My Dealings With Hypersonic (for what it's worth...) - Page 2

Well I get my laptop hopefully tomorrow. My experience with Hypersonic has been fairly negative as well. And unless my laptop magically outperforms all other laptops with the same hardware I have nothing else to believe other than poor management and intentional misleading. The only real reason why I stuck with Hypersonic over PCTorque was due to them selling laptops with the FX7 which I could have more than likely done on my own. Im sorry there isnt any reason why a simple "To Be annouced" or we "dont know when it will ship" could not have been posted just as well as a "make believe" ship date.

And for those who think im being overly negative...its because my experience was overly negative. Im just telling things how they are. And honestly Hypersonic should take these things to heart considering they are not the only company selling these types of laptops. The only thing that seperates one company from another when the hardware is so similar is the Customer Service.

This is actually the first time in my life that I have been irritated enough to actually point a business' shortcomings out...which means it really needs to be addressed. And to top it all off...knowing how long I have waited for my order to ship they did me the very last honor of shipping my order via UPS ground instead of 1 day air as was on my order.

Its difficult for me to recommend anyone buy a laptop from Hypersonic. Im not saying Hypersonic is a bad company or that they intentionally mislead every customer but simple things that most people expect are casually neglected such as:

1. notification of a change in ship dates (Probably something the customer wants to know!!),

2. explanation of change in ship date (considering the amount of money we spend on the product its highly likely we want to know what the heck is going on),

3. changing ship date on the day the product is suppose to ship (If you DO NOT think the product is going to ship DO NOT wait until after the ship date to change it).

And before some of you posters get all defensive about Hypersonic and give me BS about "everyone expects to wait" this thread is about dealings with Hypersonic...and thats all im doing...giving my dealings. If you cant handle the reality for some customers go post another thread!

All in all considering my original order was in October and its now the end of January I need not say anymore about it. Some credit is due to Hypersonic as I did change my order several times...however only after every move of the ship date! Im almost afraid my laptop will not function properly and ill have to send it back only to get told false ship dates for another couple of months. I only bitch and wine about my experiences because the only way Hypersonic is going to improve is by getting the negative as well as positive feedback from customers. Things I like about Hypersonic are:

1. I dont have to buy hard drives, memory, or a preinstalled OS with my lappy (a computer enthusiat's dream) .

2. The FX7 is an option to buy

3. improved TV tuner

4. higher bandwidth (Super G) network card

5. Military discount

6. High resolution DVI out 1920x1200 (not so much a credit to Hypersonic but ill add it anyway)


Im not going to let Hypersonic's customer relations affect my review of the hardware and performance...it will get a fair and unbiased review in time.

Go to Resellerratings.com

Make sure you go to resellerratings.com and let others know the score. You don't have to blast 'em, just go through the survey honestly. You'll be getting things off your chest AND helping others who may go down the same road--or at least know what the real risks are.

Good luck with your new laptop. Hopefully, you'll have a better experience than I did. Hard not to.

From a previous post of yours: "Hex we have about the same system except I am getting custom graphics on top of the cham paint. I am not getting raid but just two 7200 rpm 100 gig drives, Windows MCE 2005, no TV tuner."

If you changed your paint type then that is another difference, I still have the heat sensitive chameleon on order and I was unaware of the other type.

I couldn't agree more. I was never notified about changes in shipping dates unless I called them. Explanations for changes in shipping dates were vague, as in "We're still waiting on a couple parts to arrive..." but they were never more specific than that. There were a couple times when the shipping date passed and it was not change. It only changed after I called Hypersonic to find out the status of my order. Lol, it's almost as if they stopped worrying about updating their customers' order status because they relied on customers calling them up to remind them.

First and foremost, do not think that I am trying to invalidate your comments, or those from others who have posted previously, because your comments are based off your personal experience. Some have been lucky not to experience them, while others have not been so lucky. And posting of your experience, both good and bad, shows a fair perspective of the company. I have always stated that that is quite acceptable and would not "beat anyone up" for doing this. I wanted to preface my comments with that as I am one of the "defensive customers."

