some days to process things (plus Monday was a bank holiday)

PC Specialist get 9.4 out of 10 on Trustpilot, with 95.5% of the 15000+ reviews being 4 or 5 stars out of five. https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/pcspecialist.co.uk Having had a quick scan of the most recent 2.8% 3* reviews, it seems that in most cases people were still able to get satisfaction. e.g. the complaint was that the PC took a while to build due to stock shortages, or that a mousemat that was ordered had to be shipped separately, etc. You could compare that to Trustpilot feedback received by other major PC retailers for context.

Obviously people come to the forums to ask questions if they have a problem. It's not always a hardware or a build problem. For instance people often complain that their new PC doesn't connect to wifi and it turns out that it's because they haven't attached the antenna to the wifi card yet. PCS don't ship the PC with the antenna attached to avoid them getting damaged in transit. So not all problems discussed on the forums are a case of PCS getting it wrong or bad hardware.

Certainly people do have very valid complaints on occasion. I've seen them make mistakes, and I've had hardware faults (not PCS's fault, just luck of the draw). But in my experience PCS always been very committed to finding a satisfactory outcome and haven't quibbled over any RMA I've requested. They've probably gone above and beyond what they were obliged to do e.g. a PSU I had gave really bad coil whine and they replaced it - even though it didn't affect performance or stability, it was just an aural thing.

In short, when something has gone wrong they've always been quite open and receptive about getting things fixed.

 

[erhboy]

Case CORSAIR GRAPHITE SERIES™ 780T FULL TOWER CASE

Processor (CPU) Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-7700k (4.2GHz) 8MB Cache

Motherboard ASUS® ROG STRIX Z270E GAMING: LG1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GB, Wi-Fi - RGB Ready!

Memory (RAM) 32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (4 x 8GB)

Graphics Card 8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1080 - DVI, HDMI, 3x DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!

1st Hard Disk 500GB SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 16MB CACHE

DVD/BLU-RAY Drive 24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM

Power Supply CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET

Change to: CORSAIR 750W CS SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET

Power Cable 1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)

Processor Cooling Corsair H100i V2 Hydro Cooler w/ PCS Liquid Series Ultra Quiet Fans

Thermal Paste STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING

LED Lighting 50cm RGB LED Strip

Sound Card ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)

Wireless/Wired Networking 10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)

USB Options 2 PORT (1 x TYPE A, 1 x TYPE C) USB 3.1 PCI-E CARD + STANDARD USB PORTS

Hi hope I’ve done it right and you can see it? .about two days into my order I decided to change the PSU from a 1000W to a 650W saving £60 .I messaged them because I wanted to know what happens next with the credit note .when I rang the first person wasn’t sure and the next one side they would put it back in my bank. I did all the chasing because they were so slow at getting back to me .after that I messaged them wanting to know what make and model GTX 1080 was being fitted the email said it would be a Zotac so I looked it up and checked the specs and reviews and they looked ok but they didn’t say which model it was, so I rang them again asking for the model to be told it wouldn’t be the Zotac it was now a Palit .I looked it up and preferred the Zotac .I also noticed the Palit was a little bit cheaper .when I spoke to them and asked would I be getting a credit not they tried fobbing
I off this went on for two days they wouldn’t tell me the model of the Zotac so I could compare the price. Not sure if I can trust them anymore

 

[keynes]

If you are looking for a cheaper gtx 1080 you should consider buying it separately. I assume they can't be certain on the model because it depends on stock when your build is ready. The ram seems excessive and I would have recommended an ssd as the main drive.

 

[Oussebon]

I looked it up and preferred the Zotac

I also noticed the Palit was a little bit cheaper

I off this went on for two days they wouldn’t tell me the model of the Zotac so I could compare the price

If you look at the configurator it says:



"PALIT or ZOTAC branded". PCS will use whatever they happen to have in stock at the time of building. So it may well be that the person who said Zotac was correct, but when you phoned a few days later they had switched to Palit.

There are also a lot of different GTX 1080 models from Palit and Zotac. These include the Founder's edition, which looks exactly the same whether it's Palit or Zotac:


There's the Zotac OEM (which some people have definitely had in the past: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/foru...-ZOTAC-GeForce%AE-GTX-1080-(GP104)-(OEM)-Card )



The Zotac AMP:


There's the Palit Gamerock:

 

[Oussebon]

The Palit Dual:


And the Palit Jetstream:

And many variations, such as the Dual OC, the Super Jetstream, the Gamerock Premium, etc (which I believe look the same but have different clockspeeds).

I'd take any of the Palit ones over the Zotac OEM, personally.

I'm pretty sure I saw someone post photos of their PC recently with a Jetstream in it.

