One of the worst tablet hardware and warranty claim experiences I’ve ever had the “pleasure” of having.

Asus really needs to buck up their quality control of the Nexus 7. When I first got the tablet on the 18th August, 2012 I started experiencing the dreaded screen lifting issue after a few days. Then I started having the screen flickering issue as well, which proved to be the last straw.

I then sent it in for warranty repairs on the 23rd August, 2012 at the Asus Malaysia Service Centre at Low Yat Plaza, KL. I checked on the status periodically from then. In the beginning, I was told that they were waiting for parts to arrive from Taiwan (they decided to change the whole screen and “top cover”). Fine, fair enough, I thought. Finally, on the 12th September, I was told that the parts had arrived, and it was installed and it was then at the QC testing stage to make sure everything is alright before releasing it to me. This “testing stage” went on for the next few days until I received a call on 19th September, 2012 (yesterday) to pick up my unit.

So off I went to collect it. The staff at the Service Centre told me that they had replaced the LCD and the “top cover” and showed me the proof of that. I then asked them whether they fixed the screen flickering issue as well. There was no answer from them. Instead, they switched on the unit, asked me to log into my Google account and test for myself?!

Never mind. So I proceeded to try and key in my credentials to log into my Google account. Notice I used the word “try” here. I just could not key in the required info properly! The touchscreen was acting up really badly, with most times either not registering my taps or registering my taps wrongly (tap/touch one spot on the screen, but the screen actually registers my tap/touch at another spot – imagine the nightmare of that while using the soft keyboard). I had “inherited” a new problem despite it being a new LCD!!! After trying for what seemed like eternity, I finally managed to log in. I then showed the staff the problem there, which they then tested for themselves and admitted the problem. They then told me to “re-send” in my unit for warranty claims.

The thing is, did the Service Centre really test the unit before calling me? The bloody thing was in the “testing stage” for at least 4 full working days. I seriously doubt they tested the unit as the latest screen touch problems were immediately apparent once you start interacting with the touchscreen. The other thing is, how can this happen with a brand new replacement LCD? Solve one problem, but give another? This is totally and entirely unsatisfactory. I can expect this from a no name product from China, but from Asus??!! Asus, you really, really gotta buck up with your hardware quality control and your after sales service. On top of that, apart from giving yourself a bad name, you are giving Google a bad name as well with such bad hardware quality control for the Nexus 7.

Now, I gotta wait AGAIN for my Nexus 7 to be fixed… and god knows how long a wait it will be this time.

I already posted at the Asus Malaysia FB page. Maybe I should post in their main Asus FB page too. Asus HQ is as much to blame as their service centre for this problem. How is it that their replacement part is defective too?! And to rub it in, it is defective for an entirely different problem from before! Shheeessshhh!

Really turning me off Asus products. Poor Google... now their Nexus line rep is being affected as well...

Just go to the Asus store at MidValley early tomorrow. I have cancelled my pre-order. Judging from the various comments about the price being too high at RM999, I am sure I won't be the only one cancelling too. Bro chewlee also not going ahead with his pre-order already. Maybe you wanna take over his?

Just noticed that the Nexus 7 is now up at Asus Malaysia's website... http://my.asus.com/Tablet/Nexus/Nexus_7/

Bloody hell, man... for the "price complainers"... please share with us which RM1k and below Android tablet out here in Malaysia has a quad-core 4+1 CPU, a 12‐core GeForce GPU, a 1280x800 resolution HD IPS display, Corning glass, running Jellybean, first to get updates, 8 hours of HD video playback, 10 hours of web browsing, and 10 hours of e-reading, about a total of 9.5 hours battery life, 10.5 mm thin and 340gm in weight, 1GB of RAM, Bluetooth v.3, WiFi b/g/n, NFC, 2 mics, 2 speakers, GPS, and a very portable 7" screen?

Show me one tablet that beats ALL that at RM1k or less currently available in Malaysia now, and I'll buy one for myself and another one for the first guy/gal who shares. Oh, you want US prices? Move there. A lot of other things also cheaper there what.

If none of the complainers here can share anything as above, then stop b****ing, think about how unrealistic your complaint is and forever hold your peace.

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Added on September 20, 2012, 6:17 pmWhy sweat ah?

This post has been edited by jpaq: Sep 20 2012, 06:27 PM

Haha! Betui jugak!

Apple is running a different business model. How can they make money while the prices for the iPad is relatively low (although still not exactly cheap)? The iPad is currently having a 23-32% margin. How do they do it?
-Apple has their own retail channel (online as well as brick-and-mortar shops) and their own after sales service channels as well, therefore cutting out any middlemen costs. Middlemen generally extract a 30-40% markup. The biggest cost saver is here.
-Apple gets HUGE discounts on parts due to the volume Apple is able to commit to suppliers.
-Even if there are 3rd party retailers selling iDevices, due to Apple's popularity, Apple is able to nego for lower middlemen costs/markups. Bear in mind 3rd party retailers only sell a tiny percentage of Apple's products too.
-Apple's costs are further offset by revenue from their App Store. Apple takes 30% of every app sold on the App Store.

