Bad experience with CEG

Long time due, and long story....

Bought a P751ZM barebone from CEG on the 24th of January. Up to this point all communications with them were quick and clear (despite their sometimes difficult to understand english). Asked them twice (through this forum pm´s and email) very specific things: double check the screen for backlight and color bleed, lapped heatsink, and to verify that a whining noise reported by some was not present. I was promised that my requests would be fulfilled and double-checked.

Got the laptop on the 10th of February. The delay was due to them not having the eDP cable to connect the Sharp 4k screen i configured the laptop with - which "they" * installed, since the unit i got originally had a Fhd panel.
* "they" = the German Service Center

Well, while installing the cpu it was evident that the heatsink wasn´t lapped, and after installing the cpu, ram and ssd´s, as soon as i powered on the laptop a horrible backlight bleed was quite evident. The "famous" whining noise was also present. To top things the heatsink didn´t make proper contact with the ihs. Oh, almost forgot...while installing the drivers for the Killer wifi card i got the message that it wasn´t detected. So, surprise, they exchanged it for the cheaper Intel card without even warning me.

Emailed them about all this. Not a single apology was given and they totally lacked a pro-active attitude regarding my issues, just told me to send the laptop to the German service center - since my first report on the laptop´s issues, their replies became most of the times slow, laconic, and selectively oblivious. - Mind you that when you buy from CEG you´re really alone when it comes to support and assistance. It´s the consumer who has to take care of all the things related to RMA´s. You need to go to the German service center and download their RMA form, fill it out, send it, wait for the RMA number, and then arrange all the shipping (including paying for it - more on that later.) Having read about @Ingvarr ´s similar story with CEG, i asked for a replacement unit or a 100% guarantee that all issues would be solved, and also told them to not even bother sending it back to me unless all issues were solved or they could send me a new unit. otherwise i´d ask for a full refund.

Asked them to this time really check for the things i asked before. Also asked them if they would be able to test it properly without cpu/ram/ssd´s, or would i need to send them too. - - No answer. Did some more tests on the laptop and reported my findings to them (also sent them pics and videos - http://forum.notebookreview.com/media/users/samot.93576/?type=album), and did them same questions as before. Only reply i got was to "please make rma" to german service center. Again, this time i had a german friend email them the same questions i made before and some more. Same answer.

Spent more than a week asking for a RMA (emailed the service center 5 or 6 times). Decided to simply return the laptop for a refund and suddenly CEG told me they would take care of it. Got a RMA number the next day.

Meanwhile i turned to XMG here on the forum (through pm´s) to have some real support on my issues. Sent them a report on my issues (mainly about the whining noise) and they were really helpful, and asked for my unit´s serial number to pass on the data to Clevo. Few days later i got a mail from CEG asking me why was i talking to XMG!!

Ok, so i sent the laptop to the service center and it got there on a tuesday. The next day it was already "fixed". They shipped it back to me but they never sent me a tracking number despite having asked for it. I was told "we are traveling", "ask the service center". When i finally got the laptop the whining noise was still there, nothing was done regarding the heatsink (bad contact with ihs and no lapping), and there was still some backlight/color bleed. Only good thing in this was the inclusion of the correct wifi card (Killer).

Complained to CEG about all this and again: "if you have any suggestions about repair please write directly to service. You can write directly to chef. You have email." Having read this i decided to return the laptop for a full refund.

The laptop was returned and arrived at the service center on the 27th of March. I had to "remind" CEG about the refund by sending them my bank info on the 8th of April. Got the money back 10 days later, 9 days after the european legal deadline (14 days) for a refund to be made.

Today is the 1st of September and i still haven´t got back the money i spent shipping the laptop twice to the service center. I´ve asked CEG several times about who should support the shipping costs (even before i sent the laptop for RMA). Never got an answer on that. Always told them i expected them to support the shipping costs for a number of reasons: had they done what they promised since the beginning, none of this mess would have happened; their website doesn´t give any info on this, so according to european laws they should pay these costs. When i returned them the laptop for a refund, i emailed them a copy of the shipping receipts. Again, no answer.