But as above, you're paying PC Specialist for a GTX 1080 - not for a specific brand or model. Just like you're buying an HDD, but it could be Toshiba, or Seagate or something else. Or how you buy a DVD drive, which could be Samsung, LG, Asus, or whatever else.

so I could compare the price

It's worth bearing in mind that you're paying someone to build a computer for you. Even with trade prices that they may be able to purchase parts for, it's still going to end up being potentially a little bit more expensive than the cost of the part on the consumer market. Since you are paying not only for the component, but for them to install it, set up the drivers, and test it, in the context of the rest of the system.

If you want a specific model of GTX 1080 then your best option is to buy the PC without the GPU and install it yourself.

Although with the GTX 1000 series, they generally all seem to hit a wall at about the same point anyway:



It's certainly a shame that there isn't more choice of GPUs, but for most intents and purposes a GTX 1080 is a GTX 1080. Perhaps much more so than with the GTX 900 series.

 

[erhboy]

yeah it was the Zotac AMP which i liked and they are fitting the Palit jetsteam which i didn`t really like as for the HDD iv got a 500GB 850 evo SSD and a 120GB SSD in my old unite that died on me the evo is only 3 months old. i dont like the one they are fitting if i could i`d fit a EVGA FTW

 

[keynes]

yeah it was the Zotac AMP which i liked and they are fitting the Palit jetsteam which i didn`t really like as for the HDD iv got a 500GB 850 evo SSD and a 120GB SSD in my old unite that died on me the evo is only 3 months old. i dont like the one they are fitting if i could i`d fit a EVGA FTW

Performance is going to be quite similar. They also offer the Asus strix and the EVGA FTW but for a higher price.

 

[mantadog]

Regarding the credit note, I suspect your finance agreement will get adjusted and perhaps a small credit back to your account to cover the amount already paid for the PSU in your deposit, however I don't know this for sure.

If I'm honest the other issues with components don't seem like a huge deal to me, you are buying a model of GPU when buying from pcs not a specific card. Yes you can save a couple of quid and get a few extra points of performance if you buy yourself but you don't get it fitted and tested like you do with a built PC.

I understand you want your machine to be perfect, hopefully it will all get forgotten about once you get up and gaming.

 

[erhboy]

no it turns out they dont put it back in your bank they inform the finance company of the change and they adjust it at their end ! no one seemed to know so in the end i rang the finance company myself.it was just one thing after another ! i emailed one of them yesterday saying i would cancel my order ! if your paying nearly 2k and their not fitting what you want what can you do

 

[keynes]

no it turns out they dont put it back in your bank they inform the finance company of the change and they adjust it at their end ! no one seemed to know so in the end i rang the finance company myself.it was just one thing after another ! i emailed one of them yesterday saying i would cancel my order ! if your paying nearly 2k and their not fitting what you want what can you do

I sympathise with the lack of choice in some cases but the finance bit it is more to do with the finance provider and yourself as the agreement was with them. You have the right to cancel your order if you are not happy regardless of the amount of money you spent. If that's the case you should also ring them to confirm that. I like the fact you can alter and amend your order while processing but it would be a hassle if you order via a finance agreement as you have experienced.

 

[ubuysa]

I completely understand that you want your new PC to be exactly what you want and at the lowest price, we all do that's why we buy from PCS. However you're complaining about poor customer service and I don't believe you have received anything close to poor customer service, so lets look at some facts:

1. You entered into a contract with PCS when you placed your original order, you agreed to buy a particular spec at the stated price and PCS agreed to supply that.

2. Subsequently you changed your mind, you decided that you wanted a different PSU which was £60 cheaper. PCS apparently agreed to this and indicated that they would refund the £60. It seems that no thought was given on your part to the additional costs that PCS might have to bear because of the extra work needed to make this change, costs which they have not sought to pass on to you.

3. Subsequent to that you began to quibble over the actual brand of graphics card that might be fitted when, as Oussebon has pointed out, the configurator makes it clear that the card may be a Palit or Zotac and gives no other details about which specific card you might get, this is probably why the person you have been speaking to wasn't able to give you a definite answer. As Oussebon has also pointed out the configurator allows you to select no graphics card so that you can source exactly the card you want elsewhere.

You have accused PCS of 'fobbing [you off]' because you think that they might fit a slightly cheaper brand of card than the one you'd prefer. 'Fobbing off' implies deception or trickery and yet, as mentioned, the configurator makes it clear that you might get either a Plait or a Zotac card and gives no other details beyond that. You accepted that condition when you placed the order, hence there can be no deception nor trickery regardless of which GTX 1080 PCS actually fit.

Where is the 'poor customer service'?

PCS have allowed you to modify your order and agreed to refund the £60 for the PSU change. This is good customer service.

PCS have not been able to confirm to you exactly what brand (or model) of GTX 1080 they will fit in your build. Is that 'poor customer service'? I don't believe it is because you're asking for a service that PCS do not provide (viz. they don't specify at the time of ordering exactly what brand nor model of card you might get - and you accepted that condition). This is exactly the level of service you agreed to.

