Another Xotic PC Thread

I will start this out by saying this- I am not saying Xotic PC is a scam company, but here is my experience with them. I sent Xotic PC a check so I could get the cash discount. After canceling the order due to the time it was taking to get a computer, I asked for a refund. Xotic PC stated I had no credit with them, so I sent them a photo copy of the check which my bank sent to me. It had Xotic PC deposit info on the back. Even after receiving the photo copied deposited check, their finance could not find the deposit. You can decide for yourself if you want to deal with a company whose conduct is so underhanded and unprofessional. You can see this has been going on for over 3 months, and still is not settled.



I am a disabled veteran who has started a small business. I needed a travel computer but I have to be frugal because money is tight. This is where I am in my dealings with Xotic PC.



June 12- order was placed.


June 14- check was sent



June 19- from Xotic PC

Dear Brian

Thank you for shopping at Xotic PC.

Your order status has been set to: Order Pending Payment (Check, Money Order, Credit Card , PayPal or Wire)

Below are your order details. Please keep a copy for your records.

Order Summary:

Sales Order Number: 120353

Sales Order Date: Friday 19th of June 2015 01:42:10 PM

Additional Notes Placed On Your Order:

Good Day,

The accounting department has received your check!

However, per our check policy, we require a photo copy of the checkholder's government issued ID (preferably driver's license). Your cash payment will be processed upon receipt of your ID.

At your earliest convenience, please forward the required image of your government issued ID to [email protected] along with your order number.

We are only able to ship to the Check holder's name unless another name has been added as an authorized shipping name with the check issuer. We will ship to the following:



25 June

My check was deposited by Xotic PC and cleared my bank on the 26th. I received the following expecting the computer to ship very soon. After all, they now have cash.

Dear Brian

Thank you for shopping at Xotic PC.

Your order status has been set to : Phase 1 (Payment Processed & Inventory Gathering)

Below are your order details. Please keep a copy for your records.

Order Summary:

Sales Order Number: 120353

Sales Order Date: Thursday 25th of June 2015 05:05:16 PM



01 July (note the below is the same as the above except for a week later)

Dear Brian

Thank you for shopping at Xotic PC.

Your order status has been set to : Phase 1 (Payment Processed & Inventory Gathering)

Below are your order details. Please keep a copy for your records.

Order Summary:

Sales Order Number: 120353

Sales Order Date: Wednesday 1st of July 2015 08:38:52 AM



On 01 July, I asked if they could price match NewEgg since their website states they will price

Match. Below is Xotic PC response.



Hello Brian,

Unfortunately we are unable to price match NewEgg as they do not offer the same services we offer such as customization of the machines.



On 02 July, I asked to remove the upgrade so I could get a stock machine sent quicker. Xotic PC reply below.



On 02 July, 2015 11:57, Trisha R | XOTIC PC wrote:

I have forwarded your email to your order analyst they will be able to answer this question for you.

Please allow 24-48 hours for a reply, and let me know if there is anything that I can help with!



On Tue, Jul 7, 2015 at 9:11 AM, I wrote:

Good morning Megan,

Have you been able to get the new price without the 500G MSata upgrade?

Thanks.

Brian



07 July I received the following from Xotic PC.

Looks like Rachel did that change on 02 July



08 July

Dear Brian

Thank you for shopping at Xotic PC.

Your order status has been set to : Phase 1 (Payment Processed & Inventory Gathering)

Below are your order details. Please keep a copy for your records.

Order Summary:

Sales Order Number: 120353

Sales Order Date: Wednesday 8th of July 2015 08:25:32 AM



08 July. This was taking way too long. I wanted the money back so I could buy from another company. I canceled the order.

Dear Brian

Thank you for shopping at Xotic PC.

Your order status has been set to : ORDER CANCELED

Below are your order details. Please keep a copy for your records.

