Path: moremagic.metawire.com!news.magic.metawire.com!marc_merlin From: marc_merlin@magic.metawire.com (Marc MERLIN) Newsgroups: lists.linux.svlug Subject: Banned from Fry's Date: 11 Dec 1998 22:59:22 GMT Organization: Private Linux Box proudly running a modified RedHat Linux 5.1 Lines: 83 Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: localhost X-Trace: magic.magic.metawire.com 913417162 27964 127.0.0.1 (11 Dec 1998 22:59:22 GMT) X-Complaints-To: news@magic.magic.metawire.com NNTP-Posting-Date: 11 Dec 1998 22:59:22 GMT X-Newsreader: slrn (0.9.5.2 UNIX) Xref: moremagic.metawire.com lists.linux.svlug:6376 Well, almost :-) I've been trying to buy an XGA laptop (1024x768) with built-in CDROM and floppy. Most models I've seen have an AMD 300 (which is fine, I don't like much the idea of a PII in a laptop). The price I was willing to pay was around $1800 (without taxes) After spending much time unsucessfully trying to buy one through Ebay and Onsale, I gave up and decided to buy one from a local store with a return policy, namely Fry's. I have to admit that they were the ones with the most choices (CompUSA for instance had their few laptops completely locked up physically and with software, so that it was virtually impossible to try them out). To make a long story short, I ended up getting 3 laptops, one after another because they all had problems, and I was hoping to keep the one with the least problems. It turned out that two of them had serious hardware defects (fan under the laptop leading to overheating and crashing, and another one had APM problems that caused the keyboard to lock in uppercase mode). The last one was HPA (non TFT) and its internal modem wasn't accesssible under linux even though a Fujitsu guy I talked to told me that it was a standard modem. So, I went back to Fry's and returned all 3 laptops. The first time, I'm told that I have to re-install windows myself, like the factory install. I tell them that only the manufacturer can install their own version of windows that shows their logo and lets the user register with windows during the first bootup. I was convinced the laptops would be sent back to the manufacturer, so I left the disk as is. They insisted on me reinstalling windows myself so that the laptop would be just like it was when I got it. If the laptops weren't going to be sent back, I understand that they want a clean windows on them, so I went ahead and started to re-install them. One laptop had a restore CD, the others one had an (unopened) generic windows CD. After spending a couple of hours trying to re-install the other two, I gave up because MS's fdisk purposely refuses to remove non dos partitions, and I unfortunately didn't have my linux boot floppies with me. Their tech guy had partition magic or something similar, but he refused to lent the floppy to me, and said he'd have to charge me $90 per laptop if he repartitionned them himself :-( So, I went home, repartitionned the disks, installed windows and the necessary drivers, then found the magic registry keys to remove my user name and the license number (so that the laptop looks brand new for the next user). I show up at fry's the following day and learn that the laptops are going to be returned to the manufacturer anyway and that I didn't have to re-install windows :-( There were however noticably unhappy about getting three laptops back, and heavily insisted on me getting store credit instead of a refund. I can understand that they weren't thrilled, but it's not my faults if two of the laptops were crap. As for the 3rd one, I didn't like it because HPA is just too hard to read (compared to TFT) and because the modem didn't work with linux. But then, it's my right to return a functional piece of hardware because it doesn't fit my needs. Anyway, they eventually agreed to take the laptops back but told me that they were very unhappy with the fact that I was cheating them and "borrowing laptops". Then they said that they are cancelling their return policy for me now. Interestingly enough, they said it was also retroactive. Basically, the guy told me that I can't return anything ever again at Fry's Because I was curious, I asked my lawyer, and they have the right to cancel their return policy for someone, but obviously not retroactively. For those who didn't know, they track each buyer and know exactly what you bought and what you returned. The only reason I sometimes shop there is because I know I don't have to worry about whether the hardware is going to work. I just buy it, try it out, and should there be a problem, I can return it. I guess from now on, I'll have to go shopping elsewhere. Oh well... Marc (still looking for a laptop (I'm trying out two other ones right now, hopefully one of the two will work this time)). -- "Microsoft is to software what McDonalds is to gourmet cooking" Home page: http://marc.merlins.org/ (friendly to non IE browsers) Finger marc@merlins.org for PGP key and other contact information