Should I be angry with my Xoticpc experience?

Hey guys, I'm here to share my experience with Xoticpc. Unfortunately, it won't be a very positive one and I hope it doesn't sound too negative because that isn't my intention. I'm open for opinions that my change my view on this.

I first found out about Xoticpc through my friend's recommendation. I've then did some research online and read about how much of a great customer service they offered. It was great since I was planning to purchase a laptop for my brother who will soon be going out of state for his new job. My plan was to receive the laptop before the June 7th. At this point, we all know how that went..

Their customer service has been mixed bag for me. I asked them many questions and they answered reasonably quick each time. I had to change some configurations (before production) and had a special request with OS, which they have been patient with me. I did bother them quite a bit. I asked them if they could not install an OS and instead just get me the product key and an installation disk. I was told that it can be done. Everything was great until I received an email saying that they couldn't fulfill my initial request about the OS. I called the Customer Service to make sure and I was once again told that they couldn't because Sager wouldn't allow them. I was a bit frustrated because they could've easily told me this before they charged my CC. I can get the OS pretty easily from my nearest store so I called them to get me a refund on my OS. They did call me back soon after saying that they "can" fulfill my initial request. I was happy that everything was convenient again. However, I wasn't happy that I had to constantly call them to get what I was told I'd be getting.

It may sound too negative but please note that the issue was resolved rather quick. Overall, my initial CS was fine. I had to bring this up because of what I have to say now. I have recently canceled my order due to the fact that my order has been delayed. It wasn't about the patience but it was about me getting the laptop before my brother went off for his new job.

I have placed an order with Xoticpc on May 7th. I was thinking about canceling my order due to the fact that nobody knew when the resellers would be getting the Radeon 7970m. Xoticpc then called me on May 15th for an order verification (went into production immediately). This was perfect since that gave plenty of time for the laptop to get built and delivered to me by June 7th. I asked the CS if I could be getting the laptop by the end of the month (May), and I was told that it can be done. Everything was great until I got an email saying that my delivery date has been pushed to an unknown date with estimated production date of 11th. I understand that it is not Xoticpc's fault and there was nothing they could do about it. No problem. Things happen and I'll just look for an alternative way. Maybe next time when I order my own laptop with 680m.

The problem occurred when I decided to cancel my order. Everything was going smooth and easy. They asked me if I wanted a refund through CC or receive a check for a full amount. I said I want a check for a full amount refund. I told them that I will definitely purchase "my" laptop from them when Nvidia 680m sees the light. Next day, I received an email from the same person saying that they couldn't send me the check. My options was either to not to cancel my order and wait for Nvidia 680m to become available (god knows when) or cancel my order for a 3% CC fee. This is something I don't understand. If everything went smooth without any delay and it was just my sudden change of heart that wanted a cancellation, I understand. I'll gladly pay the 3% for troubling Xoticpc and wasting their time. But that isn't the case. Yes, the delay wasn't Xoticpc's fault and I understand that but it's still Xoticpc I am dealing and buying from. Not directly from Sager, not from AMD, but Xoticpc. I did hear from them that they are also losing some money when someone cancels their order. But that is something they have to work out either with Sager, AMD, or whoever for a compensation. As a customer, I shouldn't be hearing that they had nothing to do with any of this and leave me at a loss. If I buy an Ipod from Best Buy and find out that there is a problem with it, Best Buy should be the one responsible with me. Then it's up to BB to deal with Apple for their compensation. Customer should not be affected.

I think all these problems (including OS incident) wouldn't have happened if they weren't so hasty in charging people. IMO, companies shouldn't charge before their product gets shipped no matter what. I know that Dell does not charge your CC until it ships. I know that HP charges before shipping but I've just been told that they take full responsibility if something goes wrong during the production.

Now, this isn't about the money (it's only $50 fee.. still a lot but that's not the point). As a customer, I'm not sure if I should've been anyway affected by this. A company cannot have "it's not our fault and we are losing money too so we can't lose any more" kind of attitude towards the customers. Especially with the delay.

