Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!jarthur!usc!julius.cs.uiuc.edu!apple!agate!ucbvax!EMUNIX.EMICH.EDU!stretch
From: stretch@EMUNIX.EMICH.EDU (Brian Stretch)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Telemart/Soundblasters
Message-ID: <9011052150.AA02276@emunix.emich.edu>
Date: 5 Nov 90 21:50:49 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Lines: 28

I tried placing an order from Telemart today.. in short, here's what
happened: 

 "Do you have Falcon 3.0 in stock?"
 'No, but we have Falcon AT.. is that the same thing?'
 "No.."  (Falcon 3.0 is a $35 upgrade from Falcon AT, btw)
 "A-10 Avenger, also by Spectrum Holobyte?"
 'No...'  (One gets the impression that Telemart stocks old software.)
 "Okay then, do you have Soundblasters in stock?"
 'Yes.'
 (Finally!  Confirmed the $149 price, started to give info, paying by
  Mastercard..)
 'I need a second phone number.'
 (Say WHAT?!?!  I tried explaining that I'm a college student, living at
  home, and the only other phone # I have is my BBS.  No go.  My only
  other option was to prepay with a check/money order.. right, and wait for
  that check to go from Michigan to Arizona?)

Anyhow, I got rather annoyed and told them I'd save my money.  I can understand
wanting to verify identities and all, credit card fraud is a Big Thing, but
I have _never_ run into any other company with such an anal-retentive policy
has REQUIRING two phone numbers!  (Yeah, I know, should have just given them
my BBS number and not said anything..) 

Does anyone know of any other mail order places selling Soundblasters at or
near $149?  And that sell Falcon 3.0 and other CURRENT Spectrum Holobyte
software?  (And ships same day?  Yeah, I know, I don't ask for much..)
     ---Brian Stretch (stretch@emunix.emich.edu)