Once in a while I am delighted with the service or a product I buy. I
will list them here. But, I should say I have a bit of a guilt
feeling about even putting them here with so many negatives. Maybe I
will move them to a different web page.
I tried DSL Extreme, but will be getting
broad band service from AT&T.
I bought a TomTom GPS
On 2010 August 19 at Fry's Electronics. Initially I thought it was great,
but after trying to put in some Favorites I would not recommend TomTom.
- HP tx2000z & Vista are two things I would
like to never encounter again.
- APC Uninterruptible power supply. I got two different reasons
why they could not honor the mail in rebate. Each was technically
wrong: The first the model number they said they did not have a
rebate on was wrong--not the one I bought.
When I wrote and
complained and pointed out their error, I got another reply that the
rebate period had expired. It hadn't when I first sent in the correct
rebate forms, etc.
- Maxtor USB connected external hard drive. I got a reject notice,
just a printed post card, from the same Texas address as the above APC
reject notices--same format on the card with different company names.
I complained to Fry's Electronics where I had bought both, fellow
said he would check into it and get back to me. It never
happened. Complaining to Fry's is time wasted.
- West Marine Garmin Map 176 GPS. When I got it home and turned
it on, it had a bread-crumb trail and way-points set at Lake Tahoe. I
had been sold a used, or returned, one as new. I contacted West
Marine's main office and complained. I got an apologetic phone call
from the San Jose store where I bought it offering an exchange. A
"Tip of the Hat" to West Marine. When I took it into the store they
claimed it was a mistake. ??? And offered me a new, more expensive
Garmin Map 176C which has a color display. Unfortunately, I accepted the
color version. Big mistake! You cannot see the display in the
daylight. It is the most useless GPS I have owned. (Out of about a
dozen.) I called Garmin Technical Support to see if I could have the
color display replaced with a monochromatic display. Yes, I could buy
a second one! Otherwise get lost. In a way I can't blame Garmin for
West Marine's screw-up, shortly and wisely they discontinued the
176.
- Fujitsu LifeBook Notebook computer. Fry's had this with a
$100 Mail in Rebate. When I got home I noticed the rebate forms said "No
P.O. Box addresses." Fujitsu is local, so I called them and said if they
could not send the rebate to my P.O. Box I would return it to Fry's. I
was told they could wave that requirement with no problem. So I kept the
laptop. Many emails, phone calls, and promises. I have never got the
rebate. I feel sorry for the people who work for such a "Chicken
Shit" company. Actually, the engineering and design of the computer
was very good. But, a company who screws it customers, will do the same
to the people working for them. My recommendations: Don't buy anything
made by Fujitsu, and if you work for them: Wake up, there are far better
places to work.
- Canon S3 camera I bought on the internet from Beach Camera.
That rebate story is here. I called Canon and they
steadfastly claimed they did not offer a rebate, but months later and
several calls to Beach Camera I did receive the rebates. They were
from Canon!
- SanDisk Sansa c150 2GB MP3 Player. This was a refurbished unit sold
at Fry's for $59 with a ten dollar rebate. What a disaster. When
I got home and opened the package, there was no instructions or
information at all about even how to turn it on or put in the batteries.
I put in a battery and pressed a "Menu" button and it came on. After
some experimenting I eventually got it to play an FM radio station.
Which was OK with the tiny earphones that you put in your ear. No
markings as to which earphone is right or left. As an FM radio it is
much inferior to an old Sony Walkman I must have had for at least 5
years. I could not figure out how to turn it off! Ultimately, I
removed the single AAA battery, and threw it in the box. In my 73
years I don't ever remember being so unsatisfied with anything I have
bought. I got onto the internet and found a SanDisk web page and
several reviews of the c150. Nobody has much good to say about it,
except it is cheap; and runs down the battery too fast, and the sound
quality is poor. I am so pissed off I haven't sent in the rebate--I get
sick when I look at it or think of SanDisk. SanDisk must want pissed
off customers. They will never get this one again.
