Frustrating Experience

Blessed are the Geeks, for they shall internet the earth

A Very Frustrating Experience with Gateway Computers by Doug Chick Ive always shunned away from Gateway computers because of five that I had to work on about 6 years ago. I realize that this was silly, but when you have a bad experience with a product, you tend to stay away from it. Well after seeing the new Gateway Profile 4, I had to try it because we were opening a new office and I felt that their size was perfect for our purposes. I went to the local Gateway store nearest me bought one, took it back to the office and sold the idea to the CEO. The next day I called my salesman,  told him that Id like to order 11 more, he wrote it up and I dropped off a check. About an hour later I received a phone call from him stating the check company they used declined our check.

The company that I work for is a multi-million dollar, privately own corporation with excellent credit that spans across 3 states. Gateway gave me a number to call (the check service.)  I called and the person that I spoke with told me that although the funds were available, because my company didnt meet their criteria they declined the check. They also continued by saying that if wed like to fill out an application it might be able to eventually strengthen our position with them. I said, lady are you kidding me? Were a debt free multi-million dollar corporation with an excellent credit rating. Do you think Im going to take your stupid goddamn piece of paper to the Vice President of Finance and ask him to fill it out so we can buy computers that I talked them into in the first place? She said sir; if you use that language again I will be forced to hang up on you. Realizing that it wasn't really her fault I then replied, Listen you idiot bitch this is the stupidest thing that Ive ever heard of. 

My next phone call was to the Gateway store and since I already used up the phase, stupid goddamn and idiot bitch, all I was left with was something that would make every computer salesmen in the world have a terrible day, I told them how many computers I bought from Dell last year. And as far as I knew, Dell was happy for the business. And I couldn't resist quoting Gateways latest commercial where I cleverly said, "That's right Dude, I'm still gonna buy a Dell." Of course when I got home and told my wife, somehow it lost it's kick, just like it did right at this very moment when I wrote it down for you to read. You had to be there. I made a few more comments about the Gateway executives recreating with cows, another comment about this is probably why computer people don't buy Gateway computers for their companies and I closed on a stupid comment about a chicken an over-sized egg. After a long moment of silence and confusion, the manager of the store nicely apologized and said let me take care of this, I'll get back with you.

Well, to make a dull story even more less interesting, while he was taking care of it I e-mail Gateway, told the story five or six more times just to upset my friends, and before I could finish this article, Mike, the manager of the local Gateway store resolved the entire situation.

So now I'm left with no real ending to this story.

Well, just another day in the life...

Here's what other computer people had to say about this article:  John DeVita

As Network Architect for a privately held multinational I can understand your frustration.  I've often found myself in similar positions of explaining to new vendors just what I wont have senior executives sign.   Though I *rarely* swear.  I can appreciate letting loose on some of god's more annoying creatures.  Some might be inclined to say that they do not deserve to be mistreated but are merely following policy, but I personally believe any one who hides bad service behind a mask of policy deserves to get what is politely referred to as reamed.  In the end, pardon the pun, it appears as though the manager of Gateway came through for you and was able to cut through the red tape.

* Rarely is computed by taking the number of minutes of sustained swearing and divided by the number of minutes in the day. 

Reno Laskey

HOLY SHIT MAN... Paid with a company check, with funds behind it and they still didn't take the check? I thought I had it rough. 

I too work for a multi-million dollar crossing from east to west coast, privately held, asset based. Although our credit could be better.. We actually pay our bills on time usually but our CFO too lazy to update the Dun & Bradstreet listing, he figured we're private fuck reporting to anybody.

Anyhow... Gateway.... you should of known better lol. I had a similar experience with CDW once.... (although there was at no time they wouldn't take a check). Anyway I had been a loyal customer for 2 solid years always paying our bills on time... On average I was spending 50,000 each year for 2 years. My acct. rep knew CDW had quickly become my only vendor. Couldn't beat em, they always undercut the price if I ever found it cheaper, and even more so were willing to cut the price even if I didn't find a better price. The rep was a nice guy, never a problem. Rather pleasant experience, at least until they're accounting department found some $768 dollar invoice that had managed to slip through our cracks and not get paid for 9 months. Anyway I was in the middle of making a $10,000 order of software and hardware. And I get stopped due to that invoice. Anyway I quickly call they're AP department tell them it was a slip and that we would overnight them a check immediately. They said fine, and that they would release my order if I faxed over a copy of the check first, and so I did same day. The next day I get a call back from CDW that they couldn't process the order cuz our credit limit although paid in full (minus 768) was only $5000, and if I wanted more credit I'd have to submit financials... *ugh* CFO was simply delighted at the request, and since it was years end had so much free time on his hands..............

Anyway no way in hell they were getting that, so I told them to the effect check they're own invoice records should prove we're good for it. We had made a few other $10,000+ purchases in the past, but had always sent them a check sameday. That alone should prove we're good for it. They didn't go for that, and in fact began to suddenly bitch about us even having a $5000 limit. So I said to hell with it reduced my order down to they're $5000 limit. A couple hours later got called again, now they tell me they won't ship it till they actually receive the check. This was a brand new stipulation they had never had problem with before. Even more distressing is the check I was going to overnight they actually told me earlier I didn't have to, a copy would suffice for a few days until the check arrived, so I sent it standard.

So on my next call I was at my wits end... realize I had probably spent 5 hours talking to CDW about this freaking order. This was also the kind of order I needed yesterday. After talking to my rep as badly as he wanted to sell me product again the credit department had him on hold, or us rather. I was furious at this point I flat out told my rep this order goes out the door now, or I go somewhere else for good. He said he could do nothing.

So I wrote an email to him, his boss, and the west coast sales manager, as well as the credit lady. And basically stated everything I told you. They're reply was "too bad". So that ended my relationship with CDW. Insight Direct who now also owns my favorite PC one stop online shop TC Computers was more than happy to begin taking my business. And despite the fact we had open unpaid invoices with them, they shipped my order anyway, then transferred me to credit to work out my issues.... but point is order already shipped. :) I worked out the open invoices and have used them ever since. 

As for CDW... I actually let them go ahead and ship the order to me I had originally placed, when it got here some week and a half later, I immediately refused it. :)

2 thumbs down on CDW, and Gateway credit departments eh? 

Dell I love they're credit department, always more than happy to do what we need as long as we show some sign of actually paying our bills. And even better so terribly easy to buy from them via PO. :)

I've been put on hold by Dell a few times now, and every single time I resolved the matter in minutes simply by faxing a copy of a check, then overnighted that check. Always worked for them, no problems yet.