Order Summary:

Sales Order Number: 120353

Sales Order Date: Wednesday 8th of July 2015 12:06:09 PM

Additional Notes Placed On Your Order:

Hello,

We are sorry you had to cancel your order. Refunds are processed within 3-5 business days. We hope you will consider Xotic PC for your future purchases.



The email stated refunds are processed in 3-5 days, so I just waited to get the check so I could purchase from another company.


On 22 July, I opened a chat on the Xotic PC website. Below is what was received even though the email above states 3-5 days and we are at 14 days now.


Chat Content: 22 July

Trisha R.: Hello, How are you today Brian?

Brian: Can you tell me if a refund check has been processed for order #120353?

And how much it was for?

The order was cancelled on 8 July.

Trisha R.: One moment let me pull it up

Brian: ok, thanks.

Trisha R.: So you do want to cancel, it looks like they were waiting on a reply to the email sent on the 20th

Brian: I received an email from Xotic that it was cancelled on the 8th. I would still order it if I could get the computer with no upgrades, and still have free shipping and my military discount apply. That is on the cash price.

Trisha R.: One moment here

Brian: ok. I can send an email or reorder if that makes the process easier.

Trisha R.: Unfortunately you didn't send in a cash form of payment, if you sent a cash form of payment such as check, money order, wire transfer, cash then we could apply the cash discount and it could be combined with one of the other discounts so either the free shipping or the Military. but you can't combine all three. The cash discount would go down to a 2% discount if combined with another discount

Brian: I sent a check and you cashed it. I can send the bank statement if needed.

Trisha R.: Okay it looks like you did send in a check and you requested a secured payment that's why it showed the CC on file

Brian: Yes.

You have $1588.58.

Trisha R.: Okay so the cash discount would be applied and we could combine it with either the military discount or the shipping not both

Brian: What is the military discount? Is it more than $28?

Trisha R.: The Military discount is between $30-$55 depending on the price of the PC. In checkout make sure to put "military" in the comments and we will notify you of the price on the particular machine you select.

Brian: So I should reorder? How will I let you know you have money there to pay?

Never mind. Can I get a refund check cut and sent to me. I will try this when I get back from this trip.

Trisha R.: Okay that is fine I will let them know to refund the amount to you

Brian: Thanks. I get back home in a few weeks. I will contact then. Thank you for your time and help!



I called on 07 August and they still had not refunded the check. I needed a travel computer so I tried another order, being told a stock with no upgrades would be shipped in 1-3 days. New order follows.



11 Aug

Thank you for shopping at Xotic PC.

Your order has been sent to order processing. Below is your order confirmation. Please keep a copy for your records.

Order Summary:

Sales Order Number: 123894

Sales Order Date: Tuesday 11th of August 2015 06:41:21 PM

Your order status has been set to : Phase 0 (Order Received & Processing)

Below are your order details. Please keep a copy for your records.

Order Summary:

Sales Order Number: 123894

Sales Order Date: Wednesday 12th of August 2015 08:24:11 AM



Chat Content: 12 August

Trisha R.: Hello, How are you today Brian?

Brian: Any questions on order 123894? What is the total cost?

Trisha R.: Good afternoon

Brian: How are you today?

Trisha R.: Doing good, It looks like you just placed the order on the 11th and it typically takes about 24-48 hours to get all that information to you with any discounts added

Brian: Ok. The order last week was for 2 computers and I only wanted 1.

Trisha R.: I only show one on this order

Brian: Yes, that is all I wanted.

Trisha R.: Alright yes that is the order that is currently going to get processed

Brian: ok. Let me know if there are any questions. Have a good day.



Chat Content: 13 Aug

Trisha R.: Hello, How are you today Brian?

Brian: Do you know how long it will take to ship 123894? There are no mods to the basic model for sale.

Trisha R.: Good morning

Hope you are doing well

Brian: Hello again.

Trisha R.: Usually if it is stock it is 3-5 business days

Brian: Any way to check stock?

