Gateway They need to be stopped ! North Sioux City South Dakota

Purchased "one" gateway computer through HSN on 2/08/08 for $1431.90 . It was late June before I had the need to place a disc into the disc drive. Entered disc, did my business and disc would not eject. called Gateway Support who ran me through some paces and determined I would have to return it for repair. A shipping box was sent to me postage paid.

Approximately 8-10 days later I recieved my computer back with the disc drive having been repaired. Now however, I could not access the computer at all. I could only get 2 white lines of computerese, a blinking curser on a black background. I again called the support people who said they would once again send me a box postage paid and I was to return the computer. 8-10 days later my computer was back home with the access problem unrepaired. I once again got on the phone to Gateway support.

(it should be noted here a call to Gateway support entails a waiting period and it is not a toll free call. Additionally, since my 2nd call I had to argue with the person on the other line to get them to respond to my concern.

One particular call generated an accusation that I swore at the lady. This came out of the blue. I ask her to indicate what I had said and she replied "you know" and threatened to hangup on me. After many minutes of sparing with her she said she would send me a disc that would likely solve my problem but I would have to pay shipping. After a couple of double takes and request to repeat that she told me "that's policy". I explained that policy is meant to cover ordinary problems but there will always be a few that do not fit the situation. She refused to budge.

I requested she pass me on to her supervisor to which she replied she didn't have one. I challenged this to which she replied there is not one here now. I asked to be passed on to someone in authority and after refusing several times she said she would but it would take 45 minutes to an hour before I would make contact. This must have been familiar territory because she was right on target. It took me 47 minutes of holding on the line before a 2nd level fellow came on. I explained my problem and her passed along my disagreement about me paying the shipping charge. After insisting I should not have to pay for the shipping because the problem was created by them. he checked with his boss who approved him sending the disc to me at their shipping expense. He failed to tell me it would take a month before I would recieve them.

I should be noted that up to this point I had spoken with Tim, Tricia, Cindy, Samone, Maria, Jill, Christine, Marlena, Philliip, Shane and Kelley. I had not spoken with Tim W. "Gateway Response Specialist" or Monekia Moten "Executive Response Specialist".

By this time I had sent a complaint to the better Business Bureau" in S. Dakota and the "Consumers Protection" dept. at the attorney generals office. They reacted by sending Gateway a copy of my complaint and suggesting they try to resolve the issue with me. By this time my frustration turned to aggravation. "Tim W". and I informed him HSN would refund my money. He had called before I returned the computer to HSN called and asked what I wanted to resolve the issue. I told him I wanted to be reimbursed for my phone charges and the cost of my shipping it back to HSN. ( At the time I estimated $60 to $80.)

He responded by saying Huh! "that's not going to happen". On our . . I told him they had given me my money back but I was still out the shipping charges and the phone bills. He said I should get ahold of HSN because that was their responsibility. I disagreed as did HSN but he would not budge.

I told him I would then take it to arbitration. He said go ahead. I said how do I start the process and he replied he had no idea. I asked if he could find out and he said no. I reminded him the warranty is specific that we are to go to arbitration if we cannot resolve the issue. I asked if we were going to court how would he defend Gateway. He said they would hire a lawyer. I said you don't have a lawyer on retainer? He said no they would have to find one.

I e-mailed Consumer Proection in SD and ask what the proceedure was to go to arbitration. While waiting for a answer Monehia Moten called me and asked what i wanted to resolve the issue. I asked if she was familiar with the claim and she said "briefly". I begain explaining the complaint and when I got to the point where HSN had returned my money she said then the issue was settled. I challenged this line of bazaar line of thinking and she went berserk yelling at me that it doesn't matter I don't have a claim so I could take it anywhere I wished she didn't care. She asked if there was anything else she could help with with that day and I said no thank you in a disgusting manner.

On Saturday October 11th I recieved a letter fom the SD attorney generals office with and attached response to them from "Monekia Moten". She said "A refund was submitted to Mr. B. by HSN. He is fully aware that we can not compensate him for his phone expenses and shipping cost this is his respsonisibility. Mr. B. fully understands he has no further issues. He has recieved a refund from HSN and has no further issues with Gateway. I explained to him the customer is fully responsible for inbound shipping of their system. All issues with this customer have been resolved as of this date. I would like to close this file effective today"

By stating this she opened her self up to demonstrate she lacked the enire concept of the issue and its intent. "Inbound shipping", What is this. Is she now speaking for HSN or is she confused and thinks I sent it back to them? Furthermore, I do not "fully understand" the shipping was my responsibility. No issues with me have been resolved. She not only does not know the issues she unexplicably is under the impression all my issues have been resolved. This is a total fabrication. This clearly certifies why her understanding of the claim is problematic.

My $1431.90 computer has not worked since 6/26 it is now 11/12. I have spoken with at least 14 of their employes and have recieved no understanding or satisfaction. I have been lied to bullied, threatened, yelled at and stood by while Gateway took the position they careless. This tactic must have worked for them successfully in the past.

The compensation at this point is not for the phone calls and shipping it has now become an issue of "Right" and "Wrong". I wrote a letter increasing the compensation to $1000,00 on 8/22 stating I would like them to donate $1000.00 to The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. (JDRF). I now wish to increase it to $2,000.00 because it is now 10/13 and I am still sparring with them.

I believe if I would have tried to use their disk to fix the computer and was unsuccessful they may very well have placed the responsibily for it,s malfunction on me. If the computer was serious enough for them to take it back for the inaccessability and they could'nt / wouldn't repair it would only follow I could do it with simple running a disk. If it had been that simple you would think they could have done it.

Finally, this entire matter was created by Gateway returning my computer from fixing the disk drive to being totally unable to access it. They are blatantly irresponsible, rude, cunning, anti-customer oriented, liars who operate by "bullying", "taunting," "distorting" and simply dismissing their customers until they capitulate. Truth, honesty and integrity are obviously are not part of their mission statement.

Dave
Spring Lake, Michigan
U.S.A.

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