WARNING Do Not Buy From NCIX Outlet Store (or maybe at all?)

[kevinb2001]

I purchased a supposedly new in box motherboard from the NCIX ebay outlet store. My experience was so unbelievably terrible, that I will never buy from NCIX again nor will I recommend to anyone who comes to me for buying advice to buy from here again.

I'm getting a refund but the fact that they continue to insist that it was me who damaged the board and there's no way it could have been damaged by them is disgraceful. I DIDN'T DAMAGE THE BOARD. I sent the first message within 30 minutes of Canada Post delivering it. If I damaged it I would have eaten the cost and moved on. The employee who deals with their ebay store admits that he didn't check the board before sending it. In fact his response seems to indicate that they don't check any of their outlet store sales before sending them out. He seems to think no one buys Xeon boards but as someone who buys more than one actual brand new server board most years and enough entry level enterprise drives like re4's to sink a ship I think that statement is laughable. Maybe no one buys them from NCIX and now I see why.

 

For reference here was my exchange with their staff that has lost my business for good:

 

Message from me to NCIX ebay outlet:
Hello,
I just received my order but I'm very unhappy. Your listing said this was new in box and undamaged but someone has clearly broken the bottom right corner of the motherboard. This was not a result of shipping because the anti-static bag has a rip in it at the same spot and it was clearly mishandled or dropped at some point. All I want is a working undamaged motherboard as advertised. Let me know what you want to do. (picture attached)

Response from NCIX:
New message from: outlet_ncix Top Rated Seller
That kind of damage would only have occurred after the motherboard was removed from the packaging unless the box itself was damaged and there would no reason for us to remove a unopened motherboard or handle just the motherboard in that way. So even though we can't prove that do you want to return it at our cost for a full refund?

 

My response to NCIX ebay outlet:
Yes I would like to return it for a full refund. Also I don't appreciate the insinuation that I damaged the board. The box was NOT sealed and the bag has no sticker to show that it hadn't been opened by anyone. Having spent a great deal of my past working in retail, I can guarantee you this happened from one of two things:
1. the board was sold and NCIX returned it without adequately looking over the board. (not trying to tell you how to do your job, but it's concerning that you don't inspect boards for damage to socket pins or anything else, especially when selling them through your outlet store, where everything's either been returned or has been sitting around so long you just want to get rid of it. Heck if I buy a motherboard from any local store they open the box in store and ask me to verify at the very least that there are no bent socket pins because so many people are stupid and damage them after they leave the store).
2. YOUR STAFF (not me) opened it and damaged it and decided rather than get in trouble, would just put it back and not say anything.
The idea that no one who works at NCIX has ever opened a motherboard box to handle it or look at it before, show to a customer, whatever, is completely absurd. This would make you the only electronics chain selling computer parts that has never opened a motherboard box and handled a motherboard. Not to mention I guarantee I can go on your youtube channel and find videos of your staff opening brand new products to make videos. You're telling me not a single one of those ever got sold as being still new?
Now obviously I can't tell you which of those two scenarios resulted in a damaged motherboard being sent to me but your accusation that I damaged it is insulting enough to guarantee that not only do I not ever buy anything from NCIX again, but neither will the company I work for, or the many other personal contacts who come to me for purchasing advice, ever be recommended to you, and actually dissuaded instead.

 

Response from NCIX:
NIB products are not inspected or even opened for customers prior to purchase, our company has policy against that. They can be opened after the customer purchases them and if they change their mind then it returned as an opened product. If they discover the product is damaged or defective it is returned to the supplier for credit/replacment. The product is not returned to our inventory. Since this obviously not a manufacturer defect or shipped to us in such a condition. The damage either occurred at some point well it was sitting in the warehouse, during shipping or when in your possession. The only time this motherboard would ever be at a retail store is if there was already a pending order for one. People do not purchase ZEON Motherboards on a whim so we don't stock them at our stores. The only people at our warehouse who would even handle a product outside of the retail packaging is our assembly team, and the only person who would handle this kind of motherboard is our assembly manager and he wouldn't need to cover up damaging a motherboard. 

Regardless of how or when the damage occurred we are required by eBay to allow you to return the motherboard for a full refund. 

If this wasn't purchased through eBay we would refuse the request to return the product as this would be considered customer damage by Supermicro and they would refuse our credit request.

[Enderman]

How do you know that this was the official NCIX and not some random ebay seller with NCIX in his name?

[Megah3rtz]

2 minutes ago, Enderman said:

How do you know that this was the official NCIX and not some random ebay seller with NCIX in his name?

why wouldn't you just buy from NCIX in the first place anyway 

[Megah3rtz]

I don't see what the problem is, you got your refund. 

