I teach college level multimedia and art courses with sophisticated software such as Combustion, Maya, 3D Max (totalling more than $20,000 of software installed on computer) so I needed a high end system at home. Purchased FX610 X Gateway Computer August 2006 with three year on site service agreement. Computer arrived, right out of the box with broken speakers. I called Gateway who told me they needed MY CREDIT CARD TO GUARANTEE THE RETURN OF THEIR BROKEN PRODUCT, and had to return units at my expense for their repair. If mail carrier lost the returned units, my credit card was charged for the replacement units. I kept speakers, replacing them on my own.
Short time later, 24" monitor broke. Black screen showing nothing. Strings of calls to Gateway Techs said monitor could NOT be broke regardless of my black screen. Phone fights with Gateway ensued under my service agreement, finally after months of chasing Gateway, they replaced the monitor with the above policy where I had to return their monitor with MY CREDIT CARD as collateral for their broken equipment.
October, 07, computer still under warranty, dies unable to work at all. For 14 weeks I chased Gateway who denied anything was wrong with my computer. Gateway blamed internet bugs had infected the system DESPITE THE FACT THE UNIT WAS NOT CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET. After dozens more calls to Gateway Techs during November, December 07 and January 08, who denied anything was wrong with their broken system INSISTED the issue was faulty software (which my service agreement did NOT cover) SO nothing was done. System was unusable and still under warranty. As part of a large college, I brought my software disks into our IT department to check all disks...not one piece of software was faulty, successfully installing and operating on computers other than Gateway. Recalled Gateway support with added fury because NO WORK could be done, the system was completely down and under a service agreement, courses were delayed, new coursework could not be prepared, graduate research was unable to be completed. Gateway Techs do NOT respond, hang up, disconnect, shift calls to offsetting departments, repeating the same issues ad infinitum with no results, read prescripted answers that DO NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUES AT HAND.
Finally, after screaming calls to Gateway, mid-January 08, one Gateway Tech (Rebecca) ordered the replacement of the unit's hard drive. Their tech arrived, took out the old hard, put in a new one and left before the new one could even run through the paces of reinstallation. All work contained on the computer disappeared with the old drive so the new hard drive had to be configured. Called Gateway again testing new hard drive and could not access PING address of computer. Gateway insisted the unit HAD to be connected to internet to get ping address which I would not do. Owning Autodesk high end software that needed to be re-keyed with new hard drive, I asked about accessing the PING address. Autodesk led me through three SIMPLE steps to find PING address that had been logged into Windows XP, so obviously the unit did NOT have to be connected to internet nor Gateway does NOT know it's own hardware. This system shuts down at will, still cannot create any work and demanded refund from Gateway to purchase a reliable system. Filed complaints with Better Business Bureau, Illinois Attorney General who advised me to get an attorney, throwing more money and time down the drain that I DO NOT HAVE, nor should I have to. This is not a BABY system. My system, still under warranty does not operate.
THIS SYSTEM HAS BEEN FAULTY SINCE THE DAY IT WAS DELIVERED, is still under a paid warranty, does not work AND THERE IS NO RECOURSE TO THE CONSUMER BECAUSE GATEWAY, A LARGE CORPORATION DENIES EVERYTHING. THEY HAVE MY MONEY, I HAVE NOTHING and the states within which they do business allow them to continue to string consumers along, take their money offering no solutions to equipment that does not work.
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