Refurbished

Written July 3, 2000, Posted August 11, 2000

That tag on the box says it all.....

Refurbished

I should have built it myself.

I probably would have worked, and I would not have lost a month of home computing. I thought I would save some time, and pay a little more money. Wrong.

Big mistake.

The computer started crashing within the first 10 or 15 minutes, but I thought that I could fix the problem Hour after hour with tech support, and with each hour invested, you are just a bit too far along in the journey to give it up.

Well... I asked for a new video card, and they sent it, and it crashed in the first 3 minutes.

Hours of more tech support.... and finally I said.. I surrender, take it back.

"We are sorry sir, on refurbished equipment you have to return it within 14 days, not the 30 for new equipment."

You folks made me wait days for parts and test disks and and...

"I'm sorry sir, we can't take it back."

2 more hours of tech support and customer support.. and it dawned on me. I would make it their problem. I got a new tech and we went through the whole process, and then I suggested, that since I had one year of on-site service, they should sent out a technician with a new video board as soon as possible. I told him that the way I figured it, they would be sending me out a tech with a new board about every two days until someone got tired of it all.

The tech finally said to me, you know sir, I am going to make your day. I am issuing you an authorization for return and we will send you a new unit. Be sure to send the old one back within 14 days or you will be charged for both.

The new machine came on the Friday before I was to leave on vacation for 2 weeks. Ok... let's see.... how do I get this machine back?

I took it home, packed up the new one, and returned it to the office and left on Monday.

I won’t do it again.

I swore I would not build one again from scratch – and I figured refurbished would be ok, especially from a “name brand.” Outfit..

Nope

Not doing it again.

Ever