I nominate Krish at 3com for a raise. He was kind enough to call me tonight and help me through the problem, even without my service contract #. He determined the HiperARC card to have a bad EPROM and is working on getting me a new one. Even if I'm down for 24 hours on this device, I feel better knowing someone made an immediate effort to fix it. Thumbs down to 3Com support, thumbs up to at least one fellow over there. ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- From: "Michael DeMan" <michael@prf.org> Reply-To: usr-tc@lists.xmission.com Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1999 18:33:47 -0800

Some cover next day, some don't. I paid for one last year, but didn't get next day hardware replacement - had to shell out another $270 over the phone.

This part of the USR/3COM racket is the most outrageous. I've been very happy with the HiperARC but the amounts of money they charge for support - which includes items like the latest firmware! - is just outrageous. I agree with you on dropping them entirely because of this issue.

Be sure to let them know - each and every one of them - when you're resolving this that you are definitely not the only one that feels like this and that they're going to be out of business at the rate they're going because of stupid & greedy policy.

My 2 cents.

- mike

----------

...

From: "Steve Coleman" <scoleman2@mail.csolutions.net> To: <usr-tc@lists.xmission.com>, <usr-tc@lists.xmission.com> Subject: Re: (usr-tc) HiperARC took a dive Date: Mon, Nov 29, 1999, 6:28 PM

...

I do have proof of my service contract. However, I guess it takes a high level of training over at 3Com to activate one. The people who could activate my contract, which should have already been activated, are gone for the day.

A much better approach would be to take my credit card information and bill me if I DON'T turn up with a contract. It's crappy policy to assume your customers are lying to you. You must protect yourself, but good grief.

I can do all the fax and leg work tomorrow when they get in, but that leaves me down for the night, and into tomorrow.

The contract had better cover next day hardware. What good is it for otherwise?

---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- From: <farber@admin.f-tech.net> Reply-To: usr-tc@lists.xmission.com Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1999 21:22:19 -0500 (EST)

...

If you don't have documentation to support your claim that you have a service contract, I would have done the same thing, asked for CC info and transferred you.

How many irate people do you think they get a day "claiming" to have support? In this one case they dropped your contract. Faxing them your paid reciept and documentation should end it.

You get 5 year hardware support, so it is covered, but not NEXT DAY service or hot spares. Thier next day service is a joke, but you knew what you were paying for (you did read the contract?).

Paul Farber Farber Technology farber@admin.f-tech.net Ph 570-628-5303 Fax 570-628-5545

On Mon, 29 Nov 1999, Steve Coleman wrote:

...

I powered off my TC chassis tonight to plug it into a new UPS. When I powered it back on, the Run/Fail light on the HiperARC stayed red. It shows up as a "?" in the Total Control Manager. I tried rebooting the unit several times, using several different power sources. I also tried removing the front portion of the card (while powered off) and reinserting it. I can only guess it's cooked. Is there anything else I can try?

I would like to express my disgust with 3Com on this matter. After troubleshooting the problem as described above, I called 3Com service. They couldn't seem to "find" my service contract that I paid over a thousand dollars for, just for this type of incident. She offered to take my credit card and transfer me to a level support agent. I should be paid to have to talk to a level 1 rep, not the other way around. I told her I wasn't interested in doing that and expressed that this was the specific and only reason I bought the service contract. She said she couldn't help me. This piece of garbage is only 4 months old, this is not acceptable. Why didn't I just buy another Portmaster. <kicking myself>

I'm going to ream my service contract agent in the morning. Until then it's lots of busy signals.

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