[kevinb2001]

No offense but did you read it? Unless this is a very convincing fake:

 

http://stores.ebay.ca/NCIX-Outlet-Store

 

It's their official store.

 

Plus I got an invoice from them after buying it on ebay... so I'm going to go with it's actually them.

[kevinb2001]

Well, my problem is that they continue to rudely suggest that I broke it and they're only taking it back because ebay says they have to. Hence the warning to anyone who looks through their ebay store for products that might be a good deal, they might be a good deal because they're broken and they don't bother to check things before selling them on their ebay store. Had I not checked this immediately I would have no recourse as they only offer a 15 day warranty on items sold through there. I often don't get around to opening stuff I order for a few weeks if it's just for home use.

[chrisholland03]

I'm scratching my head - they offered a full refund in the first response and you kept blasting them.

 

edit: They even offered to pay for return shipping on top of the refund.  The only thing you appear to be out is a few days time and a little ego.

Edited January 14, 2017 by chrisholland03

[Enderman]

Yes that looks fake... it doesn't even have a profile picture, and other people have had similar experiences

http://forums.ncix.com/forums/topic.php?id=1626148

It's sort of your fault for buying stuff on ebay in the first place...

[iRileyx]

2 minutes ago, Enderman said:

Yes that looks fake... it doesn't even have a profile picture, and other people have had similar experiences

http://forums.ncix.com/forums/topic.php?id=1626148

It's sort of your fault for buying stuff on ebay in the first place...

I doubt that its fake with 34k feedback and member since 2005...

[AshleyAshes]

Normally I find most 'costumer service complaints' to be those who were unlucky and got a bad thing to expect immediate and perfect service even if they'll get their refund if they just go through the motions, but...

 

Quote

NIB products are not inspected or even opened for customers prior to purchase, our company has policy against that. They can be opened after the customer purchases them and if they change their mind then it returned as an opened product. If they discover the product is damaged or defective it is returned to the supplier for credit/replacment. The product is not returned to our inventory. Since this obviously not a manufacturer defect or shipped to us in such a condition. The damage either occurred at some point well it was sitting in the warehouse, during shipping or when in your possession. The only time this motherboard would ever be at a retail store is if there was already a pending order for one. People do not purchase ZEON Motherboards on a whim so we don't stock them at our stores. The only people at our warehouse who would even handle a product outside of the retail packaging is our assembly team, and the only person who would handle this kind of motherboard is our assembly manager and he wouldn't need to cover up damaging a motherboard. 

 

Allllll of this...

 

Quote

Regardless of how or when the damage occurred we are required by eBay to allow you to return the motherboard for a full refund. 

 

Just as a preface to say 'We will give you your refund'...

 

Quote

If this wasn't purchased through eBay we would refuse the request to return the product as this would be considered customer damage by Supermicro and they would refuse our credit request.

But to finish it off by basically trying to politely say 'But fuck you, enjoy that refund, you lucky fucking fuck'?

 

NCIX, operating as an eBay seller, has a responsibility per the terms it has agreed to ensure that all items are in good state before shipping and to accept responsibility if they are not, and if NCIX doesn't like those terms, they can shut down the eBay store.

[Enderman]

1 minute ago, RKRiley said:

I doubt that its fake with 34k feedback and member since 2005...

By "fake" I mean not affiliated with the real company...

It says nowhere that it is official or that it owns the trademark.

It also says nothing about ebay sales on the official NCIX website.

[handymanshandle]

I bought my MSI Z170 SLI Plus from NCIX US, it was fine.

[kevinb2001]

the invoice I got, on which I asked a question and got a response was from someone with an @ncix.com email address how do they fake that through replies. I'm aware you can fake an outgoing email but when I send to that address it wouldn't go through and be able to give me another reply back if the email address was a fake.

[AshleyAshes]

4 minutes ago, Enderman said:

Yes that looks fake... it doesn't even have a profile picture, and other people have had similar experiences

http://forums.ncix.com/forums/topic.php?id=1626148

It's sort of your fault for buying stuff on ebay in the first place...

http://forums.ncix.com/forums/topic.php?id=2042337

 

Meanwhile in this thread, an actual NCIX staffer on the NCIX forums is linking directly to that very eBay store.  Doesn't seem fake to me.  ...Or maybe NCIX.com is the -real- fake?

[Enderman]

idk, buying from ebay always looks like a horrible idea.

[mad dudy]

its broken, it became a you said, i said problem. you can't prove to them they didn't break it and all they have to say is you broke it and not give you a refund but you are getting a refund.

[AshleyAshes]

1 minute ago, Enderman said:

idk, buying from ebay always looks like a horrible idea.

Or how about this...

