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Frustrated with Gatewy Laptop Product Quality (Lemon), Warranty and Service
By -

CONWAY, ARKANSAS -- This is a copy of a letter that I wrote to Gateway, after two years of a very frustrating experience with their product quality and service. The letter speaks for itself. Following my letter is their response letter dated October 3, 2003. This letter wonderfully speaks for Gateway, Inc. Their letter is a "must read" by the computer audience. If you know of other web sites that I could post this letter on, please advise.

This is to request that Gateway, Inc. replace the referenced laptop computer. This computer has been a lemon from day one. I have been totally dissatisfied with the computer and have expressed this many, many times to your technical staff. Due to my total dissatisfaction, I was advised to write this letter by your technical staff using the referenced service request number.

My latest experience with the computer was 7-22-03. The LCD viewer went out while watching a DVD movie (no, I didn’'t drop it, had not dropped it, hadn’'t even though about dropping it, and there is no evidence from looking at the case that the computer has ever been dropped). I called your technical staff 7-22-03 and talked to **, and he informed me that the LCD was bad.

The best part of this conversation was that he informed me that the LCD was not covered under warranty. I even talked to his supervisor ** and he confirmed the good news. They said they would have someone call me the next day with an estimate of the cost to replace the LCD and to arrange for me to ship the computer to you for repair. The estimate was $869. Good news? What this meant is that I would have to take a $2,284.99 computer and throw it in the trash can.

For your information, during the month of August, Dell had a laptop advertised with similar hardware for $699. None of this helps me. Regardless, I am the looser and Gateway continues to win with your present policy. All I ever wanted was to have a dependable laptop for use in my consulting engineering business. I have never had this from day one, thanks to Gateway. I have read and re-read the limited warranty. I cannot find where the warranty excludes the LCD. The warranty simply states:

“Gateway Companies, Inc. warrants to the original end-user that the Product (excluding Accessories) will be free from defects in materials and/or workmanship from the date of shipment for the period indicated on your invoice, except for portable batteries, docking stations, and Gateway-branded big screen monitors (27 inches or larger) for which the warranty period is one year from the date of shipment unless otherwise specifically indicated on your invoice.”

I purchased the computer 8-30-01 with a 3-year extended warranted that I paid an additional $105.00 for. I was assured by the Little Rock, AR Gateway staff that the computer was completely covered by the warranty. They assured me that the $105.00 I paid for the extended warranty was a bargain. I assume that I can now place this warranty on my bulletin board until it expires, as a reminded of Gateway’s efforts toward customer satisfaction, since I now have lost the use of my $2,284.99 lemon computer. I know, it is only money.

I regret having to spend my time writing this since all of my repair history is on your computer under my customer ID number. But since Gateway has a policy of not providing a hotline phone number that a person can call to express their total dissatisfaction with a Gateway Product, I am listing some of the wonderful experiences I have had with Gateway since my purchase of the lemon computer 8-30-01:

On 12-5-01, the computer would not boot-up. The computer is 3-months old. I called technical support (by the way, sit down sometime in the quietness of your home, experience the wonderful Gateway call menu, and time yourself on how long it takes to reach a real live technical person) and talked to **. He told me something to try with no success.

I called technical support back 12-5-01, 11:45 am and talked to **. After going through the exciting Gateway telephone menu and the disappointment of not having a working computer, then expressing this to **, he was so concerned that he hung up on me. I called technical support back and talked to **, and then I talked to **, then to ** and then to a supervisor named **. Each required me to experience the wonderful Gateway telephone menu again and again. After all of the frustrating calls, they decided the hard drive had failed.

I don’t remember what happened between 12-5-01 and 12-10-01, but on 12-10-01, at noon, I called technical support and talked to **, then we were disconnected for some unknown reason. I then called back and talked to **, and I believe he said I would have to send the computer in. This was Event # **.

On 12-12-01, I called technical support and talked to **. He said that I would have to send the computer to Gateway for repair. I am now 7-days into the wonderful Gateway customer satisfaction policy. On 12-12-01, ** called to advise me of the procedures Gateway uses to pick up the lemon computer. Then we were disconnected before I received all of the needed information. I then had to call back the wonderful Gateway telephone menu and talk to Shawn. He told me that Airborn Express would pick up the computer after I received a box (by mail) to put the computer in for shipping. This happened as planned.

