PC Specialists? Worst customer service I have ever encountered

[dallen]

Without any doubt the WORST company I have ever, ever had the misfortune to deal with.

To put it bluntly "PC Specialists" couldn't care less, not a toss, for their customers once they have made sale.

A company that simply chooses to ignore a customer's requests for support and help is a company that has FAILED that customer.

The product?

An UltraNote14" purchased in late 2013 at a cost of £772.

The problem?

In the first 20 months of ownership I have had to return the laptop a total of EIGHT times for repairs! (That's an average of once every 10 weeks.)

FOUR motherboards have been replaced along with THREE cooling fans plus miscellaneous problems with the bluetooth adapter. (On one occasion they forgot to reattach the bluetooth adapter after replacing a failed motherboard)

In these 20 months of ownership I have had approximately 15 months of use. The rest of the time has been spent arranging returns, making returns, waiting for repairs and, finally, waiting for the "repaired" laptop.


But it gets worse. On three occasions I have been overseas, away from the UK for lengthy periods, when these problems occurred. Not only was I faced with expensive courier shipping bills to the UK but the support and lack of communications from PCS was atrocious. Numerous emails simply went unanswered. Trying to contact their "support" by telephone resulted in lengthy delays that ended in my just giving up because of the huge phone bills incurred.

None of the above takes into any account the fact I was without a computer for all these times, nor the sheer frustration, anxiety & exasperation I have suffered by the ill manners, carelessness & negligence of this company.

I challenge PC Specialists to refute anything I have written here in this review. Everything is very well documented on "my account" on their web site. All the emails, returns and details are documented there.

After all the hassle & time wastage, the expense & frustrations I decided to send PC Specialists a "Formal Complaint". That was emailed to them on the 6th August 2015

What did PC Specialists choose to do? Ignore it. Completely disregard it. Not even an acknowledgement. Absolutely nothing. No response whatsoever.


PC Specialists are, in my honest opinion, nothing but a "shoddy outfit", assembling cheaply sourced components under the guise of a "manufacturer of bespoke computers".

When it comes to "customer support" they totally lack any people skills whatsoever and succeed only in infuriating an already delicate customer/company relationship.

That they put "Specialist" in their trading name is seriously lamentable.

"Caveat emptor" or "let the buyer beware".
I will never ever purchase anything from PC Specialists again nor would I recommend anyone else doing so. Take your hard earned money, good people, and buy from a reputable supplier.

 

[nhornby51743]

Saw this post on Facebook as well and generally if you post on social media pages, issues get resolved quicker. It sounds like it needs sorting straight away so you'd probably be best to give them a ring if you can, although the average wait time seems to be 15 minutes.

I'm on my 3rd RMA at the moment (waiting for someone to confirm it's authorised - was told this would be done yesterday) and whilst I've been fairly accepting that issues do occur, I'm getting pretty fed up. My 2nd RMA was returned yesterday with a dirty inside panel (see pics), and a damaged pin on the motherboard. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt this final time, and if it comes back with any faults then I'll put in a formal complaint.

Regarding the issues you have been having, I think 8 times is far more than what's acceptable and you should have asked for a refund a long time ago. FYI how much you spend doesn't mean you'll get a higher level of service, I've spent £1500 in the last year and drummed up another £800 worth of business for them and they couldn't even offer me a discount on my latest purchase lol.

When you do give them a ring, ask if Darrin is about, as far as I'm aware he's still a manager, so he'll be made of the aware of the problem and will hopefully deal with it promptly.

 

[dallen]

Saw this post on Facebook as well and generally if you post on social media pages, issues get resolved quicker. It sounds like it needs sorting straight away so you'd probably be best to give them a ring if you can, although the average wait time seems to be 15 minutes.

I'm on my 3rd RMA at the moment (waiting for someone to confirm it's authorised - was told this would be done yesterday) and whilst I've been fairly accepting that issues do occur, I'm getting pretty fed up. My 2nd RMA was returned yesterday with a dirty inside panel (see pics), and a damaged pin on the motherboard. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt this final time, and if it comes back with any faults then I'll put in a formal complaint.

Regarding the issues you have been having, I think 8 times is far more than what's acceptable and you should have asked for a refund a long time ago. FYI how much you spend doesn't mean you'll get a higher level of service, I've spent £1500 in the last year and drummed up another £800 worth of business for them and they couldn't even offer me a discount on my latest purchase lol.

