Aries Precision

Aries Precision 1101 Notebook from Savastore

Are you thinking of getting an Aries Notebook from Savastore.com owned by Watford Electronics? Well, DON’T! This is why:

I ordered an Aries Precision 1101 laptop from Savastore.com. I chose this laptop because it had a good spec for its price and, according to the Savastore website, it was available within 3-6 days. I received no confirmation of the order. I checked out the “My account” section on their site, it said that the order was cancelled. I called them the next day and was told that the order did get through but they were waiting for some parts. I was assured that the laptop would be delivered within 7 days..

I was anxious for the laptop to arrive on time because I had to travel abroad for a week and needed the laptop to work on.  In their terms they say that “It is our policy to contact you to explain the stock and delivery situation ….”, yet it was I who had to call and email them several times before my departure date.

It is almost impossible to get through to customer services. When I did manage to get through, I was told the laptop would be delivered “within a couple of days”. The laptop was not delivered before my business trip and therefore I could not do my job properly causing my company a financial loss.

The Aries Precicision notebook was eventually delivered a month later. However, it had a foreign keyboard, the network card didn’t seem to function and the fully charged battery indicated only 75 minutes rather than the 3hrs they advertised on the Savastore website.

I called them again. After more than an hour on the telephone I got through to customer services only to be told that I had to get some sort of return authorisation number, which I had to obtain online because the laptop was ordered online. They could not give me a specific date for picking up the laptop nor for delivering a replacement.

I tried to get the return authorisation number online - their website was not working. By now I’d just about had enough and emailed the Customer Services Supervisor, the manager & the managing director. I requested that someone in authority called me within a day to explain why the laptop had a foreign keyboard & plug; what could be done about it; how long this would take; and what sort of compensation they were offering, given that they’d misled me for a month about the availability of their product and then delivered the wrong laptop.

I received no reply. I kept emailing them. Jenny, the customer services supervisor replied, but offered no explanation, no help - nor even the merest suggestion of an apology. She had a direct phone number in her signature - so I tried to call her to get some answers. The phone number was obviously phoney, as it was engaged even at 2am!

I emailed them again - they just ignored me. I  was by now so pissed off that I got onto the DTI. Within a couple of hours I had a Trading Standard Officer in my house inspecting the laptop. He confirmed that the plug was unsafe to use in the UK and strongly advised me not use it because it could cause fire. Apparently it is a criminal offence to sell electrical goods in the UK with foreign plugs. Watford Electronics had put my life in danger!

I wrote to Watford Electronics to let them know what the Trading Standard Officer had told me. They offered me a full refund, but no compensation for putting my life in danger - and again offered no form of apology! They said I am only entitled legally to a full refund not to any compensation. This was, of course, my statutory right anyway.

I returned the laptop and got my refund. I’m also considering whether to take legal action against them for putting misleading information about their products on their website and supplying unsuitable & dangerous goods.
 
Apparently I’m not the only nor the first dissatisfied customer. In fact, it seems Savastore and Watford Electronics have a very bad reputation.
You can read more horror stories here about Watford Electronics and Savastore.com
You should certainly read these before you decide buying anything from them.

If you have a similar experience, please submit it here (by adding a comment).

Update (20th june 2006)

We have recently received an email from Mr Hills, the Customer Service Manager, requesting this post be removed because it’s “untrue” and “harmful” to their business. You can read our correspondence with him regarding this issue here. This post was true at the time it was published. If their customer service has improved since last year please defend Savastore below. If it hasn’t please let us know your comments!

We find it unbelievable that Mr Hills gets so defensive about this post, yet when we complained to him about the Aries laptop he didn’t even bother to reply to our emails let alone explain the situation. He should really get some training at John Lewis, where they know how to provide proper Customer Service.