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From: UD140469@NDSUVM1.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: What's wrong with OSS?
Message-ID: <370UD140469@NDSUVM1>
Date: Sat, 17-Oct-87 01:11:55 EDT
Article-I.D.: NDSUVM1.370UD140469
Posted: Sat Oct 17 01:11:55 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 18-Oct-87 09:22:42 EDT
Organization: North Dakota Higher Education Computer Network, Fargo, ND
Lines: 40
DISCLAIMER: Author bears full responsibility for contents of this article. 
  I'm posting this message because I'm in a bit of a quandry:  I like OSS


products, and always have (their cartridge based assembler on the 8 bit was my
favorite tool, and their Pascal has been my favorite on the ST), and they have
always had a reputation of being a good company, with really good customer
relations--until recently.  It all stems from the release of version 2.0 of
their Pascal.  It seems that they've customer relations has fallen apart.
Examples:  A net-friend of mine (hi, Holly!) send in her order and visa # to
get the update AND was billed probably four or five months before she ever got
a product!  The OSS of a couple of years ago never would have done that, would
they?  Another point:  the manual--I know (from working once at a place that
developed software) that the last delay in getting software out the door
always seemed to be the manual, but hey OSS--a month and a half?!  Last point--
I called them a LOT (I was really anxious to get it), and every time I was told
that because I called in my order would be placed at the head of the queue to
go out.  Well, I began to hear of people getting their packages, so I called up
OSS to see where mine was.   Well, it had gone out the 23rd according to the
guy on the phone (you mean it didn't go out a week ago like you told me it most
likely would?).  On the sixth I called them again (hey folks, I know North
Dakota is a bit out of the way, but almost two weeks?).  That time I talked
with a fellow I'd talked with several times before, and he said that my order
had gone out the first.  Well, I suspected someone had been lying to me the
first time I called, but didn't say anything because I know it could also have
been an honest mistake.  I waited (again) until the 13th, when I was just about
ready to call them yet again when it finally came!  As I mentioned in an
earlier posting, I haven't had time to study it in depth yet, but it looks to
have some really nice improvements (although I've found at least three typos in
the manual already...).  Then I looked at the postmark date--Oct 8th, a week
after I had been told that it had definitely been shipped. RAGE!  ANGER! etc.
I'm going to call them again to 'lodge a protest,' but before I do, I was
wondering if anyone else has something they'd like to add to my list, or if
anyone would like to come to OSS's defense (I haven't gotten their side of the
story yet, but will post it when I do).  I'm hoping that this is just a run of
rotten luck and bad timing for OSS, and that this isn't a new face for what has
previously been a very nice company....
     
     
                                       Scott Udell
                                       UD140469@NDSUVM1.BITNET
     
*