STEIN@UCONNVM.BITNET (Alan Stein) (01/05/89)
For those of you considering purchasing something at a retail computer
store, contemplate the following tale of woe.
On Dec. 8, I finally broke down and decided to spring for a hard disk to
hook up to my Apple IIGS. Needing a SCSI card to hook it into, and not
seeing it advertised mail order, I broke down and for the first time
ever (I'm on my third Apple II and have gone through numerous peripherals)
decided I'd better deal with a retailer directly.
I called up the local Computerland and was told that it would take two
weeks to get, they would charge the list price, and I would have to pay for
it in advance. Since there is no other outlet nearby, I foolishly agreed.
Two weeks later, passing by the store, I stopped in to check on my card.
I was told that it would take at least another two weeks. That information
sent me to the phones and I promptly found another dealer, about a half hour
away, that had a SCSI card in stock and would give me 20% off.
I promptly cancelled my Computerland order and drove out to get my card.
Having seen messages go back and forth on this network about various
revisions, I carefully asked about that and was assured that the card was
the latest revision. (That was Dec. 23.)
Two days ago, being somewhat untrusting, I posted a question on this network
asking how I could tell what revision SCSI card I had. Sure enough, it turned
out that I had an obsolete card. I called up my friendly retailer, who
confirmed that, apologized, checked that they had the upgrade Revision C
roms in stock and told me to come right back and they'd install the upgrade.
So, this morning I took another ride out there, only to find out that they
had been mistaken about having the upgrades in stock. It will take at least
two more days and one more hour round trip to get that SCSI card.
Scorecard: two SCSI cards purchased, three trips to dealers, zero
functioning SCSI cards at this time.
The only consolation is that I haven't received the hard drive yet either.
Moral: avoid dealers at all costs.
Alan H. Stein Department of Mathematics
The University of Connecticut at Waterbury
32 Hillside Avenue, Waterbury, CT 06710
(203) 757-1231
Internet: stein%uconnvm.bitnet@mitvma.mit.edu
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