UMAX.com Stinks!

I recently bought a Umax Astra 3400 scanner from them, remanufactured, for $47 shipped. I thought I got a pretty good deal till I found out it doesn't work. It's USB and must be represented in Device Manager under Imaging after installation. I followed their installation instructions to the letter only to have it not work. So I received it on Nov 19, 2002 at 4:55. On Nov 20, 8 the next morning, I called their long distance support number (208-552-7980) on 11/20/2002 and spent about 20 minutes on hold and another 40 minutes with a support guy walking me through his version of the install, to no avail. He then took my email address and said he would email me right away after checking on some things with his company. He never emailed. The next morning I sent an message to them on their web based contact form asking why 24 hours had passed with no contact from this guy. No reply. That afternoon, I sent a message to the sales address listed on my invoice:

To: <rodney_harvey@umaxcare.com> Subject: Re: case#39320 order#umx-web2-22163 2nd attempt From: MADwand@MADwand.org Date: Tue, 03 Dec 2002 09:03:35 -0600 >>-----Original Message----- >>From: MADwand@MADwand.org >>Sent: Thursday, November 21, 2002 5:23 PM >>To: sales@umax.com >>Subject: case#39320 order#umx-web2-22163 2nd attempt >> >>So you get my money for this worthless piece of garbage you sold me, jack me out >>of an hour of my long distance because your junk doesn't work, then lie to me >>about following up with email. I completely understand, screw the customer! >>Expect to see your page at http:www.madwand.org in the near future. It's done >>wonders for other companies. >> >>Oh, yeah, expect to see a chargeback on the purchase as well. As much as I hate >>to have spend all the money it's gonna take to get this thing back to you, >>that's the only way they'll credit me. On Wed, 27 Nov 2002 13:59:01 -0600, you wrote: >You will notice this is the second reply you have received from me today. I >am glad to see from the tone of this email that you are a well groomed >person. I am doing what I can and what needs to be done to assist you with >this installation. Thank you for being patient with UMAX and Understanding >that we answer over 1000 emails a day. I also want to thank you for >understanding that we did not build your computer, and that we can only work >with the hardware you have installed in your computer. Please let me know >the results of the use of the file that I have previously sent you. >Rodney Harvey >UMAX Support Center >Phone 214-739-1915 >Fax 214-739-7042 >Please be sure and use REPLY to keep the prior portions of the conversation, >as we do not save e-mail. > Yes, it finally worked. Perhaps if your original support person I spoke to had mentioned that you are overwhelmed with emails, I might have been more patient. Or if he just hadn't LIED to me in the first place, saying he was going to email me further directions, I wouldn't have expected them. It's not really my concern how many emails a day you receive, I'm sure you brought that upon yourself. But you shouldn't misrepresent yourselves to your customers who are seeking help. Perhaps you should include the file you sent me in the documentation of the scanner and you might not be having 1000s of emails a day. And your autoresponder email quotes a THREE DAY REPLY, not a week as it took mine. Don't say 3 days if you don't mean it.

 

It's now the Monday night of the 25th and I have heard nothing from these jerks. Doesn't look like they intend to even contact me on this, much less make good on it. I just now sent another copy of the above to support@umaxcare.com as a reminder. To make everything worse, my IOmagic digital camera is now no longer working on the PC, I can't get it's interface to function after several re-installations since fone guy had me uninstall everything related to imaging.

I made another lengthy call again on 11/27/2002 and again spoke to someone who stated they would send me the necessary documentation. I got it the same day. This documentation consisted of several .doc files that listed complete uninstallation/reinstallation details that were completely different than those listed in the owners manual. After following these steps numerous times, I was never able to get it working on my PC. To rule out the scanner, however, I did install it on my kid's PC, which is an exact copy of mine, except for video and sound card. Following the new install directions, it worked fine, so I have kept it.

The fact that the scanner actually worked was little comfort after the ordeal I had to go through trying to follow an incomplete user's manual and talking to incompetent and deceitful customer support reps. I suspect part of the problem is that the CD installation is so convoluted and intertwined with other utilities in a bundle. The new user cannot simply install the scanner without all the extraneous stuff they might not want/need.

I recently received the following:

From: "Austin" <austin_matthews@umaxcare.com>
Date: Thu, 15 May 2003 10:43:48 -0500

Dear [Sir]:

I found your web page about us on your web site while browsing the internet. I am generally concerned that you have not been treated fairly, and want to make sure our records are correct, and hopefully find some way to make it right with you. According to our case notes, your Umax scanner is now working. What would it take to convince you to remove the page about our company? Please let me know and let's see what we can do.

Thanks, Austin Umax Technologies Inc.

I wrote back:

To: "Austin" <austin_matthews@umaxcare.com>

Date: Wed, 21 May 2003 13:21:00 -0500

As a rule, I do not remove pages. I do, however, usually record how a company has made good on it's problems, or made things worse. In the past, I have even moved a page from the bad section to the good section, for example Sony Electronics Inc. In your case, I neglected to record a lot of information. Specifically, how your service people took, on average, 3 weeks to respond to an email, hours to respond to telephone calls. You speak of your records showing a positive resolution, do you show the numerous emails, phone calls, and complaints I made during that time?

I suggest that if I had kept accurate records on this matter, the page would have been much more interesting. I will update it, to the best of my memory, to show how someone finally sent me a text file detailing removal and reinstallation information that was completely different than that supplied on the CDROM.

If you would like to supply me with dates and copies of replies, that would help for accuracy.

He replied:

From: "Austin" <austin_matthews@umaxcare.com>
Date: Wed, 21 May 2003 14:50:02 -0500

[Dear Sir]:

Thanks for getting back to me. Unfortunately we did have some problems with email some time ago. Since then, I have implemented a better structure of answering emails, so that we know if the agents are responding to them or not. We don't have any copies of those emails, because someone else was in charge of things back then and didn't have the foresight to back up copies of our replies. For that, I apologize.

I show we talked with you via phone two times,

11/20/2002 [11:41:05 CT]
11/27/2002 [15:15:46 CT]

Unfortunately, I don't have the record of our email corespondence.

Thanks, Austin Umax Technologies Inc.

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