My zepto expirience for potential buyers 3415w

Hi there,

first of all, i would like to thank all of the people who contribute time and efforts here on this forum which was and is so helpful for laptop users.

As i write these lines my Zepto laptop makes its way back to the company.
I couldn't take it no longer. It didn't have a fatal problem, but I've spent to much time on trying to get service for the little ones.

the machine was a 3415w with a gt8600 (512mb) and a t9300 2.5 ghz intel processor with 4gb ddr2 ram and a 200 gb 7200 rpm drive. not so bad is it?
I was happy and excited when ordering the laptop for it was almost exactly what i wanted, plus i could get it with win xp (minus glossy screen).
the first problem occurred on the way. zepto took their time constructing it and three weeks have passed until i have received an e mail with the ups package details and an email from the company saying that the package was sent. i've paid for an express delivery so i have expected the package on the next day. nothing came. the next day nothing arrived to. checking the online ups tracking service i have realized that the computer was received in a different city, different address and so on. I got a bit scared of course.

calling Zepto Germany proved to be somewhat intimidating. the guy in charge there doesn't speak so good English and my German is quite bad to. so that was uncomfortable. other then that, the guy told me that he has the computer and that the e mails Ive got, saying the the package was sent, were actually to indicate (to me??) that the package was sent from the factory to the German offices..! and it will be another week until it will get to me. when i inquired why, he said that he has a lot to do and can'T install xp on the laptop. if i will install it alone he can send it today!
I agreed.
being somewhat relieved that my expensive laptop wasn't stolen, Ive than asked for a refund for the express delivery service which i was really not getting. then the guy refused, saying that i should have understood it myself that the e mails were not intended for me and that the express will count from the time the laptop will leave his doorstep.
I had to argue a bit with him and ended up calling Zepto international who have admitted that they have installed a new system and a mistake have been made and that they will fix it and give me my money back.
So lesson number 1 was: don't expect service at Zepto Germany.
so the computer arrive, a shaky start with the delivery but i was still motivated.
getting on with installing xp myself, i have realized that the operating system they've sent me is xp home. I have paid for pro. wait! also the booklet is pro. and also the code on the back of my computer is pro. so i guess that there was yet another mix up. calling Zepto, they promised to replace it or refund me if ill buy it myself. i chose refund. which didn't come through for another 2 weeks and counting..
meanwhile, running on xp pro i realized that there are quite a few technical issues as well, the screen wont wake up from sleep mode, the dvd drive was noisy (extremely) and always on full drive and the worse that every now and then, in chaotic intervals the computer would beep. from the internal speaker.
I didnt know what causes it and tried upgrading bios. checking for windows updates and so on. didn't go away, so Ive called zepto international support.
They on their turn told me that they are familiar with the problems but have no solution. and that they will put me on a newsletter
that will update me on the issue. which was very disappointing, since i am stuck with a beeping noisy laptop. i have called service again and asked for an explanation but got none.
Since ive got this machine, i was chasing tails at Zepto trying to get this over a 1000 euro beeping device to get working.
summery:

- Zepto international ppl are very nice and polite but they can not or dont want to do basic service and support.

- Zepto Germany are simply weird.

- 3415w is not a nice case for your components

that being said, now i have to choose a new laptop.
and it wont be a Zepto.

hope it helps

**** Sorry for my English i am not a native speaker ****

 

I'm disappointed to read about another problem.

However, I recall reading, some months back, about another problem with Zepto Germany. Having another link in the chain provides more opportunity for communication breakdown.

John

 

I'm real sorry to hear of all your troubles.
Paying a fair amount of money for a high-specced notebook with so many issues is disheartening.
Dumbass mistakes with delivery and the OS can be regarded as possible mishaps.
A heavily malfunctioning notebook with issues that are known at Zepto Denmark but can't be repaired by them other than subscribing you to their newsletter is astounding.
It's not the first time though, that I've read that the German Zepto branch is rude towards customers.

Let us know what your new notebook will be.
Cheers.

