Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/25/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  *** DATE: June 6, 2023 *** Amount: $3,250.06 *** The business committed to provide me a server that was configured to my specifications. *** The server was not quiet as advertised, and upon notifying them of this, they notified me that there was no issue and that it was working as intended. Upon trying to get a refund for it, they stated that I was ineligible for a refund citing that the server I had purchased was custom. The server was not custom, according to their own wording. When I provided evidence of this, they resulted to insults when I attempted to have the problem resolved. They make it very difficult to reach their return policy. By their own wording in the chat exchange, it was eligible, but they manipulate and twist their words to achieve the outcome they desired, which is to keep my money and deliver me a product that was not as advertised.*** The business has not made a good effort to remediate the problem. They are refusing me a refund and manipulating words through the process. Attached are all the details of our conversations. *** The order is S297329 *** This did not involve advertising

  Business Response

  Date: 09/18/2023

  1- We never advertised saying the server is quiet. The manufacturer says it is "low noise", but not quiet. It's important to note that computer servers are powerful machines and the one that **** purchased has four fans. It's recommended that servers be stored in data centers with appropriate environmental settings, rather than in residential homes. He installed it in his customer's house, and his wife thought it was making too much noise.
  
  2- We did everything in our power to help. We spent almost two weeks with **** and the manufacturer troubleshooting the problem he raised, but at the end, the engineers confirmed the server is behaving as expected, it is perfectly fine and working as it should. It is still low noise compared to other servers, but not whisper quiet as **** and his customer wanted it to be. It is a powerful machine, not the same as a desktop computer. This is not our fault, and the product is not defective. The return request was declined by the manufacturer, and consequently by us.
  
  3- We have a link to our Returns Policy on every single page of our website, including the item's page and the configurator page he used. It is located in the footer of all pages together with other important links.
   ***********************************legal/return_policy
  
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/18/2023

  
  Complaint: 20523154
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I never expected it to be whisper quiet, nor did I ever use those words. I had expectations that it wouldn't be a jet turbine based on the description. Not anywhere did the product mention that it was not suitable for certain usage, or how loud the fans were (even in dB). Based on the description and specifications provided, it seemed suitable. If this was actually a concern of the company, then it would have expressly noted as such, during the checkout process. 
  
  As for the return policy argument; at no point during the process were there any stops or notices that what was being done was going to cause the unit to be ineligible for return or restocking. In your return policy, you specify that custom builds were a violation of it. Everywhere within the product page was "Configuration", which you now conveniently state is the same thing, even though it is not. If your policy reflected as much, then this would be a completely separate issue. One which I would be at fault of. 

  There was nothing custom about my order. I did not have you inscribe a company logo onto the unit. I did not have you change the front plate out for something different. I did not ask for you to change out the *** with another brand that you did not normally use. All of those would be custom asks.

  All I did was select a normal configuration of the unit, based on the restricted drop-downs that you provided me on the page. There was no "special asks" or text field for me to insert ***************. I only selected from curated drop-down items under the "CONFIGURATION" section. I selected from the normal options given, I did not edit anything (not that I could), and my CONFIGURATION was completed. The unit was configured, exclusively, off of the items provided, but you conveniently now say that this makes it ineligible for return.

  For these reasons, I do not accept your resolution. I look forward to your proposed resolution that both parties find reasonable, and can agree to. 

   

  Sincerely,
  

  ***********************

  Business Response

  Date: 09/18/2023

  Firstly, we understand your frustration with the noise level of the server you purchased. However, it's important to note that the server's noise level is a characteristic of the hardware and not a defect. It is essential to differentiate between the product and the location where it is placed. Your issue is with the site you intended to keep the server, which was suitable or ideal. We've been selling these servers daily for many years, and customers never complain about noise. The reason is that they don't keep servers inside their homes; servers are kept in data centers. A solution for you is to soundproof the room where you intend to keep the server running.

  We want to clarify our returns policy one more time. Our policy clearly states that customized servers (ones with components installed), barebone servers, and used/opened products are considered final sale items, which means they are not eligible for return. We have discussed your case with the manufacturer, and after thorough troubleshooting with you, they have confirmed that the server is functioning as intended. There is nothing wrong with it. Therefore, Supermicro denied your return request.

  We appreciate your feedback on the accessibility of our policies. We strive to provide our customers with clear and easily accessible information, so we have a link to our policies on every page of our website. We do not force customers to read it but encourage them to do so to make informed decisions.

  
  Best Regards,