On 12-19-01, the computer was shipped back to me. I believe I received it on 12-22-01. The service department had replaced the hard drive and shipped it back to me. The good news about all of this, I lost all of my work related engineering files. There is no way to put a value on this loss, but I am sure it would be in the thousands of dollars. But I know that was my fault, since I did not have them backed up. I also know that under normal circumstances, you can retrieve files from a hard drive before discarding. I now know too that I am a Gateway, totally unsatisfied customer.

On approximately 12-21-01, I called technical support again at 2:30 pm and talked to ** complaining about the US port on my computer not working. He gave me some things to try. On 12-27-01, I called technical support and talked to ** at 12:30 pm. I complained of not being able to use my USB port and the unavailable Help and Support on my computer, Event # **. His advice was to reload the “C” drive. This did not work, so I called technical service back 12-27-01 and talked to **. He said I needed another hard drive and he would mail me one and I could install it.

On 12-27-01, I called customary service to express my dissatisfaction with the computer. The computer is now 4-months old. I was convinced the computer was a lemon. Two replacement hard drives required in the first 4-months of use of the computer. I talked to ** with no satisfaction. I then called the local Gateway store in Little Rock, AR and they advised me to call customer service.

On 12-27-01, I called back customer service and talked to **. He then transferred me to technical management. I talked to **, case management and she transferred me to portable management. I talked with **, not with portable management, but I am now connected with technical support. He transferred me, and then I was disconnected again. I then called technical support back and talked to ** and during the conversation, I was, yes you guess it, disconnected again. By now, I am totally frustrated, disappointed and mentally exhausted from being a Gateway totally unsatisfied customer.

On 1-3-02, I tried something new; I conversed with **, via email. She said to carry the computer to the local store or call case management. Remember, the computer’s USB port was not working and Help and Support software would not boot up. So I called customer support, and during the conversation, you guessed it, the satisfied customer was disconnected. I called backed again and explained by problems.

I believe I received the replacement hard drive (it was a used part that had the famous words “reconditioned on it) the same day, 1-03-02. I called technical support and ** walked me through the process of replacing the hard drive. After installing the used hard drive, you guessed it, the same two problems existed, no USB port nor Help and Support.

I called technical support again on 1-3-02 and talked to **. She said that she had read about this complaint and suggested that the fix is to reset the computer clock. I reset it to May 2001 and she told me to do something that I don’t remember, but regardless, after resetting the clock back to the current date, the computer worked perfect. She gave me a # ** for the fix. This was Event # **.

Then on the same day I had to call technical support back and I talked to **. The computer would not boot up. She suggested that I turn the computer off and hold the off button for 10 seconds before releasing. This worked. Thanks to **, my $2,284.99 lemon computer was working perfect again. Remember, the computer is still 4-months old with 2 replacement hard drives and 24 phone calls to technical support. Time is only money.

On 8-13-02. I carried the computer to The Computer Works, a local computer repair center in Conway, AR. There was a short in the computer. You could slightly press on the computer and it would loose power or lock up. I was willing to pay for the repairs, even though it was still under warranty. This is indicative of how much I despise the effort that is required by Gateway to get the computer serviced.

The Computer Works advised me that there was a crack in the main board and since it was under warranty, to contact Gateway. I continued trying to use the lemon computer by propping it up so as not to loose power. At the time I was doing technical writing for the federal government and my use and need for the computer was intense.

On 9-4-02 (the computer is now 13 months old) I carried the computer to your local store in Little Rock, AR. They review the electrical short problem and determined that they could not repair it. So they mailed the computer to your Gateway Repair Center, Irving, TX. It was received by the Center on 9-13-02.

On 9-13-02, the Repair Center replaced the fan. On 9-17-02, they replaced the case and reflowed cold solder. From 9-18 to 9-26, there was no work on the computer. On 9-26-02, the Center had or did replace the main board, CPU, heat sink assembly, IC socket, video card, and the UA1 MB assembly. It was shipped out the same date, some 22 days later. All of my personal engineering files where gone again.

