1/5

posted Jan-25-2012

"I tried an Alienware computer and quickly realized that all the components were OEM, the system was vastly underpowered and I could spend significantly less on a much more robust PC. So I returned it and spent the next several days researching.

Cyberpower PC's Black Pearl, was constantly coming up as among the best, so I took the plunge and ordered one.

I loved the ordering process and building the PC specs. Then I waited.

And I waited.

And I waited.

And then about two weeks after it was supposed to arrive, it showed up. Except I couldn't pick it up. You see Cyberpower PC has a policy that it MUST be picked up at your house. You can't have UPS hold it at their station and pick it up after work. It must be delivered to you, at your address and no where else.

After 3 delivery attempts (during the day when I'm working), the PC was going to get shipped back. After nearly 5 hours on the phone I finally convinced CyberPower to let me pick up the thing at the UPS station.

BTW, if it does go back you have to pay another shipping charge to get it sent back to you.

So I got it! - happy as a clam. Until I started it up. No video. Why no video? Because the PCI express slot was busted in half.

Somehow this computer passed installation, and two stages of QA testing with a busted PCI express slot and a video card falling out of the socket.

Plus, two of the items for the PC were back-ordered. One came about 2 weeks after the computer, one has never shown up. Yes- you have to go through the same shipping nightmare for the back-ordered components.

I returned the PC for RMA. The ease of returning a computer is a testimonial to how many get returned. They supposedly fixed the problem and shipped it back out.

Guess what? I can't pick it up. It's delivered to my house, and they won't let me pick it up at the UPS station. This time the phone call was much shorter. "We won't allow anyone to pick it up at the station. It must be delivered to your home address." The first time it comes out, they might work with you to allow you to pick it up. But, if the RMA people send it out, there's no way you can pick it up at the station - not negotiable.

In 2 more days, It'll be shipped back to Cyberpower. I have some vacation in a few weeks. Maybe I'll pay another shipping charge to have it delivered then. It'll be 3 months between the order date, and the time I actually get it. With luck, it won't be broken this time.

Anyone doing business with this company (including me) is a fool. Avoid it like the plague.

Their PCs might be great, (I'm not sure if I'll ever get the chance to know) - but if you order something similar from someone else, you'll be using it weeks/months before you actually get one from Cyberpower."

**UPDATE**
I went to my local UPS depot and explained the situation to the staff there. The agent staffing the desk, tracked down the truck that held the shipment, and even though CyberPower PC had refused to place a hold on the box, the UPS agent retrieved it anyway and I was able to get the computer.

So far, it's working okay. It has an issue where it occasionally reboots itself when playing Battlefield 3 for more than hour or so. It's a bit frustrating, but I can live with it. I'm hesitant to call the company for tech support... what if they ask for me to send it back again...?

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