BEWARE of PC Microworks .... Do NOT send in your systems for repair

Thanks heartgard.

 

I just noticed this post, I was wondering if anyone can confirm if the sticker on the belly next the fan-holes with the serial and system details were ripped off when you/he/her originally received the system? Mine was, the only serials I can find are the one on the original box (stating "eurocom as remark" wholesaler) but the serial printed in my diamond plus blanket protection program booklet is different. Thanks for any info

 

BTW has anyone been able to reach PCMW lately? Customer support doesn't send any auto reply anymore...

 

what do you mean doesn't send any auto reply?

 

He means you don't get a generic proxy email back.

 

Oh. I'm just confused since when I emailed them (which I do frequently), I never got a reply, even with the auto-reply he was saying.

 

Hey, this one Kevin

Also anyone noticed when you click on configure Now on there website you get this in firefox....

 

Ok. When did you last receive that auto-reply?

 

I can't really tell, this message I copy pasted from one auto reply that was still left in my inbox. I normally don't keep those around only the real communication I keep just in case...

 

That firefox message means that the their SSL certificate has expired. I am surprised the website is still working.

This is how an ecommerce site works (simplified).

In order to buy from a website, that website needs a third party to verify it is what it says it is. What is happening with firefox or other browsers is that your computer is telling you that the third pary is not verifying that the website is really PC Microworks--meaning, it is not secure to purchase from this site.

This occurs when you switch from the normal website to the secure section (notice the http s://....)

When PCMicroworks was paying its bills, your browser would switch to the secure site, then contact a verifier like Verisign, and Verisign would tell your browser--yes, according to our records, that is a PC Microworks site and you can trust you are buying form PC Microworks.

Verisign and other verifiers do not purport that PCMicroworks is a legitimate company or trustworthy--they only verify that the website you are on is controlled by PCMicroworks.

It is a technical thing, not a trustworthy thing.

The setup is designed to ensure that someone is not hacking another merchants website and stealing your information that you intended to give to that website/company.

 

Yeah, arggghh! The feeling of regret is coming back to me again! I hate this Matt O' Byrne. He should burn in hell!

 

Thanks for the explication Gerry, so in fact it could mean there gone. Ive been searching for any confirmation but the only thing I can find on googly is the pcmw site and this thread. All the rest is old news.

@ Kevin, I'm sorry if I brought the feeling of regret back up, I don't feel much better about them/him.

 

I cannot know how you feel because I was not taken in by his company, but every time I get a notebook review email telling me someone has posted in this thread I have an involuntary guttural reaction.

 

But like the cinematic horror monster/villain, they are ready to leap up as soon as the hero/heroine turns his or her back.

Will Michale Meyer, Freddie Krueger, Jason Voorheis, Dracula, Godzilla, etc ever truly die?

We must be ever vigilent against this dark, twisted laptop-consumer predator. PcMicroworks rose from the grave of Hybridgear and who knows what evil scheme will rise from the ashes of PCMicroworks?

All I know for certain is that when a new reseller arrives on the scene we should all do our due dilligence and heed the warnings of others no matter how great a deal the first four customers get.

 

why hasn't this guy been jailed again?

 

No prob, it was just a very rough road for me with this laptop. Actually, I'm already selling my M860TU because I hate remembering those sleepless nights when I sent this to them for repair, considering I'm from the Philippines.

So you also ordered a laptop from them?

The real reason I bought a laptop from them was when there was this time where the 9800M GT were replaced by the 9800M GTS. I was looking for a GT then, since I know it has a tad better performance than the GTS, PCMW advertised in their site that they still have the GT. I ordered from them, got my freakin laptop after 2 months and guess what, the installed card was the GTS!!!

Imagine the frustration!

 

yes I ordered from them Kevin, this was the time that the 8800gtx was nowhere to find yet, if it was on eurocom's website I would have bought it there but it wasn't, later I was chocked to find out on the box they were the wholesaler... The day after delivery my issues with pcmw started. At that time I was still thinking it was a big company based in silicon valley, this and the other thread brought more insight and was chocked as lot of us. By then it was to late to claim a refund and didn't know i would get ripped on the warranty. I just figured that it's possible to file a complaint through BBB as an international customer so I'm looking into that, in the mean time ill keep trying to contact pcmw for a week or maybe two. But I don't really have much patience left these days.

Cheers

 

Goodluck on that. Imagine, I've been trying to contact them for 4 months now, with no single response from them!

I hope we can help each other on this matter, the fingerprint reader of my laptop is still broken even AFTER returning the laptop to them. I really hate them. That Byrne doesn't have any conscience at all.

 

kevindd992002. Do you have a thread or a few posts concerning the details of your broken fingerprint reader? Perhaps I can lend a hand here.

 

Let me see..

Here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=387939

Basically, it sometimes is detected by device manager but most of the time it doesn't. It's not an issue with the driver since Windows (Vista or 7) don't recognize it even with a fresh installation.

The "sometimes" I was talking about usually happens when I remove the laptop from AC power (with the laptop turned off) for quite some time (a few hours maybe) and then turn it on again, magically the fingerprint reader works. So, I really don't know what's the problem here.

 

I can't believe you - you will be willing to send it back to these guys just to fix the fingerprint reader? Even if my mobo was fried I wouldn't send it back to these guys - get it repaired elsewhere..

