🚀 go-pugleaf

Warning - Avoid Gateway Computers (aka Gateway 2000).

Recently, during the course of my business I received a call from a friend
that an associate of his was purchasing a computer system from Gateway.  He
called because tax was attempting to be levied from this out of state
supplier on this purchaser in the state of Florida.

I verified with the state the sales tax ID number provided by Gateway and
according to them they are registered to collect sales tax for thirty
states.  I presume they pay for the manpower needed to do the paperwork
each month for these monies collected.

I learned they do in fact have a tax id for Florida.  This means that anyone
in Florida will be charged sales tax when doing business with this out of
state computer company.  My advice is to find someone else who is out of state
and save paying the tax!

Further research appears as if Gateway - while it has no official presence
in terms of leased office space or real estate appears to have kiosk space
access in some computer stores, computer city (maybe, not sure on who) and
that is why they are charging tax.

Since there are many others who chose to not place themselves in a tax
collecting position, out of state, it would be better to give them the business
and let Gateway rethink their position on how well this change will boost
their sales (NOT!).  Without the tax free advantage of mailorder, they have
no advantage over the local guys in town.  Since the only service they can
provide locally is "sales assistance", specifically order taking, they provide
LESS than some of the more competent dealers in town who have a tech support
and service department.

Think twice before ordering from Gateway.  They have them nice glossy ads in
the magazines all the time.  The "cows in the pasture" theme normally.  I
think its time they "went out to pasture" (literally).

I used to deal with them a number of years ago, was responsible for several
systems and upgrades purchased.  I quit dealing with them when I no longer
had a personal salesman to call on, no longer received any response or
return calls when trying to obtain pricing, information, or even place an
order.  Their lines became great at providing voicemail or busy signals.

With this latest turn of events, I'd say they just were eliminated from
my list of even "consideration".  I actually had recommended against them
to friends because of the last sentence in the above paragraph -- if you 
can not reach them to place an order or obtain information, what kind of
availability will there be for assistance _after_ the sale?

Steven

-- 
Steven G. Bradley    |    The Forest City Exchange    | 121 Cambridge Drive
System Administrator |      Forest City, Florida      | Longwood, FL  32779-5707
                     | 1200-14400/PEP  1200-33600/HST | 
steven@sgb.oau.org   | (407) 862-5112  (407) 862-8088 | Tel: (407) 862-7226