$90.00 an hour?

[SeaCat]

Damn and I though mechanics were bad.

I finally broke down and brought my wifes new/used Laptop to a computer repair place. They promised to look at it but they charge $90.00 an hour. (What do they think they are? C.E.O.'s? Auto Mechanics charge less.)

The guy at the front desk started in on his spiel. He told me that from what I had said it sounded like I would need a rebuild. My O.S. was compromised and my C.P.U. was damaged and that I would need a complete replacement of my R.A.M. He informed me that my Clocking would surely be off, but that they could repair that as well as my Server Interface. About the only thing he didn't tell me was my Glockenspiel needed to be replaced and reintegrated with my Lebensraum.

I smiled kindly at him while I finished filling out the repair form. (He had highlighted only the name and address sections. I had filled out the rest complete with part numbers and the prices of the parts.) He looked at the repair form, after I had removed my copy and became slightly aggitated. I asked him to get his boss.

I shall soon be getting a call from them telling me the new board is in place and the computer is ready to be picked up.

I'm sure that he will not be at the desk when I walk in.

Cat

 

[Lee Chambers]

You should shop around and see if you can find some other computer repair places that might be able to offer you a better deal.

 

[TE999]

How much are you getting charged for this rebuild?

You can get a new one for under five hundred on the net.

Some reconditioned models are even less.

Pays to shop around.

Peace.

 

[matriarch]

Damn and I though mechanics were bad.

I finally broke down and brought my wifes new/used Laptop to a computer repair place. They promised to look at it but they charge $90.00 an hour. (What do they think they are? C.E.O.'s? Auto Mechanics charge less.)

The guy at the front desk started in on his spiel. He told me that from what I had said it sounded like I would need a rebuild. My O.S. was compromised and my C.P.U. was damaged and that I would need a complete replacement of my R.A.M. He informed me that my Clocking would surely be off, but that they could repair that as well as my Server Interface. About the only thing he didn't tell me was my Glockenspiel needed to be replaced and reintegrated with my Lebensraum.

I smiled kindly at him while I finished filling out the repair form. (He had highlighted only the name and address sections. I had filled out the rest complete with part numbers and the prices of the parts.) He looked at the repair form, after I had removed my copy and became slightly aggitated. I asked him to get his boss.

I shall soon be getting a call from them telling me the new board is in place and the computer is ready to be picked up.

I'm sure that he will not be at the desk when I walk in.

Cat

Good on you. I hate the way those places try to use the ignorance of most of us about how a computer works,to rip us off.

Now, can you get over here and do the same for mine for me??

PS guys.......you're missing the point, I think. Cat knows exactly what needs replacing and how much it will cost.....and told them so. He wasn't being bamboozled by no front desk merchant. Right Cat??

 

[Frank Noir]

Good on you. I hate the way those places try to use the ignorance of most of us about how a computer works,to rip us off.

I actually had a positive experience the other day.

My laptop died - utterly. Its guarantee expired a long time ago.

I took it to the shop. They kindly explained that that I get problems by running the machine with battery and power supply connected. The guy removed the battery and connected the power supply, showing me that now it worked okay. Then he put the battery back in and connected the power supply, showing me that now the computer had reset and was able to run again. Finally, he gave me advice on how to avoid this and get more mileage out of the battery.

About a half an hour session. Their charge? Zero. They didn't even try to sell me a new battery - he just said "If you want to buy a new battery, the sales guy will help you."

People fall over backwards when I tell them this story. Customer service hasn't been en vogue since the 70es, I guess. But I have a feeling it might be coming back one day...

 

[Selena_Kitt]

Damn and I though mechanics were bad.

I finally broke down and brought my wifes new/used Laptop to a computer repair place. They promised to look at it but they charge $90.00 an hour. (What do they think they are? C.E.O.'s? Auto Mechanics charge less.)

The guy at the front desk started in on his spiel. He told me that from what I had said it sounded like I would need a rebuild. My O.S. was compromised and my C.P.U. was damaged and that I would need a complete replacement of my R.A.M. He informed me that my Clocking would surely be off, but that they could repair that as well as my Server Interface. About the only thing he didn't tell me was my Glockenspiel needed to be replaced and reintegrated with my Lebensraum.

