ZEN MICRO MP3 Worst experience, poor (cheap) quality, poor customer servi

Question

<SPAN><FONT face=Arial>I purchased to Creative Zen MP3 players (the 5GB model). Within the first use the battery life did not exceed more than an hour for both players. Within the first two months the sound quality deteriorated and within the next few months both players ceased to function. One no longer turns on and the other does not play any sound. I then tried to contact Creative which is the first company I have ever come to encounter that does not provide 800 assistance to their buyers nor their buyers within their one year warranty. This has become a complete hassle and 00% dissatisfaction purchase. I have spoken to other friends who have also purchased a Creative product and they too are completely dissastified with their purchases and wish they never purchased one either. The word of mouth is the strongest weapon against companies like Creative who treat their consumers poorly with the quality and poor level of service. Please be sure to let anyone you know of this matter and not to purchase a Creative because they will in return be stuck with poor customer service and poor quality merchandise.
<SPAN><FONT face=Arial>I am absolutely disgusted with the level of service I have received from Creative. I am absolutely tired of waiting anywhere between -5 days to receive a response for my inquiries on my warranty. On top of that they claim because the serial number is manufactured out of the one year warranty that I no longer am entitled to receiving my one year warranty. I believe this is absolutely absurd because when a product is manufactured it is not immediately sold to a consumer; it takes time before it is purchased. My warranty is not supposed to expire until December of next year but the representati'ves from Creative are claiming because the serial number is not within the one year that I am no longer entitled to my one year warranty. The documentation that Creative provides for the one year warranty does not state anywhere in its print that the buyer is responsible for anything more the first year, it does not state that a receipt should be held onto for months in the case that Creative cannot locate it's own information properly. I feel as if this is completely fraudulent to claim that the manufactured date is the date that should be held accountable versus the date that the product was scanned. That should be the company responsibility to have that accurate information, not the buyers.
<SPAN><FONT face=Arial>
<SPAN><FONT face=Arial>My recommendation is to just go with Apple Ipods. I have heard they have great customer service who put their trust in the customer and have a quick turn around rate. Creative customer service quality is indescribable and wretched, and the turn around rate is way over 48hrs with no 800 number provided or only provided to a select amount of customers or you have to pay.

Answer 1

I must agree with Isoltani. I do not think that the products are particularly bad, but it sure does seem like they could come up with some better customer support. You guys act like just because they have a customer service period we should be satisfied, but that's not good business. If I own a company, especially a company related to electronics, I know that to be successful I need good CS. This company relies on people like the people that post on this thread to answer %90 percent of the customer's needs, which is kind of sad. The only reason that I can see for this company being successful at all in the portable media area is because they develop an ok product at an ok price, which is good I guess, but people don't realize the poor customer service until after they buy, which completely kills any of their future sales for the potential customers who have problems. The fact of the matter is that the CS of creative is very poor and should not be acceptable to those in charge at the company.