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Faulty DS 1.5 box returned, awaiting tests (Read 2100 times)
denismartindale
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Faulty DS 1.5 box returned, awaiting tests
Sep 29th, 2014 at 4:29pm
 
I received confirmation that my returned DS 1.5 box has been received at AEI and await their tests on the box which wouldn't reboot the initial User Interface and the reset button fix didn't fix that problem.

No idea if I'm going to get the box back ie not working, working or a replacement being sent instead.

It's one of the reasons I bought the 1.2 DS box as a backup shortly afterwards from the AEI website since that was £40 off at the time.

Imagine losing access to one's email accounts for about 6 to 8 weeks and maybe these are cancelled by the website... All emails wiped.

I also wanted to explore the latest apps on the DS 1.2 box except it can't cope with more than a few apps at a time, hence my desire to get a working 1.5 DS box to use instead.

With many sellers all we'd get is a refund since they can't repair the items anyway. That was a reason to buy from bid tv, till they went into administration.

If I do get a working set top box back again, it's just a matter of pot luck what happens next as Internet set top boxes can crash, need rebooting, but may not always reboot. If the reset button doesn't fix the problem, good luck with what happens afterwards...
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Re: Faulty DS 1.5 box returned, awaiting tests
Reply #1 - Sep 29th, 2014 at 5:36pm
 
How long ago did you send it back? I remember you were think about sending it back. AEI do still stock the the 1.5 box you have every right ot a new box and would ask for this. AEI still haven't got back to me regarding the ITV Player tests and the first 2 screens turning the display on to it's side which even when you leave the app the main display is still rotated till you reboot the Ds. Good luck Denis
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denismartindale
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Re: Faulty DS 1.5 box returned, awaiting tests
Reply #2 - Sep 29th, 2014 at 8:16pm
 
Mid August no user interface loaded. Tried loadsa times, no luck. AEI Support told me of the reset below the box. Didn't do anything loadsa times. Box returned end of August. No updates so emails were sent with no official word the box had been received.

So I sent copies and today emailed sales at and support at and webmaster at... So the reply confirmed box received OK, tests being done. Await update to learn the decision.

Negative outcome means same box returned but not fixed.
Positive outcome box replaced instead.

???
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Re: Faulty DS 1.5 box returned, awaiting tests
Reply #3 - Oct 10th, 2014 at 11:13am
 
I think you have by now waited long enough for the results! It's ok being told oh we have been busy on other projects Not your problem Denis. You know me I would now be on their case so to speak so I would phone them and ask what's going on. When did you buy the box that seemed to have developed a fault on it (UI Not Loading)? depending on this I would think you would be intitled to 12 months warranty for the repair that's been done but would still ask for
for a new 1.5 box!!! They had my DS in for quite a while and a courier came and picked it up from my house
then when AEI had done their test it was sent back by courier so no hassle at the post office or no postage was paid by me either. Let us know how you get on! Good luck.
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denismartindale
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Re: Faulty DS 1.5 box returned, awaiting tests
Reply #4 - Oct 10th, 2014 at 11:57am
 
To help explain the experience, know this.

The fault was a non-starting User Interface. I tested this over a few days without success, so I phoned AEI and was told about a reset pin hole under the box. Keep some pin in that for a while, switch off the box for a while and back on again with the pin still within that hole. No success after dozens of tests. So I got authorisation to return the box at the end of August, thus 2 weeks before it was returned. A further delay meant using the AEI Contact Us form which led to further delays without replies. But in time, the confirmation came. The box had been received and further still, the replacement had been sent out to me. Perhaps this week or next week I'll be able to use a DS 1.5 set top box once again. I was granted a 2-month extension of my warranty period because of the delays.

While some would regard these experiences as unacceptable, others would recognise these as common to all.

If bought in the High Store, it would be a simple return and replacement in many cases but not all.

Sometimes a refund or credit note is approved. That could lead to buying again at a more expensive price or sometimes a reduced price.

In the case of AEI, this 1.5 box is £70+ on their website and more user-friendly than the earlier cheaper version that I got from AEI at a saving of £40.

Bigboyuk campaigns for consumer rights and investigates and presents his feedback accordingly.

I've lost about 2 months of the set top box use simply because bid tv as the seller went into administration after the purchase. No indication it was going to happen.

Bid tv would have refunded me within a few days upon receiving the returned item. I would have bought again and reinstalled all the Google Play Store apps and lost just a few weeks not a few months.

The trend towards Internet purchases and mail order deliveries has to some degree backfired on many of us. The initial savings turned into weeks or months of frustrations, emails and replies then waiting at home for deliveries or going to a Post Office a few miles away to return items.

I mentioned right from the start that we ought to get a better service eg a courtesy replacement being sent even if for temporary use as with local TV repairers offering us a loaned TV during a TV repair.

