Harvey Norman - Warranty on Acer tablets

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zman13

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

Topic # 112358 5-Dec-2012 22:44
Bought an Acer tablet from Harvey Norman Botany in July this year and then had problems with the front camera not working. Then got told by the Acer helpline to drop off at HN which I did and it took at least 3 days to reach them (within Auckland!) Acer support is provided from Manila in Phillpines, spent hours initially trying to get status updates on my tablet which now I am without as HN does not provide loaners. The whole motive of buying from HN was to get good quality service despite the extra $$$ but to date their service has been disappointing, the warranty is taking forever and there have been no offer of a replacement. Wrote numerous emails to the managers there but no one ever got back, instead was told the unit was with Acer now. In the third week now, I am told Acer has sent the tablet to Sony to get the parts replaced. Then today I am told the parts are still "in transit" to reach Sony. For those out there thinking of going to HN for any Acer product please think long and hard. I have been through an ordeal with no support at all from HN or Acer. I am considering taking this matter up in the legal context of failing to deliver now after I've run out of options.

tonyhughes

Hawkes Bay
8481 posts

Uber Geek

Mod Emeritus

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 727744 5-Dec-2012 23:04
I bet tablet warranty repairs arent all that common. Three weeks, with a progress report saying parts are in transit does not seem like the worst thing in the world, and doesn't lend itself to taking legal action at this point. :) Visit http://www.thecloud.net.nz for New Zealand based Hosted Exchange, Virtual Servers, Web Hosting, FTP Backup & more. (1GB free FTP storage, or larger plans from $5.75) - Setup your own mailserver at home on Ubuntu Server - full step by step howto here. - Have you seen this: Nathan "KFC4LIFE" Dunn.

mattwnz

4440 posts

Uber Geek

Reply # 727747 5-Dec-2012 23:13
Just get HN to handle it for you, as they are required to under the CGA. I recall HN were on fair go fairly recently, over what I recall was computer related..

zman13

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 727749 5-Dec-2012 23:16
I wonder. If they weren't then why is the Acer repair line always busy? There are days when I have spent hours trying to get through. Clearly I am not the only one calling considering these lines are dedicated for repairs. Perhaps repair lines are lower priority then. Having to go back to life without a tablet for even a week is difficult for me personally. As much as I'd hate to say it but the world now does revolve more or so around smart phones, tablets and the internet and three weeks is certainly not an ideal turn around time for such a product - two weeks, yes maybe. Then again, this particular tablet was only 4 months old and to have defective parts is another concern. My previous tablets were sturdy and never had such issues but had come of age hence had upgraded to an Acer for the first and the last time. As for the parts, last I was told Acer sent the tablet to Sony to fix. Getting a status update is not easy either considering the long wait via the call centre in Manila. Not a service that I would expect for a product marketed here in Nz. The other issue perhaps would be the language and getting across to the call centre trying to get an update. All the times, I get transferred from one person to another explaining myself over and over again together with the tracking number. I totally regret buying this Acer tablet. Samsung or Apple is the way to go. For a product to be marketed in Nz and to have after sales support elsewhere can certainly have legal ramifications and is open to be legally explored.

mattwnz

4440 posts

Uber Geek

Reply # 727750 5-Dec-2012 23:20
zman13: I wonder. If they weren't then why is the Acer repair line always busy? There are days when I have spent hours trying to get through. Clearly I am not the only one calling considering these lines are dedicated for repairs. Perhaps repair lines are lower priority then. You don't have to go through that. HN have to handle the repair for you.

zman13

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 727755 5-Dec-2012 23:28
Yes I know. If it was up to them the Tablet would still be with them waiting to be dispatched. I had handed it over to them personally in store but they had kept it with them for 3 days before dispatching it apparently due to some glitch between HN and Acer's product repair tracking software. It was only after I called back for an update at HN that it was sent away again a day later after also calling Acer to be told they did not have the product of my serial number with them. All I ever get from HN is that Acer is working on it and that it will be "back very soon". No actual time frame nor an actual status update. The details I get are only from Acer directly via the Manila call centre.

mattwnz

4440 posts

Uber Geek

Reply # 727771 6-Dec-2012 00:00
zman13: Yes I know. If it was up to them the Tablet would still be with them waiting to be dispatched. I had handed it over to them personally in store but they had kept it with them for 3 days before dispatching it apparently due to some glitch between HN and Acer's product repair tracking software. It was only after I called back for an update at HN that it was sent away again a day later after also calling Acer to be told they did not have the product of my serial number with them. All I ever get from HN is that Acer is working on it and that it will be "back very soon". No actual time frame nor an actual status update. The details I get are only from Acer directly via the Manila call centre. Under the CGA it has to be fixed or replaced within a reasonable period of time. If the fault is 'substantial', you as the consumer I believe have the right to ask for a replacement, repair or refund. Depends though on how bad the fault is though. On the consumer websites I recall it says around 3 weeks is reasonable for an actual computer repair, but a tablet could be different. Check the consumer website for your rights under the CGA.

dickytim

645 posts

Ultimate Geek

Reply # 727801 6-Dec-2012 06:56
I have personally found that HN's repairs take ages, and the item sitting in the store for up to a week is not uncommon, we had an acer PC needing a DVD writer replaced under their extended warranty (I know but I didn't buy it) and this simple and inhouse repair took 3 weeks, I know for a fact the PC sat in store for atleast a week. That said a laptop I had repaired about 9 years ago I took directly to Acer when they had an office in Penrose, by the time I got back to work in Penrose (10 min away) I got a call telling my the problem was fixed the DVD writer had been replaced, tested and was OK. Within less than an hour it was repaired under warranty and I had it back in my hands and it worked perfectly from then until it was dropped and smashed. I know a little more than nothing but not much...

dickytim

645 posts

Ultimate Geek

Reply # 727802 6-Dec-2012 06:57
zman13: For a product to be marketed in Nz and to have after sales support elsewhere can certainly have legal ramifications and is open to be legally explored. I don't see how. I know a little more than nothing but not much...

theoldfarter

47 posts

Geek

Reply # 739474 2-Jan-2013 19:20
zman13, How did your warranty claim pan out? I bought an Acer Iconia A510 tablet three months ago and the battery charge light has stoped working. The battery still charges. The Acer help desk in Manilla told me to do a hard reset, which wipes out all data & files. As I wanted to back up my stuff, I went to install the USB driver into Windows 8. Big fail, the driver won't install. When I bought the A510, I was using Windows 7 & the USB driver installed & I was able to access the tablet through it's USB port. I have emailed Acer to find out when they are going to put a Windows 8 USB driver on their support page, but won't be holding my breath. As I did not have too much on the A510, I went ahead and did the hard reset. No change, the battery charge light still won't work. Looks like it will need to be sent away for servicing. I hope I don't get your run around. Anyone know where Acer send their tablets for servicing? Anyone else have the A510?