Complaint Details

Status	:	Closed
Complaint No	:	0004146/2013
Category	:	Computers & Accessories
Date	:	10-04-2013
Subject Line	:	Fraudulant Chain Posing as Authorized Acer Service Centre
Complainant	:	Debashish Mitra
Address	:	GD 269, Sector 3, Salt Lake City
Complainee	:	Micronics Enterprise
Address	:	13 B Dhana Devi Khanna Road

Complaint Details
This is to bring to your notice a shops in Kolkata Micronics Enterprise (13 B Dhana Devi Khanna Road Kolkata 700054) posing as authorized Acer Service centre. They have created a fraudulant Web Page pretending to be official Acer India Service Centre's Web site. Here is the URL :

http://www.acerservicecenter.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=116:acer-service-centers-in-kolkata&catid=1

The above is a fake web page and does not belong to Acer India at all. None of the shops listed in the above fake page are authorised Acer service centres. The real page from Acer India which contains the list of authorized service centres in Kolkata is the following:

http://www2.acer.co.in/support/support_network_display.asp?type=City&city=Kolkata

Last week I needed to repair an Acer Aspire One Netbook which my father was using for work and needed to be fixed within two days. I unfortunately unknowingly happened to visit one of these fraudulant shops seeing their hoarding - a signboard saying they are Acer service centre (since I was on the road for some other work, I walked in on spotting it and without checking the Acer website first) since it was relatively near my place: Micronics Enterprise - (13 B Dhana Devi Khanna Road Kolkata 700054). I submitted the netbook (Acer Aspire One D250-1584) for servicing. I needed it fixed urgently as my father would need it within two days. I asked them specifically whether they are authorised Acer Service Centre and they said yes. They told me that they will give the netbook fixed withing one day or call and let me know if any part needs to be replaced. They took Rs 500 as non refundable service charge (which did not include spare parts cost).

The whole of next day I waited for their call but there was none. I called them in the evening asking for the status update and also the reason they did not call me as promised. The person told me that they are still working on it and they will call me definitely within two hours and update me. Three hours went by after that and there was no call. I got anxious as I could smell foul play and also because my father was leaving the next day and he would need the laptop. I called them again and this time they came up with an excuse that some liquid had fallen on the laptop and also that it had been given to some other place to repair and they had damaged it - they told me to come and take back the laptop. This was outrageously untrue. That netbook was new and had not been given for service ever before this. Also I am sure no liquid had fallen on the netbook as my father is very careful about handling. In my indignation I told them that they had failed to keep their promise of either fixing it in time OR updating me about the cause of the problem. I also told them that since there was no chance of getting the laptop fixed in time for my father to take it with him the next day - they should now inspect it carefully and either fix it or let me know if any part change is required. I said that since they have taken Rs 500 they cannot simply return the laptop without fixing it or providing any update about what the problem was. On being pressurised, they said they will call and let me know within the next day.

All of the next day there was no call from them. Since then I called them several times and every time they made an excuse that it is in the workshop and they are working very hard on it and they will let me know. I am almost sure that they had just left it without doing anything just to give off an impression that they are working since I had pressurised them to find the cause of the problem. Today I went to the shop and asked for their license of Authorisation as Acer Service Centre - they said they do not have it immediately but I can check on the internet and that their name is listed. When I returned home and looked up their name on the internet I was shocked to find complaints against their service and also they were not in the list of authorized Acer service centres in Kolkata. I also found the fake web page (http://www.acerservicecenter.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=116:acer-service-centers-in-kolkata&catid=1) listing them as a service centre. It was my fault that I walked in like an idiot without checking the web site first and I will like to bring this to public awareness so that this imposters cannot thrive by cheating people.

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