•During this 22 day period I continually tried to determine when the computer would be returned. I was told 9-4-02 at the local store in Little Rock, AR, that the Repair Center would return the computer in 5-7 business days. It is obvious that what you say is not always what you mean. I tried the Chat Center on 9-25-02 and talked to Storm. She replied with a cookbook answer: “As per our records the technicians at the service center are working hard on your system.” “Is there anything else I can help you with?” I pleaded with her to find a way to replace the computer since it was a lemon. She referred me to same old merry-go-round – the Client Care team.

•The Chat Center was only one of the many calls I made during this 22 day period. Since I was in dire need of my lemon computer, I called at various times to **, in my efforts to find out the status of my computer. All, with the exception of **, gave me the typical “our technicians are working hard on your computer and it will be shipped soon.” ** was the only one who actually took time to locate the computer, determined the expected return shipping date and even gave me her direct telephone line so I would not have to go back through the wonderful Gateway phone menu.

The computer again worked perfect until 7-22-03. The $2,284.99 lemon computer is now 23 months old. This is when the $869.00 LCD viewer went out and for some reason, it is not covered by warranty? This wonderful failure of my outstanding Gateway product was alluded to at the beginning of this letter.

Again, I resent even further having to take one-half of a day of my time to write this letter. Your technical staff assures me that you’ll keep a history of my lemon computer within your computer filing system. This letter has cost me more than $500.00 of my time since I am in business for myself. Not only that, I have spent endless hours with your technical staff to determine solutions to the lemon computer.

I have lost all of personal files twice. I was delayed in my technical writing contract during the 22 days you kept my computer for repair. This cost me over a thousand dollars. I have pleaded continually that this computer be replaced. Even “Best Buy” has a “3-time lemon” warranty. If you have to have your computer repaired 3-times during the warranty period, they will replace it free.

If you force me to throw my $2,284.99 lemon computer in the trash by refusing to replace it, you will win the battle as you have from the day I bought this lemon. But I want you to listen closely, I will win the war. I promise to insert this letter on the Gateway computer “user” site, I promise to send this letter to our local Better Business Bureau, I promise to send this letter to the Arkansas Attorney General’s Consumer Alert Division, I promise to share my lemon Gateway experience with every engineer or individual who is in the market for a computer and I promise to write PC World and other related magazines about my experience with the Gateway lemon product.

I will win the war many times over if you decline and continue with an insensitive attitude towards replacing my LEMON Gateway Product. AGAIN, THIS LETTER IS WRITTEN TO REQUEST THAT MY “LEMON” GATEWAY LAPTOP COMPUTER BE REPLACED – PERIOD.

I know I have been sarcastic, non-professional and somewhat unkind in this letter. I apologize for my tone, but I am so frustrated and disappointed with the lemon product. I believe Gateway will act positive on this request. All I want is a dependable computer that I can provide information and do the work that is required in my consulting engineering business. I do not want to purchase the lemon computer again, nor do I want to throw $2,284.99 in the trash can.

As I stated in my September 12, 2003 letter, I have read the limited warranty over and over, and I have never been able to find where the LCD is excluded. Regardless, the laptop was, is and always has been a lemon. A copy of the limited warranty may be faxed upon request. Thank you for reading and sharing my frustration with Gateway. Please share this with any computer literate person that may be interested in a factual experience with Gateway.

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3 Gateways - All Unusable
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

DEVILS LAKE, NORTH DAKOTA -- I purchased 2 laptops - Gateway and Acer (Gateway). Within 3 months, they were unable to complete MS updates and got stuck on "reverting back." The only option was to restore them. When you restore a Gateway, it removes everything including drivers. Even with a back up system, there is no mouse or keyboard. I had purchased another one and within 24 hours it did this - thankfully I was able to return it. However, when I attempted to contact Gateway, not the outsourced IT techs I kept getting, you got it - the outsourced IT Techs who for only $249 each would fix my computer. They are extremely rude.

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Never Ever Buy Anything From Gateway
By -

I purchased my laptop in January of 2007. I am a college student and greatly depend on my lap top. Towards the end of the school year (May), my laptop was not charging correctly. This was JUST FOUR MONTHS after I bought the product. Since school was almost done and I put up with it. By the time I was finished school I could not even get the lap top to turn on.

