From: paul's.friend@uttsbbs.uucp (Paul'S Friend) 
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: SANTRON 3 OF 5
Date: 7 Nov 92 20:49:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: The Transfer Station BBS, Danville, CA - 510-837-4610/837-5591
Reply-To: paul's.friend@uttsbbs.uucp (Paul'S Friend) 

Santron, Part III of V: The Nightmare Reaches Epic Proportions.

     So anyway, after 4, yes FOUR weeks, Santron finally said the
computer was ready to pick up.  So off went my friend on the 120
mile round-trip to collect it.  When he arrived they were busy
re-formatting the disk which he found a little odd seeing as they
had said it was up and running only 2 hours earlier.  When that
was finished he started testing the computer.  He wondered why
the floppy drive light stayed on constantly (a new feature so you
could always find it in the dark?), and even mused at the fact
that the computer no longer seemed impressed by the
<Ctrl><Alt><Del> sequence that it had been so fond of before.  He
also wondered why they had used a refurbished disk, a used case,
a used video card, and a used power supply.  The salesman had
assured him they always used new parts for repairs under
warranty.  Well anyway, it seemed that even with Santron's famous
"72 hour RARITRON dynamic test - today's most advanced quality
control testing procedure", they had failed to notice the faulty
motherboard that was causing all these "anomalies" that my friend
had spotted in 10 seconds.  After a 20 minute back room
discussion that my friend thinks went something like this: "looks
like he spotted the bad motherboard guys, what can we try next."
"Hey I know, let's see if we can find a really OLD motherboard
from another broken computer." "Yeah, great idea, I'll go tell
him we'll fix it for him while he waits", they finally came out
and said "OK, we'll fix it for you while you wait" (these guys
are princes).

     At last, the computer was ready (if you don't mind used
parts), my friend had now been at Santron for 4 hours.... but
wait... when he had brought it in, there was room for 3 full-
length cards, now there was room for NO full-length cards because
the slots were blocked by the SIPP memory chips on the "new"
motherboard. (Yes folks, SIPP chips, not the SIMMs he had in the
computer when he bought it, but SIPPs, a technology not used by
Santron, or anyone else for that matter, for almost two years).
My friend explained that he couldn't possibly take the computer
unless it accepted FULL-LENGTH cards which he constantly uses in
his business.  He also wasn't crazy about the frightening new
policy that he was not allowed to replace cards on his own (even
though he had replaced hundreds of cards over 14 years without
one single incident).  If he wanted to put in a card, he would
have to take the computer back to the store.  (Sort of like if
you want to put luggage in your trunk, you have to take the car
back to Chrysler?).  Lucky he hadn't bought it mail order from
Hawaii.  He was also a little miffed that although the warranty
had now run out, (because they had had the computer for A MONTH),
they were only willing to extend it 2 weeks.  Such confidence in
their repair work.  "Too bad", they said, "we've already spent
too much money on this computer (they have?), and anyway you
broke it, so we are not going to fix it any more".  "Fix it by
this weekend" my friend said, "or I'll see you in court".
                                                                                     
Newsgroups: misc.consumers