Why MDG suck
If you live in Southern Ontario, especially Toronto, you must have heard of MDG -- at least in some subconscious part of your mind, you've registered the letters MDG. They take out full page ads in the dailies and weekend newspapers. You can't miss them. Bold letters scream out at you, the value that MDG delivers. I decided to bite yesterday -- and go for one of their machines, mine having died after 8 good years of service.
I never thought of myself as naive, but yesterday proved that I am. According to their ad, I can get their Vision 4000 D/2006 machine for $1077. It's a good deal when you read the spec.
Uodated: January 6, 2006.
I never thought of myself as naive, but yesterday proved that I am. According to their ad, I can get their Vision 4000 D/2006 machine for $1077. It's a good deal when you read the spec.
- INTEL PENTIUM 4 PROCESSOR 3.6 GHZ WITH HT TECHNOLOGY
FREE UPGRADE TO NEW INTEL DUAL CORE PROCESSOR ($200 VALUE!!!) - GENUINE MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP HOME
FREE UPGRADE TO XP-PRO MEDIA CENTER EDITION 2005 - Genuine Intel Motherboard, Two DDR SDRAM DIMM sockets, DDR 400 MHz and DDR 333 MHz DIMMs, up to 2 GB of system memory. AwardBIOS for Intel resident in the 4Mbit FWH, Intel High Definition Audio subsystem, Realtek ALC861 audio codec, Eight USB 2.0 ports, Four Serial ATA interfaces, Two parallel ATA IDE interfaces with UDMA 33, ATA-66/100 support. Guaranteed support for the latest hardware and software.
- 1GB KINGSTON DDR MEMORY -- FREE UPGRADE TO 2GB!
- 250GB WESTERN DIGITAL 7200 RPM HARD DRIVE -- FREE UPGRADE TO 500GB
- High Speed DVD Burner -- Make you own movies
- FREE Canon Multifunction Printer-Copier-Scanner
- 17" LCD MONITOR -- FREE UPGRADE TO 19" LCD FLAT PANEL MONITOR, 1280X1024 SXGA
- ATI RADEON X300 256MB PCI EXPRESS
- 5.1 HIGH DEFINITION 3D PROFESSIONAL AUDIO
- GENUINE MICROSOFT WIRELESS KEYBOARD & WIRELESS MOUSE
- COREL WORDPERFECT OFFICE X3 (Open, edit and create Microsoft Office Documents and Spreadsheets. Create stunning multimedia slideshows and presentations. Includes Address Book and Oxford Dictionary)
- MICROSOFT SOFTWARE BUNDLE (WORD, MONEY, ENCARTA ...)
Sales Guy: You have a choice. You can get the 2GB of RAM upgrade on 4 512MB DIMMs at 266 MHz or you can get 1GB on 2 512 DIMMs at 400MHz. You can also get the 500GB disk upgrade on 2 IDE drives, or you can get 250GB on a single SATA drive.So I fell for it. It was a lie. MDG just outright advertised a machine with upgrades they weren't giving. At the worst, this is false advertising. At the best, it's misleading. I've heard lots of bad feedback from MDG -- but only about their service. I suppose I should have expected a slow, integrated machine for the price they were advertising at. It looks like MDG goes around buying up old stock and selling old machines. They must make a killing, buying outdated stock on the cheap, and passing it on to consumers. My advice -- stay away from MDG. They're lairs. Just check out their ads for proof.
Me: (Thinking WTF ...) I want the machine advertised. So I want the larger drive and the 2GB of RAM. Anyway, how can you offer me 2GB on 4 512 DIMMs when the motherboard specs say there is only two DIMM sockets?
SG: That's (the ad) wrong. Don't worry about that.
Me: Wait a minute. If I take the 2GB or RAM, will I have a motherboard that supports the faster RAM, as advertised? Because I may want to upgrade the RAM later.
SG: No. The motherboard you'll get won't support the faster RAM.
Me: Oh.
SG: But if you take the 1GB of RAM, you will get the faster motherboard, and you'll get a PCI-X slot.
Me: I know I'm getting a PCI-X slot. The ad says I get an ATI PCI-X card.
SG: No. There is no ATI card. The ATI chipset is on the motherboard.
Me: Oh.
SG: So if you take the 1GB RAM and faster motherboard, you'll get a PCI-X slot. If you take the 2GB RAM, you won't get a PCI-X slot.