However, one point that I do want to make for the casual readers of this thread (who do not know the history) is truly important. Even though Hypersonic opt'd to go with the pre-orders for the FX7 (as other companies had done with their models), the actual building and shipping of the systems were greatly delayed by external factors - namely Clevo not having the system ready. The systems were released in mid/late December (around the 20th) and I am not sure what pre-work could have been done (other than paint jobs) so that the companies could get them out.

I make this point because there are a lot of comments made concerning ordering a system in October and not getting until January. Some casual readers may not know this and it needed to be said. There is atleast one experience I have read about someone who had ordered a system back in September and hadn't received it that is unrelated, but I also expect to be an isolated matter.

That said and to be completely fair, there were probably better ways to communicate the shipping delays or so to the customers. I have had a couple cases of reaching the shipping date and not be informed until later - so I don't doubt this happens. My assumption is that with all of the comments and discussions in the forums here, with the great assistance of Pat in the forums and some of my discussions with those at Hypersonic, that stuff like this is being looked at.

The other thing is that everyone (businesses and consumers) really need to think before jumping into pre-orders. I know there are companies out there that have decided not to go that route for reasons developed by past experiences. I am sure there are going to be companies making this decision after this whole fiascal. It really was a messy release across the board (all vendors).

I think my soapbox is getting worn out and very few of you came to see a long ranting. I wish you luck on your system and look forward to reading your review.

I kind of want to second ratmyr's comments. The delays were clevo's fault. They weren't getting the systems out when they said they would.

Every reseller of the d900k had to deal with this... Sager, Rock Direct, Alienware, etc. And some resellers flat out lied about availability (windowpc and rock direct come to mind).

Now I realize that this is a monumental pain, especially when you commit around $4k, but there are much worse things. Namely, a company that doesn't support their product well after you recieve it. Fortunately, my dealings with hypersonic, in that respect, were very positive.

ratmyr, where did it say "pre-order"? It did not. Now one can argue a person should be informed enough to realize this is what the October FX7 orders where, but they did not explicity state it as such. Their site said it would take so long due to the custom paint and the hds, no mention of waiting for the clevo mobo/chassis/etc. They complaints about the communication/order process are valid. You cannot deny it. I will support Hyper where they do a good job and will give constructive critiscm (fooking bad spelling) where they need improvement just as I do with Alienware. Hell, I am sure even Pat can see some of the areas needing improvement even though he cannot say so here.

I always felt that hypersonic (and virtually every other clevo reseller) wants their customers to think that they make their machines from the ground up- mostly because they don't make it clear that they are simply a clevo reseller.
Maybe that accounts for why so little info was divulged regarding the FX7. I can imagine they want to avoid telling their customers that clevo, the company that actually makes this machine, is having delays. I think, in this case, hypersonic was trying to maintain that image and it backfired a little because they had to take the delays on the chin.

On the ordering of systems, there is a floating window to the side (left side). During the pre-order phase, there was blue text that was either above or below the expecting shipping dates that mentioned it was pre-order. It still gave a normal estimated date for shipping. I am not sure of any other areas, but I am sure in this area as I spent a lot of time pricing the FX7, EX7 and the CX7 during this time period. I understand that this is one of those situations that you just have to believe or not someone, but it was there. I tried to pull it up on the Internet Wayback Machine, but there is no records of Hypersonic beyond Feb of 05.

Also, don't misunderstand me as it relates to the communications. In the fourth paragraph (after explaining the deal on the pre-order), I stated that "there were probably better ways to communicate the shipping delays or so to the customers." I may have an issue with "sugar coating" and "rose coloured glasses," in the way I state things, but in the end, I am agreeing there are issues. I have had the same issues with delivery dates myself. That is why I started the paragraph off with "to be completely fair." Definitely not arguing this point - I am supporting the case.

