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Omnias-42 t1_j1z7xix wrote

It appears the issue has been sorted. For the full vendor response, see below:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/zx1oac/novelkeys_poor_customer_service/j1yvzv1/

As others in the thread recommended, you should still inspect your PCB before assembly and test the functionality before soldering or installing switches in case you get a defect, however, hotswap sockets, which convenient, can be damaged if the switch pins are not straight.

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k4zie OP t1_j1zg9dv wrote

Hey, for fairness sake - the issue was not sorted. They replied with their side, which is fair - but assuming that their side is just automatically correct is not. It's a discussion, which is what I was hoping to have.

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Omnias-42 t1_j1zgfcx wrote

Do you have receipts to rebut their statements?

When you made your claims, the only party that has provided concrete evidence was the vendor. If you’re going to make serious accusations, you need to be able to back that up.

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k4zie OP t1_j1zhiyf wrote

Hey there, I did reply to his feedback. And I added a pic as well from my original email exchange with them.

Just to be clear so people don't misinterpret, I'm not accusing them of trying to rip me off. I'm sharing my poor experience of being automatically blamed for damage - it's why I added the pic of the socket that looks soldered but isn't.

As I stated in my reply, I should have taken pics of every socket for imperfections or anomalies so I'm not automatically blamed - which is the issue at hand.

I'm just warning others so they can take extra steps and make sure this doesn't happen to them if they have issues.

Exactly what receipts do you need to satisfy my discussion?

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Omnias-42 t1_j1zigfb wrote

If the two parties are making conflicting claims, then proof of the actual discussion that took place along with the evidence that was presented to them is relevant.

Some vendors are generally known for having poor customer service and quality control, and others are generally reputable.

However, mistakes can happen from miscommunication and incomplete information. Which is why it is also important to determine if something was an isolated incident or a pattern of behaviour, and whether steps were taken to remedy the situation.

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k4zie OP t1_j1zj8h8 wrote

I agree with you completely. From an outside perspective this can easily be seen as a he said / she said situation.

My grievance was with the automatic assumption that it's my fault. And the only real way to actually prove that is to go back in time, never insert a switch, and check every socket for loose contacts or imperfections which I did not.

Automatically assigning fault, isn't fair - that's at the core of this discussion. It's how I was treated so I posted about it, with a warning to future buyers, who based on my experience, will be accused in the same manner.

I don't feel it's unfair to have done that, though obviously that's my opinion 😋 - but to that point, I don't feel it's misleading.

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jishjash t1_j1ztsgl wrote

>My grievance was with the automatic assumption that it's my fault.

That goes both ways though. It's also not fair to automatically assume it's their fault

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k4zie OP t1_j1zuzna wrote

I didn't automatically assume it was their fault. They, however, did.

In my exchange with them, I even asked / requested that I could send them the PCB in exchange for one that is fully functional. But their position was we can't help you because it's your fault.

Their only offer for repair was at my cost while re-enforcing that it's due to my mishandling it.

They made absolutely no effort in this regard. Without exaggerating, my initial email said "the key doesn't register" - no pics, nothing. Just that.

Their response immediately was that this is due to a bad insertion and popped socket and pushed that from the start.

So no, I didn't assume anything. They did.

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andromache97 t1_j1zz3a8 wrote

And based on the pic it turns out they were right lol

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jishjash t1_j1zzdj3 wrote

Not saying you assumed it was their fault. I'm saying that we, as other community members, can't assume that they are at fault either. But to play the devil's advocate...

While it may feel unfair that they immediately placed blame on you, users popping their hotswap sockets is a common problem. Forget this vendor for a second and think of vendors broadly. The first step in addressing a problem is triaging the issue. This hobby is all about building your own stuff, and so the first place to start is to triage what you as the user did with the product in hand. If your interactions afterward were unsatisfactory, I can take that at face value. But I don't buy that they were necessarily blaming you. It's more so that you are in a do-it-yourself hobby and they need to understand what you did first.

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k4zie OP t1_j201ths wrote

I don't disagree with you at all. I truly do understand their perspective. It's why I love this hobby and support quite a few of them. Take KBDfans for instance. They aren't even local if you're in the states, but in all my interactions with them over the last 5 years they haven't once led with "it's your fault".

My grievance is with the fact that Novelkeys did. Perhaps that's just their customer service culture, I'm really not sure. I just don't like that type of exchange with a vendor, and being the first time I've dealt with them it just leaves a really poor impression

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jishjash t1_j20906v wrote

I think you're taking it too personally.

As previously noted, popping hotswap sockets is common. There's a reason they've posted a video on how to insert switches, why it's noted in the assembly card that comes with the board and is called out in the build guide. Or look at any other vendor's build guides and they all warn about popping hotswap sockets. It's not because of the quality of the products but because it is a very common mistake. So if I were a vendor and a customer came to me that a key wasn't working in a hotswap board, it's not crazy to think that the first place to start is asking if they inserted their switches properly.

To me this seems like nothing more than them starting with one of the most common problems with non-functioning keys on a hotswap board (improper switch installation) and then going from there. They're not blaming you out of the gate but are just going through the process of elimination with one of the most common causes for this issue. I own 4 NK87s and an NK65 and from multiple production versions and never had an issue with a hotswap socket not being properly sodered.

Sorry they're not the vendor for you because I really do like them. Best wishes on all your future builds and hopefully you don't have more customer support issues like this in the future!

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