Let me start this rant with a simple fact: I have loved these mice for years. I’ve had these mice for years. I have sold and recommended these mice for years. They are durable, tough and last for years. In the last 20+ years I’ve personally owned three of them. For the most part they still work in some fashion but I’ve replaced them for whatever personal reason I had.
Kensington customer service is about on par with Xfinity/Comcast however and the real reason I’m not buying another Kensington product.
My last purchase of a Kensington mouse was actually not a personal purchase. I was given a replacement as a gift. It is this mouse I will be talking about in this post. It was given to me either in December or January, I don’t completely remember.
As usual, the product is fantastic. But this past week I’ve run into a strange and annoying problem. If I suddenly, say like right now, jump up from my computer and go do something else for a few minutes then come back, the mouse pointer won’t move when I go to use it. The buttons still work and I can still scroll on whatever page I’m currently on, I just cannot move the mouse pointer. Unplugging it from the USB port and plugging it back in fixes this. Until I go and let it sit unused for a random amount of time.
Now as someone who lives with a top tier tech and am pretty techy myself, I’ve made sure other things like the USB port, are not what is causing this, but since the only thing that “goes to sleep” is the led inside the mouse that tracks the ball, it’s not anything on my computer that is causing it. Hubby also had this problem with the mouse when I asked him to test it out. So we have determined it is the mouse.
I contacted Kensington support online yesterday after seeing if I could fix the problem on my own. After reading a Reddit thread about this very problem, I determined there was no easy fix but a replacement. Since it is under warranty I reached out to Kensington.
Vishnu is your typical chat tech. Had me do a few things I’ve already done as they probably have that check-list to go through. He sends me a link to download a program that will update the firmware on the mouse that came out in February. I run it and at first it told me that the firmware isn’t for my mouse. Even though the page I downloaded it from is for my mouse. I inform Vishnu of this and then tell him it finally went through.
But now the mouse pointer doesn’t work. Buttons and scrolling still works, but the pointer itself isn’t moving. I did the unplug and plug back in, but this time that doesn’t fix the problem. My mouse is bricked. I inform Vishnu of this and ask if there was an older version of the firmware I could run to at least get it back to working after I unplug and plug it back in.
But I guess Vishnu ditched me after he found out he broke my mouse as now I have someone called Chityala asking for the purchase receipt from Amazon. Which confuses me as I already informed Vishnu it was a gift and I’d have to wait for the person who bought it to send me a copy.
I ask if there is an email address I can send the receipt to once I get it, which they really do NOT want to give me. I then ask when I can expect the replacement since I’ll be leaving on Sunday to go out of the country for 3-6 months. I’m told by ‘Agent’ that it will be 10-14 business days. I asked if there was anyway to get that faster as I need a mouse and their firmware has now bricked mine.
And for those who are uncertain what bricking something means, basically it is to make something as useful as a brick. Since the pointer no longer works no matter what I do, the mouse is basically an $100 paper-weight. Usually used in terms of modding things like game systems so they will play downloaded games, if you mod it incorrectly you could break the system so it doesn’t even work as it is suppose to work.
That answer is no. I ask to speak to a supervisor and they tell me they’ll have one call me. And that was it for the chat tech. So I actually went and called Kensington Tech support and went over with them of what happened, did a couple of things with the phone tech I already did with the chat tech including redoing the firmware update because “I probably did it wrong”. So we do that again, restart my computer and it is still broken. I ask to speak to a supervisor as I get the same 10-14 business days quoted to me. After a brief wait, I get a supervisor who informs me they have no option to send anything faster with FedEx Ground.
I know you’ve worked with FedEx Ground at some point in your life as I have. We both know there is an option for 1-2 day delivery.
I said that they broke my mouse so that it’s completely unusable and I’ll be leaving the country on Sunday for a few months. Could they ship it to my place out of country? No. They ONLY ship to the US.
I am sitting stunned into silence. I was about to say something else when the supervisor asks me how old the mouse is. I tell him only a couple of months. He then tells me they have a 90-day return policy and he can send me a form to fill out to get my money back for the mouse.
I actually studder. “What?” At this point I am so surprised that they rather give me back my money and loose me as a loyal customer then find a way to ship a replacement to me before I leave. I even asked him “You rather loose my business?” and his only reply was to make sure they had the correct email address for me and they would send the form. Talk about sending a clear signal!
Like any relationship you have had for years, I am saddened that ours with Kensington has ended, but I am not going to support this type of behavior in customer service. They didn’t even seem to care that their tech killed my mouse and I was going to need a replacement before I left. Didn’t even care that I’ve used these mice for years, recommended these mice to many or always said good things.
None of that mattered to them, so the company no longer matters to me. This goes both ways Kensington.
I am now going to check out the company Elecom. And their ‘Elecom Huge Trackball Mouse‘ I found with great real reviews on Amazon last night while doing some research. Also found that Kensington isn’t highly rated any more as well, but wasn’t interested enough to find out why that may be (I may already know but let’s not assume). It only cost me a little more than half what the expert mouse cost me, but like I said, using Fakespot I managed to see that most of the reviews on the page were real. And even after polling some of my gamer friends on what they use, I like the trackballs and want to keep using them. Won’t get it until Saturday, but at least I will have something.
As you know, I like to rant about something and then move on with my life. So goodbye Kensington and hello Elecom.
Until next time, I am going to put my graphic design skills to work and make some printables to sell on Etsy. I will let you know when that’s going. And if you want to read my chat conversation with Kensington it’s below. Some details have been removed to protect myself. Mainly anything that I haven’t already shared with the world. Enjoy.
