Ubc Pvr - Waiting Over 5 Months For Unit Repair!

[danfred]

I jumped on the UBC PVR bandwagon back in March/April (or right around when they first started offering it). We stopped by our True dealer and within 2-3 days the unit was installed and we immediately paid the required 15K fee to purchase the unit.

For the first week we owned it would not record programs and kept rebooting at random times. I suspected this was because the version info on the screen said "BETA" and it was downloading updated software. Nice of them to sell me a BETA unit and not a PRODUCTION model.

We called the True dealer and they came and installed a line amplifier (+20db) between the receiver and the dish. They wanted to charge me 500 baht for the amplifier. I actually had one of the amplifiers already (200 baht) and they used that instead.

Anyway, the signal improved and the PVR was able to download the "1.0" software update and I was now able to record programs... but the unit was still rebooting randomly and ever more frequently. They came and installed a new coax cable between the receiver and the dish claiming the existing one was bad.

Within a few days it got worse and the unit would just continuously reboot over and over again every 60 seconds... never fully booting.

The True dealer came and picked up the unit. A few days pass and we call to find out the status and they told us they sent the PVR to Bangkok for repair. They didn't even offer a standard receiver (non-PVR) as a loaner unit while we waited for our PVR to be serviced. We got the loaner unit only after asking for it.

We made weekly calls to the dealer for status (we fall off their radar otherwise)... after about a month we called and they said the PVR was coming back from Bangkok the next day and they would install it on Monday. They didn't show on Monday so we called and they said they would come on Tuesday. They didn't show on Tuesday so we called and they said they would come on Wednesday. They didn't show on Wednesday so we called and they said they sent it back to Bangkok for repair again as it still wasn't working.

At this point we're obviously very frustrated with this dealer so we went to True's main office in Roi Et to see what could be done about the situation. They told us we had do keep working through our original dealer and there were no other options. So we called True's head office in Bangkok and they told us the same thing... there was nothing they could do and we had to work through our original dealer.

Four months later... the True dealer is still saying the unit is being repaired in Bangkok!

Replacement not possible... they say we own the unit and it cannot be replaced.

Refund not possible... they say we own the unit and it cannot be returned.

They don't seem to understand or care that they sold us broken unit in the first place and it never worked! Where I come from (the US) the faulty unit would have been replaced immediately with a new unit.

So word of warning to everyone... when you shell out the 15K for UBC's PVR you really do OWN IT and it's NOT RETURNABLE, NOT REPLACEABLE... and in my case NOT REPAIRABLE!

I am out 15K for the UBC PVR I never had!

Thanks for listening... Dan

Edited September 11, 2008 by danfred

[paulfr]

My condolences.

You are not alone.

I could tell you my horror stories, but you already have an idea.

This is Thailand

Get used to it.

If there is a God, this is how he tests your character.

Cheers

[watt]

Guy why don't you call the call center and tell them what kind of situation

you are taking ?

I think this will help you a bit.

Cheers

[mdechgan]

Same if you buy the satellite dish and and box. You own it, no service, no warranty.

If it breaks it breaks.

You might get charged for a repair fee.

[Old Man River]

I jumped on the UBC PVR bandwagon back in March/April (or right around when they first started offering it). We stopped by our True dealer and within 2-3 days the unit was installed and we immediately paid the required 15K fee to purchase the unit.

For the first week we owned it would not record programs and kept rebooting at random times. I suspected this was because the version info on the screen said "BETA" and it was downloading updated software. Nice of them to sell me a BETA unit and not a PRODUCTION model.

We called the True dealer and they came and installed a line amplifier (+20db) between the receiver and the dish. They wanted to charge me 500 baht for the amplifier. I actually had one of the amplifiers already (200 baht) and they used that instead.

Anyway, the signal improved and the PVR was able to download the "1.0" software update and I was now able to record programs... but the unit was still rebooting randomly and ever more frequently. They came and installed a new coax cable between the receiver and the dish claiming the existing one was bad.

Within a few days it got worse and the unit would just continuously reboot over and over again every 60 seconds... never fully booting.

The True dealer came and picked up the unit. A few days pass and we call to find out the status and they told us they sent the PVR to Bangkok for repair. They didn't even offer a standard receiver (non-PVR) as a loaner unit while we waited for our PVR to be serviced. We got the loaner unit only after asking for it.

We made weekly calls to the dealer for status (we fall off their radar otherwise)... after about a month we called and they said the PVR was coming back from Bangkok the next day and they would install it on Monday. They didn't show on Monday so we called and they said they would come on Tuesday. They didn't show on Tuesday so we called and they said they would come on Wednesday. They didn't show on Wednesday so we called and they said they sent it back to Bangkok for repair again as it still wasn't working.

At this point we're obviously very frustrated with this dealer so we went to True's main office in Roi Et to see what could be done about the situation. They told us we had do keep working through our original dealer and there were no other options. So we called True's head office in Bangkok and they told us the same thing... there was nothing they could do and we had to work through our original dealer.

Four months later... the True dealer is still saying the unit is being repaired in Bangkok!

Replacement not possible... they say we own the unit and it cannot be replaced.

Refund not possible... they say we own the unit and it cannot be returned.

They don't seem to understand or care that they sold us broken unit in the first place and it never worked! Where I come from (the US) the faulty unit would have been replaced immediately with a new unit.

So word of warning to everyone... when you shell out the 15K for UBC's PVR you really do OWN IT and it's NOT RETURNABLE, NOT REPLACEABLE... and in my case NOT REPAIRABLE!

I am out 15K for the UBC PVR I never had!

Thanks for listening... Dan

Dan, you need to uptier your position with these guys. You should change tactics. I have a PVR as well, but I am in Bangkok so it is much easier for me to get attention.

The very first thing I would do is let both the dealer and Truevisions know that you are posting on different websites and are actively communicating with existing PVR owners and potential new buyers all over the country. Let them know that people are waiting to see what happens. Remember they are currently trying to market the PVR throughout Thailand so the last thing either the dealer or Truevisions wants is you spreading the word that you have been waiting 5 months to get your machine repaired.

Depending on how they react to the bad publicity, if you are technically inclined (I am not), you may contact Humax directly (I think it is an Aussie brand). They aren't going to care about the problems with the dealer or TrueVisions, but they may be able to offer some technical advice to help. If you do this, you might also let the local dealer and TrueVisions know so they understand that this issue is being discussed outside of the country as well.

Finally, if nothing else works, I would get a local attorney to write a letter threatening legal action since they have advertised one year free maintenance and aren't living up to what was promised. Of course, you don't actually want to sue, but sometimes a letter from a local attorney helps to get noticed and right now it is obvious that neither the dealer nor Truevisions has you on their radar screen.

Good luck and let us know what happens.

[Old Man River]

Guy why don't you call the call center and tell them what kind of situation

you are taking ?

I think this will help you a bit.

Cheers

This is a dead end. Been there, done that. Nice people who have to listen to complaints all day, but they really don't know anything about PVR's and only communicate with the back office PVR technicians by email. Fortunately, my machine's problem is not as bad as the OP's seems to be and living in Bangkok their back office have, so far, been very helpful. However, if I lived upcountry and was going through a local dealer, I am sure I would be having the same problems as the OP.