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E4200 Router broken after 2 months
Options
02-06-2014 11:40 AM
I am the sys admin for a small underfunded library in Michigan and purchased a brand new E4200 to service our patrons who chose to use their laptops in the building. It was purchased on Dec 3 2013 and it already doesn't work. There are no link lights on any of the Ethernet or the internet ports. I spent over an hour on chat with customer service to find out what I already knew and that was that it was broken. Then I was told that it was out of warranty and she wouldn't be able to help me if it turned out to need replacement. It's 2 months old; how can it be out of warranty? I then found her the receipt with the purchase date, so she continued to assist me, to a point. After we spent the hour of testing to find out it was broken, I was then told that I would need to call an 800 number to get an RMA. I obeyed and called the 800 number where I was disconnected 3 times before finally getting put on hold for another 15-20 minutes. At this time, I again gave the serial number and purchase date to a customer service rep who put me on hold to come back and tell me the router was out of warranty and they needed proof of purchase. I got a copy of the electronic receipt and pasted it into an email immediately after which she tells me that it will be at 24 hours before we know if I can have an RMA for my broken $170 router.
It was then I asked for a supervisor. The supervisor, Mark, just kept explaining to me that there are protocols for this type of thing.
So, here I sit, with no wireless for probably 2 weeks for my library patrons who rely on us for their internet access to pay bills, do homework and whatever other on-line tasks that they have.
It was at my insistence to the library administrator that we spend more than we really should have to buy Linksys because it was "reliable and had the best service around" and we wouldn't have to worry about it going out of service.
I am sorely disappointed not only in the amount of time it took me to fight my way around customer service but also in the product that I used to have so much faith in. I will certainly think twice and then three times before I buy another Linksys product for anyone that needs reliability and fast turnaround in the event of a breakdown.
Now I guess I can go and deal with the people that can't do their homework or pay their bills. Thanks Linksys

I received an email from Belkin this time with a new case number and an 800 number to call. I maneuvered my way through the voice prompts until I found the place I think I was supposed to be and was put into the queue where I was told wait time was 5 minutes. I was told this repeatedly for 15 minutes while also being told that "during holiday season" the lines are busy. I guess I didn't know Groundhog day and Valentines were big sellers for routers, but hey..
Anyway, after being on hold for 15 minutes, the wait time rose to 10 minutes. I guess I'll call back later when wait times are 5 minutes again and maybe I'll only have to wait 15 minutes

middle aged female wrote:For years, I have told everyone I know that if you want quality networking equipment, you should opt for Cisco/Linksys.
A purchase I recently made for the library I work at has put the lie to this.
Here is the letter I wrote to Linksys (which was recently sold to Belkin, unbeknownst to me) and the follow up post I put on their FB page. I know most of you won't really give a shit, but I'm pissed off and frustrated and need to vent.

E4200 Router broken after 2 months
Options
02-06-2014 11:40 AM
I am the sys admin for a small underfunded library in Michigan and purchased a brand new E4200 to service our patrons who chose to use their laptops in the building. It was purchased on Dec 3 2013 and it already doesn't work. There are no link lights on any of the Ethernet or the internet ports. I spent over an hour on chat with customer service to find out what I already knew and that was that it was broken. Then I was told that it was out of warranty and she wouldn't be able to help me if it turned out to need replacement. It's 2 months old; how can it be out of warranty? I then found her the receipt with the purchase date, so she continued to assist me, to a point. After we spent the hour of testing to find out it was broken, I was then told that I would need to call an 800 number to get an RMA. I obeyed and called the 800 number where I was disconnected 3 times before finally getting put on hold for another 15-20 minutes. At this time, I again gave the serial number and purchase date to a customer service rep who put me on hold to come back and tell me the router was out of warranty and they needed proof of purchase. I got a copy of the electronic receipt and pasted it into an email immediately after which she tells me that it will be at 24 hours before we know if I can have an RMA for my broken $170 router.
It was then I asked for a supervisor. The supervisor, Mark, just kept explaining to me that there are protocols for this type of thing.
So, here I sit, with no wireless for probably 2 weeks for my library patrons who rely on us for their internet access to pay bills, do homework and whatever other on-line tasks that they have.
It was at my insistence to the library administrator that we spend more than we really should have to buy Linksys because it was "reliable and had the best service around" and we wouldn't have to worry about it going out of service.
I am sorely disappointed not only in the amount of time it took me to fight my way around customer service but also in the product that I used to have so much faith in. I will certainly think twice and then three times before I buy another Linksys product for anyone that needs reliability and fast turnaround in the event of a breakdown.
Now I guess I can go and deal with the people that can't do their homework or pay their bills. Thanks Linksys