A month ago i sent them another message with the following information (along with the same copy of the recipts and my bank account info) - relevant info is in bold:

"Regarding the first shipment (for the RMA):

"Article 3
Rights of the consumer
2. In the case of a lack of conformity, the consumer shall be entitled to have the goods brought into conformity free of charge by repair or replacement, in accordance with paragraph 3, or to have an appropriate reduction made in the price or the contract rescinded with regard to those goods, in accordance with paragraphs 5 and 6.
3. In the first place, the consumer may require the seller to repair the goods or he may require the seller to replace them, in either case free of charge, unless this is impossible or disproportionate. A remedy shall be deemed to be disproportionate if it imposes costs on the seller which, in comparison with the alternative remedy, are unreasonable, taking into account:
— the value the goods would have if there were no lack of conformity,
— the significance of the lack of conformity, and
— whether the alternative remedy could be completed without significant inconvenience to the consumer.
Any repair or replacement shall be completed within a reasonable time and without any significant inconvenience to the
consumer, taking account of the nature of the goods and the purpose for which the consumer required the goods.
4. The terms ‘free of charge’ in paragraphs 2 and 3 refer to the necessary costs incurred to bring the goods into conformity, particularly the cost of postage, labour and materials .
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:31999L0044"

And regarding the second shipment (for the return/refund):

"CHAPTER III
CONSUMER INFORMATION AND RIGHT OF WITHDRAWAL FOR DISTANCE AND OFF-PREMISES CONTRACTS
Article 6
Information requirements for distance and off-premises contracts
1. Before the consumer is bound by a distance or off-premises contract, or any corresponding offer, the trader shall provide the consumer with the following information in a clear and comprehensible manner:
(i) where applicable, that the consumer will have to bear the cost of returning the goods in case of withdrawal and, for distance contracts, if the goods, by their nature, cannot normally be returned by post, the cost of returning the goods;
6. If the trader has not complied with the information requirements on additional charges or other costs as referred to in point (e) of paragraph 1, or on the costs of returning the goods as referred to in point (i) of paragraph 1, the consumer shall not bear those charges or costs.

Article 14
Obligations of the consumer in the event of withdrawal
1. Unless the trader has offered to collect the goods himself, the consumer shall send back the goods or hand them over to the trader or to a person authorised by the trader to receive the goods, without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which he has communicated his decision to withdraw from the contract to the trader in accordance with Article 11. The deadline shall be met if the consumer sends back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired.
The consumer shall only bear the direct cost of returning the goods unless the trader has agreed to bear them or the trader failed to inform the consumer that the consumer has to bear them.

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1403168186965&uri=CELEX:32011L0083#d1e265-84-1"


"Check that the trader informed you that you would have to bear the cost of sending the goods back during the cooling-off period. If not, he/she must also bear that cost.
http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/shopping/shopping-abroad/returning-unwanted-goods/index_en.htm"


This applies to my case since your website does not display any info on this kind of costs, nor did you at any time reply to my emails where i asked you who would support these costs.

It´s been some 3 months since the last time i inquired you about this (by email), where again i had no reply. That´s fine if you continue to not answer me, i won´t contact you anymore, but i will contact the German European Consumer Centre and file a complaint, and will pass on to them all relevant documents as well.

If you wish to settle this now, here is the relevant data:

******
Invoice *****
Bank account: NIB ***************
IBAN PT**************
SWIFT/BIC *****"

Answer to this: "i send this to our manager and they i think contact with our lawyer." No money and no word from them until now.

Little tidbits of curious information (may be inaccurate as of now):
- laptops bought from CEG are shipped from the german service center - Goldenstar Computer GmbH (other members here can confirm this) - here´s the reason why what CEG promised me wasn´t done.
- all RMA´s and returns are also sent to the service center.
- companies are not supposed to buy new chassis from the service center to sell to customers (ask any reputable seller)
- chassis already come from Clevo with the lcd panel installed, manufacturers aren´t supposed to physically install or swap the panels - but that´s what happened here (my laptop´s box had a sticker describing it´s hardware and it stated a FHD panel - CEG confirmed "they" swapped it)

And a brief timeline:
24th Jan - payed CEG
10th Feb - got the laptop (kind of, my girlfriend received it, i only got home on the 13th)
5 Mar - finally got the RMA number/sent the laptop to service center
10 Mar - laptop arrived at service center
11 Mar - laptop "fixed"
12 Mar - laptop supposedly sent back to me
19 Mar - got the same faulty laptop
21 Mar - communicated my decision to return it for a full refund
22 Mar - shipped the laptop back
27 Mar - laptop arrived at service center
18 Apr - finally got the money back
5 Aug - asked for the 4th or 5th time for the money i spent shipping the laptop to the service center twice, this time with the relevant articles on the applicable EU laws
TODAY - no money, getting ready to file a complaint on CEG
Update: 7 Sep - shipping costs finally refunded.

Pretty displeased with CEG. Won´t recomend to anyone. Low prices, crappy service and support.

Went with XMG. Really satisfied.

