Poor Service

[legend49]

Is it possible to list companies ( I live in Chiang Mai) who love to sell farang items in large stores. But as soon as there is a problem with the item being faulty they dont care. You cannot even get to talk to the managers who are always unavailable for complaints but if you are buying then they are available. I would suggest the list would be a buyer beware so farang doesnt lose money and time with poor service?

[Semper]

Are you talking about Home Pro ?

[saengsureeya]

As far as I know it is not allowed to list those kind of companies (some law on libelling?).

The only thing I'm pretty sure of is that such a list would be huge, because most of the resellers (big or small) don't offer service.

There is a law on consumer protection, stating that most of the bought items can be returned (and money back) within 7 days after purchase.

Then there is a warranty (by law or factory) from one up to two years and you should attend to a brand-related service point near you.

Depending on the brand and the item, the service-point will repair on-site. In all other cases, they will ask you to bring the item to the service-point.

In Banglamung there are own service points for Nokia, LG, Samsung and 3rd party service-points for Soken, AJ, Family, Sanyo (and more).

My advise for potential buyers: If you are about to purchase a product under warranty, ask the store what to do in case of problems and where to go.

For example: Numchai Electronics in Banglamung does have their own service-department.

[exeter]

Poor service? Well its not what most of the people are used to back in homelands is it and maybe thats the problem. I still expect if I buy something for it do the job its suppossed to for significant period of time ( longer than the g'tee period). Consumers here just have to put up with no help if things go wrong and perhaps the government should look at this one day because it applies to the locals as well, who generally dont want to cause a fuss.

Bought a house and had a problem with the back door, you know the doors here are all internal doors so when it rains its likely to warp and it did. The house has a 10 year guarantee so I got them round, they will re paint it but not replace, you not happy you buy new door! Short of shooting someone there is not going to be good conclusion to this.

Its a bit like restaurants this topic. You get fleeced, over charged or bad service I think it would be a good idea to have a list of places where problems have been experienced. Now I understand that you have to be careful what you say and how you say it, but surely a good idea would be to have on each forum places that we do recommend as giving good value.

Perhaps the Moderators(?) good look at this, it would help everyone to reward to traders with our custom.

[scorecard]

Are you talking about Home Pro ?

Perhaps worth sharing. My adult Thai son got to know one of the salesman, and son learned that the comment:

"no problems with this XXX brand product because the company has their own technician in CM"

really means:

XXX brand have someone (usually not an employee) who will come and look at the product and then say "yes there's a problem, you need to send it to the company service / repair workshop in Bangkok".

My son now probes specifically to see if the vague answers from salesepople means the above or whether XXX brand has a full service / repair workshop in CM.

[nocturn]

OP, honestly, whatever made you conclude that this vendor indifference is reserved for farangs? delusions of your own significance?

[bobo42]

As far as I know it is not allowed to list those kind of companies (some law on libelling?).

IMHO, this is exactly the reason why such poor service/products exist in Thailand. There is no "free-market solution" to counteract poor service or quality. Any public discourse on such matters can be dealt with by comparitively cheap legal means, rather then actually having to take the quite possible expensive steps of actually offering decent products and services. Unless these laws are changed, I'm pretty sure that things will never be different. Public discourse is a huge force to allow good companies to flourish and bad ones to become extinct, its just not possible here.

You must just factor the distinct possibilities of poor quality and unavailable service into your cost/benefit analysis when making a purchase, a lot more unknowns here. Take it into account and try to relax. Not going to change any time soon.

[wintermute]

You don't need good customer service when you control semi-monopolies.

[exeter]

As far as I know it is not allowed to list those kind of companies (some law on libelling?).

IMHO, this is exactly the reason why such poor service/products exist in Thailand. There is no "free-market solution" to counteract poor service or quality. Any public discourse on such matters can be dealt with by comparitively cheap legal means, rather then actually having to take the quite possible expensive steps of actually offering decent products and services. Unless these laws are changed, I'm pretty sure that things will never be different. Public discourse is a huge force to allow good companies to flourish and bad ones to become extinct, its just not possible here.

You must just factor the distinct possibilities of poor quality and unavailable service into your cost/benefit analysis when making a purchase, a lot more unknowns here. Take it into account and try to relax. Not going to change any time soon.

And of course it applies to thais as well, they know no nothing different. One day they might wake up and find out they have been asleep for too long. Until thais can leave thailand and see a better service elsewhere and demand it here we just have to accept that this is the way business is done here.

