Re: (ASCEND) Flat Rate Repair

[Ted Olson <tolson@ocsnet.net>]

Flat rate RMA costs for a MAX 4000 (March 99):

  Repair (10 biz days + shipping time)
  ---------------------------------------
  Main chassis only                $2,612
  All 56K modem cards (577 each)    3,462
  Total possible cost (all parts)   6,074
  Warranty: a whole 30 days

  Replace (next day + shipping time)
  ---------------------------------------
  Main chassis only                $4,859
  All 56K modem cards (1,073 each)  6,438
  Total possible cost (all parts)  11,297
  Warranty: a whole 30 days

As I understand it, the same repair costs apply whether a motherboard is
melted or a simple blown fuse is replaced. To our knowledge there are no
third party sources for Ascend repair. Power supplies and fans can be
found, but that's about it.

It took us several calls to get the costs and options above clearly defined
by Ascend. Depending on who answered the phone, some staffers were
knowledgeable about RMA pricing and policies while others were not. In my
opinion, Ascend's repair policy is way off base and clearly a weak link in
a company we have otherwise been very happy with.

-Ted Olson
Olson Computer Services
***********************

At 09:55 AM 5/7/99 -0500, you wrote:
>That sounds like a pretty lousy practice for an RMA department.
>How can they expect the customer to accurately diagnose which
>component or subassembly is bad and send in just the right part?
>
>If the customer can accurately pinpoint the problem, then the
>repairs from Ascend ought to be pretty cheap.  It's hardly a
>"flat rate" repair if it only covers a part of the router.
>
>To get flat rate repair from Cisco, you can purchase Cisco
>SmartNet maintenance for your box (yes, even AFTER it breaks.
>Cisco frequently suggests this).  All interfaces and subassemblies
>are covered.
>
>Mike Berger
>Shouting Ground Technologies, Inc.
>
>> ------------------------------
>> 
>> From: Jim Logan <jim@top.net>
>> Date: Thu, 06 May 1999 09:04:55 -0500
>> Subject: Re: (ASCEND) Re: Our first Max dies today!
>> 
>> 
>>  Hmm, don't know who you talked to in RMA, twice I've had to send in 2
>> different 4004's and they always made it *very* clear that no modem cards
>> were supposed to be sent in with the unit.  I had 1 bad modem card I knew
>> was bad, besides the chassis problem, and really wanted to get that modem
>> fixed as part of the 'flat rate repair' (Guess that's Ascend's counter to
>> GM's Up Front Pricing), and they told me it would be X dollars more if I
>> also wanted a modem card repaired as well.  I would have to agree about
>> making sure the package is signed for by Ascend, as you would do with any
>> package you're mailing with that kind of value.
>> 
>> 
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