Fun with Dabs!

Yes I know all about Dabs after sales reputation - but they had an Aopen
Nvidia 5700LE for about £65 My main requirement was Dual Monitor
capability - I even checked the specs on the website - however Aopen have
two versions of this card - guess what the difference is !

So back it goes - now Dabs voiceless returns system has two options
relevant to me

1. Return as unwanted within 7 days
2. Return goods "not as ordered"

I suspect option (1) would progress things with less hassle even though the
real reason is (2). I havent used the goods yet.

What do you guys/gals think? Will I get postage back for both options?

--
Lordy

lordy wrote in
:

Yes I know all about Dabs after sales reputation - but they had an
Aopen Nvidia 5700LE for about £65 My main requirement was Dual
Monitor capability - I even checked the specs on the website - however
Aopen have two versions of this card - guess what the difference is !

So back it goes - now Dabs voiceless returns system has two options
relevant to me

1. Return as unwanted within 7 days
2. Return goods "not as ordered"

I suspect option (1) would progress things with less hassle even
though the real reason is (2). I havent used the goods yet.

What do you guys/gals think? Will I get postage back for both options?



Well I went for option 2 AND also mentioned I can invoke DS Act -
They refused the RMA (After 3 hour wait!). ******s!
--
Lordy

lordy wrote in
:

Yes I know all about Dabs after sales reputation - but they had an
Aopen Nvidia 5700LE for about £65 My main requirement was Dual
Monitor capability - I even checked the specs on the website - however
Aopen have two versions of this card - guess what the difference is !

So back it goes - now Dabs voiceless returns system has two options
relevant to me

1. Return as unwanted within 7 days
2. Return goods "not as ordered"

I suspect option (1) would progress things with less hassle even
though the real reason is (2). I havent used the goods yet.

What do you guys/gals think? Will I get postage back for both options?


Dabs are ******s. I went for option 2 and they refused. They maintain
that item 382DWS has multiple monitor support when it only has one DVI
and no VGA socket. I know that they are gonna say that the SVideo output
also counts as a supported monitor so I'm now going for option 1.
Probably lost a tenner in P&P. trying to save a tenner on a Graphics
card!


--
Lordy

In article ,
lordy wrote:

lordy wrote in
:

[snip]

So back it goes - now Dabs voiceless returns system has two options
relevant to me

1. Return as unwanted within 7 days
2. Return goods "not as ordered"

[snip]

Well I went for option 2 AND also mentioned I can invoke DS Act -
They refused the RMA (After 3 hour wait!). ******s!

Did you pay by credit card? Threatening to do a chargeback has been
known to produce more favourable response from retailers. Under the
circumstances I think it's pretty clear the website was inaccurate (a TV
output is NOT a monitor output) so the credit card company would almost
certainly refund you.

Cheers,

Tim.

lordy wrote in
:

lordy wrote in
:

Yes I know all about Dabs after sales reputation - but they had an
Aopen Nvidia 5700LE for about £65 My main requirement was Dual
Monitor capability - I even checked the specs on the website -
however Aopen have two versions of this card - guess what the
difference is !

So back it goes - now Dabs voiceless returns system has two options
relevant to me

1. Return as unwanted within 7 days
2. Return goods "not as ordered"

I suspect option (1) would progress things with less hassle even
though the real reason is (2). I havent used the goods yet.

What do you guys/gals think? Will I get postage back for both
options?


Dabs are ******s. I went for option 2 and they refused. They maintain
that item 382DWS has multiple monitor support when it only has one DVI
and no VGA socket. I know that they are gonna say that the SVideo
output also counts as a supported monitor so I'm now going for option
1. Probably lost a tenner in P&P. trying to save a tenner on a
Graphics card!


This was thier response

"You have requested to return goods to dabs.com because they are 'not as
advertised'. We have looked at the extra information you have provided
and made a decision to refuse your returns request on this occasion.
This is because we are confident that the product(s) you ordered are 'as
advertised'. "

This was the item http://www.dabs.com/uk/productview?quicklinx=382D

Specification:
Multiple Monitors Support Yes
Max Monitors Supported 2

But only one DVI socket!
http://www.aopen.nl/products/vga/#nVIDIAGeForceFX5700LE

Basically if I argues the point the semantics would be over the
definition of a monitor. (eg SVHS output). Maybe the nVidia drivers
allow different modes to it etc. .... Which is why Dabs are ******s.

And one good reason for the DSR.
As soon as my refund comes through I'm deleting my Dabs account and will
not be tempted by any future "bargains" ..

--
Lordy

lordy wrote:
"You have requested to return goods to dabs.com because they are 'not as
advertised'. We have looked at the extra information you have provided
and made a decision to refuse your returns request on this occasion.
This is because we are confident that the product(s) you ordered are 'as
advertised'. "


This raises an interesting legal point, the insistence of all on-line
retailers that they will only accept goods back with an RMA. I see that
as a way, like in this case, to prevent the customer returning something
that clearly is not as-advertised.

