RM miniBook aka EeePC

Now, I love these little things, as they are very nice for kids and good for using when configuring devices with RS232 ports.

But getting one repaired, that is pretty difficult.

We have a unit where the mouse buttons have stopped working.

So, as we bought it from RM, and they sell it as an RM unit, I contact their support site. A little while later I get a reply saying 'you need to contact the manufacturer direct on this number'.

Ok, I call said number and get told I need to use their website.

So I go to their website, where I have to sign up, then I have to register the device, and then I have to log a support request.

I then get an email back saying that I have to go to another site and fill out an almost identical form to have it sent back.

Why is it such a difficult process?

When I have a HP problem, I go to their support site, (which, true I had to sign up for) and just log a request - then someone turns up the next day.

Fujitsu-Siemens (even though I've had problems with them too), you call them up, and they send out a bloke with a box.

Apple, you call them up and they send a courier.

Why is it such a long process? It shouldn't take me 4 hours to log a support request!!!!

I will be investigating the HP, Acer and Dell products I think, if this is the sort of support I am to expect!

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Originally Posted by localzuk

So, as we bought it from RM, and they sell it as an RM unit, I contact their support site. A little while later I get a reply saying 'you need to contact the manufacturer direct on this number'.

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Legally in the UK, isnt the place that actually sells the items meant to take it back if its faulty?

Within a certain amount of time, I believe so, yes. I think 12 months is the norm isn't it?

@localzuk:
Welcome to the world of managed ermmm wait a minute (not managed very well) services to education.
I would advise anyone who is considering buying new equipment try and get local or at least supported in this country as support from major companies seems to be not very good at the moment probably due to cutbacks through the dreaded "credit crunch" first thing to go is support.

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Originally Posted by localzuk

Within a certain amount of time, I believe so, yes. I think 12 months is the norm isn't it?

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12 months yep.


For all the talk RM have done 0 support for this. Never again.

Yes had similar when using an Asus RF-1 tablet, RM not interested and just gave me the number to contact Asus direct. Absolute nightmare to get hold of, and repair took an age. Wouldn't use them again based on my experiences.

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Originally Posted by bossman

@localzuk:
Welcome to the world of managed ermmm wait a minute (not managed very well) services to education.
I would advise anyone who is considering buying new equipment try and get local or at least supported in this country as support from major companies seems to be not very good at the moment probably due to cutbacks through the dreaded "credit crunch" first thing to go is support.

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Not really true - RM is very much a "local" company; it is and always has been based in the UK. HP, on the other hand, is not a local company (although it does have offices in the UK) but generally gives better support.

The big thing is money (and the credit crunch won't help). If you pay £200 for a mini-book then you get £200 worth of product, including support. The equivalent HP is about £300-£400. That gives HP rather more money to build a higher quality machine and to offer better support.

The other difficulty with something like the mouse buttons is that I suspect a manufacturer could easily argue that this is expected wear and tear. If that's the case then the warranty is irrelevant (the "classic" legal case is with shoes - if you pay £20 for a pair of fashion shoes then you shouldn't expect them to last anywhere near a year. Pay £200 for a pair of walking boots and you'd expect them to outlive you and the manufacturer probably will replace/repair if necessary)

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Legally in the UK, isnt the place that actually sells the items meant to take it back if its faulty?

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That's consumer law... not business. If memory serves correctly the whole 12-months-from-where-you-bought-it doesn't apply when it's business customers. Only applies to retail sales to private individuals.

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Only applies to retail sales to private individuals.

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Thats correct, with a b2b sale you are normally bound by the sellers terms and conditions. Although I would have thought RM might have done some leg work and put a little pressure on ASUS to get it sorted.