Lite-on has Support? I can't tell

techmatt · #1 19th March 2008, 03:19 PM

Well to start things out for those of you that know me. My wife has a pretty good computer. P4 1.5GHz and 768MB RAM. Plenty to rip burn and watch DVD’s right? Worked well in Linux on my P3. So I thought I would go and buy a DVD -/+ RW drive.

I ended up getting a Lite-on because of the reliability vs. cost issue we all get sometimes. I have a few Lite-on drives and I know they will work in Linux and Windows alike. Well I just switched my wife back to Windows because of the never ending, “Why can’t I install this software?" crap. When I bought the drive the box stated it came with Nero essentials.

I have never liked Nero but figured well it comes with it so why not. Popped the drive in and in stalled the windows version of VLC. DVD playback is perfect, not a single glitch. This is rather impressive for a Gforce 3

After the movie I started rooting around in the box for the Nero disk so I could burn new Fedora and Cent DVD’s. No disk what so ever.

I go to Lite-on’s website and find no number to call, only online chat or email. Seeing how it was not an emergency I chose the email route. (Never know what kind of crap those online chats can install)

The email I sent was a basic email stating I bought this drive and the CD was not in the box. I included the serial number and model number of the drive. The place I bought the drive, and my home address. The response I got back was not very helpful.

“Dear Valued Customer:

please make sure the drive you purchased was not an OEM drive because OEM drives do not come with Nero CD or a quick installation guide.”

Ok so now I am a little irritated. so I sent a reply “NO IT IS NOT AN OEM DRIVE! If it was I would be talking to them for not supplying the needed software. I bought the drive at Wal-mart and the box said that it came with Nero. Now at the moment I am unable to burn DVD's because the required software was not in the box. All I need is a phone number or and email address to someone who can send me the CD that the box said was included. I am not really worried about the installation guide considering it installs like every other internal IDE CD drive. What I do need is the DVD burning software and it would also be nice to have a DVD plug in so I could watch DVD's. The plug in should be included in the software. Maybe I should just plug the drive into a Linux box so I would not need any of this crap.”

I am still waiting a response back from them, but I hope it is better this time.

forkbomb · #2 19th March 2008, 03:29 PM

The more horror stories I hear about support from companies all over the digital world (from ISPs to hardware vendors to software vendors), the more I'm considering that the poor support all around is a systemic problem. Nobody has good support, it seems (slight exaggeration).

I guess you could say the same of many meatspace-related industries.

EDIT:
You should see the back-and-forth of e-mails between my Dad and Microsoft service when my XBox got lost in the process of being repaired and everybody on the MS end wanted to shift blame or claim ignorance.

notageek · #3 19th March 2008, 05:55 PM

Techmatt, did you get some kind of documentation with the drive, I'm guessing you can download the software and use the serial number provided to you in the documentation or maybe written on the box.

On the other hand, reply back to them with the serial number of the drive (should be written somewhere) and let them decide (based on the number) if its an OEM. If they still insist that this is an OEM, simply return the drive.

Edit: Or at least threaten to return the drive

pete_1967 · #4 19th March 2008, 06:14 PM

Can't you just take it back to shop you bought it from and ask for a new box that has CD in it (open it before you take it home) and let them sort out the missing CD with Lite-On?

techmatt · #5 19th March 2008, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notageek

Techmatt, did you get some kind of documentation with the drive, I'm guessing you can download the software and use the serial number provided to you in the documentation or maybe written on the box.

On the other hand, reply back to them with the serial number of the drive (should be written somewhere) and let them decide (based on the number) if its an OEM. If they still insist that this is an OEM, simply return the drive.

Edit: Or at least threaten to return the drive

The documentation was not in the box either and I had the serial number in first email. I will not return a perfectly working drive just because of a software issue. I was planing

Quote:

Originally Posted by pete_1967

Can't you just take it back to shop you bought it from and ask for a new box that has CD in it (open it before you take it home) and let them sort out the missing CD with Lite-On?

on getting another one anyway for my system.
I got it from Wal-mart. Yes I could, but that would not solve anything. Wal-mart would just stick back on the shelf an Lite-on would never hear about the problem.

pete_1967 · #6 19th March 2008, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by techmatt

Yes I could, but that would not solve anything. Wal-mart would just stick back on the shelf an Lite-on would never hear about the problem.

Well, it would make it S.E.P. and that'd be good enough to me

techmatt · #7 19th March 2008, 06:47 PM

Well they got back to me rather quickly with this nice response,

Quote:

Dear Valued Customer :

If the drive was purchased within 30 days please call our tech support at 510-824-0066, we will also need a proof of purchase.

Best Regards
Tech Support

Couldn't they just have said that in the beginning?
Now I get to make a few phone calls......

techmatt · #8 19th March 2008, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pete_1967

Well, it would make it S.E.P. and that'd be good enough to me

What is S.E.P.

EDIT: Never Mind I got it. Someone Else Problem, duh.

techmatt · #9 19th March 2008, 06:57 PM

Even their website shows that this model is available at Wal-mart

Model# LH-20A1P

adrianx · #10 19th March 2008, 06:57 PM

I still find it amazing that people say Windows just works out of the box. If that was the case, something as basic as burning a DVD/CD shouldn't be such a hassle....

techmatt · #11 19th March 2008, 07:30 PM

The DVD drive in my P3 system worked perfectly upon install. I could play DVD's rip DVD's and Burn DVD's. oddly enough I could not burn slandered cd's with it. but that was a limitation of the drive it's self.

kona0197 · #12 19th March 2008, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by techmatt

I go to Lite-on’s website and find no number to call, only online chat or email. Seeing how it was not an emergency I chose the email route. (Never know what kind of crap those online chats can install)

Wow. Talk about being a little paranoid.

As far as Lite-On drives go I've yet to have an issue. If I were you I would try taking the drive back to Walmart and getting an replacement if possible. And by the way Walmart wouldn't put a defective item back on the shelve. They would send it back to Lite-On. I know - I work there.

techmatt · #13 19th March 2008, 10:23 PM

The wal-mart by my house would. I have seen them do it (My wife worked there) I am not saying all walmarts would. Also, the device is not defective, just no nero cd. The drive works perfectly with a Fedora Live disk

about the paranoid remark, I was on a windows box and I have not been on one for quite sometime besides work so YES just a little

***bob*** · #14 19th March 2008, 10:29 PM

In the meantime, there are some excellent free burning tools out there for XP that you might download and try while you're waiting. Here's one I used: http://www.cdburnerxp.se/

kona0197 · #15 19th March 2008, 10:41 PM

Wow - the misconceptions people have about Windows really cracks me up.

I hope you get a response from Lite-On.