Where do they stand with RMAs? If you were to return it (using a
signed-for delivery method) with a covering letter explaining why you
were returning it (in this case, I'd say the SoGA since it's not fit for
the purpose [of driving two monitors] and not as-advertised) what can
they do? If they send it back to you can they debit your CC against the
original order and what if you refuse to accept the delivery? I would
think that puts you in a strong position as they have both your money
and the goods.

This was the item http://www.dabs.com/uk/productview?quicklinx=382D

Specification:
Multiple Monitors Support Yes
Max Monitors Supported 2

But only one DVI socket!
http://www.aopen.nl/products/vga/#nVIDIAGeForceFX5700LE


When I read the Interfaces section in the Specification table I first
thought that it had a DVI _and_ a 15-pin D-Sub (plus an S-Video and RCA)
connectors. It was only after reading it a couple more times that the
"(with adapter [sic])" that perhaps it had a DVI but no 15-pin D-Sub.
That is vague and, I guess, open to interpretation but claiming that it
supports 2 monitors is blatantly incorrect; as Tim said, a TV output is
not a monitor output.

Basically if I argues the point the semantics would be over the
definition of a monitor. (eg SVHS output). Maybe the nVidia drivers

Try asking them which of the monitors they sell has an S-Video input :-)

Parish

allow different modes to it etc. .... Which is why Dabs are ******s.

And one good reason for the DSR.
As soon as my refund comes through I'm deleting my Dabs account and will
not be tempted by any future "bargains" ..

Parish wrote in :

Basically if I argues the point the semantics would be over the
definition of a monitor. (eg SVHS output). Maybe the nVidia drivers

Try asking them which of the monitors they sell has an S-Video input
:-)

Parish

Yeah. I bought on Switch (£100) and I've no time to enter a debate that
has 4 hour gaps between turns. I've returned it all now under the DSR.
Just noticed that PCWorld Component Center (web) have LeadTek A360 5700
for the same price as Ebuyer, I hope they have some in the
bricks'n'mortar otherwise its Ebuyer again.

Its a shame that Dabs are so prepared to screw with the brand
recognition they earned in the early days. Dabs used to be like
'Amazon'. Remember Gateway and Dan. Even now, more people I know use
Ebuyer than Dabs.

I think a lot of us had an affinity towards Dabs from the early days so
its sad that now they just see aftersales service as a liability on the
balance sheets. In order to save themselves about £5-6 p&p they have
permanently lost a customer and hopefully whomever else I tell...

Lets hope they dont feck up my refund....

--
Lordy

Tim Wright wrote in
:

[snip]

Well I went for option 2 AND also mentioned I can invoke DS Act -
They refused the RMA (After 3 hour wait!). ******s!

Did you pay by credit card? Threatening to do a chargeback has been
known to produce more favourable response from retailers. Under the
circumstances I think it's pretty clear the website was inaccurate (a TV
output is NOT a monitor output) so the credit card company would almost
certainly refund you.


I used a switch as it was under £100 but now I know for the future

I'm trying to train myself to be credit-card phobic

--
Lordy

Mike Scott wrote in
:

This was the item http://www.dabs.com/uk/productview?quicklinx=382D

Specification:
Multiple Monitors Support Yes
Max Monitors Supported 2

But only one DVI socket!
http://www.aopen.nl/products/vga/#nVIDIAGeForceFX5700LE

Reading the spec on DABS's site, the card should have a dvi-i
connector, an rgb connector and an s-video connector and a composite
video connector.

Ah ha. Read again slowly Note its the third card down on the Aopen site
and is correctly picture on the Dabs web site (not that that counts for
much). What do you see missing from the picture.... (esp compared to the
two above on the Aopen site) ?

--
Lordy

"You have requested to return goods to dabs.com because they are 'not as
advertised'. We have looked at the extra information you have provided
and made a decision to refuse your returns request on this occasion.
This is because we are confident that the product(s) you ordered are 'as
advertised'. "


This raises an interesting legal point, the insistence of all on-line
retailers that they will only accept goods back with an RMA. I see that
as a way, like in this case, to prevent the customer returning something
that clearly is not as-advertised.

Where do they stand with RMAs? If you were to return it (using a
signed-for delivery method) with a covering letter explaining why you
were returning it (in this case, I'd say the SoGA since it's not fit for
the purpose [of driving two monitors] and not as-advertised) what can
they do? If they send it back to you can they debit your CC against the
original order and what if you refuse to accept the delivery? I would
think that puts you in a strong position as they have both your money
and the goods.


You are not legally obliged to get an RMA to return goods, as you suggest
send back by insured and signed for delivery and enclose a letter stating
why you are rejecting under the SoGA and also enclose a copy of the receipt
for your return postage stating that you would like it refunded and they
'should' oblige.

On our websites we state in both 'T&Cs' and 'Returns & Shipping' pages that
an RMA is not required but is helpful to us in processing the return and
hence replacing or refunding to the customer more quickly.