;
  • Report:  #310679

Complaint Review: Data Doctors - Fountain Hills Arizona

Reported By:
- Phoenix, Arizona,
Submitted:
Updated:

Data Doctors
16835 E. Shea Blvd Suite 111 Fountain Hills, 85268 Arizona, U.S.A.
Phone:
480-513.2500
Web:
N/A
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good? What's this?
RONALD SMITH AND DATA DOCTORS LOCATED IN ARIZONA

DATA DOCTORS COMPUTER SERVICES

Data Doctors operates on this one simple premise.

Give the customer a free coupon through mass mailing, and local media newspapers to get you into the store for their free computer checkup, then hopefully find something wrong with the computer (which is what youre there for in the first place) and then bill you $89.00 minimum per hour and 25% + on parts markup. They will not tell you what is wrong with the pc in many instances as a ploy to get you to commit to their service, and send you away just as stymied as when you first came in if you dont commit. Not only are they horrendously overpriced, but the Franchise distributor Ken Coburn wants a prospective franchisee to buy the stores in three packs. That way he knows you are motivated to run the operation. What a nice guy huh? Put you into major debt then charge you huge royalty fees. Seems the only thing serious here is Data Doctors attempting to become overnight successes off of each individual that is foolish enough to invest in them. There are many less expensive alternatives to computer repair and computer repair businesses at much less the cost and hassle.

A typical scenario is this:

1.Customer brings in a slow acting computer in for the free checkup.

2.A technician boots the pc, and paints a dire picture regarding spyware, possible viruses, and other mundane issues which may or may not exist.

3.The technician tells you that it will probably take 3 or more hours to get the computer to off the shelf condition totalling about 270.00 U.S.

4.You agree and put the 89.00 non-refundable deposit down.

5.The technician spends anywhere from 1.5 20 2.5 hours depending.

Now here is the clincher, this list was sent to me from a former customer and this is Data Doctors 20 point diagnostic check that you pay 270.00 for.

Every item they utilize to fix your pc is free and can readily be found on the Internet.

possible viruses and other mundane issues which may or may not exist.

DATA DOCTORS 24 POINT PC CHECKLIST

1) Removed Hard Drive from system and connected to Lab machine. (Not Necessary, and can be done without removal)

2) Performed Anti Virus Scan utilizing 2 separate scanning programs-Found and removed __ infected files. (Nothing more than running an anti-virus program on the c: drive)

3.) Reinstalled drive (Easy Enough)

4.) Ran MSConfig utility to check for excessive processes and performed a normal start up. (Something a child can do at home) Type MSConfig in the start\run\ and uncheck what you dont want to load on startup,

5.) Checked System date and time for accuracy. (Another no-brainer)

6) Disabled System Restore and deleted unnecessary files. (Completely unnecessary)

7) Ran the windows disk clean utility and deleted temp files. (Again can be done at home for free by R clicking on you c: drive and left clicking on properties and choosing delete temp files)

Checked the windows device manager for duplicate entrys and/or errors. (No performance increase)

9) Boot to Windows Safe mode to run Spyware cleanup (A free utility called spybot free for download of the Internet accomplishes this)

10) Installed and ran Anti-Spyware Applications (Once again 2 free downloads off of the internet Ad aware and Spybot)

11) ETrust Pest Patrol deleted __ Spyware files. (Redundant)

12)Activated Spybots Host File blocking utility (All done automatically by the free utility download here )

13) Ad-Aware found and deleted __ (Again free download here ad-aware.

14) Spyware Blaster found and deleted __

15) Hijack this found and deleted __ (Another free download)

16) Created Disabled Start-up folder and copied unnecessary start-up applications over (Not necessary)

17) Checked Windows device manager for updated drivers and missing hardware drivers. (Anyone can do this at home)

18) Verified Internet Connectivity and logon (Duh)

19) Installed __ Microsoft critical updates (Free Windows update that can be done at home)

20) Installed __ Microsoft recommended updates (Free Windows update that can be done at home)

21) Updated Antivirus software if applicable (Free with any anti-virus utilized by you.)

22) Performed a second complete virus check (Redundant)

23) Performed error Check and Defragmentation of primary Hard Drive (Once again free and all found in the Windows System tools)

24) Performed Interior and exterior cleaning of system ( $4.00 can of Airduster,paper towels. and Windex)

Is this worth the $300.00 that they charge folks?

You be the judge.

One can buy a brand new pc for a few dollars more.

Mike

Phoenix, Arizona

U.S.A.


8 Updates & Rebuttals

Ray

Glendale,
Arizona,
USA
I Googled "that name"

#2Consumer Comment

Fri, May 07, 2010

Apparently the guy never worked for you and was just a disgruntled customer. The Google search shows that he's a pretty upstanding guy. I have been to Data Doctors myself and they are very expensive IMHO.


Doc

Healdsburg,
California,
U.S.A.
Reasonable

#3Consumer Suggestion

Wed, May 28, 2008

I think the actions the repair people did are fine. A little high on the charge for their services, but systems like these are a mess and all the tests take time. Next time do the work yourself if you do not want to incur a repair cost.