Me: (At this point, I realized that if I want the upgrade, I'll have to settle for an older motherboard, that wouldn't support the latest hardware as they guaranteed.) Is that RAM on the video card shared?
SG: Of course. All the memory is shared.
Me: No. There is no ATI card is there? And I'm not really getting 1GB or 2GB of RAM. 256 has to go to the video card.
SG: (At this point is visibly frustrated. I'm asking too many questions, and I actually know what I'm talking about.) Yes, the RAM is shared with the video card.
Me: Well, if you look at the ad, you're led to believe that the videocard is not integrated.
SG: (He's now distracted with another clerk. They both speak some Eastern European words before he gets back to me.)
Me: I'm not interested in a computer that you didn't advertise.
SG: (As I don't look like I'm going to buy, he gets up, says OK, and walks away, leaving me sitting at his desk. So I left.)
Uodated: January 6, 2006.
- I got an email back in December from another experienced, almost-MDG customer by the name of Harry. Here it is quoted.
I just read your comments on MDG and have to give you a bit of my expericence with them.
First let me tell you who and what I am. I am a A+ Certified computer technician. I fix computers for a living and I know what to do with them. Well here is what I have come accross.
MDG computer sold as a Dual-Core Pentium IV was actually a Centerino mobile Dual-Core. Luckily the paper work / reciepts where bad enough that the client got the chip replaced (Specifically the details of the chip bought was obfuscated from the purchase agreement to the delivery receipt)
MDG has tig welded boxes closed. -- I've seen this myself. You want it fixed you goto MDG is the logic here apprently.
MDG as policy GLUES CPUs to MoBos. They would rather replace the mobo/CPU then allow you to upgrade outside of MDG.
No less then 3 clients have reported that when they took their boxes to be fixed at MDG they where returned with the Ram either GONE or replaced with 256MB Sticks.
I tell people who think about MDG to Run, they are crooks and dishonest. Who takes a computer to a technician and removes the Memory first. (What MDG Techs claimed in one case)
I have never heard any good reviews by any knowledgable friends and co-workers, that knew of someone who has purchased a computer from MDG. The only people who says anything good probably work for MDG, or people who are totally clueless about the computer they just bought from these rip-off artists. About being voted the best computer retailer in the GTA; it must be these idots who go scammed but don't know it!
ReplyDeleteAt one time, MDG was a decent system builder. At the old Shorting location, you'd walk in, tell them the parts you wanted, and they'd build it. If there was a problem, they'd fix it. The anology I was thinking of for the change was a caterer vs a buffet restaurant. A caterer makes whatever meal you like, though it might cost a little more to get stuff specially made. A buffet has what they have, and if you don't like it, you have to choose another place to get your meal. At least with a buffet, though, if there's a fly in your soup, they'll take it back, not charge you for a full meal just to get another bowl.
ReplyDeleteMDG is a scam.. that is all I can say that is kid-friendly
ReplyDeleteMDG are FUCKEN CROOK'S. I dont know how in the hell they stay in business or even are not arrested for false advertising and they win some business awards.
ReplyDeleteALL I GOTTA SAY IS ANYONE THAT WORKS FOR MDG I HOPE YOU AND YOUR WHOLE FAMILY DIES.
Im sorry for being so rude but when you work for MDG your working for the devil and anyone in your family must support MDG.
DEATH 2 MDG
DEATH 2 MDG
DEATH 2 MDG
I dont give a shit that your pc works. It only works cause they have modified it to work not 100% more like 50%. You would not believe the people i encounter who bring there piece of shit machine to my store and say can you fix it? I tell them FUCK YOU never come back here i will not touch a MDG PC.
Last thing i need from these people is them complaining to me 2 months or whatever time there pc breaks and blaming me cause there too stupid to buy a MDG pc.
I dont care what people say oh they were good from the beginning. They wever never good they would sell you parts that are old or refurbished and sell them as BRAND NEW.
MDG you fucken piece of shit BURN IN HELL AND DIE.
I once caught an MDG scam while reading one of their ads.
ReplyDeleteIt advertised the video as an ATI X300 PCIE. Then it said "free upgrade to Intel GMA 900".
Upgrade my ass.
even when you look at MDG in the shopping channel. the fat guy looks like a crook..
