From telling me I had to fax the information to them after I'd sent it to them (if it really needed to be faxed, why not tell me to send it that way first?) to blaming it on the software without even looking at the problem, I found Gateway's support to be just another run-around aimed at getting consumers to not use the service contract they'd ponied up $40 for. I strongly recommend not spending the money on the useless 'service' program, which I think is a way to hose the consumer for $40 more dollars with no intention of ever honoring it. (If you must buy a Gateway, a company apparently willing to sell substandard merchandise.)
NORTH SIOUX CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA -- The computer kept shutting off by itself. Finally Gateway tells me I need to take it to a computer shop and have them get my data off at my expense. I take it to the shop, they luckily get all of my data and also find the motherboard is faulty. They called Gateway and they were told that Gateway would cover the part only. I am responsible for the shipping to & from and the labor. We have had this computer a little under 3 months. What kind of customer service is this? For all of the money we paid for this piece of junk, I should have to be putting more money out. I've email Consumer Affairs and also put a call into Consumer Affairs in South Dakota. I am not spending anymore money on this computer!!!
I bought a new desktop for the wife March of this year. I generally buy Dell but decided to get a Gateway. That was the biggest mistake I made! After 90 days, we began having freeze ups and contacted Support who told us they would not help us if we did not buy there recovery disc. After many hours of troubleshooting on our own, we found it was overheating. After the rude support and hours of phone calls, I am nothing but sorry I switched brands. I am a totally dissatisfied customer, and would not suggest this brand to anybody.
FREDERICK, MARYLAND -- I bought this just a year ago, January 2008. First problem: software that came with unit did not work and their reasoning was not enough RAM. Suggested I upgrade the RAM. CDRWDVD drive stopped working in December. I contacted them and their only service suggestion was to ship to Texas. Keyboard lost many letters during the first ten months. N, M E, are gone. I asked for new keyboard. They don't cover "abuse".
Finally bit the bullet in December and took the computer in to reputable repair and had new drive and additional RAM put in. $189 later and the programs that came bundled with the computer still don't work. I am going to take them to small claims court here in Maryland to get my money back, but would prefer to have them do the right thing.
Help.
MADISONVILLE, TENNESSEE -- This is my second buy from Gateway. I should have known from the first more than 11 years ago. The first one was a Pent. 3, it crashed and burned more times than I can recall. I spent endless hours on the phone with tech support, I formatted at least 3 times before finally taking it to their service center where they formatted it again. It was a good learning machine. Now I bought another desktop and monitor thinking that everything is made about the same anymore so what the hell.
No more phone support, they don't want to hear it. Lots of emails with tech support that ended with me having to ship my entire system to Texas where I betcha they're going to format it. Long story short, they wouldn't send me a shipping label and it cost me 97.00 to ship the stupid thing. Bottom line, they call themselves Gateway for a reason; their systems are the Gateway's from hell!!!
BRONX, NEW YORK -- In July 2007, I purchase a desktop from Gateway, and I have returned it twice for repairs. It keeps shutting down when in a restart mode, and I have lost all of my input. The second time I returned it in December 2007. I had just purchased a Sony DVD+R Ram on Nov. 24, 2007 for $71.00 from Gateway Direct. A part which did not come with the original purchase. When they returned the computer, the DVD+R was missing and they said they removed it because they said it was not an original part. They have failed to return my DVD+R even after several request and the computer is still defective.
Thanks to all for halting my purchase of either a laptop or desktop computer. I was attracted to the price-point but hesitated and stumbled on "3 cents"; thank God I did. Who needs all those headaches, and I discerned that all I've read has to be more than random cases. So my comments to Gateway: GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER IN THIS COUNTRY OR GO OUT OF BUSINESS!
I have a Gateway dual-core processor tower desktop that just now died of motherboard failure. That is the third time in less than one year. The first time required nearly 8 weeks of waiting to get a new motherboard. The second time required a few weeks. I assume this time will require the same few weeks or more...provided Gateway assumes any responsibility for selling such a shoddy piece of equipment. I think it is time to use it as a boat anchor, something for which it perhaps was originally intended.