1/5

posted Oct-02-2007

Atrocious customer service. I placed an order online for an Action Replay for the xbox, which listed availability as “immediate.” On the web site, the order showed as “complete and dispatched” two days later. After not having received any information for about a week, I started e-mailing and calling. No response, until finally, almost three weeks later, I finally get a response to one of my many emails that the item is out of stock but will be available "soon." Really? It is a discontinued product! It still shows on the website as available "immediately."

If I hadn't contacted them, apparently they were perfectly willing to let me wait forever for a product which would never show up.

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5/5

posted Aug-18-2006

Bought a memory module from them a long time ago (with a rebate, which was paid), and bought another Kingston somewhere else later. Recently purchased a new cpu and motherboard, but the two memory modules would not work together in dual channel mode, or at all, despite having worked together perfectly well (not in dual channel) in the computer from which they were pulled. The motherboard manufacturer suggested I contact Kingston for the timings to be used on the memory.

I contacted Kingston and asked for suggestions on timings. Kingston determined that the two modules were not identical and offered to replace them with identical modules at no charge. I took them up on their offer. They paid shipping both ways, I did not spend a penny.

Any company willing to replace perfectly functioning products just to make sure that the customer using their products is satisfied is very impressive, and these days extremely rare. My hat is off to them.

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5/5

posted Aug-18-2006

Purchased a framed poster from this store. After it was shipped, UPS lost it after it was delivered to the local station and was on the truck for delivery to me. I called UPS which informed me that they would have to trace trace the item, but a trace would have to be initiated by the sender.

Called the customer service line and informed them of this. The customer service rep put me on hold and called UPS herself. In a couple of minutes, she came back and told me that UPS would initiate a trace, but it would take a long time and she did not want me to have to wait that long for my poster. So, she simply sent me out a replacement, two-day delivery, free of charge. UPS managed to actually deliver the replacement.

Any company that goes to the trouble and expense of fixing mistakes of others, even when those mistakes are in no way their fault, to keep a customer happy, is a company I want to do business with.

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1/5

posted Jul-18-2006

The Saga:

MAY 8 - Order cpu/mobo combo (tested! great!) and video card. Web page claims video card needs molex connector for $8.95. I buy it. Turns out, it is not needed. After placing order, but before it is shipped, I decide I want a better video card. Call customer service to ask to replace the card with a higher-priced card. "Sorry!" "But I'm trying to give you more money?" "Sorry, that's our policy." Umm, OK.

Order arrives, the video card is physically broken. RMA the card, receive replacement card. I pay for replacement so that it can be shipped immediately. Refund takes three weeks. Funny, doesn't take them three weeks to charge the card.

After receiving replacement card, I can now put together my machine. Put combo in system, won't boot with two memory modules. After messing about and getting replacement memory (Kingston customer service spectacular by comparison), finally get it to work. After a few days, constant lock-ups, hard drive file systems corrupted. After extensive testing and narrowing problem to either CPU or mobo, RMA combo to Monarch.

JUNE 7 - Monarch receives the RMA combo.

JUNE 13- Monarch states they cannot find problem with combo. I agree to have it shipped back so I can test further.

JUNE 16- get combo back. System crashed immediately after install. Hard disks corrupted. Get another RMA.

JUNE 21- Ship RMA back to Monarch with a detailed list of testing I've done.

JUNE 28- Monarch receives combo.

JULY 7- call Monarch. My combo was checked in July 5. Testing has not started yet.

JULY 12- Not a peep from Monarch. Request status on RMA on web page. No response. No answer on toll-free number, message box full.

JULY 14- Still no response from Monarch. E-mail helpful tech I spoke with previously, he promptly e-mails back and informs me CPU is bad (didn't they already test this CPU twice?), and they are testing board with new CPU. Combo should be sent early next week, barring problems.

JULY 18 -today. They've had my board for three weeks now, other than the response to my e-mail I haven't heard a peep.

*UPDATE* JULY 21 - After figuring out that BOTH the CPU and motherboard were bad, ship me a replacement. I thought they tested the combo before they sent it to me the first time? The second time?

BOTTOM LINE: Customer service is lousy. E-mails go unanswered, RMA status requests go unanswered, customer service is often unreachable by phone.

I'm on my third RMA, and this time they've had the combo for three weeks. Have they done anything to try to make me happy? Have they even said "sorry for the delay and for the problems you are having with the 'tested' combo?" That would be a "No."

The people I spoke with were nice enough, but everything takes too long and no one is authorized to do anything other than go strictly by company policy, which is anything but customer-friendly.

This was my first and last purchase from Monarch. I'm one of those people who is the "computer guy" and is asked by family, friends and co-workers for recommendations when they buy computers and parts. My experience will cost Monarch thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars in lost sales. My entire office will need new computers soon. Guess where we definitely won't be getting them?

This review was modified by santi on August 02 2006 11:55:27 AM

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5/5

posted Apr-04-2006

These people are still operating with the quaint idea that they should exceed their customers' expectations. They are also famous for underrating their used gear. Stuff they rate as "bargain" grade would rate an "excellent" in most other places - which really does make it a bargain.

My latest order was a used lens which is very hard to find. They had it in great condition for a price which was 2/3 or less of what I could find it on ebay - if I could find it.

I placed an order after the cutoff time for next-day shipping. It shipped the next day anyway. Paid for ground delivery, it was shipped via 2-day. Instead of receiving my lens in 10 days, I'm getting it in two. I love this place.

This review was modified by santi on July 18 2006 02:06:58 PM

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