Watford Electronics. Cowboys or am I unlucky?

Hello folks,
I recently bought a mobo, agp graphics card, hard drive and other bits to
make my son a PC for his birthday.
When I got the parts and assembled them I got the beep codes for a video
adaptor error.
I removed cleaned and refitted the card,same result. I swapped the card with
my own pci graphics card.
It immediately burst into life. A message on screen told me that the bios
was faulty, which annoyed me as I bought a built and supposedly 'tested'
mobo/cpu/memory combo.
I tried to contact Watford, 4 emails to technical and customer services, 2
feedback, 2 faxes, no reply. Tried ringing but it's impossible to get to
support this way.
Does anyone have any ideas about the PC problem, or how the hell to get them
to reply?
Sorry about the cross-posting, but I'm a bit desperate.
Ta,
WM

Did you pay by CC?

If so send a letter to visa claiming a refund and send the faulty kit back
to watford registered!


"demon news" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:c1kr8i$t7u$1$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello folks,
> I recently bought a mobo, agp graphics card, hard drive and other bits to
> make my son a PC for his birthday.
> When I got the parts and assembled them I got the beep codes for a video
> adaptor error.
> I removed cleaned and refitted the card,same result. I swapped the card
with
> my own pci graphics card.
> It immediately burst into life. A message on screen told me that the bios
> was faulty, which annoyed me as I bought a built and supposedly 'tested'
> mobo/cpu/memory combo.
> I tried to contact Watford, 4 emails to technical and customer services, 2
> feedback, 2 faxes, no reply. Tried ringing but it's impossible to get to
> support this way.
> Does anyone have any ideas about the PC problem, or how the hell to get
them
> to reply?
> Sorry about the cross-posting, but I'm a bit desperate.
> Ta,
> WM
>
>

You need to pin down what is wrong:

CPU - confirm that is working properly
o Verify the CPU is seated correctly
o Verify the heatsink is seated correctly to the CPU

RAM - confirm that is working properly
o Verify RAM is seated correctly
o Try & run a RAM test if you can get that far - memtest etc
o Try & test the RAM in another motherboard if need be

Graphics card - confirm YOUR card is working properly
o Refit it in another known working motherboard
o Confirm it is working correctly in the motherboard you have

Graphics card - their graphics card
o Refit it in a known working motherboard
o Confirm it is working properly in that motherboard

You need to positively identify which component isn't working.
--
Dorothy Bradbury
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/dorothy...ry/panaflo.htm (Direct)

demon news wrote:

> Hello folks,
> I recently bought a mobo, agp graphics card, hard drive and other bits to
> make my son a PC for his birthday.
> When I got the parts and assembled them I got the beep codes for a video
> adaptor error.
> I removed cleaned and refitted the card,same result. I swapped the card
> with my own pci graphics card.
> It immediately burst into life. A message on screen told me that the bios
> was faulty, which annoyed me as I bought a built and supposedly 'tested'
> mobo/cpu/memory combo.
> I tried to contact Watford, 4 emails to technical and customer services, 2
> feedback, 2 faxes, no reply. Tried ringing but it's impossible to get to
> support this way.

Been there, done that (with several comapnies, though not with Watford
Electronics).

Faulty or not, distance Selling regulations allow you to return goods for
any or no reason within 7 days.

http://www.oft.gov.uk/Consumer/Your+...me/default.htm

Especially important "How to Cancel".

Get your money back the easy way.

Credit card payment? Dispute the payment with the card company as they are
jointly and severally liable. You get the money back from the card company
and leave them to reclaim from Watford - not your problem.

e.g. http://www.financesearch.co.uk/credit_cards.html
but do google around

HTH

--
Paul

The new build runs OK with my old PCI card, but not with the new AGP, so I
think the mobo/cpu/mem are OK, at least the newly re-set bios reports them
properly. But I will try re-seating them.
I don't want to try the new graphics card in my computer, as it is a few
years old, first generation AGP and the voltages for AGP (x8) have changed
since then, I think. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Wouldn't want to fry it
or my PC.
Still doesn't explain why they haven't even bothered to acknowledge my
problem. I first contacted them the day after delivery, it's now 10 days
since! They claim 48 hour replies.
WM

"Dorothy Bradbury" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
newsFm%b.6$(E-Mail Removed)...
> You need to pin down what is wrong:
>
> CPU - confirm that is working properly
> o Verify the CPU is seated correctly
> o Verify the heatsink is seated correctly to the CPU
>
> RAM - confirm that is working properly
> o Verify RAM is seated correctly
> o Try & run a RAM test if you can get that far - memtest etc
> o Try & test the RAM in another motherboard if need be
>
> Graphics card - confirm YOUR card is working properly
> o Refit it in another known working motherboard
> o Confirm it is working correctly in the motherboard you have
>
> Graphics card - their graphics card
> o Refit it in a known working motherboard
> o Confirm it is working properly in that motherboard
>
> You need to positively identify which component isn't working.
> --
> Dorothy Bradbury
> http://homepage.ntlworld.com/dorothy...ry/panaflo.htm (Direct)
>
>

