Problems? See this thread at archive.org.
A month ago after having to replace the LCD on my Ideapad Y470, and having an issue with its build quality; I've decided I wanted to upgrade. My Y470 was delegated to become my permanent TV/entertainment computer, so I needed something new. I've already come to a decision that I want a miniature lightweight gaming laptop and started to look for the best solution. After doing thorough research, I came to a logical conclusion than W230ST is simply the best bang for my buck in the category.
Finding out information you need:
I've contacted XoticPC first since I've bought my old Clevo from them. They generally have a lot of representation on this forum helping many people over the years. The sales rep I got to speak to through livechat was really helpful and answered my drilling questions about manufacturers of specific components, who does the repasting job, possibility of shipping without HDD and RAM, etc. The rep was very patient and answered every question to the letter.
Discounts:
I qualified for several discounts, so I've inquired what was the best combination of them and was told that it would be 1) previous customer 2) military discount 3) 2% cash. I've informed the rep that I'm not an active duty military member, but a veteran to which he said it was not an issue and asked me to send him a proof of service. I've asked for a quote, but was told that an order needs to be placed first. I have done so over the weekend including sending my DD 214 military form. However come Monday and Veteran's Day (ironically) the same rep informed me that this particular model doesn't qualify for the military discount. I was reasonably upset because it was discussed previously, and I've sent a very personal document with a lot of information to prove my service. I would otherwise prefer not to share the document had I known that the military discount doesn't apply to the model. I also realized that XoticPC doesn't combine Freeshipping with other discounts.
Other Options:
At that point I've contacted a lot of other resellers. Larry from LPC Digital quoted me a price within 10 minutes of emailing him with a spec. He was really helpful, friendly and prompt with responses. The final quote with a discount that he offered was a bit lower than Xotic's (around 10$). Pro-Star gave me a $30 military discount on the spot and kept their cash and shipping discounts from what I could see. They had the lowest quote out of all resellers. I would highly recommend trying both of these resellers, especially Larry for his straightforwardness and fast response time. Powernotebooks took a bit longer to respond and didn't have much in terms of discounts for this model.
Ordering:
However I didn't lose hope in XoticPC and wanted to give them a chance. I've contacted Hutsady, since he was around on the forums for a while helping people out. I've explained the situation to him. Hutsady was extremely understanding, and he was able to talk to their sales manager and get me the military discount. The difference between the final quote was only about $10, however for me it was a matter of principle of bait and switch and being told that there is no discount on Veteran's Day is a bit upsetting. So after getting a discount I've proceeded with the order, even though some other resellers would be a bit cheaper. Personally I prefer XoticPC website, their livechat is a really great and helpful tool, and they do a lot of work on the forums for the community. They also have some game promotions which seem to be specific to their company.
The payment I chose was wire transfer, and it took a couple of days to process. All other payment options with cash discount would take fairly longer time to complete. The order then was moved through the phases rapidly and was shipped last Friday. However it took almost a week to ship over, and I got it 6 days later.
Product Impressions:
So far I'm very happy with a laptop. The specific components I got were Crucial Memory sticks, WD Scorpio Black 750GB HDD, as well as Chi Mei LCD Panel. The LCD panel has 1 dead pixel in the corner, however it's not that noticeable. I kind of regret not getting a zero dead pixel warranty, however to be fair the screen looks gorgeous regardless. I've done my own repaste, flashed Bios with Prema Mod, installed Plextor M5M mSata SSD and my own OS. All of that went smoothly and without an issue, except it took me 15 minutes to realize that USB 3.0 ports wouldn't work properly without drivers for the controller, so you better install OS through USB 2.0 on the left side. I've completed the system with undervolting CPU and so far it's been a great experience.
Customer Service:
Once the order was shipped I've realized that even though I've selected a promotion when ordering I've never specified it in the check out process. I've contacted livechat and one sale rep told me that since the laptop was already shipped, it was too late to get a promotion for the order, and that the rewards come in a physical CD form from Sager. I thought that was strange since W230ST doesn't have an ODD and one of the promotions was in-game currency for MMO games. I've contacted Hutsady again, and unlike another rep he offered me a lot of options for redeeming a game code and worked hard to help me out, which I'm extremely grateful for. He also never failed to respond after promising to get back to me.
Overall I've had a great experience with XoticPC and especially Hutsady and would recommend them as a reseller. However it seems that not every rep is out there to fight for you and get you the best absolute deal while otherwise being helpful and knowledgeable. I also feel a bit sad that my initial order was placed with another rep as a reference, so Hutsady might lose out on a commission (not sure how it works), while it was ultimately him who made me stick to buying from XoticPC.
XoticPC Experience - W230ST - Customer Support
Discussion in 'Reseller Feedback Forum' started by Ellatan, Nov 22, 2013.