Ron Smith

Scottsdale,
Arizona,
U.S.A.
And now we resort to vulgar name calling

#4REBUTTAL Owner of company

Wed, May 28, 2008

RAYMOND AMBROSINI (google that name folks and see what type of loser we are dealing with here). Enough said.


James

Payson,
Arizona,
U.S.A.
Shutup Dummy

#5Consumer Comment

Wed, May 28, 2008

And go ruin your other business.


James

Payson,
Arizona,
U.S.A.
If anyone is delusional asshole it's you

#6Consumer Comment

Wed, May 28, 2008

Maybe if you put Bulls on Parade on pause and quit scratching your gooch with a carrot pealer, you could put together a coherent sentence.You are a piss poor person when it comes to running a business.You ruin everything you touch, and you can't even get your facts straight.On you it would be easier to count the rivets left than the rivets missing.You are a worthless b*****d. Go back to your hole and don't return. No one likes you. No one will ever like you. You are destined to be alone and miserable... FOREVER. Like I said folks the facts stand for themselves.This moron cannot run a business, and ruins everything he touches.Stay out of his stores if you value your wallet.


Ron Smith

Scottsdale,
Arizona,
U.S.A.
Keep it up Raymond..

#7REBUTTAL Owner of company

Tue, May 27, 2008

Go ahead and keep trashing me Raymond. What a pitiful person who has nothing better to do than harass people behind an alias on the internet. I am aware of your games. Why don't you explain why you, as a 50 year old man, could not hold a job with my Fountain Hills Data Doctors store? I fired you because you were a complete moron and if anyone butchered my business it was you and another clown I hired based on false pretenses. Why don't you tell us all about your failed attempts to start a computer repair business on your own? The only rip-off here is this ridiculous web-site that allows anyone with an internet connection to say anything about anybody with absolutely no verification of facts and sources. Nobody posting here about my business has ever been a customer of mine. These posts have nothing to do with anything other than slander. It is a pitiful attempt by a former employee to cast nothing but malicious slanderous falsehoods about my business and myself. Anyone reading this, do your own research on this delusional man: /Travel-Services/Rocky-Point-Travel/rocky-point-travel-ripoff-aler-243X7.htm#255373 CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.


James

Payson,
Arizona,
U.S.A.
Hey Ron

#8Consumer Comment

Sun, May 25, 2008

You're bankrupt at that store right? Looks like you've lost your rear end on this one stupid. Data Doctors Franchise - Fountain HillsFountain Hills, Arizona (Maricopa County) Services - Computer & Software Asking Price $79,000 Inventory $2,000* Gross Income $132,927 Real Estate Cash Flow -$1,700 Year Established 2003 FF&E $10,000* Employees 1 * included in the asking price ** not included in the asking price This is a true turn-key offering. Start-up cost for this business is $125K. Included in the sales price is: $2000 store lease transfer fee, $1000 Data Doctors transfer fee, $3000 tuition for manditory Data Doctors training, and over $10K in leasehold improvements. This store is at break-even. With a local owner who can promote the business, profits will result. Facilities: Great high traffic location in shopping center with Target, Petco, & Ross store anchors. Competition: Data Doctors good name recognition and is consistently ranked in the top computer service stores in AZ Growth/Expansion: A local owner can promote and market the Company servioes to the 4000 small businesses and large underserved consumer population located in Fountain Hills. Reason Selling: Can't afford


Ron Smith

Scottsdale,
Arizona,
U.S.A.
Hey Mike, if you are such an expert....

#9REBUTTAL Owner of company

Tue, May 06, 2008

Why did you bring your computer to us in the first place? Sounds like you know how to fix it yourself. Perhaps you have a thriving computer repair business in Fountain Hills as well. Or maybe you consulted with the neighborhood high school under-graduate that charges $30 per hour to screw up computers. Or perhaps you went to see the Geek Squad (since they charge you $100 just to turn your computer on and nearly $350 to perform the same service that we charge $239 for). I challenge you to contact me personally and if we did not improve the performance of your computer or solve the issues which caused you to come in, then I will re-do the service or refund your money. There is no practice of bait and switch. We spend 15 - 20 minutes at the counter with each customer at no charge while we go through a standard checklist to evaluate the performance of the system. The checklist leaves no guesswork, the system either needs service or it doesn't. We see many computers where no service is recommended. We offer many customers free advice, even those seeking to "do it themselves". We don't always know exactly what is wrong with a computer when we go through this evaluation, but we always give the customer the price upfront before we do any work. We always try to give the customer as much information as we can during this process and try to educate them on the maintenance and security of their system. We guarantee our service and if our comprehensive clean-up service did not solve the issues or greatly improve the performance of a computer, we do a complete format and re-install of the system, saving all important data at no charge to the customer. Mike, your post is just a copy of one posted by Larry of Rockford, Illinois. No sense debating most of his comments because they don't represent all that we do within our service and they are ignorant points at best. I don't think Larry was ever a customer of ours and I have my doubts that you were either. If you were, I hope to hear from you.

Reports & Rebuttal
Respond to this report!
Also a victim?
Repair Your Reputation!
//