"Based on BBB files, this company has an unsatisfactory record with the Bureau due to unanswered complaints. The company has resolved some complaints presented by the Bureau; however, the Bureau did not receive a response to other complaints. Our files also reflect complaint(s) which were presented to the company by the bureau that remain unresolved."

"I never get a call back when I left voice mails and when I got through to a live person, I always got some sort of put-off answer.... I am now thoroughly upset with Qli and cannot in good conscience let anyone else do business with a company that mishandles their customers so badly. Use Linux, buy Linux friendly hardware, just don't do it from Qli."

In September, 2003, the power regulator on my Qli Emperor Laptop went belly-up. I emailed Qli and they recommended that I send it to them for a repair estimate. On September 20th I did. What a mistake that was.

At the end of September I wrote to make sure they'd received the laptop, and Qli replied "your system is being evaluated, and we should have a repair estimate in the next 5-7 days." Three weeks later I wrote to ask about the estimate and was told "give us a day or two and with all luck we will have your estimate, and possibly even the parts needed."

Ten days after that (now we're at the end of October), they finally respond, saying: "The best info we've been able to gather on that unit so far is 'No Problem Found'... We will keep you posted as soon as we hear word."

This is starting to look bad. Over a month after receiving my laptop, they've gone from saying they're on the verge of having the parts needed to repair it to saying that they haven't found any problem. I call Qli and they tell me that the motherboard will have to be replaced because the power regulator is part of the motherboard and can't be replaced separately. I ask them to send me a repair estimate for the motherboard replacement.

On November 11th, they finally send me an estimate: "The repair estimate is $475.00 to completely fix the system, as there is a motherboard/power connector problem." I PayPal the $475 to Qli that same day. I also ask: "Do you have any estimate for when the repairs will be complete?"

The response: "We ask, and get back to you later today or tomorrow. Our rough guess would be about a week."

They did not get back to me "later today or tomorrow" so on November 28th I asked again: "Do you have an estimate as to when the repair work will be done and I'll have my laptop back?"

On December 2nd they replied "Your system is at the manufacturers facility in China/Hong Kong. We have been charged for the replacement part, however that is their standard policy for any out of warranty service. We can drop a note to them and see how things are progressing.... As we are updated, we will pass information along to you."

I thanked them for the update, and waited until January before emailing again to ask if there was any change in status. My January 5th email wasn't answered. Ditto January 16th, January 20th and January 23rd. I called the Qli toll-free number—it was down (and was still down a month later when I called).

So I sleuthed around and found owner Raymond J. Sanders's cell and home phone numbers and left messages for him there. That finally got a response: "We had to put in another call to the manufacturer. The word we have is the power board is not the cause of the problem, and they are now claiming it is the motherboard. We are waiting for a price estimate, and there is currently an amount on deposit, as you were charged a deposit fee from our records. The manufacturer was shut down for the chinese new year, we've just been getting caught up from the holiday rush, please excuse the delay."

Naturally, I was flabbergasted, and wrote back explaining that the money I'd sent was not "a deposit fee," that the motherboard had always been the problem, and that they'd had my laptop more than long enough to fix it and return it to me.

That brings me to mid-February. My laptop has been missing for five months. I put in a complaint to the Better Business Bureau (and found out I wasn't the first one to do so).

Qli's Ray Sanders didn't apologize for anything but offered to return my laptop, unrepaired, and told me to expect it in five to seven days. He also said he'd refund the $475 I sent him within 30 days.

Thirty days later—no laptop, no refund. But another email and another story! Now the reason why Ray Sanders still hasn't shipped me my machine is that "the manufacturer's billing dept. had not cleared the machine to leave." He now promises to ship it back to me next week! Next week I suppose it will have been stopped by customs, or accidentally routed to Iraq, or lost in a blimp wreck.

Oh, and the refund he promised? The story's changed on that, too: "As for the initial amount you were charged to cover any possible repairs, the quickest way we can get you a refund is to point you to paypal's dispute form." Of course, the "quickest" way he can get me a refund is simply to hand it over—this is just a delay tactic and an attempt to redirect his responsibility elsewhere. In any case, the page he referred me to says explicitly: "All claims must be filed within 30 days of the transaction or the claim will be denied."

April 6th, 2004—the laptop finally arrives, presumably in the same condition it was in when I first sent it in for repairs, although since it has no power, I can't turn it on to check. He's even sent me a refund check—not for $475 (what I paid), but for $240, which is his idea of what he owes me "minus labor and return shipping." He apparently wants me to pay $235 for him to babysit my laptop for six and a half months. I wonder if his check will clear.

I saw your post on your website, sniggle.net, about QLI. I'm sad I didn't see it before I tried to buy a laptop from them.

I asked them if they could give me a discount, they said yes, so I sent a $2000.00 check. They failed to deliver on the two deadlines they gave me, November 18, and "the second week of January". I requested a refund, and it was supposed to arrive on February 22. They have been ignoring all my emails since.

A very good friend of mine, paid for a notebook with a personal check in November from QLI, they still havent delivered it or a refund to him. Now I see the following on their web site:

After 6 years of serving the Linux Community, QLI technologies will be ceasing operations as of March 15th 2004. All orders in progress will be refunded and current warranty returns are being processed

They have obviously been in trouble for a while. However I dont buy that orders will be refunded. They stone walled my friend all through January and February while they were still taking orders. That sounds more like fraud to me.