Gateway - The Gates to Hell (Gateway)

Name: Shadowtwinchaos

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Product:	Gateway
Date:	28/01/02 (133 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cute cow boxes

Disadvantages: bad customer service, difficult to find repair service, many many more

I recently bought myself a computer from Gateway. I have to admit, I was swayed by the cute cow boxes and the great advertisements. I wanted to be where "people rule". I found out instead that it was all hype. Gateway threw me to the lions and left me there to fend for myself.

I purchased a Gateway Essential 933pc. Did they help me select my computer? NO. Did they come to my house and set it up as the commercial claims? NO. Did they offer me any support when I had problems? NO. Did they even recognize I was a customer? NO.

Before my computer arrived, I got this mysterious e-mail about USB ports vs. parallel ports. So I tried that day to e-mail my customer services representative. I was not certain what a USB port was. But he didn't get back to me. So I got online and talked to a customer service tech. He could barely type English, let alone explain to me what a USB port was. I was soon to find out. When my computer came, there was no where to connect my printer or my scanner. That is what a USB port is. So I went in search of help. Finally found it, not at Gateway, but at Staples. I needed a converter. Did it work? NO. Instead, I ended up running all over and finding out, finally, days later, that the Gateway Flexcase that came with my computer is un-converatable. Sigh, I didn't even find that out from Gateway, I found it out from another who had gotten the same thing.

So now, I have a choice. Do I keep the computer, trade it in, exchange it? What? But can I get help from Gateway? NO. They keep telling me to contact my service rep. Who is he? They don't know. I finally find out who he is and get his number. I call, and call and call. All I ever get is his answering machine. I leave messages. Does he call back? NO.

Now the only two options I have left are these. 1. Send them back the computer, get my money back minus the $200.00 shipping both ways. Or 2. Buy a new printer and scanner for about $200.00 and
keep the computer. Now I must say, I am very happy with my computer. I love the package it came with, all the software, everything. And to be honest, don't want to even think of the nightmare of trying to deal with the customer service department to get my money back. So I have elected to purchase new peripherals for it. I know, I know, it's the chicken's way out. But hey, you don't know how bad it was. I didn't even go into all the trips I took to Gateway Country stores, which by the way, can't help you with computers purchased online. Or all the times I got busy signals or all the time on hold.

So my warning is this. Be sure you know what your buying and doing before you go this route. They are great computers, but if you have to deal with the customer service, God have mercy on you.


UPDATE -------

I have had my computer for less than a year. I recently placed a cd in my cd-rom drive. The drive shut and it began to run. Suddenly, there was a very loud pop. When I opened the drive back up, I was met with a pile of slivers. The cd had shattered. The cd-rom then sucked the door shut on my pile of slivers and has refused to budge since.

Having only had this computer less than a year, I figured that my warrantee would cover the repairs. However, not only am I unable to get a clear response from Gateway, but they insist that it is something that I have done wrong. I must have put the cd in wrong or something. So..giving up on the idea of free repairs, I just wanted it fixed. They have no repair centers that I can go to. I would have to pay to ship my computer to them and pay for the repairs along with the added charge of shipping it back to me. Of course, with their level of customer service, it has taken me forever just to find this out. Not that they have been able to provide me with the address or department that I am suppose to ship it to. Goodness knows, I'm liable to mail it off to them and
never see my poor computer again.

Let me reiterate - buying a computer from Gateway has really been like a visit to Hell for me. Bad customer service, impossible problems with information, trouble with the computer. In their commercials, they show all kinds of great perks, wonderful service, neat computers. Their slogan says "Gateway - Where People Rule" I don't think so. I am very much thinking that they should change their slogan to "Gateway Bites" but somehow I don't think they will go for it.

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