I smiled kindly at him while I finished filling out the repair form. (He had highlighted only the name and address sections. I had filled out the rest complete with part numbers and the prices of the parts.) He looked at the repair form, after I had removed my copy and became slightly aggitated. I asked him to get his boss.

I shall soon be getting a call from them telling me the new board is in place and the computer is ready to be picked up.

I'm sure that he will not be at the desk when I walk in.

Cat

You rock!

 

[TheEarl]

I'm a sometimes employee of a computer shop back home. I used to work there and made such good friends that I go and work a day or two whenever I'm back in the area (as they always need a skilled employee). That shop charges £34.99 for a repair. Not per hour, but £34.99. Flat fee, unless parts are required. It always seems to surprise new customers

I would actually drive the 200 miles (mock me for considering that a long distance, if you will, but that's from one side of the country to another here) back to that computer shop if mine ever broke beyond my capabilities to fix and I've no doubt that they inspire the same loyalty in others.

<sigh> In a market full of shysters, you would've thought a few more would've worked out the money to be made by playing it straight and developing a customer base.

The Earl

 

[TheeGoatPig]

I think I'm getting a free repair right now because my mother works in the store its getting fixed at

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

We have a guy here who charges 35.00 (US dollars) per hour. Our mechanics charge about 65.00 to 80.00.

 

[oggbashan]

My computer shop built my computers and charged about half the price that I would have paid in a High Street electrical chain.

When anything goes wrong, they usually fix it either free or for a notional ten pounds.

Why? Because I donate them all my surplus kit and software and I'm their consultant for the DOS and C/PM run machines some of their customers still use.

Og

 

[Elsie Grey]

Generally speaking we use TheEarl computer phone line! It's a very good way for me to get a long call to him for free as my dad would rather pay an hours mobile call as The Earl talks me through making it better than take it to the computer shop wich is useless!

Elsie

xxx

 

[TxRad]

When i moved to the small town where I now live, there were four computer shops. Since then i've put three of them out of business for ripping people off and two new ones have opened. One of those needs shutting down.

I hate people who rip off unknowing customers. A writer friend of mine wanted two harddrives installed in her computer. one to work off of and one for a back up. The shop installed one big hard drive which was cheaper and split it in half.... not to good to save your work if the thing fails.... They charged her for two.....

another shop took viruses off of hard drives and charged for new ones. they told the owners that they were bad and had to be replaced. another was swapping out memory or outright stealing it when they did repairs.

I work on the friends and neighbors computers and only charge for parts. Although I do except coffee and beer while I'm working. I even make house calls....

Most of the people around my area are retired and on a fixed income... ripping them off is a sure way to piss me off......

 

[SeaCat]

How much are you getting charged for this rebuild?

You can get a new one for under five hundred on the net.

Some reconditioned models are even less.

Pays to shop around.

Peace.

No rebuild.

They will be replacing a simple board, which costs them as an authorised dealer $35.00. (With markup about $60.00)

It takes a special tool, one which I have not yet managed to get my hands on to remove the boards without damage. It should take them about ten minutes to do the job, but I'll be nice and give them the hours pay.

There is no reason to run any diagnostics on the machine. I know exactly what is wrong and what is needed to fix it. (All they have to do after replacing the board is to plug in the power cord to see if the charging light comes on.) If they do attempt to turn on the machine to run a diagnostic they will find that I have Password protected it as the Admin.

It's not that I don't trust them, I do trust them. Just as much as I trust the mechanics at the local chain of garages. (And that's another story.)

Cat

 

[TheeGoatPig]

It's not that I don't trust them, I do trust them. Just as much as I trust the mechanics at the local chain of garages. (And that's another story.)

Cat

I enjoy your stories, and I would like to hear that one

 

[TE999]

It's not that I don't trust them, I do trust them. Just as much as I trust the mechanics at the local chain of garages. (And that's another story.)
Cat

Oh yes, let's hear that one next, please.

Peace.

 

[Huckleman2000]

... I'm their consultant for the DOS and C/PM run machines some of their customers still use.
Og

And I thought that Og's age was just part of the myth!
Apparently there's a small community of Amish geeks in your town, Og.

 

[SeaCat]

Oh yes, let's hear that one next, please.

Peace.

Oh you poor misguided children.

I'll post it but in another thread. (I feel like starting a thread.)

Cat