Gateway Stumbled In Honoring Their 90-Day Warranty
I ordered a Gateway Laptop computer from Buy.com on August 14, 2008. It was delivered August 21, 2008. It is a model M-6752, Serial Number RH1015085R8050153.
I do not have access to the original system installed on the D: partition to reinstall the Windows Vista Premium operating system and the power button does not work.
My attempts to resolve the problems include:
Chat Session 1: Transcript not saved
Chat Session 2: Transcript not saved
Chat Session 3: Transcript not saved
Chat Session 4: Adrianna_GWER1670 - September 10, 2008
Chat Session 5: Ingrid_GWER7960 - September 16, 2008
Chat Session 6: Becky - October 2, 2008 Connection lost in mid-sentence
Chat Session 7: Scott_GWER1669 - October 2, 2008
Email to Gateway October 2, 2008 - Response
Email to Buy.com October 2, 2008 - Phone response October 6, 2008 with no resolution
Email to Gateway October 3, 2008 - Response
Received pre-paid shipping container - October 9, 2008
Shipped computer - October 10, 2008
Received automated call: Computer received for repair - October 14, 2008
Waited SIXTEEN days for next contact
Received automated call: Repaired computer being shipped - October 30, 2008
Repaired computer delivered by FedEx - November 3, 2008
The computer worked fine at first then Vista misbehaved. I reloaded Vista from the CD shipped with the computer. The system on the CD was not the same as the system originally installed. After two online chat sessions, Gateway Support was able to get me access to drivers to get the 802.11N wireless to work almost as new - but not quite. I still could not install the original system from the D: partition. I was hoping that partition would contain the original system.
At the end of my fourth online session with Gateway Support, Adrianna_GWER1670 promised to escalate the issue. I have received no response from that promise.
I find it troubling that during each online session, I was asked to verify the computer model. Just the way the conversations went, it almost seemed this computer was not in their database.
The computer arrived via UPS. The shipping box has THIS LABEL on two sides. The side of the shipping box had THIS LABEL. The bottom of the computer has THESE LABELS. And the system disk in the accessories case looks LIKE THIS.
And then the power button stopped working so the computer would not boot at all. Ingrid_GWER7960, the technician for that chat session, after having me try some fixes, told me the issue would be resolved "within the next three to five days." There has been no effort by Gateway to contact me to get the necessary repair or replacement.
In yet another online chat with Tech Support on October 2, 2008 Becky started asking for details. To include the famous "Verify your model" statement. She did say the issue was already escalated and then the connection dropped.
Got connected a second time on October 2, 2008, with Scott_GWER1669. Of course he does not have the autonomy to involve management into the issue and he puts me off. Oh yeah, he had the "Verify your model question."
I began thinking I have a Gateway Model M-6752 door stop. But, finally, Gateway Support managed to eke out a repair authorization. I had to wait a total of SEVEN weeks for the computer to be repaired.
Technical support and honoring warranties is part of the purchase package. Gateway is NOT giving competent technical support. Gateway is NOT honoring the warranty.