Ad Terras Per Aspera

That nifty little Targus AH63US 4 port hub I mentioned in my previous post isn’t as nifty as I thought: it had flaky behavior for a few hours than promptly died.

Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue, items are sometimes DOA, it happens. I’ve had a few things over the years that were DOA, and the manufacturer promptly replaced the item….. however Targus expects me to pay for the shipping to send it back to the factory. Need I remind you, this is still in warranty (as it is less than a week old), and they sold the item (through Newegg) in the first place.

Here is the email from Targus about my query on having my warranty honored, which by the way, it took them almost a week to answer. The last paragraph is the most damning…

Dear Patrick,

I apologize for the delay in servicing your request and greatly appreciate your patience with this matter.

I have created a Return Authorization for you. Your tracking number is (edited out)

Please include a copy of this e-mail with your return. Note, if the email is not included, it will delay processing of your replacement.

Name: (edited out)
Company: (edited out)
Street Address: (edited out)
Suite or Apartment Number: (edited out)
City, State, Zip: (edited out)

Phone: (edited out)

If you wish to change anything in the information above, you can update your profile through the “My Stuff” tab on our support page. You can also check the status of your questions or update them there. ((edited out internal URL)).

Please include a copy of this e-mail with your return. Note, if the email is not included, it will delay processing of your replacement.

You are responsible to ship your product to us. As per the Targus replacement procedure, you would have to ship the defective product back to our warehouse with a copy of this email. After receiving the defective product back at our warehouse, the warranty process can take up to 10 business days. Since Targus cannot be held liable for lost or misdirected mail we strongly suggest that you use a trackable method, like UPS. If you are unable to print this email, please include the Reference number on a piece of paper with your name and shipping information.

Warehouse please warranty: ACH63 Super Mini USB 2.0 4-Port Hub (1)
Date of Purchase: 12/11/2007
Place of Purchase: Newegg

Needless to say, I am contacting Newegg over this situation because they need to advise customers of future Targus product sales that the company will not honor the warranty in any useful manner.

Update: Newegg replaced the hub, and the new one works fine. I refuse to recommend Targus products due to their bad customer service, however.