Trisha R.: Just checked we have 13 of them so once your order goes into Phase 1 it should be around 3-5 days for you to receive tracking info

Brian: ok.

Sounds good.

Trisha R.: Was there anything else i can do for you?

Brian: No, that is it.

Thank you.



On 14 Aug, Megan M | XOTIC PC wrote:

Congratulations on your new XOTIC PC system! The status of your order has been updated!

For STOCK machines, it may take up to an estimated 1-4 business days from when Inventory Allocation is made for your order before your system ships.



On Fri, Aug 14, 2015 at 11:09 AM, Brian wrote:

Good morning Megan,

45 minutes ago, I put in an order cancellation. It seemed to be taking a long time. I was told I would get an adjusted price within 24 to 48 hours. I have not received that yet even though it was ordered on the 11th. I was told if that price was good, it would take 3 to 5 days before it shipped. With shipping time and weekends, it could have been 2 weeks before receiving this computer.



I am writing to find out how much it came to with the cash discount and free shipping. Xotic PC has $1588.58 of mine, so the price of this computer is below that, but I would like to know how much it is.



If we agree on the price, I would like to pull the cancel request.



Thank you for your help.

Brian



On 14 Aug 11:12, Megan M | XOTIC PC wrote:

Your total for order #123894 came to $1371.02 so you are due a refund of $217.56



On 14 Aug 11:17, Brian wrote:

Megan,

Can you pull my cancellation request and have the computer shipped as soon as it is ready. It is a stock machine with no upgrades or changes.

Thank you for your assist.

Brian



Chat Content: 17 Aug

Trisha R.: Hello, How are you today Brian?

Brian: How is order 123894 going?

Trisha R.: It looks like you are in Phase 1 currently which is the Inventory gathering Phase it typically takes about 3-8 business days to go through this phase

Brian: WOW. Can I cancel this order? I can order from Newegg and have it Friday.

Trisha R: I am sorry about the inconvenience. You can cancel at http://www.xoticpc.com/cancel_order_request_form.php

Just fill out this form

Brian: Ok, thanks.

Have a great day.



On 17 Aug 20:27, Brian wrote:

Good morning Megan,

I was told today it could take 3 to 8 business days to move out of phase 1. That is not acceptable since below it states 1 to 4 days to ship.

Please cancel this order and return the money.

Thank you.

Brian



18 August the order was cancelled and I knew I would not order from Xotic PC. I was truly believing Xotic PC is a scam company due to their actions. No company can be this inept at taking an order, tracking payment, and shipping orders.


Below is what I received from Xotic PC on 18 August.



Thank you for shopping at Xotic PC.

Your order status has been set to : ORDER CANCELED

Below are your order details. Please keep a copy for your records.

Order Summary:

Sales Order Number: 123894

Sales Order Date: Tuesday 18th of August 2015 03:36:19 PM

Additional Notes Placed On Your Order:

Hello Brian,

I am so sorry to hear you are having to cancel your order. I have processed a cancellation for your order. If you are owed a refund please allow 3-5 business days.

We hope to see you in the near future.



On 18 Aug

Good afternoon Xotic PC,

Can anyone tell me if this order was cancelled? How long will it take to refund the money?

Brian



And Xotic PC response.

Hello Brian,

I do not see any available credit or and checks made out to you.

Please give us a call at 402-466-XXXX.

Thank you,

Rachel



27 Aug- Sent email with no response, except for the automated response from the sales department.



30 Aug- Sent email with no response, except for the automated response from the sales department.



31 Aug- Sent email. Xotic responded with below;

Hi Brian,

Thank you for reaching out to me, I am working directly with my accounting department and they are helping me with the credit.

I will keep you updated, if I am not able to get to a resolution with it today, I will get you more info by the end of day Tuesday.

Thank you,

Rachel



01 Sept

Thank you for shopping at Xotic PC.

Your order status has been set to : ORDER CANCELED

Below are your order details. Please keep a copy for your records.

