How to get help when your SN and SNID are not recognized as valid?

Rod-Martin-Jr

I bought my Acer X1930 desktop about 5 months ago and I now need help, but Acer's website does not recognize my SN or SNID.

 

I click on a link to Ask a Question, and get a text box prompting me for SN or SNID. I type in first one and then the other, each time getting the message:

 

"The serial number you have entered, xxxxxxxxxxx, does not appear to be valid. Please check the serial number, and try again" (x's replace my SNID). I've triple-checked both numbers. I even downloaded Acer's "auto-detect" tool and pasted the SN and then SNID into their page. Each time, Acer's website does not recognize the number as valid.

 

Then, I thought I might need to register. Duh! I click on a link to register my number, but in the Register Your System popup, I'm prompted to enter my SNID and to click "Lookup."

 

When I click on the button, I get the error message,

 

"That does not appear to be a valid serial number. Please check the serial number on your computer and try again. If the serial number is valid and you are still unable to register, please Contact Us."

 

Well, guess what! Clicking on "Contact Us" does no good, because it requires me to validate my SNID before I can do the Contacting!!! This Catch-22 loop will certainly keep the Support staff happy and bother-free. No pesky customers bothering them. So, how do you get past this wall?

Tommy-Acer

Post or PM me the serial number and SNID please.

Also include where you are located globally.

Rod-Martin-Jr

[edited for privacy - please send unique information to Acer-Tommy via Private Message]

 

Current location: Cebu, Philippines

 

Originally from USA

 

Thanks!

 

Tommy-Acer

Something I'll ask if you've tried on the Contact Us page, is clicking the "Auto-Detect my serial number" to the right of the serial number input box.  This will launch a small utility that will attempt to get your serial number from the system.

 

Also, where was this system purchased? 

The part number is not a US part number that I can find.

Rod-Martin-Jr

Yes, I tried the autodetect. I downloaded the tool and it works beautifully.

 

The system was purchased in the Philippines, but my experience with Philippines-based help (and many US-based help systems) to be lousy and essentially a waste of time when asking non-FAQ questions. Sometimes email exchanges would be downward spirals where I'd have to repeat myself to each new tech assigned to "help." I was hoping for better from Acer USA.

 

I've already received a response through the Philippines Acer site, but the questions they asked made me realize they did not read my original query carefully -- a bad sign.

 

So, the fact that I bought it overseas explains why the SN and SNID didn't work.

 

I'm glad the forum here works so well and that Acer Technicians are lurking about. Awesome!