I purchased a Compaq laptop computer from CompUSA and was very specific and repetitive with my questions to the salesman about what I had to do to make sure the wireless connectivity would work with my router at home to connect me with the internet. I know nothing about how wireless connectivity works, and so I went to CompUSA - the computer experts -figuring they could give me the guidance I needed to make an informed decision. The salesman assured me repeatedly that I had nothing to worry about; he assured me that when I turned the computer on at home, it would automatically connect to the router.
Of course, when I got home and turned on the computer, I got nothing. My older Compaq laptop was sitting right next to it on the same desk and was connecting without any problem. I spent the next 1 1/2 hours on the phone with Compaq Technical Support, and they finally came to the conclusion that the unit was defective because the wireless indicator light would not stay lit. Technical support told me I should return the computer to the store where I purchased it.
The next day, I returned to the store and asked to exchange the unit. I was told that if the unit were indeed defective, it would be replaced. They gave the computer to their technician who spent about 5 minutes in the back room and then came out and announced to the store manager that there was nothing wrong with it. I tried to ask the technician questions about what he had looked at and what he had found, but he completely ignored me and walked away without even acknowledging me.
I told the manager that I had a case number from Compaq Technical Support which documented their conclusion that the unit was defective. The store manager responded that he would only accept the determination of his own technician and that Compaq's assessment was meaningless to him. Bottom line, there was no recourse to challenge his decision - about which no questions would be answered - and it would cost me $225 to exchange the computer for one that worked.
Three points: 1) The salesman promised me the unit would do something that it did not do - automatically connect with my router. Even if the computer was not defective, it did not work as the salesman promised me it would, and I relied on the salesman for technical expertise in making my purchase decision. 2) The process for determining whether a unit is defective is obviously a scam.
There was 0% chance that that technician was going to find the unit defective, as evidenced by his complete lack of interest in talking to me about what I had experienced. 3) There was never any mention or warning of a restocking charge, and to claim full disclosure by printing something on a standard sales receipt without drawing any attention to it and not printing it out until the transaction is already completed is the biggest fraud of all.
CompUSA runs a scam operation and should be avoided.
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