REVIEW FROM HELL: DEVILTECH DTX 8000 (Clevo D901C)

[6edo]

(For German readers: sorry, but I am not from Germany and it would take me too long to write this review correctly in your language.)
I was doubting whether to write or not my experience with this German reseller, but I think it is important to tell both, positive and negative experiences. The resellers can also learn something from it and probably next time he will try to react differently or even better.
What I am going to tell you it is not coming from anger anymore. I am not writing something "bad" just because I want my revenge. I am just telling what happened to me before, while and after I tried to order the Clevo D901C by deviltech (DTX 8000) without giving any personal opinion about this reseller.
In Juli 2007 I already ordered the M570RU by Schenker www.mysn.eu (a German reseller), but unfortunately after waiting for 3 weeks, I got the notebook with a wrong CPU (2.2 instead of 2.6) and I had to send it back. Besides it was extremely loud and I wouldn't have kept it even if Schenker had done the right job. I got the money back after 2 weeks.
After seeing that the Clevo D901C was more silent, I decided to order it by German Cyber-System that offers also exterior finish (I wanted the laptop to be painted in red or orange). Cyber-System is unfortunately very expensive, so after reading the www.notebookreview.com  forum, I discovered another German reseller that was offering the same Notebook with exterior finish for much less money. There was a difference of about 500 €! So I cancelled my order by Cyber-System (they sent my money back immediately and without problems) and I ordered my Hell Orange DTX 8000 by www.deviltech.de the first week of October 2007.
The person from deviltech support whom I talked to for about 3 weeks was friendly. I told him that I had to leave Germany in about 3 weeks (later on I discovered he didn't believe it) and that I could order the Notebook only if they could deliver it in two weeks (to have the time to install all my stuff in the new notebook). No problems, he said. I also asked if the exterior finish was a full body painting and he said it was (it costs 299 €). During the time I had to wait, I have been giving several advices to this reseller (I know it sounds unbelievable but I swear it is true!) because they couldn't find the 2GB 800 MHz RAM (I suggested the OCZ since they were stuck with the  1GB from Kingston that still doesn't produce the 2GB one). Then I suggested them to order the Seagate Momentus SATA 200 drives 7200 since they thought that the only SATA drive 7200 on the market was the Hitachi and they were waiting for it (in Europe they are hard to find)! And this was another big help because they could go on with their orders. Then they told me that actually their notebooks were delivered to Cyber-System (!!!) for the painting... and they were complaining about the costs. So I suggested them another place where they could do it for a cheaper price ( www.teutu.de ). I know, it is pretty unusual that a customer has to say to his reseller where to find the hardware and collaborators, but they were friendly and so I was happy to help them (and help myself because otherwise I couldn't have got the 4 GB 800 MHz RAM and the SATA 7200 drives). To repay all my advices we decided I could get for free a USB-Hub (it was later included in the package).
After two weeks, I reminded them that I was going to leave soon and that I desperately needed the Notebook for my trip to Italy because I had to finish a very important work. They didn't manage to send it because there was a delay from Cyber-System. Then they decided to bring the notebook by car to Berlin the day before my trip (they had to deliver also other notebooks to a shop). I accept it because I was hoping to install everything during the night before my flight. I asked them if they tested the hardware and they told me they even managed to install successfully Vista for a try.
They brought the Notebook the 2nd of November around 6 pm. I opened the package and I was pretty satisfied about the metallic orange painting (it was already dark and I couldn't really see it under artificial light).
(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e296/PaulFoster965/img_1330_std.jpg)

(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e296/PaulFoster965/img_1331_std.jpg)
   
(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e296/PaulFoster965/img_1332_std.jpg)

Later on I controlled better the paint, and I noticed that there was a little blister on the top. Unfortunately the paint went immediately off only by caressing it with my hand (see picture).

(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e296/PaulFoster965/NeuesBild.jpg)

Then I realized that actually the finish was only on the top and around the keyboard (the orange paint, see pictures... they didn't paint the rest as promised)! So I actually paid 299 € for a half body exterior finish and this costs by Cyber-System only 99 €! Now I understand that the advice they gave me not to paint the bottom with orange but with black was only because they knew they could leave the bottom without paint if I decided to have it black! Well, I said, let try to install Vista. No way: I was getting always an ERROR! Some members of the notebookreview forum suggested me to make a memory test. And they were right: both RAM didn't work (see pictures).

(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e296/PaulFoster965/img_1326_std.jpg)

(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e296/PaulFoster965/img_1323_std.jpg)

The guy of the support told me that sometimes this happens because of the humidity during the transport. They said also that maybe they could gave me a new top lid because maybe they had another orange Notebook.
But at this point I had no chance. I had to cancel my flight to Italy (and I had no assurance, so I lost 253 €) because without Notebook I couldn't finish an important job for my association.
So I lost some money, I couldn't visit my family (after more than 3 years) and I still didn't have a notebook. I wrote an e-mail during the night asking what we could do. Believe it or not but the next day the people from deviltech didn't say one word to excuse themselves or just to try to deal with me, offering me a new notebook or I don't know what just to repay the troubles and my ticket (they didn't believe of course that I had to leave).

(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e296/PaulFoster965/ticket.jpg)

After that I was so upset that I asked to return the notebook (the same day).  I could have probably given them another chance if they had said something to explain their behaviour and offered me a solution immediately. They just sent the post to pick up the notebook with few dry words after I asked 3 times for it. No sorry, no support, no excuses and this made me even more sad and upset.

