Don't buy a Mesh!

[GordonB]

I thought it might be appropriate to flag up the hassle I have recently faced with Mesh Computers to save any CycleChat members from having the same problem. Sequence of events as follows;

I have bought three computers from Mesh in the past so when I decide to go for a Windows 7 machine I order one from them 14 December, paying £636 by credit card. Promised it before Christmas as it is in stock. Money taken immediately from my credit card account
After no word from them in 10 days regarding delivery I email them, get read receipt, no response.
I email them again.......
I email them again.......
I email them again.......
etc etc
All this time the order is showing as being "Production started, System Build in process "
Finally, after being ignored for weeks I lose patience and cancel the order on January 11th.
No confirmation of cancellation so I start the email process again.
Eventually get a response from this useless bunch telling me my order has been cancelled and a refund will be made.
No refund forthcoming after three weeks so more emails with no response.
Get a reply saying refund takes between 15 and 30 days!
Contact credit card company to raise this with them, complete the claim form, they tell they will pursue it vigorously.
They did - finally got refund today, nearly six weeks after cancelling.

In the meantime I order a new base unit from the computer shop in the next village - SBS Computers of Witnesham, Alan Camp, top bloke - it is delivered in 48 hours fitted with a higher spec processor than I ordered as the original one was out of stock. No extra charge! Bought a 24 inch wide screen monitor from Dabs, delivered in 24 hours. Ok, so it cost more than the Mesh but I got it in a timely fashion, it works faultlessly and if it goes wrong I've only got a three mile drive to take it back. It's what I should have done in the first instance as I've bought from SBS before, shouldn't have been seduced by the Mesh price.

I've also since checked reviews of Mesh and it appears they have gone thoroughly down the pan in the last year or so. More fool me for not checking first, I usually do but for some reason failed to do so this time.

On checking the Mesh website two minutes ago my order is still showing as "Production started, System Build in process"!

Gordon

 

[Fab Foodie]

I'm on my second Mesh and like the first, it's been fine, no hassles thus far and it's 4 years old now. They must have gone downhill. I've always found them good to deal with.

 

[GordonB]

That's why I posted this message, their customer service is now appalling. Try googling "Mesh customer service" and you'll see what I mean. They used to have a great rep and when I had a warranty problem with one of my previous desktops they responded well and very quickly. Now they have one of the worst reps in the business, as I found out.

Gordon

 

[Jezston]

Sad to hear when a company with a good rep like them goes down the pan. I thought Mesh were the only good mainstream PC retailer, now it seems they've gone crap too. Where is yer regular joe to buy a computer and not get stiffed?

 

[Simba]

I just build my own computer, its very easy to do. If you want good service and decent prices go to http://www.overclockers.co.uk

 

[Jezston]

I just build my own computer, its very easy to do. If you want good service and decent prices go to http://www.overclockers.co.uk

Whoahahaoh.
Overclockers is run by a white supremacist.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Sad to hear when a company with a good rep like them goes down the pan. I thought Mesh were the only good mainstream PC retailer, now it seems they've gone crap too. Where is yer regular joe to buy a computer and not get stiffed?

I've already mentioned them in another thread, but these people were excellent when they built my PC.

Google their reviews too.

 

[Simba]

Whoahahaoh.
Overclockers is run by a white supremacist.

Says who?

 

[Jezston]

I'm afraid you'll have to take my word for it.
There was a whole thing about it on the net a few years ago - the site has it's own forum and in the politics section the company owner started posting links to white supremacist sites and various rants about immigrants, homosexuals and how the true patriotic white people of britain were being forced out and so on, and would ban anyone on the forum questioning his views, and in fact would ban anyone expressing any political views contrary to his own on the forum.
After this broke out there was a fair broohaha across the internet and he deleted all the incriminating threads on his forum.

Actually a quick search there found this:
http://forums.overcl....php?t=17784554
'Spie' is the owner of overclockers.co.uk. Note the title.
Fairly mild compared to the stuff he's come out with in the past.

Just did a google and found some discussion of it at the time and was reminded of a thread the owner started titled "why do p***s smell?". You might need to guess the racist term I've censored out there.

 

[2Loose]

Jezston +1.

Scan, or Saverstore or maybe Ebuyer are component suppliers of choice since that furore.

On the Mesh thing, it certainly is a shame that a firm with such a good reputation are having such issues at the moment. Very easy to let service slide, very difficult to build it back up again in this industry.

 

[Simba]

Hmm didn't know that, think I will take my business over to scan. Their prices are very similar anyway.

 

[Jezston]

One of the audio PC specialists at Scan is a regular on another forum I visit. They seem like a good bunch, although no less prone to ocassionally cock up orders as anyone else!

I boycotted Ebuyer for many years after they sold me a faulty router - I had 3 BT engineers over testing my lines and they replaced a five figure network card and still Ebuyer wouldn't admit the router was faulty! Their customer support at the time was purely through an email/support ticket system and every time I raised a request, presented evidence from BT that the router itself was faulty they would just close the ticket. F***ers.

I heard they got taken over since then and after seeing a graphics card on very special offer I thought I'd give them another go. Card arrived promptly and I accidentally fried it two days later meddling with the cooling - graphics cards do some amazing things when they start to fail! Imagine visual glitches starting to appear - but in 3D! Seems they now had a phone number which I called - friendly lady gave me an RMA number, sent it back, got a refund. Ok Ebuyer we're even

 

[2Loose]

On the 'supply a whole pc' issue, there are 7 guys from my work that have had very good experiences from www.pcspecialist.co.uk, but as gamers I think they were looking for something with a bit more 'oomph' than an average home\office pc, their component list and prices reflect this.

 

[Wardos]

Mesh have not improved then. I had a Mesh machine a few years ago. The PC itself was great, until the power pack went TU. No problem I thought it's still under warranty. But despite numerous phone calls I could not get Mesh to collect it. They would arrange a date/time but never turn up. I needed it fixing asap so ended up forking out for a new power pack & did it myself. Never been back to them since.

PC specialist seem very good. I did have an issue first off when the built my current PC, but they couldn't have done more to sort it out. (Touch wood) three years on it hasn't missed a beat since.

 

[andyoxon]

I've been really impressed* with Dell customer service, web back-up, and the laptop we have; so would get another Dell.

* No doubt there are always horror stories though.