Complaint Review: Gateway Computers - Nationwide Nationwide

I am a 3rd time buyer from GATEWAY, first two times went alright. This last time. WHEW where do I start. I bought a new computer, when time came for it to arrive, I called to track the order # and guess what? It had not been sent, it was on back order "had to be made" but no one informed me of this, they let me continue to think that it would arrive on said date. I cancelled the order, they did all they could do to get me to go ahead and buy, LIKE A DUMMY I DID. Before the first payment was due, the hard drive went out. I called and they said "we have an order in, you should receive it on Thursday". Thursday night I called, and inquired since it had not arrive. Some woman RUDELY told me it was due on the next day, not THAT DAY. I told her that is what I was told. She argued the fact with me! I call again the next day, as it did not arrive then either. The check your order over the phone thing. It hung up on me when I tried to put in my order #. I finally got a REAL PERSON to talk too, and GUESS WHAT? The order had not gone through for some reason, and again, No one called to tell me anything. Left me thinking it should arrive. I got some guy then, not so rude, until I asked to speak to a supervisor, or manager. He had the nerve to ask me WHY? He too argued with me. I told him I was NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND ARGUE WITH HIM, PUT A MANAGER ON THE PHONE! The manager said that there was a mix up, and that they would do an expedited shipping. I said WHY NOT OVER NIGHT? The rude guy before him told me I would have to pay for over night shipping! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT. A $2600.00 computer, with a bad hard drive, that took me twice as long to receive, and broke before the first payment was due, and I would have to pay for over night shipping. I asked how do I send this piece of junk back, and get a refund, or credit to my account for the owed amount. NATURALLY it was past my 15 day return policy. I let them know I would report them to MBNA, and to BBB. But they didn't care. They told me when the part arrived I could take it to a Gateway store and get it put in, GUESS WHAT, on the news just a few days later I heard ALL GATEWAY STRORES ARE CLOSING! IT'S NO WONDER!

So... you use a Mac. I understand that they are great, but I don't. I use Windows. I also use Word. Connectivity is important to me. Being able to get to my e-mail while on the road is important to me. Your mileage may vary. If your point is that since Centrino is newer technology I should just bite the bullet, sorry. I disagree. GATEWAY should bite the bullet and provide me with what I was sold. I daresay that if you had spent $2,000 on a brand new shiny system that didn't work you would be loath to accept in its place someone else's reject that might have been fixed by Gateway. Or might not have. In any event, maybe your ethic is different than mine. I think a product should be backed up by the company that produces it. I think a warranty should mean what it says. I think that paying so much more for integrated wireless means that I shouldn't have to go out and pay more for an external device that I have to mess with... had I wanted to do that, I wouldn't have purchased this system. What confuses me most, though, is why you, an avid Mac proponent, is surfing the Gateway gripes and responding to them. I'd say thank you for your comments but frankly, I am confused as to your point.

Boy Howdy, I would say not only did you get a lemon, you got the whole tree. Still, if you are only using this machine for writing I think you may be digging yourself a pit with all this comparison stuff. My opinion is that internal wireless protocols are not very well developed in PCs, Macs maybe, but if you want to go windows PCMCIA card is fine. Also, Gateway may have started out OK, but their name is mud in the industry at present. I write for a magazine in The UK but live in Florida. I use an Apple PowerBook and have no problem sending my files to anyone. I just use Word and any computer will deal with it. The only reason I use this brand of laptop is because they are the only company who still makes the whole "widget." As the person who tried to communicate in the previous rebuttal (up most??) was trying to say. PC companies have to slosh about trying out this part and that while trying to get the best price they can and it shows. Were I in your position, I would take the most complete option offered and not worry over "refurbished" and "chassis" replacement or even the definition of on-site. Now on the other hand you may have the time and resources to battle The Dakota Giant. If you do, I hope you win and win big. I am just trying to spread some information on laptops and my own experience. As a writer I am sure you know how one or two words of contrasting opinion can often put a different shade on a problem and help a person decide his or her next move. I would be pleased to have given that kind of insight. If I have failed, no matter, for I know my intentions were good.

Thank you so much for informing me of the actual workings of a Centrino. I really didn't know what you just explained, and had the wireless worked correctly, I would have been very happy. I honestly didn't know why a Centrino was more expensive, and you have explained it to me. I only mentioned the wireless issue in this report. The fact is, I got a lemon (it happens) and I have spent more time with Gateway techs than I have spent with Dell in over six years, or even with Compaq when I had one of their computers. Something in their system ate my Outlook, too. I can't get to it, can't get to my e-mail or address books, and after trying to help me, the techs at Gateway give up and tell me to call Microsoft. There are times that the system is extraordinarily sluggish but I have a feeling that it's Win XP Pro that makes it so. Otherwise, it's a lightweight, attractive robust machine, exactly what I wanted, that doesn't work. Again, thank you very much for informing me of the difference between Centrino and a P4. That information has helped me a great deal.

I think that your situation should demand the up most attention from Gateway Technical support. I think that you are some what confused though on your processor information. If you think that a pentium 4 is going to be more powerful in your note book you are sorely wrong. The Centrino process was designed by Intel to make the functions of a laptop (including its wireless resources) more powerfull. From all comparison stand points a 1.4 - 1.6 Centrino processor can be compared to the power of a 2.2 - 2.4 Pentium 4 processor. The Centrino processor integrates all the power of the Pentium 4's along with the abillity to control the power consumption to preserve the battery life. With this added technology the price is going to be much greater than that of a Pentium 4. (THIS REBUTTAL IN KNOW WAY DEFENDS GATEWAY AS A COMPANY, BUT WILL HOPELULLY SET YOUR EXPECTATIONS CORRECTLY AS TO WHAT YOU PAID FOR.)