I purchased a Gateway computer a month ago. I had ordered a Dell that had given me nothing but problems for over a month and finally had decided to return it. Having been disappointed with my Dell experience I decided to give Gateway a try. I mean Dell and Gateway are always battling each other for that number one spot, so I figured it was worth a try. I called up, got the system I wanted and a ship date. I was pleased enough.

My system arrived a day before I was expecting it so, naturally, I was pleased. I immediately hauled all the boxes up two flights of stairs and set to work putting it together. I was like a kid with a new toy (and I guess in reality that's not too far off the mark). By the time my husband got home from work it was up and running..... sort of. My Gateway came with Windows ME before the actual commercial release of ME. None of my hardware supported ME yet and that was a problem, but one I was willing to sit on figuring that after the actual release date (which wasn't far off) I would be able to find patches for my programs that would make everything ME compatible. The problem though was worse then just incompatible software or hardware, it was the computer itself. It was continually crashing on me, the file menu's were a mess, I couldn't even do something as simple and basic as installing a font. Under the file menu, while in the font folder there was no option for install. I thought that was a little strange so I called Tech support. We went around in circles for a while not really getting anywhere. As other emerged while I was on the phone with the Techie I would tell him what was going on. The truth is he was as baffled as I was. Icon's started disappearing, certain files suddenly disappeared from explorer (and I had "show all hidden files" selected). It just was nuts. I would stop recognizing my mouse suddenly for no reason I could fathom. I was unable to install my DSL hardware AND software so I couldn't even get online. It just went on and on. That night I reinstalled Windows ME TWICE with the Techie. Finally he just gave up and told me he didn't know what else to do. To call back tomorrow. I was kind of annoyed but I said okay since it was getting *really* late anyway.

So the next morning with Windows still not up and running properly I called back. After spending half the morning on the phone with Tech Support I asked about installing my verions of Windows 98 on the computer instead of running Windows ME. Figuring maybe, if I could get it up and running on Win 98, I could just reinstall ME after the release date when some of the bugs had been figured out by Tech Support who was still baffled about the ins and outs of ME. He told me I'd have to call this other number. I said fine and did so.

Well, I called and was told that if I installed Win 98 I would void my warranty and they wouldn't honour it. I told her that all I wanted was a working computer, after all that's what I had paid for. She just told me that if I did I did so at my own risk, and she was none to pleasant about it. Eventually I asked for a supervisor and got the same song and dance to the point that I just said "You know what, give me an RMA and I'm sending this thing BACK!" The gentleman I was speaking to told me that wasn't necessary. I explained that it was indeed very necessary because I do some work from home on my computer for my husbands company and with a down computer I wasn't getting anything down. Finally he gave me an RMA number and told me that *I* would be responsible for shipping charges both to me and to them. I was outraged. A reputable company, in my opinion, does not do business this way. I was so annoyed I agreed and told them that they had permanently lost a customer, and any customers that might some day ask me my opinion on what kind and where to buy a computer system.

So, my computer went back. It took them quite a while to credit my credit card, even though I noticed that they had no problem making a charge on it very quickly. I even called them more than two weeks after the date I shipped it and asked them why my card hadn't been credited. They told me that they had received it and it was in their warehouse, but they didn't know why I hadn't been credited - very nonchalant. Like it was no big deal. They had $2,000 of MY money and "well, it's in the warehouse.... I guess you'll be credited as soon as they get around to it."

Needless to say my Gateway days are DONE! The way I see it is that I will not work with a company that doesn't stand behind it's product 100%, and Gateway does NOT. I know that at one time Gateway was known for it's wonderful customer support, but my-oh-my have they gone barreling downhill at breakneck speed. My advice, don't buy Gateway.



Recommended: No

Amount Paid (US$): 2000 +/-
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Pentium III
Processor speed: 801-900
RAM: 256
Internal Storage: DVD
Hard Drive (GB): 21-30