Late last winter, I was in need of an up to date computer. I had been pretty busy though, and the idea that I should do some comparison shopping gave way to advertising pressure, and I went and ordered one of those computer systems with the cow on the box, from Gateway.

So I called the 800 number, and got put through to a salesman, who quickly and efficiently came up with a deal that sounded OK. Trouble was, it was after 5 PM EST, and could I call back the next day, a Friday, to get a tracking number? He gave me his special extension number. I really didn't understand the need for that, but sure, I said. Next day I called back and that salesman didn't show up for work that day, so they put me through to another, who said that he would take care of me. After a few minutes of information exchange, he gave me some number and said that my computer would be shipped shortly.

Next Tuesday or so, the entire system arrived and we got it set up and going. It seemed to work fine, and we were using it the next evening when the UPS van pulled in the driveway with another whole system, which of course we refused. Turns out that the second salesman tried to lift the first one's sale. Then the bill came and I had been billed for two computer systems, not one. Another call to the 800 number and they would clear that up, which they eventually did.

Wondering how the free year of AOL was done, I called the 800 number again. Turns out that the #1 salesman pulled it out of the deal without telling me, for a 50 dollar reduction in the final amount. It was never even discussed or referred to. I complained about this ... this is a form of thievery in my opinion, but, they said, too bad. There was nothing that they were going to do about it.

Meanwhile the computer started freezing up. It got worse and worse such that within a couple weeks it was nearly unusable. I used online tech support fairly heavily (they respond fairly quickly) and after trying several this-es and thats, I finally had to reformat the hardrive. After that time the computer has been fairly reliable, but by no means worry free, and I feel like I always have to back up constantly, far more than in the past.

Miffed that I had been ripped off for the free year of AOL, I wrote investor relations about it. They forwarded my note to a honcho in sales, who called me. All very cheerily, he said that no, Gateway was not going to compensate me for the AOL that they slipped out of the deal without telling me. I remarked that that was certainly an aggressive sales force that he had, and he laughed and acknowledged that "Yes, it was." When I remarked that I may publish about my experience on the web, he in cautious tones told suggested that I review very carefully my warranty agreement ... the feeling I was supposed to get, I sensed, was that if I did the company would sue me. How that should tie in with the warranty agreement I have no idea, but it was in the tone of voice that he said it that was particularly annoying.

Since then the computer has been fairly reliable, with the exception of a bout of trouble in August which had me finally surrendering and loading Windows 98 (I had gone back to 95 when I had had to reformat), and since then it has been fairly reliable.

Except for when the family went to Sarasota for a few weeks, and we took the computer with us as the kids had things on it that they needed. The AOL we have was not working right, and when we called them (AOL) they said that we had to get updated software from Gateway. When we called Gateway in Sarasota, (we could not, at that point, even get online) the service tech was dismissive and rude.


Now, as it happens, it's time for me to get a new notebook computer. Will I shop Gateway...? Um, frankly, it is not going to be the first place that I will look.



Recommended: No

Amount Paid (US$): ~$11.35
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Pentium II
Processor speed: 401-500
RAM: 128
Internal Storage: CD-ROM
Hard Drive (GB): 13-20