[Praise] APC - After Sales Service

[zacfx05]

ya guys i would also like to praise their support and service , these guys were so professional and fast. great service. i had bought a apc 600RS ups and its battery got malfunctioned , used their toll free number, and within two days service engineer came and replaced my battery. awesome service, provided my house is 30kms from the nearby town. i never had expected such hassle free prompt service routine.

 

[Rajesh345]

ya guys i would also like to praise their support and service , these guys were so professional and fast. great service. i had bought a apc 600RS ups and its battery got malfunctioned , used their toll free number, and within two days service engineer came and replaced my battery. awesome service, provided my house is 30kms from the nearby town. i never had expected such hassle free prompt service routine.

Similar , For past few weeks my APC smart 600 UPS bought april/may 2011 was giving almost nil backup (10 seconds) , on Saturday 23rd i called them , They asked for Serial no located at back of UPS and after verifying if , they said will send service person , Today (Monday) evening service Person came and replaced Battery ,

 

[kARTechnology]

I too have apc rs600, within one month, backup time falled from 20 mins to 5. I told them on Thursday, and service man came on Saturday, tested my battery and said it failed. He said he will replace on Monday. I called him and asked when he would replace. On Monday He said the battery would be courier-ed from head quarters, today I chatted with them and they said
Stocks are over. Will replace before Monday.
So already 1 week completed

 

[saswat23]

So many problems with APC!

 

[Tenida]

So many problems with APC!

Problem will bound to happen. But those brand who give Solution/After-sales-support like APC will term as good brand

 

[kARTechnology]

battery replaced today afternoon by apc
28 march- chat, tried troubleshooting
29 march- chat, said they will send service man
30 march- serviceman came, did testes, reported failed battery
5 april- battery changed to mew one

total 9 days, it took 5 days to get new battery
i thought it would be fasssttt....

 

[harshilsharma63]

No, just gave 100 bucks for chai pani

 

[kARTechnology]

battery replaced today afternoon by apc
28 march- chat, tried troubleshooting
29 march- chat, said they will send service man
30 march- serviceman came, did testes, reported failed battery
5 april- battery changed to mew one

total 9 days, it took 5 days to get new battery
i thought it would be fasssttt....

battery dead, AGAIN!
again says to charge for 5-6 hrs and report back
this time they said they will send ppl from the APC HQ

power cut at 12:00 and ups stopped at 12:05! and made continous loud beep when power restored during power on self test

my 6-year old numeric 600va plus working perfectly, ofcourse after changing battery 3 times every 2 years

UPDATE:
today got 4mins only, will eat that chatperson today when power comes back

update:
chatting with those stupids
apc: I am sorry to inform that you will be not getting a new unit as replacement , as per policy a new unit will be replaced if at all problem occurs with in a month of purchase.
me: yes I reported the problem within ONE MONTH, RIGHT? THAT THE UPS IS NOT GIVING BACKUP
apc: Please stay online.


apc: Thanks for being online.
apc: I have forwarded the details to the service team regarding the same, first let our engineer visits your location and find out the problem.
me: how many days???
me: Yes. Update the same.
apc: We will arrange an engineer within 4 working days to inspect the unit.
Your session has ended. You may now close this window.

Will never buy apc again
what to do?

I even have the screenshots from the 1st time i chatted with that person(within 1 moth of purchase), should i post here? i have only one screenshot missing...

 

[Rajesh345]

battery dead, AGAIN!
again says to charge for 5-6 hrs and report back
this time they said they will send ppl from the APC HQ

power cut at 12:00 and ups stopped at 12:05! and made continous loud beep when power restored during power on self test

my 6-year old numeric 600va plus working perfectly, ofcourse after changing battery 3 times every 2 years

UPDATE:
today got 4mins only, will eat that chatperson today when power comes back

update:
chatting with those stupids
apc: I am sorry to inform that you will be not getting a new unit as replacement , as per policy a new unit will be replaced if at all problem occurs with in a month of purchase.
me: yes I reported the problem within ONE MONTH, RIGHT? THAT THE UPS IS NOT GIVING BACKUP
apc: Please stay online.


apc: Thanks for being online.
apc: I have forwarded the details to the service team regarding the same, first let our engineer visits your location and find out the problem.
me: how many days???
me: Yes. Update the same.
apc: We will arrange an engineer within 4 working days to inspect the unit.
Your session has ended. You may now close this window.

