Bought an Averatec 7100 Series Laptop computer late in 2006. Everything went well and I had no problems for some time. A few problems then did crop up but I had an extended warranty through Micro Center where I purchased the machine and all was repaired and covered under that warranty. I then discovered another "problem". The machine has an older version of the OS than was promised at time of sale. Here's how this played out... So far.
The official Microsoft sticker on the bottom of the machine claims that the machine is running Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005. I have since found that this is not so. I found this out by attempting to watch programming online through my Netflix membership. I got warning screens saying that I must be running Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 or later to view any programming through Netflix. It also mentioned that I needed Windows Media Player 11. I was confused because the "official sticker" said I "was" running version 2005.
I went to Microsoft's Windows Update site and got all the updates I should have needed for the OS. Still no good "and" the site detected that I was running version 2004!! I tried to download and install Windows Media Player 11, hoping that would solve my problem. The player would not install, giving me the same warning, that I needed to be running version 2005 or later. To double-check things, I started up Media Center and went to settings, general, about and viola, it also confirmed that I was running version 2004!!
Ok, so I called Averatec's toll-free number and told them the problem. At first they said it was a Microsoft issue and that I should just be able to go to Microsoft.com and download version 2005. This was not the case. I called them back several times and tried to explain that someone at Averatec had goofed and loaded an older version of the OS on this machine and that they needed to "step up to the plate" and get me the version I had paid for!
After not hearing back from them I called again more insistent this time and they then told me that the problem had been escalated to a corporate level and even gave me a ticket number. That was almost 2 months ago and I have heard NOTHING! I keep calling the toll-free number and the drones I talk to always say, "sorry, we haven't heard anything yet, they'll call you". A stock answer, I'm sure. They're just hoping I'll go away and forget about this. Every time I call, I ask for a number to contact this alleged "corporate level" directly and bypass the drones and they always say there is no number they can give me. I ask for a supervisor but the supervisors are always mysteriously out for the day or some such nonsense.
I am hoping this post gets some action of some sort. I am low income and broke at this point and cannot afford to take this to court but I want what I paid for, it's my right, and Averatec doesn't seem to give a (censored comment) about me or my problem or the fact that they pushed off an outdated OS on me and will not correct the problem or even admit to it! If anyone reading this has any advice as to how I can give this company what they deserve and make them give me what I paid for, please let me know!
I do intend to talk to the store manager of Micro Center and ask him to make Micro Center corporate aware of this problem. I wonder how many others like me have found the same problem? I pity them if they try to get Averatec to actually admit to the problem and do the right thing!
I will call again today and update this report in the near future.
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