rhunt@icard.med.unc.edu (Rick Hunt) (02/22/90)
I wanted to drop everyone a line and inform them that Incognito Software has sent me an unworking copy of a commercial game disk infected with a virus and refuses to make matters right. I have spent much money, time and aggravation trying to get this settled to no avail and I want to warn people so that they can learn from my mistakes. I'll start from the beginning. Once upon a time there was a game called Vyper from TopDown and this game was good. Unfortunately my roommate was not and broke the game by removing the disk while it was still writing to the hi scores. So I sent ten dollars to TopDown along with the original disk for 2 backups and never heard from them again although they were nice enough to cash the check :-( So I forgot about ever getting another copy again. Many months pass. Then I saw that in the Fall Amazing Product Guide that Incognito Software was carrying Vyper. So with a very glad heart I called and they said that they would send me a copy if I would send 5 dollars and the docs to show that I had bought the game. They did not have the registration cards and my original disk was in never-never land. I thought that this was very nice of them to do since they were under no real obligation to support old TopDown customers. I was so happy in fact that I wrote them a nice letter telling them how the Amiga community needs more companies like Incognito and also sent the return postage and an addressed envelope to save them any extra trouble. In a couple of weeks I got the disk back. They had forgotten to send the docs back, but "No big deal" I thought "who needs docs for a game this simple that I had played for many hours". So I turn on my Amiga for the first time that day ( very important) and pop in the disk. Read/write error. No this can't be! Must be a mistake, try again. Reboot. Read/ write error. In frustration and growing anger slam the 3 finger salute again. "Something wonderful has happened. Your Amiga is alive... ". Sound familiar? These bastards sent me a virus! SCA -- the oldest in the book. I cool down and thank my lucky stars that it showed up after only three reboots and didn't infect anything else. No big deal. I'll call and let them know they have a big problem and in gratitude and repentance they will send another disk right out. I call them and they said they would send a replacement right away. That was 12 weeks and ten answering service messages ago. They refused to return my calls even tho I told them it was OK to call collect at work or home. I sent them a certified letter informing them of the actions that I would take if I didn't hear from them soon. I haven't and this was one of the actions that I told them I would take. The other is to call the BBB in NC and MI. I just wanted to let you guys know what kind of company Incognito is. They have picked their name very appropriately I think. I have heard "I sorry, they are not in the office" about ten times in the last 12 weeks from their answering servive. I would therefore like to ask someone a big favor. Could someone make a copy of Vyper to my original disk? I will pay all postage and a copying fee if you like. I will disable the SCA virus unless you want to see what it looks like. I have kept the disk in the exact shape that I received it in until now. I tried to back it up with Project D afterwards to see if I could disable the virus and get it to run, but had no luck. I also checked out all my other disks but didn't find the SCA anywhere. Thanks for listening to my sob story and I hope I may have saved someone else from the trouble I have gone through. Sadder but wiser, Ricky Hunt rhunt@med.unc.edu