Epson's Lousy Service + Exorbitant Charges


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It was really disappointing that I didn't find any operating information on websites and within the Epson P2000 manual.

Earlier 2 weeks, while I travelled to Tibet with my Epson P2000 storage viewer, I was dismayed to find that it refused to work at the altitude of 3600m in Lhasa. Fortunately, I had enough CF storage to last me for my trip.

So came back I thought maybe the lowered altitude might let the HDD operate once more, so I tried again, but still the same "Press Reset" message appeared as during my trip. Disheartened, I sent in last week the P2000 to Epson Service Centre.

Saturdays
There's no technicians, only front desk counter staff, so I proceeded to admit my sickened P2000 for repairs. Upon handing over, I informed the staff (Thiru) that my P2000 has gone out of warranty barely for a month or so, and the machine died on me. He told me he would get the technicians to check on it, and there would be an evaluation fee of $42 if I choose not to proceed with the repairs after evaluation.

I argued back that if the repairs cost $500~$600, then I might as well get a new one, and I still have to pay $42 for the evaluation if this is the case!!!

I might as well just buy my own HDD and I told Thiru to get the Epson s/w dept to pass me the P2000 software and I can DIY into the new HDD myself, I go there is to save myself the trouble of repairing it myself and get professional advice, but then all I got was ridiculous charges.

So he told me he would get the technicians to look up the pricing for the HDD and give me a quote before they proceed with the evaluation+repairs. This is so idiotic. Is the P2000 NOT their product? WTF, still need to charge evaluation charges for a $888 product?

Monday
They told me they would try to format the HDD and see if it will still work. So I told them to proceed since I had nothing in the HDD in the first place.

Wednesday
They called me back. They told me the HDD is irrecoverable, they have to change it. Naturally, I asked for the cost. And guess what?

Dialogue...
Thiru: It's, 40GB HDD - $380, Service - $60, there'll be no evaluation charge if you do not proceed
Me: Then it's ok I won't go ahead, I will repair it myself
Thiru: And the software, we can't give it to you sir.
Me: It's ok, I already found it on the internet.

A whopping $420. I don't know if the HDD is made of gold or diamonds, but I'm pretty sure a 80GB in Sim Lim Square costs NO MORE than S$90. I don't know how they got this figure and where the HDD came from which died on me in Tibet. If I have to pay $380 for such a crappy HDD, I might as well get a $90 HDD and DIY and what's more, it'll be 80GB instead of 40GB!!!

Thanks to my friend Kirby, he manage to find the Epson P2000 s/w image on the internet, and also a movie on how to replace the HDD within the P2000. Tomorrow I'm going to collect back the P2000 and DIY my repairs.

Pui, Epson service sux. So do their products. $380 for a 40GB HDD. Why don't they just give me an option to purchase their P5000?
 

Dump the Epson and get another brand.

That said, repair places charge a lot to repair things nowadays.
 

The $42 (include GST) evaluation check is actually the service charge to look at the problem on your device. This price is quite normal nowadays. Diff company charge differnet prices. I only know panasonic charge $31.50 for the service charge.

Talk to the technician nicely, sometimes they could waive the service charge.

The price of the HDD is a old price + mark up. Svc centre price list does not fluctuate with the current market price list. That is the head office policy and not what the service center wants.

As with all electronics, when it will fails depends a lot on your luck. Especially HDD, that y so many of us backup so often.

I used to work there as a technician many years ago so I know how they work and operate.
P.S. Do you feel the sensor cleaning of a fuji DSLR expensive @ $89?
 

Pat...pat....it's like that....I have countless of experiences dealing with all these "branded" product support...be it HP, IBM, Cisco etc etc....the people that doing the task might not even as well verse as ourself but because of the policy....they have to do it their way :thumbsd:

I was also looking at the Epson previously but luckily someone did posted the high altitute problem of the device before......I guess the only solution is to pack more memory and fortunately they are getting more affordable :thumbsup:
http://sg.hardwarezone.com/priceguide/newsview.php?id=2042
 

Dump the Epson and get another brand.

That said, repair places charge a lot to repair things nowadays.
Going to do just that. My friend's XDriveII survived tibet, and my $888 Epson didn't. What a joke.


The $42 (include GST) evaluation check is actually the service charge to look at the problem on your device. This price is quite normal nowadays. Diff company charge differnet prices. I only know panasonic charge $31.50 for the service charge.

