Keysight officially lost the plot - don't buy if you're a hobbyist

[TwistedTransistor]

I bought a Keysight DSOX1204G oscilloscope for home use. I recently contacted Keysight support but they have point-blank refused to talk to me because I am not a company. This is their reply:

Dear ...,

Keysight products are designed, manufactured, and tested for professional and industrial use. They are not designed or tested for personal, domestic, or household use. While we thank you for your interest in our products and/or services, we are unable to provide you with technical support without a VAT ID or equivalent  proof of business license.

That's it. That's all I got. This is the most absurd thing I have ever heard. Of course, they're perfectly happy to take your money and sell you one, but then apparently you're on your own.

Well, guess which company I won't be going to when I need a new bit of test gear at work. I am pretty furious right now. Fuck Keysight.

So I'm putting this here as a warning to you. Just get the Siglent, Rigol or whatever. Avoid Keysight.

[xrunner]

I'm sorry to hear that. It's a shame that they would send you those words. This is absurd -

"While we thank you for your interest in our products and/or services ...'

You expressed your "interest" by spending your money, but they call it just being interested. It sounds like a canned response sent by a computer because your account doesn't have certain artifacts attached to it like the VAT. If you are a hobbyist, they should not have sold anything to you then if that's the way it is.

Something is very, very broken and I'm not sure how or why it's ended up like that.

 

[bateau020]

There has been a discussion about this a couple of times here:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/keysight-(lack-of)-calibration-other-services/msg3608261
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/a-broken-34470a-and-keysights-terrible-customer-service/msg3641887

[vk6zgo]

I'm sorry to hear that. It's a shame that they would send you those words. This is absurd -

"While we thank you for your interest in our products and/or services ...'

You expressed your "interest" by spending your money, but they call it just being interested. It sounds like a canned response sent by a computer because your account doesn't have certain artifacts attached to it like the VAT. If you are a hobbyist, they should not have sold anything to you then if that's the way it is.

Something is very, very broken and I'm not sure how or why it's ended up like that.

 

"Pencil-necked bean counters!"

[jpanhalt]

Those responses are concerning.  What about "Scope Month?"  Is that dead too? Or, will it be restricted only to businesses?  In any case, what a shame.

For those who have a product under warranty, you can demand service.

[BBBbbb]

I bought a Keysight DSOX1204G oscilloscope for home use. I recently contacted Keysight support but they have point-blank refused to talk to me because I am not a company. This is their reply:

Dear ...,

Keysight products are designed, manufactured, and tested for professional and industrial use. They are not designed or tested for personal, domestic, or household use. While we thank you for your interest in our products and/or services, we are unable to provide you with technical support without a VAT ID or equivalent  proof of business license.

That's it. That's all I got. This is the most absurd thing I have ever heard. Of course, they're perfectly happy to take your money and sell you one, but then apparently you're on your own.

Well, guess which company I won't be going to when I need a new bit of test gear at work. I am pretty furious right now. Fuck Keysight.

So I'm putting this here as a warning to you. Just get the Siglent, Rigol or whatever. Avoid Keysight.

Are there maybe some local consumer laws that you could invoke (make a formal complaint)?

This looks really messed up. If they want to offer only b2b support, they should only do b2b sales.

[0culus]

I think this is a Europe thing. Not the first time someone has run into this over there. FWIW, I've called Keysight twice here in the US as a regular person with absolutely no support contracts. Once was to get the calibration paperwork for an 8664A signal generator I bought, which had been through Agilent Calibration in 2013. They found the paperwork and emailed it to me. Second time was to inquire about getting a 478A thermistor mount calibrated. They were willing to do it, but I decided it was too spendy for me.

[PKTKS]

(..)
This looks really messed up. If they want to offer only b2b support, they should only do b2b sales.

TRUE here  and I expect to be true elsewhere..

If they are selling their gizmos for end user customers..

They are liable to the maximum extent of law to provide support and warranty

A recording of such denial should be enough to prosecute their
support negatives.. 

Wondering in such cases of warranty what they will do 

Tell them to fuck off next time you choose gear
Paul

[Tomorokoshi]

Ironically, they have a persistent advertising banner on this site. I guess that makes us all professionals, then?

[xrunner]

Ironically, they have a persistent advertising banner on this site. I guess that makes us all professionals, then?

Right, and they sell to regular schmucks on Ebay. They have an official store for used items. 

[TheSteve]

Ironically, they have a persistent advertising banner on this site. I guess that makes us all professionals, then?