Once I went home for the summer I used the desktop at my house. July 21, 2007 I called technical support because I needed the problem to be fixed for the upcoming school year. The technician thought that the problem was with my AC adapter and sent a new one to me. I got the new adapter early August. By November 23, 2007 I was YET AGAIN in need of a new adapter. I called tech support and they sent me a newer version of the AC adapter. THE LAST ADAPTER LASTED THREE MONTHS!

It is now March and I am having the same problem. For the last couple of months I have put up with this terrible product. The only way I can charge the lap top is by literally holding the charger in place and pushing on the cord until I have marks on my fingers. The second I let go, the charger is not recognized by the lap top. After charging it to get a full battery, it dies in about 20 minutes. I literally sit through class with one hand on the adapter and the other hand typing. As of today, my lap top will NOT turn on. Gateway should be thanking me for being as gracious as I am about the faulty product they have on the market. I called tech support yesterday.

My warranty ran out in January of 2008, just two months ago. The woman I spoke to on the phone said that since I only had a two prong adapter, that sometimes you have to get another one. After a long talk with her, she finally gave me the number for corporate. Even she finally agreed that I shouldn't need to get three new adapters a year. When I finally got through to someone at corporate and explained my problem, he diagnosed it as a much different problem, or should I say... a much more expensive problem.

Now that my warranty is up, they are expecting me to pay 250 dollars on a repair that they should have been able to fix all last year when I explained my problem to them. Now, all of a sudden, they conveniently have a different idea of what needs to be fixed at my expense. I could not be more frustrated with this product.

I will never buy any product from Gateway EVER again and will make a point to tell everyone I know about what terrible products Gateway produces. It is ridiculous that a product I paid hundreds of dollars had severe problems just months after I bought it. Gateway needs to stand by their crappy products and take responsibility for their poor quality. Never ever buy a gateway because they are not worth one cent of your money. They are the worst possible products on the market. I have never been so disappointed with a purchase in my life.

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Gateway garbage
By -

SKOKIE, ILLINOIS -- I purchased a Gateway MX6956 computer on 11/28/2006 from Best Buy #302 Skokie, IL. The unit worked without any problems until August 2007 when the Sprint Mobile Broadband PCMCIA card failed to power up. However, the same PCMCIA card as well as the Sprint Mobile Broadband service do work in my Toshiba notebook computer. I worked with Sprint Technical Support and Gateway Technical Support and it was determined that the computer would have to be returned to the Best Buy Store for service. I returned the computer to the store three different times for service.

After each time I returned the computer it was out of service for 3-4 weeks, I was then informed that the computer was ready to be picked up and no trouble was found. However each time I returned to the store to pick up my computer I brought the Sprint PCMCIA card with me and had the personnel at Best Buy test the computer with the card, it failed each time. The card will not power up which was verified by the support staff at the Best Buy store.

Each time they sent the computer out again for service after verifying that in fact there was a problem. Each time the computer was returned to me, the only service performed was that the operating system was reinstalled. After receiving no satisfaction from Best Buy I contacted Gateway. The computer has been sent to the Gateway Service Center in LaVergne, Tn seven different times for service of the same problem, PCMCIA card slot will not power up.

It is then returned to me as No Trouble Found, No Failure Claim Description Provided, even though I had spoken to Gateway Technical Support on the phone and provided a description of the problem prior to sending the computer in. It was determined by the phone support personnel through their troubleshooting procedures that the computer would have to be returned for service. The telephone support personnel had determined that the mother board would need to be replaced.

It was returned to me after the seventh time for service from Gateway and the computer continued to fail. I called Gateway and spoke to ** and was told there was nothing else they could do to resolve the problem.They do not know what is wrong and cannot repair the computer. It was just my tough luck and I should not bother them anymore. Needless to say I was astonished at the poor quality of service provided by a representative of Gateway and asked to speak to a manager. I was then connected to Tiffany who refused to provide me with an employee ID.

The conversation began very pleasantly and I was happy that I was finally going to get this problem resolved. After I had explained what had transpired, the tone of the conversation changed. I was informed that in the four months since I have been attempting to get this computer repaired that the warranty no longer covered the notebook. She told me that I did not have an extended warranty and that there was nothing Gateway was going to do, they are unable to determine what the failure is and I should just forget about the problem and not bother them anymore. End of conversation.

