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Newegg: No, We'll Totally Take Returns After You Install Linux

consumerist.com

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Re: Newegg: No, We'll Totally Take Returns After You Install Linux

#31

Post by eeperson »

x1 wrote: post #3

(I posted this earlier... this is a little off topic) https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AsusZenbook#Suspend http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1774661 First off, I'm glad newegg will accept returns but we've got a HUGE problem in the linux community with these newer laptops. The problem isn't that newegg needs to accept our laptops but why these newer laptops are getting bricked by linux! I want an ultrabook. I…

You can already get pretty close to this with a Thinkpad. I have a Thinkpad T420 and it runs Debian Wheezy flawlessly. Of course you will have to make some tradeoffs in the weight/battery life department because Linux isn't as good about battery life. However, I am able to get about 5hrs with an extended battery and it still feels lighter than a 13in Macbook Pro. You can also replace the CD/DVD drive with an extra battery if you want longer battery life without affecting weight much.

Re: Newegg: No, We'll Totally Take Returns After You Install Linux

#33

Post by DanielStraight »

steve8918 wrote: post #21
rfrey wrote: post #6

It's a remarkable (to me) number of comments to the OP saying they're glad Newegg refunded the money and apologized, but they would still never buy from them. Seems to me like Newegg acted quickly and unambiguously. The flip side of the "punish bad behaviour" coin is "reward correct behaviour". Maybe it was, as many commenters are suggesting, just the public shaming that got Newegg to act, but maybe not... in any eve…

What they need is a post-mortem and a transparent analysis of the situation posted on their website, similar to what Heroku did with their outage. If they can show that the reason why this occurred was because of a break in a process, and this process was fixed, then I wouldn't have any problems with Newegg. If the refund was a one-off situation to quiet the public outcry, and they don't care about fixing their gener…

Why? Why is "we made a mistake, we're offering to fix it" not enough? What more could they say? Do you want the name of the rep who made the mistake? Do you want them fired? Neither one of these seems remotely reasonable, but I'm not sure what else you could want.

It was a simple human error. Customer service agent was wrong about the policy. It happens.

Re: Newegg: No, We'll Totally Take Returns After You Install Linux

#34

Post by billswift »

pcopley wrote: post #22
billswift wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a difference between "doing the right thing" because it is the right thing and doing it because the victim screamed loud enough. Some people will no doubt go back to using them, and more probably will if they are consistent about doing the right thing.

Doing the wrong thing (completely ignoring Norma) Clearly Newegg is in one of the middle categories. Personally, I think as long as customers are taken care of it doesn't so much matter what the decision making behind it is.

I agree that the main point is customer service, not some abstract right thing, but waiting until they scream loud enough is not properly taking care of customers.

Re: Newegg: No, We'll Totally Take Returns After You Install Linux

#35

Post by gamache »

rfrey wrote: post #6

It's a remarkable (to me) number of comments to the OP saying they're glad Newegg refunded the money and apologized, but they would still never buy from them. Seems to me like Newegg acted quickly and unambiguously. The flip side of the "punish bad behaviour" coin is "reward correct behaviour". Maybe it was, as many commenters are suggesting, just the public shaming that got Newegg to act, but maybe not... in any eve…

It's also remarkable to me that Newegg would become the target of an internet lynch mob. I know dozens of IT professionals and Newegg has done right by all of us for years. I can't think of another hardware retailer that's gotten better word of mouth.

A company is allowed to make a mistake once in a while! This was resolved quickly and to the (internet loudmouth) customer's satisfaction. Let's give them credit.

Re: Newegg: No, We'll Totally Take Returns After You Install Linux

#36

Post by laconian »

mayneack wrote: post #32
Karunamon wrote: post #5

And it only took a huge outcry...

Looks like this approach is useful for more than just "google disabled my account that runs my legitimate business" cases.

How do you think the guys at Newegg feel about this? How would you feel if this was the norm for how your customers escalated their cases with your company?

