NetNews Offline 2/NetNews Offline Volume 2.iso/news/comp/dcom/modems-part2/10426

Internet Message Format | 1996-08-05 | 6.1 KB

Path: news.gate.net!not-for-mail
From: [e-mail] (Fred Leggett)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Re: Anyone heard from Motorola lately?
Date: 7 Apr 1996 23:31:00 -0400
Organization: CyberGate, Inc.
Message-ID: <4ka19k$[e-mail]>
References: <4jt5id$[e-mail]> <4ju4i9$[e-mail]> <4k26dm$[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
NNTP-Posting-Host: seminole.gate.net

In article <[e-mail]>,
Bill Garfield <[e-mail]> wrote:
>
>What troubles me here is why any self-respecting BBS Sysop would spend
>approx the same dollar amount to buy a consumer grade Motorola POWER
>when (s)he could get in under USR's "Sysop Plan" and come away with a
>full-blown commercial quality Courier "V.Everything" for US $249 ??
     Ah, boy.  I really didn't expect a follow-up of this nature.
Perhaps I should (have).
     I'm not quite sure if this is specifically directed at me or bbs
sysops in general.  However, in my own defense, I *did* purchase a usr
courier on their sysop plan.  That said....

>I always thought USR's Sysop Plan was sort of a 'no-brainer'.
     On the surface, it is.  However....

>Admittedly, order fulfillment under USR's Sysop Plan takes longer than
>most "impulse buyers" are willing to wait, but that only proves the old
>saying that "Patience is a virtue".
     Sounds frighteningly close to what ardent zyxel loyalists on the
fidonet zyxel echo kept baying.  "Wait for the elites and supremes!
They'll blow the competition away!!"  I'm slowly coming to believe that
patience is a fool's game, for the longer one waits, the higher the
expectation.  After awhile, the expectation cannot hope to match the product.
     Amusingly, I can no longer find references to a "supreme" line on
zyxel's web site.
     But, I digress.  We are talking about usr.
     As I stated before, I was the unlucky owner of a courier for a brief
time.  My order took 83 days to satisfy.  83 days!  That in itself should
trigger red alarms for any potential usr customer (sysop or otherwise).
I'm sorry, but 83 days is simply unacceptable.  Trying to foist the old
"patience is a virtue" argument is pointless.  A company's responsiveness
in getting the product out *is* something to consider.  Indeed, something
high on the priority list.  After all, if the product fails, you (and not
the company) are the one left holding the bag (in this case, a useless
modem).
     Oh, did I mention that usr charged my credit card a full week before
the product was out the door?  Did I also mention that this was stated to
be "company policy" by a usr rep?
     Anyway, on day 83, the damn thing finally arrived.  Yippeeeeee!, my
troubles are vapor.  Or so I thought.  After plugging the frigging thing
in, I discovered quite to my dismay that the modem would could not pick
up the line after being powered on for about 5 minutes.  A call to tech
support confirmed that the unit was unusable and the tech promised to
classify the unit "doa".
     Well, okay, I'll throw some things around the ole room here to cool
off, then ship the unit back for a replacement.  It's a damn good thing I
kept my old modem (a trusty 1496e+).
     Notice I said "replacement", for doa units are *suppose* to
circumvent the repair cycle.  Or, so I was told.
     Someone must've been smokin' the weed that day, for it took more
than two weeks before I received a replacement.  Actually, by the 13th
day, I had had enough and called to cancel the order outright.
     Not surprisingly, some days later, a usr rep called to say that the unit
was on its merry way!  Joy.  But, don't open the package!  A ups label
would be arriving shortly thereafter.  Just affix and return and we'll
credit your card just as soon as the modem is in our greasy palms!
     Uh huh, sure.
     Well, my so-called replacement unit arrived on friday.  In a small,
unpadded box.  Usr must have endless amounts of faith that ups will
professionally handle all packages with generous amounts of tender-lovin'
care.
     (Personally, I was a bit aghast.)
     Since I couldn't get the unit shipped until monday, and I had a
bunch of documentation that could also be returned, curiousity got the
better of me and I opened the package (this is how I knew the box was
unpadded).
     First thing I extracted was some sort of work order.  Errr, work
order?  (Strike one!) Reading further, this illuminating piece o' paper
stated that the unit tested out okay (strike two!), but the main circuit
board was replaced anyway (ball).  Well, I simply had to see this hunk
of plastic transferring electronic files at blazing speeds, so I extracted
the unit from its shoebox.  Next thing I noticed was the bottom of the
unit not exactly attached to the sides (strike three!  yerrrrr out!).
What wonderful qc!  Definitely something to gossip about at work.
     But, hey, the unit actually functioned.  I was momentarily awed by
the experience.  Indeed, I don't think the parting of the red sea could've
been more impressive.
     My mind was made up, though (guess that makes me a stubborn old
coot oddly desensitized to miracles).  It took me a bit longer to access
ups, but the modem was on its happy way.  I would've wished the little
guy luck, but, after all, this is usr we're talking about.  They're
professionals!
     A week went by.  Then two.  My thick blood was starting to boil.  To
make a long story short, I was finally forced to having ups fax me proof
of delivery, then faxing that fax to ups as proof that it was delivered.
To usr's dubious credit, they credited my card the same day.

     The motorola power I eventually purchased worked out of the box and
has stayed on ever since (about two months).  Transfer speeds have been
3100+ about 90% of the time on compressed files.  True, it has its share
of quirks (takes a goodly while to recognize a busy signal, for
instance), but I've been much happier with it than that goddamn courier.
     So, bill, preach the usr word as much as you like.  I really don't
care.  Just don't attempt to convert this wayward soul.  I won't take
such actions verra kindly.
--
---
Fred Leggett - [e-mail], [e-mail]