After it became clear that delays were inevitable, Hypersonic did change their website to reflect the pre-order status. However, in the beginning this was not present. They were claiming that the FX7 was available. While I've had a good experience with Hypersonic in the past and wanted to buy from them again due to their paint options and willingness to sell "barebones" system, their preorder trickery and unacceptable communication led me to buy from PCTorque this time. PCTorque may not have the bells and whistles that I was looking for (pretty much just the paint), but I respect their stance of refusing to sell the 9750 until Clevo began shipping them, and they are always very up front with customers as to why there are delays. I'm sure Hypersonic, Alienware, and other resellers hooked some people due to their preorder scams, but for what it's worth, they lost my $4k.

That could be the case Blowfish64. I wasn't looking to purchase until around late Oct as I was still holding out hope for my EX7. I know that Hypersonic had the FX7 stuff up on their site by the end of September. So it could be that what I saw was the later case. I had been searching through NBF and other sites to make sure I am not misleading folks and found a couple threads in NBF that someone stated they saw the preorder, but it all depends on when it was shown. Thanks for pointing that out.

I had a talk with a friend of mine concerning this issue, and as I stated above, this preorder business gave a lot of black eyes. If I was a reseller, it would be something that I would have to weigh out the benefits and risks associated.

I would still have done a pre-order and actually wish it was stated as such. I am happy I went with Hyper, but part of my INITIAL reason was they had the AMD X2 and 7800 GTX combo available to order where Alienware did not even have any information they were going to offer it. I have a big beef with AW for not letting customers know they were going to release this system in a certain time frame even if not allowing immediate pre-order. I value my paint job very highly and would rather have it then the AW case. The customer support between the two companies is equal for after support. From MY experience. AW far surpases Hyper in terms of giving information relevent to build/shipment (keep in mind I am an ALX AW customer and seem to get pretty good care). Alison from Hyper found a way to turn my frown upside down but I think Hyper has much room for improvement to prevent this situation for arising in the first place.

Hyper, you should be keenly aware that the only edge you really have over AW at this point is you paint and customization options. They are way bigger. If you want to make inroads (which I am helping by referring people to you) you NEED to improve the communication in terms of the ordering/build/shipping process.

I think another thing that needs to be worked on is the friendliness and willingness to help over the phone. I'm new to this forum and to being a notebook owner, but I've been browsing through and ended up going with Hypersonic because of the customization features and that it's less expensive than Voodoo or Alienware (if I didn't get the paint job). But everytime I spoke to someone on the phone over at Hypersonic, they sounded very rude and sounded like they just wanted to get off the phone as soon as possible. Is that just with me?

Anyways, my laptop is scheduled for delivery Feb. 14th, but we'll see if there are any delays. Hopefully everything goes great and I will soon be the proud owner of a big purple laptop (Aviator FX7).

And to those that got the customized text, how did you get exactly what you wanted on there?

Hmmm, I could have sworn I remember they originally didn't have "pre-order" listed. Thought I remember a thread on these forums that showed before and after pics of it too, but can't find it at all now. Maybe my memory is playing tricks on me. Anyone else remember?

Regardless, what aggravated me just as much was the way they jumped the gun and gave an initial ship estimate that turned out to be months off the mark. In all honesty, that probably is a good business decision, since it commits people to buying earlier and once the dust settles, everyone's probably happy enough with their new system to forget about the wait, but for me that's a huge strike against a company in my book. Aside from their inflated prices, it's also one reason I don't buy from Alienware. Obviously neither company is hurting for my business right now, but when the trust is gone, buying from someone else over this is my way of voting with my wallet.

all this critisism is down to one thing , lack of comunication. if there was a company out there ,and im not only talking hypersonic here , that would just be honest to people about shipping dates , why there system is delayed and atleast spend more time in customer care then they would out sell the lot of them . anyone buying these machines and has done there research with google would have already know that there just rebadged clevo units , theres certainly no big secret there , so why are these companys makeing up storys when the clear answer is our supplyer is unreliable and it is beyond our control , all these resellers are doing every time they make up an excuse is insulting our intligence , most people with a iq higher then a coffee mug can see right through that and it only infuriates the customer more,most critisism (believe me ive been trolling quite a few forums) towards these companys is simply based on being told intentional lies . i just wish a company would be honest with clients and display customer care , and get half a clue into figureing out thats its fast responsive comunication , good customer care and relability that sell units and not petty sale routines that you would expect from a dodgie used car salemen.