I believe that I have been more than patient in dealing with an arguably incompetent organization, Gateway. I now want a complete refund of the price I had paid in order that I may purchase a new computer of any other brand but Gateway. This was my first Gateway computer and most definitely will be the last.

I will be able to provide documentation of the three service tickets from Best Buy and the seven different service tickets from Gateway, as well as sales receipts, upon request. I want to add that I am composing this email on my Toshiba Satellite notebook computer using the Sprint Mobile Broadband service PCMCIA card to connect to the network. The same PCMCIA card and service that will not work on the Gateway computer.

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Will NEVER Buy a Gateway Laptop Again.
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

CALIFORNIA, CALIFORNIA -- Whatever you do, DO NOT BUY GATEWAY OR ACER. This is not a relationship that you want to get into. Gateway is defined by poor quality products and ZERO customer service. ZERO. I purchased an NV Series Gateway laptop and within the first two months had my first issue, I took it back to Best Buy and it was sent back to Gateway where they had to replace a piece of faulty hardware.

A couple months later the Gateway laptop failed again, and once more I took it back to Best Buy who sent it off and had a new mother board installed. A few months later, the same thing happened, failure, and ANOTHER mother board had to be installed. At this point I was requesting a new computer because it was close to the end of what I consider a short one year warranty and I had already had so many failures and spent so many weeks without my computer.

Well, not long after the warranty expired, so too did the battery. The Gateway battery had a catastrophic failure, I lost data and now the battery will not charge. Since that time, my Gateway laptop has become a desk top, always having to be tethered to a wall outlet.

The most recent issue is that it will not start up; it keeps freezing and will not allow me to recover to the last good configuration. I have contacted Gateways tech support but they require a $200 fee for their help. I spent just under 2 hours getting the run around by their tech support and then a supervisor.

When I told them I wanted to speak with a corporate customer service rep, I was given a phone number which ultimately got me to another call center in India where they finally admitted that they were in fact tech support as well and not customer service. What you can expect from Gateway is a shabby product that will be patched up and barely kept together until your warranty runs out and then you are on your own unless you want to cough up even more money and time to get it fixed (over the phone by the way).

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Computer seems to have been damaged at repair center.
By -

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA -- I purchased this laptop on Home Shopping Network, advertising it as the only computer you will need for the next 5 years. After only 6 weeks of use, I had issues with it powering on. Used all the info in owners manual before calling repair. I was very aggressive in my demands for a new laptop, no I was told send it to repair center in TX by an customer service representative in the Philippines. Then told by Escalations personnel that I had no options but to pay for shipping to TX, cost me $20.

Before shipping back, we noticed that the port for the AC/DC adaptor plug was too far recessed in, thus the plug was not making a connection. Computer was in perfect condition, only needing new jack/port for the battery cable. I included a note with the computer notifying them that was all that was needed. Received email stating computer was received at repair center, 6 business days later received call stating due to all the damage and repairs, they would have to replace parts with non matching parts. I asked why would they be needing those parts when there was only one issue.

To cut it short, the computer was damaged between the time it left me and up to 6 days after Acer repair center received my laptop. Gateway/Acer is stating the damages weren't covered by warranty they were just doing me a favor. Also the mother board was replaced and a broken key!!! How did this all happen when all they needed was to replace the port for the cable? Questioned why they would accept the computer in that condition(damage not covered by warranty) and then wait 6 business days to contact me.

They are dumbfounded and without an answer, but my only option is to take the non-matching casing panel or they will just send it back damaged. DO NOT BUY ACER/GATEWAY computers. The warranties are worthless and they obviously drop your computers before they repair them. No way would they have accepted my laptop for a simple repair if there was a cracked casing panel piece, broken key, and in need of a new mother board after 6 weeks of use!!! THEY ARE DISHONEST AND SELL LEMON COMPUTERS.

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Gateway is not all bad!
By -

I must first qualify my review, I am a component level PC technician / IT support and forensic specialist, often hardware manufacturers get a black eye from irresponsible software vendors "pushing" a beta release of an OS that's not ready for release to the general public. My Gateway experience follows.

