A-SUS, ginoo ko! (A horrendous ASUS customer service and after-sales support experience)

It has been five long weeks since my brand new Asus Zenfone 2 (ZE551ML) malfunctioned. I want to take a moment to review what happened thus far. Read on. You might learn a lesson or two.

One time while I was downloading some applications, the screen suddenly froze. I tried to power off the phone by pressing and then holding the power button, but that didn’t seem to work. Took a few minutes of struggling, figuring it out how to turn it off before all of a sudden it just finally did. Little did I know that it was the last time I was going to be able to use my phone. Ever since, every time I power it back on, all the screen would show was just some kind of a USB logo (see illustration 1). My brand new Asus phone, busted after just one week of regular use, and by regular I mean just the usual texting, downloading, games, music and internet browsing.

Illustration 1: Asus Zenfone 2 stuck on USB logo

I thought of having it replaced, but it has been more than seven days since I bought the phone by the time it got broken. You see, here in our country there is a common belief that you only have until that time to have defective merchandises you’ve purchased to have it returned or exchanged (but surprisingly when I searched about it on the internet, it turned out to be false. Anyone who can enlighten me about this subject, which I believe is the “Consumer Act of the Philippines,” feel free to do so).

So naturally, I opted for my next best option: going to the service center. Paid a visit to one of the Asus stores in SM North-EDSA mall in Quezon City to ask where their service centers are, and was advised that they had one in Cubao, also within the same city.

As soon as I had the time, I was finally able to make the two to three hour trip from my home in Laguna City to Cubao. Unfortunately, when I finally got to the service center in Cubao called Aikontech, it was closed. “The store is closed due to the company outing. Sorry for the inconvenience,” the note on the front door said. Just my luck.

Instead of going home and then back again, which will end up being more tiresome, I opted to lounge some place nearby until the store opens the following day. And when I did arrive there just fifteen minutes after the store just opened, the waiting line was long already. Not surprising, since there was just one employee attending to the customers. Took another fifteen to thirty minutes actually before another staff got there to help out. By then, I was already getting a bad impression from that service center.

Fortunately for me, there was another customer who got ahead of me in line waiting, with the very same exact concern. We chatted for a few minutes while waiting for our turn to be called.

Shockingly, the whole ten to fifteen we waited there, we’ve managed to hear A LOT of complaints regarding the service center from the other customers who were waiting in line. Some said they were already on their second or third trip back to that store, complaining that their phone was still malfunctioning after having it repaired. And more worryingly, some even said that they still haven’t gotten their phones fixed to the point that their six-month warranty have already expired since they surrendered their phones to Aikontech. There was even this particular scene where one of the customers was already shouting at the store staff out of sheer frustration, saying out loud that he couldn’t believe the store would make such a stupid mistake of notifying him through SMS that his phone is already repaired, only to find out in the end that it wasn’t really the case and his phone is still in the process of being fixed. And, as if to validate all my doubts that’ve been increasing since I arrived there, the person whom I talked to, the one with the exact same problem I have encountered, got called for his turn to take to the store employee, only to be told that he’d have to wait twenty one days at the earliest, without ANY guarantee whatsoever that his phone will be repaired.

No person in his right mind would still consider surrendering his phone, after having gone through everything I’ve experienced while I was in Aikontech, was what I thought.

When I got back home, I immediately resumed researching on the ‘net how else I can have my phone fixed. As was advised by the person I chatted with while in Aikontech, I even joined existing groups of Zenfone 2 users (‘Asus Zenfone 2 PhilippinesCommunity’, and ‘Asus Zenfone 2Philippines (SUPPORT)’), where possibly, I can find a solution for my phone.

And just to be sure, I also sent an email through the Asus website about my complaint.

Days went by as I continued researching online, and asking advise from the people within the Facebook Zenfone 2 communities I’ve joined for solutions (a couple of people reached out to me through that group, offering to help, but it was only after I posted my first open letter to Asus about my concerns), all of which ended up not being as fruitful as I hoped it would be. I also still haven’t gotten any replies from my email directly to Asus (eventually it took them EIGHT LONG DAYS before replying, giving lame excuse of blaming it to a system glitch in their mailing system).

So, I decided to bring my phone to one of Asus’s service centers again, this time to MSi-ECS. I got word that this service center was supposed to be more reliable in fixing mobile phones. And boy, how wrong it turned out to be!