Re: Newegg: No, We'll Totally Take Returns After You Install Linux

#37

Post by Udo »

incongruity wrote: post #30
steve8918 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What they need is a post-mortem and a transparent analysis of the situation posted on their website, similar to what Heroku did with their outage. If they can show that the reason why this occurred was because of a break in a process, and this process was fixed, then I wouldn't have any problems with Newegg. If the refund was a one-off situation to quiet the public outcry, and they don't care about fixing their gener…

Are you sure it's a "general problem"? Just as much as fixes can be "one-off"s, so can problems. Is there a repeated pattern that I missed? If not, I'm not quite sure how one makes the leap to the generalization of this problem.

It's an issue if you're sending in your stuff to RMA and you have to rely on your luck as to whether they exchange it or not. As a customer I would want to know what the policy actually is. This issue comes at a delicate time where a lot of people feel they are stripped of simple ownership rights for their digital devices, left completely at the mercy of huge companies who have a vested interest in being unhelpful.

Re: Newegg: No, We'll Totally Take Returns After You Install Linux

#38

Post by kamechan »

eeperson wrote: post #31
x1 wrote: post #3

(I posted this earlier... this is a little off topic) https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AsusZenbook#Suspend http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1774661 First off, I'm glad newegg will accept returns but we've got a HUGE problem in the linux community with these newer laptops. The problem isn't that newegg needs to accept our laptops but why these newer laptops are getting bricked by linux! I want an ultrabook. I…

You can already get pretty close to this with a Thinkpad. I have a Thinkpad T420 and it runs Debian Wheezy flawlessly. Of course you will have to make some tradeoffs in the weight/battery life department because Linux isn't as good about battery life. However, I am able to get about 5hrs with an extended battery and it still feels lighter than a 13in Macbook Pro. You can also replace the CD/DVD drive with an extra ba…

i have a t420 running arch, and am able to get 13 hours on idle and 10-12 doing work. posted something about how i did this here: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3564400

Re: Newegg: No, We'll Totally Take Returns After You Install Linux

#39

Post by incongruity »

Udo wrote: post #37
incongruity wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you sure it's a "general problem"? Just as much as fixes can be "one-off"s, so can problems. Is there a repeated pattern that I missed? If not, I'm not quite sure how one makes the leap to the generalization of this problem.

It's an issue if you're sending in your stuff to RMA and you have to rely on your luck as to whether they exchange it or not. As a customer I would want to know what the policy actually is. This issue comes at a delicate time where a lot of people feel they are stripped of simple ownership rights for their digital devices, left completely at the mercy of huge companies who have a vested interest in being unhelpful.

But that's just it – why do you jump to the conclusion that one must rely on luck? One mistake doesn't necessarily indicate a pattern.

I challenge you to name one retailer or other customer-facing that has never had a single problematic interaction with a customer.

The good companies are the ones that don't make it a pattern and the good companies are the ones that fix problems directly.

Re: Newegg: No, We'll Totally Take Returns After You Install Linux

#40

Post by fdr »

DanielStraight wrote: post #33
steve8918 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What they need is a post-mortem and a transparent analysis of the situation posted on their website, similar to what Heroku did with their outage. If they can show that the reason why this occurred was because of a break in a process, and this process was fixed, then I wouldn't have any problems with Newegg. If the refund was a one-off situation to quiet the public outcry, and they don't care about fixing their gener…

Why? Why is "we made a mistake, we're offering to fix it" not enough? What more could they say? Do you want the name of the rep who made the mistake? Do you want them fired? Neither one of these seems remotely reasonable, but I'm not sure what else you could want. It was a simple human error. Customer service agent was wrong about the policy. It happens.

I agree that things happen, but I think people are often suspicious that a vendor is making life more difficult than necessary systematically on the supposition that "de jure" need not match "de facto".

Just a brief statement of intent and mechanism of the mistake would help in a public forum.

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