[rec.autos] Flame: NeXT "3 week delivery"

rbp@investor.pgh.pa.us (Bob Peirce #305) (04/09/91)

In article <1991Apr8.034045.19207@milton.u.washington.edu> mrc@cac.washington.edu (Mark Crispin) writes:
>
>I called 1 (800) 848-NeXT in early February, and was quoted a 3-week
>turnaround from receipt of order to shipment on NeXTstation orders.  I
>didn't believe it, but I decided the time had come to order a machine.
>
>Not surprisingly, it didn't show up.
>
>I called 1 (800) 848-NeXT and asked if they could give me a time
>estimate.  They insisted that "three-weeks" was the current
>turnaround.  It took some amount of arguing before they would even
>that yes, indeed, they had received the purchase order.

This is not unique to NeXT.  I had a similar experience with a Theta
Digitial DS-Pre.  Theta is upgrading to the MOT DSP chip.  I heard about
this last Summer and I called them.  They took my name and said they
would contact me in about two weeks so they could minimize the
turnaround time -- excellent!  However, they didn't call.

I called them about once a month.  Every time I got the same two week
story.  (Sounds like "The Money Pit").  Finally, in January, I asked, do
you really mean two weeks or has somebody told you to tell that to
everybody?  The women on the phone got very insulted and said she did
the scheduling and it would be two weeks.  Well, it wasn't.

I finally heard from them just before Easter.  Cautiously I asked, how
long until I get it back.  Ten days, I was told.  Ha!  I FedExed the
unit on 3/22.  They should have got it 3/26.  It's due back today. 
We'll see. 

I think the problem is at Motorola.  For whatever reason they aren't
getting the chips out the door and everything down stream is backing up.
I wonder how Cincinatti Microwave is doing getting chips for the new
Escort.  They probably need more than NeXT and Theta combined.
-- 
Bob Peirce, Pittsburgh, PA        rbp@investor.pgh.pa.us         412-471-5320
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