 

Thank you guys for the sympathy !
It was indeed a bummer. but moving on now. just thought it's
important that people here that consider buying a laptop will know that there's more to it then choosing your optimal specs.
I really hope that Zepto will pick up the glove.

i guess it's not the proper forum to talk about it, but any recommendations will be appreciated and gladly received at: choda_dog/at/hotmail/dot/com

I wish everyone a nice and easy laptop purchasing experience.
and a lot of fun!

 

you should post in the "What laptop should I buy" forum.

Instructions can be found there.

Happy hunting

 

Doesn't sound like a fun time, I must admit that.

On another note does Zepto even support XP on 3415W?
As far as i know (also according to the FTP), Zepto does not support Windows XP in the 3415W, only Vista.

 

True, for the first batch of the Znote3415W/CompalFL90, Zepto didn't have a full WHQL driver set.
Compal released this later on though.
Only the webcam application isn't supported in XP.
Zepto didn't want loads of calls about how to get the webcam working so they skipped support for XP; link.
Maybe there is an XP driver available by now, so this model can be fully used with XP.

 

Before buying the thing Ive asked if they have all the drivers for xp.
and surely enough they've sent me a cd with all of them.
camera worked fine.
I can look up if ive made a copy of that cd if anyone needs a driver for xp

 

Righty!
I based my post on old information I found here on NBR as I could remember Zepto stopping support of XP on various models.
Well, so much for old information (and assumptions)...

 

I've been considering Zepto and Clevo for a few weeks since Dell doesn't release a new XPS, and I have to admit my interest in Zepto just plummeted after reading this.
So I really appreciate you taking you're time to write this and share you're experience with us!

-Shub

 

How about this kit 2yr world wide warranty Asus Gaming laptop

 

Bad luck, I have a friend of mine that also have had quite a bit of issues with the 3415W, strangely I have had no issues at all though with my 3415W.

 

Yes. as is it with everything i guess it is a matter of luck/ chance/ statistics.
I have also researched quite a bit before buying that one. but you can never know. this is why i posted this.
I really don't want to generalize.
It could and probably is a private and singular case.

** thanks a million for the recommendation but i really don't want to "pollute" this forum that is deticated to Zepto**
private msgs though will be gladly accepted

 

why so? Im pretty shure you can go to one of the other producer-specific forums and read one or two storys as bad as this, if not worse. Thousands of Zepto users are perfectly happy, including me.

 

Hi,

I think that is the final-straw, I was close to buying the 6025WD, even closer on the Nexus, but after yet another Zepto problem. And very poor service and support, then it's time to quit.

I hope Zepto certainly, gets the glove on! And quick! Not for me, but for those millions of customers out there who are stuck with useless Zepto laptops.

I honestly can't see this company making it to 2012, 10 years for them! If they continue in this way. The IT industry is going to have some tough times, and Zepto may not be able to stay.

Do say, what laptop you buy.

Daniel.

 

will do!
must admit though, I am rather lost.
I'm spending some quality time with my wife's macbook pro.
I dono, with all of those glossy screens, pushy vista, none seem to really
attract me at the moment.
***

i opened a thread in the 'what laptop should i buy forum' but i was swallowed immediately by 20 new threads and got only one recommendation.
so if u have any, or you've decided on something yourself, let us know to Ö

 

LOL! I know what you mean, and then you get a random response just saying "Dell"

Great answer, it will help me buy a notebook!

Daniel.

 

One thing to point out is not all customer service from Zepto is bad. It's different per country I can assure everyone here that we are not all the same.

 

If you don't like Vista, try Linux. Quite a few people supply laptops with Linux preinstalled these days and if you want to install it yourself, jut download a distribution and try it. Linux is fast, rock-solid and a close cousin of OS X which Apple run on Macs. (ie They are both Unix clones, but Apple makes everything above the kernel closed source.)

Linux does not get viruses, does not get its hard drive defragmented, doesn't slow down with age, is very easy to use with modern distributions and has a huge repository of free programs. You can even run MS Word on it if you really need it. However, Open Office 3 copes with just about any MS Office files.