Upgrade configurator failed to flag incompatability, no option to RMA upgrade parts

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paulstenning123

Member
I purchased a 15.6" Lafité IV a year ago. As I am using it both on the desk and mobile I was interested in buying a USB-C dock for Ethernet, monitor and USB devices, so recently purchased the DS100 as an upgrade for my laptop from PC Specialist.

However the HDMI output doesn't work. I messaged tech support and after two days had a reply that the USB-C output doesn't support video on that laptop.

Surely the upgrade purchasing system should have highlighted this before I proceeded with the order. The DS100 is NOT a suitable upgrade for the 15.6" Lafité IV if the laptop doesn't support all ports on it. I wouldn't have ordered the dock had I known.

I now need to RMA the dock. However there is no option on the website to RMA upgrade orders, nor is the part listed as an RMA option on the original laptop order.

So the website didn't tell me the upgrade was incompatible and also doesn't give the option to return it. Hopefully these issues will be addressed in due course.

Live Chat said they can't do RMAs. The only option is through tech support messages which seem to take around 2 days for a response. Or hours on the phone in a queue.
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
paulstenning123 said:
I purchased a 15.6" Lafité IV a year ago. As I am using it both on the desk and mobile I was interested in buying a USB-C dock for Ethernet, monitor and USB devices, so recently purchased the DS100 as an upgrade for my laptop from PC Specialist.

However the HDMI output doesn't work. I messaged tech support and after two days had a reply that the USB-C output doesn't support video on that laptop.

Surely the upgrade purchasing system should have highlighted this before I proceeded with the order. The DS100 is NOT a suitable upgrade for the 15.6" Lafité IV if the laptop doesn't support all ports on it. I wouldn't have ordered the dock had I known.

I now need to RMA the dock. However there is no option on the website to RMA upgrade orders, nor is the part listed as an RMA option on the original laptop order.

So the website didn't tell me the upgrade was incompatible and also doesn't give the option to return it. Hopefully these issues will be addressed in due course.

Live Chat said they can't do RMAs. The only option is through tech support messages which seem to take around 2 days for a response. Or hours on the phone in a queue.
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An RMA is what you do when you need a faulty part repaired, you don't want an RMA.

You want a return. Very different thing.
 
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paulstenning123

Member
I tried web chat and they said they couldn't do it for security reasons. Hopefully they can do it through tech support messages as I don't want to waste over an hour in a phone queue for a £36 item.
 
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paulstenning123

Member
Looks like email is the only way. I tried phoning at 9am and got 3rd in the queue, but they couldn't do a return and refund either. Why is it so difficult to return a mis-sold upgrade part?
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
I've raised the issue of the documentation on these DSxxx hubs with PCS. I've asked that they include a statement in the detailed description that the actual capability of these hubs depends of the capabilities of the computer's USB-C port.
 
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paulstenning123

Member
ubuysa said:
I've raised the issue of the documentation on these DSxxx hubs with PCS. I've asked that they include a statement in the detailed description that the actual capability of these hubs depends of the capabilities of the computer's USB-C port.
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Thank you for raising that, it would be very useful.

It does seem quite complex with USB-C ports having varying functionality, and not being obvious what works with what. The statement should perhaps say what specifically to check in the port spec, as it is not always obvious.

Maybe longer term adding some other hubs/docks without the HDMI and only offering appropriate ones with the different laptops would be good.
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
paulstenning123 said:
Thank you for raising that, it would be very useful.

It does seem quite complex with USB-C ports having varying functionality, and not being obvious what works with what. The statement should perhaps say what specifically to check in the port spec, as it is not always obvious.

Maybe longer term adding some other hubs/docks without the HDMI and only offering appropriate ones with the different laptops would be good.
Click to expand...
Going forward, USB 4 is finally standardising things. It merges USB and Thunderbolt and power delivery into the one port whereas up until now, they've been modular things so a usb C wasn't necessarily thunderbolt or power delivery, but was capable of all 3.

It's been extremely confusing up until now, really since USB 3.
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
I've now had a response back from PCS after they've had time to investigate. This is their response...

That chassis should be able to display through the Thunderbolt 3 port. This is more than likely a DDI setting in BIOS that hasn't been changed.

It's likely that the display capabilities of the Thunderbolt port are shared with the Mini-DP port and the customer will have to change the option in the BIOS to route display capability through the Thunderbolt port.
Click to expand...
 
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paulstenning123

Member
Thank you for this. I wish the support engineer who answered my ticket had known this.

However the dock is on its way back to PC Specialist, after finally getting a return sorted with enquiries@ last week. Hopefully the refund will be quicker than the rest of the protracted process.
 
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paulstenning123

Member
It's a shame tech support didn't know about that when I raised the initial support ticket. They said it wouldn't work.

By the time you got a reply and posted here, it was already on its way back with DPD having been accepted for return.

So I stand by my incompetence comment.

Thank you for your efforts though.
 
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