When you do give them a ring, ask if Darrin is about, as far as I'm aware he's still a manager, so he'll be made of the aware of the problem and will hopefully deal with it promptly.

Hi thanks for your post. I did actually speak to a Darrin a few days ago. But, regardless, they just don't give a damn. I'm in Greece at the moment, not back in the UK until October. The latest "failed motherboard" occurred only last month. I returned it to them from Greece (cost 50 euros). When it was returned back from the UK, after repair, it was supposed to go to a secure private address in Athens. However their courier services in the UK (DPD) managed to put the WRONG POSTAL code on it! Their agents in Athens (ACS) managed to compound the problem by delivering the parcel to an address, 50 miles away, where it was signed for and received!!! I Had to get a Greek/English translator involved to sort the mess out! PC Specialists, of course, couldn't give a toss.

What really exposes their contempt for customers is the fact that I sent a "Formal Complaint" on the 6th August. (There is a clearly detailed format for dong this on their web site.) They never even acknowledged it, let alone answered it. If you file a "Formal Complaint" I'd be very interested to see if they bother to respond. Good luck.

They are just the worst company you could imagine.

John Lewis next time!

 

[nhornby51743]

I thought I had it pretty bad, that's a really crappy situation to be stuck in. I hope you get things sorted soon, and that no further issues arise.

 

[keynes]

To be honest i see nothing but complaints about PCS after sales service! Again and again! This has put me off from buying from them now so i am out of here for good!

You will find negative feedback from different retailers. There are many people that are satisfied with the service that do not post or create an account in this forum.

It is really a shame what Dallen has experienced. It is exarcerbated by not being in the UK. I hope there is an amicable outcome to your situation

 

[dallen]

Thank you very much. I'll give this laptop another 3 months then it will break down again. Doubt if I can go through all the pain again, and it is painful. This fiasco with PCS was making me ill. Money can always be earned back but time is precious. Why waste it on these charlatans? Good luck with your system.

 

[dallen]

You will find negative feedback from different retailers. There are many people that are satisfied with the service that do not post or create an account in this forum.

It is really a shame what Dallen has experienced. It is exarcerbated by not being in the UK. I hope there is an amicable outcome to your situation

Thank you very much for your comments! Sorry but "amicable and PC Solutions" don't belong in the same sentence! I have been courteous, tolerant, patient and long suffering with this outfit. The laptop I have (now returned & repaired after another motherboard replacement & fan) has cost me so much lost time, you can't imagine. PCS don't care, that's my honest opinion. When a customer has a problem, that customer, in turn, becomes a nuisance to them, a problem in itself. I can honestly state here that NEVER have I had to put up with such an awful service. Good luck!

 

[dallen]

Best news I've had all day! Wish I'd spent my money elsewhere too. I've got a £772 "turkey" that will die, once again, in about three months. The ****ty components these charlatans use in their "bespoke computers" have proved, over and over, unfit for purpose! But what is the cruellest twist in this tale is that they honestly don't give a crap about after sale services. Check out https://pcspecialistsucks.wordpress.com/......I'm not a lone case! Good luck with your computer

 

[dallen]

Wont be buying one from them. Will build my own. Good luck buddy

Best news I've had all day! Wish I'd spent my money elsewhere too. I've got a £772 "turkey" that will die, once again, in about three months. The ****ty components these charlatans use in their "bespoke computers" have proved, over and over, unfit for purpose! But what is the cruellest twist in this tale is that they honestly don't give a crap about after sale services. Check out https://pcspecialistsucks.wordpress.com/......I'm not a lone case! Good luck with your computer build! Way to go I say!

 

[nhornby51743]

Keynes is correct to some extent, there are a lot of satisfied customers who don't leave comments although I have noticed (compared to this time last year) that there has been more complaints about poor after sales service. Hopefully staff keep and eye on the forums and see the amount of customers having concerns.

 

[LFFPicard]

Wow,
I don't know what to say to be honest other than Slander wont help your cause.
All components are reputable well known top line components. The boards in laptops come from a well known supplier (Clevo) who supply the chassis with the board pre fitted.
The manufacturers parts used for all laptops and desktops are some of the following:

Western Digital
Asus
Gigabyte
Samsung
AOC
Kingston

Not shoddy cheap sourced parts, this is a fact and therefore your comments become slanderous.

