intel has the worst customer service...ever
 

this is a rant but read on if you please

a few weeks ago i decided to order Intel's employee purchase package for retail partners. which inluded:

Core 2 Duo E6300
DG965WH Mobo
Windows Vista Ultimate


anyways...i get the package in a few days and get my workbench cleaned off to build the computer. I have 8 years of experience in building computers so this was nothing new to me. I got everything all put together and when i hit the power button for the first time i heard this..."POP....sizzle" and than Flames and sparks shot out of a capacitor on the motherboard. I was outraged by this and imediately call intel. They said well we dont cover physical damange, even though its clearly a manufactuer's defect. Anyways after arguing on the phone with some supervisor they send me a new board.

Yesterday

I get the board installed and try to power the system up. No go..doesn't even beep if the ram isn't installed. I called Intel and told them im going to need a new processor since when the motherboard caught on fire it junked out mine. They than argued with me that i need to go buy a new motherboard and test the processor. I was OUTRAGED by this. Anyways, after awhile i speak with the North American Customer Service Manger (actully an American i could fully understand) and tell him the story. He says well since there was physical damange on the motherboard they wouldn't send me a new processor. I asked him if they got my motherboard back for testing..He told me they threw it away....I than got even more angry and asked him how he was calling it physical damage after never inspecting the broken product. He finally broke down and agreed to send me a new CPU, but I would no longer have a warranty. I really got mad when he said that. After some more arguing he agreed to keep the 3 year warranty. He told me he would overnight the new CPU and some thermal paste to me.

Now for the fun part!


I get home today from school and I see the box waiting for me. I pick it up and it feels kind of light. I opened the box to find it ENTIRELY filled with bubble wrap.. I take out all the bubble wrap carefully and find no CPU, just a little syringe of thermal paste.

SOO

I called Intel again and they said well the CPU is on backorder you will have to wait. I told the woman on the phone that is outrageous and was told by the NA CS manager that I would have my CPU today. Now im waiting for the NA CS Manager to call me back again so I can get myself a CPU.

Will Update when I talk to them again


Moral of the story.

I have always used AMD processors and this was the first intel system i've ever built. I have NEVER had an issue like this with AMD stuff. Yes a few DOA parts here and there but it was NEVER a problem to have them replaced. NEVER purchase anything directly from intel..A

lthough i did get an amazing deal on these parts..Its not worth the past month i have spent on the phone with Intel trying to get a working computer.

Bummer. Nothing worse than poor customer service. It is more common than not, unfortunately.

I have never had Intel-other than for my work machine. AMD all the way if that is a common story for Intel.

a. i've used AMD for the last 10 years. Never had an issue with them, cept when I used too small of a heatsink fan with my 3200+ barton. Now that I got a better volcano (12 I think) it runs my linux box cherry for months at a time w/o being turned off. My laptop does have heating issues and doesn't like linux, but that's more the HP side of it not the AMD processor.

b. as far as technology goes, I had to write a paper in my Management of Technology class on this. Intel-uses 32 bit processors their dual core is 2 -32 bits not 1 -64 bit (AMD), not the new quad chip still is only 32 bit technology just the same chip made smaller, AMD's technology is better they use 64 bits. They also are releasing a quad 64 bit chip soon, if not already.
AMD just has a smaller market share is all. about 20-25%. Intel had to make cutbacks b/c they lost like 2% of the market share.
Anyway even though I live about 10 mins from Intel, I stay away from them if possible.

One bad expierance...I did the same deal some time ago and everything was fine..