After few days I asked per E-Mail when I could get my money back. No answer (this is their typical behaviour... you have to write 3 or 4 times before you get an answer). After few times I was asking, I finally got an answer that I have to send the original bill if I want the money back! Why didn't they say it immediately? I got the money after 2 weeks but THEY KEPT 50 € FOR SHIPPING COSTS.They say that I have to pay for bringing the Notebook to Berlin (why do I have to pay for something I didn't ask personally?) and for the pick up delivery (it costs actually 9,40 € with DHL). After arguing one hour at the phone, they decided to give me the money back (the guy told me: what should we have done? You didn't want the notebook anymore! Why should we be sorry for you or offer you something?). But of course they didn't send me anything and they didn't replay anymore to my phone calls and e-mails. Their policy (AGB) is against the German law that says "online German resellers have to pay all the shipping costs if the costumer gives back his order within 14 days (for German readers:
http://www.pcwelt.de/start/dsl_voip/online/news/96234/ and http://www.vzb.de/UNIQ119574296900786/link3805A.html).
In total I have lost 6 weeks of my time, 253 € for the ticket + 50 € for shipping + phone calls and 5 € stamps.

I hope none of you will ever go through the same bad experience with or without deviltech.

[DevilTech]

Sehr geehrter Kunde,
wo und wann haben Sie bei uns auf der Website bzw. während des Bestellvorgangs das Word Fullbody-Lackierung gelesen? Das Gerät hat standard eine Glossy-Schwarze Unterschale und einen Glossy-Schwarzen Display-Rahmen. Wieso sollten wir das noch mal überlackieren lassen? Wir haben damals bis zu 4 GB Arbeitsspeicher in unseren Notebooks angeboten, allerdings nur mit 667 MHz da unsere Distributoren diesen 800 MHZ damals nicht liefern konnten. Genau wie die Festplatten von Hitachi. Sie können Sich doch bestimmt noch erinnern, dass wir in unsren Shop keinen 800MHZ Speicher angeboten hatten sondern Ihn genauso wie die Festplatten extra für Sie aus einem Endkunden-Shop bestellt haben damit wir Ihren Wünschen nachkommen. Es ist nicht üblich, dass wir im Endkundenbereich unsere Waren einkaufen, deshalb waren wir froh zu wissen, dass es Ihren gewünschten Speicher im Endkundenbereich gibt. Wir hätten gar nicht darauf eingehen sollen das Sie den 800MHZ Speiche bekommen sondern den, der Bestellt wurde. Dann würden wir jetzt nicht kritisiert werden. Der wurde einmalig genau wie die Festplatten, nur für Sie bestellt damit der Liefertermin eingehalten werden konnte. Desweiternen hatten Sie von uns ja auch 100 Euro Sofortrabatt bekommen, und es wurde für Sie ein Notebook fertig gemacht und für Sie an die Hotline geholt damit Sie am Telefon hören wie die Geräuschentwicklung ist. WO BITTE FINDEN SIE SOLCH EINEN SERVICE?
Wenn Sie ein Notebook innerhalb von 2 Wochen wollen, dann kaufen Sie sich eins von der Stange im Media Markt aber nicht bei uns oder anderen Exklusiven Anbietern wie Alienware und CO.
Zu dem Beschädigten Lack:
Sie haben das Gerät nicht später erst kontrolliert. Der Lackfehler konnte am Anfang einfach nur nicht gesehen werden da er nicht da war. Sie haben einem Mitarbeiter am Telefon gesagt, dass Sie mit dem Fingern auf dem Notebook rum gekratzt haben und dabei der Lack abgegangen ist. Was auch absoluter Quatsch ist, dass wir den anderen Bericht auf www.Notebookcheck.com selber geschrieben haben sollen. Gott sei dank wurde diese Textpassage schon von den Redakteuren von Notebookcheck aus ihrem Artikel entfernt.
Zu dem Speicher:
Wieso sollten wir ein Gerät ausliefern was wir am nächsten Tag wieder zurückbekommen???
Des Weiteren wurde das Notebook vor Auslieferung von einem Mitarbeiter getestet, wie jedes Notebook was unsere Firma verlässt. Es hatte den Tag sehr geregnet und es ist auch bei einem anderen grossen Hersteller schon einmal vorgekommen, dass der Speicher eventuell durch Luftfeuchtigkeit während des Transportes Kaputt gegangen ist.
Wir haben Ihnen am selben Tag angeboten das Notebook abholen zu lassen und den Speicher zu tauschen. Diese Aktion hätte insgesamt 2 Tage gedauert. Aber von Ihrer Seite kam in der Nacht nur die Mail das Sie das Gerät zurückgeben wollen. Und das als dank, dass wir so flexibel für Sie gewesen sind?
Sie wollten das Notebook für die Rückgabe von uns abgeholt haben. Wo ist so was üblich? Also haben wir Ihnen die Kosten aufgelegt die nicht 9,40€ betrugen. Lassen Sie mal bitte von DHL ein Paket holen und für 3200€ versichern. Wenn Sie das gemacht haben, dann schreiben Sie bitte noch mal was es kostet. Auch zu Ihnen Persönlich zu kommen hat uns eine Stunde Zeit und Sprit gekostet. Also muss ja irgendwas als Versand berechnet werden oder nicht? Als wir Ihr Notebook zurückbekommen haben, wurde es auch schon mal von Ihnen geöffnet. Da kein Bild mehr erschien und die Teile nicht wieder korrekt eingebaut werden mussten die von Ihnen entfernt wurden.

[Klaus Hinum]

Die Diskussion wurde noch im engl. Notebookreview.com Forum fortgeführt. Interessierte mögen sich weiteres dort durchlesen:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=190415&highlight=deviltech