Beware of purchasing at OWC (Other World Computing)

[UstadKhanAli]

A word of caution if you are considering purchasing at OWC. This is hardly the worst case of ineptitude or bad customer service, but it's bad enough to warrant a warning post.

 

I have a 466MHz Digital Audio G4 (running dual boot 9.2.2/OS10.3.7, in case it matters), and successfully replaced the original processor with an OWC 1.5GHz upgrade processor.

 

But it's been a loooong journey to get there.

 

I purchased the first processor in Nov 2004 (14 months ago or so). It messed up a lot. The computer locked up, crashed, did all sorts of weird things. I called tech support. They said to lower the jumper settings. I did. It ran nominally better, but I still had major problems. I lowered the jumper settings again. It ran much better, albeit with glitches, but slowly but surely, more things started happening. iTunes didn't work well, and the computer began to freeze.

 

The computer one day stopped booting up. I called an Apple-authorized tech to come out. Not sure of what the problem was, he reinstalled everything. It worked reasonably well again.

 

Then in December 2005, the computer did not boot up again. Nothing. Couldn't boot up from the CD. I tried everything. I then replaced the OWC Mercury Extreme CPU with the original 466MHz processor. The computer worked PERFECTLY FINE, and all problems with iTunes and other odd little things immediately evaporated.

 

I asked for a replacement. They sent me a second OWC Mercury Extreme CPU. I noted on their web site that it now stated that the CPU came configured, and that no adjustment of jumper settings was necessary. I called to verify this. I then installed this second CPU. The computer did not boot up. At all. Nothing.

 

I sent the second one back and got a third one. Same thing upon installation. Nothing. OWC refused to give me a refund or another manufacturer's CPU even though they sell Sonnet and others, stating that I had exceeded the 30-day refund period, and that all they could do is continue to send me that exact model processor.

 

Great.

 

One of their technology gurus called me after I had wasted quite a lot of time on the phone (on hold) with them. He suggested that I lower the jumper settings.

 

I figured I'd try this out.

 

But when I took a look at their existing jumper settings and comparing to their accompanying Jumper Setting Chart, I realized that they thing had come shipped with a "jumper setting" that did not exist on their chart.

 

I switched it to one of their specified jumper settings and the computer booted instantly. I changed jumper settings to the fastest setting. Same thing, the computer booted instantly.

 

These OWC Mercury Extreme processors allegedly come pre-tested. On the third processor, they had assured me repeatedly that this one had been tested.

 

So if it's pre-tested AND OWC claims that you don't need to adjust their jumper settings, why was this adjusted to a non-existent setting that wouldn't work?

 

I have no idea.

 

But at any rate, I wrote three of the gentlemen a polite email, asking this very question, three days ago.

 

No apology, no answer, no response.

 

The good news is that my computer is working really well so far. Pro Tools is running smoothly, and everything else seems to be operating well.

 

But I've not been impressed with how OWC Customer Support has handled this. And I'm not impressed with their inconsistency. I rarely complain about companies, but I'd have second thoughts about ever dealing with them again, especially with their processors.

