r_rharvey
09-05-2001, 12:46 AM
I purchased a Compaq 5000 (5BWM2A) in January 2001 through my phone company. It's what they refer to as a "DSL computer." This computer comes with the Intel 810E chipset which has been modified to have a 700Mhz Celeron processor instead of a P3. The vid card and audio card are "onboard" the motherboard (aka system board) and it comes with a DSL modem. It also comes with WinME.
So the computer is delivered, and from day one, it is crashing at least once per day. So I call tech support, who tells me to take it in to CompUSA to get it repaired. I walk into CompUSA with a service order number and my computer, and I'm told that because I don't have a recipet (Remember, I bought this through my phone company) they won't fix it. So I call Compaq back, and they say to just bring my phone bill with me. So I go back to CompUSA...and of course, they still won't fix it. Now I've been building computers, and programming, for over 14 years. I do know how to fix this problem myself, since I'd been able to ascertain that the issue is with the onboard video card (There are at least 27 other people I've met through various message boards with the EXACT same problem with this computer). Tech support can't think beyond software issues. Now I'm about to get complicated.
I wanted to go into my BIOS and designate the onboard vid card as a slave, and use a PCI vid card as the master...but this is a proprietary system and they have locked their users out of the full BIOS. They've also removed the jumpers from the motherboard to make it more difficult to reset the CMOS. (Sidenote: If you want to reset the CMOS, remove the battery for 10 seconds and replace it....ADVANCED USERS ONLY!) Anyway, a week and a half ago, I finally got a tech support person who didn't try to describe icons they wanted me to click on. This man freely admitted that I knew a great deal more about computers than he did, and that he had no idea how to fix the current problem. But he offered to send an in-home repair person out to fix the problem. Why no one had offered this option before is beyond me. So ok...out comes this inhome repair guy with a new motherboard. Now mind you, other than my computer crashing about 12 times a day now, it does work fine. So he installs the new MB, attaches my old processor, and........Nothing. He broke the processor. But he wasn't about to admit that, so he ordered another MB and refused to order a new processor. So another guy comes out on thursday with the new MB, puts it in, and.....Nothing. He then tries to tell me that it's my RAM that's causing the problem. (The 128 chip I added 3 months after my computer started crashing) I take both chips from my Compaq, put them in my Gateway, and it boots with no problem. So he finally orders me a new MB AND processor, and says they'll be back on tuesday to put it in. Today was tuseday, no phone call, no show, no nothing. So I call a "customer support specialist" tonight. Compaq does NOT OFFER it's customers a direct phone number to customer support. You have to first go through tech support. Well, if anyone needs to get to customer support you can call 1-800-204-5010...access code 803...extension 14020...just ask for Anna...she's got no more power than tech support (according to her) but hey, she deserves to hear from all of you! Anyway, this lovely lady told me there was nothing she could do about the ineptness of Compaq employees. She said she'd call Banctec in the morning to find out why they weren't out to fix my computer today. I told her that was great, but I wanted to know why Compaq employees had a) failed to tell me for over 6 months that I could get in home repair, b) failed to tell me that CompUSA won't repair the DSL computers (Anna told me this tonight) c) failed to have anywhere near enough knowledge to do some genuine trouble shooting. Among other things. She had no answer of course. Kept insisting that she'd call Banctec in the morning. And I kept telling her that was only half the problem. So I asked to speak with her supervisor. She doesn't HAVE one!!!! Wow...she's the CEO? She told me that I could write a letter to Ron McAndrews and snail mail it, and they'd review my complaint. When I asked her how I would be informed if they'd reviewed my case and decided to take no action, she couldn't tell me. Beyond knowing that she should tell me to write to Ron McAndrews she apparently has no knowledge of her companies' procedures. Incidentally, I wrote to Mr. McAndrews over 4 months ago, and to this day have gotten no response. Big surprise. I asked to speak with Mr. McAndrews and was told that he doesn't take calls. That he "doesn't speak on the phone." I asked if she communicated with him via snail mail, telepathy or carrier pigeons. I don't think she was amused. His office is apparently right down the hall from her, so I suggested that she write a little note telling him that she had an irate customer that he should phone, and to slip the note under his door for him to find in the morning. Again, she wasn't amused, but she said she'd talk to him. I'm not holding my breath. I will be finding a way to speak with Mr. McAndrews personally. And in the meantime, I will be making my situation known to anyone and everyone. I have a very dear friend of mine on the editorial staff of PC Magazine that I will be reporting all of my adventure to. It seems that Compaq is too busy finalizing it's merger with HP to pay any attention to it's poor customers. My email address is r_rharvey@ameritech.net Anyone who has had similar issues with Compaq is welcome to email me. Perhaps if we make enough noise, they'll actually remember who it is that pays their bills. Us. The customers.
