kailun@cs.washington.edu (05/24/91)
I would like to tell you what happedned to me recently.
I ordered a 386-33 MHz barebone system from Syntax Computer on April 11.
A few days later, I ordered a monitor, a video card, a fax modem, etc.
from Data Dynamics.
When using the computer, I found that it would reboot automatically sometimes
no matter what I was working on. I thought it was because of wrong CMOS
settings, I thought there was some problem with the video card.... I changed
the CMOS settings, I borrowed a video card from a friend, but the same thing
still happened.
At last I found that when I used the computer at night with my windows
opened, the computer could work for over three hours without a problem.
However, if I did not open the windows, or used the computer during day-time,
it might go 'dead' after a few minutes. Therefore, I decided to an experiment.
I opened the windows and made the temperature of my room dropped to around 60F,
the computer could work for hours. Then I closed the windows and turned on
the heater, the computer died very soon. Later on when I turned the heater
off and opened my windows, the computer continued to work without a problem.
After carrying out this experiment several times, I realized that the computer
was very heat-sensitive.
I returned the computer to Syntax. I checked with UPS and was told that the
computer was delivered on May 3. However, Syntax still haven't credited my
credit card account yet.
At the first time when I called Data Dynamics, a salesperson told me that
they could only ship the items I ordered to the billing address of my credit
card. Since I used my P.O. Box address as my billing address, I called my
credit card company and changed the address to my home address.
I called Data Dynamics again, and another salesperson answered my call.
He told me that he could not sell anything to me because I am not a dealer.
I called them later and talked to Terry. He said he could take my order, but
for some of the items, he could not give me the 'dealer price', which is the
price shown in their ad in the Computer Shopper. I accepted the 'non-dealer
price' because it was slighly higher than the 'dealer-price'.
I called Data Dynamics again after I returned the computer to Syntax. A
salesperson told me that their 386-33MHz board was on sale. He told me that
it was a US-made Micronics board. I agree that their price is lower than
other companies, but it is not suprising because it is a 'dealer-price'.
After thinking for a couple of days, I decided to buy the Micronics board
from them. I also ordered a tower case, IDE controller, floppy drive, a
Keytronics keyboard, etc. I asked the salesperson, Cindy, again for the brand
of the motherboard, and she told me that it was by Micronics.
However, when I received the items, I found that the keyboard is by Key
Tronic, not Keytronics as stated on the invoice. I don't know if there is
any difference between these two or not.
The worse thing is: the motherboard is a Taiwan motherboard made by Amptron.
It is not the Micronics board I ordered. I looked at the Computer Shopper,
and found that one company was selling both the Micronics and Amptron. The
Micronics was for $1050, and the Amptron was for $850 ($780 in the June issue).
I called Data Dynamics and they told me to call their RMA department. I
talked to a woman at the RMA department, she told me to return the board and
she would exchange it for me. I asked her if there would be any charge. She
said no, and even the return shipping fee would be paid by them. It was a
Friday.
I called her on Monday morning because I forgot to ask her for a RMA number.
She said that no RMA number was needed for exchange. I asked her whether the
Amptron board was at the same price as the Micronics, and she said yes. Then
I asked her whether they had the Micronics board in stock or not. She said
at that time they still had it. I wondered why they did not shipped me the
Micronics board at the first time.
I shipped the board back to them last Tuesday. At about 1:00 pm this
afternoon, a man from the RMA department of Data Dynamics told me that
he received the board about a week ago. He said they just ran out of the
Micronics board. He said he was looking for a Micronics board for me for
a week and did not know when he could get one. He asked me if I would like
to wait or take a VIP or Amptron board. I said I really wanted a Micronics
board, so I could wait. He said he would continue to try and call me next
week.
A few minutes later, a man called Mark said that he was the boss of the
RMA department. He said (rudely) that if I wanted a Micronics board, he could
sell one to me at $1350. He said they had not been selling the Micronics board
for TWO YEARS already. I told him what the salespersons and the man and woman
of the RMA department told me, but he said they all made a mistake.
It is hard to believe that the sales department and the people in the RMA
department except the boss of the RMA department do not know that the
motherboard they are selling is not by Micronics. I tried to call their sales
department several times afterward, but I hanged up after being put on hold for
over 10 minutes.
Besides the motherboard and the keyboard, the fax modem and 3.5" floppy drive
I bought from them do not look like new. The box of the modem says it is a
SRM-2496 modem, but the modem itself says it is a MX-2496. Moreover, the
warrenty card, which is supposed to be the lower half of the last page of the
manual, was missing at the time when I received the modem. Unlike the 5.25"
drive, the 3.5" Teac drive was made in Thailand (not Japan), not sealed in
a plastic bag and no cardboard in the slot of the drive (should there be one?).
I do believe that some people may have good experience when buying from
Syntax and Data Dynamics. I just want to tell my own story.
kailun
P.S. If you ordered from Data Dynamics and really got a Micronics board, could
you please send me a mail and let me know? Thank you.