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Want pain - Buy GatewayAug 18 '00 (Updated Sep 08 '00) Write an essay on this topic.Something is wrong here... I have been around computers since CPM and have prided myself in purchasing the good overall boxes. This time I goofed. I will later write a review on the computer, which as computers go and during it's short life was good, but first I need to put out a warning to those who might think Gateway is a quality house. This is our second Gateway system. The first, a P166 was a great machine and the only issue we had involved print drivers. Issue was resolved in one fifteen-minute call to someone who really knew what the issue was. That order, back in 1995/96 was well handled and went like clockwork. It has been a great and reliable system. Loyalty, competitive pricing and a fast hard drive (ATA100) were my attractions. My new system, a Performance 866 with 128 meg. of RAM, 30 Gig HD, FP1500 monitor, DVD, and CD-RW was purchased as a treat for myself (and my wife wanted the P166 all to herself). THE GATEWAY SAGA: 1. PLACED THE ORDER: Went to the local Gateway Country Store and was assisted by some very knowledgeable individuals. We ordered a Performance 866 with a 17" flat screen CRT based monitor. 2. THE CHANGE: On our way to lunch, my wife convinced me that I ought to get the flat panel that I had always lusted after. YEA! 3. CHANGED THE ORDER? Gateway stated no problem., but could not recall the original order, they were told "Order not in system". Just to be safe, they (Country Store personnel) tried to delete the order but there was no order to be deleted. After a phone call to their HQ, it was determined that somehow the order was lost. A new order placed with a FP1500 flat panel display (great picture). 4. WHAT ORDER? Monday, I receive an unsolicited call from the Country Store stated that neither of my orders went through and they had reentered my order. Expect new system in 6 working days. 5. HOW MUCH DO I OWE? American Express asked me to verify 4 charges of $7,000 to each of my AE credit cards. Order entry error is found by AE and balance is reset to "0". Somehow AE had put the Gateway Order Number from the first order (with the 17" monitor) into each of my cards, not just my AE blue. AE explained that they had new software that had confused the order number with the charge. I called Gateway and asked how did the original order even make it to AE. WHAT! 6. IT CAN'T BE! That order did not exist per Gateway's customer service. UGH! 7. HOW DID IT GET HERE SO FAST! Received computer on Thursday. The computer order number was from the Monday reorder. I was impressed. YEA! 8. THEY GOT IT RIGHT(for now): AE had even posted the correct amount. YEA! 9. FAST AND EASY TO SET-UP: Everything went together smoothly. Was able to reload our personal software QuickBooks Pro, Office 97, CardScan, ect. with no issues. I love the speed. Feels solid. 10. GAME PORT DOESN'T SEEM TO WORK: No matter what I do, cannot get the Microsoft Sidewinder 3D Pro to work. Plenty of error messages and requests to reload software. Checked BIOS, allocation tables, INI, config, all to no avail. HELP!!! 11. TECHNICAL SUPPORT, WHERE? First attempt was to do the net thing and to try to find out if we could just down load a driver change, update or change a config. No luck. Next tried the automated line with no results. Need to talk to a real person, no luck again all of our techs are helping other people...click. Two hours of click...no results there is tomorrow...Monday. DREAD! 12. MONDAY, THE DAY OF ABUNDANCE: UPS tried to deliver two Performance 866 systems, one with a 17" monitor and the other with a FP display. They were refused. FEAR! 13. TUESDAY, THE PAIN: $6000 approx. has hit my AE over and above my first system. Supposedly Gateway will credit my account after they receive the returns. POVERTY! 14. WEDNESDAY A QUIET DAY: No contact with Gateway. The computer works fine excepting the joystick. I just cannot bring myself to contact the technical service multi-menu maze today. I use the mouse on games and catch up my budget and stock trades. Love the speed of the system and I really like the monitor. No quivering or blinking. Less eye strain. LOVE! 15. IT DIES: Started to boot up system to work on a presentation and I get c:\cannot find (I think) vmm.vhx. I try an emergency disk (many times) and same error. I manage to get into dos equiv. and run check disk: two hundred files found fragmented. I try the Gateway automated help line and nothing is offered to deal with this issue. All fixes require windows to load. I try to talk to a real person and once again, the system hangs up on me. Try to reload system files without success. Gateway's system back-up disk will not reload system files as they already exist. I finally do a full "delete windows and reload". I am starting from scratch. There seems to be several bad sectors on my hard drive. SORROW! 