Frontpage Story #22

I am writing this while on hold with technical services. I know I will have plenty of time to finish this story. I work
in a company with a network of Deskpro's. I talked to our networking department, got good reviews of the hardware etc.

Then I checked prices with the local clone makers and on the Compaq website. To my unknowing doom, the
"built for you" 5600 series with everything I wanted was very competative. I bit, hook, line and sinker. Everything was fine for two weeks, until the screen went black. I couldn't reboot, restore, nothing.

Round 1: After about 30 minutes on hold, "you have a bad video card, we'll send you a new one". Sure, ok, maybe. About a week later, a technician comes out and replaces the video card. Computer is still dead. Not allowed to troubleshoot by Compaq, we wait on hold for about 45 minutes. "you have a bad video card, we'll send you a new one". AAAAARRRRGGGH. I took the phone from the onsite techs hands, after explaining to rain man that we just replaced the card, silence. I suggested that he send me everything, main board, cpu, memory, and power supply. "it's on the way".

Round 2: The technician arrives at my house, with only the main board and a power supply. That under trained phone jockey didn't send the cpu, AND SENT THE WRONG MOTHERBOARD!!. The motherboard was functional, just missing the digital ports I spent and extra $50 on. The tech replaced both the motherboard and power supply. Computer is still dead. We wait until the tech runs out of Compaq approved time (1 hour) and since we're still on hold he can't get authorized to go over the hour he was paid for. After 50 minutes, I get a lucky technician, since we have replaced every thing else in this foul box, he says, "it's the cpu" well, DUH! I say, and send the correct motherboard too. Another 30 minutes waiting for the supervisor to tell him about the wonderfull service I'm getting.

Round 3: The parts are late, but eventually get here. Only the cpu shows up. After showing the onsite dufus how to remove the old cpu, he replaces it and the computer works!!. After 3 WEEKS. Not only that but they sent me a faster cpu. I appreciate the favor after wading through the ignorant "engineers" on hold. I still have the wrong motherboard.

Round 4: I actually got through in 18 minutes! It's a miracle, there is no explanation of why the motherboard wasn't shipped, but the're "sorry". Another one is on the way, another tech visit, another afternoon away from my job.

THIS WAS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE. Don't ever buy a computer that you can't take back to where it was made. MAIL ORDER SUCKS.