To begin with I would like to deeply thank all of those who took the time to post their ratings here at Resellerratings.com about CyberPower. If not for their comments I would most likely have never received any kind of refund.
I strongly discourage purchasing a product from this company or any company that has a rating of less than 9.0. Why? Well I’m a teacher so I tend to think of things along the lines of grades. A 6.19 overall rating translates into a D in my grade book.
My son bought a computer from CyberPower last October and we had an unreasonable amount of difficulty with their tech support. Getting them to answer the phone was an accomplishment. He saved up over a thousand dollars over a period of three years to get his dream gaming machine. It cost me over $100.00 in shipping and paperwork to get his money back.
We sent it back and CyberPower returned it TWICE! With over 20 pages of documented paperwork that included the 4 receipts of registered letters asking them for a refund as well as UPS tracking reports that it had been returned. CyberPower only refunded $59.00 and still “wanted more proof.” Our Credit Card Company was able to get a full refund from them.
Even though CyberPower provides a faster product he ended up buying a Dell which he seems happy with and has had no problems, although he is reluctant to call their tech support now because of this nightmare.
Here are some things to know about getting refunds legally from a US business.
1. Before you buy look on line for complaints.
If you aren't sure about the company's reputation like soybeanmilk ask around.
I googled ‘CyberPower complaints’ (without the apostrophes) and came across Resellerratings.com and a couple others web sites with complaints about CyberPower.
Because the number of users that complain about CyberPower on line is extraordinarily numerous and most of the complaints were consistent about communications and refund problems that was a red flag for me. Unfortunately we had already ordered from them.
2. Read through all of the warranty paperwork.
Be aware that even though the company can say they aren’t liable for certain things; they are always subject to state and federal business laws.
While getting through to CyberPower within the 7-day period to request a Return Merchandise Authorization Number was impossible the Federal Trade Commission says they have to give the customer a full refund if the request was made within 30 days of
receiving the merchandise.
3. Put it in writing, make copies and keep the original paperwork in a file.
We got the computer and began to have problems immediately. As noted by many, phone calls to tech support were essentially frustrating and futile. Emails were not replied to so I wrote them letters and sent along copies of my e-mail to them. Make sure the first letter is post marked within the 30-day warranty period.
4. Send all your correspondences by Registered Mail.
To send a letter by registered mail you have to take it down to the post office. You will fill out a small form with both the sender and recipients address. It only costs a few dollars, takes a little time, but is well worth the investment.
The recipient signs a copy of this receipt and it is sent back to you by mail. This is a record verifying that the person received the mail directly from the hands of the delivery person. If they refuse the delivery person will make a note of that and return it along with the letter to you.
I would have never done this if I had not it had not been for Resellerratings.com. This provided the proof I needed that I tried to return the computer to CyberPower within the 30-day warranty period required for a full refund.
It is my contention and the FTC agrees that this practice of not answering the phones, putting customers on hold on the phone for extraordinary periods of time, not returning calls, not replying to e-mail and written correspondence are evidence of breach of warranty.
5. Know whom to contact. Be persistant and patient.
The Better Business Bureau already had this company listed as “Buyer Beware.”
I know that a lot of young folks are hard-core gamers like my son and may not understand how to get their money back.
Customers were and still are losing their hard earned money to this company so I resolved to take further actions. I also wanted to encourage CyberPower to be responsible to their consumers when it comes to communications as well as realize they are incurring liabilities with their standards of business practices.
First contact your Credit Card Company. They can be your advocate and middleman for getting a refund. If it’s been less than 30 days since the charges were made to your account they can freeze the funds until the dispute is settled. Legally the company you have the dispute with has to settle within a certain period of days or the funds are returned to you if you can prove you have returned the product.
It’s 60 days in most cases. Read through your Credit Card agreement. Most of the time you can find this information listed on the back of the credit card statement.
If they aren’t helpful consider using another Credit Card Company. There’s a lot of competition out there. I use USAA MasterCard. They offer banking needs to all members of the US Armed Forces and are very proactive in resolving conflicts.
Second, notify the Federal Trade Commission. It may take several months to get a reply. The FTC explained to me by letter that this was probably a breach of warranty and to contact an attorney. You can file a complaint on line here:
https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/wsolcq$.s..._ORG_CODE=PU01
Next, notify the Attorney Generals Office in the state where business sells their product.
The State Attorney General is an attorney, an elected official and a public servant. This is part of the job he or she is elected to do and best of all it’s paid for by tax dollars and not out of your pocket. It may take several months to get a reply.
The Attorney General of the State of California replied to my complaint by mail that they are investigating CyberPower’s business practices and have put them on their “watch list” In this instance CyberPower does business out of California and you can file a complaint here:
http://caag.state.ca.us/consumers/mailform.htm
6. Print up and keep copies of on line tracking reports when you return a product.
CyberPower tried to return the computer twice. Since they have never replied to any of my letters I can only speculate as to why. Most likely it’s because of the poor business skills when it comes to communications.
I used UPS to return the computer because they could package it properly, offered insurance and we could easily track it online.
I write as an avocation and would like to repay Resellerratings.com. and the users here with some important information, as well as a valuable experience. The hope is that if customers put enough pressure on CyberPower by knowing how to hold them accountable they will improve their customer service skills.
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