Will never buy apc again
what to do?

I even have the screenshots from the 1st time i chatted with that person(within 1 moth of purchase), should i post here? i have only one screenshot missing...

my Apc battery. dead again. getting only few seconds backup only.and warrenty. over

total time of battery. replaced. : two
Last month when there was warranty. they replaced. battery. when they did I was not at home. but when checking it was giving. 10 minutes backup so didn't suspect
Now when I complained.of. no backup they said warrenty is over


when I told then the battery you replaced didn't last even a month



they. said it was not a new battery. it was just a replacement. battery so it will work till warrenty. is over -_-

 

[kARTechnology]

my Apc battery. dead again. getting only few seconds backup only.and warrenty. over

total time of battery. replaced. : two
Last month when there was warranty. they replaced. battery. when they did I was not at home. but when checking it was giving. 10 minutes backup so didn't suspect
Now when I complained.of. no backup they said warrenty is over




when I told then the battery you replaced didn't last even a month



they. said it was not a new battery. it was just a replacement. battery so it will work till warrenty. is over -_-

they had given me a used refurbished replacement battery but not a new battery.

now they gave me a new exide powersafe battery and it is giving 20-24mins backup with full charging 24x7

 

[westom]

they had given me a used refurbished replacement battery but not a new battery.

No such thing as a refurbished battery. Once a battery is used (ie charged), then its life expectancy curve takes over. UPS batteries are typically good for three years. Degrade in that period. A battery two years old will not provide as much power as when new. Therefore a typical computer, consuming maybe 200 watts (with a 700 watt supply), may require a 350 watt UPS. So that the UPS battery can still provide 200 watts three years later.

Is the UPS working properly? A tech should confirm proper battery charging with a multimeter before leaving.

 

[kARTechnology]

No such thing as a refurbished battery. Once a battery is used (ie charged), then its life expectancy curve takes over. UPS batteries are typically good for three years. Degrade in that period. A battery two years old will not provide as much power as when new. Therefore a typical computer, consuming maybe 200 watts (with a 700 watt supply), may require a 350 watt UPS. So that the UPS battery can still provide 200 watts three years later.

Is the UPS working properly? A tech should confirm proper battery charging with a multimeter before leaving.

nope he didn't test how it's charging
he saw how it was discharging on load and said bad battery(12, 11.5, 10, 9v and then output off
he says if the charging was faulty the the unit won't work at all! he thinks im a fool....

(i have a multi meter , how do i test, i mean how much voltage reading should i get?)

the 1st replacement battery(csb) was full of scratches, 2nd one(exide powersafe) had a sticker torn off on the top(they stick one for warranty purposes, that one was half torn off )

edit: sometimes on mains power even if there is no fluctuation, it makes very fast beeps and power led flashes..
he told me to adjust voltage sensitivity to low

 

[westom]

he told me to adjust voltage sensitivity to low

a) The UPS may see low voltage (ie 230 volt service) as 205 volts. Lowering sensitivity (a subjective term) is lowing that threshold from 205 volts to 190 volts. Then noise is less likely to cause a switchover to batteries.

Now, testing the battery. b) Same procedure is used by any informed car mechanic or homeowner for a car battery. Measure the battery (with ignition switch off, UPS disconnected from a wall receptacle, or battery disconnected). If measuring between 11.5 and 12 volts, then the battery is discharged. If measuring between 12 and 12.6 volts, then battery is partially or fully charged.