Please understand that I fully sympathise with your desire to get the best PC you can for your money and I completely support your wish to do that, but the situation you now find yourself in is not the result of 'poor customer service' on the part of PCS. It's the result of you a) changing your mind after ordering, and b) expecting a service that PCS do not provide.

That said, PCS really do try to satisfy all their customer needs so if you ask politely whether PCS would be kind enough to please fit the specific brand and model card you'd really like, whilst appreciating that they are under no obligation to do so, you may well find that you get what you want.

 

[Oussebon]

if your paying nearly 2k and their not fitting what you want what can you do

In all candour, and as discussed above, they only sell GPUs as the basic model e.g. GTX 1080, rather than specific ones like GTX 1080 AMP!

It's a shame that they initially thought they were going to use a Zotac AMP! which you really like and then it turns out that their supply has changed to Palit Jetstreams which you apparently really don't like. But it could have just as easily been the other way around, or Palit all along.

They do offer an EVGA FTW and Asus Strix versions, but these are frankly horrendous value for money. One could criticise them for not offering more choice, certainly, but that's a business decision rather than poor service in itself. Perhaps they should have been clearer that they were using AMP!s currently but that there was a possibility that would change.

There are over 130 GTX 1080 models alone. And that's not including the 11gbps memory ones that are about to come out. And over 140 GTX 1070 models. So I can kind of understand why their selection is relatively limited.

As an aside, the Palit Jetstream (1702 MHz base / 1847 boost) is actually faster than the Zotac AMP! (1683 base / 1822 boost) and so should technically perform better in games.

 

[erhboy]

What cost do you think they would have to bear? It was only two days into my order I doubt they even took the PSU out of the box and it’s not as if they wouldn’t use again because I changed my mind .and the poor customer service is for when you’re told someone will call you later that day and no one does! And the poor customer service is for when you have to do the chasing round and the poor customer service is for when asking a question about my order no one knowing the right answer and all three answers being different as well as wrong! And the poor customer service is for when told they don’t know because it’s not their department and unwilling to find the right person to ask. At no point have they rang me to resolve my concerns about the GPU I’m not being an arse in the hope they’ll fit a maxed out GPU for free. I’m making sure I get the PC I’m happy with seeing as its going to cost me over 2.3k. And yes I did feel like I was being fobbed off by one of the PCS staff I spoke with.

 

[keynes]

What cost do you think they would have to bear? It was only two days into my order I doubt they even took the PSU out of the box and it’s not as if they wouldn’t use again because I changed my mind .and the poor customer service is for when you’re told someone will call you later that day and no one does! And the poor customer service is for when you have to do the chasing round and the poor customer service is for when asking a question about my order no one knowing the right answer and all three answers being different as well as wrong! And the poor customer service is for when told they don’t know because it’s not their department and unwilling to find the right person to ask. At no point have they rang me to resolve my concerns about the GPU I’m not being an arse in the hope they’ll fit a maxed out GPU for free. I’m making sure I get the PC I’m happy with seeing as its going to cost me over 2.3k. And yes I did feel like I was being fobbed off by one of the PCS staff I spoke with.

then you should use the official channels to raise a complaint. Surprised they did not get the issue sorted over the phone. I called PCS like 4 times in the last week regarding my order and in every occasion my queries were answered. If you are not happy with what you are getting as mentioned before you have the right to cancel the order. Regardless of your decision perhaps is best to try to do further research before placing an order to make sure you get what you want.

 

[SpyderTracks]

I don't get it personally I have to say. Everyone knows when ordering a custom PC build, you're limited by the builders choice of components. You get choice over the speeds and resolutions etc, but the actual models are set by the builder.

Anyone not satisfied with this selection would build their own PC sourcing the parts themselves, or at least purchase things like the graphics card and case themselves and send it to PCS for building. You can't expect a custom PC builder to bend to your every want, I don't believe that's an acceptable expectation and unfair on PCS. As they state in the configurator, the parts are subject to change depending on stocks so the buyer is aware of this before the build.

The poor communication is another matter entirely and one that PCS have been pulled up on before, they're not perfect and they do let people down occasionally.

It does seem though that your expectations of this purchase are overly high, I have to be frank there.

 

[Oussebon]

I’m making sure I get the PC I’m happy with seeing as its going to cost me over 2.3k.

What are you going to use the PC for, by the way? Gaming? Anything else? Something else entirely?

 

[erhboy]

the funny thing is i like my build and i was happy with the Zotac and i really dont want to cancel it but if they wont talk to me then !!

 

[erhboy]

as i said i was happy with my build until they changed the GPU and i dont want to cancel it and the fact i`m ordering a PC from PCS would suggest my knowledge of PC`s
is every limited .if i could build my own i wouldnt be here .