microland technology - rubbish

Hi everyone

It strikes me that thee are quite a few of us out there who have similar sorry stories to tell....or power may be just that. I am desperately trying to get my money back and whilst I did manage to get an email from the MD promising me my money within 28 days of the computer being returned to them, the time is fast approaching and I am not too hopefully. In fact, I feel a spot of Small Claims Court approaching. Is the Advertising Standards Agency another option - this company needs exposing. I also wonder about BBC Watchdog - I think that they may quite fancy this story. Let's get something going here I reckon and support each other and warn others. What does anyone else think?

Lol

Gabriella xx
 
This should be my final update as my PC has now been returned, in full working order and in the stated timescale. The mobo has been replaced and everything appears to be running fine.

Good luck with the crusade to get your money back, hope it goes well for you all.

 
Gabriella

Can't see the ASA working as the company do not really advertise anywhere.

The main magazine pushing their products at the moment seems to be PC Advisor so the more people that compalin to them the more likelihood there is that they will look into the company and maybe stop taking their products for review. They have already taken my letter to them seriously enough to phone and intervene on my behalf.

As posted I have also reported them to Stockport Trading Standards.

I also posted a complaint on BBC Watchdog web site
 
Hi Octimon

Are your issues with Microland resolved? Still waiting for my money back - the 28 days is up 2day and not a peep. I wll also post a message on Watchdog site.

Keep in touch.

Gabriella
 
Dear all

I have posted a message with BBC Watchdog and also written to PC Advisor re: Microland Technology. The more of us do something, the better chance we have of resolving our issues and hopefully helping others avoid this company! Solidarity and unity I say........

Regards to all

Gabriella
 
Gabriella

PC Advisor helped me get my money back but I am pursuing Microland for the lost interest whilst they held my money and the not inconsiderable amount of time I had to sit on hold waiting for them to answer the phone.

Write to Stockport Trading Standards as well

Also if you paid by credit card get on to the credit card co

I hope you get your money soon.
 
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Hi Octimon

I am pretty desperate First Direct Visa don't seem that interested, PC Advisor haven't had the courtesy to reply to me... net result - £800 lighter and no-where near getting resolution. suspect Small Claims may be my next step. MT don't respond either despite an email promise on 11 May that they would refund my money.

If nothing else, perhaps others won't be tempted to part with their money to these losers - mind you, having seen some responses on other pc forums people seem to think that they are OK and that the likes of you and me are having a bit of a go without just cause.

Don't know about you but if I had known then what I know now, I would never have ordered a PC from them.

Kind regards

Gabriella x
 
gabriella said:
Hi Octimon

I am pretty desperate First Direct Visa don't seem that interested, PC Advisor haven't had the courtesy to reply to me... net result - £800 lighter and no-where near getting resolution. suspect Small Claims may be my next step. MT don't respond either despite an email promise on 11 May that they would refund my money.
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Gabriella, keep trying, hassle all parties involved constantly, it's a pain, but it'soften the only way to get results.

gabriella said:
If nothing else, perhaps others won't be tempted to part with their money to these losers - mind you, having seen some responses on other pc forums people seem to think that they are OK and that the likes of you and me are having a bit of a go without just cause.
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Agreed. It's a possibility that Microland owners/directors have infiltrated Forums where their company is receiving a negative response and are making pro-Microland posts themselves, we've had a fair few suppliers attempting to plug their sites under the guise of Forum members here. However, the law of averages says that even a crap company will get it right a few times, hence the possibly genuine posts in their favour. Do not be discouraged by this, you've been wronged and you have a just cause.

gabriella said:
Don't know about you but if I had known then what I know now, I would never have ordered a PC from them.

Kind regards

Gabriella x
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Good luck and keep us posted of any progress.
 
I have a different experience but still bedevilled by their failure to respond to mail, email or phone. I suspect an acute shortage of staff but am also coming to wonder about the technical competence of their support staff.

I would like to know the names of any senior management/owners or directors to whom to write.

I ordered my PC before Xmas on the basis of a rave review in Computer Buyer magazine, got it in February and it worked fairly well for a while subject to a known issue about the sound system and multimedia TV etc.

