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Gateway Sales

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John of Colts Neck, NJ, writes (10/9/02):
This is my second complaint against Gateway. Three years ago I purchased a Solo 9300 from Gateway for $3400.00. A rep from Gateway convinced me to purchase on time as a member of their Your Ware club. This would give me the ability to trade my machine back after 2 years for "fair market value" at the time of purchase, I was told this would be 50% or $1500.00. As a computer contractor I am constantly upgrading to keep up with the market trends in software, so I purchased as recommended.

After 2 years I went back to trade in my machine, and was told to pay off the rest of the time payment "$3000.00" and then they would give me $600.00 in trade. this means that I was paying $5,400.00 for a $3,400.00 machine with only a $600.00 trade value against a new $2,600.00 system. Well I felt like on of those Cows they have at Gateway at milking time.

I kept the machine and consolidated the load on one of my major credit cards for half the interest. If anyone is considering buying from Gateway under any of these conditions, I would tell them to run as fast as they can to another manufacturer, they could get a better deal from the Mob on this purchase.

John of N. Merrick, NY, writes:
Last November I went to one of the Gateway stores (Carle Place, New York) and purchased a fairly expensive (about $3000) machine, which included a new flat panel screen. I never usually finance things, but I was not getting a real good sense of confidence in the store and thought I'd minimize my exposure by not laying out the entire fee. So, I signed a payment contract.

The machine was delivered about two weeks later, but it lacked a very important piece of cabling. The new flat panel screen was rendered useless because it requires a special type of cable to connect to the tower. I invested a lot of my time on the phone with the Gateway Customer Support (just terrible folks) only to learn that the flat panel cable would not be available for another 3-4 weeks. I was outraged, I told them to take the machine back.

A couple of days later I received UPS stickers/forms unique to this type of return. I packaged everything and UPS picked everything up, and I have the UPS signed/sealed receipt, proving the machine was picked up.

My problem is that I keep getting bills form Gateway, I've called and told them the machine was returned, and I have the forms receipts to prove it. Now, I am getting threatening letters from their collection department. I don't want my company - or me - to have to deal any longer with this matter, plus it now affects my credit rating.

John needs to send a certified, return-receipt-requested letter to Gateway, including photocopies of the UPS receipts. If that doesn't do it, he should report Gateway to the Federal Trade Commission , as this most likely violates federal rules governing such transactions.

James of Lehigh Acres, FL, writes:
In Dec of 1999 I ordered a computer system for my wife for Christmas. I realized the next day it was the wrong system and called Gateway back to change the order. I was told the correct system would be sent out the next day and to refuse delivery on the first system. I did. The system I refused delievery on was received back at Gateway on 1/14/2000 and I have still not recieved credit for it (as of March 17, 2000).

Meanwhile, my credit is tied up and interest is accumulating even though I wrote to MBNA disputing the charge. I have called, emailed, faxed and written to Gateway with no reponse. In fact one customer service rep said she was too busy to help me and call back tommorrow (this after she put me on hold for 54 minutes).

Nena of Hilo, Hawaii, writes:
I ordered a computer from Gateway around the second week in April 1999.  I was informed that it would arrive in approx 10 business days.  I was also told that my payments would be $56 a month, and that express shipping and handling was included in the total cost.  

Around the second week of May 1999 I began calling back and forth between UPS Hawaii, UPS Kansas and Gateway, because no one could seem to track down my order.  I missed a couple of days work on days when I was told the computer would be delivered but no one ever showed up.  

Eventually UPS Hawaii contacted me to tell me they had my package.  I went down to pick it up and the only thing that had arrived was the speakers and the printer and the scanner.  No CPU, and no Monitor.  I spent the next few days hasseling with UPS and Gateway.  Eventually all was found and they delivered it.  

I called the company to complain about the express mail charges. After arguing with a very rude employee who didn't think I deserved the right to speak to anyone other than him, I contacted someone else and Gateway agreed to send me $20. for my troubles.

A few days after I had received my computer, I was mailed a Gateway Credit Card.  It was then that I found out that I would not be making direct payments to Gateway, instead I was to be making $82 payments (vice $56 payments that I had been quoted) to some bank in Omaha @ 22% interest. Of that $82, only $7 went toward payment of the computer.  

I feel like I should have been made aware of these arrangements at the time I placed my order. I was also not able to cash in on $150 rebate, because the salesman neglected to tell me that the rebate was only valid if I had also purchased a digital camera from the same company. The price of the camera, if I'm not mistaken, was $600. 

I did not call and complain about any of this because I had such a hard time getting the computer delivered, and I didn't want to go through that process again.  I decided to suck it up and just make the payments.  

The weekend of Aug 21, 1999, I was unable to access the internet.  (A years worth of internet access was included in the final price of the computer.) So I gave Gateway a call on 8/23.  After being on hold for 30 minutes, I was told I had to call another number.  So I did, and I was on hold again for 23 minutes. I was then informed that my service had been suspended and I would have to call another number to find out why.  

Well I called the other number and I was placed on hold for 53 minutes.  When I finally spoke to someone, I was told that I had outstanding internet connection charges.

When I questioned why I was not informed that there was a charge for the use of the toll free number, they said it was mentioned in the registration.  I am a very computer illiterate person, so therefore I read everything thoroughly.  I never read anything about these charges. Also I questioned why I had not received a bill and they said that they had emailed it to me.  Never got it. 

Also, if they mail me a bill for computer payment, why should I not be mailed a bill for other charges?  I was told that someone would call me back within 4-5 business days with their decision. 

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