Sending back faulty hardware

Zewp said:
So I'm sending back a week-old faulty screen that has excessive backlight bleed in two of its corners. How does this normally work? Do most companies just exchange it for a new one or does it have to be sent back to the manufacturer directly for inspection?

Would be kinda **** if it's the latter. I was sold a faulty product and I don't feel like waiting a month for a replacement that might not actually happen.
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If you bought it from Incomprehensible Connection, they'll take it in and tell you it will take 7-14 days to fix, take 24 days to call you back, and when you go to pick it up it's exactly as broken as it was when you gave it in.

But hey, maybe I'm just unlucky.
 
Nah, I can completely believe that. I had a friend who worked in tech support at IC for a while and the horror stories he told me ensured they would be the last people I take my hardware to. He told me a guy once dropped a desktop PC off the rack by accident and upon trying to start it up the PSU fried pretty much everything in the case. They just claimed that's how they received it from the customer.
 
Zewp said:
Nah, I can completely believe that. I had a friend who worked in tech support at IC for a while and the horror stories he told me ensured they would be the last people I take my hardware to. He told me a guy once dropped a desktop PC off the rack by accident and upon trying to start it up the PSU fried pretty much everything in the case. They just claimed that's how they received it from the customer.
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Glad my laptop I bought from them hasn't given me any problems
 
Zewp said:
They claim that during their testing the monitor exhibited no excessive backlight issues, which I find very odd. However, they have offered to replace, refund or credit me for it so I must say kudos to them in that regard. I'm not sure what they're going to do with the monitor and I'd feel pretty bad if they are absorbing the loss in this case because it's a manufacturer's defect, but after a week of use and lots of testing on different settings/angles I'm not convinced that there's no issue with that monitor.
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Sounds like double speak to me. Trying to make the consumer feel guilty knowing fully they don't have a leg to stand on. Don't worry mate. They have a lot more clout than us so they'll probably just send it back to the distributor and not give them any choice.
 
Yeah, they sent me a second email telling me that there's nothing wrong with the monitor, that it was probably just an angle issue and explaining that I can't send the next one back if it has the same problem. I used the monitor for a week and tested it on various settings with various calibrations and I always came to the same conclusion; excessive backlight bleed in the bottom left corner.

Regardless, they're not a bad company, but I've learnt my lesson. I won't support any of these smaller online shops again. From now I'll buy everything from TakeAlot because dealing with their support is so much easier and I know they'll make my interests a priority. These smaller shops run themselves like logistics companies on paper-thin margins, so they're always going to look out for their own interests first.
 
Zewp said:
They claim that during their testing the monitor exhibited no excessive backlight issues, which I find very odd. However, they have offered to replace, refund or credit me for it so I must say kudos to them in that regard. I'm not sure what they're going to do with the monitor and I'd feel pretty bad if they are absorbing the loss in this case because it's a manufacturer's defect, but after a week of use and lots of testing on different settings/angles I'm not convinced that there's no issue with that monitor.
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Big up on them. All faith in Wootware restored for replacing it.
As I mentioned I have ZERO backlit problems on mine. I was more concerned about the way they handled your complaint. But seems like they came through in the end. Holding thumbs you'll be happy with the new one like I'm with mine <3
 
PostmanPot said:
Are you sure? I would place a bet that there is some bleed, however not enough to bother you.

We are have different sensitivities to different things.
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I have some bleed on my Samsung Galaxy which is pretty obvious. You can see the lighter patches around the corners one corner in particular but in my screen nothing. Nothing I could notice anyway. I'll try upload pics when I get home to show the difference between the screen and the Tab.
 
PostmanPot said:
Are you sure? I would place a bet that there is some bleed, however not enough to bother you.

We are have different sensitivities to different things.
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Lots of the reviews on this screen claim there is very little backlight bleed, so I don't know. Someone on another South African forum said theirs is also crystal clear. Backlight bleed is to be expected with LED monitors, but this was definitely excessive backlight bleed.

As for what Wootware deems normal, I guess it's pretty similar to how many monitor manufacturers deem 1 or 2 dead pixels not excessive.
 
Zewp said:
Yeah, they sent me a second email telling me that there's nothing wrong with the monitor, that it was probably just an angle issue and explaining that I can't send the next one back if it has the same problem. I used the monitor for a week and tested it on various settings with various calibrations and I always came to the same conclusion; excessive backlight bleed in the bottom left corner.

