Computer Upgrade King

Review: Computer Upgrade King is selling computers on [redacted], [redacted], and likely other places as "new", when in fact they are refurbished/reclaimed/other. I purchased a "new" [redacted] laptop from [redacted] on [redacted] on Feb 2nd 2014, only to find out the following, as stated by [redacted]: -The build date on this laptop was 11/08/12 -The original warranty start date was 11/08/12 -The original warranty end date was 11/07/13 -The extended warranty date is 11/07/15; [redacted] would not confirm who has applied this 2nd warranty. -The computer was made with a [redacted] 8 motherboard, even though [redacted] 7 came preinstalled Additionally, these points are involved in this issue: -the item was purchased on a Sunday afternoon, but I had to email [redacted] from two different sources in order to get a tracking number -in an email from [redacted] sent two days after the item was purchased, [redacted] stated the computer was in the queue to be "built and shipped"; this was a red flag that started my realizing that I was not being sent a new item, but a reclaimed/refurbished item -the item arrived with broken seals on the box and the internal bag (pictures available) -a [redacted] 8 sticker was on the back of the laptop (picture available) -a 'quality checklist' was included, further showing this was in fact not a "new" laptop, but a reclaimed/refurbished item (picture available) -[redacted] 8 recovery cd's were included, NOT [redacted] 7; note, [redacted] 7 was preinstalled, and that is why this laptop was purchased purchased (picture available) -[redacted] has advised that the [redacted] 7 recovery cd's that [redacted] sent ([redacted] sent them only because I called to complain), may not work on this laptop -[redacted] was paid for 2nd day air [redacted] for shipping, but they shipped the item ground (tracking # available) I have sought a partial refund from [redacted], as I don't have a computer without this laptop. I needed [redacted] 7, as [redacted] 8 doesn't work on my network at work. The seller has only offered a full refund in order to get the computer back, or just to refund the shipping cost. In further research on Computer Upgrade King, there are six other complaints of a similar nature on the VA Revdex.com site. Computer Upgrade King has the vast majority of their items on [redacted] listed as "new". If their items are like the item I purchased, that would be false advertising. Per the Virginia code of prohibited practices (section 59.1-200, item #7), "Advertising or offering for sale goods that are used, secondhand, repossessed, defective, blemished, deteriorated, or reconditioned, or that are "seconds," irregulars, imperfects, or "not first class," without clearly and unequivocally indicating in the advertisement or offer for sale that the goods are used, secondhand, repossessed, defective, blemished, deteriorated, reconditioned, or are "seconds," irregulars, imperfects or "not first class". Clearly, Computer Upgrade King is selling, at least in my case, computers that are reclaimed/refurbished/somehow adjusted, and then they are applying a new warranty to the item and selling it as "new". Adding a new warranty to an item does NOT make it new. [redacted] is likely getting away with this practice because of their lower price point. However, any brand purchased as "New", i.e. [redacted], Toshiba, Dell, etc., may be negatively impacted because of a bad item being sold by [redacted] as "new". I have sought a partial refund from [redacted], but they are not willing to do so. Note, if one does a search of consumer reviews of Computer Upgrade King, they will find a mix of good and bad reviews. For the bad reviews, you will see the president of the company viciously attacking the people who post negative comments. It is odd that they have the time to aggressively attack people who post experiences, but they cannot take the time to justify why they are selling reclaimed/refurbished items as "new" on [redacted], Amazon, and likely other places. A full explanation of how this is legal would be helpful to the consumer world. The FTC has litigated past cases of the context of "new" only out to six months in age for a product. My purchased item far exceeds that, yet [redacted] has the audacity to state it is "new". As of the time of this complaint submission, [redacted] had approximately 1150 listings on [redacted]; all were "Buy It Now", and only a small percentage were listed as "used/refurbished/other"; the rest were listed as "new". Clearly, with some investigation, begs the question, how does this seller have the ability to sell all of these brands as new? Performing a 'quality' check on a refurbed/reclaimed item does not make it new. If [redacted] would have stated the item was not new, this complaint, along with all of the other action being taken against this fraudulent seller, would not have occurred. And regarding the shipping charges, the seller is clearly taking advantage of offering expedited shipping, yet holding to a long order-processing time.Desired Settlement: It was hoped the seller would honor the partial refund request, as I needed this computer. I don't have a computer without this one. I am unable to return the item for a full refund, as I am forced to keep this and hope for the best. Shame on Computer Upgrade King for their false advertising and fraudulent shipping practices. And shame on [redacted] for using a broadly applied "Buyer Protection Policy" that is not really protecting the buyer; it's a grossly applied policy used by [redacted] to remove themselves from being more customer focused. This was the experience that made me cancel my 15 yr old [redacted] account. As for those looking to buy from Computer Upgrade King, do your research. Look at their items, compare their prices, and then ask the basic question of, is this a new item if they say it's new? I think the response of dancing around a massive amount of technicalities (look at their [redacted] listings....) shows this seller to be a fraud.

