Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!peregrine!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!lll-winken!quintro!bep
From: bep@quintro.uucp (Bryan Province)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apollo
Subject: Instant Apollo (RESPONSE)
Keywords: NET POWER
Message-ID: <1990Dec5.225420.3900@quintro.uucp>
Date: 5 Dec 90 22:54:20 GMT
Reply-To: bep@quintro.UUCP (Bryan Province)
Organization: none
Lines: 36

Guess what folks.  I got a phone response to my nasty posting on delays at
Instant Apollo.  I talked with Vern Westgate who is "in charge" of Instant
Apollo (I didn't get the exact title).  He found out about my posting!  So
HP "IS" watching the net.

I told him that I still hadn't received the cables I ordered October 25th
and he apologized prophetically, profusely, alot.  They have been going
through a reorganization as to where they get their parts, how they keep
track of stock, etc.  I should be getting my 1 to 3 serial connectors on
the 6th or 7th.

I mentioned that the only way I found out that my order was delayed was to
call and ask about it.  I told him there should be some mechanism for
notifying customers of that.  He said they originally setup Instant Apollo
so that there would be no back orders so they never planned on having to
notify customers about delays.  He also said that he was going to look into
providing for this contingency.

I asked Mr. Westgate why the 1 to 3 port serial cable was going from $129
to $338.  He said that the cable was being made by some part of HP now
instead of their usual supplier and that it was "different".  I told him
that the cable was electrically simple and that I couldn't see any change
in it that would be worth the difference in price.  I also said that we
would probably make our own cables if the price was to almost triple.  He
is going to check into the reason for the price increase and possibly
reevaluate it.

I guess you can get attention from a company when you write a nasty letter
to the president of that company.  But gee, they really get concerned when
you write thousands of letters to that companies customers.  POWER TO THE
NET!
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Bryan Province     Glenayre Corp.           quintro!bep@lll-winken.llnl.gov
                   Quincy,  IL
         "I've fallen, and I can't get up!"  - Buster Douglas