So the computer is delivered, and from day one, it is crashing at least once per day. So I call tech support, who tells me to take it in to CompUSA to get it repaired. I walk into CompUSA with a service order number and my computer, and I'm told that because I don't have a recipet (Remember, I bought this through my phone company) they won't fix it. So I call Compaq back, and they say to just bring my phone bill with me. So I go back to CompUSA...and of course, they still won't fix it. Now I've been building computers, and programming, for over 14 years. I do know how to fix this problem myself, since I'd been able to ascertain that the issue is with the onboard video card (There are at least 27 other people I've met through various message boards with the EXACT same problem with this computer). Tech support can't think beyond software issues. Now I'm about to get complicated.
I wanted to go into my BIOS and designate the onboard vid card as a slave, and use a PCI vid card as the master...but this is a proprietary system and they have locked their users out of the full BIOS. They've also removed the jumpers from the motherboard to make it more difficult to reset the CMOS. (Sidenote: If you want to reset the CMOS, remove the battery for 10 seconds and replace it....ADVANCED USERS ONLY!) Anyway, a week and a half ago, I finally got a tech support person who didn't try to describe icons they wanted me to click on. This man freely admitted that I knew a great deal more about computers than he did, and that he had no idea how to fix the current problem. But he offered to send an in-home repair person out to fix the problem. Why no one had offered this option before is beyond me. So ok...out comes this inhome repair guy with a new motherboard. Now mind you, other than my computer crashing about 12 times a day now, it does work fine. So he installs the new MB, attaches my old processor, and........Nothing. He broke the processor. But he wasn't about to admit that, so he ordered another MB and refused to order a new processor. So another guy comes out on thursday with the new MB, puts it in, and.....Nothing. He then tries to tell me that it's my RAM that's causing the problem. (The 128 chip I added 3 months after my computer started crashing) I take both chips from my Compaq, put them in my Gateway, and it boots with no problem. So he finally orders me a new MB AND processor, and says they'll be back on tuesday to put it in. Today was tuseday, no phone call, no show, no nothing. So I call a "customer support specialist" tonight. Compaq does NOT OFFER it's customers a direct phone number to customer support. You have to first go through tech support. Well, if anyone needs to get to customer support you can call 1-800-204-5010...access code 803...extension 14020...just ask for Anna...she's got no more power than tech support (according to her) but hey, she deserves to hear from all of you! Anyway, this lovely lady told me there was nothing she could do about the ineptness of Compaq employees. She said she'd call Banctec in the morning to find out why they weren't out to fix my computer today. I told her that was great, but I wanted to know why Compaq employees had a) failed to tell me for over 6 months that I could get in home repair, b) failed to tell me that CompUSA won't repair the DSL computers (Anna told me this tonight) c) failed to have anywhere near enough knowledge to do some genuine trouble shooting. Among other things. She had no answer of course. Kept insisting that she'd call Banctec in the morning. And I kept telling her that was only half the problem. So I asked to speak with her supervisor. She doesn't HAVE one!!!! Wow...she's the CEO? She told me that I could write a letter to Ron McAndrews and snail mail it, and they'd review my complaint. When I asked her how I would be informed if they'd reviewed my case and decided to take no action, she couldn't tell me. Beyond knowing that she should tell me to write to Ron McAndrews she apparently has no knowledge of her companies' procedures. Incidentally, I wrote to Mr. McAndrews over 4 months ago, and to this day have gotten no response. Big surprise. I asked to speak with Mr. McAndrews and was told that he doesn't take calls. That he "doesn't speak on the phone." I asked if she communicated with him via snail mail, telepathy or carrier pigeons. I don't think she was amused. His office is apparently right down the hall from her, so I suggested that she write a little note telling him that she had an irate customer that he should phone, and to slip the note under his door for him to find in the morning. Again, she wasn't amused, but she said she'd talk to him. I'm not holding my breath. I will be finding a way to speak with Mr. McAndrews personally. And in the meantime, I will be making my situation known to anyone and everyone. I have a very dear friend of mine on the editorial staff of PC Magazine that I will be reporting all of my adventure to. It seems that Compaq is too busy finalizing it's merger with HP to pay any attention to it's poor customers. My email address is r_rharvey@ameritech.net Anyone who has had similar issues with Compaq is welcome to email me. Perhaps if we make enough noise, they'll actually remember who it is that pays their bills. Us. The customers.