Then the built-in memory card slots and the ATI multimedia both failed. Tech Support, responding to email back in March/April said this was due to a faulty update of DirectX from Microsoft and sent me on a long chase to get the patch, which did no good.

I had paid £1200 for the nominally £800 PC to include several extras including on-site maintenance but MT insisted that my fault was software, to be fixed by me with their advice. That led me through reinstallation of ATI software and repair of Win XP Pro, all to no avail.

During this period the PC ran several programs faultlessly but crashed regularly. Eventually Sean Wilson of Tech Support agreed to collect the PC and repair and return it within a week. After collection on 24th May I managed no communication with anyone in MT but the PC came back yesterday, unannounced, luckily finding me at home.

All my programs, data and setups have gone but I did attempt a backup (35GB) to an external HDD before it went. Is there a forum where I might find advice on this process, for I despair of getting any from MT?

Peter
 
I have a different experience but still bedevilled by their failure to respond to mail, email or phone. I suspect an acute shortage of staff but am also coming to wonder about the technical competence of their support staff.

I would like to know the names of any senior management/owners or directors to whom to write.

I ordered my PC before Xmas on the basis of a rave review in Computer Buyer magazine, got it in February and it worked fairly well for a while, subject to a >known issue< about the sound system and multimedia TV etc. Then the built-in memory card slots and the ATI multimedia both failed.

Tech Support, responding to email back in March/April, said this was due to a faulty update of DirectX from Microsoft and sent me on a long chase to get the patch, which did no good.

I had paid £1200 for the nominally £800 PC to include several extras including on-site maintenance but MT insisted that my fault was software, to be fixed by me with their advice. That led me through reinstallation of ATI software and repair of Win XP Pro, all to no avail.

During this period the PC ran several programs faultlessly but crashed regularly. Eventually Sean Wilson of Tech Support agreed to collect the PC and repair and return it within a week. After collection on 24th May I managed no communication with anyone in MT but the PC came back yesterday, unannounced, luckily finding me at home. A brief repair report says RAM was faulty and both sticks (1GB) replaced.

All my programs, data and setups have gone but I did attempt a backup (35GB) to an external HDD before it went. Is there a forum where I might find advice on this process, for I despair of getting any from MT?

Peter
 
Directors names and addresses will be listed at Companies House:

Gabriella, did you write or e-mail PC Advisor. I did a letter to the editor and it was responded to quite quickly (I was quite surprised). They didn't actually do much on the face of it - they rang me for further details, rang Microland then rang me back to say the refund had been processed - but who knows where I would be without their intervention. I think real mail is better than e-mail which can get lost or spam filtered. Try giving them a ring - names and numbers are in the Mag

Write a strongly worded letter to Microland giving them 7 days to pay failing which you will issue a claim in the small claims track of the County Court. Have a look on the link as to how to do it online. Will probably cost you £80 but if you win you get the costs back. However, if you threaten it you have to be prepared to actually do it. If the company is in as bad a way as it seems to be then I doubt they will want any CCJs to add to their problems

http://www.courtservice.gov.uk/mcol/index.htm
 
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Hi Octimon


Yes I did email PC Advisor and have had two responses from them They seem to be trying to be helpful and are trying to get my money back - PC Advisor contacted them x 2 the other day and I was promised a refund by close of business today. Guess what???? No money - thought I'd give them till just after 11pm to be really reasonale (sic) and not a sausage when I checked on the internet banking site!! Not a great surprise there!!

A senior bod from MT is on the record to PC Advisor saying that the situation is not acceptable, he thinks that there will be a reason for the problems but agrees not acceptable. I now have a name of a senior bod in MT which is a first!!

Computershopper/Computerbuyer are very interested in all the goings on and appear to be having a good look at the company.

If no money by end 2morro I will do as you suggest and give them the 7 days and then launch Small Claims Court action. I've got more than enough evidence to succeed it's just the hassle of it all.

I will keep you posted.

Thanks for the support.