Yes sadly people experience problems, if you look at the forums the last few weeks have been nothing but issues, but it is not just PCS it is an industry wide issue in regards to specific components that unfortunately everyone in the last month have all wanted to order. It is also common on any company site with any form of feedback like these forums that the majority of "Review/Feedback" posts or comments will always be negative. How many times have you gone out of your way to leave a positive comment for a company? Hardly ever if at all. If it works and there are no problems then you enjoy it and forget all about the company that supplied you with said product. Yet if there is a issue, even a small one everyone is quick to complain in an attempt to gain something from it, be it simply a resolution to the problem or compensation.
Hell I am guilty of this, I have ordered a desktop and two laptops from here without a single issue with any of them from wait times to performance and service. <--- That sentence right there is the first time I have mentioned anything about my orders in a positive way. Yet, when I bought a bag of Guinness Burts crisps and they didn't taste of Guinness at all I quickly complained publicly via a tweet (https://twitter.com/lffpicard/status/597727688837746689) I got four free share bags as compensation.

Yes I know that issues are not nice, everyone will get them sooner or later, it's how you deal with them that is important. Going off on a tangent like this will not resolve the issue, to be honest I would of thought any person would of requested a refund after the 3rd RMA let alone 8. So for that I applaud you. But if as you say everything is all documented then I suggest you put in for a refund and cut your losses.

On another note, as for your formal complaint. If you asked for a reply within a certain time frame and If you have gone through the procedure on there complaints section as per there instructions. Then, I would encourage you to take it higher to trading standards or the retail ombudsman. Official complaints are to be dealt with in a timely manner, if not it only hurts the company's case if it is ever to reach court. So chase this and request a response within a certain time frame. In fact send the letter in via snail mail recorded delivery so you have proof it was sent and delivered.

All the best in getting it sorted.

 

[nhornby51743]

Woah Picard, let's take it a step back here.........you intentionally bought a packet of Guinness flavoured crisps??!! Hopefully the others in the shop didn't taste like Guinness either

 

[dallen]

Wow,
I don't know what to say to be honest other than Slander wont help your cause.
All components are reputable well known top line components. The boards in laptops come from a well known supplier (Clevo) who supply the chassis with the board pre fitted.
The manufacturers parts used for all laptops and desktops are some of the following:

Western Digital
Asus
Gigabyte
Samsung
AOC
Kingston

Not shoddy cheap sourced parts, this is a fact and therefore your comments become slanderous.

Yes sadly people experience problems, if you look at the forums the last few weeks have been nothing but issues, but it is not just PCS it is an industry wide issue in regards to specific components that unfortunately everyone in the last month have all wanted to order. It is also common on any company site with any form of feedback like these forums that the majority of "Review/Feedback" posts or comments will always be negative. How many times have you gone out of your way to leave a positive comment for a company? Hardly ever if at all. If it works and there are no problems then you enjoy it and forget all about the company that supplied you with said product. Yet if there is a issue, even a small one everyone is quick to complain in an attempt to gain something from it, be it simply a resolution to the problem or compensation.
Hell I am guilty of this, I have ordered a desktop and two laptops from here without a single issue with any of them from wait times to performance and service. <--- That sentence right there is the first time I have mentioned anything about my orders in a positive way. Yet, when I bought a bag of Guinness Burts crisps and they didn't taste of Guinness at all I quickly complained publicly via a tweet (https://twitter.com/lffpicard/status/597727688837746689) I got four free share bags as compensation.

Yes I know that issues are not nice, everyone will get them sooner or later, it's how you deal with them that is important. Going off on a tangent like this will not resolve the issue, to be honest I would of thought any person would of requested a refund after the 3rd RMA let alone 8. So for that I applaud you. But if as you say everything is all documented then I suggest you put in for a refund and cut your losses.

On another note, as for your formal complaint. If you asked for a reply within a certain time frame and If you have gone through the procedure on there complaints section as per there instructions. Then, I would encourage you to take it higher to trading standards or the retail ombudsman. Official complaints are to be dealt with in a timely manner, if not it only hurts the company's case if it is ever to reach court. So chase this and request a response within a certain time frame. In fact send the letter in via snail mail recorded delivery so you have proof it was sent and delivered.

All the best in getting it sorted.

