🚀 go-pugleaf

This is posted for a friend.  Please respond to the net or to Duane at
dlundste@ncube.com.


If you now own a Packard Bell computer or if you are considering
purchasing one, read this first.  This is an actual experience.
Hopefully, you won't experience the same.

About a year and a half ago, we purchased a Packard Bell PB-500 XT
computer from Costco Wholesale (a membership wholesale buying club, for
those who are unfamiliar with Costco).  The computer was purchased to do
small business accounting, and proved appropriate for the application.
Costco has always been considered a reputable dealer, always standing
behind the merchandise they sell, and always honoring returns, etc.
Costco's price was the best around, so we didn't hesitate to purchase
the computer there.

Everything went along just fine for about one year (the length of the
manufacturer's warranty), when the monitor up and blinked out.  In a
hurry to get the monitor repaired under warranty, we tried to contact
Packard Bell.  The service number published in the literature that came
with the computer was no longer in service.  The 800 number provided
simply rang and rang, no one ever answered it. Finally, in desperation,
we went back to Costco and related our story to them.  They tried to
reach Packard Bell using the telephone numbers published on the new
equipment that they were still selling, and still couldn't get through.
Costco ended up exchanging the monitor for a new, working one.  I doubt
they ever got their money out of that deal.

***Note that Costco deserves special recognition here for standing beside
   their customers after the sale.  As you can see here, Costco upheld the
   warranty even though the manufacturer could not be reached.  Costco has
   worked with us every step of the way throughout this ordeal.  The
   management at Costco will be getting a letter describing this problem
   and recommending Packard Bell computers be dropped as a product.

The fact that we couldn't reach Packard Bell concerned us, but, since
the computer was now out of warranty, we didn't follow up as we probably
should have.  We should have written a letter to Costco and to Packard
Bell, but we didn't.

Again, everything was fine. . .until about a month ago. We started
getting an error message during power-up (during the RAM self-test) that
said that a portion of RAM was faulty.  This was a serious problem
because after printing the error message, the system thought there was
only 129K of RAM; not nearly enough to run any real applications.
Occasionally, we could power cycle the system and the error would clear
up, but usually we were just plain stuck.

We checked around to various repair shops and found that most could not
turn the repair around fast enough for our needs (remember, this was a
business system, one that was relied upon for basic business functions).
We called the local "factory authorized service" place and they thought
they could have it repaired in a day.  Great!  So we took it there for
repair.  After some hassles with trying to get the computer to fail at
the dealer's shop, they finally determined that a RAM chip was bad, but
they still thought they could have it repaired in time.  

Then came the bad news: the RAM chips are not socketed on this
motherboard, and because of "specially manufactured, multi-etch, blah
blah blah boards," the chip could not be replaced by the service shop,
it had to be repaired at the factory.  Still, the news didn't seem all
that bad.  Then they told us that the factory uses a board swap policy,
and that if we paid $325, we would get a new motherboard.  Imagine
paying $325 for an XT motherboard!!!!  We decided to do some checking
around before jumping into this expensive repair.

The obvious thing to do was to call Packard Bell service.  We tried the
originally provided number, and someone answered using some strange
business name.  I said, "Is this Packard Bell?"  She said that they had
a new number, and she gave it to me.  The first number was toll-free,
this number was a toll call.  I called the toll number and a recording
said "Thank you for calling Packard Bell. If you know the 4-digit
extension of the party you are trying to reach, enter it now.  If you
don't know the party's extension, or if you are dialing from a rotary
telphone, please hold the line and an operator will assist you."  Oh,
great!  I held the line.  "Thank you for calling Packard Bell.  If you
know the 4-digit extension of the party . . ."  I hung up.

When I tried the number an hour later (don't forget that these are toll
calls!), I got the same recorded message, but this time someone
answered.  "Thank you for calling Packard Bell."  I said, "Can I speak
to someone in service please?"  "One moment."  Then, another recording:
"Thank you for calling Packard Bell Customer Service.  All available
Customer Service representatives are busy right now, but if you'll hold
the line, your call will be handled in the order in which it was
received."  I held.  Soon an operator answered, "Customer Service
message center."  I said, "Does this mean I should leave a message?"
"Yes."  I said, "Would it be possible for me to speak with someone in
Service?" (annoyed) "Sorry, everyone is busy right now."  I said, "Can I
assume that someone will return my call?" (more annoyed)  She said,
"Yes, someone will call withing the next 8 to 10 business hours."  I
gave up and left my name and number.  Now, that's service.

Well, I'm sure you're dying to know.  Did they call?  NO.  After waiting
the two days (I gave them two days. I thought that was fair.), I decided
we'd better get the repair done so we could resume work back at the
business.  So, I called the dealer and authorized the repair.  

I called the toll number at Packard Bell again, and again got the
Customer Service message center.  I told the operator that I had already
left a message and wanted to check in again to find out if anyone was
really going to call. I told her to shuffle my original message to the
top of the heap.  She said she would do her best.  (You can hardly get
upset with the poor operator.  She was doing all she could do!)

A full 4 days later (Friday, August 31), I got a call. "Hello, this is
so and so from Packard Bell."  I was shocked.  I said nothing.  "Did
anyone return your call?"  Finally, I said, "No. I'm glad you called. .
."  He interrupted me, "I'm not from Customer Service.  I'm just calling
to see if you have been helped yet."  I said, "No, I haven't." (I can't
even believe this!) He said, "Someone will call you before the end of
the day.  If not today, by Tuesday, for sure."  By now, I don't even
know what I'm going to say if they ever call back.

COME ON, PACKARD BELL.  Is this a business you're running, or what?!?
The dealer says you're not unresponsive, you're just busy.  Seem's funny
to me that you can meet the demand in your manufacturing facility, but
you can't meet the demand for service.  This is one person who will NEVER
buy another Packard Bell product.  

Well, news reader, if you're still with me, maybe you can tell me a
couple of things:

1.  Have you gotten any better response from Packard Bell than I have?
Is this a one-time (or two-time, I guess) problem?  Has anyone gotten
good service from Packard Bell?

2.  Is it true that you can't so much as replace a RAM chip on one of
these boards?  And if it's true, why would anyone design a board that
way?  

3.  Anyone out there in netland from Packard Bell who wishes to comment
on this situation?  At this point, I'm hoping you've sold your last
computer.  If you care to comment, send email or call me at (503)629-5088,
8AM to 5PM, Pacific Time.

Thanks for listening.  Any discussion on this topic is appreciated.
Please post to this newsgroup so that everyone can share the news.

Duane S. Lundsten
dlundste@ncube.com