 

I second that--I would not sent iMbaQ's computer to PCMicroworks either....

 

Huh? Who said I WOULD return it to PCMW just to fix the fingerprint reader?

Well, I did send it for repair but not just because of the fingerprint reader but for some other issues also. And that was the time that PCMW was still in business, so I did not know anything about their bad service. I was even able to get some parts from them just by calling them, at that time.

As you may have noticed, I'm the OP of this thread and during the time I started this thread PCMW have my laptop. I consider myself lucky they still sent my laptop back.

 

How can I find out if they are really gone or not? maybe just hiding

 

I really don't know myself I also want to know.

 

Pretty sure earlier in this thread someone actually went to the place of business or someone sent something and it came back return to sender.

 

I read that somewhere but after that I read someone that was able to get in touch with them, that's why I'm confused. Also I ask myself if I have to sit here and do nothing or claim my warranty in one way or the other. I already contacted my lawyer friends in the US and are prepared to help with whatever needed. I'm just sick of scammer's, I have been scammed 3 times since the end of 2007. When you sum it all up it could have been a very nice trip to the Bahamas and a bunch of headaches less if you know what I mean. Like it's normal these days...

 

Damn. 10char

 

10char, very true !!! I had to look it up though, lol

 

Anyone knows where or how I can make a custom logo to replace the PCMW logo on my screen-cover? They don't deserve to be on my system anymore.

Cheers

 

You guys still dealing with these scammers?

Happy to report that after I finally was able to get my laptop shipped back to PCMW and got my full refund, and its now a finalized transaction on my CC that I am free and clear of these bafoons.

If any of you feel you got scammed I highly recommend reporting them to the BBB and hopefully you paid with a CC and can have them help you out. Try to do it before 6 months though or the CC company might not be able to help you out.

I have since purchased a laptop from Xotic PC and I've had it longer than the PCMW one even worked and I have no problems and very pleased.

I keep checking in to see how the rest of you are making out, hopefully you guys can get your issues resolved too.

 

Hey Xardon, lucky you...
So does this mean you were able to get in touch with them recently?
I'm still waiting for e-mail reply's from a couple weeks ago, but I guess they won't... BBB can't do much for I think since I paid through bank-wire in Europe and it's already a year and nine months ago. Eurocom confirmed PCMW bought my system there though but only with one year warranty, maybe this clears up why the bottom sticker with serial info was removed. In the mean time farewell warranty...

 

I actually never got in touch with them by phone. I only ever got an e-mail from them when my CC company had taken back their money. Once they realized their money was gone they only sent me an e-mail requesting I send them the laptop back. Eventually they gave me a return shipping label and I sent it back, and that was that. Ironically it wasn't even shipped back to their address listed, it was shipped just to a FexEd-Kinkos for them to pickup, and it was Matt who signed for it.

Unfortunately for you, it doesn't sound like you have any type of protection like I did with a credit card. Either way I would still report it through their local BBB. They have an option there where they will go after them for your money as well, it probably wouldn't hurt to try. Worst case scenario is they will tell you they can't help you.

 

I envy you Xardon. I paid by wire transfer since I'm from the Philippines.

 

I think it's about time to unsticky this thread. We have all felt the pains of the PCMW users and it is now time to move on. May PCMW rest in hell, and it's users find resolve. Call the ball, kevindd992002. It's your thread.

 

It gets unstickied every couple of months and then sees a ton of activity and gets stickied again.

 

Seconded...

 

so should I unsticky this thread?

whatcha think kevin?

 

Hey Gophn. Yup I think you should unsticky it already. I think most of the people are already that PCMW is a scam and besides I got rid of my M860TU by selling it already So no more bad memories for me.

 

ok then.

and PCMW's site has not been updated since... still selling discontinued stuff

 

Right. I consider myself lucky because MOB (Matt O' Byrne) had some conscience within him and returned the laptop to me, at least I wasn't scammed 100%.

 

So can we conclude PCMW is officially gone out of bizz? I'm still waiting for reply's on my warranty requests etc... he's probably hiding somewhere in Mexico... It also looks he had to run off quickly without cleaning up the mess first... empty building, website still online etc hmmm weird or not?

 

not sure about that.

PCMW might still try to pick up the pieces... but their PR, as it stand right now, is very bad.

As for your warranty requests, you should just get it done through the Clevo importer OEM that the barebones originated from.

 

I tried that, the OEM said they only could cover the warranty they gave to PCMW that was one year and couldn't cover the extended warranty option I had at PCMW. I got owned that simple.

Cheers

 

Thats what I meant.

I recommend you to just consider the PCMW's extended warranty as a loss now since I doubt you will ever get any use of it again.

If you want a good warranty from a highly reputable electronics insurance coverage... check out www.safeware.com

 

A little bird told me that Matthew O'Byrne currently resides in Visalia, CA with this phone number: 559-967-5302. Don't ask how he knows, I've got no clue. But he wanted me to pass it along. Good luck.

 

Little birds rule....

 

Can anyone call on that guy?

 

Hahaha, it's like you are hunting him .... )

 

Yeah, I freakin' am hunting him though I was able to already sell the laptop I bought from him.