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Gateway Consumer Reviews - Page 2

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Warranty, Customer Service
By -

CALIFORNIA -- I work for an agency that buys PCs from Dell, Gateway and HP. Problems vary with each new model of PC. Quality of customer service seems vary over time. Most recently Gateway seems to be hit the bottom with just ridiculous customer service. I Have a pile of failed gateway components, too much trouble to warranty. Calls to Gateway customer service often take up to an hour to verify serial numbers and warranty coverage. Once they do verify the coverage the part shows up in a day or two, then we have one week to send back the old parts.

A week later we get a return shipping label in the mail. If I ship out the old parts the same day I get the label it's already late. Then Gateway sends an invoice with my name on it charging our department for failing to return the old warranty part. I have to explain the invoice to my accounting department, then make phone calls to gateway to clear the invoice. Usually takes two or more calls to Gateway's returns department and one or more calls to their accounting department.

It is much less time consuming for me to rob or modify parts from old equipment than go through their warranty procedure. A complaint to our head office resulted in the Gateway Rep assuring us that this was the exception rather than the rule and he would personally follow up and resolve this unusual customer service issue. Once the case was resolved it was business as usual with Gateway. Same problems all over again.

If a keyboard fails I have to call customer service, then I am transferred to a tech that tells me “hold the keyboard between my palms with the end of the keyboard six inches above the desk and drop it to unstick the keys. And if that doesn't work call us back and we will go from there." Seemed ridiculous, but it worked and the keyboard worked for two days after that. The user called me two days later calling me an idiot, I laughed and agreed, “your right and I acted on some really bad advice. I'll bring a new keyboard right away.”

Just have to laugh every time I throw a gateway keyboard away, Just hold it between my palms six inches above the garbage can and drop it. Computer manufacturers are selling PCs so cheap these days that there is very little of the profit margin left for customer service or warranty. They don't honor anything beyond what is stated in the warranty and they don't staff their help desks with professional people. Nothing against the help desk people, cut them some slack, they don't get much training and are just following the company's policy, for the most part they are really nice people with a really lousy job dealing with often angry customers.

If you really depend on your PC, it's better to buy your next computer from a local independent shop that builds and maintains PCs. Spend the extra money for quality components and professional local service. If you're buying Big ticket electronics Costco is the bomb, they don't have the forever warranty anymore but they will give you two years of warranty you can't beat anywhere.

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Repair
By -

PITTSBURG,, CALIFORNIA -- I purchased a Gateway computer last November from Best Buy. This was my 2nd Gateway computer I purchased within 2 1/2 years. I had to replace my first one because it would not take a charge. The connection in the computer was "wiggly". I NEED my computer for work. So I bought a new one.

After about 9 1/2 months of using my new computer, the same problem happened as the first. I couldn't charge my battery. I went through 3 adapters I had to tape onto my computer for my computer to get any power to it at all. My computer was working. It was just not getting power to the computer or to charge the battery. I called Gateway to send it in for warranty repair. I was told a box was being shipped to me to send my computer in. I was told my warranty was going to expire soon and asked if I wanted to renew it. I declined at the time. They gave me some numbers to put on my box. I attached those numbers to my original box that I got the Gateway in.

I waited and waited and after 1 1/2 weeks I called Gateway back asking about my box. They said it was supposed to be sent out to me but it wasn't. They assigned me new numbers to put on my box (which I did). They told me the box was being sent out. They mentioned that my warranty was to expire soon. I declined again. So once again... I waited and after a week I called Gateway and asked about my box. And the same thing happened... no box. I was reassigned numbers to attach to my box.

I told Gateway that I would pay for the shipping. I had the original box the computer came in. They said no that it had to be sent out in their box to the address label they provide. This happened another time. I called back again and was told the box was delivered which it wasn't. This time though I renewed my warranty. I paid over $100 because I had the suspicions that Gateway was stalling so they wouldn't need to cover my repair. I attached the new numbers they provided me with to my box.

Finally the box came. I sent it in to Gateway and 4 days later I get a call saying that the warranty didn't cover the motherboard getting wet. My motherboard DID NOT GET WET! I sent it in because I couldn't charge my computer. If I charged my battery in a friend's computer and used it on mine... There was no problem!!! MY COMPUTER WORKED!!! I requested pictures of my motherboard which I never received.

