Gateway Consumer Reviews - Page 5

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA -- I bought my Gateway LX6810 in 2009. After three months, it started to turn off every 30 minutes. I took it to Best Buy. Best Buy sent it out for "repair." When it arrived, I had the same problem. Gateway told me to send it to them at my expense. I took it to a computer repair place and the computer worked okay. Four months later, and it's shutting down once again. I contacted Gateway - they told me it was shutting down because I had Windows 7 installed!! And gave me a link!

My question is this.. why can't we start a class action suit against them. Search Gateway LX6810, you will find loads of customers with the exact complaint. Gateway must know this and yet they ignore their customers. I will never buy a computer from Gateway again. I will never shop for a computer at Best Buy.

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA -- Let me review my many instances of unhappiness with my Gateway product:

Within a few weeks of purchase my hard drive crashed and ultimately was replaced at Gateway service center. In attempts to rectify the problem before shipping it for service your tech support person failed to send me the "systems cd" in addition to the "recovery cd." This mistake was acknowledged by your tech support person and delayed the ultimate repair of my computer by another week. I had to pay $35 to ship my computer to your service center. I estimate that I was without use of the computer for at least 3 weeks.

In my encounters with your tech support personnel, I found their accents to be so thick it was difficult to understand them many times. And I work in New York City with people from all over the world where I don't have a problem understanding accents.

Finally, even though I sent a scanned promotional statement from Gateway stating that I was eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 7, they later said I was not eligible. Follow-up emails to Gateway customer service and a company executive were not answered.

TEMPLE, TEXAS -- GATEWAY has a repair center in TEMPLE, TX. There is also a contact phone number to speak with someone, but the GATEWAY SUPPORT PEOPLE, will not provide it. I had it once, since it was listed on the outside FEDEX label showing the shipper information. And I have called it and spoke with a representative about the item being sent to me. I have since misplaced this number, and in no way, will GATEWAY give it out... they tell you "There is no number, you have to just send in the item for repair..." etc.

So, if someone has it, please post it and send to me as well. GATEWAY does not want people to call this number, but the service at GATEWAY support (not meant for words I can type) is awful.

7565 ERVINE CENTER DRIVE, CALIFORNIA -- The newly purchased E-Machine computer locked up and cannot be used and is less than 100 days old. In conversing with Gateway Support we were told it would cost us more than we paid for the computer in the first place or that we could pay for customer support which might or might not support the fix for the computer. They advertise l00% American technical support yet when contacted it was found their technical services are based in India and we cannot speak to someone, even a supervisor who speak enough English to understand the problem. What can someone do?

I purchased a fantastic computer from Gateway. It is the 610 media center and it has all the features. At least this is what I thought. I started having problems with a memory stick, then the screen started blinking out. I did a little research on the screen and have found that it was a widespread problem reported across the internet. Some of the "fixes" entailed disconnecting the subwoofer as they thought the power was insufficient to operate the computer.

Just to be sure I called Gateway, and they told me there was a fix now for the problem. I finally decided to send my computer in. Since I live outside the US, I paid to send it. However once I got it back, I found that they did not fix the memory stick, and although the screen was not blinking, it was put back on crooked and the subwoofer was not connected.

Gateway indicated they would fix everything but I would have to pay again for shipping it back. TO FIX THE PROBLEMS THAT HAPPENED WHILE IT WAS IN THEIR POSSESSION. No one at Gateway is willing to help. I talked with over 15 people and tech support says it's a customer service issue, and vice versa. I even had some of the customer service thought it was funny. I liked the computer. I would have bought from Gateway again. I Will Never again now however.

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA -- Gateway's Going Out of Business Sale is a farce. I was the second one in the door, at the Anchorage store, at 10AM on Saturday, the day Gateway advertised the sale would start, only to find everything, including all the monitors, sold. First they informed us that the sale had actually started Friday night.

When confronted by the customer that was there Friday night, the employee changed his story and informed us that they had their own little employee's only sale Friday after closing, who had happened to purchased all the discounted items. This is an example of false advertising that I plan on perusing in the courts. With shady business practices like this, Gateway deserved to go under.

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA -- Two years ago, I received a Gateway PC for Christmas from my mother. The only reason I got a Gateway was because the Dell she ordered was delayed. I have cursed this decision ever since. At the time, the Gateway she ordered was the top of the line. I have had nothing but problems ever since. There is no reason to try to contact them since they charge $3 a minute with guarantee that they can fix the problem. My Gateway crashes randomly about every 4 or 5 months, stating a device driver problem.

On the flip side, I bought a Dell for my 13-year-old son, who downloads an amazing load of shall we say crap onto his computer. Amazingly, he doesn't ever have any problems. Myself, on the other hand, despite my many efforts to maintain and clean my Gateway every week, continue to have constant problems. My advice to you would be to never, never, never, EVER buy a Gateway. Spend your money wisely and invest in a Dell. Feel free to e-mail me (if I can receive it) and I would be happy to detail my agony (complete hard drive reformats and all)...

FLORIDA -- Took the computer to Best Buy after the first incident of turning it on and seeing the Gateway Insignia and then nothing else. Nothing would open. They kept it a few days and called to say they found no problem and had been able to open it from the off mode and the sleep mode and the hibernate mode. Brought it home and it worked less than two weeks and now the same thing has happened. Plan to return it for exchange or refund. Not sure if this has anything to do with Windows 8 but whoever put that together should be fired.

IRVING, CALIFORNIA -- I read more negative than positive about eMachines... they don't know what they are talking about. I am a 25 year hardware/programming veteran. These new small footprint unit are the bomb. They are as "heavy" (weight-wise) as eMachines earlier version mini towers, meaning they are as good. The price $298 is unbeatable. The only downside is that they are PUSHING Norton antivirus (I don't know anyone that uses Norton).

There are screens that come up that want you to buy Norton with a small "close" button at the bottom of the window if you don't. They continue coming up even though you have said No over and over again until finally a screen comes up that doesn't have the option to close and you must RESTART the computer to get rid of it. This would not normally be a problem for the computer should have been configured before you the home owner used it by a technician at a store somewhere. Well... lo and behold... for all you technicians out there... these machines are being sent out with WINDOWS INSTALLER disabled.

Studied computers choices for a long time before ordering this one. Decision partly based on previous good service from Gateway but over 10 years ago. Guess what? When computer (Deskotp DX4840-15) arrived, it would not start Windows. It powers up but can't do anything. Tech Support couldn't get it to start either. They want me to ship it to Texas (I'm in Atlanta), 7-10 days is their estimate of time, let some service company try to repair it over an unknown estimate of time, then ship it back over another 7-10 days of time.

It would be a month before I get a "refurbished" machine back after I purchased a brand new one. ARE THEY KIDDING ME? Gateway definitely has the worst service on Earth. Think again before you go down this road. I'm going to find a way to get a refund from the "selected retail store" where I bought it.