 

~~~~~~

 

The current Jan 2006 issue of TapeOp has a review on the OWC Mercury Extreme Processor. I think it was the 1.5GHz one. The person mentioned that the processor they received had the seal busted open, and that the fan had been removed, which resulted in a bent post, and concluded that OWC had sold her a used or returned processsor.

[franknputer]

I had an experience with OWC back in '04. I bought one of their 512MB RAM chips for my iBook; guaranteed compatible, yet the iBook would not see it. Sent it back, they sent another chip - same story. Their tech blamed the iBook - I called Apple, since it was still under warranty, and they blamed the chip - which I tended to agree with, since the stock 128 MB chip worked fine.

 

Sent that one back & told them I would take a credit (I didn't want to hassle trying to get $ back, and I figured I could spend it on something - eventually put it towards a pair of M-Audio D4s).

 

Bought a 512 MB chip from Crucial - worked like a charm. Since then, I've been leery of OWC's compatibility claims.

[Brittanylips]

 

Originally posted by UstadKhanAli A word of caution if you are considering purchasing at OWC. This is hardly the worst case of ineptitude or bad customer service, but it's bad enough to warrant a warning post.

 

I have to say that I've had similarly bad experiences with OWC and their customer service, and more than once.

 

I'm pretty much through with them.

 

-PL&B

[spokenward]

I used them for memory for a PowerBook. The SODIMM was not recognized. When I returned it they replaced it, but added a fee because the memory "tested good".

 

The replacement worked. Apple was never cooperative in the aftermarket so I cut OWC a certain amount of slack, but my experience does not result in loyalty.

 

They have marketed some decent enclosures. I have used them for that.

[amplayer]

I have a pair of Neptune Firewire hard drvies that I purchased from OWC. When I first got them, I had planned on using one Neptune as a regular drive to go with my tiny drive on my G4 laptop. I was going to use the other Neptune as a backup drive.

Well, to make a long story longer, the Neptunes work fine. However, when connected as a regular drive, they go into power saving mode after only a few minutes. Since the Neptunes take their sweet time coming back online after sleeping, I found their behavior unusable as a regular drive. I called OWC to see if there was anything that could be done about it. Basically, he said these were very inexpensive drives and I shoudn't expect them to work differently. It was just tough luck.

Needless to say, I didn't appreciate that.

 

Since then, I have relegated the Neptune drives as backup only drives. I only connect them when I'm making backups. For that purpose they are wonderful. Also, the drives came with Dantz retrospect express backup software, and that's a nice plus.

 

Nevertheless, I will think twice before purchasing again at OWC.

[UstadKhanAli]

To be fair, they never treated me rudely. It's just that between the jumper settingissue ("You don't have to adjust it!! It's pre-configured!!!") and having to go through three processors to get something that worked correctly (I hope - it's only been three days of use so far), and their inflexibility in providing another option, I just don't think they're the best place to shop.

 

And if I hadn't figured out that they configured their jumper settings incorrectly, I could still be without a working computer right now.

 

If I can help someone in avoiding a similar fate, then this thread will have been totally worth the time it took to type it!!

[Brittanylips]

Ken,

 

I had similar experience to you: wrong info from tech support, recommendations to buy incompatible stuff, orders were incorrectly fulfilled, etc.

 

But the topper was this:

 

Out of the blue, they sent me a hard drive I hadn't ordered. I absolutely did not order it. It just showed up one day. Part of me wondered whether this was an apology gift for the grief they caused me on some previous orders.

 

When i called to find out what the story was, they said that they had already charged me for the drive, and while they would allow me to return it, they would charge me a restocking fee if I did.

 

"But I Didn't Order It!!!"

 

"You must have," they insisted, and would not relent on the restocking fee.

 

I asked the guy, "what if you got home today, and there was a TV waiting for you from Circuit City that you didn't order. You either had to keep it and pay for it in full, or return it and pay a restocking fee. Even though you didn't order it and didn't want it! If those were the rules, companies would randomly send stuff to people who'd have to pay whether they wanted it or not. That's not fair."

 

He replied "there is absolutely no way we would ever send something to someone unless they ordered it."

 

So here I am with a drive I didn't order and didn't want, and not only had to deal with the hassle of returning it, but was going to be charged a restocking fee.

 

So I did a llittle sleuthing and contacted people I had dealt with at OWC in the past. Finally, success. I was able to track down the mistake to an employee who had accidentally sent it to me, and admitted her mistake. Apparently, she was having personal problems at the time, and had wierdly sent me a drive I did not order. With her confession, they waived the restocking fee.

 

Just for nostalgia sake, I just took a look at the letter I wrote when I returned the drive. It's pretty funny.

 

This was my most rediciculous experience with OWC, but not the most aggravating. Other bad experiences were more like yours, which similarly took more time on my part to figure out and correct the mistakes.

 

-Peace, Love, and Blips

[Magpel]

Wow, this becoming quite a rap sheet!

[offramp]

Over the past five years, I've made two RAM purchases from them. The first one--a couple of 512 sticks for my Powerbook, went well. Using it right now, in fact.

That was May of 2001.

 

The second came about August of '03, when I bought sticks for my B&W G3. No good. Went through another two sets, before I said "Screw it. I want my money back." They didn't argue.

 

Nowdays the only thing I get from them is my dialup service. It's been pretty good, really. But that's as far as I want to push it with them.