I called Gateway and was told to call this number and when I called it, the lady was so rude. Told me my computer was already sent back to me. I told her I requested photos of my motherboard and she said they could send me them. Gateway records our calls for quality. If they could review the call to this lady she first said it was sent back to me then she said she can send me photos. When I questioned this she said "Oh, it's still down in our warehouse." What was Gateway going to do, send me photos of somebody else's computer?

I sent my working computer in to repair the plug. And the diagnosis... (after I spent more $ on a warranty) which didn't even kick in... I was told the motherboard got wet and it wasn't under warranty. I believe that Gateway lies about the diagnosis and that they steal.

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Online Sales and Tracking Gets Failing Grade (UPDATED 3-5-07)
By -

UPDATE 3/5/07 7am PST -> OK, just off the phone with Gateway Customer support about my order (a new Gateway NX860XL laptop) - now pushed out until mid March. Apparently the problem was a chipset on the laptop computer mb not working well with the new Vista software/video card interface, and they (Gateway) have had to revise the hardware chipset. They are using to support the video control/data workings - a manufacturer's nightmare to be sure.

I am very glad they got to this before we consumers had to deal with it, but the result is unfortunately a further delay in the shipping. SO FOR BEING HONEST I NOW REVISE THEIR GRADE UPWARDS!! The CS rep I spoke to was honest and forthcoming about why the further delay, and I am finally hearing a reason that makes sense. Gateway is doing just what you hope an honest manufacturer would do and take care of a glaring problem before the customer has to deal with it, and being honest about it.

Original complaint: OK. Like many folks I buy things over the web sometimes, not a lot, just sometimes. I have never before tried to purchase a computer over the web, I usually buy at the 'brick and mortar' or buy parts at same and build my own. Recently, Jan 23rd, I was offered that I could buy a laptop and a client would pick up the cost, as a birthday present.

Great! Wow! So I surfed the web for the best price performance on a newer 17" display laptop. Gateway came in several hundred dollars below any other... so I tried to order one from them a Gateway NX860XL. Apparently I called the wrong number on the screen and ended up ordering through customer service instead of sales - I was never informed. This was not the right way to do it, the person at the other end cheerfully accepted the order and that was that, I thought.

The nightmare begins. OK so I go online to track my order and it says I am at step one after several days?? So I call and am told they do not have all the information for my order... no customer tel no., no email address, so I provide both. A few days later nothing has changed. So I call again... this repeated for nearly a week to 10 days, finally I get fed up and call the 'sales' number and ask why all this trouble?

I am finally told I ordered through the wrong department, cancel that order and start over. I follow their advice and instructions. This was done Feb. 2nd. and I was told my new estimated delivery date is now the 20th of Feb. (My original est arr. date was Feb 6th.) So far so good, I thought... silly me! Again the 'online tracking tool has me now stuck in the 2nd step 'order processing' until Feb 17th... I call and complain and write some email to same effect. How can I get it on the 20th when still in order processing??

Well, I cannot - I get an email saying they cannot get copies of Vista to put on it. My new estimated arrival date (which appears to be some fictional disclaimer bound daydream) is moved out to March 6th, and you guessed it - the order tracking tool says my order is still in 'order processing' even though by voice they claim it has been built and only lacks the OS.

So I try and complain that the only tool made available to me is at best dysfunctional - their concern over this issue was and remains laughable. What the hey do I expect they ask... that the order actually be tracked? They are far too big, busy, and important to worry about such a thing. The online tracking tool is also fiction, for me, yes, absolutely. You would think I had tried to order a jumbo jet or something like that from them - and they are playing the role of Airbus.

Today is March 1st. You guessed it... order tracking still says my laptop is in 'order processing', folks it's been a month!! And the kind person who called from corporate to find out if wanted to cancel the order informed me it 'could be delayed again'... so much for dazzle the customer.

If I ever do receive the thing I will write an honest review of it, I promise. But so far, to me, Gateway = Lateway = Waitway = Soup Sandwich. A great price on a fictional laptop is exactly that. In the future I'll pay more for something that I can actually use instead of wonder about. But for now I am just going to 'hang in there' and see if they actually do ever get it to me, the customer.