ReplyDeletethe indian guy with the shitty turban is scaming me.. He treats me like I am stupid and ignorant..I worked with intel you bastard you bastard guy..
i think i have the worst mdg story ever.. i purchased my laptop late 2006, it was my fault for not reading the fine print but the purchase price was $1600 with $3200 financing charges. it started out badly from the get go. the xp pro o/s i was quoted became media center edition 2002, microsoft works 2006 became the 2002 version. the only backup i received were the o/s disks and works, no drivers, nothing for cyberlink dvd. in early 2007 i threw a party and someone thought the notebook would like a beer. $600 dollars later it was returned with a new motherboard, keyboard and dvd burner. my processor suddenly changed from a pentium@2.6ghz to a celeron@1.6, my dvd burner went from 16x to 8x. it also had no drivers, the reponse i received to that was to download them from their website, rather difficult to do with no modem or wireless drivers, lucky i have a pc and flash drives. after everything was installed i started be harassed by the blue screen of death and random shutdowns, i called their 24/7 free tech support and was told by the tech that he was not knowledgeable enough to fix the issue and that a manager would call me within 24 hours. 4 days later i finally got the call and was told it wasn't their fault, it was 3rd party software causing the problem. he couldn't seem to grasp the fact that i was unable to download any software at all, he had me reformat and once again we return to the issue with the drivers. i have reformatted 6 times in the last 6 months and that doesn't include the times that it decides to delete a system file and i have to reinstall the o/s. i finally got completely fed up and send a registered notarized letter to them and my bank stating that they were no longer authorized to remove payments due their lack of fulfilling their side of the contract, i also provided them with my lawyers info (by the way of the $59 i was paying monthly $55 was going to interest). mdg responded with a string of harsh emails even calling me a stupid bitch in one very special message. mdg's other response to my stop payments was to change the billing date and the amount skirting the bank's filters. i now have no chequing account and my bank is suing them for fraud. that is my long, horrible mdg story!
ReplyDeleteMy son bought an MDG system, and was ripped off right from the get go.. Microsoft bundle was to be included, but when we got to the store to pick it up the box was sealed and our sales rep was nowhere to be found. Quoting assistant manager, "Everything that comes with the system is included in the box, if anything is wrong, please call me and we will make it right!" When we got home there was no software at all in the box, no mouse and the wrong monitor. We returned to the store to complain about the short order only to be called thieves and liers! Not only that MDG made a short stay in the Calgary market, as they cut and ran after a whole 6months in business. My son used some of his student loan to get this system, and swears it was the worst mistake he has ever made. Thankfully he did not fall for their financing scam..
ReplyDeleteBeware the Thieves of MDG, they lie and cheat and refuse to honor the adds posted.
Goddamn those MDG fuckers to hell. I hate those outright criminals SO much. I cannot believe I was stupid enough to buy from those assholes. I would have been better off buying out of the back of a van. Fuck them and fuck me.
ReplyDeleteI have the same HORRIBLE FINANCING story...But first we will talk about the service Story...
ReplyDeleteI called about the Add on TV (I was 18 and stupid) I get service right away,from someone I don't even Understand...I tell him what Computer I am interested in, he asks for my information...after spelling everything 15 times to him, we I get approved for 4000$. He asks me If I need an LCD TV...I tell him I am not interested..He continues to try to push the TV..He says "You are approved for 4000$ You should buy more...Finaly I set him straight and tell him To stop trying to push the sale on me I only want the computer and that's it...thank god for that!!
He then reads some script in front of him at light speed...I once again do not understand a word...But Figure I'll read the paperwork when It gets here..Let's just say When they advertise...only 52$ a month....DON'T YOU F%$#ING BELEIVE THEM!!!!!!!!It is a COMPLETE SCAM>>>!!! It said nothing in My contract about how my payement would be calculated...Nor did it state ANYWHERE on my paperwork what my intrest was...I figured it was 52$ a month for 3 years,which gave them plenty of cash to be made off me.The payments are 52$ a month.
I was curious to see what My balance was...now 2 years later...MY BALANCE IS ABOUT 50.00$ LESS THAN MY PURCHASE PRICE!!!! Basicly it's 52$ a month and 2 of those dollars goes towards my balance...AND 50.00$ IS INTEREST!!!! SO I have basicly just thrown away 1200.00$ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!It is Absolutly Discusting how much I have paid for a complete piece of Garbage!!!!
They do not send you any statements because they do not want you to see how your payements are being processed....If ANYONE knows of a way to get around this please feel free to Let me know!!! I would love to find a backdoor solution to this absolut discusting service!
My best Advice is to NEVER NEVER NEVER purchase ANYTHING from MDG.
