From: "Larry Castle" <pegasusi@home.com>
To: <CyberPagan@OutoftheDark.com>
Subject: CompUSA Service Night Mare and HP assisted that slowness
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2000 14:55:02 -0800

You may publish my name, and please add me to your list of people who have been ripped off by CompUSA.

I bought a HP Pavilion 6470Z from CompUSA on 2/13/1999. I purchase a 3 year onsite warranty with the system, and until 1/23/2000 when my HD failed, I had no idea that I had not purchased a HP Warranty. CompUSA Trouble Ticket 1-31AN2

This is a two fold problem. Both with CompUSA and HP. The following depicts what happened, with both CompUSA and HP.

I have a Pavilion 6470Z that I purchase on 2/13/1999 on 1/23/2000 when I went to reboot the system it failed.
As I purchased the system through CompUSA with a 3 year on site warranty, I contacted them first. # 800-847-3903 I waited on the phone on hold for over 3 hours. After talking to the tech rep we determined that the problem was most likely a bad hard drive. What disturbs me is Noel x32905 told me it would take 5 work days to get a HD from HP and then have it installed. I need my computer as much as you need yours. He said to file a Corporate Complaint at 800-278-4658
 
After I got off the phone with CompUSA's tech rep. I called HP Service Support. When I explained what had happened the tech. rep. with your service Informed me that I should format the hard drive and then use the recovery disk. If this still didn't fix the problem then, I should call your service department back and they would set in motion the events to get the HD replaced. The Tech. Rep. said it would take 4 business days before this could be accomplished. FOUR DAYS WITHOUT MY SYSTEMS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
 On 1/24/200   I called COMPUSA's Corporate HQ to register a complaint and the line rang for 22 minutes without so much as a answering machine before I finally gave up. On 1/25/2000 I finally got a human after 15 minutes of ringing, I asked for the VP of Contracts (Got an answering machine- never returned my call) I called back another 10 minutes of ringing for the operator. I asked for the CEO Jim Halpin (Got his assistants voice mail - left message - still have not heard from him either)

    1) on 1/23/2000 CompUSA opened a repair ticket and then told me my system would be repaired in 5 work days. It should have been fixed on the 28th of Jan, 2000.
    2) on 1/28/2000 12:00 A.M. I called CompUSA's customer support line, waited 28 minutes to get a live person on the phone, and was told their systems were down and they would order the hard drive when they came back up. Lost use of my system at this stage was 5 days.
    3) on 1/31/2000 I Called CompUSA's customer support line, waited 18 minutes to get a live person on the phone. I asked for an update on my system repair. I was told that their systems were back on line and that all of last weeks tickets would be put in the system on Monday or Tuesday. 8 days and still not even a fix date.
    4) I called CompUSA on 2/2/200 for an update on the repair of my system.I was told that they were still inputting the information from the week before.
    5) I called HP customer service at 800-752-0900, I asked if they could refer me to an HP authorized repair center in this area? I was told no and that I needed to talk to Customer Support at (208) 323-4663. I called and spoke with Dave. He said the local repair services consisted of COMPUSA - I said no way, Another company that only fixes printers, and UNICOM.
    5) I called UNICOM at (401) 467-5600. I explained my problem and asked if they could fix my system. They said they could. I took my system down to them at 2:45 P.M. My Technician down there at UNICOM is Rick Black. They told me it would take about 48 hours to get the HP for my system from you.
    6) on 2/4/2000 I called Rick for an update and he told me they still had not received the HD.
    7) I called HP Customer Service and had a 25 minute wait. Talked to Gorcia to see what could be done about expediting the delivery of the HD. She said I would have to talk to Service Support. I Called Service Support, waiting 15 minutes for a person. Talked to Gerar and was told that I would have to call Customer Service, I told him that I had just waited for 25 minutes for them to answer and Gorcia had told me to call Customer Service. He transferred me to Customer Service (15 Minute wait for answer). I talked to Brendon, I ask that they expedite the delivery of the HD to UNICOM. He said there was nothing they could do. I asked for the Supervisor.
    8) I was transferred to Ken (Supervisor) for Customer Service. When Ken came on the line he was very sharp with me. I ask that he expedite the HD shipment to UNICOM so I could get my system up and running. He said there was nothing that could be done. The HD are on back order. I told him I didn't care what kind of HD it was I just needed my system. He said it had to be the same HD. I told him at that time I would be in contact with you and that I was very upset with this run around. He said he would call me
back in 1 hour.
    9) I called Rick at UNICOM back, I told him what had transpired and ask if he could find some kind of a HD to put in the system to make it work. He said he would try.
    10) Ken from Customer Service called me back. He asked for UNICOM's number, address and I also gave him Rick's number.
    11) Rick called me approx. 4:00 P.M. and told me that one of his technicians could disable part of the boot sector on the disk, there by temporarily making the disk usable over the week-end. Until the HD came in and it was suppose to be a 15 Gig drive. I told him to go ahead and I picked up the system at 5:00 P.M.
    12) I called Rick on 2/7/2000 - The HD had still not arrived.
    13) I called Rick on 2/8/2000 - The HD had still not arrived.
    14) Rick called me on 2/9/2000 and said that you had sent him a 12.7 Gig HD (what was suppose to be in the system). I took my system down and they installed the HD. The system works fine now.
    15) This whole affair was absurd. 17 days to get a HD replaced. as of today 2/13/2000 I still have not heard anything from CompUSA after they initially told me 5 days to repair the system.
    16) It is my belief that HP needs to do a little house cleaning in the Service department. I think I must re-evaluate what I tell the next Corporation that asks for a recommendation of Computer Systems, if I do not here from someone in the Management portion of HP.

DO NOT EVER BUY ANYTHING FROM COMPUSA THAT YOU DO NOT WANT TO JUST THROUGH AWAY IF IT FAILS. IT IS MY FIRM BELIEF THAT THIS COMPANY SHOULD HAVE TO REFUND TO ME THE $250.00 A DAY I HAVE LOST SINCE THIS HAPPENED, AND I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE PUT OUT OF BUSINESS PERMANENTLY.

Thank You
Larry Castle
(401) 736-8390