- Report: #138179
Complaint Review: Gateway Computers - Nationwide
-
Author Confirmed
Why?
Gateway Computers
www.gateway.com Nationwide, U.S.A.
Web:
N/A
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good?
Gateway Computers Gateway does not honor valid quotes, sales people blase', try to sell you more expensive merchandise. Denton, TX North Dakota
In February 2005, I went to the following address, http://esource.gateway.com/default.asp?mscssid=3697711
This is a site for people who have perks to purchase PC's with a discount from what other regular customers pay. This is a program through my work.
I went online, customized a PC, saved a quote and even printed out the screen as proof of my quote. It showed the quote number, date generated, and the expiration date, which in this case was April 7, 2005. Two weeks later I went back to the site to purchase my PC and that's where it all started to go downhill.
I keyed in the quote number and the system returned a message that the quote had expired. It was March 6, 2005 and the paper said that the quote didn't expire until April 7, 2005. I called up Gateway and spoke with a girl there who sounded nice, and I told her my problem. From the get go, I offered to fax in the paper I printed from their website showing what computer I wanted with specs and the price quoted with the quote expiration date. She said that wasn't necessary and that she could take care of it. Wrong...
I spent the next half hour to 45 minutes waiting for her to find my company listed on the list of companies entitled to discount pricing. I work for the largest mutual fund company on the planet and she couldn't find it. Finally, she went to her supervisor and then told me that recently they changed the model number classification. I told her that should matter what you call it, it's what is on the inside that counts and I have a valid claim to this computer at this price. She then proceeded to try and sell me what I wanted, but for more than $500 more than what I was quoted. She was so thickheaded in not understanding that when you give a quote in writing, it is to be honored, otherwise, you are dealing with false advertising. I got fed up and hung up the phone.
I called back the next day trying to give them one more chance. The reason being that my current computer was a Gateway and I got good service and tech support from them. I talked to a gentleman and expressed to him the previous events. I also told him the following:
1. I wanted a Gateway.
2. I wanted to buy it today.
3. That I would pay for it via credit card.
4. I would only pay for the system that I received a quote on and for no more.
He acknowledged this and we agreed to talk later that morning around 10am. I actually did fax in the quote I got off the website to this guy and he was able to find my company's name in the discount list whereas the previous person could not for some strange reason. That time came and when I called him, I kept getting his voicemail. I called the rest of the afternoon, and by this time, I'm on the Dell Corporate Discount Site configuring a new system. He calls and leaves a message saying that he cannot give me the system I wanted for the price I was quoted by their website. I was in absolute shock at hearing this! I called him back, again getting his voicemail, and proceeded to tell him what a sorry salesman he was and that Gateway lost my business. I ordered my Dell, paid less for it and got more component wise, and I got it with free shipping.
The point I am trying to make here is that Gateway is a dishonest company that doesn't honor it's own price quotes. When you lock in a quote, a company should honor that quote. That is called good business. Second, the fact that they ignored my requests to fax them proof of said quote is beyond reproach. Then when they have proof of said quote, they still deny to honor it when clearly the expiration had not come to pass. What a load!
Also, their sales staff, being on commission only, you would think they would love someone like me who is enthusiastic about buying their product, but I guess not. I guess this type of business practice and crappy attitude towards customers is the reason their stock price is in the crapper.
I highly recommend not doing service with Gateway due to the above reasons. They are dishonest, untrustworthy, and if their sales staff is this terrible, I can't imagine what their tech support must have morphed into. Stay away because they have lost touch with customers and the concept of good business.
Hunter
Denton, Texas
U.S.A.
This is a site for people who have perks to purchase PC's with a discount from what other regular customers pay. This is a program through my work.
I went online, customized a PC, saved a quote and even printed out the screen as proof of my quote. It showed the quote number, date generated, and the expiration date, which in this case was April 7, 2005. Two weeks later I went back to the site to purchase my PC and that's where it all started to go downhill.
I keyed in the quote number and the system returned a message that the quote had expired. It was March 6, 2005 and the paper said that the quote didn't expire until April 7, 2005. I called up Gateway and spoke with a girl there who sounded nice, and I told her my problem. From the get go, I offered to fax in the paper I printed from their website showing what computer I wanted with specs and the price quoted with the quote expiration date. She said that wasn't necessary and that she could take care of it. Wrong...
I spent the next half hour to 45 minutes waiting for her to find my company listed on the list of companies entitled to discount pricing. I work for the largest mutual fund company on the planet and she couldn't find it. Finally, she went to her supervisor and then told me that recently they changed the model number classification. I told her that should matter what you call it, it's what is on the inside that counts and I have a valid claim to this computer at this price. She then proceeded to try and sell me what I wanted, but for more than $500 more than what I was quoted. She was so thickheaded in not understanding that when you give a quote in writing, it is to be honored, otherwise, you are dealing with false advertising. I got fed up and hung up the phone.
I called back the next day trying to give them one more chance. The reason being that my current computer was a Gateway and I got good service and tech support from them. I talked to a gentleman and expressed to him the previous events. I also told him the following:
1. I wanted a Gateway.
2. I wanted to buy it today.
3. That I would pay for it via credit card.
4. I would only pay for the system that I received a quote on and for no more.
He acknowledged this and we agreed to talk later that morning around 10am. I actually did fax in the quote I got off the website to this guy and he was able to find my company's name in the discount list whereas the previous person could not for some strange reason. That time came and when I called him, I kept getting his voicemail. I called the rest of the afternoon, and by this time, I'm on the Dell Corporate Discount Site configuring a new system. He calls and leaves a message saying that he cannot give me the system I wanted for the price I was quoted by their website. I was in absolute shock at hearing this! I called him back, again getting his voicemail, and proceeded to tell him what a sorry salesman he was and that Gateway lost my business. I ordered my Dell, paid less for it and got more component wise, and I got it with free shipping.
The point I am trying to make here is that Gateway is a dishonest company that doesn't honor it's own price quotes. When you lock in a quote, a company should honor that quote. That is called good business. Second, the fact that they ignored my requests to fax them proof of said quote is beyond reproach. Then when they have proof of said quote, they still deny to honor it when clearly the expiration had not come to pass. What a load!
Also, their sales staff, being on commission only, you would think they would love someone like me who is enthusiastic about buying their product, but I guess not. I guess this type of business practice and crappy attitude towards customers is the reason their stock price is in the crapper.
I highly recommend not doing service with Gateway due to the above reasons. They are dishonest, untrustworthy, and if their sales staff is this terrible, I can't imagine what their tech support must have morphed into. Stay away because they have lost touch with customers and the concept of good business.
Hunter
Denton, Texas
U.S.A.