You9:51am
The pointer on my expert mouse keeps stopping if I don’t use it for a few minutes, but the buttons and scroll work just fine
vishnu9:52am
Thank you for contacting Kensington Technical Support.
I will help you with that.
Could you help me with your full name and email address/ID to create a record of this conversation?
you9:53am
Sure! Name is blah blah blah
vishnu9:53am
Please help me with the exact part number of the product, which starts with ‘K’ and is followed by a five-digit number i.e;(64325) along with the serial number of your product in order to assist you better.
you9:54am
k64325
vishnu9:55am
Clean the housing of the Trackball using an air blower.
you9:55am
It’s clean
you9:56am
This seems to be a known problem. Apparently a bad batch where the pointer stops when you don’t use it for a few minutes but the buttons and track wheel still works. Usually unplugging it and plugging it back in fixes the issue.
vishnu10:00am
Have you tried connectig to a different USB port?
you10:00am
Yes
vishnu10:01am
Lastly could you connect the trackball to a differet laptop and check if the issue still persists?
you10:02am
It’ll be a couple of minutes but sure
vishnu10:05am
Sure,please go ahead.
you10:07am
Yeah it’s doing the same thing on hubby’s laptop as well
vishnu10:08am
When did make the purchase?
Sorry for the typo you*
you10:08am
I believe December. It’s fairly new, I’d have to check Amazon and I think it was a gift
vishnu10:09am
Could you please share the purchase receipt.
you10:10am
As soon as I find it. What exactly do you need? Would a copy of the email stating the purchase from Amazon be good enough, or do you need a screenshot of the order off Amazon?
vishnu10:10am
We need the purchase invoice.
Please share the serial number of the trackball.
It is an alphanumeric code like A2326B009876.
vishnu10:13am
Are you still with me? I haven’t heard from you in a while. I want to make sure we help you with all your queries.
vishnu10:14am
I’m still here willing to assist you with any request you need. Please be informed that our session will timeout after 2 more minutes of inactivity.
you10:15am
Sorry I was looking for the invoice
A lot of stuff order on Amazon.
Serial # XXXX123455
vishnu10:16am
Did you find the invoice?
you10:17am
Not yet.
Like I said, I believe it was a gift. I’ve contacted the person who gave it to me to see if they can get me a copy.
you10:19am
Is there someplace I can send the invoice to?
vishnu10:21am
I will share you an email, but as a last measure of toubleshooting can you please download a firmware update?
This might fix the issue.
you10:22am
Everything is up to date on all computers. Firmware, drivers.
vishnu10:23am
We have a latest firmware update,which is released this week.
Is the link accessible?
Please download it, it should fix the issue.
you10:25am
Okay working on it
When I run it it says it’s not for this mouse.
vishnu10:26am
I will check with that.
you10:28am
And now the mouse doesn’t work at all
It went the second time I tried it
vishnu10:29am
Disconnect and reconnect the trackball.
you10:29am
Did that
And am moving it to another computer and now it’s dead
Won’t work anywhere
vishnu10:30am
Please share the purchase invoice.
you10:31am
Still a gift, I don’t have the Amazon purchase invoice.
So now the mouse pointer doesn’t even work, the red led inside isn’t lighting up but the buttons and wheel still work.
you10:34am
How do I undo the update? At least before when I unplugged it and plugged it back in it worked. Now that doesn’t even work!
chityala10:36am (new tech I didn’t even notice at first as you can see, there is no warning)
Please share the purchase invoice so that we can replace the product.
you10:37am
This one was a gift, so I’m going to have to wait for the person who sent it to me to send me the purchase invoice. If you could please get me an email address that I can forward it on to or at least a reference number so I can come back here when I have it.
In the meantime, can I get a link to the previous edition of the firmware so I can set the mouse back so at least I can still use it?
chityala10:40am
It is the only firmware
you10:41am
Okay so you broke my mouse.
Great
agent10:43am (this is where it changes again?)
We have just trying to solve the issue.
you10:43am
So can I have an email or reference number so when I find/get the invoice I can send it to you
agent10:45am
May I know from where did you make this purchase?
you10:45am
Amazon
agent10:48am
We will send an email with instructions. Please follow the instructions and share with us a copy of the invoice, shipping address and daytime telephone number.
Once, we have the required information. We will place the order for the unit.
you10:49am
Okay, that sounds good. About how quickly can I expect this since I’ll be going to Mexico on Sunday for 3+ months? Or would you be able to send to Mexico as well?
agent10:50am
Once, we have the required information. We will place the order for the unit and you will receive it in 10-14 business days.
you10:51am
Okay nope. You’ll need to send it quicker than that as now I can’t even use the mouse where before I at least could use it.
agent10:52am
It would take at least 10-14 business days.
you10:52am
That is absolutely not acceptable. Like I said, your little firmware update has made the mouse completely useless to me and I need the mouse.
As well as you haven’t even said if you can ship it to Mexico where I will be for months after this Sunday
agent10:54am
We regret to inform you that we cannot ship it to Mexico.
you10:54am
Then you’ll need to have it here before Sunday
agent10:56am
We can only ship it to US and it would take minimum 10 days to deliver the unit.
you10:57am
I need a number to speak to a manager than because I’m not going months without a mouse because your firmware update made it unuseable
agent10:58am
Please share with us the daytime telephone so that we can arrange a callback with our supervisor.
you10:59am
800-382-5633
agent10:59am
Thank you.
Is there anything else that I can assist you with?
The conversation with 3 different agents.
Cheshire Anthropology 