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  • Report:  #264378

Complaint Review: Gateway & E-Machines Computers - Irvine California

Reported By:
- Arlington, Texas,
Submitted:
Updated:

Gateway & E-Machines Computers
7565 Irvine Center Drive Irvine, 92618 California, U.S.A.
Phone:
800-846-3614
Web:
N/A
Categories:
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good? What's this?
I spoke with Gateway Reps Cassie, Badge GWEL5539, and, Philip, Badge GWEL8218. Neither cared that the Gateway Notebook Model # 7510GX that I bought 1 1/2 years ago from a shady distributor of theirs, TigerDirect, failed miserably after light use (approx. 500 hrs). They both offered to let me send the unit in to get it fixed at my cost on shipping, parts, and labor.

I don't care if this notebook unit was a "Refurb". The unit I received from TigerDirect was brand spanking new and had never been used. I now know why Gateway rebranded it a "Refurb" and gave it to TigerDirect to sell. The motherboards on these units are defective, and Gateway and TigerDirect both know it. They don't care, they got my $969. That's all they care about.

But little do they know I come into contact with literally hundreds of people every month--I am a business broker--and most of them always ask me for computer recommendations because I rely heavily on computers in my line of work. If neither Gateway nor TigerDirect give me a working replacement 7510GX notebook or a new working motherboard for this unit, guess who I am NOT going to be recommending?

Anyway, back to my notebooks problems-- First the NIC card stopped working over 4 months ago. Then the USB ports started wigging in and out shortly thereafter. Then within the past month the LCD screen started a flickering noticeably--it would grow dimmer then lighter rapidly like someone was turning down then up the brightness controls as rapidly as possible. And finally, one of the hinges on the LCD screen that allow you to swivel open the Screen and start the computer has cracked--just noticed this within the past 2 weeks.

All of this after only using this notebook only an average of 7-8 hours a week--of which most of those hours the notebook spent in standby or sleep mode. I even used a notebook dual fan cooler underneath this Gateway notebook to keep it cool at all times. It never went without the cooler running, so overheating was never an issue.

Reason for the light use, and I told the Gateway reps above this, is because I have several hand-built desktop PCs, that I built, neither of which have given me 1 second of problems in the 2-3 years I've been using them, that I use 80 hours a week each. These 2 desktops are my work horses. The Gateway 7510GX notebook was just hobby, curiosity computer that kept in case I needed to take my computing on the road, which I never did.

Anyway, I have pictures of this Gateway 7510GX notebook for anyone who wants to see them. This notebook looks brand spanking new without even 1 minor scratch on it. You will be able to see that from the high resolution photos I just took of it today. You will be able to see that I am truthful in my claim about the light use that my unit has on it.

It is pathetic that after light, low hour use that this Gateway 7510GX, which by the way had great specs when it came out in late 2005, would go bad after just a few hundred hours of use. If that were to occur with all computers ever made our economy and the world economy would collapse completely. In other words, we would all be in big trouble.

The reason I am taking time out of my busy day to report Gateway, and TigerDirect indirectly, is that I cannot let Gateway and TigerDirect get away with this. I believe if Gateway discovers that a part on one of its computer models as major as a motherboard manufactured in some faraway, God forsaken, quality control unknown place like a Chinese village, is defective enmasse, then they should take that model completely off the market until they can source a new motherboard supplier who can get defects down to 1% or less.

Gateway should not rebrand these defective units "Refurbished" and give them to rats like TigerDirect to sell to the unsuspecting pubic. Gateway's and TigerDirect's explanations of what "Refurbished" means is that that "Refurbished" computers are as good as new. Parts where needed are brought up to original equipment specifications and are tested to perform as well as brand new parts. Some "Refurbished" computers may have slight use as customer returns or have never been used and are for various reasons due to shipping errors, order errors, or open box rechecked at the factory for functionality and rebranded as "Refurbished" and then sold to the public at greatly discounted prices. "Refurbished" computers have 90 day limited warranties unless otherwise stated."

That would be all well and good IF Gateway performed a random sampling of their "Refurbished" units and found a less than 1% defect rate with a margin of error of + or - 3%. I believe they did not do that with the 7510GX, or, if they did, they found a huge defect percentage on their random sample, but, still let the units go to the distribution channels.

I want Gateway and/or TigerDirect to make me whole by either replacing the motherboard in my 7510GX unit, or, exchanging my defective unit out for a comparable unit that works. Barring that, my report here will stay until the end of time unresolved, and, I will tell all of the thousands of people I have done and will do business with over the coming years to stay completel away from Gateway and TigerDirect no matter how small they lower their prices. What good is a low price if the product doesn't work?

John

Arlington, Texas

U.S.A.

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