Never Eat Yellow Snow - HTP W/O
Sep 08 '01 (Updated Sep 10 '01)
The Bottom Line This is my tribute to Hard_to_Please. I wish you well.
My mother warned me about eating yellow snow, so I don’t. Heeding her advice, I warned my friend to be cautious when she was opening her damaged Gateway computer box because I didn’t know what a wet cow print box would yield.
This is my humble contribution to the Hard_to_Please write off. I’ve never participated in a write off before, and am praying that this review lives up to the spectacular write-off’s I’ve been reading. For those of you who don’t know: Hard_to_Please is an epinion member who was recently diagnosed with advanced cancer. Diverpam, another epinion member, has organized this write off with the proceeds going directly into his account.
Now I just “met” Hard_to_Please. He has a wry sense of humor and seems to be obsessed with urine. The premise of this write off is to read as many of Hard_to_Please’s epinions as possible and then try to write an epinion in the same style. So, I’m going to tell you about my friends’ experience with Gateway and hopefully you’ll get enough information to form your own opinion and a good chuckle at my attempt at humor.
You’ve gotta know my friend, L
L and her husband, B, are the epitome of hippie. They don’t own property, they live in Cambridge, she doesn’t wear makeup, they are calm, laid back and non-confrontational and love the Beatles and The Grateful Dead. They also happen to live in one place for ten years, then move to another for ten years, etc.
I work with L. Last year she commented that they had been living at their present apartment for ten years and she was surprised that they were going to be living there for more time. I don’t think they consciously decide to move every ten years, but circumstances provide the change. L didn’t think any circumstances would change and was amazed that they weren’t going anywhere.
They lived in a three decker apartment house in a very nice section of Cambridge and were paying a ridiculous amount of money for rent. They became friends with the landlady who lived on the first floor and knew the couple who lived on the third. In July, the landlady suffered immediate, substantial dementia as well as other bodily function failure, and passed away last week. The landlady’s sons, who lived throughout the country decided to sell the house. L was told that she could stay on as a tenant-at-will and they wouldn’t raise the rent. Of course L was petrified that she wouldn’t be able to find an apartment in the middle of the winter if she stayed on, so began the apartment hunting.
The Shock
L was paying roughly $700 for a three bedroom unit located very close to Harvard Square. To put things in perspective, this same apartment usually retails for $2,300. a month. Through the internet, L found a listing agent who showed her another place nearby for $1,800 a month, same style house, same floor layout. I kept looking at her and wondering aloud why she wasn’t buying a house, since I pay less in mortgage. I was told repeatedly “we don’t like the idea of holding property”.
The New Place
The real estate agent “forgot” to tell L that the other two tenants were students and the tenants moving out were students. Apparently the filth inside the apartment was awful. Another co-worker commented that it looked like the kitchen was waxed in dried animal urine. L is still cleaning the apartment because the previous tenant didn’t move out until the last minute, not leaving any time to hire assistance.
Would You Get To The Review Already!
Ok, so what does moving have to do with the computer problem? Well, I've set the scenario for you because in the middle of this moving mess, B, the husband decides he needs a new computer system. B is an editor and works out of his house. He orders a Gateway computer, spending two hours with the salesperson to attempt to achieve the “perfect” setup. I've put this epinion in the How To Build Your Computer From Scratch because I've been told Gateway is the closest thing to building a system from scratch because the salespeople spend so much time with the customers, really getting to know your needs and the computer delivered is so customized and perfect that you will never purchase another system anywhere else(ha). He repeats to the salesperson, who notes on the invoice, that the computer must be delivered during the second week of September because they were moving.
Who Follows Directions?
Of course they get an email that the computer is being shipped the second week of August. Of course B calls Gateway in an attempt to have it stopped. Of course everyone confirms that the instructions were to hold the items until September and of course it is shipped and delivered to the new address before September, where it seemed to be subjected to extensive water damage
Six calls to the manager have not yielded any response. As far as Gateway is concerned, delivery is complete. So, B decides to take Gateway up on their offer to come and install the equipment, figuring if they saw the damage, they would confirm the botch.
This Is The Best
Gateway, in their infinite wisdom, sends an employee out to the house who has never installed equipment. That in and of itself is frightening, too. She promptly exclaims after seeing the damaged boxes “Gee, it looks like your cats are taking the move badly. They shouldn’t be allowed to use them as litter boxes”. She then spends four hours at the apartment and the scanner still doesn’t work.
The End Result?
This isn’t a story about 4rhodes. If it were about yours truly, I’d be writing about how I had called the corporate headquarters, had the regional manager personally come out to the house and be holding a letter of apology from the company. I mentioned above, L is non-confrontational.
My Advice
If you order a Gateway computer and it comes damaged in any way, REFUSE delivery from UPS. Never eat yellow snow, Never open a wet cow box.
It seems to me that you should build the computer yourself anyway because Gateway obviously doesn't know how to follow directions (or just get an Apple, I just took mine out of the box, plugged it in and it worked).
Also, I hope things turn out well for Hard_to_Please.
The other members in this write off are:
jankp, jkkelley,29th Candidate, Sunkah, Dr_Steph, bwyckoff1, jo.com,
AinsleyJo, Lady Cynic, frazzledspice, mcmaster, roxymarie, LordAngel,
sherrylee, brendametcalf, pambo, NoMattrWht, Sordid-1, nwinston,
SLOW, Suzer, Biggs219, melissasrn, MattJoe, ifif1938, DiverPam,
GinaHill, grandgram, Hikini, pogomom, bops_mom, purplewiz, movielover123,
repulsemonkey, Redhotleigh, gonow, hypotenuse, blackcat2, mkp51, Kevlog,
flamepillar, PSobel, Taurusmoon, nathsmom, daddieo, Zenhues, cldoss, 2buzy,
Lizf, gransurfer1, Deaser26, Auldbawl1, Michiman1, prfstars, BARNZ, fransbebe,
Granniemose, ggrimes1221, ginzo, eplovejoy, michealhead, Arthur.Rubin, lisa_j,
cripper, Hadassahchana, teddiec, mtbat, momsworkinlate, viper1963
dragonfire88, Linda1527, jgibson2, Pamelita3099, MaryTara,
For more information on the write off as well the effort to raise money for Hard_To_Please please go to the member page of diverpam: http://dr-steph.epinions.com/user-diverpam, there you will also find direct links to all of the member’s reviews in this write off. Please take some time to read all of them as the money will go to help someone special. Thanks diverpam for sponsoring this write off. And Mark Keep The Faith.
You can mail direct contributions to:
Serious Business
Attn: Mark
P/O/ Box 852
O’Fallon, Mo. 63366
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Epinions.com ID:
4rhodes
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 - Top 1000 |
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Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Reviews written: 138
Trusted by: 81 members
About Me:
Thinking about writing more.....it has been awhile since I've published
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