My computer's power supply burnt out after moving to a new appartment in late april/early may. I reported this to circiut city, the company I purchased the computer from, and they reffered me to Barrister Global Services Network, Inc., the company that handles the in-home repairs and work orders via warranties for circiut city.
My initial response to the company was aprehensive, after hearing the words "woman-owned" in the automated recounting of the companies laurels while I was on hold. I have no problem with women owning and running businesses, but my initial subconcious response questioned why they felt that needed to be stated, what that said about their credibility, and why they hated me for being male?
The technicians (when I finally get one on the line after 11 minutes of holding) always seemed either hard of hearing or using a phone older than my grandmother, because I constantly had to repeat myself. After "trying" to update my information with them, they misspelled my address and didn't even bother updating my phone number, as I had insisted, because they ended up calling my grandmother's house, the phone number I used 3 years ago when the computer was purchased.
The incompetence continued as the tech told me a new power supply would be mailed to me directly through UPS, and then a technician would be sent out upon me calling to report the part's arrival... Forgetting the fact that this part never showed up (three times in a row!), why didn't they just send it WITH the technician?!
The tech on the phone also conveniantly forgot to give me a case number or tracking number for the UPS package. After a week and a half of waiting, I called back, quite vexed with the situation.
The next tech, a girl named rachel (I remembered it because I have it written down) understands what I mean when I say I NEED my computer to succeed in college, and does her best to appease me, resending the package (that, according to her records, had not been sent in the first place, and how, in fact, the entire case had been erroneously written off as resolved), giving me a case number (702 242), and saying the package should arrive in 3 days, during which a local tech would call and set up an appointment.
The tech ended up calling my grandmother's house (after a second attempt on my part to correct their information and give them my current number) where they were promptly rejected and hung up on (my grandmother brookes no foolishness, and dislikes unheard-of companies calling her home). They ended up having to reach me through my mother (who was still the purchaser of the computer via Circiut City's records on her credit transaction) who promptly dirrected them to my number, where they managed to call me in the middle of a test in class, upsetting my instructor and costing me valuable class time and grading opertunity (after I had, every time I'd spoken with them, asked them not to call me during the hours of my classes, and had given detailed schedule information).
Another 2 weeks pass. No packages arrive, no techs call, and UPS doesn't even leave a note on the door. I fell sick with bronchitis. Miserably ill, my mother comes to care for me. A tech finally calls at 8:30 am (way too early for a night student), and I scramble out of bed, sick and half asleep, for a piece of paper to scribble this fool's number down on; a bus schedule that was promptly, but innocently, thrown away by my mother in an attempt to clean for me. His number was just as good to me lost as it would have been in my hand; the part never arrived, so he couldn't have done any work anyway.
I call again. My case number isn't valid. No body answeres their phones, and voice mail boxes are all full. I listen for manager extension numbers and start leaving angry messages on every one of them. Call back, but to little cosiquence.
Finally, after two months of playing this retarded game with Barrister, I call Circiut City to see if i can get it repaired on-location at one of their stores. I explain the ridiculous situation to them, express my anger, and tell them that all I need is a power supply, a relatively simple part, to my understanding. The tech reissues the entire case to barrister, and I almost screamed at him, although he DID help me finally correct the phone number and address on their records (the dopes at barrister had left out a crucial "North" denotation on my street, every time I told them about it). So, finally finding a ride to the nearest Circiut City, I take my computer in. I was prevented from doing this before due to my own and my friends class schedules and lack off transportation. They say they'll need to hold it for a week and a half while they wait on the part to come in. I ask them why they don't have any on hand? They fail to respond satisfactorily.
Coincidentally, that night, while my computer was still in the back seat, a friend's room mate, who I was talking to when I came by to check up on said friend's pets while she was out of town, happened to have a handful of power supplies in his closet, and computer building/repair was an avid hobby of his. After 30 minutes of removing 6 screws, cleaning some dust off the fans, and putting the new power supply in, my computer works fine again...
So, why the hell did they make me wait two months for them to fix it (as they were contractually obligated to), only to damage my grades in a rather expensive technical institute and force me to get it fixed on my own time and money elsewhere?!
Incompetence is the only thing that i think can explain it, but it certainly doesn't excuse it.
I want to know what i should do about this? I want reimbursement for the stupidity I was forced to endure! And I want it known that this company makes about as much sense as a football bat! I want to know if there is a lawyer that can advise me on this? And I want everybody else to know that Circiut City and Barrister are the Dynamic Duo of Dumbness.
Phillip
Tampa, Florida
U.S.A.
0 comments