Compaq and the way they choose to ignore their customers

Page 2

Right in the warranty of our Compaq Presario 1621 under "Terms of the Warranty" it has been stipulated that, "If, after repeated efforts, Compaq is unable to restore the product to good working order, you are entitled to a refund of the purchase price." We wish to have this problem resolved.
Please give us the satisfaction of returning our Compaq Presario 1621 to the standard in which we purchased it under and making a commitment that we will not have problems like this in the future, or refund our full retail purchase price of our computer.

Sincerely,

Gary & Brenda Sanders


CC:     Bruce Quinn, President, The Answer Group, Inc. (Department 58)  
The Better Business Bureau    Consumer Protection Division, Office of the Attorney General, P.O. Box 12548, Austin, TX    
Kathy Lucas ,CompUSA Public Relations and Customer Satisfaction
Computer Shopper Magazine, Public Relations Department


THE DIARY

March 13, 1998 - We purchased a Compaq Presario 1621 (Serial # V804BVM24221) from CompUSA in Clive, Iowa. Total Purchase price $2446.46. We purchased a Compaq 2 year extended warranty approximately 2 months later (direct purchase by Credit Card from Compaq).

June 11, 1998 - We contacted Compaq Technical support in regards to the letters coming off of our keyboard. They instructed us that they could not send out new keys, but that the whole keyboard had to be replaced (even though it was a cosmetic thing, and nothing was physically wrong with the
keyboard) They gave us a Case number (5898033103531) and stated to ship it off to have the keyboard replaced. The unit was picked up and packed in an R-3 box by Airborne Express on June 15, 1998.

June 24, 1998 - We contacted Department 58 in regards to our Presario 1621, since it had been 9 days and we had not yet received it back from them. The technician advised us that he would contact the service center and find out what the delay was.

June 25, 1998 - We had not heard back from the service center or from Department 58, so we called back again in the morning. After the second phone call attempting to get information about the whereabouts of our laptop, they informed us it was sent out the previous day. That is when
Department 58 stated that since the service department had attempted to contact us, but could not, they proceeded to quick restore the computer since there was no CD-ROM driver on the machine, which was neither accurate, nor had anything to do with the reason why the laptop was sent in
to begin with. This lost all data and programs we had placed on the machine to date. We have a fundamental problem with what they claimed since all contact numbers that we had given them have voicemail or are answered by a secretary during business hours, and we had received no
messages on any of the numbers. We received the 1621 laptop back later that afternoon.

Upon opening the box, we noticed that the packing was quite insufficient. The packing inside of the box they shipped it back in consisted of a few strips of cardboard bent up to elevate the machine into the center of the box and two pieces of foam less than ? thick each. When we started using
our machine, we noticed that the CD-ROM although functioning properly was not operating the same as it did before, and was making different sounds when being operated. (i.e. loud ratcheting sounds that it never did before). We ran diagnostics on the CD-ROM and could find no performance compromise.

June 26, 1998 - We contacted Department 58 about the CD-ROM making strange sounds and how it was packed poorly. They stated that they would put that information in our records, but opted not to have it shipped back for repair since there was no apparent signs of performance being compromised.

September 28, 1998 - We contacted Compaq because the CD-ROM drive had finally quit operating. We also discussed with them about the keyboard letters coming off again. We had to make several phone calls that day trying to convince the service technicians that it was not just needing an updated driver (the drive was physically not working), and also trying to convince them that the machine was not under any strange environmental circumstances that would cause the letters to come off of the keyboard. This unit is used in our home, and both my husband and I work supervisory type jobs so neither of us is using heavy solvents that would be coming off of our hands.

They finally assigned us a new Case number (58188263), and told us that Airborne Express would be picking up the machine the following day. The computer was picked up on September 29, 1998, for repair of both items.

October 1, 1998 - Computer was delivered back to us. We were out of town so we did not have a chance to look it over until October 5.

October 5, 1998 - We immediately noticed that they had not replaced the keyboard, and soon after that realized that the CD-ROM, although replaced, would not run the CD-RW discs that we have maintained our utility files on for the past year. The original CD-ROM drive in the 1621 laptop was a
Toshiba MX-1602B, and it was replaced with a Tori-San CD-U200, which is not multi-read capable, and incapable of reading CD-RW discs like the Toshiba. We contacted Department 58 about these problems. After pursuing this issue with several technicians, I spoke to Louis Roia who investigated this situation and informed me that the CD-ROM that had been installed in that
machine was not the same performance level drive that originally came with our 1621, and should not have been installed into this laptop. He stated he was issuing a pickup with Airborne Express to return the laptop to service to have them rectify both problems. We were never able to talk to him again, despite requesting him.