Gabriella x
 
"A senior bod from MT is on the record to PC Advisor saying that the situation is not acceptable, he thinks that there will be a reason for the problems but agrees not acceptable"

He THINKS there will be a reason?. So several weeks after people started reporting problems he still doesn't KNOW what the problem is. What kind of management is that????

The reason to me is quite obvious - they don't give a toss about their customers. Never mind though, it won't be a problem for long cos they won't have any customers to worry about
 
Hi Octimon

Exactly and guess what...no money again today over 24 hours after they absolutely promised me...what a joke!!

Getting a slightly better response from the visa people and I am faxing through all my evidence to try to progress getting the £800 back.

Ho hum and on it goes...I just wish these people who think that you, I and others are having a go would wake up and smell the flowers!!!!

Gabriella xx
 
Forgot to say that I have got the Small Claims pack - feel a spot of litigation coming on!!

Gabriella x
 
Hi fellow disgruntled customers of Microland Technology,

I too have encountered problems with this "business", I run a small company in Portsmouth building PC Systems.

I ordered £450 worth of components from them on Tuesday (I know it's nowhere near as long as some people have waited) and I expected delivery by Friday. I contacted them by email yesterday morning to obtain a delivery date, by 4:30 I had had no response which, I found very unusual and so I decided to telephone.

I waited in a "queue" until they closed at 5pm. I emailed again and did not receive a reply. I happened across this forum this morning and became very concerned as I have customers expecting delivery of their systems next week.

I telephoned again this morning at 10am and waited in a queue until I reached position 1. I waited a little longer and then the line went dead.

I have now sent them an email:
Hi,

I placed an order with you on Tuesday, Order Number *****.

You have taken payment and I have had no response to my emails.

I am sending this via my partner's email account so you can not use the "multiple emails will be deleted" excuse.

I telephoned yesterday and was held in a queue until you closed. I have tried telephoning today and got position 1 after 35 minutes when the line went dead.

I have browsed several forums on the internet this morning and am very concerned with the content. "Avoid like the plague" was one of many useful advice tips regarding your "business".

If you DO NOT REPLY to this email or contact me immediately on 0**** ****** I shall have no other option than to drive from Portsmouth to Stockport on Monday where one way or another I SHALL GET A RESULT!

It is advisable that you CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY as I am already very annoyed, if I have to drive nearly 300 miles as well, I shall be MORE THAN ANNOYED, BORDERING ON INSANE.



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Needless to say, I have not yet received a response. I'm off to fill my petrol tank...
 
I don't know whether to smile or cry.. now that I have found this forum.

OK, I realise that I am not alone [follow faint smile]. But now for the tears; my PC order from Microland Technology took 5 weeks to arrive (after 3 weeks of the now familar 1 hour waits on the sales / support hotline - that ****** music drives me insane!).

It did finally arrive last night, and guess what: my new PC DOESN'T EVEN TURN ON. Not the faintest sign of life in it!

So, do I pay another £30 postage to send it back to them? Only face waiting another month or two for it to be returned - would it even work then?

Does anyone know - can I make them collect it?

Having read some of your experiences in this thread I just don't know what to do.

Has anyone else had there computers turn up and not work at all?

Desperate and disappointed,

Jay
 
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First of all - our genuine sympathies to you - please do not despair yet. I for one really understand how you and the other recent writer feel. How I wish I had known what I know now, but that is by the by.

I can only tell you what I did which was to contact Business Post and ask them to immediately take the parecls back. This was arranged the next day and I did not pay a penny for that. Then, did you pay on credit card? This gives you quite a deal of protection in terms of defective goods. Next, write to PC Advisor who are helping me and others get our money back. Let your credit card company know what's going on and ask them to suspend your payment. Contact BBC Watchdog and also Stockport Trading Standards.

In relation to the return of the parecls, you will get a consignment number and that is important as you can track the movement of the goods from your home to Stockport in great detail. This is vital evidence in proving that you returned the goods and costs nowt.

Please keep us in touch with your issues. I am convinced that the more of us make a fuss about this company to everyone that we can, including those magazines that continue to promote/recommend them, the better the result.

Please though, do not do anything rash.......tr and keep calm, think through your options and keep in touch with this thread.

Take care

Gabriella x
 
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