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From: go@orstcs.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Microsoft customer "support"?
Message-ID: <216700006@orstcs.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 30-Jan-87 21:44:00 EST
Article-I.D.: orstcs.216700006
Posted: Fri Jan 30 21:44:00 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 3-Feb-87 20:38:05 EST
Organization: Oregon State University - Corvallis, OR
Lines: 49
Nf-ID: #N:orstcs:216700006:000:2349
Nf-From: orstcs!go    Jan 30 18:44:00 1987

Oh I do hope this gets out without being eaten...

I recently had an "experience" with Microsoft that I wondered if
any of you might have some insite in a way to "fix".

Recently I purchased a PC "clone" system (you know, a little from
here, a little from there...) and needed to buy a legitemate copy
of MS-DOS to make it go.  Lots of folks just copy a friend's disk,
but not me.  So, after I had traded for and acquired all the
pieces to make a real computer, I trotted down to my local software
shack and purchased a copy of (Shrink-wrapped by Microsoft)
MS-DOS 3.2.  I knew I could buy it cheaper from the back of Byte,
but I have this thing about support...  I can read schematics and
fix the hardware if I have to, but I would rather have the authors
support the software.  Anyway, come about two months later and,
what do you know?  I found a bug.  

It seems that the date sometimes (most times) doesn't increment
at midnight when the time overflows.  Seems like a simple problem,
so I called by local computer store.  They tell me that they don't
have any info from Microsoft about the bug, so why don't I call
the Tech support hot-line.  

So I did.  I encountered a most rude individual who told me in
no uncertain terms "we don't support MS-DOS".  I had to call
the dealer from whom I bought the hardware.  Well, since I got
most of my hardware by trading and swapping, that was going to
be rather difficult.  He also told me that they knew of the bug,
and didn't have a patch to fix it and even if they did they wouldn't
tell me!  Now that's the Microsoft I have grown to know...

Several years ago I bought a copy of M80 from Microsoft and
when I encountered a bug and called them I was met with an
almost idiotic response -- "you must go to the store that
sold it to you to get info and updates."  Well I *bought* it
from Microsoft.  They wouldn't listen.  I vowed never to buy
software from them again.  But today with their C and MS-DOS
what choice do you have?  (I Love their C, by the way.)

Any ideas?  Microsoft, are you listening?  Is this a way to
treat a customer.  I can understand being hardhanded with
dealers, but if it wasn't for us "end users" you wouldn't
*HAVE* customers!

By the way, the local store is working on the problem, but 
Microsoft doesn't seem to talk to them either.

Gary Oliver
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