Order Summary:

Sales Order Number: 123894

Sales Order Date: Tuesday 1st of September 2015 04:20:00 PM

Additional Notes Placed On Your Order:

Hello Brian,

I just wanted to let you know I have not forgotten about you. I am still working with the accounting department about your refund, thank you for your patience.

Rachel

Xoticpc



10 Sept- Email sent with the following response;

Hello Brian,

I am still working with my accounting department on this.

Thank you for your patience.

Rachel



10 Sept- I called wanting to speak to a manager. I spoke to the Sales Manager and his reply is below.

Hello,

I have followed up with our accounting department and ensured it was processing.

The person in charge of cutting physical checks is off today, she will be here tomorrow and I will make sure it gets cut. Please let me know if there is anything that I can do in the meantime.



11 Sept

I called and emailed Xotic PC. I left messages for Alex. Called again 5 minutes before closing (1725), and there was no answer, so I left a message. Alex called me back moments later. He explained the person who writes the checks would not be at work until next Tuesday, the 15th.



As stated, I am a disabled veteran who is trying to buy a travel computer for my business. I do not have the money to send to a “computer company”, fight with them for 3 months, while buying a computer from another company.

 

Hey Brian,

I apologize for the issues and delays that have come up with your order and the refund process. This is something that we don't like to see at all, and I will be addressing the refund as well as the issues that have come up along the way. I will be following up with Alex, and people handling the payments and refunds, to make sure we can get this taken care of as soon as possible. I believe Alex was correct, that it might be Tuesday before it is mailed. But I will be checking in to this to make sure we get it taken care of for you.

I appreciate the detail on how much you have posted, as I can bring this up so issues can be addressed, and any errors in the process can be fixed. We want the order process to go as smooth as possible for everyone, and I appreciate feedback so we know where to improve. This is not a normal situation that happens, and I will do what I can to get this moving forward.

If at any point, if you have any questions or if I can help with anything else, please feel free to reach out to me. Generally email is something that I check more often, or send me a message here as well. Feel free to still post here, but if I can do anything for you, just let me know. I'll make sure to send you out an update once I can find out more. Thanks!

 

Good morning Patrick,
I would get a finance who did not take 3 to 5 business days to verify a payment and a shipping department that did not take up to 8 business days to ship a stock computer Xotic PC has in their "warehouse". Or have "You will receive your computer in 30 days or more" plainly posted on your website. Also post "If Xotic PC owes you a refund, please see an attorney".

 

Good morning,

Right, normally we like to have our payments processed within 1 to 2 business days as much as possible. Checks do take a little bit longer, as they need to be sent in to us and that adds on time. But yes, we don't like to have it take 3 to 5 business days. But during part of this time, it being "back to school" season, it is one of the busiest times for the year for us, and there are more orders that need processed, so that also may have contributed to the delays.

Normally a stock model that is on hand will ship within 1 to 3 business days. If we are out of stock on models, and we have to order more in from our distributors to replenish our stock, then it could take 8 business days to get to us as usually shipments take about 5 to 7 business days to arrive to us. The phrase "in our warehouse" can be seen as two different things. I think who said that might have meant it is at our distributors and we need it shipped to us, when it could easily be understood as "in our current inventory here." Something I will be addressing with our team to be more specific on that, as to avoid any confusion.

Again, this is far from the norm from the time frames that have happened. We do like to ship out computers, even custom ones, much sooner and refunds are normally processed in a much timelier manner as well. I have already been mailing people about your order, and it will be my very first priority when back in the office tomorrow, to make sure we get this resolved. I will send you an update when I can. Please let me know if there is anything else that I might be able to help with though. Thanks!

 

Good afternoon Patrick,
I understand you are here on this website to put out fires and help people with Xotic PC issues, but your replies are truly becoming an Xotic PC commercial. I have every email, every chat and 8 recorded phone calls (I record for training also). None of my experience with Xotic PC is even close to what you say are normal for Xotic PC. I have left many email and chats out of this to keep the post less than a book. Below is another example of why this took so long. This excerpt is from 01 July.