They got me to surrender the phone after giving me the impression that it was the only way to have my phone repaired. And so I did. They advised me that I should get a “feedback” after 2-3 days. And what sort of feedback did I get afterwards? Just some sort of table, with short words on it (see illustration 2). That’s it. No further explanation. Yes, I know the information on that table was pretty self-explanatory. But, not even bothering to ELABORATE? Was it really so hard to compose a PROPER EMAIL REPLY?

Illustration 2: MSi reply email

Of course I immediately replied, asking for a further, MORE DETAILED explanation. And then I was made to wait another THREE DAYS before getting their next reply, only to be told that I had to wait ANOTHER 10 DAYS OR SO FOR THE PHONE TO BE REPAIRED?!

 In light of all these, whether or not this problem I'm encountering with trying to have my phone repaired A.S.A.P. gets resolved? I am certain of one thing: NEVER AGAIN WILL I BUY ANYTHING FROM ASUS.

An open letter for #Asus #AsusPhilippines #AsusTaiwan

I bought a #Zenfone2 (ZE551ML) here in the Philippines on May 17, 2015.

On my 1st week of using it, the screen froze. Even had difficulty powering the phone off, but managed to do it eventually. Afterwards, when I powered the phone on, nothing is showing on the screen except for the USB logo.

Brought it then to a service center, a store called AIKONTECH, only to be told that repairing it would take no less than 3 weeks!

Then I went to another service center, a store named SST Laptop, and they said repairs would take no less than 2 months!

And when I sent an email to #Asus via its website, the auto-generated reply said I would receive a proper reply after 24-48 hours. But 6 days on, and I have yet to receive a reply!

I am getting quite agitated with what's been happening with this concern of mine. It's very inconvenient not to have a proper, working mobile phone especially since I also use it for work!

When I bought the phone, I was pretty proud of myself, thinking I got myself a quality phone. But what with everything that's happened, with the phone breaking down and the VERY POOR after-sales service I've been getting, I feel VERY DISAPPOINTED with the #Asus brand. And it wasn't at all surprising when I discovered that the #Facebook group dedicated to #Zenfone2 owners called #AsusZenfone2PhilippinesCommunity is littered with complaints similar, or a variation almost identical, to the one I am experiencing.

I didn't want to resort to this, but I felt that I had no other choice. At the very least, I felt compelled to warn those who are considering to buy your product. Some might argue that sometimes, it's the owners who are at fault whenever something goes wrong with the phone. But mind you, I've been using #android devices for several years now, and even though I am not much of a "tech-savvy," I am confident to say that I know what I am doing, and that it is DEFINITELY NOT MY FAULT that my #Zenfone2 broke down. Besides, making a reliable, easy-to-use mobile phones is just one of your goals to boost your brand and increase your profit, is it not?

Here's to hoping that this letter does not fall on deaf ears.

Stolen Wish (part 2)

Kapag nagawa mo na ang lahat ng kaya mong gawin
At nasabi na lahat ng puwede mong sabihin
Ang lahat ng sakit at pangungulilang nadarama
Sa isang tula na lamang muling ilalathala.

Isang tula na sa akin ay magsisilbing paalala
Ng isang malaking pagkakamaling nagawa
Nang sa susunod ay di na maulit pa
At di na rin pamarisan pa ng iba

Minsan ako'y nagmahal ng buo, minsan naging masaya
Ngunit ito'y isang pagmamahal na aking binitiwan
Sa pagaakalang ito'y para sa ikabubuti ng karamihan
Ngayon ay labis na nagdurusa sa desisyong ginawa
Isang desisyon na ngayon ay labis kong pinagsisisihan

Ang pagmamahal na aking minsan nang binitiwan
Aking pilit na binalikan
Sa kabila ng lahat ng sakit at hirap muling ipinaglaban
Ngunit sa akin noon na ginawang paglisan siya ay labis na nasaktan
Kaya ano man ang aking gawin nauwi lang lahat sa kabiguan

Ngayon ay lubos ko nang naiintindihan
Ang totoong kahulugan ng isa sa mga sinauna pang kasabihan:
"Malalaman mo lamang ang kanyang tunay na halaga
Sa oras na siya'y tuluyang nawala na."

Matapos ang tatlong taon
Ika'y muling nanakawan ko ng kahilingan:
Na sana sa iyong ikadalawampu't anim na kaarawan
Nawa'y ito na ang aking huling tula tungkol sa isang pag-ibig
Na nauwi sa kasawian

Kamaron: Noon at Ngayon

Kamaron kamaron,
Kamaron sa Pag-asa
Matapos ang mahigit isang dekada
Sa wakas! Nakain muli kita.