Talk to the technician nicely, sometimes they could waive the service charge.

The price of the HDD is a old price + mark up. Svc centre price list does not fluctuate with the current market price list. That is the head office policy and not what the service center wants.

As with all electronics, when it will fails depends a lot on your luck. Especially HDD, that y so many of us backup so often.

I used to work there as a technician many years ago so I know how they work and operate.
P.S. Do you feel the sensor cleaning of a fuji DSLR expensive @ $89?
I'm not that worried about HDD failing, but it's the aftersales support that pisses me off. Come on, be realistic, $380?? I believe they will take back the hold HDD, send it for RMA and the next unfortunate soul that comes along will end up with the RMA'd HDD!

Charging me for service is fine, but even before the repairs have taken place, I would be charged $42 for the evaluation is crazy. Is Epson that desperate to make $? I'm just very sad that such ridiculous pricings and rules made it to me.

I didn't get to talk to the technician, else I'm pretty sure I can convince them to waive my service charge! Saturdays, the technicians aren't in.



Pat...pat....it's like that....I have countless of experiences dealing with all these "branded" product support...be it HP, IBM, Cisco etc etc....the people that doing the task might not even as well verse as ourself but because of the policy....they have to do it their way :thumbsd:

I was also looking at the Epson previously but luckily someone did posted the high altitute problem of the device before......I guess the only solution is to pack more memory and fortunately they are getting more affordable :thumbsup:
http://sg.hardwarezone.com/priceguide/newsview.php?id=2042
Sigh, I should not have brought it along, $888 can get me quite a few pieces of ExtremeIII 8GB! Next time I think I will pack along more CFs than portable storage. I would have thought a HDD could survive the altitude, apparently, Epson's portable storage media viewer can't. Pui... My $350 PSP survived, my $500 HP survived, even a $31 torchlight survived.

But a $888 product didn't.


sometime i get my sensor cleaned for FOC for out of warranty cam.
:bsmilie:

sometimes service counts....it makes the cust feel at ease and happy
It would be also good to be realistic with repair charges. What Epson did made me feel like they don't want to do the repairs and aren't interested in repairs. This is really pathetic.

Those who want to get Epson products, think again. I think after my Epson R210 dies, I will switch printers. Somebody else was banging table at the service centre on saturday too. This is really bad.
 

Hi Bro,

Sorry to hear of the bad experience with you laptop.

HDD crash at high altitude - may be inevitable. From my understanding even helicopters may have problem at high altitude due to the thinning of the air(lower air density) - hence crashing. What more with a device that have a moving spindle like the HDD and the hovering air gap of the hard disk read head may not have the right air gap at that altitide end-up causing permanent damage. Your other device does not have a HDD in them.

As for the service part of the service center, I guess these charges are high as these are un avoidable. There are people in the chain and repair process to be paid. $$$=time. These pricing for services are normally set by the higher HQ and these innocent people on the front desk and service center are just doing their job.

I myself just crashed my HDD a few weeks back, thank god i do have periodic backup via external drive.

Just remember high altitude's effects on some devices.
 

And I thought technology was supposed to make things better not cause more problems. I guess not eh? :bsmilie:
 

i think this things are very common now.had this experience last week,bought two handphones one for my wife and mine.i got her an lg and mine a samsung.but her bluetooth doesnt seem to work.so i brought it down to greatworld-COSTTYRE.since its only two days,i ask them if i get a replacement.and they just say cannot.the thing is-they're asking me make the payment,even before i can open the box.it really sux aint it!!
 

Hi Bro,

Sorry to hear of the bad experience with you laptop.

HDD crash at high altitude - may be inevitable. From my understanding even helicopters may have problem at high altitude due to the thinning of the air(lower air density) - hence crashing. What more with a device that have a moving spindle like the HDD and the hovering air gap of the hard disk read head may not have the right air gap at that altitide end-up causing permanent damage. Your other device does not have a HDD in them.

As for the service part of the service center, I guess these charges are high as these are un avoidable. There are people in the chain and repair process to be paid. $$$=time. These pricing for services are normally set by the higher HQ and these innocent people on the front desk and service center are just doing their job.

I myself just crashed my HDD a few weeks back, thank god i do have periodic backup via external drive.

