Gateway store, Dewitt, NY - complaints about DV-S20 Pocket MultiCam for $199 product quality and customer service

Gateway store, Dewitt, NY - complaints about DV-S20 Pocket MultiCam for $199 product quality and customer service

From: E. Cooper [Email User]

Gateway computers

I have several complaints regarding both product quality and the customer service received by your Gateway Store in Dewitt, NY (store # .40001158, I think). First let me just say that this issue does not regard myself and I have nothing to gain but am outraged on behalf of a family member. As a Christmas present my elderly parents bought my sister a DV-S20 Pocket MultiCam for $199 + Tax. Excited on Christmas morning and knowing nothing about the specs my sister opened the product to tape X-mas morning.

The quality of the image was horrible and often images could not be seen clearly enough to identify them. Also, no matter what type of lighting she was in the low-light message came on the LCD. Assuming that the picture quality could not be that bad after reading the manual I went online to your site to see if there were any tips or tweaks we could do to the settings (needless to say there wasn't) only to find there was a $! 100 rebate on the camera when an accessory pack was bought beginning on 12/12. A fact that was not mentioned to my parents when the camera was bought on 12/14. Because of my occupation as a IT purchaser for an insurance company in CNY my sister asked if I would return it. Upon returning it I was informed that there was a 15% restocking fee (I know this is a common fee and policy but also know that exceptions can be made in certain circumstances).

When this was challenged because the product was so shotty I was told that it was ONLY a $200 camera and asked what I expected. How was my sister (a beginner in the world of computers), supposed to know the image quality was going to be that bad without testing it. Next, when questioned on why my parents were taken advantage of and not informed about the rebate, I was told that they probably were and passed on the opportunity or the sales staff was unaware because the promotion was so new. My parents my be older and ignorant t! o the new computer era but they are not liars and have th! e common sense to know that when you can get extra accessories and save money to jump on it. So after pleading my case and not wanting to be stuck with a piece of junk camera I returned it for the refund to be sent in the mail ( I am not angry at this point as I know it is a common security measure).

I would like to explain what I took away from this conversation over and what message you sent not onlly to me but also the customer behind me who decided not to purchase the product (digital camera) he had chosen after overhearing my complaints. First, the comment about it being ONLY a $200 camera tells me that Gateway does not stand behind the quality of their product. I understand the concept of getting what you pay for but this tells me that Gateway only cares about big spenders and businesses and only their most expensive products have any quality to them. This camera/MPEG recorder could have barely passed as functional! Second, this conversation also tells me that eit! her you have an unknowledgeable staff or are calling the consumer (in this case my parents) LIARS.

Neither is a good business practice. Finally, these are not threats but I would like to inform you that my employer is in the process of purchasing new desktops, laptops, and projectors; I am not saying that I have final authority but if not rectified this experience will be brought up. Lastly, in my spare time I am the webmaster of a heavy traffic tech talk website and have the perfect headline the column that will be printed if this is not resolved - MAD COW. I do not usually carry on like this but to take advantage of an elderly uninformed couple and sell such an inferior product is an outrage. It is no wonder Gateway is turning to gadget devices to turn profit after being overtaken by Dell as a top PC manufacturer for business and home PC's! I hope the $30 restocking fee was worth it! This email was sent to online customer service after disputing with a rude manager in the store,and is a little extreme but nothing seems to work with these people. I have received several emails since, all with empty apologies and no action taken. Every time I reply to an email I get a different support rep so often I spend my time with repetitive emails that fall upon deaf ears. I have asked on more than one occassion that I be contacted by a manager and have not been. It is not about the fee it is about principles!

The above message is Complaints.com Consumer Message # 9 January 6, 2004