oyster@uwmacc.UUCP (Vicarious Oyster) (01/09/87)
<The following gripe is posted for a colleague who's having Net problems>
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Date: Thu, 8 Jan 87 14:06:22 EST
From: rutgers!caip!think!cca!linus!brunix!brunix!rjd (Robert J. DeMillo)
Subject: BP sucks
Status: R
If I could make a posting about this, I would...but I can't so I'll
bug you...
here I am, wanting "Thunder!" but not wanting to pay $40 for it at the
local Atari store. So, I try for two (!) weeks to get through to
Black Patch systems, literally calling every hour...nothing but busy
signals at their toll-free order line, their not-toll-free order line,
and their customer service number.
Today, I get through and try and place my order. "Oh, says the guy we
are out of stock and aren't sure when we will be in stock" hmmm, I
think...I need it, so I'll place the order. "I presume," I say, "that
if I were to place the order now, you won't charge my card until it
is shipped out to me."
"Oh, billing will probably charge you immediately," quips the disembodied
voice on the phone.
[Editor's note: they charged me for an order immediately; I received the
credit card bill a month before the order arrived. That was my last order
from them.]
At this point, I cancel my order and begin to tell him how Black Patch is
getting a bad reputation on USEnet and CompuServe because of this type
of treatment.
"Oh..." says he, and begins a 23 minute (literally) tirade on how poor
little Black Patch is getting a bad reputation, but they offer the lowest
prices available, and in order to do that they can't *afford* to put more
then *one* person (!!!!!!!!!) on the phones at anyone time, and how for
every one customer dissatisfied with busy signals, long waits and shitty
billing policies there are 2 that are happy with Black Patch. (While he's
telling me all of this, it sudden dawns on me that if there is only
one phone line, and this guy banters on like this with people on every
phone call, there's a reason I have been getting busy signals.)
So, fed up, I hang up on him and flip through my STart magazine. Seeing
an ad for Software Discounters of America, I give them a call:
"Do you have Thunder!"
"Sure, we always keep it in stock."
"How much?"
"$25" (Black Patch had it for $25.50)
"What about shipping?"
"Another $3" (BP wanted another $4)
"When can you get it to me?"
"It'll leave today...."
Black patch is icky...as a matter of fact, you can post this not on
the net if you want.
-- Rob the satisfied customer
---------------------------------------------------------------------appelbau@topaz.UUCP (01/30/87)
In the reader comment section of the Feb. issue of ANALOG Computing there are numerous complaints about Black Patch. ANALOG has referred the matter to the postal inspector in Boston. If you've had trouble with Black Patch they ask that you write to: Inspector In Charge PO Box 2217 Boston, Ma. 02205-2217 -- Marc L. Appelbaum "Insanity is just a state of mind" Arpa: marc@aim.rutgers.edu Uucp:rutgers!ru-blue!appelbaum