I received an email from Belkin this time with a new case number and an 800 number to call. I maneuvered my way through the voice prompts until I found the place I think I was supposed to be and was put into the queue where I was told wait time was 5 minutes. I was told this repeatedly for 15 minutes while also being told that "during holiday season" the lines are busy. I guess I didn't know Groundhog day and Valentines were big sellers for routers, but hey..
Anyway, after being on hold for 15 minutes, the wait time rose to 10 minutes. I guess I'll call back later when wait times are 5 minutes again and maybe I'll only have to wait 15 minutes

The Fickle Finger wrote:

middle aged female wrote:For years, I have told everyone I know that if you want quality networking equipment, you should opt for Cisco/Linksys.
A purchase I recently made for the library I work at has put the lie to this.
Here is the letter I wrote to Linksys (which was recently sold to Belkin, unbeknownst to me) and the follow up post I put on their FB page. I know most of you won't really give a shit, but I'm pissed off and frustrated and need to vent.

E4200 Router broken after 2 months
Options
02-06-2014 11:40 AM
I am the sys admin for a small underfunded library in Michigan and purchased a brand new E4200 to service our patrons who chose to use their laptops in the building. It was purchased on Dec 3 2013 and it already doesn't work. There are no link lights on any of the Ethernet or the internet ports. I spent over an hour on chat with customer service to find out what I already knew and that was that it was broken. Then I was told that it was out of warranty and she wouldn't be able to help me if it turned out to need replacement. It's 2 months old; how can it be out of warranty? I then found her the receipt with the purchase date, so she continued to assist me, to a point. After we spent the hour of testing to find out it was broken, I was then told that I would need to call an 800 number to get an RMA. I obeyed and called the 800 number where I was disconnected 3 times before finally getting put on hold for another 15-20 minutes. At this time, I again gave the serial number and purchase date to a customer service rep who put me on hold to come back and tell me the router was out of warranty and they needed proof of purchase. I got a copy of the electronic receipt and pasted it into an email immediately after which she tells me that it will be at 24 hours before we know if I can have an RMA for my broken $170 router.
It was then I asked for a supervisor. The supervisor, Mark, just kept explaining to me that there are protocols for this type of thing.
So, here I sit, with no wireless for probably 2 weeks for my library patrons who rely on us for their internet access to pay bills, do homework and whatever other on-line tasks that they have.
It was at my insistence to the library administrator that we spend more than we really should have to buy Linksys because it was "reliable and had the best service around" and we wouldn't have to worry about it going out of service.
I am sorely disappointed not only in the amount of time it took me to fight my way around customer service but also in the product that I used to have so much faith in. I will certainly think twice and then three times before I buy another Linksys product for anyone that needs reliability and fast turnaround in the event of a breakdown.
Now I guess I can go and deal with the people that can't do their homework or pay their bills. Thanks Linksys

I received an email from Belkin this time with a new case number and an 800 number to call. I maneuvered my way through the voice prompts until I found the place I think I was supposed to be and was put into the queue where I was told wait time was 5 minutes. I was told this repeatedly for 15 minutes while also being told that "during holiday season" the lines are busy. I guess I didn't know Groundhog day and Valentines were big sellers for routers, but hey..
Anyway, after being on hold for 15 minutes, the wait time rose to 10 minutes. I guess I'll call back later when wait times are 5 minutes again and maybe I'll only have to wait 15 minutes

So now who would you recommend, just in case?

Brad Lexington wrote:Linksys is garbage.

I received an email from Belkin this time with a new case number and an 800 number to call. I maneuvered my way through the voice prompts until I found the place I think I was supposed to be and was put into the queue where I was told wait time was 5 minutes. I was told this repeatedly for 15 minutes while also being told that "during holiday season" the lines are busy. I guess I didn't know Groundhog day and Valentines were big sellers for routers, but hey..
Anyway, after being on hold for 15 minutes, the wait time rose to 10 minutes. I guess I'll call back later when wait times are 5 minutes again and maybe I'll only have to wait 15 minutes
Like · Reply · February 7 at 12:10pm · Edited

Linksys Hi Jeanne, we've already forwarded your case to the relevant team already. Someone will be contacting you back instead so you may just wait for that call instead. Thanks.
Like · February 7 at 12:37pm

I waited for the call, which did not come until around 6 pm on Saturday evening when support was supposed to be closed, so I missed the call. I was sent an email with the same customer service line I have been trying to call and have now been on hold for 1/2 an hour. I AM glad to see that they took off the holiday message and no longer tell you how long you will be in the queue. I continue to hold...

I have finally reached a person and am being told, again, that there are protocols, and that I either need to wait two to three weeks for turnaround on a replacement or allow them to put a hold on the library's credit card until I send back the old one. Neither solution makes me happy. Apparently Belkin/Linksys has no flexibility when it comes to making accommodation for non-profits on a non-existent budget even if the product broke within two months of use. Good Lord, even Bill Gates helps out non-profits.
It's not as if I'm asking for a free product; all I want was an expedited shipping method without charging the library's credit card. BUT Belkin/Linksys doesn't have an override in their system to allow for anything but pay or pay.
And they are replacing it with a refurb, not new, and I have to pay to send back the broken one.
Again, thanks Linksys. This will probably be the last product I purchase from you and I will make sure to tell my numerous clients not to buy Belkin. Netgear here we come

middle aged female wrote:Follow ups to above.