Good morning Xotic PC,
Please cancel this order. I started this process on 12 June and this email says it will take between 9 and 16 more days to fill the order. I assume you mean business days. I sent a military ID two separate times and was still asked for a government/federal issued ID to verify who I was. You finally took my state drivers license but a military ID is a federal issued ID also.

I hope your next post is later this week and says "Xotic PC finance has finally verified they cashed your check on 25 June, that the only person Xotic PC has that can sign physical checks came to work today, and that we have Overnight FedEx'd the check to you".

Have a great Sunday!

PS- Normally June is not a busy school month, with students going back to school.

 

I'll see what I can do to expedite the process to get it back to you sooner as well. I'll let you know.

 

I was able to talk with my boss, who I believe you had worked with as well, and your check has been shipped. Again, I apologize about the delays, and if there is anything I might be able to help with, please let me know how I can help.

 

Yes, I was told the checks in the mail. We shall see how long it takes.

 

Update on Xotic PC. I have officially put them on my list of internet scam companies. This is what has happened since last week’s posting.



I having the recording of the sales manager stating the check did not go out on Friday the 11th, and the soonest it would go out would be Tuesday the 15th. I was told by Xotic PC on Monday the 14th that the check had went out on Friday the 11th. Here I sit on Thursday the 17th with no refund check from Xotic PC. The truly underhanded part of this Xotic PC’s scam is that Xotic PC can say the check was sent on Friday the 11th by regular mail, and then act exonerated of their responsibility to pay the money back. After all, “the checks in the mail”. The real kicker is that I cannot prove Xotic PC did not send the check!



Today Xotic PC has offered to return my money via PayPal if I paid all fees. I know money can be sent without the recipient paying, but the sender (Xotic PC) would have to pay. That would cut into their internet scam and they do not seem willing to make this right. Xotic PC told me “this isn't the first time this has happened with refunds”, talking about regular mail and checks. That “casual” statement makes me believe they do not send checks, but only state they do. There is no proof either way which is VERY convenient for Xotic PC. They do not seem willing to overnight a check, nor send one by registered mail



Do not buy from Xotic PC in Lincoln, Nebraska. They truly are internet predators who are scamming people out of their hard earned money.

 

Don't you think it is a bit premature to use the scam label? You sent in a check. You are being sent a check. Why would Xotic be responsible for doing a stop payment on a check when you modified your order multiple times and actually seem to have caused at least part of this mess yourself? Whether it went out on Friday or it went out on Tuesday or even Wednesday, you can't expect them to have to put a stop payment on a check that hasn't even been in the mail for a week and send you another refund check through a shipping method that you didn't ask for originally. Xotic shouldn't have to eat fees to refund you through an alternative payment method. If they were a real scam, they certainly wouldn't offer PayPal at all. Generally speaking, companies won't offer an alternative refund option until at least two weeks after the check has been sent in the mail and it still costs them money to do a stop payment on that check and issue a new one. If you're not willing to be patient and want a more expeditious route to get your money back, there's no reason that you shouldn't be responsible for the PayPal fees, especially given the fact that they will likely pay more in stop payment fees than you will having a personal payment to your PayPal account.

Myself and many others here can vouch for Xotic - I even paid for my machine with a 4800 dollar bank to bank wire transfer. Sorry that you've had issues but some of it appears to be part of a mess you created and the rest of it seems to just be impatience.

 

I did check on this earlier in the week and the check was already picked up, when I was asking about it. Once it is sent, it is up to USPS on how long it takes to get to you, but it should be at any time at this point. We have also offered that we would pay for the stop check fees on that check, then send out another one, this time with a method that will provide a tracking number. Normally, any kind of refund checks do get to their destination without issue in shipping. But it has happened before where we have had to issue another check as we can't control what happens once it is in the mail. Paypal would be another option to do that, if you wanted to go with the quicker refund time. It was just an offer to go that route if you wanted to.