When I ordered my ALX thru Alienware there were completely honest with me about what was going on. I ordered the sysem in Nov and did not get it until Jan. I changed my specs. Hell, they actually RELEASED a new line earlier so I could order it(AMD ALX) because of my asking my salesperson. I had an order for and ALX Intel system with instructions to hold the build until they had dual Xeon s ready. They were completely honest saying they were not sure when that would be. I asked if they were going to have AMD based versions out. They said yes and decided to release it once they knew I and others where ready to order. They were completely upfront about how long it would take and kept me updated (their phase system works well in that regard, but with the ALX, you have your own rep who also calls you and emails you).

Hyper should move in this direction.

congratulation darth , yours is one of the few cercumstances where ive heard that one of these companys has been upfront. i simply would not care if my system was late , provideing they just told the truth . correct me if im wrong here guys but when you finally have saved up enough cash , done weeks of research, shopped around and spent alot of time and effort into finding what you want and adventually go through with it , that unit (maybe its just me) becomes the epicentre of your life you count down the days hours and evan minutes , watching your shipping like a man/or women posessed the way you used to when you were a young kid waiting for santa claus . the very last thing you need is for someone to continually lie to you makeing up excuses , why your unit is not ready . all you need to do simply is when a customer rings up or emails you ,tell them straight , weve had a dificulty from our supplyer because of large world wide demands, or we are currently experianceing larger then normal demands for this particular part and hence we have unfortunetly moved your shipping back . and at the end of the day if its gonig to be longer then usual you give them all that and a door prize evan something simple like 50 dollars off your next upgarde or free shipping to continental us. i only know this because we use these same tactics in hospitality (i used to be a chef/manager) to keep the customer comeing back for months or evan years to come. altimately what these companys are missing is most of these people that are visiting these forums and buying these units , are lifers , that is people who will probably continue to buy high end machines through out the rest of there lives , and its us that will be passing down reputation to potentialy new up and comeing "lifers", lets not kid ourselves people these forums and others are probably going to be here for quite a substanial time , and if these companys are going to continually treat the customerr bad it can only end in 2 potenetial out comes , either get with the times and fix what is brocken , or continue on your path to bad reputation low sales and adventually financial ruin. if they were smart they would pickthe first option, its only a matter of time before more companys open up that have better service and its to them that there sales are going to be going to with now one to blame but themselves.

So as being a Chef

Would you have served your food even though it wasnt ready to a customer demanding it that second?

Read what you want about a company's online "estimated" time of delivery. I dont. I know takes time to make these machines and I for one never called or demanded it be delivered on the stated date. In fact Hype contacted me to say there was a paint problem. A smear which they corrected and delayed the shipment by a few more days. I have a life and can wait.

Its like did your mom complain when you weren't born on the day and time her doctor said? No its all estimated heck you cant even put money on when you die either.

How many times has anyone here asked for an extension to a term paper???

Or how many times have you had an overdue book to the llibrary?

Or how many times have you been late for work??

Just enjoy the machine when you get it.

Bad analogy. She left me on the doorstep of a dwarf monestary in Vietnam.

um term paper never ,late books or late dvds never , late 2 times to work in the last 10 years both due to death in the family .

and as for serveing food to a demanding customer evan when it wasnt ready well no i wouldnt have but then again i would not have told that customer that the hot plate was out of gas which was the reason i couldnt serve you your food either (a problem that has never happened in 12 years and should never happen)

lol darth , i never new they had vertically challenged monestarys.man i have to ask this , but ahh the dwarf thing , are you really that short?