Business

Response:

About 6 months ago, I ordered a new laptop that was upgraded from stock by Computer Upgrade King. After running beautifully for two weeks, it suddenly started crashing. I troubleshooted the problem to a bad memory module. Computer Upgrade King immediately shipped a replacement pair of DIMMs, and I was back up and running in very short order. Every email correspondence I traded with this reseller was very promptly and courteously answered. They were wonderful to work with and are proven to stand behind their warranty.

Review: Purchased a product offered on NEWEGG.com on their marketplace venue and it was provided by Computer Upgrade Kings. The Lenovo laptop is speced to run for up to 6.5 hours and we cannot get 1.5 hours out of it using medium screen brightness and wifi. We contacted the company for a return and they stated they would charge a restocking fee and that Lenovo specs batteries using no capability on the computer. This seems to disagree with any logic for a computer sale and we were not provided details of any restocking fee at the time of purchase. In good faith we asked for their testing method for the computer and the maximum restocking fee which they refuse to disclose. We have opened a case with Paypal to protect our funds.Desired Settlement: Request formal documentation on Computer Upgrade Kings letter head on the technical qualifications of their technicians, their testing methodology and the maximum restocking fee. This would be the minimum objective evidence to support they actually test units, what their testing methods are, how they qualify their technicians and a full disclosure of their restocking fees. Maryland law requires all terms and conditions be disclosed before or at the time of sale.

Business

Response:

Hi, Firstly I have attached our RMA manager's certifications. We are an authorized Lenovo service center. Secondly, the customer had full disclosure on return policies of Newegg, as they are listed at Newegg's site, it is the customer's responsibility to read return policies. As can be seen here. http://kb.newegg.com/FAQ/Article/1755Customer does not understand how manufacturers advertise battery life.When they state "Up to 6.5 hours" It is not real world, this is a known fact in Laptops. This is the data sheet from the customer's purchase.https://s3.amazonaws.com/isby/lenovopartnernetwork.com/upload/4/docs/da...⇄ As you can see, the company has as disclaimer in the materiel. https://s3.amazonaws.com/isby/lenovopartnernetwork.com/upload/4/docs/datasheet-t...⇄ "2

At first, there were issues with order placement. I ordered a particular model, days later they ran out of stock.

However they cleared it up real quick, and Computer King worked diligently to make sure I was a satisfied customer. Outstanding efforts by their team, they offered a similar model (actually little better than my original choice), with the same or better features.

So far - a couple months later - I am still happy with my purchase, even though I have yet to test warranty issues.

