Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!watcgl!watmum!smvorkoetter
From: smvorkoetter@watmum.waterloo.edu (Stefan M. Vorkoetter)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Northgate Problems
Message-ID: <10535@watcgl.waterloo.edu>
Date: 1 Jul 89 16:10:16 GMT
References: <20546@bikini.cis.ufl.EDU>
Sender: daemon@watcgl.waterloo.edu
Reply-To: smvorkoetter@watmum.waterloo.edu (Stefan M. Vorkoetter)
Organization: U. of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 49

In article <20546@bikini.cis.ufl.EDU> mjs@beach.cis.ufl.edu () writes:
>A recent posting by Miriam Nadel suggests that Northgate computers are 
>plagued with problems. I submit to you  that Ms. Nadel is the Problem.
>
>It is obvious that Miraim Nadel has little or no experience with
>PC's.  Here posting reads like a disgruntled house wife who went out and
>bought herself a computer without taking into account the the complications
>of setting one up. Now it appears as if she fears having to explain to some
>other party how the family budget has suddenly been decreased by $4000.

What is this Neanderthal doing on the net?  (mjs, not Miriam)

>I spoke to Northgate yesterday. The tech. I spoke with happened to be the
>same one who handled Miriams calls. I was told that they did everything
>possible to resolve her problem.  Nortgate even offered to replace the entire
>PC at no charge. She refused and claimed she wanted a full refund, not a
>refund with a 15% restocking charge.

Charging a restocking charge for returning a machine which does not and
never did work right is absurd.

>It seems to me that people who buy from mail order companies forget that 
>it is a totally different situation than when buying from a computer store.

Oh, I get it.  It is okay for a mail order company to rip people off,
after all, that is what you would expect.  Get with it.  A mail order 
company has every obligation that a store has.  What they don't have is
the overhead of maintaining a store front.  They make their money by
volume, and can thus offer everything a store can, for less.

(** Other drivel deleted **)

I also don't buy the line that Miriam knows little about PCs.  Of course
Northgate is going to tell you that.  But then, I tend to disbelieve any
things that a company that says bad things to one customer about another
customer would say.  Besides, how many people who know little about PCs
would order a killer 386 machine like that?

And finally, why do I suspect that you would not have made the "disgruntled
housewife" comment if you had not known from the name that this person
was female.  You certainly can't tell from the letter.  I didn't realize
(not that it matters other than in the context of your comment) until I
read your comment.

Stefan Vorkoetter
No particular affiliation as far as this letter is concerned

Please mail further comments to me, as this is not really
appropriate for comp.sys.ibm.pc