Impressive PC World service

[Guest AndiTails]

Ok, I think I might be in shock.. but...

Just got off Skype with PC World Customer Services (if you dial +448000234701 in Skype, and choose Option 4 for 'any other queries' you get through to Customer Services and best of all, it's free! You don't need credit as 0800 numbers are free on Skype - and I don't have a landline) as sadly my Vega tablet's touch screen has gone crazy :(

Basically, a finger-width line down the right hand side is not responding to touch -- yes, exactly where the soft-buttons are on screen!!

Really frustrating, and Screen Calibration doesn't fix it :)

They checked my local store for stock - 13 in stock (gone are the days of rare as hen's teeth) and I can just pop in and swap it.

Normally with PC World, it's only within 21 days, but apparently the Vega is just swap on site within manufacturers warranty (they would've courier collected it too, but I'd prefer to speed things up a bit!).

Anyhow - thought I would be nice to let you guys know that if you do get a hardware problem, you won't have to wait weeks for them to send a replacement or 'repair' it. Just swap and go!

So, I've made a ClockworkMod backup, pulled data.img, recovery.img & system.img into a custom NVFlash recovery, and will flash that onto my new tablet tomorrow morning to get back up and running in record time :(

(Thought it would be nice to post something positive about PC World for a change!)

Edited March 4, 2011 by AndiTails

[Guest trevor432990]

Nice one thanks for letting us know :(

[Guest rferrett]

They were ace with me when mine needed replacing too. In fact I have been really imp-ressed with the way DSG/Advent have dealt with us from day one.

If they release a Vega MK2 with updated specs I reckon I am pretty likely to show some brand loyalty TBH.

[Guest Neil R]

I'm just about to drop mine into my local Curry's/PCWorld - hopefully to swap for a brand spanker as the SD card reader seems to have gone pop.

I mail-ordered it early Feb so I'm past the 21 day rule, bloke in the call centre said try a local branch and they should swap it out. I'll let you know how I get on....

[Guest TylerDurdenK]

I am going to be counting on this level of service today, as my Vega is going back because of a distortion issue with the headphone socket.

[Guest AndiTails]

Well I'm back and typing this away on my new tablet :-)

There was a slight issue: the Vega is still setup on the system as a repair product and not exchange so I had to get customer services to authorise it. It is something they are changing on the system though.

If you have any issues, just get the store to call custoner services as they are all aware now.

Also got a new screen protector thrown in as of course I couldn't reuse the old one.

I'm actually liking the screen without the protector on..... its clearer!

[Guest Dyonas]

I got my tablet this week, delivered on Wednesday to be precise. I was glad to finally get my hands on it and fired it up only to notice a small scratch on the bezel. No big deal, I could probably live with that but then I noticed three small marks, a little bigger than pixels, in a triangular shape at the top right of the screen. I grabbed a cloth and tried to clean them off and that's when I noticed they were UNDER the screen. They weren't dead pixels as they were visible when the thing wasn't turned on.

Annoyed and frustrated I rang the help line and although it was technical support the guy put me on hold to find out what I should do. I'd ordered it online as my local PC World had no stock still and I asked if I could take it back as I know the Currys store next door had them in stock, at least according to the website. He advised me to take it into PC World and tell them that I'm not happy and want a refund and then just go next door and pick up one from Currys if I wanted to. Not too big a deal, at least I could do it without sending the thing off and waiting again... I thought. I got to PC World, explained the problem and said what I'd been told on the phone. Nope! The guy behind the counter said he could only refund or replace it if they had them in stock and the system was showing they had none... A bit irritated I asked if I could take it next door to Currys and swap it there, a few seconds later he looks on the computer and says they have none and there are none in the whole area.

Frustration levels rising at this point with me facing a delay while I send it off but I figured while I was there I may as well go in Currys and check for myself. What a surprise! They DO have them in stock, nice computer system there PC World... I explained the situation again and the guys helping me couldn't have been better about it and said that if he could find my order in their system he'd be able to. He took a few details, found the order and asked if I wanted a refund or replacement. Initially I said a refund but then decided on a replacement if I could check it before I left. He said that was fine and another Vega was brought out. Now a little problem came up. I'd picked the Vega online without Flash as it was around £5 cheaper, the replacement was a pre-installed one. Imagine my surprise when I was told there was £4.01 to pay... the other guy there said to just put it down as a £4.01 discount and after escaping the attempt of selling me a warranty with offers of a free case and screen protector I was off on my way home.

I'm happy with how Currys staff dealt with it but not happy with what I was told by PC World both on the phone and then in store. Both said different things and the store even said there were no Vegas in stock in the whole area. As a general rule I avoid PC World unless I just want to grab something specific quickly or in an emergency. I've had decent experiences with PC World but this has oddly made me dubious. Part of me wonders if the guy at PC World just messed up with the system check or if he was trying to avoid a refund on his books.

Positives and negatives there for the thread :(