Review: I purchased a laptop from Computer Upgrade Kings on 1/28/13 & paid extra for expedited service. They were out of stock on the parts; I didn't receive the laptop until 2/11/2013 (no refund for the expedited service). On 2/13/2013, I put a ticket in their support system describing issues I had. I didn't receive a response until 2/21/2013 - which was to email my issue to [redacted] (the return email address of the support ticket email). During the interim, I tried to fix the problem myself (also installed work items on the computer as well as some other personal items). It seemed to be fixed for a while, but issues escalated. On 4-16, I tried to contact someone via facebook (I didn't have the email available); I still havent heard back. On 4-24, after finding the email, I responded to [redacted] and included my issues. I spent the next week trying hard to follow recommended actions but finally gave up. It took over 5 days to get data backed up due to network flickering off and on and the USB freaking out every time I tried to use it. I mailed it to Computer Upgrade King for repair on 5-6. I asked them on 5-10 if I would get noticed as my computer went through the repair process; I didn't hear back until 5-14 stating that they'll periodically update me as the status continues. On 5-15, I received notification the computer was on the workbench; on 5-17 I received notification it was ready to be mailed. I confirmed my address immediately. I didn't hear back from them again until 5-22 when they contacted me with a UPS tracking number. When I asked why they waited 5 days to mail it back to me, they said they wanted to overnight test the laptop to make sure it was 100% before shipping.According to the Event Log, the only day they had the laptop open was 5-16 so no overnight test was done. When I received the computer on 5-24, it immediately exhibited the same problems for which I mailed it in for repair.Desired Settlement: On 5-24, I requested a refund. I prepared the computer to be mailed back. I haven't heard back. I contacted them yesterday again asking for the UPS label to mail it back; I still haven't heard back.

Business

Response:

Hi Revdex.com & Mrs. [redacted],

I apologize for the delay in the response. I was waiting for the resolution of the case between our RMA department and Mrs. [redacted]. We are still communicating with her for a resolution.

We received your Revdex.com case and I have personally looked over the communication between our staff and Mrs. [redacted] in regards to her laptop. I want to preface by apologizing for some of the issues she experienced with our company. I also wish to add that in the original claim by Mrs. [redacted] describing the excessive time it took to resolve her issues, that we do not work on weekends or Federal Holidays as stated on our site and policies and neither does UPS, so it prevents us from shipping items other than Monday-Friday. Therefore, several of the timeframes where we were took time to respond were over the weekend. We request that all communication be kept through email or at least through one form of conversation as it can cause problems as we have specific people handling various types of communication and we are unable to combine tickets from Facebook, the ticket system and email all together.

With that information in mind, I do agree Mrs. [redacted]'s situation could have been handled better when she had opened the ticket on the 13th of February and I am willing to reimburse her for the original shipping she paid for the original delay. I am also willing to reimburse the expedited service, however I want to explain that expedited service does NOT cover out of stock items. Meaning purchasing expedited service does not make an out of stock item ship earlier. Expedited service only puts your order in first/higher priority for the queue for that day, so if an issue occurs, we have more time to resolve issues and insure that it goes out the same day or the first day its available to ship. If issues arise and we require additional testing, then we reimburse the expedited service fee.

In terms of her solution for a refund. While we were late to respond to the support ticket by a week, she did not adhere to the request that she contact us at [email protected] for RMA requests and we had no communication from her for close to two months since our response on the 21st of February requesting her to contact us so we can proceed with an RMA. As a result she is outside the 30 day return window and we cannot grant any additional refunds apart from the original shipping and expedited service that I have already granted. If she had promptly followed up with contacting us requesting a return, we would have granted a refund. She contacted us in April through a facebook (differently as instructed). In either case, we are not responsible if a customer does not follow the proper procedures for returning an item within a resonable timeframe.

We are currently processing her return and believe the issues she is reporting are due to improperly shutting down her system and we are creating a video to demonstrate that the issue she is describing is only present when the system is shut down improperly. We will proceed further after she reviews the video and provides any input, otherwise I am not able to provide more options at this time.

Thank you for your time.

Chief Operations Officer

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

1. The excessive time comments had nothing to do with holidays or weekends. Computer Upgrade King had my laptop in their possession for 6 days before they even opened it (it was received by CUK on 5-10; the only log entries for the comptuer were on 5-16). On 5-17, I received an email stating that the computer was ready to ship and to confirm my address. I immediately confirmed my address. The computer was not shipped back to me UNTIL 5 DAYS LATER. 5-17 was a Friday; 5-22 was a Wednesday. There were no holidays in between. I believe this scenario is a very good description of "excessive time."