In Nov of 2009 I purchased a refurbished Gateway NV5214u and Western Digital 500GB HD from the CompUSA/Tiger Direct group. I was totally Jazzed, everything I wanted in a laptop and a screaming deal to top it all off. I ripped that puppy out of the box and began the initial charge, once the battery's forming charge was complete, with a quart of "DD" coffee and champing at the bit I powered up, the laptop came preloaded with "Vista Home Entertainment" version, in several min I was greeted with a pleasing blue/gray frame around the famous BSOD (blue screen of death), OK let's play, 45 min later after much keypunching and profanity BSOD persisted!

OK, pop open the optical drive a stuff a Suse 11.2 "Live CD" and reboot, following the post screen came the hardware inventory, well son of a gun, I ran the memory diagnostic and loaded live mode, everything was there. Great! Not a hardware but a driver issue, don't have to return it. Now with confidence I shutdown, pulled the 350GB Seagate drive installing the 500GB Western Digital and loaded Suse 11.2 Linux, which was the initial plan. About 2 hours later the laptop of my dreams was sitting before me, It hasn'€™t missed a beat since.

A few months later I upgraded to 11.3, in the following months I have been so pleased I have purchased 4 more of these laptops at baby needs shoes prices, all not working, all responding to the same therapy.
Thanks Bill, never could have afforded them if they worked!

Advise for all purchasing new computers / electronics. Follow the initial charging instructions! All semiconductors are subject to "New device mortality rates" the longer the device has been operating the more reliable it is. General guidelines advise a minimum "burn in" of 200 hours for hi-rel applications. I leave my new stuff on for months, if it's destine to fail it's going to do it while it's under warranty.

For computers, STFW for "live CD distributions" these are alternative OS's that run albeit slowly but entirely off the CD without altering your hard drive. A wonderful tool to find who's really responsible for your misery. Ultimately it's always "caveat emptor" arm yourself with knowledge, you'll find life requires far less KY jelly, best of decisions and fortune to all. "I fix windows but I work on Linux"

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A Once Good Company Gone Bad ... Fails to honor warranty on faulty product
By -

SOUTH DAKOTA -- Let me first say that I have owned Gateway products in the past and was very happy and recommended them to others who purchased based on the recommendation... However... I have a laptop that failed while under warranty... tech support, which is somewhat of a horror show, informed me that the BIOS would have to be reset for a cost of 99.00 !!! BIOS is not my fault... but they essentially extort, because they will not even have a look unless you pay for what should be under warranty first.

So, I pay... send it off to service. It is returned with the battery jammed in crooked and a bottom panel unsecured... don't worry, I took pictures! Within days, strange things happen and it proceeds to quit on me. Called the techies overseas and as part of the diagnostic, they ask if I have restore discs. I reply that I received 1 with the computer... Oh, but you need 2. So that will be 23.00 first, then we can proceed with diagnostics. Does this reek of extortion once again? I pay the 23.00, receive the disc, call tech support and guess what? Yep, it sounds like a bad hard drive... AGAIN - that's #2!

This time they agree to pay for shipping... Well, here we go again... 3rd new hard drive that works for a few days until the "lock ups" and endless reboots. Now, I'm dead in the water again. Meanwhile, I urge everyone with a Gateway problem to contact the **. I have yet to get real satisfaction yet as Gateway has denied the first portion of my claim but I've had 2 more hard drive crashes since they were first notified and they're stalling. That's the name of the game, force the consumer to give up. It's important that everyone with a Gateway problem GET PROACTIVE and CONTACT THE SD ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE. Hopefully, there will be strength in numbers. Good Luck.

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Terrible Computers - Customer Service
By -

Purchased $2700 laptop 5/06. Between 5/06 and 6/2/07 approx 3-4 motherboards & defective screen replaced in my "new" comp with several Full System Recovery involved. During this time GW had the comp longer than I did & my purchased FULL 3 year warranty was diminishing.

6/7/07 I was sent a "new?" REFURBISHED unit, (I received someone else's defective, problem filled computer!). 4/22/08 Motherboard was replaced due to lack of power to unit.. 7/30/08 Called GW with problems. Tech appt made for NEW MOTHERBOARD. 8/5 TECH DIDN'T SHOW. Resched Tech 8/14 - TECH NO SHOW! I called @ 12noon promised me a called back "right away". No call - I CALLED @ 1pm. Rescheduled finally - new MOTHERBOARD & KEYBOARD.