From creation, distribution, display and selling the buck stops at the end of the chain with the purchaser, you, all the way back up the chain "it was fine when it left us, you must have broken it." If want it fixed take to the factory in Bangkok see if they can help. The game is called the runaround. One of the most popular after alchohol, women, tv and chicken boxing!

Edited November 7, 2011 by exeter

[tutsiwarrior]

we recently bought a new 2 ton split AC unit and my major concern when approaching the sales room was the implementation of the warranty claim procedure...we were in a local independent appliance retail shop where we had done business before and where my wife was 'known'...

I expressed my concern to the wife who managed to secure a verbal agreement from the salesman that minor problems would be handled locally with the shop's own installation and repair crew... sure enough, a pipe sprung a leak within a couple of weeks of operation with additional significant damage (I had indicated to the installer that a leak test with soapy water should be completed so that everyone was happy with the tightness of the joints but that wasn't done) and the wife returned to the shop and confronted the salesman with the problem...

they dispatched the same installer to handle the problem who was embarrassed with his sloppy work and he proceeded to replace the necessary and he hung around for an hour afterwards with the unit in service to observe the operation...

we were lucky...if it would've been at tescos with one of those oily appliance salesmen he would have yawned at our problem and I would've gotten very annoyed...

[nong38]

we recently bought a new 2 ton split AC unit and my major concern when approaching the sales room was the implementation of the warranty claim procedure...we were in a local independent appliance retail shop where we had done business before and where my wife was 'known'...

I expressed my concern to the wife who managed to secure a verbal agreement from the salesman that minor problems would be handled locally with the shop's own installation and repair crew... sure enough, a pipe sprung a leak within a couple of weeks of operation with additional significant damage (I had indicated to the installer that a leak test with soapy water should be completed so that everyone was happy with the tightness of the joints but that wasn't done) and the wife returned to the shop and confronted the salesman with the problem...

they dispatched the same installer to handle the problem who was embarrassed with his sloppy work and he proceeded to replace the necessary and he hung around for an hour afterwards with the unit in service to observe the operation...

we were lucky...if it would've been at tescos with one of those oily appliance salesmen he would have yawned at our problem and I would've gotten very annoyed...

I think you were right to go to a local shop rather than a big chain, they are far more likely to try and keep your custom as you have found out and you are more likely to get a price reduction as well, Tesco, Big C etc are not interested. Once you have parted with your money you might as well be on your own.

[tutsiwarrior]

^^

yeah...and if the people are pleasant and honest better to inject the money into the local economy...I was waitin' to see if the salesman at the local shop was gonna honor his commitment to handle our problem locally and he came though admirably...but, my wife is a local girl with the associated advantages (she knows the salesman's mother who runs the operation); lotsa folks ain't got the same facility...they want sumpin then they just go down the local tescos and buy it as it's 'in your face' so to speak...no relationship with local businesses...

Edited November 8, 2011 by tutsiwarrior

[h90]

As far as I know it is not allowed to list those kind of companies (some law on libelling?).

The only thing I'm pretty sure of is that such a list would be huge, because most of the resellers (big or small) don't offer service.

There is a law on consumer protection, stating that most of the bought items can be returned (and money back) within 7 days after purchase.

Then there is a warranty (by law or factory) from one up to two years and you should attend to a brand-related service point near you.

Depending on the brand and the item, the service-point will repair on-site. In all other cases, they will ask you to bring the item to the service-point.

In Banglamung there are own service points for Nokia, LG, Samsung and 3rd party service-points for Soken, AJ, Family, Sanyo (and more).

My advise for potential buyers: If you are about to purchase a product under warranty, ask the store what to do in case of problems and where to go.

For example: Numchai Electronics in Banglamung does have their own service-department.

Well register a webpage outside TH and it is possible.....

[Kwasaki]

Bought a house and had a problem with the back door, you know the doors here are all internal doors so when it rains its likely to warp and it did. The house has a 10 year guarantee so I got them round, they will re paint it but not replace, you not happy you buy new door!

Internal doors !! incorrect really, you can get good quallity external doors here in Thailand, even if they did replace it would of been in the same cheap grade.

[nong38]

Bought a house and had a problem with the back door, you know the doors here are all internal doors so when it rains its likely to warp and it did. The house has a 10 year guarantee so I got them round, they will re paint it but not replace, you not happy you buy new door!

Internal doors !! incorrect really, you can get good quallity external doors here in Thailand, even if they did replace it would of been in the same cheap grade.

