ACER Monitors - my warranty hell and why you should NOT buy one

Soldato
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The TARDIS, Wakefield, UK
Some of you may have read about my posts bleating on about shoddy warranty service from Acer well its got a lot worse. This may be a long read and if you can not be bothered then basically my advice is

DO NOT BUY AN ACER MONITOR

If you want to read on grab a cuppa and a biscuit sit back and relax and either laugh or reel in horror.

16th December I bought an Acer XB280HK 4k monitor from OCUK. It was great but had some backlight bleed. Reading this was to be expected with TN panels I ignored it. This was my fatal mistake I should have returned it to OCUK. During Christmas it got worse so after I decided to send it back as it was about 10mm thick round 50% of the monitor. OCUK told me to send it back to Acer as they handle the warranty.

I contacted Acer who emailed me instructions to send it back via UPS FOC. The address was a third party repair company in Manchester that Acer must use for warranty repairs. These I found were out of date and were telling me to basically send it back using Acer's UPS account. I was on the phone for 30 minutes trying to convince them I didnt work for Acer but I was a customer. The instructions are for sending it back using the old paper method of collection which UPS have phased out. Luckily when the driver turned up he had one paper copy on him so it was fine. This was 16/1/2015.

The case tracker on Acer website just tells you when they receive the item "Under repair". You get no updates. After 5 days I did an online chat asking where my monitor was and told the screen is being replaced. Day later it came back to me. I only found this out as checking the status daily a UPS tracking ref had been added. When it came back the bleed was worse and it had a red triangle of stuck red pixels and another group smaller down. (see picture below). I had actually marked the screen with a security pen and the mark was still there. The screen had not been changed.

So I did another online chat (several times) and played merry hell asking for a brand new one instead to be told thats not their policy and eventually got another email with the out of date instructions to send it back via UPS. At least this time I knew how to answer the questions the instructions do not cater for. On 19/2/2015 they got the monitor back and it just sat there "under repair". I chased it very 2/3 days and kept getting the same thing its waiting for parts.

Two weeks later I am told the parts came but didnt fix the problem so they have ordered some more. Constant chasing and another two weeks went by told the parts should be with them anyday. Forward to 5/03/2015 and my case status had changed to closed with a UPS tracking ref. Still at this point zero comms from Acer I had to do all the chasing.

Entered the tracking ref into UPS website and it had indeed been posted. Till I noticed the shipping information said "TO TUXFORD". OMG. I live in Wakefield. So another two online chats occured today (btw if you try and ring them its impossible to get through). Wont go into detail check the spoiler below for two online chat transcriptions that will make your toes curl!

So to sum up my monitor was sent and delivered at 13:24hrs today to a company called PA Business Solutions in Tuxford. Acer can not tell me why it was sent to them. I have just emailed the PA company to see if they can tell me why they have my monitor. It looks like they deal with reconditioned equipment. Acer have said but not confirmed they think (think!) the monitor was not repairable so I am being issued with a brand new replacement. Despite them saying they do not provide new replacements. They can not tell me when I will receive a monitor of any description. They have told me to wait 2 business days for a reply.

I have spent £499 on a monitor and no one can tell me where it is. I am at my wits end to be honest. OCUK have said they will try and contact Acer for me but Bailey is off on hols till next week. Plus if I do get a new monitor there is no guarantee it wont have problems again. I am really upset and I dont know what to do. I have written to the Acer complaints address I was given but I dont expect them to call me and all I can do is keep at them.

To conclude I have seen the thread about the new Acer wonder monitor and that it has really good reviews. It just makes me sick in my stomach to think people are going to buy it just pray it doesnt go faulty!

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Soldato
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Really doesn't make for a good read. Hopefully they will sort if for you. This would be my major issue buying Acer, their Customer Services are truly atrocious. I would have expected OcUK to deal with the warranty rather than sending you to Acer, especially so soon after buying it?
 
Soldato
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It was just over two weeks when I enquired and they told me to contact Acer. Just had my third chat with Acer and they have now told me they can not send a replacment but have offered a refund. Makes me mad because they put it in such a way as though they were doing me a favour.

So hopefully I will get my money back in a week or so but I am never buying Acer again.
 
Soldato
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Just had a call from PA Business Solutions who now have my monitor. He explained what I thought they get Acer's DOA or unrepairable monitors and handle them for recycling or try and fix them. He said he thought it was awful what Acer had done and was going to speak to them internally as I shouldnt have got the tracking info showing my monitor going to their company.
 
Associate
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I think you did an amazing job to keep calm mate, I hate having to use chat for customer service issues, it takes longer to type than talk in most cases so why not let us use the damn phone???

Pretty confident in saying I would have seriously lost my **** in that chat session and not been able to post it in public...
 
Soldato
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The one a month ago I did you couldnt print. :) I dont really intend to sway peoples opinion on whether to buy Acer I've calmed down a bit now that it looks like I am getting my money back (hopefully).

If people still want to buy Acer products then thats their choice I suppose mine is but one experience although I suspect its not. Severe lack of care when dealing with customers is quite evident.
 
Associate
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14 Sep 2010
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Location
Batley, Leeds
I have to say I'm turned off getting a XB270HU now

Think i'm going to skip the XB270HU as well after hearing of this horrid service from Acer. I really do not want to spend x amount only to a receive second rate service should anything go wrong.

Sorry to hear of your misfortune varkanoid :(.
 
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Associate
Joined
14 Jun 2008
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2,363
I remember when I had a problem with a Dell 3008WFP that was still in warranty. I phoned Dell and a guy came round the next day with a replacement screen.

tl;dr
You get what you pay for.
 
Associate
Joined
24 Feb 2015
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This is enough to put me off considering the XR341CK, the same way i am put off the u3415w due to dells warranty policy on backlight bleed (15cm circle from the centre b.s.)

If i'm going to spend big money on a monitor i expect good customer service. A vendor that gives customers the run around can keep their stock as i'll look elsewhere
 
Soldato
Joined
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4,580
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Mars
I had a similar experience with Hyundai a few years ago.

OcUK had to step in then.

Really poor service and my screen came back worse than the one sent back.
 
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