"Going off on a tangent".....I have suffered 20 months of repeated rubbish from these charlatans and only TODAY signed in to complain on this forum. I have been more than tolerant. Slanderous? Seriously? If my laptop had serviceable components I would not be writing this post today. How do you know what components they use? I have had a gut full of this rubbish company, I'm annoyed and will expose them Nationwide for what they are.......if anything, so it helps others. AVOID THIS COMPANY.

 

[SlimCini]

It just sounds like tit for tat revenge punishment now rather than actual genuine negative feedback.

And yes... Saying their components are cheap is not true, however many times they may have unfortunately not worked.

 

[Mattie]

sooooooooooooo. the motherboard broke FOUR times? wtf?

Are you smoking cubans and exhaling directly into your intakes?

Hope that I check back on this thread in a few days and see PCS have done u right.

 

[LFFPicard]

"Going off on a tangent".....I have suffered 20 months of repeated rubbish from these charlatans and only TODAY signed in to complain on this forum. I have been more than tolerant. Slanderous? Seriously? If my laptop had serviceable components I would not be writing this post today. How do you know what components they use? I have had a gut full of this rubbish company, I'm annoyed and will expose them Nationwide for what they are.......if anything, so it helps others. AVOID THIS COMPANY.

Then unfortunately I would have to respond and say you should of asked for a refund 5 RMA's / 15 months ago. Sadly, even in the court of law, seeking such 20 months down the line will be a stretch. And yes I was completely serious in saying your comments are slanderous, your comments are the exact definition of the word Slander so I feel it is the most appropriate word to use for my response. If you would of liked me to be less serious about it then maybe you should of been less aggressive in your original post.

Your post also completely backs up what everyone says about negative comments, I gave you solid unbiased legal advice on how to deal with your official complaint to get a resolution and who to take it too if you wish to complain about PCS themselves. But, instead of posting something positive in response thanking me for my advice you chose to only respond negatively. Exactly why there are more negative reviews/comments on these forums than positive.

As for knowing what components they use, well, I did previously state I have ordered and received a Desktop and two Laptops from PCS all in perfect working order, I have serviced them myself to keep them clean and upgraded my Desktop GPU as it is a bit dated now so I know exactly what components they use. That and the fact I very much doubt it will benefit PCS if they falsely advertise components. (For clarification, some components do not specify the make in the configurator, others do like Kingston Ram or Samsung SSD, Asus Motherboard etc).

Now, being as you have said you only signed up today to make a complaint on the forums, and as I neglected to point out in my first reply. The forums are not an official channel of support and PCS staff do not frequent the forums so may miss the post. If you would like to make an official complaint I suggest you follow my original advice and send in a recorded delivery letter via post and request a response in a timely manner (Usually 7 days is acceptable in the court of law). This can be followed up with a phone call to their customer service team after 2 days of receipt (You can check it was signed for on Royal Mails website @ https://www.royalmail.com/track-your-item ) to ensure it has been received and being looked at. If a response is not received (I would request it in writing via post as well as an email response) then you can take it to the Ombudsman or Trading Standards. But without going through the official channels I am afraid it will only take longer to resolve.

Again I am sorry you have had such issues, and I admire you for putting up with it for so long and I do hope you get this sorted.

Regards

 

[ubuysa]

From what you say you have had some pretty shoddy service and I'm not at all surprised that you're angry. I am surprised though that you put up with 8 RMAs though, I'd have been asking serious questions about the state of the laptop long before then.

I think Greece is a red herring however. I'm in Greece too and when we relocate ourselves out of the UK the risks and expense of calling and/or sending laptops back and forth is all ours. It's not PCS's fault that we're in Greece, and it's not PCS's fault that ACS (a Greek courier company) are about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

Getting stroppy doesn't help your cause though and posting on social media is risky too. I understand that everything you have said is well documented which is ok, but the laws of libel and defamation mean you have to be spot on when you publish material like that. In any case, "you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar". People tend to react to you the way you react to them, if I were PCS I'd not be encouraged to help you if you emailed me in the tone in which you have written here.

But none of that alters the fact that you seem to have been very badly served and PCS need to acknowledge that, in this case at least, they've fallen down badly. No company gets everything right all the time though, my experience of dealing with PCS, both in the pre and post sales situation has been exemplary. I had a wifi card issue with my Optimus IV and PCS could not have been more helpful. So bad though your case is, this is not the norm.

