I purchased a D-Link DGL-4100 Gamerlounge router from Newegg on 10/11/08. Other than slowing my connection periodically, forcing me to power cycle rather often to get going again, it worked properly for several months, until it suddenly developed a fault where I could no longer access the configuration page (404 not found error). This is a big problem when you have to open ports and tweak settings frequently.
After following every recommendation on the troubleshooting section of their site to the letter, and trying everything I could think of myself, I went the last resort route of phoning their tech support line on the night of 1/3/09. Since I could no longer return it to Newegg, there was no alternative remaining. What followed was the most frustrating series of calls of I've ever experienced in my life, dragging on for nearly three hours (most of which was spent on hold), through six different "techs" (five of whom could barely speak or understand English), multiple calls, and TWO hang-ups. Yes, they actually hung-up on me twice.
Once I finally navigated through the menus, and following a while on hold, the first tech picked up. I immediately had difficulty understanding his accent and broken English, and apparently, the problem went both ways, because despite speaking slowly and clearly, he repeatedly asked me to slow down or repeat things. However, when I asked him to do the same, he had a bit of a rude tone about it. I actually had to repeat my last name and router model several times, and he still didn't get it right. Once he struggled through getting all the information, and asking some questions, he gave me a reference number for my problem and put me through to a tier 2 tech. I was placed on hold twice during this.
The second, senior tech answered after the hold period. Again, accent and below par understanding of English, but not as bad as the last fellow. He asked me If was having trouble setting up my network. No, huh? Didn't I just tell the prior guy? So, I have to explain the problem, router model, and other info several more times just to get him to understand, though I don't think he really did. He then said that I first needed to remove the Cat 5 and power supply trailing from my ISP's CPE on the roof from the router and plug it directly into my PC's Ethernet card to see if I had Internet access without the router before he could assist me further. I explained to him that I was browsing the web already as I spoke to him (I was), and that wasn't the issue to begin with, but he was adamant. I begrudgingly told him this would take me some time, as the router was on the other side of the room, and I had to fish cinched cables out from behind a large dresser. This was a huge, unnecessary hassle, which led to me scratching my arm up pretty good in the process. Once I get it plugged-in, he tells me to try a web address, but I explain that my ISP needs a few minutes to re-initialize first. He insists that I call him back with the reference number after it has.
A whole two minutes later, I have to redial, pass the menus again, and wait on hold some more to reach the third tech I dealt with during this ordeal. The usual English issues were evident, but by this time it was no surprise. I gave him the reference number and once more attempted to provide my last name and phone number properly, before asking for a level 2 tech. I'm put on hold again. He finally returns to inform me that none are available, so he can "help" me if I wish. He asks me the same questions all over again as if I never spoke to anyone, and then tells me to plug back into the router again. After all that trouble, of course I just have to put it right back, as I knew would happen. I maintain my composure and let him know that it will take me a little while. He says he'll wait. After I get the router hooked up the way I had it, I return to the phone, only to find out that I've been hung-up on for the first time. Not a happy man am I.
Another redial, more menus, yet more holding, and it's on to the forth tech. This WAS a surprise. He was the only one of the night that could speak and understand English decently. His name was Frank (the only name I was unable to understand the whole night), and after I relayed to him what I'd been through thus far, he apologized. I figure "great, maybe I'll finally get somewhere". Wrong. Once I give him the reference number, I'm still forced to explain all the same information, and try the same troubleshooting I'd already tried once again, as if the reference number meant nothing. Afterward, he decides to connect me to a senior tech as he should have to start with, provides me with an alternate reference number, and sticks me back on hold. Some time later he comes back on to tell me that NOW he's going to connect me, and places me right back on an even longer hold. Boiling on the inside by now, I wait, and wait, and what do I get? I get hung-up on for the second time. Yes, really. I couldn't believe it, either.
Having realized what I was going to have to tolerate tonight, I dreaded another call back, but there wasn't much choice. Unfortunately, I had to follow through. The routine of redial, menus, wait on hold AGAIN. On this occasion, the very worst of the inept "techs" I encountered answered. Despite repeatedly giving her my reference number, trying in vain to spell my last name and E-mail for her, and going through explaining the whole thing AGAIN a good five times, she still couldn't comprehend. She was insistent on putting me through the same old song and dance of basic troubleshooting I had already done countless times; both on my own before calling and with previous techs. Her comprehension of English was the worst so far, and the accent, as with the others, only made it tougher to overcome. I was repeating stuff 4-6 times for her, and I could hardly understand some of the stupid, pointless, nonsensical things she asked or tried to make me do. She couldn't even understand how my ISP worked and kept asking about my nonexistent modem. She had me on and off hold constantly the entire time, and was very clearly trying to read from the manual or troubleshooting section of the site, not even knowing what she was saying most of the time. Understandably, I wasn't as patient with her as I was the four previous people, and she even had the nerve to raise her voice to me about it. At one point she wanted me to drag the cable back to a PC again, but I wasn't having that. Eventually it got to the point where I pretended to do what she said to appease her. Now, one of the kickers of the whole mess: in the end, she simply tells me to write down the EXACT SAME REFERENCE NUMBER I had already given her to start with, then says she'll send me to a senior tech! I told her I already gave her that very same number in the beginning, so why on earth didn't she connect me to one immediately? What was wrong with these people?! She had no answer, but when I told her not to hang-up on me this time, she just said "no, we won't" in her air-headed manner. Unprofessional, and utterly pathetic.