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Gateway's Utter Lack of Professionalism
By -

TORONTO -- On 6 September 2006, the monitor on my Gateway MX 3558 cracked. I was aware at the time that this was a situation that would likely not be covered by warranty but I called the Gateway phone number to see what my options were. The service rep looked up my file and told me that my computer WAS covered in this situation and couriered a box to me so I could ship it off to be serviced. That was the end of any illusion of service Gateway provided.

After shipping my computer, I received not so much as an email confirmation to say they received it. Over the next month I called Gateway several times each week only to check the status of my computer. It should also be noted that Gateway does not provide a toll free customer service number within Canada and I was forced to call long distance from Toronto to a Vancouver number to speak to someone. As it turns out, the Vancouver number was a misnomer as the calls were directed to the Gateway call centre in Salt Lake City.

Having called that line upwards of 5 times, each time I was told by the employees that Gateway had contracted out repairs in Canada to a private company and they were not able to see the status of my computer. Several times the rep would check with their manager and ultimately unable to find out anything.

This went on for a month. Finally, a rep submitted an inquiry to the private company to find out about my computer. The process only produced an answer that the company was backlogged and would get around to looking at my computer soon. It took another week and round of calls on my part to find out that the monitor was NOT covered by the warranty and would cost $400 USD to repair. At that point, I asked simply for them to return my laptop. On 13 October 2006, I finally received my laptop.

I am well aware that the damage done to the monitor was my fault and not covered by the warranty. However, I decided to take a chance and see if they would fix it. Their fixing it is not the issue. If you buy a Gateway computer and experience a production problem on Gateway's part, THIS is this is the level of service you will have to deal with. It was an endless circle of "I don't know" and shuffling me around between different phone numbers. It was beyond frustrating and I would never buy another Gateway product on the basis that if I ever had to deal with this kind farce again.

I have recently gone through a great deal of trials with my HP Ipod. Having experienced the level of customer service at HP (where you are notified electronically each step of the way and the customer service representatives have access to the knowledge required to help customers), I know that this is not a system that consumers must put up with.

Based on customer service alone, I would recommend avoiding Gateway at all costs. Bureaucracy by definition exists to ensure everyone is treated fairly and to facilitate a smooth process. Gateway is the perfect example of bureaucracy gone wrong and why the term gets a bad name. If you are going to give your money to big corporations, you might as well make it work in your favor. Bring your business elsewhere, not Gateway.

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I booked with them but canceled my move in a week took at 1500 dollar depoist wont return
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

ORMOND, FLORIDA -- I booked with Gateway express moving
I put a $1524 deposit down
I canceled a week later saying my move was canceled
I ask for my deposit no answer
I am moving in the deal with the home went though after all but they still won't return my calls
I am afraid they are crooks anyways and will not take care of my stuff

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Loan Sharks
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

CALIFORNIA -- They are loan sharks. Took my payments directly to interest over 4 payments at 1,387.53.... breached contract. Then there is awful customer service rude, **and ignorant representatives. Gabi #** hung up phone in my face when I asked her to email me their payment history. Lied and said their payment history was different from mine... Liar because the balance is still the same as theirs. Run from this comp. Intial loan was 23,555, I got it down to 8,500 now they are trying to add late fees from nowhere!! I got an attorney..... They're full of crap!!!

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Manager Donna Fletcher is a jerk for a manager!
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

SEVIERVILLE, TENNESSEE -- I have made official complaints about her as poor management and that she simply has issues with certain disabled men. She lies.

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Paying for Gateway's Mistake
By -

TEMPLE, TEXAS -- About 6 months ago I purchased a Gateway FX8600 computer from Best Buy. All has been well up to the point when the HDD was unrecognizable to the BIOS. Hence the computer won't boot and the HDD was deemed failed. Mildly unfortunate but the bad news was yet to come. I contacted Gateway and was told to send it to Texas for warranty service at my expense. My expense? Irritating although I understand as it is in their warranty as such. So a bit over $60.00 and the tower was boxed (according to very specific standards set by Gateway) and shipped to Gateway.