Regardless, they're not a bad company, but I've learnt my lesson. I won't support any of these smaller online shops again. From now I'll buy everything from TakeAlot because dealing with their support is so much easier and I know they'll make my interests a priority. These smaller shops run themselves like logistics companies on paper-thin margins, so they're always going to look out for their own interests first.
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This sucks. These smaller companies keep going down but they can't seem to learn they can't compete both on price and service.
 
It's quite sad. The Wootware guys are a decent bunch, but support-wise they simply cannot compete with the likes of TakeAlot when it comes to support. TakeAlot has a lot more monetary power so they can easily absorb a loss here and there in order to keep the customer happy, which is what keeps people coming back to them. As a customer who would not accept a product that in my eyes was defective, I feel real sorry for them because the manufacturer is probably going to claim the backlight bleed is also within acceptable levels, but I'm also not going to settle for a sub-optimal product just because I feel bad for them.

I would have paid R150 more for the same thing from TakeAlot, a profit margin TakeAlot probably puts up specifically so it can make up for any losses they incur on returned goods. Sadly, the whole fiasco ended up costing me a lot more than R150, so it's not really worth me saving such small amounts in future if I'm going to sit with possible headaches like these.

Either way, I doubt Wootware will lose much. If they're not lying about being unable to RMA it then they'll just repackage it and sell it as open box goods to the next poor sucker who will think he's getting a great deal. At most they might lose a couple of hundred.
 
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Zewp said:
Either way, I doubt Wootware will lose much. If they're not lying about being unable to RMA it then they'll just repackage it and sell it as open box goods to the next poor sucker who will think he's getting a great deal. At most they might lose a couple of hundred.
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Why would they be lying - how is one supposed to RMA something that isn't faulty?

I'm not undermining that you should have a decent screen if paying for it (although we need accurate pics in order to judge and be objective, you could be overly sensitive seeing as their test concluded it fault-free), but the above reasoning/justifications are just ignorant.

Though as the consumer, your only relationship is with the retailer, but don't now make assumptions as to how things work, and that they aren't losing 'much', to make yourself feel better (you have a heart - noted).

The ultimate test would be getting a swap out, same screen.
 
Lol, FML. The new screen has the same issue in the opposite corner. Possibly even worse. The other 3 corners are immaculate.

Should have taken a refund and saved up for a Samsung. **** LG.
 
Venomous said:
stores tend to send goods in:

if not faulty, then they are stuck with a used item,
if manufacuter declines repair (not saying you did, but if the problem is caused by example dropping, then it is not a warranty matter).
or the supplier has an excellent condition refurb product (apple most common known, but others do it too, samsung, and a few others too) that gets issued as replacement on faulty goods.

so aa much as youhate the monitor being sent away it is in your, the store and the supplier's best interest.
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How is it in your best interest?? Its much better from a client perspective to just get a replacement rather then waiting for it to be inspected,ect. Its only in the store/supplier best interest for it to be send away.
 
I just want to add here.

I have received amazing products and service from wootware. Given I didn't have to exchange anything. I'll definitely use them again. They must just hope there is nothing I need to return.
 
Lesson, don't buy LG as it seems to be a recurring issue like their disk drive trays that get stuck.
 
Pitbull said:
I just want to add here.

I have received amazing products and service from wootware. Given I didn't have to exchange anything. I'll definitely use them again. They must just hope there is nothing I need to return.
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They're actually pretty helpful and friendly, but they might not go the extra mile like a place like TakeAlot will because their profit margins are simply too small. I'm sure with hardware that has more objective faults they won't be as bad. Problem with backlight bleed is it is as some posters said, very subjective.

Swa said:
Lesson, don't buy LG as it seems to be a recurring issue like their disk drive trays that get stuck.
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Yeah, my dad always swore that LG is "kuk van die satan af". I guess now I understand why.
 
All pva and ips panels I've seen have some degree of backlight bleed - even my Samsung f8000, it's not noticeable unless the screen is displaying a total black image or something like the credits at the end of a movie. I find the levels acceptable tho and didn't want to risk a panel with more severe issues. Lcd and led has always been somewhat of a panel lottery.

No, to me even ips glow is a variant of backlight bleed.
 
So which panels are best then if one doesn't want any bleed?
 
TN panels with their fast response times and crappy colors.

What i don't understand tho, is that backlight bleed usually only a problem on big panels (27" plus), in fact I've never seen it on anything smaller than 32"
 
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