Unresponsive TPLink customer service

phunguus

Disciple
In june 2013, i bought TPLINK's 740N router for enabling wireless at my house. It worked more or less perfectly for 3-4 months until one fine day (10 september 2013) all wired ports stopped working.

The desktop wasn't able to detect any wired connection neither from the external LAN card nor from the onboard NIC. The laptop was able to connect to the internet via wifi so i knew wireless connectivity is working fine. I knew it was the router but just to be sure i checked the connectivity after taking the router out of the loop. As suspected, the router's LAN ports (all 4 of them had stopped working) were as fault. I tried resetting the device and installing it again. I tried it at a friend's house and even got my ISP to install it from scratch but it just wouldnt work.
Then started the hopeless attempts of contacting TPLink's service center. I used to call on the toll free number (1800 2094 168 - ) everyday atleast twice from september 19-25. A computerised system would receive the call, thank me for calling and transfer the call to an executive's phone. The phone used to ring 10-12 times, then the computer would apologise for unavailability of executives and finally ask me to go to their website instead.
Then i figured writing to them via email them would be a better idea. On 26th september, I wrote a long mail addressed to support.in@tp-link.com explaining my problem and expressed my disappointment with the toll free help line. The reply - which was copied to their sales team(sales.in@tp-link.com) and an apparently senior official (taylor.lai@tp-link.com) - was really relatively quick and asked me to ship the device to their vasai godown. So without wasting much time, i shipped the device to them on 30th september morning via blue dart from my residence in navi mumbai.

After waiting for a week, when i didnt get any kind of reply/communication from them, i again mailed on the october 9th morning asking for an update. Haven't received it's reply yet. So today me and two of my friends started dialling their number continuously for 4-5 times. Eventually, one of the calls got picked up and i was able to speak to a customer service executive for the first time 20 days after i first tried contacting them.
Not believing that i had gotten through to them, i started explaining my problem when the executive interrupted me to ask my name and contact number. Then i had to interrupt him back to actually let me speak and tell him all that i have written above. I said I just want to know the device's RMA status. He said "you shouldn't have sent the device directly, you should have called us first. You should have let us troubleshoot it first. We could have easily solved it". I lost my cool at this point and blasted him for 5mins. First for being ignorant to the customer's calls & then blaming the customer for not contacting them and then for expressing surprise that the customer had shipped the device without contacting them when they themselves had asked to ship the device on email. He then feebly apologised and asked me how he can help. I said just give me my device's RMA status and ill consider myself lucky.

So finally i got the contact number of the service center in Vasai (0250 663 4921). I called them and they said they have already dispatched the device and should reach me soon.

My friends used to call TPLink as timepass link when they saw the router. I used to say that they dont seem to be as bad as everyone claims. But as can be seen, the situation isn't very far from that. Although the people working behind the scenes are doing their job well but because of the almost non existent front desk executives who from the vital link between the backend and the customer, the end result is a nightmarish experience for the latter.

Listing down contact details for tech support-
Tech support Email - support.in@tp-link
Sales team email - sales.in@tp-link.com
Technical Support Engineer at TPlink - taylor.lai@tp-link.com

All India Toll free number - 1800 2094 168 (Mon-Sat; 1000-1800 hrs)
Vasai service center RMA number - 0250 663 4921
 
I stay in mumbai, I had sent my router for replacement, got it back in 4 days, I stay in mumbai, I didn't bother to call email guys replied within a few hours..

Also their operation isn't very large scale.. Tp link should should find a distributor instead of trying to handle everything themselves.. But then that would again add to the cost of the router..
 
Feel sorry for getting you into this mess - I had no idea that it was so bad. I too had purchased the device because they had started an ASSC in Lamington (which turned out to be false - the friend was misinformed). I feel pretty lucky for not going for the WDR 3600.

As a result, no more TP-Link suggestions from my end. I do have one 740N - had to buy for testing - but will be selling that and upgrading to a N13 - only for a chap who stays in the Western suburbs near Vasai.

Also, an isolated incident - but I was looking at getting the MR 3020 and I needed some tech info, no one on the 1800 number picked up in spite of multiple calls. This was about 9 months back.
 
I had a good experience with the tplink cc till now
called them twice on 10th & 11th(1800 Number) & the 0250 663 4921 number today to confirm their timings & address
I was asked to come to vasai with the router for on the spot replacement
I will be going there on Wednesday as their vasai office is closed on Monday & Tuesday
 
I stay in mumbai, I had sent my router for replacement, got it back in 4 days, I stay in mumbai, I didn't bother to call email guys replied within a few hours..

