Star Computer Systems of Columbia MD is a Rip-off ..Better Business Bureau a JOKE *REBUTTAL
I purchased a new "base" from Star Computer, at a computer show. This was after we had several in mine, and had spoken to several salespeople.Everything was included. When I got home, I found they had downloaded only part of windows 98, and had not given me the disk as promised. Nor were there any instructions for the drives that were included.
I tried for several weeks to get ahold of the salesman, with no luck. Finally I spoke to the manager who just refused to believe anything I had to say. He was very hard to understand. He told me to bring the computer back and he would give me my money back. I went to the computer show, to purchase the computer there,to save money.
I felt that if I spoke to the salesman everything would work out. After a month, I realised I had been scammed. I contacted Microsoft who informed me that what Star computer had done was illegal. They started their own investigation.
I then reported this to the Better Business Bureau ( they are a joke ) Part of this deal was a warranty. Two months after purchasing this new computer, frustrated that I couldn't get certain things working, like the floppy drive, I took the computer to Tandy Corp. They found I had a rebuilt computer with parts that were not working. It was also, filthy inside. They had to replace the floppy drive immediately.
Now the cd-rom is acting up and this computer is only 8 months old. Obviously from the way Star Computer has acted, I can't count on the warranty, because they wouldn't replace damaged parts or they wouldn't be there in the first place.
The Better Business Bureau of Md has had this complaint for 6 months and we've gone nowhere. What exactly does the Better Business Bureau do? They certainly haven't acted like they are concerned with consumers being ripped off. I even forwarded the emails from Microsoft saying that what Star Computers had done was illegal. Isn't that enough?
Next time, I'll know that these computer shows and the companies in them are just problems waiting to happen...
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Jose
Stafford,Virginia,
I also purchased from Star Computer Systems and have had a good experience...
#4Consumer Comment
Mon, June 03, 2002
I purchased a system from SCS last year at the computer show and so far my experience when dealing with them has been a possitive one.
A few week after I purchesed the system I needed to re-bulild my system and when re-installing I noticed that one of the CDs was missing (DVD Software) I contacted SCS and mentioned that I was missing one of the CDs. They said to stop by the next computer show and they would provide the missing CD. The gentleman that I talked to could not have been more cortious than he was when I contacted him, nor he could have been friendlier when I stoped by the next weekend to pick the missing CD.
Today I just called them again because the computer that I purchased from them went completely bezerk. His answer (again in a very friendly manner) was, bring the system over and we'll take a look at it and we'll fix any thing that is wrong with it.
I really don't know what kind of system this person purchased, but from reading the message I think s/he actually purchased a bare bones system. As the name implies this is a system with just the minimums (case, motherboard, processor, memory, that's about it.) the system that i purchased was a full system and it came pre-installed with Win98 and some other stuff (all CDs for the installed software was included, except the missing DVD software)
I don't know what the tone of the conversation was, but if the owner offered to refund the $ why wouldn't you take it. Why take the computer to Tandy? Why not take it SCS and have them check it?
Thanks for your time.
This is a rebuttal to the "rebuttal" from magus. ...No where did I say I downloaded it onto my computer and then tried to lay blame on Star Computer.
#40
Fri, June 29, 2001
This email is a rebuttal to RipOff #4457.
It was sent by grets at grets1333@aol.com.
Star Computer Systems of Columbia, MD, is a Rip-off Better Business Bureau a JOKE *REBUTTAL (#4457)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Star Computer Systems (Computer Dealers)
2/15/01 (Last Modified: 5/19/01)
--------------------------------------------------------------
They filed the following rebuttal to the above Rip-Off Report:
Their email: grets1333@aol.com
Their name: grets
Their phone number: 703-221-8611
Their relationship to the company: Consumer Suggestion
Rebuttal:
This is a rebuttal to the "rebuttal" from magus.
He did not understand what I wrote, so I wanted to clarify it, so other consumers are not misled. No where did I state that I downloaded Microsoft online.. I said the owner partially downloaded windows onto the system. No where did I say I downloaded it onto my computer and then tried to lay blame on Star Computer. I purchased a system, a base is what I was told it was called, that's the tower, that has the memory, the hard drive & the cd ROM, etc. in it.
After a month of trying to get ahold of the salesman who sold me the computer, I made contact with the owner who was very rude to me. When I called him back later, he said, "if i don't like it return it". Now I was always told there were laws against making claims in a sale, to get someone to buy something, that isn't true. That is why I didn't just return it. I felt I had been wronged and when the proper authorities dealt with it, the situation would be corrected. Microsoft has responded to me, and are continuing an investigation.
They have stated to me in writing that what star computer did was illegal. Only the BBB of Baltimore acts like a bunch of school children who don't know..anything.
The only thing that I had downloaded onto my computer for several months was AOL. The problems with the system arrived from having only partial programs downloaded by star computer. I had to buy windows to download. This was promised to me during the sale. I took the system into tandy to find out why the floppy never worked from day one, only to find out it was used equipment and obviously broken. I bought a new system, not a used one. The cd rom is also acting up.
All I wanted was the windows disk that I was promised, and the warranties that come with it. Now I want the replacement cost of the floppy drive.
Next time read the problem a little slower so you can understand what is I had written!
There is a lot of inconsistency ....
#40
Sat, May 19, 2001
This email is a rebuttal to RipOff #4457.
It was sent by Magus at magus7@netzero.net.
STAR COMPUTER SYSTEMS OF COLUMBIA MD RIPS PEOPLE OFF (#4457)
They filed the following rebuttal to the above Rip-Off Report:
Their email: magus7@netzero.net
Their name: Magus
Their relationship to the company: Consumer Suggestion
Rebuttal:
There is a lot of inconsistency and obscurity in what this individual is saying. First, this person states that he or she purchased a "base" ? What is a base? Is this a name of a particular system, is it a barebone machine? Second, this individual goes on to state that windows98 was only partly downloaded. What does this suppose to mean? I didn't know you
could download Microsoft OSes online, not legally anyway. Third, this person mentions that the owner would refund the money but this person refused to bring the computer back? Is this what I'm reading? Fourth, This person keeps attacking the BBB on how incompetent they are.. why? Why did this person take this machine to Tandy to have things looked over if a full refund offer was already given by the owner? Is there a reason why Microsoft or the BB Bureau didn't respond to this person's plea?
I've read what this person has written here, and it seems to me that this individual purchased a barebones system which is basically the guts of a computer system and then installed their own hardware into it. And when they couldn't get things to work properly, they pushed the blame to the company that sold them the hardware. I don't know about anyone else, but that's what it looks like to me.