Next, c) connect the battery to a charge (car running or UPS powered on). That battery voltage should rise to above 12.7 volts (ideally above 13 volts). Now you know the charger is working.

d) Once fully charged, load that battery for a few minutes (car not running but headlights drawing battery power OR UPS disconnected from an AC wall receptacle while still powering something such as a light bulb). Measure battery voltage while it is still loaded. Voltage should remain above 12 volts after many minutes. If not, that battery is probably not holding a charge; is defective.

Finally, just because something works does not mean a problem is solved. Many techs never learn that. A reason 'why' is required to know if a problem is solved. For example, by finding a defect BEFORE fixing it. Some never learn these basic concepts. According to your post, he only shotgunned a solution. Appreciate what shotgunning (too often) does.

 

[kARTechnology]

a) The UPS may see low voltage (ie 230 volt service) as 205 volts. Lowering sensitivity (a subjective term) is lowing that threshold from 205 volts to 190 volts. Then noise is less likely to cause a switchover to batteries.

Now, testing the battery. b) Same procedure is used by any informed car mechanic or homeowner for a car battery. Measure the battery (with ignition switch off, UPS disconnected from a wall receptacle, or battery disconnected). If measuring between 11.5 and 12 volts, then the battery is discharged. If measuring between 12 and 12.6 volts, then battery is partially or fully charged.

Next, c) connect the battery to a charge (car running or UPS powered on). That battery voltage should rise to above 12.7 volts (ideally above 13 volts). Now you know the charger is working.

d) Once fully charged, load that battery for a few minutes (car not running but headlights drawing battery power OR UPS disconnected from an AC wall receptacle while still powering something such as a light bulb). Measure battery voltage while it is still loaded. Voltage should remain above 12 volts after many minutes. If not, that battery is probably not holding a charge; is defective.

Finally, just because something works does not mean a problem is solved. Many techs never learn that. A reason 'why' is required to know if a problem is solved. For example, by finding a defect BEFORE fixing it. Some never learn these basic concepts. According to your post, he only shotgunned a solution. Appreciate what shotgunning (too often) does.

will soon test, thanks
sorry for off-topic
i have a couple of microtek upses, 3 of them, when i put a led light bulb, i get flickering.
when i turn in ups first it becomes very bright and then starts to flicker. so will this affect computer psu?
is this related to the transformer or the mobo of the ups( i changed battery also)

 

[westom]

when i put a led light bulb, i get flickering.

Depends on numerous factors. For example, when a UPS first powers on or when not in battery backup mode, then the load (appliance or LED light) connects directly to AC mains. Nothing but a relay between the load and AC mains. So the LED light would shine normally and bright.

Depends on how electronics inside a UPS creates AC volts. For example, a 120 volt UPS may pulse a 200 volt square wave. With less load, that 200 volt pulse becomes narrower. With a tiny load (ie LED light), the pulse would be quite narrow. So an LED would appear to pulse or flicker. That might explain what you have observed.

An incandescent bulb has a slower response. Slower response means flickering would be less obvious with an incandescent bulb.

This 'dirty' UPS power (ie 200 volt square wave from a 120 volt UPS) is irrelevant to electronics. Because electronics are so robust. Does not matter how 'dirty' AC power is. Because an electronic power supply increases that voltage to well over 300 volt radio frequency spikes. IOW it first makes AC power even 'dirtier'. And then 'cleans' that even 'dirtiest' power to make rock solid and 'cleanest' 3, 5, or 12 volts DC. Other and standard functions in electronics make irrelevant 'dirty' 300+ volt radio frequency spikes and 'dirty' AC power from any UPS. That superior 'cleaning' is standard in electronics.

However, some electronics also have active PFC. Unlike passive PFC, active PFC can be confused when AC power is extremely 'dirty'. No damage occurs. But active PFC is so confused by 'noise' that power remains off.

A UPS in battery backup mode can be so 'dirty' as to be potentially harmful to motorized appliances.

A 100 W incandescent bulb after a few minutes is a good load for measuring battery voltage. An LED bulb typically draws maybe seven times less power; is an insufficient load.

