d@alice.UucP (Daniel Rosenberg) (10/09/86)
You remember me - the poor sod who fried his Amiga trying to adjust
the printer cable? No? A short history, then:
I shorted out the 5v line on the parallel port, and fried
something. I tried replacing 8520s, to no avail. So I gave it to some
repair place.
They got back to me several weeks later. They're re-replacing
both 8520s (I told them to check them) and the entire disk drive. (The
problem with the computer was that the drive head would not track/read
correctly.) So I get an extra 8520 replaced or two.
Not much of a problem.
According to stuff posted here to the network, 8520s cost $20.75.
According to a Mr. Bozo-the-Clown at the repair establishment, dealers
buy 8520's for $45 and charge customer's $70. Is this the new price,
or is this guy talking through his hat? He claimed to have Commodore's
"official price sheet" in front of him. I argued a bit, and was about
to use the neat third-party feature on my phone to call West Chester,
but I'm not that belligerent.
He's also charging me $70 or so to take out the 8520s and
the disk drive, and replace them - $70 of hard labor. To be expected
I suppose.
/ / /
The moral of this story is: be careful with cables while your
computer is turned on. And, if you find an honest repair establishment,
why not laud them on the net and tell everyone to go there and buy stuff?
I'd be interested to know if anyone honest is left out there.
BTW, the reasons I did not replace the stuff myself:
1) I need the machine back soon. This guy is promising me my
machine within a month. After he orders the parts.
2) I'll yell at him big-time if my machine doesn't work,
and wholeheartedly tell the Better Business Bureau about him.
Be Well!
--
# Daniel Rosenberg (CE) @ AT&T Bell Labs, Murray Hill
# disclaimer: These opinions are necessarily mine, not my employer's.
# UUCP: {ihnp4 || research || allegra}!alice!d AT&T: 201/582-6455 (work)
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# "We're not in the eighth dimension! We're over New Jersey!" - BB