Just remember high altitude's effects on some devices.
the HD is a sealed unit. the altitude and pressure doesn't affect the head/platte gap. In fact, the firmware in the HD will compensate for that
 

the HD is a sealed unit. the altitude and pressure doesn't affect the head/platte gap. In fact, the firmware in the HD will compensate for that

Hard disks aren't sealed. Air flows in and out via a small hole in the enclosure that is covered only by a dust filter..
 

Hi Bro,

Sorry to hear of the bad experience with you laptop.

HDD crash at high altitude - may be inevitable. From my understanding even helicopters may have problem at high altitude due to the thinning of the air(lower air density) - hence crashing. What more with a device that have a moving spindle like the HDD and the hovering air gap of the hard disk read head may not have the right air gap at that altitide end-up causing permanent damage. Your other device does not have a HDD in them.

As for the service part of the service center, I guess these charges are high as these are un avoidable. There are people in the chain and repair process to be paid. $$$=time. These pricing for services are normally set by the higher HQ and these innocent people on the front desk and service center are just doing their job.

I myself just crashed my HDD a few weeks back, thank god i do have periodic backup via external drive.

Just remember high altitude's effects on some devices.
Thanks sulhan for understanding my predicament, but it's not my laptop, I didn't bring my MBP along with me, I only brought an Epson P2000. It's the HDD within the P2000 that failed. I saw a foreigner in Lhasa using his MacBook happily with no issues, but mine just died on me the first day I hit Lhasa/Tibet.

I understand that charges are there to ensure that time/effort is paid for, but then that's what the service charge of $60 is about isn't it? It's the extorbitant price of $380 for a 40GB that turns me off. I just got an 80GB from SLS that cost me only $90, right now, I've already split open the P2000 and removed the internal HDD - Hitachi 40GB. Tonight or tomorrow, I will proceed to restore a downloaded backup image of the P2000 into the 80GB.

And this will cost me no more than $100 (including transport).

I was prepared to pay $160 for the 40GB HDD and service by P2000, but noooooo they charge me a whopping $440!!!!!

I'm just so dismayed that the altitude killed the HDD. Like I mentioned, my PSP, CF, camera, flash, etc all worked fine. Except a stupid P2000. My sister's 60GB iPod video failed to work in Tibet, but when got home the internal HDD began to work itself again. Only my P2000's HDD just KIA and I was offered an extorbitant price of $440 to have it's HDD replaced.

The other thing that pissed me off is the evaluation charge, even before any thing goes, they are already trying to charge me for evaluating the problems and thereafter, if I choose not to proceed with the repairs, I have to pay that $42.

Irritating and stupid. I'm surprised they can survive so long with such service. Grrr.
 

i think this things are very common now.had this experience last week,bought two handphones one for my wife and mine.i got her an lg and mine a samsung.but her bluetooth doesnt seem to work.so i brought it down to greatworld-COSTTYRE.since its only two days,i ask them if i get a replacement.and they just say cannot.the thing is-they're asking me make the payment,even before i can open the box.it really sux aint it!!

Always check if the shop allows for refund or exchange for defective goods within the first few days after purchase. Your best bet is to bring it to LG or Samsung and tell them to replace with a new unit if there's something wrong.
 

Thanks sulhan for understanding my predicament, but it's not my laptop, I didn't bring my MBP along with me, I only brought an Epson P2000. It's the HDD within the P2000 that failed. I saw a foreigner in Lhasa using his MacBook happily with no issues, but mine just died on me the first day I hit Lhasa/Tibet.

I understand that charges are there to ensure that time/effort is paid for, but then that's what the service charge of $60 is about isn't it? It's the extorbitant price of $380 for a 40GB that turns me off. I just got an 80GB from SLS that cost me only $90, right now, I've already split open the P2000 and removed the internal HDD - Hitachi 40GB. Tonight or tomorrow, I will proceed to restore a downloaded backup image of the P2000 into the 80GB.

And this will cost me no more than $100 (including transport).

I was prepared to pay $160 for the 40GB HDD and service by P2000, but noooooo they charge me a whopping $440!!!!!

I'm just so dismayed that the altitude killed the HDD. Like I mentioned, my PSP, CF, camera, flash, etc all worked fine. Except a stupid P2000. My sister's 60GB iPod video failed to work in Tibet, but when got home the internal HDD began to work itself again. Only my P2000's HDD just KIA and I was offered an extorbitant price of $440 to have it's HDD replaced.

The other thing that pissed me off is the evaluation charge, even before any thing goes, they are already trying to charge me for evaluating the problems and thereafter, if I choose not to proceed with the repairs, I have to pay that $42.