2. My request for a refund is mostly due to the fact that Computer Upgrade King is refusing to fix the comptuer and THEY LIED TO ME. I don't trust a company that lies to me and don't wnat to do business with them. When I asked why they waited 5 days to ship the computer back to me, the tech replied "Hi, Sorry for the delay, we wanted to overnight stability test the laptop to make sure it was 100% stable before shipping. -[redacted]" However, NO STRESS TESTING WAS DONE. There are NO logs during the time which is only possible if the computer WAS TURNED OFF.

3. Please note my issues with the laptop:

The computer often locks up, dies, and won’t start back up without requesting a computer repair. I’ve tried to repair the computer to no avail (the media didn’t come with the computer so I had to get it separately). I’ve tried installing the latest bios as the computer says to do, but the update fails. I cannot enter the bios during startup to try to change the boot options or turn on/off UEFI and/or Legacy or disable secure boot, so I’ve given up hope that I can fix the issue. This has happened since day 1 but I hoped a driver update would fix it. It doesn’t happen all the time. Please note that the network often disconnects for no reason as well.

According to Mr [redacted], these problems are all due to an improper shutdown. The computer actually has to be RUNNING for it to lock up or go to sleep on its own. The netowrk has nothing to do with shutting down. Even so, it is NOT acceptable to have a computer that reboots into Recovery. I've had computers for 15 years, and NONE of them reboot into Recovery unless something is corrupt.

I requested my money back because they lied to me and apparently are unwilling to fix the computer. I had trusted that they would be honest and fix the computer when I sent it to them. They had good reviews and I tend to trust people at their word. However, even now they are ignoring the majority of the issues reported on the computer and they are saying it's just fine as is.

Regards,

Review: On 3 July, 2014, I purchased a [redacted] from Computer Upgrade King. I received the product on 14 July, 2014.

After minimal use I found that the laptop was faulty. The laptop would shut down in middle of regular use. I haven't damaged this laptop in any way. I haven't dropped it, or installed software that may have caused harm.

Upon request for return, the seller informed me that they are not willing to refund this item because it was after the 30 day return period. The request was put on 24 August, 42 days after receiving the item. (I was out of the country and didn't get an opportunity to test out the device) . The seller informed me that they are willing to repair the item.

I sent the item in for repair.

After receiving the repaired device, I still found it to be defective. The system continued to shut sown during normal use.

Computer Upgrade King sold me a defective laptop.Desired Settlement: Computer Upgrade King sold me a faulty laptop, and I would like to be fully refunded for this item.

Business

Response:

As the customer has admitted, he has

held the item for over 30 days and the first point of contact was made 42 days

after receiving the item. If the customer had contacted us within the first 30

days we would have allowed him to return the item for a refund or a

replacement. Our policies are clearly outlined on our [redacted] storefront and we

The customer also opened an A-Z case with [redacted] which looks at the claim of

both the buyer and the seller and makes a decision on the outcome. They decided

in our favor, so the customer came back and tried to threaten lawsuits as well

as this case unless we would give in to his demands for a refund. While we are

not offering a refund, we are providing repair for free with prepaid label.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID[redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

I was sold a defective product, and expect a full refund.

Regards,

BUYER BEWARE: THE GOODS SOLD AND DELIVERED ARE NOT AS ADVERTISED!!

THIS COMPANY IS JUST A BUNCH OF TECHIES MAKING MONEY OFF OF LAY PEOPLE SUCH AS MYSELF. THEIR HARD DRIVES DO NOT, REPEAT DO NOT, POSSESS THE MEMORY THEY ADVERTISE. WHEN ONE CALLS TO COMPLAIN THEY ARE GIVEN A COMPLICATED ANSWER ABOUT MANUFACTURERS SPECS NOT MEETING WINDOWS SPECS. IF THEY ALREADY KNEW THIS THEN WHY NOT ADVERTISE THIS FACT? I WILL TELL YOU WHY: THEY WANT YOUR MONEY FIRST.

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND BUY FROM SOMEONE ELSE.