If you would want to do any changes, then please let me know what I can help with.

 

@Ethrem
Negative. The extra orders I cancelled were due to speaking to a rep while ordering online and having 2 computers on the order, when I was only trying to order one, and that Xotic PC would not price match, which their website plainly states..

I was told it went out on the 11th, last Friday. With you talking about it going out this week and your inside knowledge of Xotic PC, you must know something Xotic PC has not told me.

Care to share it?

 

I don't have any clue when they sent it. My point was that it hasn't even been two weeks and they are obviously trying to work with you so I think it's premature to call them a scam. I used to work for Comcast... 4-6 weeks for a refund. 4 weeks before we would reissue a check a customer didn't receive after we shipped it. If they were really going to scam you, they would have just ceased contact like I've seen with some other companies.

 

You should compare Xotic PC to a sales company, like Amazon, Ebay, Newegg or the equivalent. Comparing to a company who treats things like a rebate instead of a refund is not the same.

Working with Xotic Pc to resolve all issues. I will update this thread once that happens.

 

I note with interest that Xpakage1 has not posted in this thread for almost a month.

Did Xpakage1 get the check?

Inquiring minds want to know.

 

Sorry for the delay in posting. I have been out of the US working.

I received 2 checks. The first had a restocking fee deducted from it. I contacted Xotic PC. The last order was cancelled because Xotic PC stated in an email it would take 3 to 8 days to get one out of the warehouse to ship it to me. There was no restocking done. They refunded the rest in the second check.

Before I left the US, I placed an order with EXcaliberPC. I ordered on Sunday, Monday I had a tracking number, and Friday I had the computer. It did not take weeks for them to get a stock computer from the warehouse and out the door to me!! I was able to take and use that computer on the deployment.

I would still advise anyone to buy their computer from another company other than Xotic PC. They may put components in great computers, but the wait and potential nightmares in dealing with them is not worth it since there are other companies who do the same. That is just my opinion.

 

I can see where XOTICPC could have done better and they admit that, and apologize.

BUT, from what is posted in this thread, Xpakage1 ordered a somewhat customized system and then attempted to change the order to a "stock" system in order to expedite the process. (I don't know if changing an order that is in process ever speeds things up, but maybe that is a discussion for another time.) How much this effected the rest of the problems discussed we will never know.

While we don't see what the exact system is/was, what I can see is that the same "default, factory shipped" system (an MSI GE62 Apache Pro, one of the notebooks I'm considering) from either EXcaliberPC or XOTICPC is shown at $1499. For that $1499, EXcaliberPC will take if from their warehouse, put a shipping label on it, and send it on it's merry way. XOTICPC, on the other hand, will take it from their warehouse, open the box, power it up, run "24-72 Hour stress testing and benchmarking to ensure top performance and stability" (quote from their website), insure the system has the current drivers for the chosen Operating System, and insure that the system has the current version of the system programs.

Sure, the XOTICPC method means it doesn't ship as quickly, but regarding this thread, I wonder when Xpakage1 would have gotten his originally ordered system if he hadn't become impatient? Would it have been before the date he got his system from EXcaliberPC?

I dunno.

 

The somewhat customized system you referenced was to remove the 128GB MSata and add a 500GB MSata to the system. So if NOT putting in a 500GB MSata drive, and leaving it OEM factory slowed down Xotic PC, they are even worse off than I thought. It is sad to think doing nothing to a computer takes longer than doing something......

I just got tired of the 21 day testing, and asked for a refund (not a rebate). It took me posting on every website I could find to get their attention. After one month, I had to send a photo copy of the check they cashed so they could find I had even paid them.

It took 104 days to get the final check, so I doubt if the computer would have came any faster.

I do know and do not have to speculate in this thread.