Also their operation isn't very large scale.. Tp link should should find a distributor instead of trying to handle everything themselves.. But then that would again add to the cost of the router..
Feel sorry for getting you into this mess - I had no idea that it was so bad. I too had purchased the device because they had started an ASSC in Lamington (which turned out to be false - the friend was misinformed). I feel pretty lucky for not going for the WDR 3600.

As a result, no more TP-Link suggestions from my end. I do have one 740N - had to buy for testing - but will be selling that and upgrading to a N13 - only for a chap who stays in the Western suburbs near Vasai.

Also, an isolated incident - but I was looking at getting the MR 3020 and I needed some tech info, no one on the 1800 number picked up in spite of multiple calls. This was about 9 months back.
Not your fault man. Sh!t happens. ;)
As prateekS's experience proves, the actual RMA guys are good at what they do but they should have an efficient system for keeping the customers in the loop esp. the RMA-noob customers like me. Apart from the part where i couldn't contact TPLink, everything else went pretty much smoothly. Even the products seem to be VFM to me.

I had a good experience with the tplink cc till now
called them twice on 10th & 11th(1800 Number) & the 0250 663 4921 number today to confirm their timings & address
I was asked to come to vasai with the router for on the spot replacement
I will be going there on Wednesday as their vasai office is closed on Monday & Tuesday
Where do you live? If it's any place north of andheri on the western line, then it makes sense to go to vasai. Anywhere else and it would be a task to travel to n fro to vasai. And I guess it's purely down to luck on who gets through to them on the toll free number :rolleyes:
 
^ I stay in andheri , and i have to send one router for replacement , is it better i send via courier or go there myself?

Also do they still send brand new sealed packs as replacement now?
 
^ I stay in andheri , and i have to send one router for replacement , is it better i send via courier or go there myself?

Also do they still send brand new sealed packs as replacement now?
It all depends on how much time and effort you are willing to put. If you have the time, then i think going there is the best option. That way you will save atleast 2 days (in shipping). But call the service center first and confirm that they will entertain you for on the spot replacement/service.

For your second Q, it's a yes for me. I had a 4.24 version of the router. They sent me a new sealed 4.27 version of the router(mfg date - Aug 2013). The packaging was also pretty good. Everything packed into TPLINK's packing paper and sealed with TPLINK's transparent duct tape. The courier guy probably thought that adding his layer of packaging would be redundant.
 
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I am unfortunately a TP-Link consumer. I have a 5 month old WDR 3600 which is practically dead. The wireless on it suddenly got disabled yesterday. I couldn't get through to the router page, nor am I able to reset it or telnet or ssh.

Apparently their customer service resembles my routers current condition. I have been trying to call their call center they don't pick up at all. I have tried emailing them but as of now no response. Any idea how long they take to reply back to the emails.
 
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I called them up when my router from them died a month back.. Also got response on email with the adress on which i had to send the faulty device.. Got it rma'ed in 10 days around.
 
Ok I managed to get through to them, they told me to either courier the router or drop by their office and they would replace it on the spot.

I am from mumbai and the office is in vasai so took a train yesterday and got a replacement.
 
My name is M.Santhosh Kumar. I am from Tamil Nadu. I sent my TPLINK MODEM ROUTER with serial number:136A7854378 for replacement on 5th Aug 2015.That is the serial number displayed in the bill too. The serial number on the modem was not clearly visible when i sent it. After i got the replacement the serial number in the modem has been rewritten with a piece of paper attached as 136B5901178. Will that have any problem if i need a replcement in the future due to any defect in the modem?
 
I did RMA of TP Link w740N today morning. Guy here in Lamington Road service centre is quite helpful. Got v5 of router - I had v4.23. V5 uses different power adapter. Router I got is kind-off refurbished/box open and not box packed - originally manufactured in Feb 2015.

Serial number(of old router) updated on new router by hand writing - this is to have better turn around time by not sending router to Vasai Godown for just re-printing of serial number. Pity that they dunn have system in which they can just track serial number updation. Overall a very smooth experience. All process done in 15 mins.
 
I did RMA of TP Link w740N today morning. Guy here in Lamington Road service centre is quite helpful. Got v5 of router - I had v4.23. V5 uses different power adapter. Router I got is kind-off refurbished/box open and not box packed - originally manufactured in Feb 2015.

Serial number(of old router) updated on new router by hand writing - this is to have better turn around time by not sending router to Vasai Godown for just re-printing of serial number. Pity that they dunn have system in which they can just track serial number updation. Overall a very smooth experience. All process done in 15 mins.
Any idea whats the current price @ lamington..

its 800 odd online
 
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