EVER!!
can anyone tell me where i can download drivers for free for my MDG vision notebook...i too got scammed but have put a new windows XP into it but now i need drivers...where do i go? Thanku, i am desperate!My email dorimacdonald@yahoo.ca
ReplyDeleteI remember when I interviewed at MDG for a marketing job a while back. The HR rep said that the position was open because the previous person didn't work out. Then some other person who I subsequently interviewed with said that the previous TWO people didn't work out in that position. You can imagine how much I wanted to work for them after this, especially with their meagre comp package.
ReplyDeleteThe owner is this super-smug Serbian guy who supposedly started out building white boxes in his computer, and has a big picture of the Virgin Mary and Jesus in his office. He should've maybe followed the principles espoused by Jesus just a bit more, or at least stayed in his apartment too. The used car salesman attitude pervades everything I've ever seen from them on the inside and outside. Any number of smaller chains can build a better quality white box PC that you can upgrade yourself. My advice is to stay as far away as possible.
Recently I too fell for MDG's advertisement strategy. But, I knew what I was getting. I figured hey...it SHOULD be okay. Boy, was I wrong.
ReplyDeleteThe computer showed up DOA. So, called MDG's laughably called customer service. I then ask for tech support, and get this kid who it turns out hasn't a clue. his entire troubleshooting steps as follows...
1.) unplug the monitor power supply.
2.) disconnect the monitor from the tower.
3.) disconnect the tower power supply.
4.) reconnect all cables.
5.) power on system....(system still doesn't work)
6.) system is DOA, return for repair...told this will takes 6-8 weeks.
I said 6-8 weeks? On a pre-fab system that's supposed to be brand new? I'm told this happens alot, the systems show up DOA due to "shipping issues"...meaning, they're claiming their computers are dropped regularly by the shipping company. Honestly, I find this VERY hard to believe. Sure, the shipping companies might be a bit rough, but if an item is packaged properly it shouldn't be an issue. Sounded like a cop-out to me, and I told him so. At this point he transferred me to someone in finance (why, I have no clue) and this girl proceeded to be EXTREMELY ignorant to me. Then, she transferred me right back to the agent and he hung up on me immediately.
So, I think about this for a day, then call back to take advantage of the return policy. I reach an agent, and explain the issues to him and tell him I'd like to opt out, return the system. And, I am flat out told..."you're stuck with the computer, deal with it" (actual wording). I explain to the fellow that the computer showed up DOA, and I was being told 6-8 weeks for repair. He then tells me they're under no obligation to repair OR replace a defective system. If I want my system repaired, I should stop causing problems (again, actual wording). I said causing problems? This is basic customer service. At that point he called me a rude name I won't post here and hung up on me.
So, after a couple of days of arguing with them on the phone and finally threatening legal action, they agreed to honour their return policy...for a $110 fee. I figure fine, paying $110 to get these wingnuts out of my life is a small price to pay. I have e-mails stating the contract is cancelled, the financing is cancelled, I won't pay anything or hear from them ever again. Yeah, right.
On 1 Apr. 2010, the finance company attempted to take the entire purchase price (approx. $4200) out of my bank account. This is almost a month after the sale had been cancelled, the computer was returned and received by MDG. So, they're trying to make me pay for a DOA system I don't even have anymore. Luckily, I had put a stop payment on the finance company's name, so while it was taken out, it was immediately returned to my account. It's going to be interesting to see what idiocy they try next.
Bottom line about MDG....
1.) poor customer service
2.) poor technical support...virtually non-existent
3.) extremely difficult to deal with when you need something done
4.) expert scammers...as you see above, they're still trying to get money they're not owed
My advice is to avoid them at all costs. Thieves and scammers to the ninth degree.
As I don't like being anonymous, but don't want to create a google account, my name is C. Randall, of North Bay, Ontario.
I have had the misfortune of owning an MDG media centre edition pc also. I have had to re-format and re-install the o/s with the discs that came with the pc..only to discover that there were NO drivers for the video card or audio system or ethernet adapter. I finally was able to re-connect to the internet after going to wal-mart and purchasing another pci adapter and installing it myself. I still cannot find the correct drivers for my video card ( so now I cannot watch movies on my computer and the 3D processor does not work anymore) I am eternally frustrated by this piece of shit PC and would NEVER buy one again...I suppose my mother was right when she told me "you get what you pay for"...at least in this case. Fraudsters...theives
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