Right, and they sell to regular schmucks on Ebay. They have an official store for used items. 

Check out the Keysight store ebay listings, they all start with this now "For professional and industrial use only. "

[nfmax]

But they didn't say that when I bought stuff from them!

[xrunner]

Check out the Keysight store ebay listings, they all start with this now "For professional and industrial use only. "

If I can remember I'll send a message (question) to the store and ask them if a home user/hobbyist can buy and get support for a purchase.

[mikeselectricstuff]

Ironically, they have a persistent advertising banner on this site. I guess that makes us all professionals, then?

Right, and they sell to regular schmucks on Ebay. They have an official store for used items. 

Check out the Keysight store ebay listings, they all start with this now "For professional and industrial use only. "

I'm not sure ebay allow such limitations.

This looks really messed up. If they want to offer only b2b support, they should only do b2b sales.

They claim to only sell through distributors that only sell to businesses. However this is clearly not the case. Some have it buried in the small print and don't enforce it, some don't.

[jonpaul]

Bonjour: We had no issue on support or service recently in USA on Keysight 34465A.

Expect same from all large firms in the future, except the Chinese.

It is a legal issues: The lawyers are afraid of liability lawsuits especially in USA and EU.



Kind Regards,



Jon

[Bud]

Liability lawsuits from Bob and Gill the Hobbyists ?

[Bud]

What type of buisinesses the EDUX series of Keysight equipment is for?  Clearly it is a consumer level product.

[Tomorokoshi]

What type of buisinesses the EDUX series of Keysight equipment is for?  Clearly it is a consumer level product.

I worked at a billion-dollar corporation that wouldn't let me buy a $3000 Keysight oscilloscope.

They bought 4 Rigols instead.

[jjoonathan]

If the little companies are willing to extend honest warranties while the big companies are not, I expect the little companies to become big and the big companies to die.

[ralphrmartin]

If they already sold you the unit, and it is not too old, take their reply to your local Trading Standards office and ask them to take it up for you.

Keysight may be be worried about liability and consumer law, but they will find that they cannot get away from the fact that in the recent past they have already sold units to consumers, and that they are legally obliged to support those customers - in the UK at least, for a reasonable length of time, not just the warranty period.

[dave j]

What type of buisinesses the EDUX series of Keysight equipment is for?  Clearly it is a consumer level product.

Getting students used to Keysight equipment so when they get jobs in industry they choose Keysight equipment.

[Bud]

Educational institutions are not businesses.

[xrunner]

OK I sent a question to their Ebay store just now -

http://www.ebaystores.com/keysight

Hello,

In your equipment listings it is stated -

"For professional and industrial use only"

There has been some discussion on electronics forums from users who have bought Keysight equipment for home use, that Keysight does not provide technical support to them because they are not a "business" but a home hobby user. Can you clarify whether this is true or false - that home hobbyist users who buy Keysight equipment (new or used) will not receive technical support? Are there any countries you sell to whose buyers would not receive technical support if they were a home or hobbyist user?

Thanks,

[graybeard]

This is piss poor marketing by Keysight. 

I spend ~$1K to $2K a year on my home lab.  However my company often purchases $200K to $20M in test equipment at a time for the systems I design and specify.

If you piss me off at home, I am likely not going to specify your test equipment where I work if there is a good alternative.  In most cases there usually is.

[Caliaxy]

What type of buisinesses the EDUX series of Keysight equipment is for?  Clearly it is a consumer level product.

I worked at a billion-dollar corporation that wouldn't let me buy a $3000 Keysight oscilloscope.

They bought 4 Rigols instead.

I worked for a billion-dollar corporation where somebody decided to reduce the expenses for the free salad offered at lunch.

Shortly after that, people waiting in line holding empty paper plates started estimating how many green leaves they would get if the people ahead of them in line would put less on their plates. Then some of them started sharing their results with their peers (and got other calculations reported back, and some practical advice). Then most of them started showing up for lunch earlier. Then a mass-email advised against this practice. Then some vigilantes stepped forward. The atmosphere was never the same.

They must have saved quite a few bucks, though, which might have made somebody in the financial department proud and might have improved a CV ("While working at YYY, cut the expenses with X.XX%"), making it more attractive when applying for a job at the next corporation in need to be fixed.

Long story short, that's why I'm not vegan.  

To bring it to the topic, I also own a Keysight or two. Or even more, if I count my Keysight-branded Rigol as a Keysight (story which might have behind something similar to the salad saga and the small customer support cuts discussed here).