Open Letter to the Moderator re Tech Support

Dear Moderator,

This is an open letter to you about the sad state of affairs in your technical support department. I address it to you in the hopes that you may be different from everyone else I've contacted at Dell and actually care about what is going on. I envite anyone interested to read on. I'll try not to be too boring.

I am having problems with the modem on my new system. After trying the Dell help and windows help on my computer I opted to try your email tech support. After the several days it took just to convince them that bad phone lines weren't the problem I was asked to perform a test and let them know the results. I did. Then a second and third test and so on. Then they started to ask me to perform the tests I'd already done over again as if we had never done them originally. I sent them ample documentation from your own user forums and the web pointing to chronic problems with this modem and asked them to respond. They totally ignored this and asked me to do yet another test I'd already performed.

Yesterday I wrote and told them that they have been incapable of helping me, the modem is a well documented problem, and the only satisfactory solution now was for them to replace my modem with another brand besdes the one I have or the Aztec(another piece of junk). I also informed them that if their response was not satisfactory I would be filing a complaint, along with documentation, to the Austin Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission. Today I recieved a reply that stated it was impossible to replace the modem untill we had gone step by step through all the diagnostic procedures to be sure that the modem was the problem. They then asked me to perform ALL the tests I had done previously and let them know the results. It is a never ending loop. They ARE the Forest Gumps of the computer world. Stupid is as stupid does, sir!

Unfortunately, whether it involves tech support or a customer care issue like getting an incorrect part replaced with the right one, my story is all too common. I have never seen a company where they not only refuse to admit that a problem exists, but give you no recourse for resolution by actively blocking attempts to talk to anyone higher in the command chain. Reading your user forums and researching the web confirm that my story is the norm and not the exception. My complaints will go out tomorrow to the BBB and the FTC. I am also going to write every computer magazine I can find in an attempt to warn the public about what they might experience should they be foolhardy enough to dude do a deal with Dell. It never hurts to try. I will not give up, I will not shut up, and I can promise you that before I am through it is going to cost Dell a lot more than the price of a replacement for my modem.

I urge anyone who reads this and has a similar problem not to remain silent. Complaining to the company does no good. Dell is a Better Business Bureau member and if you flood them with complaints you might not only get your problem solved but make things better for the next poor guy, or gal, that comes along. The BBB is slow but has a better than 90% resolution rate with Dell. Contact them. http://complaints.bbb.org/SelectComplaintLinkFrameSet.asp

You should also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/wsolcq$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU01

Finally, Dear Moderator, if I worked for a company and saw the volume and manner of complaints being aired on these forums I would be highly upset.  Should you for some reason actually care about my problem I will leave you some documentation under my signature. I thank you for your kind attention. -Andy

My tech tracking #

Online modem quality survey. This BCM modem has the highest "poor" ranking of ALL modems listed. Find here: http://modemsite.com/56k/56sur.asp

This modem is actually a BROADCOM BCM 56k Soft Modem made by GVC. Apparently with the OEM package for this modem the vendor can customize the name of the modem. Both Gateway & Dell have done this. The BCM 56k Soft Modem has been nothing but trouble from the time it first appeared in the beginning of 2001 from Gateway. Anyone I've been in contact with that has had this modem has had horrible connections. Either the connect speeds are low, data transfer rates are super slow or dropped connections abound. Dell begain shipping this modem in v.90 and v.92 flavors near the end of the Q3 2001.Although the AT commandset does not mention these commands, it has been rumored that the init string of AT+MS=V90 & AT&F+MS=V90 can be used to disable v92 on these modems and get them to work in V90 mode. Even if you manage to do this, I would still like to stress the fact that this modem has always had problems. Good luck.

Or just go to your own comunity forum for modems and do a search for BCM.

Why I don't want an Aztec as a replacement: 

Early indications show that this modem is having problems. Problems include: Connect speeds slightly slower than previous modems used at the same location, Non 56k connect speeds when previous modems used at the same location were able to achieve 56k connections, many dropped connections, sluggish data transfer rates. One possible solution to these problems has been utilizing the init string of AT+MS=V90 or AT&F+MS=V90 to disable the v92 portion of the modem to allow v90 to work properly. I have not been informed of anyone's results as regards to utilizing this modem with a V.92 ISP. If you are using this modem with a V.92 ISP i would very much like to hear from you. Email me at vee90@vee90.net.

One note of particular interest is that anyone using AOL with this modem has nothing but problems. AOL's latest software 7.0 & 6.02 (XP only) does not have support for this modem. It is unknown at this time when AOL plans to support this modem, but my personal recommendations to anyone utilizing AOL with this modem are to either dump AOL and go with a REAL ISP or get a different modem that AOL's software supports. Unfortunately nearly all of the problems related to this modem fall into the category of the difficulties of being on the "bleeding edge technology"