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Tech support angst
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February 20, 1997: 4:06 p.m. ET
Computer users complain of long wait time during tech support calls
From Correspondent Fred Katayama
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) -- Fed up with the busy signals you get when you call for computer service?
If so, you're not alone. Surveys show service from computer retailers is getting worse. Frustrated users are taking matters into their own hands -- some have even gone as far as suing a manufacturer.
Richard Brummel said his Leading Edge computer has caused nothing but nightmares.
"They sent me down all these blind alleys and on wild goose chases when it was pretty obvious to most people that I spoke to that the problem was really in the chip itself," he said.
He and two others have sued Leading Edge, charging them with fraud and breach of warranty contracts.
Not all angry PC users are suing, but plenty of them are frustrated.
A survey by Home PC magazine found that users calling for service spent an average of 13 minutes on hold before reaching a support person. That's up from nine minutes the year before. Actually solving the problem took an average of eight days, up from 5-1/2 last year.
Leading Edge came in dead last in support and reliability.
Ellen Pearlman, editor-in-chief of Home PC attributes the decline in service to the fact that more PCs are being sold to computer novices. (174K WAV) or (174K AIFF)
Recently, some manufacturers have begun charging for support -- even if the computer is still covered by warranty. They are also offering support online, but that's no help to users who can't access an online service or don't know how.
As for Brummel's legal case, Leading Edge did not return calls for comment. Brummel ended up solving his problem with only a $40 part. Even so, he has decided to junk his PC for a different model.
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