UMAX Astra 6450 Scanner - upgraded to WidowsXP and stopped working - problem not yet resolved

Complaints.com received the following consumer message on September 12, 2002:

From:

RE: UMAX Astra 6450 Scanner - upgraded to WidowsXP and stopped working - problem not yet resolved

Based on my personal experience, UMAX is like a caricature of a bad customer service department. Their service is so bad, in my opinion, it's almost unbelievable.

Our UMAX Astra 6450 Scanner never worked that well, but when we upgraded to Windows XP, it stopped functioning entirely. Not only did they charge us $15 plus shipping for a CD-ROM of updated drivers (updated XP drivers are provided free by most other corporations), the drivers didn't work!

It's impossible to get ahold of anyone at customer service, and their email response is always the same: "Perhaps you should purchase our CD-ROM of updated drivers." (Yes, the same one we already purchased.)

Their customer service phone line requires holding for upwards of an hour and costs $25 per call. Their website is extremely difficult to navigate, and provides conflicting information about drivers and download availability.

I hope our experience is unique; it would truly be a tragedy if everyone had this much trouble with UMAX.

Here is one of the customer service people from whom we have received canned answers and conflicting information:

Vince Elizondo

UMAX Scanner Support

Email User

214-739-1915 - Technical support

214-739-7042 - Fax Number

Westin Glass

____________________________

H. Barker Architects

209 Gold Ave. SE

Albuquerque, NM 87102