Sitting through more holding, the voice of the sixth and final tech of this drawn-out torture session finally came over the speaker, and I wasn't encouraged — she was very hard to understand. Fortunately, she did understand me fairly well, which made things a tad easier. Big shock: I had to explain the issue YET AGAIN, my last name YET AGAIN, phone number YET AGAIN, E-mail YET AGAIN, and perform many of the same things I already ruled out a thousand times YET AGAIN. Fun. Do the reference numbers even have a purpose? Amazingly, she then instructed me on the first thing I hadn't already tried, which was a different type of reset than the ones I'd done before.instead of just holding the reset button, I was to keep it depressed while disconnecting the power, wait, reconnect, and wait before releasing. I practically needed three arms to accomplish this, and since I was using the only thing I had handy to press it, a small sewing needle, I somehow got the eyelet side of it about 1/4 of the way into my thumb. That was nice. Another little souvenir from this fiasco to go along with the scratches on the same arm. Anyway, I manage it, do a test, and I still cannot access the config page. At some point during the conversation here, the phone on their side abruptly cut out for a period of ten seconds, and I assumed I got hung-up on again, but her voice returned, much to my relief. Back on hold I then go. She eventually comes back on to tell me that the unit must be defective, and informs me of the information I need to get an RMA started. The goal was thankfully, mercifully reached. I could get off the phone.
I breathe a sigh of relief, then laugh when I see the E-mail they sent still has my last name wrong. When I glanced at the clock, I realized this had gone on for just shy of three hours, and it seemed like much longer. I was outraged at the abysmal mess they call "24/7 tech support". It was more like attempting to communicate with a bunch of scripted, foreign robots than human beings, all of which had no real knowledge other than how to read a manual. No matter what you say, or how many times you state the reference number that proves you've already been through this, they keep right on telling you to jump through the same hoops over and over and over. It's beyond repetition and futility. It didn't help matters that the phone would randomly cut out on their side, or that the volume was terrible. That made the language barrier even more challenging to surmount. If I had a dime for every time I had to repeat the same things, I could buy another router.
They never offer refunds under any circumstances, and I have to ship the thing out on Monday at my expense for an exchange. If it is lost or damaged during shipping, they don't care, and they won't help you. Now I'll have to wait some unknown period of time for them to process it and send the replacement, which will likely be a refurbished unit that will develop another problem in the future anyhow. If that happens, I certainly won't be visiting the ninth circle of Hell... Excuse me, calling their tech support ever again. I'd honestly rather piss blood and vomit diarrhea, at the same time. The experience was truthfully that bad. I'll never contact D-Link again for anything, actually. It simply isn't worth the stress.
Obviously, there is no concern for the customer nor employee on the part of D-Link. How irresponsible to outsource your customer service to unknowledgeable people who are woefully unprepared and cannot even communicate properly. That burns consumers like me and leaves their employees flustered, frustrated, embarrassed and helpless. They can't do their job, I can't get any help, and everyone just ends up angry and no better off.
Their unwillingness to issue refunds or even pay my shipping on an exchange further illustrates their apathy for the customer. Why is it that when I had two Samsung LCDs & which were much more expensive than this router & cease working, Samsung were more than happy to pay shipping on the first exchange, and even refund us fully for the second television when we requested? The process was pleasant, too. Snappy, efficient customer service that spoke English and had us off the phone in ten minutes. After faxing them proof of purchase, the replacement arrived soon, and all we had to do was take out the new unit, put in the old one, and use the enclosed label to ship it back at their expense. When the new one broke, they had no qualms whatsoever in sending out a refund check after we returned it. This took longer to arrive, but it was a very simple, effective process overall. That's how you treat customers. That's the kind of employees you hire. Compare that to D-Link.
Due to this hellish experience, I will never give D-Link my money ever again for anything. If the exchange unit stops working, I'll use it for target practice. I'll take a cheap POS router with solid customer service/tech support any day over nonsense of this kind. I'm generally a nice and calm person when dealing with others, who usually laughs at things like this, but it actually got to me. Not even the Benny Hill theme would have made this circus funny, and that makes everything funny.
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