So about two weeks later my computer shows up at my door. I open the box and discover Gateway didn't ship the tower back using the same stringent packaging guidelines and therefore my 6 month old computer now has dents on 3 of the 4 corners. Not to mention the sides are not locked in properly. I can only assume they are this way due to the corner impacts and twisting of the case.

So I contact support and after 3 transfers and 1 hr I received the official answer as to how Gateway will handle the problem. I need to repackage the product using the proper guidelines (AT MY EXPENSE), take it back to the shipper where they will then pay to ship it back to the repair facility. I will then receive it back in another couple weeks or so.

So, am I alone in thinking that since Gateway failed to ship it properly that they should pay to package it properly? I asked that they send me a box with a return label in it to keep me from have to spend more money and they refused, citing they have now way to ship an empty box to me. So iPod rescue can do it but Gateway cannot. Even when it is their screw up to begin with. I cannot stress how disappointed I am with Gateway and all of their levels of "service." So off I go to the shipper to package and ship the unit properly. Then, letters to the Bureau of Electronics Repair, the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Attorney General's Office.

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My Gateway GT5656 Just Shuts Off
By -

I purchased my Gateway GT5656 about one year and two months ago. For the first 8 months no problems what so ever, then on the ninth month out of nowhere it shut off, while I was checking my email. I thought I had a power shortage or that I had unplugged it by accident. I was wrong. I rebooted, it came on no problem. The next day, it shut off with no warning 3 more times. I contacted Gateway, I was asked did I register it. I said no - they registered it for me, then they said they could help. I told them what was happening, they told me to send them the hard drive and they would fix it. So I did.

Three weeks later, I got a new hard drive, at least that's what I was told. Three more months go by and it does the exact same thing again. I contact them, they tell me my comp is no longer under warranty and that I must pay for help. I tell them that they didn't fix the problem and now I have to pay to even talk to a customer service rep, they say yes and that it's going to be around 250 dollars just to talk - that's not counting the repairs fees.

I now have a 2800 dollar comp that doesn't allow me to stay on longer than an hour and shuts off immediately if I try and do more than two things at once, example check email and open a web page. I advise anyone who wants a new comp stay away from Gateway. They don't have anyone that will speak to you for free when your warranty is done. They make crappy computers and don't care if your comp doesn't work. They have your money.

I even contacted Microsoft for help, they couldn't or wouldn't even reply to my emails. I'm so through with Gateway that it's beyond belief. I purchased my Gateway computer through Best Buy, and you won't believe the price they quoted me to just look at it. Not to mention what it's going to cost me to fix it. Also beware there is no free number to contact Gateway.

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Rotten Motherboards
By -

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA -- I bought a Gateway gt4010 from Bestbuy about 18 months ago, and it has stop working, for I thought it was the hard drive which I replaced and it still didn't work, after asking a few tech friends about the problems I was have they figured out that it was the motherboard. After contacting Gateway customer service (or the lack thereof) I was told that the mother boards was out of the warranty. Well that's just great. Then when I asked where I could purchase the motherboards I was told to look it up on the Emachines web site as well as given a phone number to call.

Well I was shocked to find out that the Gateway computer I bought was made by Emachines which means I paid for the Gateway name but got a machine made by the worst computer company around and get this the motherboard cost 179.00. And if that's not a kick in the head the stats on the motherboard stated the front USB ports would not work because of a slight change in the motherboard. So after looking around at different computer parts websites I found that I could buy a new motherboard, processor and power supply, can case that would take my equipment for the Gateway.

For $149 buy I would have to buy a new op systems because my reinstall disc will only working on Gateways. So now I am using a five years Dell Dimension 2300 computer that is so slow that I fall asleep while it loads up when you turn it on, and the only reason I bought the Gateway was to replace my Dell 2300. So now I have a $1000 door stop and a computer company (Gateway) who makes a rotten product and does not stand behind their product. So much for a company that at one time took pride in their services and goods. Don't buy Gateway.

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1.3 out of 5, based on 13 ratings and
91 reviews & complaints.
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Gateway
4545 Towne Centre CT
San Diego, CA 92121-1900
858-799-3401 (ph)
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www.gateway.com
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