9/30/08 - NO POWER to comp. Called Gateway - Gilbert in 2nd Level support insisted unit come back to GW. GW received comp 10/9/08 into @ Repair center. I Talked to GW 10/10 - motherboard is backordered. 10/30 I talked to GW - "still waiting for motherboard can't give any other information". 10/30 after 1 hr on hold was transferred to "escalating service dispatch" and was told GW expected to receive part 10/31.

11/18 - GW was EXTREMELY rude to me & stated to send a letter to Cust Serv in Tempo, TX if I don't like her answers. 11/18 - GW - waiting on motherboard but will extend my warranty. 1/7/09 GW - to send new M-1622H comp. 1/22/09 - Comp TO be a REFURBISHED UNIT!!! & should have 2 weeks. PLEASE NOTE IT HAS BEEN ALMOST 5 FIVE! MONTHS SINCE I HAVE SENT IN THIS PIECE OF GARBAGE!!!

I do not want a refurbished computer as I received previously with dire results! I asked for a refund on this computer and was denied. I wish to purchase another superior make/model laptop! With a company with better customer service!! Product or Service: UNSATISFACTORY! I HAVE REPEATEDLY TOLD GW THIS IS MY WORK COMP!!! BUT THEY HAVE BEEN NON COMPLACENT.

ON 1/23/09 After sending a complaint to Better Business Bureau I received a call from GW Corporate Office. The representative stated that he has gone over my issues and he noticed that I was getting a “new” computer. REMINDER - I'M GETTING ANOTHER REFURBISHED UNIT. He stated that is how GW handled these type of issues and there is nothing else they are willing to do. After I reiterated to him that this was my WORK computer and my livelihood he just brushed me off and told me that this is the way Gateway handles these situations. I'M REALLY NOT SURE WHY GATEWAY EVEN CALLED ME!!! I AM SO DISGUSTED WITH GATEWAY AS A BUSINESS AND COMPUTER!

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My First And Last Experience With Gateway
By -

I purchased this laptop on the HSN in September of '07 When I first got it I loved it until about four months later when my nightmare began. One day I went to turn it on and the power button would light up for about 10 seconds then the computer would shut down and try to start again. It would continue this loop forever and not boot up.

So I called Gateway and they tried to get me to trouble shoot the problem even though I told them it wouldn't even boot up. They finally agreed I needed to send it in for repair. I got it back over week later with a repair slip that said they replaced the "auto power on". A week later it did the same thing. Sent it in and it came back saying they replaced the motherboard.

Two weeks later the screen went white with vertical pinstripes going through it. Sent it in, came back with no explanation of repair. Within 3 days it was doing the same thing. Sent it in, came back with all my data wiped out saying they replaced the processor. I thought everything was fixed until I started listen to music on it and found out ANY audio on it had clicks and pops similar to an old record. Sent it in, they sent it back saying they couldn't hear any problem.

By this time I'd had enough and finally got to talk to an upper manager. I told her I think I got a lemon and I wanted a replacement laptop. She said I needed to send it in at least three times for the same problem and if they couldn't fix it then I would qualify for a replacement. So I sent it in two more times. Still no improvement. So she said they would send me a "Refurbished" laptop to replace my "New" laptop. I complained but was told that was my only option.

I received my new "refurbished" laptop and it worked great for about 6 months, then the same problems I had in the beginning with the first one started happening with the refurb. I call Gateway and they tell me "Since its past your warranty it will cost you almost as much for us to fix it as it would for you to just buy a new one" then they even suggested I might be happier with a Dell or an HP! WTF! So now I own a $800 paper weight. In a nutshell, 2 Gateway computers that didn't even last close to a year, customer service that couldn't care less about your problems or if you ever buy another one of their computers. YOU KNOW WHAT GATEWAY? I NEVER WILL!

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1.0 out of 5, based on 9 ratings and
60 reviews & complaints.
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Gateway
4545 Towne Centre CT
San Diego, CA 92121-1900
858-799-3401 (ph)
858-799-3459 (fax)
www.gateway.com
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