I'm also wondering if gadgets ought to be rented rather than bought and covered by a contract that grants a replacement rather than an argument.

Even so, Tech Support sometimes fixes faults on the same day, thus reducing the need for replacements.

Others merely rent for a year then switch to another company and rent for a year from them. This is how some get the Sky installation then cancel yet keep the equipment as non-subscribers, then switch to Virgin Media TiVo boxes and channel packages as I did, later switching from XL to M+ and saving a fortune each year.

I'm using the loaned VM set top box and equipment yet getting full repair or replace cover included.

The danger is losing the MY SHOWS recordings, but if that doesn't happen then the TiVo service still has some worth.

So while disappointed in technology's weak link developing faults, I can't change a company's policy about Customer Service or outside-of-contract goodwill considerations. These are negotiated and whatever happens, happens.
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Re: Faulty DS 1.5 box returned, awaiting tests
Reply #5 - Oct 10th, 2014 at 2:45pm
 
I actualy know why you returned the box to AEI a good while while back and glad the warranty was extended by 2 months! Only today have I learned that a replacement has been sent out to you!!!! But you will have start from scratch re installing all those apps again that was on the box you returned.  What would have been nice is for AEI to check what apps where on the returned box when you sent it back.
And yes If I send something back I expect a aknowledgement within a few days and a week at max. Same as emails that are sent 24/48 hrs should be the way to go not weeks later obviously not counting bank holidays and sundays of course. We know how slow AEI are in replying (probably due to staffing levels) but we deserve better and that's why I fight for what is right Smiley Regards and best of luck Denis Smiley






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denismartindale
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Re: Faulty DS 1.5 box returned, awaiting tests
Reply #6 - Oct 10th, 2014 at 4:34pm
 
The fault was a non-starting set top box, so when I learnt I was getting a replacement, I believed it was because the box still wouldn't start. So it's unlikely that AEI could learn what apps were installed, uninstalled or stored on the DS box and on a separate micro SD card, even if I'd sent that as well.

Once the reset didn't work to at least start up, then I couldn't figure out any alternatives left, as I did extensive tests with that reset option, lasting from seconds to several minutes.

I wouldn't risk testing that on a brand new set top box either.

In some cases, a remote control action could cause a restart, but that wasn't suggested by AEI, so I couldn't know of any workarounds using any remote control button.

The original suppliers of the standard designed set top box may have known of an extra trick or two, but we usually rely on the seller, or the maker, anyway. In this case, AEI developed their User Interface DS app as well as explaining the details on bid tv, yet the reset option wasn't mentioned.

For future reference, it helps to find an Internet device that's well supported, but not just by the seller having no Tech Support, except the phone number, leading to contact the makers' Tech Support using another phone number.

The seller is the primary source for dealing with complaints. Quite useless in some cases.

Once the replacement box's warranty ends, it's pot luck from then on, but remember, I said the DS box was worth paying for, even if just for a year's service.

Towards the end of a year, or afterwards, buyers are more likely to sell the boxes on Ebay, without any really worthwhile warranty from themselves or others.

However, there are online warranty cover policies being offered, basically just offering refunds if they can't or won't fix the items anyway. You merely get back your purchase price, but lose the cost of the warranty policy. Either way, you still lose money.
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Re: Faulty DS 1.5 box returned, awaiting tests
Reply #7 - Oct 10th, 2014 at 7:13pm
 
denismartindale wrote on Oct 10th, 2014 at 4:34pm:
The fault was a non-starting set top box, so when I learnt I was getting a replacement, I believed it was because the box still wouldn't start. So it's unlikely that AEI could learn what apps were installed, uninstalled or stored on the DS box and on a separate micro SD card, even if I'd sent that as well.

Once the reset didn't work to at least start up, then I couldn't figure out any alternatives left, as I did extensive tests with that reset option, lasting from seconds to several minutes.

I wouldn't risk testing that on a brand new set top box either.

In some cases, a remote control action could cause a restart, but that wasn't suggested by AEI, so I couldn't know of any workarounds using any remote control button.

The original suppliers of the standard designed set top box may have known of an extra trick or two, but we usually rely on the seller, or the maker, anyway. In this case, AEI developed their User Interface DS app as well as explaining the details on bid tv, yet the reset option wasn't mentioned.

For future reference, it helps to find an Internet device that's well supported, but not just by the seller having no Tech Support, except the phone number, leading to contact the makers' Tech Support using another phone number.

The seller is the primary source for dealing with complaints. Quite useless in some cases.

Once the replacement box's warranty ends, it's pot luck from then on, but remember, I said the DS box was worth paying for, even if just for a year's service.

Towards the end of a year, or afterwards, buyers are more likely to sell the boxes on Ebay, without any really worthwhile warranty from themselves or others.