Kay tagal hinanap ang iyong lasa,
Ang ulo halos mabaliw na.
Manong, manong, hindi ka nawala sa isip ko
Ang iyong kariton, lalo ang itinitinda mo.

Laking gulat at tuwa nung biglang nakita,
"Si manong!... Ang... kamaron nya!"
Dali-dali ako'y bumili,
Nananabik habang tumutusok ng kamaron, nakangiti.

Kahit mainit pa galing sa pagkakaluto,
Ang kamaron aking agad isinubo
Di baleng mapaso!
Sa aking pagnguya,
Ako'y biglang bumalik sa aking pagkabata.

Ng naglaon, habang ang tulang ito'y aking ginagawa,
Ako'y biglang napaisip, napatanga, natulala.
Na simbolo lamang ng tunay na namimiss ko ang kamaron:

Simbolo ng mas simple, ngunit mas masayang buhay ko noon.

Grasping onto a Sliver of Light part 2

Just when he thought everything was going well...

that it was all worth the gamble...

She left... and tore him to pieces

leaving a gaping hole in his chest

as he was forced to wander back in solitude,

his usefulness to her exhausted.

Yes he was VERY scared of losing her all throughout

yet, especially whenever he felt

the comfort of her touch

and the warmth of her breath,

he blindly made himself believe

that it was sincerity, care,

and even love that he was receiving from her.

So strongly did he long for her love,

but neither his charm, smile, wit,

NOR EVERYTHING IN HIM AS A WHOLE

weren't just enough to make her stay.

Living by the saying "The strong survives and the weak dies,"

he continuously strives to belong with the former.

But seeing things as it is is,

he was dying after all.

Slowly.

Surely.

The calmness she brought upon him was suddenly gone,

replaced by the perennial struggle of his deep within.

The havoc and disarray, which were

temporarily subdued by her presence

are back with a vengeance

all because he was so naive and very foolish, even,

to have put all his faith in her.

Fickle-minded as he is, the path he took not so long ago

just about always led to her,

to the point of even showing no regard

to those other people also dear to him.

Such is the crazy,

STUPID state of his mind

only later did he realize

how little did it matter to her.

He thought he only loved himself

yet his corresponding actions clearly dictate otherwise:

HE LOVED HER MORE,

MORE THAN ANYTHING OR ANYONE ELSE.

He is a wanderer

who lost greatly in his gamble,

with his heart as his only wager.

His name is Deluge.

Legion

With their highest of expectations we failed completely,

but from where they expected nothing,

we did marvelously.

No wonder we like phrases

such as vertical horizon,

cynical optimism,

and summer rain,

for we also thrive more under pressure,

see better in the dark,

and know we're in love

much as we are in pain.

We are who we are,

and yet we are not.

But to understand what this means,

even we cannot.

We do what we do,

simply because we have to.

Whether there is ulterior motive or not,

it's for us to know and them to find out.

Alas, our dear brother,

we finally wrote something

that has resolution:

a resolve

to continuously be

a walking contradiction.

Grasping onto a Sliver of Light

I am a heartless,

wandering gambler named

Deluge.

I only love myself

yet my corresponding actions dictate otherwise.

Such is the

crazy,

unstable state

of my own mind.

I show no regard

even to those dearest to me.

Fickle-minded as I am,

the path I end up choosing

always turn out to be the wrong one.

I wreck havoc everywhere I go,

destroying the lives of those

naive and/or fooling enough

to put their faith in me.

BEWARE,

for I am far from being done.

I've yet to fulfill my selfish ambitions.

And until then,

more lives would be at stake

here in my personal war.

I live by the saying,

"The strong lives and the weak dies".

I'm currently not much of the former,

but sure as hell

strive not to belong with the latter,

preying on them instead.

Do not be fooled

by my charm,

disarming smile,

nor be impressed with my sharp wit.

These are only tools I use

for personal gains

not for anything else.

Especially not love.

With all these,

you can't say you weren't warned.

So once you feel

the comfort of my touch,

the warmth of my breath,

or feel what you thought were

sincerity, care, or love from me,

be scared. Be VERY scared.

Just when you thought

everything is well,

I'd claim your life and recklessly gamble it away,

even tear your heart to pieces,

and once I've exhausted your usefulness,

keep on wandering away for my next victim,

leaving a trail of destruction behind.