October 6, 1998 - Had to contact Compaq Service again, since Airborne Express had not picked up our package by mid afternoon, which by history, they had always arrived by 1:00p.m. Mr. Roia had failed to initiate the call for shipping of this unit. The issuance of the pick up order was then completed for the replacement of both the keyboard and the CD-ROM.

October 16, 1998 - Our 1621 was returned to us, with a keyboard replacement with the F11 key that already had the lettering coming off of it. And no mention of the CD-ROM even being addressed. When we were able to evaluate the machine, over the weekend, we noticed that the CD-Unit was the same as when we sent it to them, since we had written the serial number
off of the bottom of the CD-ROM unit.

October 19, 1998 - We called Customer Service Department once again to address the issue of our replacement CD-ROM unit being of inferior quality to the original that was supplied to us in our 1621 when we purchased it. They retrieved information from me in regards to the type of CD-ROM
Recorder we were using in producing these discs (Memorex CD-RW1622). We supplied them with the information, but explained that the CD-RW that we were using was the exact same recorded disc that we had been using since we had tested and purchased the machine in March. They instructed to send it back in again. Second day shipping was being used due to slow-down in
shipping conditions due to flooding in the Southeast. From that point on, second day shipping to and from their facility was the policy, further delaying our laptop from coming back to us in a timely fashion.

October 21, 1998 - Our 1621 laptop was picked up again for keyboard and
CD-ROM replacement.

October 30, 1998 - We received back our 1621, the keyboard had been replaced for the 3rd time, but the CD-ROM was still not replaced. There was a note included stating the HP CD-ROM Rewriter drives were having problems with some of the Compaq CD-ROMs, and that we were to contact HP for updated drivers. We immediately called about this since the unit we use is the Memorex unit and not the HP unit. The Service Technician stated that the unit not reading the CD-RW discs was now a third party problem with our CD-ROM Rewriter, and not with Compaq. We pointed out that this should not be an issue, since the discs we were using had been recorded
PRIOR to our original CD-ROM going defective, and the original had read these discs without a problem. We then requested to discuss this further with a supervisor. A supervisor was not available, but the service tech stated that he would escalate the complaint and we would be contacted within the next week in writing or by phone.

November 11, 1998 - We called the Customer Service Department again about this whole matter, since we had not received anything in writing, nor received any phone call from anyone as promised. We spoke to John Clooney about our situation again. We asked for a supervisor, and once again, the supervisors were all unavailable. We asked him about the escalation of our
complaint, and he said it had never been entered into the database. We then asked for the name of the supervisor, and he gave us the name of Robert Saum, but explained that he would be unavailable for at least another two hours. We requested that he call us back.

After several hours of not getting a response from Mr. Saum, we called back to the Customer Service Department. Lymford Harrison stated there was nothing in the system requesting Mr. Saum to return our phone call. Once again, we went through this lengthy rhetoric in reference to our complaint. Mr. Harrison went through all of the information, and quickly responded with the solution that driver updates needed to be done. When we explained that there was absolutely no information, or driver updates available on the internet for the Tori-San CD-U200 drive, and that our CD-ROM Rewriter was not a HP, Mr. Harrison then told us to install the HP drivers for our Memorex CD-ROM Rewriter anyway. We knew this was not a viable solution, but tried it anyway just so we could say it was attempted. We called the service center back when this attempt failed and wanted to speak to the supervisor or Mr. Harrison again. Once again all were unavailable. We ran
this same lengthy information! through with yet another service tech (since we were unable to speak to Mr. Harrison as we requested) who tried to tell us the same solution all over again. Finally after being told that we could not speak to anyone we had spoken to before, nor that the supervisor was unavailable, the service tech finally turned us over to Remy Benari, who was one of the supervisors
for the department (NOTE: The FIRST supervisor we had ever been connected to in all of these calls, and all of our requests). She listened to us go through this lengthy explanation of our complaint once again, and then stated that nothing more could be done since the laptop was returned to
"Compaq general specifications for the Presario 1621." She stated that if a better drive (Toshiba MX-1602B) had been installed at the time of production (either due to production error, or shortage of specified drives), Compaq had no responsibility to replace the defective drive with the same standard of CD-ROM drive. We quic! kly retorted that Compaq had set a standard for our machine by putting another drive in it when it was manufactured, regardless of the reason, and that Compaq had a responsibility to maintain it to that standard. We then paralleled our point with the comparison that if we had purchased a car, and it came with an additional feature which was not standard to the car, and that feature went defective in the car, the manufacturer would then have a responsibility to repair or replace that feature, even though it did not meet the original build specification for that car. She offered no other assistance on this problem, except to escalate the complaint, and we would hear back from Compaq within one week, by phone. We have not yet heard anything from them, by phone or in writing, once again breaking an assurance from one of Compaq's representatives.