 

http://www.ncix.com/

 

Yeah, NCIX's main page.  Scroll down on the left to the 'Quick Links'?  What's listed there?  'eBay Outlet'.  And it takes you to the exact eBay seller discussed in this thread.

 

So either you're entirely wrong entirely or.... the fake eBay store has hacked NCIX.   ...You're probably just wrong though.

[AshleyAshes]

1 minute ago, mad dudy said:

all they have to say is you broke it and not give you a refund

Aaaaaactually... eBay and PayPal both heavily side with buyers to the point that it's nearly ridiculous.  I could by something on eBay, have it arrive in pristine condition, proceed to smash it with a hammer and there's like 95% odds i'm getting a refund weather the seller likes it or not.

[kevinb2001]

Thank you @AshleyAshes for seeing the point.

 

I never said NCIX wasn't a real company and that it's not possible to get a working product from them.

 

I've purchased many things from NCIX over the years both for work and personal use. This was the first time I had a problem, and the help I received with that problem laced with insults. I personally expect good customer service from companies I spend thousands of dollars with, if other people don't that's fine.

[mad dudy]

3 minutes ago, AshleyAshes said:

Aaaaaactually... eBay and PayPal both heavily side with buyers to the point that it's nearly ridiculous.  I could by something on eBay, have it arrive in pristine condition, proceed to smash it with a hammer and there's like 95% odds i'm getting a refund weather the seller likes it or not.

well i don't use ebay or paypal so i wouldn't know about all that. also OP is mostly talking ncix not ebay.

i also don't buy from ncix anyways so yeah.

[kevinb2001]

Also, I bought this to upgrade my lab server at work that only gets used for testing. If I broke it, the company wouldn't care, I would just have $500 less in my "do whatever you want and buy lab equipment to test on and we write it off" fund for the year, and I would just have to wait until next year to upgrade from a dual 1366 setup to dual 2011 setup... I don't really care about the money.

[AshleyAshes]

1 minute ago, mad dudy said:

well i don't use ebay or paypal so i wouldn't know about all that. also OP is mostly talking ncix not ebay.

i also don't buy from ncix anyways so yeah.

I'm not the most prolific eBayer, but I go there fairly often, from getting cheap stuff from China to just napping out of production game controllers or PC stuff.  Most recently me hunting down an eMachine for a restoration project.

 

eBayers basically FEAR bad feedback and eBay will heavily side with the buyers.  Heck, I've had stuff not show up within the delivery window from China and no questions asked I get refunds.

 

You see similar things on Amazon market place too.  One seller sent me the wrong SKU of some Blacknoise fans I ordered, they were all 'We'll do whatever we can to help you!' but honestly just stopped replying once they realize that they had listed the wrong SKU and thusly not sent me the correct SKU.  After some days, Amazon was like 'Welp, you stopped replying, buyer gets a refund'.  Guess who got free, if slighty slower than desired, Blacknoise NB-eLoop fans!

[Yoinkerman]

Idk, you start off as combative and are surprised they respond in kind?

 

Customer service people respond better when you don't start off as a dick

 

Edit: don't get me wrong, a broken board sucks, but stuff arrives DOA, it's maybe not the best to jump to ncix negligence

[TetraSky]

1 hour ago, kevinb2001 said:

and there would no reason for us to remove a unopened motherboard or handle just the motherboard in that way.

1 hour ago, kevinb2001 said:

Heck if I buy a motherboard from any local store they open the box in store and ask me to verify at the very least that there are no bent socket pins because so many people are stupid and damage them after they leave the store).

This NCIX policy is crazy at best, because as you say, ANY other store would open the box and make you inspect the board before you pay. It's for that exact reason why motherboard box are never sealed.

The fact that NCIX claim they don't open boxes due to "company policy" is just anti consumer at this point as it is not that rare for a customer to buy an open box item and have issues.

 

Also, their Ebay store is obviously NOT for new items, it's for their returned products that they are not able to sell for whatever reason. Which make me believe that whoever had that board before, broke it, returned it to NCIX, they didn't inspect it and this is the result.

 

You do also sound quite combative, even though they offered you a refund right away, I get that it could've been worded better, but they still gave you that option. Instead of just accepting it, you went right for the throat. So of course they would reply in kind.

[AshleyAshes]

21 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

This NCIX policy is crazy at best, because as you say, ANY other store would open the box and make you inspect the board before you pay. It's for that exact reason why motherboard box are never sealed..

I obviously can't speak for NCIX.com's shipping department, but in my experiences at brick and mortar NCIX locations, they always open the box and demonstrate to the consumer that the motherboard is in good condition, and most importantly, that none of the CPU socket pins are damaged.  This is to ensure that should the consumer got a board with unbent pins and should the consumer bend the pins, the fault is clear.