ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL ASUS The Essentio CS5111 Desktop is a piece of crap that ASUS will not stand behind , Fremont California

Preface to my report: a list of the useless and unprofessional liars at ASUS with whom I had the misfortune to deal with in this disgusting experience:

Shanelle Prandisi - Customer Care Supervisor.  Too chicken s**t to respond to letters, calls and complaints through Consumer Affairs and Better Business Bureau.  Blatantly misinterprets the terms of the warranty to deprive the customer.

Robert Diaz - Technical Support Supervisor.  Did not even know the terms of the warranty prior to refusing what it promises to the consumer.  Even asked me to email it to him.  Also misinterprets warranty because he doesnt know jack about it.

Mason Winner - Tech Support.  Sent second defective replacement computer which the 2 people listed above claim should not have been sent even though the awrranty says otherwise. The replacement was a thrashed, beat-up, thoroughly used clunker.  The disc drive failed on it just as it had on all the others.

Eric Sablan - Tech Support.  Sent the first defective replacement after failing to repair my original computer twice. 

Chelsea He - Customer Service.  She answers emails sent through the useless customer support website.  Hardly replies and when she does it is not worth reading.

Ok - those are the characters in my story and here is the story:

I purchased the unit from Best Buy on December 31, 2008. I did not use it until April. The DVD disc drive began to malfunction almost immediately. It would not recognize or record blank CD-Rs properly. It made a loud noise as the discs spun inside and would not eject discs. I was attracted to the sleek contemporary design of the unit and the sales clerk spoke highly of ASUS so, unfortunately, I bought it. I have had to return this and various other replacement units 5 times in the last 4 months.

On May 5,2009, I was issued Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) # USA195024 (case #357757) and returned the unit to ASUS for repair. It was returned to me with the same disc drive problems - as if nothing was done at all. I called to complain and get another return authorization.

On June 9, I was issued RMA #USA1961563 (case #386398) to return the unit a second time. Upon return from ASUS, the same problems existed and were even worse. This time the unit was visibly mistreated - scratches where on all surfaces of the high gloss black lacquer finish and the door on the front would not stay closed. The outer casing bulged at the seams as if the unit was not reassembled properly. It looked like an old, abused, beat-up unit only a few months after I bought it brand new. I was disgusted that ASUS would do this to my computer and had the audacity to expect me to accept it. I called promptly to complain.

On June 22, I was issued a third RMA# USA 1964053 (case #397716). This one got me a replacement unit which failed right out of the box. Third level technician Eric Sablan told me that he tested the unit prior to shipping it. Some discs would not get read properly in the drive and others were not recognized at all. I was also contacted by a woman from Customer Care who said that she would be monitoring my case and working to resolve it correctly.

On July 21, I was issued a fourth RMA# USA1973772 (case #426860) to return the first replacement unit. I even went so far as to return it with 2 of my own discs - a Norton Antivirus CD and an audio CD - so technicians could test and reproduce the problems. Mason Winner did test and sent me a second replacement unit. This unit arrived August 11 and I was appalled the moment I opened the box. The outer casing of this unit was completely covered in scratches and battered - far worse than the last scratched-up replacement. That is unacceptable considering I started this ridiculous process with a

brand new computer which I never saw in good working condition.

On August 12, I called to demand to speak to manager or someone with authority. As with my earlier requests to speak to a manager, I was connected to the same department that failed repeatedly to send an unacceptable unit. I ended up talking to Eric Sablan yet again. His excuse was that there are no truly new, unused units there so I could not get a new one. I was never connected to a supervisor as Eric said his supervisor would simply turn the problem back over to him anyway - another poor customer service policy.

I was given RMA # USA19~2132 (case #454898) to return the beat-up computer and

. !.i ~

shipped it back to ASUS.

Despite the clearly written warranty, both Prandisi and Diaz tried to dishonestly proclaim that I should have never gotten a replacement.  I never asked for one.  Their tech support people gave up trying to fix my original - which means I was entitled to a replacement. 

I opened cases with the Better Business Bureau (ASUS has a grade of D on the BBB site affirming their worthlessness) and the California Deprtment of Consumer Affairs (who are also fairly useless).  I have begun a crusade to post how bad ASUS is any and everywhere I can on the net.  I will not win but I will scar them up appropriately. 

It is obvious that they will simply keep sending me bad refurb units until the warranty period is over and then they wil refuse to ever get me a working computer.  It would be easier and less expensive to simply give me a new one and close the case with a satisfied customer and the possibility of repeat business.  Only bad people and organizations go out of their way to avoid doing the right thing.