On Thu, 26 Feb 2004 13:10:37 -0000, demon news wrote:

> Hello folks,
> I recently bought a mobo, agp graphics card, hard drive and other bits to
> make my son a PC for his birthday.
> When I got the parts and assembled them I got the beep codes for a video
> adaptor error.
> I removed cleaned and refitted the card,same result. I swapped the card with
> my own pci graphics card.
> It immediately burst into life. A message on screen told me that the bios
> was faulty, which annoyed me as I bought a built and supposedly 'tested'
> mobo/cpu/memory combo.
> I tried to contact Watford, 4 emails to technical and customer services, 2
> feedback, 2 faxes, no reply. Tried ringing but it's impossible to get to
> support this way.
> Does anyone have any ideas about the PC problem, or how the hell to get them
> to reply?
> Sorry about the cross-posting, but I'm a bit desperate.
> Ta,
> WM

That was a serious error, buying from Watford. I wouldn't buy
a box of matches from them.

Try to get a refund via your credit card company.

--
Jock,
trying out 40tude Dialogue.

>
> That was a serious error, buying from Watford. I wouldn't buy
> a box of matches from them.
>
> Try to get a refund via your credit card company.
>


There is enough past info/past posts around about watford. The watfraud
joke has been going for years
If people still buy from them and it all goes wrong they only have
themselves to blame imo.

"demon news" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:c1kr8i$t7u$1$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello folks,
> I recently bought a mobo, agp graphics card, hard drive and other bits to
> make my son a PC for his birthday.
> When I got the parts and assembled them I got the beep codes for a video
> adaptor error.
> I removed cleaned and refitted the card,same result. I swapped the card
with
> my own pci graphics card.
> It immediately burst into life. A message on screen told me that the bios
> was faulty, which annoyed me as I bought a built and supposedly 'tested'
> mobo/cpu/memory combo.
> I tried to contact Watford, 4 emails to technical and customer services, 2
> feedback, 2 faxes, no reply. Tried ringing but it's impossible to get to
> support this way.
> Does anyone have any ideas about the PC problem, or how the hell to get
them
> to reply?
> Sorry about the cross-posting, but I'm a bit desperate.
> Ta,
> WM

What motherboard, what graphics card??????? What cpu and what FSB
settings????? What did the "message on screen" say EXACTLY???? Need more
information before any opinion can be given. Lots of possible reasons for
your problem - hardware may not be faulty.

Tony

demon news wrote:

> Hello folks,
> I recently bought a mobo, agp graphics card, hard drive and other bits to
> make my son a PC for his birthday.
> When I got the parts and assembled them I got the beep codes for a video
> adaptor error.
> I removed cleaned and refitted the card,same result. I swapped the card with
> my own pci graphics card.
> It immediately burst into life. A message on screen told me that the bios
> was faulty, which annoyed me as I bought a built and supposedly 'tested'
> mobo/cpu/memory combo.
> I tried to contact Watford, 4 emails to technical and customer services, 2
> feedback, 2 faxes, no reply. Tried ringing but it's impossible to get to
> support this way.
> Does anyone have any ideas about the PC problem, or how the hell to get them
> to reply?
> Sorry about the cross-posting, but I'm a bit desperate.

I've not used them since they turned their web site into a web shite but
b4 that they were very good, prompt and good aftersales service, gave
regular updates on RMA status, etc.

"demon news" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:c1kr8i$t7u$1$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello folks,
> I recently bought a mobo, agp graphics card, hard drive and other bits to
> make my son a PC for his birthday.
> When I got the parts and assembled them I got the beep codes for a video
> adaptor error.
> I removed cleaned and refitted the card,same result. I swapped the card
with
> my own pci graphics card.
> It immediately burst into life. A message on screen told me that the bios
> was faulty, which annoyed me as I bought a built and supposedly 'tested'
> mobo/cpu/memory combo.
> I tried to contact Watford, 4 emails to technical and customer services, 2
> feedback, 2 faxes, no reply. Tried ringing but it's impossible to get to
> support this way.
> Does anyone have any ideas about the PC problem, or how the hell to get
them
> to reply?
> Sorry about the cross-posting, but I'm a bit desperate.


Did you clear the CMOS ? Some MoBo's need to be cleared before booting up.
BTW more info required preferably.
--
Craven Birds

Bird sightings based around 'Craven' Skipton, North Yorks.
http://cravenbirds.mysite.freeserve.com/
http://mysite.freeserve.com/cravenbirds