CompUSA Passes On Private Info

From: "JOHN BANGS" <j.bangs48@worldnet.att.net>
To: "CyberPagan Techno Whining" <CyberPagan@OutoftheDark.com>
Subject: Re: Bad customer service
Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 19:21:08 -0800

     On 9-19-1999 I arrived at COMP-USA store #617 and purchased hp 4535 c400 64/6 mt, I paid $599.97, I took the computer home and started to set it up, Putting all of my information that I use, personal and business, As you know all of this is not done in a matter of minutes, While in the process of doing this my computer locked up, I could not get it to do anything. So I called the store, Instead of a friendly voice I got your computer, Telling me that within one hour someone will get back to me, Well I waited an hour an one half, No one called, so I called back left another message and waited.. an hour passed, no one called!! so I packed up the computer and took it back. 

    When I arrived at COMP-USA #617, No one came to me to see what my problem was and why I was standing in their lobby with this big box, they were to busy chatting, after 5 or 10 mins. a man [your head technician] came over to me and asked what my problem was, So I told him what was happening, He took the box and went into the repair shop, Which has twenty feet of glass, So I could see what was going on. He set up the computer, then walked away, NEVER to come back to the computer..... I watched !    After three hours had passed, I went to the store manager, I asked him what was going on,That I had been there for three hours and no one had even came and talked to me, He called the tech on the phone and said that I had been waiting and was now very pissed off [his words]. after a few words, he hung up and told me he was working on the problem.

     Well I had to go to the manager again, To get him moving again, Finally they came out of the shop and told me there where no problems with the computer, But they would give me a new computer anyway.  I said that was fine! I took new computer home [70 miles round trip] and set it up, Because it now is 10pm I  have to quit and continued the next day. The next day I started loading my information. Again it locked up, Again I called, Again no one called me back, Again I took it back, This time they took it back right away, with in an hour They came to me and said there  wasn't anything wrong with it, I said fine and took computer home. Set it back up and loaded what I could before having to quit for the evening, I put it in stand by.

     The next morning I added more information before having to go to work, Before leaving, I again put computer in standby. When I came home that evening I went to the computer to add more information, when I went to activate the computer would not come on, it would not do anything, In fact it would not shut down. I went to the phone, at this time I am very upset.

     Going through all the information I got a comp-usa phone number for a repair service, I called it, A computer hooked me up with a repair tech with COMP-USA on southside blvd. his name was ERIC, I told him my problem. His response was great!! He asked me to unplug the computer and to wait for about 2-3  minutes and then to plug it back in, When I plugged it back in it made a very loud noise,Which he heard over the phone, he asked me if that noise came from the computer, I told him that it did, He said for me to bring it back that there was something wrong with it. So once again I make the 70 mile trip.

     I walked into COMP-USA the same store I purchased it from and stated my problem, They took the computer, 15 minutes  later they came to me and said that there were no problems, Also that there was no one by the name of Eric that worked for COMP-USA at the southside store, They stated that they called the store.

     At that point I asked for my money back, Mr., Smith told me he would give me my money back less 15 percent, I objected saying that it was broke, To no avail....Well I could not drive fast enough to get to the Southside COMP-USA store so I could see for my self if Eric did indeed work there. When I walked in I was met  by the manager who directed me to where Eric was in the repair dept. standing behind the counter, I asked him if he remembered talking to me over the phone He  said he did, also that he remembered telling me to bring in the computer, He called the manager over and told the story to him, The manager said he could not do anything about it because it was not his store, But he said that he would give me the direct no's to the desk of MIKE FERRICKS, STEVE SMITH  both of them are asst' managers & manager DAVID CLOWSON, 904-855-1004 & for the manager 904-855-1001 

     The next day I called, I spoke to Mr. Smith he aid he wouldn't do anything for me, So I called Mr. Clowson the manager, I got his answering machine, On it he said he would return my call ASAP, He never did called me, so I called him again, I called him three times, He never returned my call... I was told that COMP-USA corp. office was in Texas, So I called information, they gave me a 800 no, I called it, They were no help at all, infact all they could say was it is company policy.

    Two days later I get a call from a Mr. Joe Kelty, He tells me that he has my old computer, He said he bought it at COMP-USA  and wants to know why I returned  the computer, I asked him how he got my no, He told me that all my information was still on the computer, He said that COMP-USA told him that they rebuilt the computer. Well if there wasn't anything wrong why would they tell him they rebuilt it, Also if they did rebuild it why didn't they take out my personal information... If they resold it, why don't they clear the hard disk!!!!!!

  I want my money back that you COMP-USA people took from me!!!!!

My action as a result of all this is as follows.
     I travel 35000 miles a year through out Jacksonville and So. Ga., I have put a sign on the back of my truck, Two foot by five foot telling everyone  that COMP-USA is unfair to there customers, People ask me everyday what COMP-USA  did, There response is that they won't shop there, I also hear all kinds of stories about how they screwed them...This sign will stay on my truck till I get my money back that they TOOK from me. I have also sent a letter to Hewlett Packard telling them of COMP-USA service with there product..  I will do what it takes to get my money back!!!

JOHN BANGS
48 ORANGE ST. E.
BALDWIN, FL. 32234-1434