Cheap is as cheap does
Written: Sep 28 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: inexpensive
Cons: can't get it to work! difficult to get tech support
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| MiamiDoll's Full Review: Hi-Val CD-RW |
I, like many others, purchased the 2x2x24 Hi-Val CD/RW from Onsale, also because it was a great price (Although now that I've read some of the other reviews, I realize that the price was not as great as I originally thought!!) I had an easy install on my NEC. I wasn't overly pleased with the performance as I was throwing away about every third CD or so, but nonetheless still desperately grateful to finally have a burner. When I purchased a Compaq several months later, I was unable to get it into that machine.
After trying every possible master/slave and CS combo (on both IDE's) I began searching Compaq's message boards to see if anyone else had encountered similar difficulties. Apparently, quite a few people had problems installing the Hi-Val in the 5000 series Compaq's, although I did not find significant problems with other brands. Based on the foregoing, I'm not sure if my problem was the CD/RW unit, or the machine, or the combination of the two together.
I do know however, that I was unable to get live technical support for a period of several months. Every time I called tech support (which was NOT an 800 number initially) I would wait on the line while the phone rang forever before hanging up. Occasionally, I would get a recorded message instructing me to leave my name and number and assuring me that a tech would get back to me as soon as possible. I never received a call from Hi-Val's tech support department over a period covering December 1999 through August 2000. Beginning in January of 2000, I began making attempts to contact their RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) department... same results. Over this period of time, the recorded message was eventually changed and directed me to call a second number. Same results... left messages, no return call.
I happened to find out from a source unrelated to my attempts to solve my problem that Hi-Val had been acquired by Iomagic in August 2000. I called tech support for Iomagic and was directed to a different number for support on Hi-Val products. When I called the new number for the first time, and was told to leave a message and that tech support would return my call, I hung up the phone and called Iomagic back and asked to speak to the Director of Customer Service. I am not joking when I tell you that when I was connected to that number, I was told to leave a message. I left a short terse message on her voicemail. I did receive a call back about 15 minutes later. The woman apologized and explained that Hi-Val had just been acquired by her company and that she had instructed a "senior tech" to call me immediately.
True to her word, the call waiting beeped in while I was speaking to the woman from customer service and it was a tech from (presumably) the Hi-Val division of Iomagic. After walking me through baby steps (which I assured him that I had already covered countless times) he advised me that he'd have to do "a little research."
He called me back about 2 hours later and told me that I'd have to update my firmware. I dl'd the firmware upgrade from JVC's site (because the tech told me that JVC was the actual manufacturer of the unit) I had to put the CD/RW back into the NEC (the old computer) to update the firmware. The CD/RW worked in the NEC before the firmware upgrade (I tried it), and now it will not be recognized by either the NEC or the Compaq. I tried to downgrade the firmware by using an earlier update, but the update program would not allow me to do that. I emailed the tech the next day and he told me that they could not replace the unit or allow me to pay the difference to upgrade the unit to a different model that might work in my computer as the unit had a one year warranty on it.
I never knew this, but I guess you can check all your old orders at onsale, and even still track the shipping on old orders... It had been one year, one week and 2 days since I had ordered the unit and one year and 5 days since I had received the unit via UPS ground. It took me 8 months to get a response from the company.
My e-pinion? Well, my mom always told me, "If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say it at all," so I'll just let the facts speak for themselves.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
MiamiDoll
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
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