Yes, I am a bit frustrated. But my purpose here isn't to make them look bad in any way. In fact, I may still purchase my 680m laptop from them. I'm obviously frustrated because this wasn't what I expected. I still don't even have my cancellation process started because they first gave me the wrong information (told me the day after). Then it took them another day to tell me exactly how much my refund would me. Add that to normal bank process time, I don't even know if I can have the money ready for a different laptop in time. If someone could please tell me if I'm misunderstanding something here? That would actually make me feel MUCH better about all this. I'm writing this because I think it's unfair but if I am able to understand what I couldn't before, it may be much easier to move on.

Thank you for reading this long post.

 

No. This is a very hectic time for all of the resellers, as everyone has to deal with the massive demand for the latest tech. You were just an unfortunate victim of bad timing.

Mr. Mysterious

 

Ancientbarb I am sorry to hear of these concerns. Unfortunately as you know you were caught in the middle from when we were told everything was good to go with AMD 7970's and then unfortunately finding out that the 2nd shipment had issues. We processed cards due to the understanding there were no problems and shipments we expected to be continually arriving. I am sorry again you fell into the middle and we couldn't get your order as would have been our goal. If you can shoot me a PM with your order # I would be happy to look into this and see what I can do to help.

 

Just to add, the CC company charges 3% on our transactions (we are not a computer company). So that would seem to be the charge to you. So even if your reseller refunds you all of your money, the CC co., not Sager or AMD, get that money. So this sounds like a sound business policy, kind of like the "Act of God" clauses in airline ticket Terms and Conditions.

At least you have the option to either complete the purchase, wait for the other card or get a refund less the charge. I am sure from following these threads for so long, if it had been their mistake, they would have made sure you were more than happy. But they are as much a victim here as you. I wouldn't be so hard on them. I get how much you wanted to get this on time for your brother, but do you think they wanted to be able to fulfill the sale any less?

And I think if you wait, your brother will still be very very happy when he gets his new Lappy, and more so when he realizes what you tried to do, and then had to go through until the issue was solved. You are a great sibling to do this, and he is very lucky.

PS: Do you need another brother??

 

@Justin@XoticPC
PM sent. Thank you for your time.

@Abidderman
I do agree we are all in a bad time and things aren't going as people intended. We are all victims in the end and its unfair for all of us. I was already unhappy with all the problems (not towards Xoticpc) and I just got really upset when I learned that I had to pay a fee in the end.

Man, I've always thought my brother was a "beep" but it does feel weird when I think that I won't be seeing him much anymore. I guess its love and hate thing haha. If my brother was more cooler I would have gotten him a car. jk haha

 

Again.... Do you need a replacement? Lolz.

 

Why couldn't they just send the refund via check?

 

Cause he paid with a CC. That's normal, most companies refund using the source you used. If they cut him a check, and then they take the 3% hit likely.

Granted Xotic could have kept him in the loop better with the delay, but the delay wasn't their fault and I don't see a problem with their refund policy.

Also this would be drastic, but he could have just called his CC company. CC companies usually side with the customer and the unusual delay is reason enough for the CC company to charge back for him so he doesn't pay the 3% fee. Though he probably wouldn't be able to do business with Xotic again, they probably won't like that.

 

I dont really understand the 3% xoticpc is holding back. As a customer who has recently just placed a order with them this seems like a funny business practice.

1. Dont charge a customer if you are not ready to ship a product. The cutomer is not here to help you finance operations.

2. If a customer pays by cc then they cover that 3%. If you dont complete the transaction, meaning a product is never sent ( not a custumer return ) then they should be due the entire charged amount.

 

I agree with you, customer should get the full refund, seller is responsible whatever fee in their end. Its seller fault to charge the credit card early if the laptop has not been shipped. I have never heard customer pay extra to get a refund. If its re-stocking fee, than thats different.

 

I've returned lots of items I purchased with CC and have never been charged a fee. (thinking of Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, etc)

 

Xotopic has been great for me with customer service but the cost cutting measures are a bit strange. The 3% cash back doesn't work when you add other discounts which doesn't make sense. If the cc co charges 3% and you wire money (wires cost me $20 through my bank) and you get NRB discount ($50) the 3% goes to 2% discount!!! This drove me nutz!!!! Why are yet reducing the credit your paying in cash to get!!!!

Anyways I have always paid with cc and have always received full refunds. Technically speaking they can't charge you the 3%. If they do call your cc co and ask for a credit hold or stop payment dispute. You will win every time on this. If you receive nothing no product and there is no restocking fee issue. They legally MUST refund the full amount. I have had a major issue with newegg on something like this and had to file a BBB complaint and used cc stop payment and they freaked and immediately sent me my full refund.

