From: "Melissa Loomis-Miller" <melissa.miller@icl-gis.com>
To: <CyberPagan@OutoftheDark.com>
Subject: My horror story - email sent to CompUSA 2 times - no reply
Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2002 13:18:07 -0400

I have had a difficult time with the Fairfax, Virginia CompUSA stores and would like to discuss this situation with someone.  But first a little background of the situation.  I'm a computer programmer and have hardware experience, but with the birth of my twins 2/27/02 my time is very limited.
While on maternity leave my computer was malfunctioning and I thought that it would be quicker to pay someone else to fix my computer, rather than fit it in between diapers and bottles.

Those that have been on maternity leave understand how nice e-mail is; no ringing phones, no people stopping by unexpectedly.  A computer is vital to a new mom's link to the 'outside world'.

On 3/27/02 I first brought my PC into CompUSA because the computer was blank and would not reboot.  The original service tech seemed very knowledgeable and said that they would be able to replace my motherboard.  I paid for a new motherboard (CUSAMB AMD 1GHZ SO -$104.49) at that time and left the store for the techs to work on it later.  The CompUSA techs installed it and afterwards found that the computer still failed to boot.  The tech suggested replacing the hard drive as well.  I paid for a new hard drive (WD 40GB 5400RDM HA - $104.49) and the CompUSA techs installed it.

I picked up the PC a few days later and took it home, plugged it in to 'burn in' the new hardware, installed the OS and waited until the next day.  On 4/1/02, with 5 week old twins, I had to take the PC back to CompUSA because it appeared that the motherboard had failed, again.  The tech agreed that the new motherboard had failed and at that point a diagnosis was suggested to avoid any further situations.  This cost another $99.97 for the diagnosis.  The motherboard was replaced along with the hard drive and they would look at the power supply because it appeared to be seared.  I spoke with several techs to include Darren Pion, the Technical Services Manager, during this time and each one had a different determination of the problem. 

The tech that ended up fixing the system was named Carlos and he wasn't told where the last few techs had left off before he took the job over, nor were the notes updated.  Once the system was up and running he determined that the PC didn't identify the CD-Rom drive and that I would need a new one (HIVAL 56X CD-Rom D - $40.31).  Don Engle the store manager decided after all of the problems that I had encountered with the store that he would sell the CD-Rom at cost.  I picked up the system on 4/2/02.

With my girl twin's failing health and her impending open-heart surgery I didn't have time to check that everything had been installed correctly and that the system worked.  Instead I was at the hospital with my baby to see if she would stay alive.  She finally went into the ICU on 5/7/02 for heart and respiratory failure and was sedated, I had some time to turn on the PC and it seemed to be working fine.  However, after the system was on for a few hours it went blank yet again and would not reboot. 

I took the PC back to CompUSA on 5/8/02.  I believed that I had a 30 day warranty on the new parts.  I explained to the tech what had happened and he said that he would talk to Don Engle about the situation.  They agreed that CompUSA would replace my motherboard and that someone would call me the next day and tell me when to pick up the computer.  No one called the next day or the one after that.  I called on Saturday 5/11/02 to see when I could pick up my PC only to be told that nothing had been done yet.  I waited until Monday 5/13/02 and called again and was told that they would have the motherboard in by Thursday and that I could pick up the PC on Friday.  I called on Thursday 5/16/02 and was told that the motherboard hadn't arrived and it would be the next week.  I called again on Tuesday 5/21/02 and was told that the motherboard had to be special ordered and would arrive on Thursday.  I called again on Thursday 5/23/02 only to be told that they couldn't locate the original motherboard that I had purchased from CompUSA, but they could replace mine with one with fewer PCI slots, but with graphics.  I finally agreed and then received a message that the hard drive had failed again.  I would need to contact Western Digital for a replacement.  I begged that they find another way to fix this situation since I was back at the hospital with my baby in the ICU.  The tech told me here was nothing that he could do, but I could plead my case to the
manager.  I spoke to Don Engle and he raised his voice and informed me that 'it wasn't his fault that lightning kept striking my house' and he had been doing me favors.  Is that what CompUSA sells?  Is that what I had been paying for - favors?  This was the first I heard of such a thing.  The PC is
on a surge protector and nothing else on the surge protector had been damaged nor had any other electric appliance been affected by the "lightning".  Only the new PC hardware seemed to be failing - a later inspection by myself and a tech from another company would prove that the techs were setting the voltage wrong and burning up the computer.  The CompUSA tech offered that maybe the hardware was just a bad batch of equipment, but could do nothing without the consent of Don Engle.

I have been trying ever since, to contact Karen Falconer - CompUSA district manager, but she never returns my calls.  It seems under the circumstances that CompUSA would rectify this situation rather than tell me it's lightning and the "technical installations and diagnosis" prior to the final blow-up
was a favor.  I can't believe this is CompUSA's motto - We sell Favors.  It should be something like "We offer bad customer service and hardware" 

At this point I have to tell everyone that I encounter that the techs at Fairfax, Virginia CompUSA are unqualified and that Don Engle wouldn't know customer service of any kind on a good day.

Not only that but I could have practically bought a new system for what they charged for 'faulty' equipment.  I certainly hope that other stores aren't as technically inept and lacking in customer service as Fairfax, Virginia CompUSA.

Sincerely,
Melissa