 

Sadly, you learned a valuable lesson: "You get what you pay for." In this case you didn't pay for customer service and didn't get it. "We got your money, don't let the door hit you on your way out!"

Kudos to XMG for helping you before you even bought from them. From what I've seen on NBR, if I lived in the EU they would be my first choice.

 

For a clear - your two machines - first and this one what you have comes from the same - distribution. And what is funny - we used the same service as your second seller. Service Center know your case very good, and they said definitely your problem is resolved. If you want to create another topic about CEG - you live in free world. This case is still open what i know from our management. How long I don't know - ask our support through site. Thank you for attention.

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i can only vouch for mySn/Schenker/XMG, very great experience in my case as well

 

Yep, lesson learned. And indeed, major Kudos to XMG!

(i should let your post speak for it self but it´s to "good" i can´t resist )


Please, don´t try find your way out from a negative feedback by misleading people. Step up your game and take it like a big boy. All companies eventually get negative feedback and the really good ones take it seriously as a way to improve themselves. The machine i have now definitely didn´t came from the same distribution as yours, it sure as hell wasn´t bought from the service center and shipped to me from there. And what if XMG uses the same service center as you guys for repairs? (oh, and btw, not all RMA´s go to the service center, and the ones that do still have to pass through XMG before and after) What´s the relevance of that? What matters here is the effective service quality (you promised and didn´t deliver) and pre- and after-sales support they provide to their costumers, which in turn you don´t provide, as you leave all the work and postage bills to the consumer, and defer a certain amount of decision making to the service center. That also happened with @Ingvarr . I didn´t make business with the service center, i did it with you. Excuse me but the service center did a crappy job. From the 3 complaints (4 if you count the unlapped heatsink you promised to lap) i mentioned when i filled the RMA form, only two were mentioned on the repair report (which i´ll be more than glad to divulge should anyone want to see it) - "reworked mb" which did nothing to the whining noise, and "reassembly lcd panel" which alleviated the panel bleeding but still remained far from a standard run of the mill ips panel (the lcd on my XMG unit is far better than your repair), and while doing that the mylar caps that cover the lcd bezel screws were exchanged by tall, chunky rubber ones that wouldn´t let the lid close completely. The faulty heatsink wasn´t even mentioned on the report nor did you lap the heatsink as promised. I even asked you to not send me the laptop back if everything was not ok. But wait? Why didn´t you do that? Right, because it was shipped to me right from the service center, you never laid eyes on the laptop, nor did you did the first time, hence why you didn´t deliver what you promised. I complained about this to you, i sent you pictures and videos by email (which are here for everyone to see - http://forum.notebookreview.com/media/users/samot.93576/?type=album), but what did you say to me? "oh, complain to the boss of the service center" Really?!? I didn´t pay the service center for the laptop, i paid you. You should take care of your costumers. But, as Bullrun correctly said, i didn´t pay for service and so i didn´t get it.

Regarding the postage costs i shouldn´t have paid: why doesn´t it surprise me that my case is still open....? One month to ask your lawyer about his saying on this? Really? You open a business and have to consult a lawyer on something you should know right from the start? It´s not that complicated, i even did the homework for you.


My prayers go to all people who bought something from you. I sincerely hope their laptops will live forever and ever without an itch!

 

also, its not quite correct that XMG is using the same service center, they actually have their own in-house warranty branch to take care of technical issues

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Exactly, afaik they´ll only use the service centers (UK/DE) on a last resort basis.

Also, don´t know why but suddenly my first version of the reply to CEG popped up. It´s true that i was having some connection problems yesterday, but for some time only one post was showing.... Mods, could you please remove one of them?

 

Just caught it and pulled it

 

Thanks for the input @Samot @jaybee83

To clarify, and to counter other comment made; the distribution channel is not the same (we are direct with Clevo), we do not buy chassis from the service center (it's not allowed) and we do not use the service center for direct RMA purposes. We have (and always have had) our own production facility and internal RMA department

 

Quick update: finally got the refund on the shipping costs.

 

Good good. For me I won't be buying expensive laptops through dealers like CEG. I'll always go through a reseller just to cover myself for service.

Too bad you don't have a Mythlogic in your area.

 

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Bought my P870DM(G) with XMG over CEG based on this and a few other threads condemning CEG. Service and QC issues too important when buying £2500 laptops.

 

I had a defective central led in my US keyboard and CEG offered me to rma it and change it with Italian one.
I only paid the shipping cost to Deutschland and they sent me an italian keyboard very quickly.
I had some problems making it work but they helped me with emails.
I can say that they are very good resellers, very comunicative and helpful. They helped like no other clevo sellers did in Italy