Don't get me wrong. I love xotic pc. They have been nothing but accommodating and helping in the whole buying process.

However, I hate any company that plays money games with their customers to make a buck when the customer is unhappy or there is something wrong with the product. I understand times are tight and there are cost cutting methods used but any business I have an issue with I do this process and stop taking my business there if they continue to use such policies.

You as the consumer have the power and in the end the money the business wants. Remember to be polite and try to settle things with the company you have the issue with first. If they refuse go to your credit card company and file BBB complaints. They will smarten up it close down. Don't abuse this process but use it only when it's needed and appropriate.

I grew up in a small family business that is still doing well almost 40 years later and customer service was always beat into my head. You're better paying the money and taking the small lose to keep the customers business then to have them leave angry and take their money elsewhere. Plus with today's Internet forums the bad news gets out there and it spoils the business you might have had with other customers.

 

Short answer, this is the most common credit card scam for large purchase items.

 

They are supposed to refund via the same method of payment you gave them.

 

Sure, but he has a point. I think for any business you would be cautious when it comes to CC payments and cancellations. But this situation does not seem to be looking to scam Xotic though.

 

This hardly seems the scam. It's just the policy I have an issue with. I'm sure xotic pc will correct any issues with this case, but legally speaking they can get into trouble if they start charging the 3% for no services and refunding money via alternate methods if people start to make a big deal about it.

 

Hey guys, here's an update.

They have issued a refund on June 7th. In the refund confirmation page, full amount is shown under settlement amount and authorization amount. I'm not sure if that is the amount I will finally be getting or its showing without the fee they were talking about. Reason I'm confused is because Xoticpc and I weren't able to settle for a full amount refund even after talking to Justin (btw hes been very helpful). I guess I will have to wait for it to show up on my bank's end to be sure. I'm not sure if its okay to talk about the refund details here but I just wanted to keep you guys updated.

 

Yeah I wont place an order until I know the parts are in stock and will be building soon, to avoid issues like this. I hope things get resolved for you Ancientbarb.

 

This seemed to be just a one time occurrence. My understanding is that Xotic doesn't usually process the payment until the machine has reached a certain status (parts acquired or possibly beginning of build?).. Glad its getting resolved for you though OP!

 

I have just checked with my bank and I got back my full amount refund. I was a bit surprised because I thought I would still be paying some fee in the end. I can't complain about that. I'm thinking Justin had something to do with it and my special thanks to him.

Now I'm not very familiar with industries like this so I can't really say if their policy is right or wrong. Once the item goes into production, I do believe that you need a legit reason on why you need to cancel your order. Whether people should be penalized or not is something I can't say for sure. But in the end, all of it can be hassle free if the payment isn't processed until the item is absolutely ready to be shipped. Unexpected things happen all the time and I just think that is the safest way with minimal loss for both parties. I'm sure companies have their good reasons on how they run things and I may even sound biased as a customer but thats just what I believe

Thanks everyone on checking up on this thread!

 

That is great that you gotthe full refund!

I had a horrible experience with Xotic PC but I will reserve my story for a new thread. I have certainlyfound a lot of interesting complaints and they all seem to share a similartrend. I also notice that they quote customers emails on the public forums alot. This appears to be a pretty unusual and unappealing tactic IMO.

 

Please show me a thread where XoticPC quoted a customer's email on a forum please.

 

yep ive never seen it happening too :/ pretty serious allegations you got there :O

 

I'm sorry to hear you have had a bad experience, if I can help resolve anything please do PM me.
We would never quote emails on a forum, we do how ever quote previous post from the same forum.

 

wow thats fast feedback for ya and so late in the day too

 

I have only read about 4 posts by Bugout, but they all have a negative context for Xotic in the post. It would seem there is an agenda. Is there a competitor out there making SN's and bashing many of the resellers here? So weird how many times in the last few months new posters come on here and then there are a bunch of threads bashing first one reseller, then another, and now yet another. Just seems so strange to me.

 

Yeah noticed the same thing. Pretty weak making crap up like that.

 

i'm glad that you got full refund!!

 

There was a recent article in the new York times about something very similar to this on amazon where authors were using pen names to review their books or counter any negative reviews. Try were basically saying 4-5 star reviews sell books!!