This post has been edited by jpaq: Sep 21 2012, 01:43 PM

Don't think the official retailers will be selling the 8GB version. Your best bet will be the "private resellers" found in the forums here or lelong, ebay, etc.

I thought you pre-ordered?

Highly possible

I find it hilarious that there are folks here who say Asus is nothing but greedy. To those who think that... are you doing your own business? If you are, I will pray for you. If you are not, then go make more friends who are full time businessmen.

You can only get so greedy. There is a limit. One can't exactly sell the Nexus 7 for RM9k, can you? But if one can find that sweet spot of achieving that sales target with the max price that they want, why not? And if enough consumers don't buy at the price they want, then they will be forced to revise it too.

Consumers always have a choice. Supply and demand still rules. But to say this and that company is greedy because they want to maximize profits, that is just plain oversimplistic. Complain it's expensive, yes, maybe, because that's subjective to a certain extent (although I still think Rm999 is really pretty good). But show me a business who doesn't want to maximize profits, and I'll show you a failed one.

"Eh... I estimate can sell thousands of Product A at Rm1k! Seems like got demand lah! But I think I will just sell at Rm 900 lah. Got some people complain. Never mind, make less never mind." Can you imagine any company thinking like this?

Anyone can open the back cover of their C80 unit to see whether it's true that there are actually 2 screws missing? This is interesting.

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Added on September 24, 2012, 7:00 pmScreen lift may possibly be important if it becomes bad enough. As in, you can easily spot the lift without going blind trying. Whenever you slip the tablet into a fitted case (those with the case edges covering the bezel) or just put in a simple pouch and chuck the thing in bag or something, the screen may experience uneven pressure. This may possibly result in a cracked screen. Not to mention a lot of gunk and dust may slip in. I am no engineer, just using my 5 sen logic...

This post has been edited by jpaq: Sep 24 2012, 07:00 PM

Err... Got official Nexus leather book case meh?

Also, sticker on the warranty card

Oh, in addition, the "0" in in the number is actually not the number "zero" but the letter "O". So if anyone has been having trouble regustering their product, should type as "C7O" etc instead of C7"zero".

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Added on September 25, 2012, 12:33 pmIn case anybody is still wondering where to buy the Nexus 7, there is a convenient list in this blog post. Scroll towards the end of the blog article.

http://www.tianchad.com/2012/09/google-nex...rice-rm999.html

This post has been edited by jpaq: Sep 25 2012, 12:33 PM

Regarding the price in US vs price in Malaysia, I think we should all just agree to disagree. Fact of the matter is, the price is what it is in Malaysia. The number of people complaining in here won't be enough for Asus Malaysia to even think about it, let alone consider lowering the price. We don't even know whether Asus Malaysia is even looking at this thread.

So, I propose that the discussion on pricing in here be limited to where in Malaysia is cheaper, and that's it. Forget about US pricing. Serves no purpose, wastes bandwith and thread pages only.

To complain about the Malaysian pricing and hope to get Asus Malaysia to lower it, should do it at their FB page. May be more useful doing it there. Loads of people are complaining there: http://www.facebook.com/asusmalaysia

This post has been edited by jpaq: Sep 25 2012, 06:48 PM

For those who are going to Jayacom Information to buy the tablet, print out this pic and stuff it up the a$$ of the sales fler who tells you it is RM999 instead of RM949



And this pic is taken from their FB page here: http://www.facebook.com/Jayacom or here: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=469...&type=1&theater

This post has been edited by jpaq: Sep 25 2012, 07:00 PM

Is yours a Malaysian unit? You can tell by the sort of charger adapter plug you got in the box. If it is a 3-pin plug, then it should be an official Malaysian unit brought in by Asus Malaysia. Then you just use the receipt you got from the shop and the warranty starts from the date of purchase as shown in the receipt.

If it has a US plug (2 flat pins), then it could be a unit bought from Google US and re-sold to you. Then you should ask for their receipt or D.O. they got from Google US showing your unit's serial number.

As for warranty claims, I never needed to register my unit at their website. Mine was bought from a reseller in the forums here who brought it in directly from the US. He gave me a copy of his D.O. (issued by Google US) showing my unit's serial number. I just brought the unit along together with the D.O. They took my copy of the D.O., checked my unit's serial number as shown in the D.O. in their online systems and confirmed my unit does exist and it is not fake. I think the central database in Asus Taiwan has a log of all units and the corresponding serial numbers that Asus Malaysia here can access. Bear in mind this was back on 23rd August, when the N7 was not even officially available yet here in Malaysia. Thereafter they started processing my warranty claim. In any event, just bring along your warranty card as well. In my case, they didn't even bother to look at the warranty card, but you never know.

This post has been edited by jpaq: Sep 26 2012, 12:14 PM

Not any more...

So many basic features? Like what?