Irritating and stupid. I'm surprised they can survive so long with such service. Grrr.
actually cool down man dude, understandable frustration but it is a common practice nowadays for "evaluation charges". Service and repair charges are always based on Suggested Retail Price of the original replacement part so naturally it is an exorbitant price.

If you can do it yourself, then do it yourself and save the money. No point killing extra cells in your body by being affected negatively by such an event :) At least now you got a 80gB P2000 :D

In fact I have had good experiences with epson but its with the printers/scanners. I used to lose the software to my scanner and I couldn't get the software from the internet so i went down to the showroom in funan and the nice dudes there went all the way to locate the old software for me and i just had to pass them a CD-R where they burnt a copy of the software for me :D
 

actually cool down man dude, understandable frustration but it is a common practice nowadays for "evaluation charges". Service and repair charges are always based on Suggested Retail Price of the original replacement part so naturally it is an exorbitant price.

If you can do it yourself, then do it yourself and save the money. No point killing extra cells in your body by being affected negatively by such an event :) At least now you got a 80gB P2000 :D

In fact I have had good experiences with epson but its with the printers/scanners. I used to lose the software to my scanner and I couldn't get the software from the internet so i went down to the showroom in funan and the nice dudes there went all the way to locate the old software for me and i just had to pass them a CD-R where they burnt a copy of the software for me :D
I'm just pissed that the level of support and service is as such, fortunately I don't own one of those thousand buck printers/projectors, else I will regret. Now my P2000 is split... still haven't recover the image to the HDD to test. Once tested, then at least it's back and alive again.

The software I also did before, those can be downloaded, but they actually refused to give me the software for the P2000 for me to DIY. Sheeesh... Grrr...
 

I guess this is roughly the same reason why I have not bought any Toshiba note book computer since the 1st one.

Wazzup, if you can tell company's big guns in Japan about it, it may actually do them a favour.

This may be just another case of the local branch maintenance department of a company going haywire to justify their own existence (high salary + high staffing) and charging moronic sums of money for repair of the company's products. They are killing the efforts of their marketing departments and manufacturing departments. Consumers will not buy after bitter experiences.
 

I guess this is roughly the same reason why I have not bought any Toshiba note book computer since the 1st one.

Wazzup, if you can tell company's big guns in Japan about it, it may actually do them a favour.

This may be just another case of the local branch maintenance department of a company going haywire to justify their own existence (high salary + high staffing) and charging moronic sums of money for repair of the company's products. They are killing the efforts of their marketing departments and manufacturing departments. Consumers will not buy after bitter experiences.
If I can find the contacts of the big guns, I would, I have contacts with a few Epson people but they are not in charge of the service side, it would be rude of me to send the emails to them and for them to disseminate up to the bigger bosses.

I'm willing to pay for the repairs if it is reasonable, but $380 for an old 40GB 4200RPM Hitachi HDD (I split my P2000 and saw the HDD is only 4200RPM) is ridiculous! If they are trying to deter me from repairing my set they succeeded!! However, if they thought I am going to purchase a P5000 to replace the P2000, they can forget it!!

If my friend's $200+ XDriveII can survive up to 5000m+ altitude, then I rather not get any more Epson $8xx+ P*000 products to avoid such unhappy scenarios. Fortuantely I had enough CF storage. Imagine me on the outskirts and country sides of Tibet and having to suck my thumb because my P2000 failed to work is crazy!!!!

It's the service level and attitude of the service staff and Epson that turns me off. Never going to buy another Epson product. I'll replace my Epson R210 with something else when I need to. Grrrrr.
 

I just tried to RMA the HDD inside the P2000 online.

Guess what? The HDD is still valid for RMA!!! There's still warranty on it!

So I guess what's going to happen if I agree to have the repairs @ Epson done is that they will take back the old HDD, do a RMA, whilst charging me at the same time $440 for a repair option of the same 4200RPM 40GB 2.5" HDD.

This is like so... unorthodox. Earning and benefitting both ways. I'm sure glad I didn't take up their offer. Now I'm ghosting the P2000 image back to the new 80GB HDD I got earlier, crossing my fingers.
 

It seems unethical. But wonder if there is a chance they might tell you after doing the repair, that it is all FOC as the hard disk was within warranty period.

Wonder if they are such good hearted persons.
 

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