November 26, 1998 - December 27, 1998 - Several phone calls had been made but not noted by us about this matter over the next 4 weeks in reference to our complaint being escalated. Not one representative called us back as we were assured after they stated they would investigate the status of the escalation.

December 28, 1999 - We called once again to Customer Service because the letters to the keys of the laptop were once again coming off. They told us that our keyboard was no longer covered since it was something we had in our computing environment that was causing the problem. We explained that we have two other computers in our home, and both of us have a desktop computer and laptop that we use everyday at work without the adverse effects to the keyboard, many of these being in use for 4 years or more without as much as a single key showing cosmetic defects such as this.  (That is a total of 4 desktop computers and 2 laptop computers other than our Presario 1621, which are not showing any of the same symptoms after YEARS not months of use.) While I was on the phone I once again brought up the issue of the escalation of our complaint about the CD-ROM being downgraded, and the request for it to be returned to its original standard. The technician stated that a decision had been made that Compaq had no obligation to put our machine back to the operational standard that we purchased it at. I asked why we weren't contacted, and the technician had no idea why, but stated that this was the final decision by Compaq.


SUMMARY

One of the reasons we chose our Compaq Presario 1621 was the ability to read CD-RW discs. We tested the laptop at the retail location prior to purchasing it with a CD-RW disc, and thanks to Department 58, and Compaq, our machine is no longer capable of operating under the same standards in which we purchased it.

The Tori-San CD-U200 CD-ROM Drive is not multi-read compatible, which the Toshiba MX-1602B drive that was originally in our laptop was capable of doing. We could not make Department 58 technicians understand this concept, nor could we make them understand the difference between CD-R discs and CD-RW discs.

The concept of environmental conditions causing lettering to come off our keyboard is preposterous. Between the two people in our household (my husband and I) we operate a total of 6 other computers, two which are laptops that have been in use by us for YEARS not a few months without deleterious effects from such conditions. We are both in supervisory-type work positions, and neither one of us use heavy solvents or routinely work with any chemicals that would cause this problem, and if so, our other computer keyboards would be showing similar wear. Compaq technicians
stated that things such as hand lotion (and fumes from dried polish on fingernails) could cause the lettering to come off of the keys. This is now the fourth keyboard that is needing to be replaced due to lettering since there are about 7 keys that are showing signs of deterioration on the lettering.

Numerous unfulfilled assurances from Compaq technicians to follow through with making sure our problems were solved, and flat out lies from the Department 58 personnel, has become a trend. We can well assume that any assurances from Compaq to resolve our problems will be baseless, since
Department 58 has repeatedly broken that trust with us in their handling of our complaints. We have also concluded that if the service on this unit is this poor while it is under the original warranty by Compaq, that the Compaq extended warranty that we paid $200 for is not worth the paper it is
written on.

Improper protection of the computer when it was shipped back to us from the service center could have been a contributory factor in the original drive becoming defective. Each time we shipped the laptop to the service department through Airborne Express, they supplied a R-3 or R-2 box with
high quality foam rubber packing, yet we receive it back the first time in an odd box with folded cardboard and little else for protection.

Enduring over 6 weeks of complete loss of serviceability due to our 1621 laptop being in the service center, and further enduring 4 months of hampered performance serviceability, in less than a 6 month stretch is very poor customer service. Hours of phone calls over this time period to try
and get satisfaction for our problems are also another factor. This is resulting in EXTREME CUSTOMER DISSATISFACTION. At this time, if our computer was restored to its original state with the proper CD-ROM and a new keyboard, we would have no faith that we have a reliable machine, backed by reputable service staff if anything additional problems arose during the remainder of the warranty periods. This makes the choice of refunding our full purchase price, and extended warranty price, the most viable and attractive option for us at this time.



With this OVERWHELMING amount of documentation, you'd think Compaq would realize that this problem is not going away, and they would expedite getting us a refund to terminate any further contact from us. Yet they choose to hide their head in the sand, and hope that it goes away.

SORRY COMPAQ, We're not going anywhere until we get our money!