16. AND THE SAGA CONTINUES: I am one step from returning the system. One of their management personnel has offered some compensation and a new CPU. The fool that I am, I will take it. ACCEPTANCE! ************ The Saga continues - Update as of 28 Aug 00. 17. WEDNESDAY, A PROMISE KEPT: Receive new box and it seems ok. Delivered on time. Also received a check for my troubles. Basically reimbursement for shipping charges. YEA!!! 18. THURSDAY, I NEED A DRINK: Setting up new system when I discover that the new box has the wrong video card. Will not accept the digital FPD (Flat Panel Display) connector. Call Gateway Customer Service for authorization to move the old card from the box about to be returned to the new box. Three attempts at trying to get to a real person takes one hour on hold. Authorization takes 35 minutes and you would think I am closing on a house...the paperwork. I needed to leave before we could complete the process and the tech believes I will have major issues with the video driver. OH NO!!! 19. THURSDAY LATE, FINALLY HAPPINESS: Computer boots up just fine. Everything works, even the joy stick. ...A GREAT DAY!!!! 20. FRIDAY, WHAT IS GOING ON: Boot up system to transfer files. Joystick no longer works....Call tech support (one hour of wait) and they state that my joy stick is not compatible with the sound card. I need to get a new one...WHAT!!! 21. SATURDAY MORNING, FINANCIAL SECURITY: My AE account has been credited for the two systems returned...OUT OF POVERTY, YEA!!! 22. SATURDAY, SOMETHING HAD TO GO RIGHT???: Installed all of my software and have found a way around the majority of the joy stick issues. In my video addresses, #1 would work but it formats up just fine in address #2. Only one game will not recognize the joy stick....WELL!!! 23. STUFF REALLY HAPPENS: Enjoying the speed of system and my wife thinks I need a new joy stick. I bought an USB joy stick. I install it and ... the computer crashes. I have lost my hard drive again. Call support and after an hour's wait, get a most knowledgeable individual. We find a bad sector in this drive (same issue as in the first one. We are able to restore system and it seems to work ok. Gateway is sending me a new hard drive. ******************Update as of 08 Sep 00 24. THE DEAL: Before I install the new hard drive, I ask for a 30 day extension on the 30 day money back offer. I am straight with them. I do not trust the system and I have had less than 30 minutes of a working computer doing useful work. Most failures have occurred during loading of software. Gateway agrees and actually gives me 45 days. I AM GRATEFUL!! 25. HOPEFULLY THE BEGINNING OF THE FINAL CHAPTER: Received the new hard drive and started to install. Very helpful techs try to walk me through software installation. Three attempts fail to load software. I start fourth attempt by incremental loads without contact with Gateway. It works and still does. The first part of this opinion was written at work as I did not have a working home unit. Tonight, one month after purchase, I have had five blissful days of a real working system at home. Revised Comments as of 08 Sep 00: In my humble opinion, Gateway has gotten too big and lost its customer focus. I found the personnel all sympathetic and as helpful as any organization. First you have to get to a real person. Gateway has some real customer relation's issues: 1. Order entry for this customer was extremely painful. 2. Technical support is ALMOST non-existent. Fortunately or maybe not, I have some limited knowledge to at least get back to a working system. YOU HAVE TO FIND OUT HOW TO GET DIRECTLY INTO THE TECH SUPPORT AREA BYPASSING THE INITIAL SYSTEM. 1-800-846-2301 WILL DO IT. 3. The automated system at Gateway subjectively is the worst I have encountered. It asks questions and demands answers, which have no relevance to your order or system. The help line makes no mention of the Performance series computers, but requires you to make the decision between low level desktop name (I cannot remember) and the Dimension series (what ever that is). 4. Gateway systems do not seem reliable (based on a sample size of TWO - I realize) 5. Do I trust Gateway? NO WAY... 6. I DO LIKE THEIR PEOPLE. Their technical people really want to help and are competent. 7. I am convinced that if another failure occurs, it goes back. 8. I am also convinced that I own a very quick and powerful computer. It smokes, and I truly love the Flat Panel Display. Almost as good as sex. (that's a stretch but sounds good) Now if it will only live. THAT IS THE QUESTION. NEXT UPDATE AFTER THE NEXT INCIDENT.  |
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