Subject: Re: (usr-tc) HiperARC took a dive

From: Michael DeMan <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 30 Nov 1999 04:38:41 +0000

Some cover next day, some don't.  I paid for one last year, but didn't
get next day hardware replacement - had to shell out another $270 over the
phone.

    This part of the USR/3COM racket is the most outrageous.  I've been very
happy with the HiperARC but the amounts of money they charge for support -
which includes items like the latest firmware! - is just outrageous.  I
agree with you on dropping them entirely because of this issue.

    Be sure to let them know - each and every one of them - when you're
resolving this that you are definitely not the only one that feels like this
and that they're going to be out of business at the rate they're going
because of stupid & greedy policy.

    My 2 cents.

- mike

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>From: "Steve Coleman" <[email-masked]>
>To: <[email-masked]>, <[email-masked]>
>Subject: Re: (usr-tc) HiperARC took a dive
>Date: Mon, Nov 29, 1999, 6:28 PM
>

>I do have proof of my service contract.  However, I guess it takes a high 
>level of training over at 3Com to activate one.  The people who could 
>activate my contract, which should have already been activated, are gone 
>for the day.
>
>A much better approach would be to take my credit card information and bill 
>me if I DON'T turn up with a contract.  It's crappy policy to assume your 
>customers are lying to you.  You must protect yourself, but good grief.
>
>I can do all the fax and leg work tomorrow when they get in, but that 
>leaves me down for the night, and into tomorrow.  
>
>The contract had better cover next day hardware.  What good is it for otherwise?  
>
>---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
>From:  <[email-masked]>
>Reply-To: [email-masked]
>Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1999 21:22:19 -0500 (EST)
>
>>If you don't have documentation to support your claim that you have a
>>service contract, I would have done the same thing, asked for CC info and
>>transferred you.
>>
>>How many irate people do you think they get a day "claiming" to have
>>support?  In this one case they dropped your contract.  Faxing them your
>>paid reciept and documentation should end it.
>>
>>You get 5 year hardware support, so it is covered, but not NEXT DAY
>>service or hot spares.  Thier next day service is a joke, but you knew
>>what you were paying for (you did read the contract?).
>>
>>Paul Farber
>>Farber Technology
>>[email-masked]
>>Ph  570-628-5303
>>Fax 570-628-5545
>>
>>On Mon, 29 Nov 1999, Steve Coleman wrote:
>>
>>> I powered off my TC chassis tonight to plug it into a new UPS.  When I 
>powered it back on, the Run/Fail light on the HiperARC stayed red.  It 
>shows up as a "?" in the Total Control Manager.  I tried rebooting the unit 
>several times, using several different power sources.  I also tried 
>removing the front portion of the card (while powered off) and reinserting 
>it.  I can only guess it's cooked.  Is there anything else I can try?
>>> 
>>> I would like to express my disgust with 3Com on this matter.  After 
>troubleshooting the problem as described above, I called 3Com service.  
>They couldn't seem to "find" my service contract that I paid over a 
>thousand dollars for, just for this type of incident.  She offered to take 
>my credit card and transfer me to a level support agent.  I should be paid 
>to have to talk to a level 1 rep, not the other way around.  I told her I 
>wasn't interested in doing that and expressed that this was the specific 
>and only reason I bought the service contract.  She said she couldn't help 
>me.  This piece of garbage is only 4 months old, this is not acceptable.  
>Why didn't I just buy another Portmaster.  <kicking myself>
>>> 
>>> I'm going to ream my service contract agent in the morning.  Until then 
>it's lots of busy signals.
>>> 
>>> Suggestions?
>>> 
>>> 
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>>
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---

From: "Bob Purdon (Lists)" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 30 Nov 1999 10:51:59 +0000

> Some cover next day, some don't.

Yeah, well, even when they do it doesn't always help.  Ours had next-day
replacement, but the first time we tied to use it they didn't have parts
even in the country...

> agree with you on dropping them entirely because of this issue.

We'd be unlikely to go the 3COM/USR route again.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bob Purdon,                          Ground Floor, Marine Board Building
Technical Manager (Tas/Vic),                  1 Franklin Wharf, Tas 7000
Southern Internet Services.                            +61 (3) 6234 7444

-

---

From: Kevin Benton <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 02 Dec 1999 20:07:56 +0000

> get next day hardware replacement - had to shell out another $270 over the

I've found it's cheaper to have a spare on hand rather than wait for
someone to ship me one.  It gives me a test bed to work with and a bare
minimal down-time when troubleshooting proves a hardware failure.  Then
again, when you're big enough to need spares (i.e. you have enough
customers that you don't want to tick off because of "excessive down-time"
and you don't want to give customers extra time credit on their accounts).
Let's face it - failures happen.  Spares are essential to getting back up
quickly in the event of a hardware failure.  It's also an excellent
troubleshooting tool if you have a known good to compare versus a
questionable piece of hardware.

We allow our warranty hardware support to take care of hardware failures
and handle having spares on hand ourselves.  For us, having spares on hand
was more of a long-term investment than a short term expenditure.  Just to
keep from having to worry about re-registering every 90 days for warranty
support for software, we have a software contract which gives us access to
tech's when we need it 9-5.  That takes some expertise on our part for
the rest of the day, but considering that our lifeblood is based on
whether or not these things work, our techs have gotten to know these
things quite well - at least enough to know whether a problem is hardware
or software.

> because of stupid & greedy policy.

I'll leave that one alone... different "religous" discussion...

My 2 cents... :)

Kevin Benton
SOTA Technologies, A Voyager.net Company

E-Mail:  [email-masked]
Web:     http://users.sota-oh.com/~s1kevin/
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