 

[kARTechnology]

Depends on numerous factors. For example, when a UPS first powers on or when not in battery backup mode, then the load (appliance or LED light) connects directly to AC mains. Nothing but a relay between the load and AC mains. So the LED light would shine normally and bright.

Depends on how electronics inside a UPS creates AC volts. For example, a 120 volt UPS may pulse a 200 volt square wave. With less load, that 200 volt pulse becomes narrower. With a tiny load (ie LED light), the pulse would be quite narrow. So an LED would appear to pulse or flicker. That might explain what you have observed.

An incandescent bulb has a slower response. Slower response means flickering would be less obvious with an incandescent bulb.

This 'dirty' UPS power (ie 200 volt square wave from a 120 volt UPS) is irrelevant to electronics. Because electronics are so robust. Does not matter how 'dirty' AC power is. Because an electronic power supply increases that voltage to well over 300 volt radio frequency spikes. IOW it first makes AC power even 'dirtier'. And then 'cleans' that even 'dirtiest' power to make rock solid and 'cleanest' 3, 5, or 12 volts DC. Other and standard functions in electronics make irrelevant 'dirty' 300+ volt radio frequency spikes and 'dirty' AC power from any UPS. That superior 'cleaning' is standard in electronics.

However, some electronics also have active PFC. Unlike passive PFC, active PFC can be confused when AC power is extremely 'dirty'. No damage occurs. But active PFC is so confused by 'noise' that power remains off.

A UPS in battery backup mode can be so 'dirty' as to be potentially harmful to motorized appliances.

A 100 W incandescent bulb after a few minutes is a good load for measuring battery voltage. An LED bulb typically draws maybe seven times less power; is an insufficient load.

I used a led light lamp by brand GM
So won't that immediate high voltage during power on of ups affect the psu?
I have many HDD failures and changed psu and now ups too
APC ups is not giving that immediate high voltage when power on( used led bulb)

So will a active PSU will be harmed?
Many people here use active pfc PSU only mostly...

 

[westom]

So won't that immediate high voltage during power on of ups affect the psu?
I have many HDD failures and changed psu and now ups too
APC ups is not giving that immediate high voltage when power on( used led bulb)

Electronics are robust. Electronics, even before the IBM PC, had to withstand voltage spikes that were over 250% of AC line voltage.

An initial high voltage is not excessive voltage. In that scenario, it is normal AC mains voltage. To say more means your observations must be tempered by technical facts with numbers.

Review those paragraphs that discuss 300+ volt radio frequency spikes. Incoming voltage is completely irrelevant. A much lower AC mains voltage is first converted to well over 300 volts. Your disk drives only see the resulting 3, 5, or 12 DC volts created from that over 300+ volts. Variations on an AC power plug are irrelevant to what a disk drive sees.

AC voltage variations or noise that confuses an active PFC do no hardware damage. At worst, it only causes a PSU to remain powered off. What causes power off and what causes hardware damage are different.

To load a UPS battery for measuring, power a 100 watt type incandescent bulb for a few minutes. That incandescent bulb also indicates what UPS output voltage is. For example, UPS voltage is too low for a computer only when a bulb dims to 40% intensity. An incandescent bulb can change intensity significantly; and that is remains ideal voltage for any computer. Computer AC connections have long been that robust. Question is if and why your UPS is having battery failures.

 

[kARTechnology]

they had given me a used refurbished replacement battery but not a new battery.

now they gave me a new exide powersafe battery and it is giving 20-24mins backup with full charging 24x7

again SAME PROBLEM NOW...
PLEASE CHANGE THE TITLE OF THE THREAD TO "COMPLIANT"
THIS IS REALLY FRUSTRATING
FROM THE 1ST MONTH OF PURCHASE.
NOW THEY ARE SAYING THEY WILL SEND ENGINEER TO VISIT AND FIND "ROOT CAUSE" OF PROBLEM