Creative HQ1400 - Design Flaw + Bad Customer Service

Hi,
Few months back i had bought Creative HQ-1400... & under normal usage their headband broke in such a way that i cant use them...

I called them 2 months back & said they are under warranty but they said its my fault & they cant do anything so i didnt say anything .
2 days ago i saw another HQ-1400 at the Singapore IT show 2008.

They were also broken in similar way. & then i googled.. i read on singapore forums about same complaints.
and hence
I sent them an email & this is how they responded.

Dear ******

Thank you for replying to Creative Customer Support.

As regards to your enquiry,I understand your concern over the durabilty of our HQ-1400 head phones after you saw that both yours and the one at the it show were both damaged by the same way.

However, I would like to guarantee you that all Creative products are designed for standard consumer usage and therefore the durabilty of each product depends on how well the customer is able to maintain it.

Your genuine concern is still appreciated.

In case if you need any clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Do email back on the status concerning the issue so that I can assist you further.

Please retain all the previous correspondence when replying to this email.

Thank you.

Best Regards,
Mohaan
Customer Support Services
Creative Labs Asia

To provide feedback on your "Creative Experience" please click on the following link:
http://asia.creative.com/contactus/mailto/sitefeedback.asp

Asia Site: http://asia.creative.com/
Support Site: http://asia.creative.com/support/custsup/welcomets.asp
KB Site: http://asia.creative.com/support/kb/

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Original Message Follows:
------------------------
This mail originated from: http://sg.creative.com/support/custserv/form1.asp


Name : ******
Email : ******
Country : Singapore
Description of Issue : My recently bought HQ-1400's headclip broke under normal usage.
I also went to IT show & the same model was also Broke there.

This model has a design issue & the headband easily snaps.

Pls tell me what Creative can do about it?

---End of Mail---

As u can see.. .they are blaming me.

I have Sony Neckband style & they didnt break even when i kept my entire laptop on them accidently.
I am posting the photos of the headphones at IT Show 2008 & my headphones.

HQ-1400 ... Broken at the IT show also.. a Design Flaw .. thats why selling only @ $39


My Headphones at Home:



The Headband breaks very easily under normal usage.. and the Cans hang on the Wire


And how they are supposed to be :

 

If there are any other users of these headphones let me know..

Can u suggest me another way to deal with this issue?

I want a replacement or free repair or upgrade to new headphones HQ-1900

 

That is why I stopped buying anything Creative, especially after the X-Fi and Vista debacle. To make things worse their Customer Support is one of the worst IMHO. Take your loss and don't buy anything from them again, but then you might not have a choice where you live.

 

Creative is a Singapore brand BTw.. so i have an advantage in this issue..

the only problem is that i dont have the sales receipt.

 

Now they start their Warranty Rants, and i told them its a Special issue uncovered in their warranty terms.

The mail:
Dear ****

Thank you for your valuable feedback.

As regards to your enquiry, I would like to inform you that the limited warranty does not apply to the damage caused by normal wear and tear, abnormal use or conditions, misuse, neglect, abuse, accident, improper handling or storage, exposure to moisture, unauthorized modifications, alterations, or repairs, improper installation, improper use of any electrical source, undue physical or electrical stress, operator error, non-compliance with instructions or other acts which are not the fault of Creative, including damage or loss during shipment.

However base on the information you provided, I am afraid that you will not be able to use the warranty claim for in warranty servicing. As such we will treat the product as out of warranty case and you will be liable for servicing cost and subjected to stock availabilities.

For more information on warranty coverage, you can refer to the link
below:
http://asia.creative.com/support/warranty/warranty.asp

In case if you need any clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you.

Please retain all the previous correspondence when replying to this email.

Best Regards,
Trixy
Customer Support Services
Creative Labs Asia

 

I think Creative speakers were decent for their time .. but I've had bad experiences with their products as well.

Had a 1010 "fatal1ty" gaming mouse that was free after rebate.

Wow.

After two months of fairly normal usage clicks started to register erratically.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826158016

The click sensor plastic wears down after a bit of use and funky stuff starts to happen.

To call it a "gaming mouse" is laughable.

 

it's time to buy a good headphone %-)

 

yeah creative sucks. they tried to get out of replacing my dead zen microphoto. the first replacement unit i got back was doa (seriously wtf??) the second one came and was fine. i don't think i'll ever buy another creative product again.

 

wow, this article comes first in google when u type Creative HQ1400 design


so much so for Brand Awareness

 

Yeah, Creative does not stand behind anything of theirs anymore.
I wouldnt even bother upgrading your headphones, or getting a replacement if they are going to screw with you. Just grab a hot glue gun and a some large tongue depressors, and you can easily fix the headband.

I told you to get the sennheisers

Next time keep the receipt,

K-TRON

 

hehe,

i ve already bought Sennheisers..few weeks back.

just wanna make sure i screw up Creative real bad. They are harassing customers

My Shot is gonna do more damage than they can imagine.


Gonna make sure.... the word 'Creative' in google brings up this article..

so people know they are ripping off customers

oh and i bought These:

 

If you like the design of those with the auto fit headpads and then the headband thats how my audio technica a700's are but of course they are a much higher quality.

get a pair and join the club.

 

Sure ..

i heard Audio Technica is the most emerging brand after Sennheisers in headphone industry.

I will give A700's a try atleast.... there are everywhere on the forums across the internet.