How can i escalate a support problem?

[user6536]

How can i escalate a support problem?

Sept 19th 2023 I started trying to get support for a switch that was purchased at the end of June 2023. It's a unmanaged switch that started failing randomly. I would have to unplug power and re-connect to resolve issues. First i was having problems with the portal (login issues despite saved password in password manager, and problems getting one-time passcode). After a ticket was created i was sent a email to contact them by phone or the ticket would be archived.

After calling, the system created another ticket despite me providing the first ticket. When i got some troubleshooting steps, i jumped through hoops to performed them on users machines because the problem is only in a office with 2 computers connected and affects nobody else in the office. I responded to their email with details. Then they refused to respond to emails about the ticket anymore and kept requesting i call them. So they would get a email and not address the message in the email and say i have to call them. So we played phone tag with me calling, being on hold and getting disconnected and then they send me emails saying they called me but i didn't answer.

This is ridiculous. It appears nothing short of passively refusing to honor a warranty on a defective product. They were responding to emails, then after performing the troubleshooting steps, they kept responding to emails but stopped addressing any issues in email which removes all transparency.

[schumaku]

We're community members only, and have no insight to the information you shared with Netgear. Would be more than informative if you had shared some of the effective problem with this switch. Apparently this happens on two of your computers only. Does the problem move when you are connecting these systems to other ports on the same switch?

Not uncommon, Netgear does request us to call to do some checks and confirmations before initiating initiate a warranty exchange.

Even if you have more than one open case, e.g. because you submitted online and called later and they missed to allocate with an open ticket, everything is visible on myNetgear.com

@BrendanM can you please help out here?

[user6536]

"We're community members only, and have no insight to the information you shared with Netgear. Would be more than informative if you had shared some of the effective problem with this switch"

I didn't share the problem because the goal was help with escalation of the warranty claim, not to go through all the troubleshooting steps again.

"Apparently this happens on two of your computers only. Does the problem move when you are connecting these systems to other ports on the same switch?"

The problem appears to happen regardless of port connection order. The 3 connections have been in many arrangements. The last recommended action i got from them after performing iperf test was to plug the uplink to port 8 and move the 2 computers to ports 1 and 2. The problem persisted randomly. Works fine for a few days or weeks then fails. Unplug switch from power, plug back in, works again till ready to fail again next day or weeks later. Since it's a unmanaged switch, troubleshooting options are limited.

"Not uncommon, Netgear does request us to call to do some checks and confirmations before initiating initiate a warranty exchange."

That is understandable. But to ask for a email update and then cold stop responding to update request in email by replying with a email saying "call" and then when I call, i get a hold queue, and disconnected is not efficient when whatever we're playing phone tag over could have been resolved via email. If that's not gonna work, set a time but don't forget to call during that window (yep, that happened too). And for many emails there would be a week between response. In some cases I sent a response and then got a email 5 days later asking for a update I already emailed them on. Netgear got this right 5 years ago with a warranty claim. That's why i purchased another switch from them. Now there at the top of the Do Not Buy list.

"Even if you have more than one open case, e.g. because you submitted online and called later and they missed to allocate with an open ticket, everything is visible on myNetgear.com"

Everything is not visible on mynetgear.com. Sometimes my login does not work but today it's working and I logged in to confirm. I have 3 cases for the same issue. 1 with 1 request and no reply. 2 more with request and no reply after my last update. Some of the email correspondences (messages from and to them) are not in mynetgear.com. All 3 tickets are closed without a message from them stating why. I don't care how much you love netgear, there is nothing professional or acceptable about that.