I received an email from Belkin this time with a new case number and an 800 number to call. I maneuvered my way through the voice prompts until I found the place I think I was supposed to be and was put into the queue where I was told wait time was 5 minutes. I was told this repeatedly for 15 minutes while also being told that "during holiday season" the lines are busy. I guess I didn't know Groundhog day and Valentines were big sellers for routers, but hey..
Anyway, after being on hold for 15 minutes, the wait time rose to 10 minutes. I guess I'll call back later when wait times are 5 minutes again and maybe I'll only have to wait 15 minutes
Like · Reply · February 7 at 12:10pm · Edited

Linksys Hi Jeanne, we've already forwarded your case to the relevant team already. Someone will be contacting you back instead so you may just wait for that call instead. Thanks.
Like · February 7 at 12:37pm

I waited for the call, which did not come until around 6 pm on Saturday evening when support was supposed to be closed, so I missed the call. I was sent an email with the same customer service line I have been trying to call and have now been on hold for 1/2 an hour. I AM glad to see that they took off the holiday message and no longer tell you how long you will be in the queue. I continue to hold...

I have finally reached a person and am being told, again, that there are protocols, and that I either need to wait two to three weeks for turnaround on a replacement or allow them to put a hold on the library's credit card until I send back the old one. Neither solution makes me happy. Apparently Belkin/Linksys has no flexibility when it comes to making accommodation for non-profits on a non-existent budget even if the product broke within two months of use. Good Lord, even Bill Gates helps out non-profits.
It's not as if I'm asking for a free product; all I want was an expedited shipping method without charging the library's credit card. BUT Belkin/Linksys doesn't have an override in their system to allow for anything but pay or pay.
And they are replacing it with a refurb, not new, and I have to pay to send back the broken one.
Again, thanks Linksys. This will probably be the last product I purchase from you and I will make sure to tell my numerous clients not to buy Belkin. Netgear here we come

RoryKasel wrote:

middle aged female wrote:Follow ups to above.

I received an email from Belkin this time with a new case number and an 800 number to call. I maneuvered my way through the voice prompts until I found the place I think I was supposed to be and was put into the queue where I was told wait time was 5 minutes. I was told this repeatedly for 15 minutes while also being told that "during holiday season" the lines are busy. I guess I didn't know Groundhog day and Valentines were big sellers for routers, but hey..
Anyway, after being on hold for 15 minutes, the wait time rose to 10 minutes. I guess I'll call back later when wait times are 5 minutes again and maybe I'll only have to wait 15 minutes
Like · Reply · February 7 at 12:10pm · Edited

Linksys Hi Jeanne, we've already forwarded your case to the relevant team already. Someone will be contacting you back instead so you may just wait for that call instead. Thanks.
Like · February 7 at 12:37pm

I waited for the call, which did not come until around 6 pm on Saturday evening when support was supposed to be closed, so I missed the call. I was sent an email with the same customer service line I have been trying to call and have now been on hold for 1/2 an hour. I AM glad to see that they took off the holiday message and no longer tell you how long you will be in the queue. I continue to hold...

I have finally reached a person and am being told, again, that there are protocols, and that I either need to wait two to three weeks for turnaround on a replacement or allow them to put a hold on the library's credit card until I send back the old one. Neither solution makes me happy. Apparently Belkin/Linksys has no flexibility when it comes to making accommodation for non-profits on a non-existent budget even if the product broke within two months of use. Good Lord, even Bill Gates helps out non-profits.
It's not as if I'm asking for a free product; all I want was an expedited shipping method without charging the library's credit card. BUT Belkin/Linksys doesn't have an override in their system to allow for anything but pay or pay.
And they are replacing it with a refurb, not new, and I have to pay to send back the broken one.
Again, thanks Linksys. This will probably be the last product I purchase from you and I will make sure to tell my numerous clients not to buy Belkin. Netgear here we come

I learned long ago that the best solution is to simply go buy an identical one and put the broken one in the box the new one came in and just return it saying you changed your mind. I relapsed into 'honesty is the best policy' mode recently with a broken ice maker and likely shaved 2 years off my life as a result before reverting to 'switcheroo' mode. Sure it's likely that the broken product will go back on the shelf to cause headaches for an unsuspecting shopper, but fuck that guy as long as it isn't me.

Linksys Malware 'The Moon' Spreading from Router to Router

Brad Lexington wrote:

Linksys Malware 'The Moon' Spreading from Router to Router

http://thehackernews.com/2014/02/linksy ... -from.html