Dear Michael, Apologies for the recent experience at Mwave.

Could you please provide your ticket number or order number so I can review what occurred with your warranty return?

For some suppliers even though we test a fault they need to test it themselves to confirm that it is faulty hence why at times we still need to send back for final confirmation.

This process needs to be able to be completed within a reasonable time as per Consumer Law.

I don't believe we would have stated to you to "suck it up" and if we did then I will need to review this internally with the staff member concerned.

The ticketing system is the same for support staff as well as the manager so the test notes should be visible regardless of access.

The manager may have made a call to issue you a refund.

Please let me know your reference numbers so I can review this.

Thank you

Patrick

Dear Michael, I have spoken to the manager who you spoke to and I can also see the notes indicating a return to supplier for further testing.

We received your return on the 10/1 and the item went on testing in the workshop a short time later that afternoon.

The decision to return to supplier on the 11/1 by the warranty team was a result of the email you forwarded to us from Thrustmaster support (which you did not find satisfactory) to conduct further testing even though we managed to test a fault with it.

Due to your dissatisfaction with the whole warranty process the manager who you spoke to on the 11/1 decided to process a refund as we do not have stock for replacement.

If you can recall who you spoke to on the phone when you first called would assist in reviewing this further.

We may have advised that we could not provide an immediate resolution until a test report is confirmed from the supplier.

We have an obligation under Consumer Law to a replacement or refund if the item is deemed faulty.

The $50 test fee applies if items are tested and there is no fault found. There is a cost to testing items (time/labour). This fee is discretionally charged to some customers who send multiple items back as faulty to seek a refund or troubleshoot components.

Patrick, Your response to my negative review is in depth, full of interest in the details and clearly show you have done a fair amount of enquirey to locate my issue at MWAVE based simply on my review. If only this same level of in depth interest and concern was shown when I was a customer and had and issue with a faulty product you sold me. As you would have seen the details in my correspondence with MWAVE, the replies from MWAVE did not answer my questions or supply any information of worth. When I first called MWAVE once I had posted the item back I spoke with Chris, the guy with an America accent. He was dissmissive and blunt and when I sked him what MWAVE had meant by 'further testing' he would not explain what that involved, how long it would take and who would perform the test. I told Chris that under consumer law that a product should work as claimed, it hasnt and it appears MWAVE have tested it and it failed those tests to warrent to need 'further testing'. Chris then said 'well under consumer law we are entitled to test a product as much as we want to determine if it works and I cant go into details about the testing'. When I pressed Chris for further details and drew on past experiences with other retailers with faulty products Chris replied 'I cant go into detail, we are entitled to test as much as we want and MWAVE's business modle is different to other retailers' Patrick, that is effectively telling me to 'suck it up'.

Unhappy with Chris'response and treatment I asked to speak to his manager, Andrew (guy with a scottish accent, could have mistaken his name). Andrew repeated the above line Chris fed to me above with a little more civility thrown in. Andrew said that the product now wasnt tested as they dont have the equipment to test it. I said to Andrew that you must have a computer at MWAVE and you plug this device in and it either works or it doesnt. Andrew said that it needs to go back to the supplier for more indepth testing. Again when I asked Andrew what this involved he said he didnt know, it then begs the question how do you know it needs further testing if you dont even know what test and testing conditions need to be undertaken? I reinforced my dissatisfaction with this and that MWAVE's responses were grossly lacking in consistancey and detail. I asked who the supplier was so i can communicate with them since they were doing the testing. Andrew said he couldnt tell me who they were because I would then know where else to buy this product and I would buy from them. I could not believe this response. I said to Andrew that MWAVE was more interested in making sure that a customer only uses MWAVE than actually treating the customer well when they have them? He had no words.

It is at this point Andrew said "let my open you ticket and read what has happened, whats your ticket number". All this time and anguish and nobody had actually openned the ticket??? Andrew put me on hold, returned 5 or so mins later saying "I have spoken directly with the tech guys and they have actually tested the item and it did test as faulty, there was a miscommunication between the sales and tech team' would you like a refund or replacement?" Definitly refund.

Further, Patrick, you write to me "The decision to return to supplier on the 11/1 by the warranty team was a result of the email you forwarded to us from Thrustmaster support (which you did not find satisfactory) to conduct further testing even though we managed to test a fault with it."

I forwarded the response from Thrustmaster as an example of the low quality of their response, they simply told me to do exactly what is already on their website to troubleshoot. I had quoted them an erro code and described the conditions of the fault and they send generic troubleshooting.

ATo be clear, I in no way asked MWAVE to do 'further testing' and/or have this conducted at the supplier. You are the retailer and you are obligated to act on faulty products. You say MWAVE found a fault? Why didnt MWAVE offer me a refund straight up? Why did I have to go through 2 people to get this point across? Why did I have to fight for this? Why was the information so inconsistant and without detail? If I buy a an item from JB-HIFi, Myer, pc case gear, newegg do they simply accept it doesnt work and refund? MWAVE on the hand it becomes my fault that the product doesnt work? Why are the ticket responses I received from MWAVE so sparce and your responses so detailed? Put the effort in at the time rather than try and dilute and waterdown negative reviews.

Dear Michael, Thank you for your detailed feedback and we will take your comments on board and review our customer interaction processes and procedures.

Again, apologies this process has caused you inconvenience.

Thank you Patrick