# Computer from hell



## ROADTOAD (Jan 15, 2006)

I have an Acer Aspire T160 which has been to their warranty repair facility 5 times now since January. They seem incapable of repairing it, or even of sending it back to me repaired! The first 3 times it was returned to me it would not work. The first time it didn't have an operating system, the second time showed a Bios screen error that neither I nor any of their so called support techs could fix, and the third time showed the exact same error screen. Finally, after the fourth trip they "fixed" it by blaming all the problems on an IDE cable that had been installed by Circuit City when I bought the thing. I had them install a hard drive from my previous computer into it and they blamed all the problems the thing had on that cable by saying it was old, worn, frayed, shorting, and never should have been used. I had Circuit City check that cable, and they said it was fine, as did the independent dealer in town. It also works just fine in this computer, an ancient eMachines I use as my backup. Starting at the third repair I started asking for a replacement but that is apparently against some "company policy." At one point they had it for two months screwing around with it and I'm using a 6 year old computer. I tried the "Better Business Bureau" but they proved to be absolutely bleeping useless. I just sent it in for it's *fifth * time. If I had my way I would have delivered to them from 30,000 feet without a parachute. If ANYONE out there has ANY ways of dealing with this blind, deaf, incompetent, idiotic, pigheaded, so called computer company PLEASE let me know!!


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## Pistoff (Oct 5, 2004)

Acer was banned from the US for fraudulant acts for three years/about four years ago. I am seeking the story to back-up my claims now. 
Check THIS
THIS


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## SIR****TMG (Aug 12, 2003)

Nice story pistoff


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## Stoner (Oct 26, 2002)

It appears I've been lucky with my Acer T180.

As cheap as I've been seeing many of the intro computers selling at these days, 200 to 300 dollars, one has to wonder at the quality and I suspect there are many horror stories building up on those sales.

I recently built a computer for an off line purpose that turned out quite well. When the time comes to replace the Acer, I'll be assembling one out of known quality parts.
So far, the experience with my Acer has been good, but I had heard the customer service was lacking before I purchased it. The price tag was what swayed my decision. 


I hope you get satisfaction, Roadtoad.
But sometimes you just have to grab the bull by the horns and fix it yourself.
There should be some TSG members in one of the Tech forums that can help, if you wind up with out getting satisfaction on your warranty.


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## Pistoff (Oct 5, 2004)

SIR****TMG said:


> Nice story pistoff


Neither was made by myself. I merely passed the findings on.  
I do enjoy Acer products and I sell them at the computer shop quite frequently. I'm not quite sure about their service first hand but I have heard and read of some 'night-marrish' stories. But then again - all companies are always at risk of ridicule.


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## hopsing47 (Apr 16, 2007)

Stories such as this fellows troubles with Acer really need to be told and circulated far and wide. Thanks to the original poster for sharing this info. Too bad info like this cannot make the nighly news or business report where millions can learn about it. 

I had my eye on an Acer model out at newegg.com, simply because it offered Win XP rather than goofy Vista (aka Longhorn) as the default operating system. Then I read the COMMENTS page, which reveals experiences from customers who had bought this particular model, to discover this particular computer packs a pathetic, scrawny, unacceptably wimpy 250 power supply.

What the hell are these people thinking?? Who, with a grain of sand for a brain, would try to power up a computer with such a small power supply? This model has a 3 gig P4 CPU with 1 gig of memory, single SATA hard drive and DVD burner and on-board sound and graphics. 

Imagine trying to actually use the available PCI Express graphics slot to install one of the newer electron-sucking graphics cards? Just the mobo and memory must have this power supply maxed out. So why do they do this. And it's not just Acer that pulls this kind of crap.

Shame on these companies.


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## ACA529 (Nov 16, 2005)

Acer doesn't sell their products in the US anymore?? Wow, that's not good. 

I will be sure not to buy a product from them anymore. 

The last time I went to the Source I went to get something in the back and I heard an Acer computer making a LOT of noise... it was probably one of the fans. Not a very good computer to have as a display model.


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## Stoner (Oct 26, 2002)

ACA529 said:


> Acer doesn't sell their products in the US anymore?? Wow, that's not good.
> 
> I will be sure not to buy a product from them anymore.
> 
> The last time I went to the Source I went to get something in the back and I heard an Acer computer making a LOT of noise... it was probably one of the fans. Not a very good computer to have as a display model.


Where did you hear Acer didn't sell in the US?
Acer sales are reported to be increasing in the US.


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## cwwozniak (Nov 29, 2005)

Stoner said:


> Acer sales are reported to be increasing in the US.


Looks like HP's lawyers are doing their best to slow Acer down.

http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/03/28/HNhpsuesacer_1.html

Counter-suit Update:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,134936-c,legalissues/article.html


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## Stoner (Oct 26, 2002)

Looks that way.

Win, lose, or draw.......it's the consumer that seems to wind up taking the beating.

I assembled my last computer from a list of what I thought were quality parts and it's worked out nicely.
When my Acer goes kaput, I intend to replace it with a homebuilt, also.....even though my Acer has been good to me.

Some of the bargains out there in branded, introductory computers are getting to be so inexpensive, it's hard to believe there is any quality in their parts.

And support? I hear it's bad with most the major builders.
But I have heard it's especially bad with Acer.


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## ACA529 (Nov 16, 2005)

Stoner said:


> Where did you hear Acer didn't sell in the US?
> Acer sales are reported to be increasing in the US.


I misread Pistoff's post:



Pistoff said:


> Acer was banned from the US for fraudulant acts for three years/about four years ago. I am seeking the story to back-up my claims now.
> Check THIS
> THIS


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## ROADTOAD (Jan 15, 2006)

Amazingly enough, perhaps I was enough of a pest, Acer FINALLY exchanged the POS for a reconditioned computer. The Azar part didn't make me too happy but at least it got that piece of crap out of my place. They did give me a slight upgrade in the CPU, an Athlon 3800+ in place of the original Sempron 3200+, and a 200GB HD in place of the original 160 GB HD. Though the way they partitioned the HD ticked me off. Right down the middle. 100 GB for me to play with, 100 GB for the system files. Win XP needs what, 20, 30 GB at most? Anyway, I got it july 9, their warranty is OVER, Azar, and it's in the hands of Circuit City now.


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## Blazintails (Oct 28, 2007)

Did you not get the OS disks or recovery disks with this new Acer? As if so, reformat it yourself making a small partition for the OS to run on and do what you like with the rest of the HDD


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