This happens on any forum or sales site with reviews on a variety of subjects, products, and services. Xotic does this as well as all the other resellers. It's a means of survival. You need to take every review with a grain of salt. 5 star and 1 star reviews are not always well meaning people that actually bought the product. A lot of times it's the retailer or reseller making themselves or the product better or the competition worse.

 

i wish malibal had this kind of customer service, just reading a few post on this forum i actually feel that the customer service representatives actually care

 

They care but the turn around for xotic takes for ever!!!!! I rma'ed something and it's now two months later with no replacement.... That was supposed to be expedited.

 

gaidin43 I am sorry to hear your RMA is taking longer then usual. I have looked it up and I see you sending it off in early-mid June to Sager. Please understand with your shipping time to Sager, their processing time of the return, build time of the new machine (during the 7970 Rush), your new machine to ship to us for custom modifications and finally the installation of these custom modifications are allot of steps the machine has to go through.

I see your modifications are in testing and expected to ship very soon.

 

Oh I totally understand you guys are slammed right now.

This is the kind of customer service you like to see. Even when bad things happen (which they always will) they are still willing to work through thing and make it happen. It might take longer to order through a reseller then a major company like dell or hp, but the individual attention you and your order get are incredible. Annoyed as I might be with the turn around time, I still understand I'd rather have a fully tested and sound machine then have to send it back for repairs.

Between Cedric, Justin, Roland, and Michael I now know why people like buying through resellers (ie I can understand them on the phone for trouble shooting and I actually get the same person every time.... From the U.S. and not india....hummmm dell).

 

So far my overall experience with Xotic PC has been negative. I am a soldier and have an issue with Xotic PC's military discount. Private communication with the company hasn't left me satisfied. This link Xotic PC Change Your Military Discount | Facebook leads to a cause page on Facebook where I have written down my concerns. I'd appreciate you taking a look at it and considering my case.
Thank you.

 

read your little facebook thing couple times. Could be the fact I am on day 19 of only getting 2-3hours of sleep..but I am just not following your logic of what is wrong with the discount. You can have 2 discounts, pick 2 that make it cheaper for you. plain and simple..what happens when free shipping discount ends? what if they have a another discount they have for a short time? should they always change military discount to always be the best? It seems they have that constant deal as a sign of respect for you guys. You have that option, I don't.You just seem to be nitpicking the fact the deal at the moment makes military discount not feel worth it.Should I get mad in a month when I cant get the black friday deals?

 

We offered this potential Military Customer our advertised Military Discount as we have supplied thousands of other Military Personnel whom support out our great country, to which we have always received appreciative feedback and thanks from these customers. Unfortunately this potential customer felt he was entitled to additional discounts beyond what was advertised or listed on our website.

We always listen to our customers and try to go above and beyond for our customers to exceed their expectation. On top of offering our advertised Military Discount, in this case we offered an additional discount on this customers’ order plus offering Free Rush Production ($49 Upgrade). Unfortunately this was still not good enough to this customer and the he demanded that on top of the already generous discounts we also give him a free Upgraded Carrying Case (Slappa Case), to which we declined.

As many of you know there are not many companies out there today that offer a Military discount. It is sad that we go above and beyond and offer a little extra for this customer due to his concern with amount of our advertised Military Discount and we receive this in return.

 

I am a military guy and had nothing but the best experience with xotic pc. They are offering great items for rock bottom prices to begin with. You shouldn't feel like they are obligated to give you a few hundred off the top just because you serve.

Dollar to dollar with discounts they are better priced then dell or hp or anyone else.

 

It's very disappointing that XPC aren't applying NBR discounts anymore. Even more so considering the fact that there are no special offers on the laptop I'm considering.

 

Thank you for the kind words gaidin43!

We have had to suspend our NBR specific discount just because the current Sager discounts are larger. The combination of them was too much for Sager to authorize. We will probably bring them back once the current sale is done, but you're saving more now with their specials.

 

There are no specials on the model I'm interested in. Hence my gripe.

 

Which model are you looking at, many do have holiday specials like free RAM, Hard drive, and wireless card upgrade besides just a dollar amount off. In most cases the value of that is more then the discount we were running. If you send me a PM i'll be happy to let you know what specials are going and compare to the NBR discount we were running before.