However, there are online warranty cover policies being offered, basically just offering refunds if they can't or won't fix the items anyway. You merely get back your purchase price, but lose the cost of the warranty policy. Either way, you still lose money.
As there was no UI displayed just wondering if the settings top right could have been brought in to play? Wonder what caused the UI not to display? During boot up did you get the DS logo and the throbber on screen or was there nothing displayed? Regards



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Re: Faulty DS 1.5 box returned, awaiting tests
Reply #8 - Oct 13th, 2014 at 2:31pm
 
Any news on when your box is being returned/replaced?
Regards
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denismartindale
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Re: Faulty DS 1.5 box returned, awaiting tests
Reply #9 - Oct 14th, 2014 at 2:52pm
 
This is the other side of the Customer Service experience, not knowing whether to go out or stay in awaiting the return. Also not knowing if the item being returned is damaged in transit. Thankfully, I know the original item was securely packed inside a rigid box with each of the accessories being fully protected.

In the meantime, we know that several of the previous apps have been updated, so what used to work OK may now be better or worse.

With this in mind, it would have helped if I'd recorded the AV cables output to the recorder so as to get a full list of the installed apps. That would have helped as soon as anything became faulty yet with the DS app still loading, but when it doesn't, there's no workaround. That's not so critical as I mentioned several of the tested apps on the RT Forum in regard to their names and extra features and special ways to save images or videos directly to the DS box or the micro SD card.

Another situation was splitting the apps storage between the DS box as well as the micro SD card. More storage space on the DS box that way, but tricky after a fault develops and the box is returned and never seen again.

How to work out what's on that micro SD card and clearing it prior to further use apart from the newly-installed apps on the second DS box.

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Re: Faulty DS 1.5 box returned, awaiting tests
Reply #10 - Oct 14th, 2014 at 3:32pm
 
denismartindale wrote on Oct 14th, 2014 at 2:52pm:
This is the other side of the Customer Service experience, not knowing whether to go out or stay in awaiting the return. Also not knowing if the item being returned is damaged in transit. Thankfully, I know the original item was securely packed inside a rigid box with each of the accessories being fully protected.

In the meantime, we know that several of the previous apps have been updated, so what used to work OK may now be better or worse.

With this in mind, it would have helped if I'd recorded the AV cables output to the recorder so as to get a full list of the installed apps. That would have helped as soon as anything became faulty yet with the DS app still loading, but when it doesn't, there's no workaround. That's not so critical as I mentioned several of the tested apps on the RT Forum in regard to their names and extra features and special ways to save images or videos directly to the DS box or the micro SD card.

Another situation was splitting the apps storage between the DS box as well as the micro SD card. More storage space on the DS box that way, but tricky after a fault develops and the box is returned and never seen again.

How to work out what's on that micro SD card and clearing it prior to further use apart from the newly-installed apps on the second DS box.

I still think you ought to call AEI on this matter it's been a long time even if they extend the warranty by 3 months or what ever.
I take it you removed the micro DS card before it was sent off the AEI? Regards



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denismartindale
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Re: Faulty DS 1.5 box returned, awaiting tests
Reply #11 - Oct 14th, 2014 at 3:40pm
 
The micro SD card was removed OK. The AEI company emailed about the return that could be upto 7 working days. So that's part of why I got an extended warranty period.

So I'll wait till Sunday before I have to be concerned.
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Re: Faulty DS 1.5 box returned, awaiting tests
Reply #12 - Oct 14th, 2014 at 5:00pm
 
denismartindale wrote on Oct 14th, 2014 at 3:40pm:
The micro SD card was removed OK. The AEI company emailed about the return that could be upto 7 working days. So that's part of why I got an extended warranty period.

So I'll wait till Sunday before I have to be concerned.
Well that's one good thing!I Hope the replacement box arrives soon Smiley Regards



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Re: Faulty DS 1.5 box returned, awaiting tests
Reply #13 - Oct 19th, 2014 at 11:53am
 
Has it arrived yet? I being reading your previous posts again and you can change some customer services policys by complaining and using your consumer rights to the letter Smiley AEI to be honest with you aren't the best at in keeping the customer informed I know this from my dealings with them! Regards
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Re: Faulty DS 1.5 box returned, awaiting tests
Reply #14 - Oct 19th, 2014 at 5:44pm
 
I was told to wait and I have, that meant staying at home, just in case a delivery came. I had no idea if it would arrive before the Ebay purchase of the DS 1.2 box. I'm testing the 1.2 box today and explaining the problems dealing with no real user guide, but from our feedbacks I'm installing apps to find out if there have been any more developments.

I see no reason why 1 Ebay seller can deliver the goods in less than a week and a well-known company didn't, but if I get the DS 1.5 box then I'll have to install a load of apps to get back to where I was WEEKS ago.
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