Are PChelp4U as good as they claim?
I had an unusual experience with PC-help-4U, the first and only one Back in 2020. [And only now I found the time to write a review about this company.] I moved to a new property and while there was internet already installed, the WiFi was less than optimal/what should have been. By talking to IT people at work, it looked like WiFi boosters could help with improving the speed.
I looked at the web and came across PC-help-4U, the Wallingford branch. I got in touch and had a visit by one of their IT staff. The visit was meant to be an assessment and lasted ~15mins. The IT staff went away and ordered the boosters. He came back and spent ~1hr on the installation.
Main points:
--I ended up paying £744.00 in total: £300.00 + VAT for the boosters and £320.00 + VAT for consultation-installation.
--The price was too high for the effort made. In fact the installation was quick and seemed straightforward, something I could have easily done myself; I found the same boosters with a discounted deal on Amazon for £319.98.
--The person who did the consultation-installation did not seem to know much. From my discussions with him, he did a web search to find the boosters, again something I could have done myself.
--He did not make sure that the system was working as it should before he left. According to information I found on the web, the system should have been able to go up to 800 Mbps at 5 GHz and up to 400 Mbps at 2.4 GHz. Following the installation the speeds were mostly in the region of 130-200 Mbps, and worse to those I had prior to the installation.
--Following the installation I realised (again by looking at the web), that the boosters came with an app which enables to adjust the settings and reset-reboot the system. It turns out that the idea was that they would manage the system and as such they kept the app so they could make adjustments for me if/when needed, which in turn implies further payments.
--Soon after the installation I called PChelp4U to ask for technical assistance. The person I talked to did not seem knowledgeable at all and asked me to email their technical support department. So two people already from PChelp4U not technically strong.
--Luckily, their Accounts department was much more helpful and arranged for a refund immediately.
--All in all, the installation and consultation did not amount to anything near expectations, ending up with a system that from any practical point of view was unusable. Very disappointed.
June 6, 2021
Unprompted review