 

[dallen]

Thanks for the posts everyone. I appreciate all the comments. It does seem however that a point has been missed. I didn't join the forum yesterday to get any help from PCS nor open or pursue a case with them. That opportunity was lost a long time ago. I''ve had over a year and a half trying directly with them, to get support. I posted here only to vent my frustration at their disgraceful customer service and, in my case, the poor quality of a product they sold me. I know it's not PCS's problem that ACS (Greek courier) lost a delivery. However when I contacted PCS about this they do nothing. Remember I'm in Greece. PCS were in a much better position to pursue the lost laptop than me. They used DPD couriers who put the wrong postal code on the return. C'mon! Even a "very sorry to hear about this, we'll look into this matter and get back to you as soon as possible" would suffice, but no, sadly PCS lack the ability to string such words together. LFFPicard you suggest I complain to PCS. I did. I sent a Formal Complaint for the first time, (I'm a patient and tolerant guy!), on 6th August 2015. They state on their website that the response time is 7 days. Four weeks later I still have no answer to that "Formal Complaint".

If PCS was a reputable, customer caring company they would have offered a refund after, say, the third motherboard replacement? Or even offered to replace the product completely. What I have is a poor quality item (is that slanderous to say that??!!!), it fails on a regular basis, it is so unreliable I refuse to travel with it again. Hence I will be obliged to buy a replacement laptop from a reputable dealer on my return to the UK. And this current laptop? A waste of £772, numerous lengthy phone calls, courier costs (to me) shipping the laptop back to the UK, but most pertinent, the waste of precious time. That is irreplaceable.

Good luck to you all.

 

[LFFPicard]

Dallen,

I am well aware of your reasons for posting here and I am sorry if they now seem lost, I was simply responding in kind to your posts. I am also aware you mentioned you already put a complaint in. But I specifically mentioned to try again with a recorded delivery service to ensure you have evidence and proof that it was sent and received and not replied to. This is what Trading Standards and the Ombudsman would expect before taking up a claim or complaint so I am simply trying to help you cover all bases.

But as ubuysa said, I am also surprised no refund or replacement or anything was discussed after the first few RMA's, And I know just how frustrating it can be, I had the same with a no bankrupt company who I should be able to mention now. Vadim. I bought a £3000 Desktop from them, I had issues from day one and 14 months later still had issues after 2 RMA's a number of clean installs etc etc. I put in a formal complaint and was simply asked what I wanted changed on the next RMA's I specified I wanted a new CPU, Motherboard and PSU as all these related to the issues I was having. But upon returning the Desktop and waiting almost two weeks for an update on the repair it was sent back to me with no communication untouched. At this point I went onto their forums to complain to see a big announcement that they are going into liquidation and all current orders had been canceled with no refunds. I did not come worse off but I did get left with a broken machine (I fixed it in the end myself, but not the point)

I completely understand where your coming from and how you feel so I would advise trying a new official complaint with recorded delivery.

Hope all goes well.

 

[dallen]

Dallen,

I am well aware of your reasons for posting here and I am sorry if they now seem lost, I was simply responding in kind to your posts. I am also aware you mentioned you already put a complaint in. But I specifically mentioned to try again with a recorded delivery service to ensure you have evidence and proof that it was sent and received and not replied to. This is what Trading Standards and the Ombudsman would expect before taking up a claim or complaint so I am simply trying to help you cover all bases.

But as ubuysa said, I am also surprised no refund or replacement or anything was discussed after the first few RMA's, And I know just how frustrating it can be, I had the same with a no bankrupt company who I should be able to mention now. Vadim. I bought a £3000 Desktop from them, I had issues from day one and 14 months later still had issues after 2 RMA's a number of clean installs etc etc. I put in a formal complaint and was simply asked what I wanted changed on the next RMA's I specified I wanted a new CPU, Motherboard and PSU as all these related to the issues I was having. But upon returning the Desktop and waiting almost two weeks for an update on the repair it was sent back to me with no communication untouched. At this point I went onto their forums to complain to see a big announcement that they are going into liquidation and all current orders had been canceled with no refunds. I did not come worse off but I did get left with a broken machine (I fixed it in the end myself, but not the point)

I completely understand where your coming from and how you feel so I would advise trying a new official complaint with recorded delivery.

Hope all goes well.

Thanks very much for taking the time to reply. I will pursue that avenue you suggested (Formal Complaint by recorded mail) and post the outcome on this forum. Best regards.