Yes I wa told if you want to replace the door its up to you, what a surprise! So may have to do that at some time in the future but at least I will get what I want there not the bit that fills the hole.

[lapoon]

I bought an expensive item from the company mentioned in post #2.

They reneged on the warranty

What surprises me though is its a German product and I dont understand why they dont show any concern for their reputation.

Edited November 8, 2011 by lapoon

[tutsiwarrior]

Bought a house and had a problem with the back door, you know the doors here are all internal doors so when it rains its likely to warp and it did. The house has a 10 year guarantee so I got them round, they will re paint it but not replace, you not happy you buy new door!

Internal doors !! incorrect really, you can get good quallity external doors here in Thailand, even if they did replace it would of been in the same cheap grade.

Yes I wa told if you want to replace the door its up to you, what a surprise! So may have to do that at some time in the future but at least I will get what I want there not the bit that fills the hole.

when we bought our original side-by-side 2 shophouses they were just a shell and the exterior doors were hollow internal doors like the kind that you could put put your fist through in a bad moment...when we built the third house and the front and rear first floor terraces the wife went out and did a deal for the whole show and now we got really nice solid wood ones...the wife knew how she wanted her terraces to look...complementing the tiled exterior and befitting the lordly appearance of 'Tutsi Mansions'...

[mca]

A Thai friend of mine is into amateur photography and I went with him when he bought a new camera and some lenses. Total came to about 70000 baht as I recall. When we got home the lenses wouldn't "seat" properly on the camera so we went back to the shop about 2 hours after the purchase. The shop owner, instead of offering to change the faulty stuff, insisted that they'd have to go to Bangkok for repair.

I then witnessed the complete opposite of the supposed " Thais don't raise their voices to avoid someone losing face" as my friend went off at the shop owner like an ICBM.

Seemed to work.

[nong38]

A Thai friend of mine is into amateur photography and I went with him when he bought a new camera and some lenses. Total came to about 70000 baht as I recall. When we got home the lenses wouldn't "seat" properly on the camera so we went back to the shop about 2 hours after the purchase. The shop owner, instead of offering to change the faulty stuff, insisted that they'd have to go to Bangkok for repair.

I then witnessed the complete opposite of the supposed " Thais don't raise their voices to avoid someone losing face" as my friend went off at the shop owner like an ICBM.

Seemed to work.

I expect Bangkok is full of people walking round with boxes full of faulty goods, I just dont want to be one of them! Who pays my transport cost? Silly question.

I remember once being told that a phone charger was sold without guarantee, so I told the sales item " Here is my phone, plug in and lets if it works or there is no deal."

Edited November 9, 2011 by nong38

[noise]

It is interesting all the problems some people have that I do not have. I get my warranties handled correctly IAW the information I received when I bought the item. I have had warranties honored at Lotus, Home Pro, Central, small local business, everywhere. Even when all I have is a verbal one from the shop owner and a receipt.

I had a 46 inch 4 year old LCD TV, picked up from my house, sent to BKK for repair, and returned to my house for a total charge of 300 baht.

So my assessment is that it is not that much different here now than in the U.S.

But as all the posters seem to be saying, your mileage may differ depending upon your driving habits.

[paulian]

Are you talking about Home Pro ?

No, I think he's referring to Home Works, Big C, all the vendors in Tucom, Central Mall (all stores) , Mike's, Tops, Major, Diary Queen, Outlet Mall (all stores), International Gems, Family Mart and a few others I can't recall. Home Pro seems to be ok.

Sure this one will get wiped out ....

Edited November 12, 2011 by paulian

[paulian]

A Thai friend of mine is into amateur photography and I went with him when he bought a new camera and some lenses. Total came to about 70000 baht as I recall. When we got home the lenses wouldn't "seat" properly on the camera so we went back to the shop about 2 hours after the purchase. The shop owner, instead of offering to change the faulty stuff, insisted that they'd have to go to Bangkok for repair.

I then witnessed the complete opposite of the supposed " Thais don't raise their voices to avoid someone losing face" as my friend went off at the shop owner like an ICBM.

Seemed to work.

Normally, going off on the shop owner does not work 95% of the time, as you probably already know. Anyone who has lived or spent any type of time in this country knows 2 things. You buy it, you own it and 98% of the time all the paperwork or talking in the world will not get you a warranty on anything. I also bought a Camera and Lens in Bangkok last year from the most reputable Nikon dealer in Bangkok for about 5 times what your friend paid for his set up. and .... I did what I always do when making a major purchase, don't leave the store until you see it work or don't buy it.