Coniston Computers

[john]

Quite simple really, avoid them like any deadly illness! I spent a good 3/4 of my summer arguing with them over some PCs incorrectly shipped. I wanted HPs, they were trying to send me Fujitsu in the end (instead of saying look we cannot get you your HPs), I was constantly going back to my account manager at HP and finding out the other half of the story. Even worse is they got nasty when we told them they had not got our server order (thank god for that, I cannot imagine what would have happened if they had!!!) So my simple view is they are to be avoided, probably more than RM!

[Andrew_C]

My sympathy.

 

However, is a public forum really the place to be posting this? It could be seen as defamatory, if they were to sue.

[GrumbleDook]

Not really ... Defamation is the abusive attack of a person's character of good name.

 

All john has done is outlined a series of problems that he believes to be substandard in what any of us would expect of a supplier. This has included refences to specific incidents.

 

If he was just to say "$Big_Computer_Company are a load of cr*p and are staffed with complete womkers who could tell a mouse from a rectal thermometer, even after if has been inserted in their rectum, and they will screw you over and are thieves too" ... that would be taking it too far.

 

Never be afraid to say you have had bad service from a company as long as you can back it up.

[kevinmcaleer]

I think you have to think very carefully about naming a company and saying that you 'should avoid them like a deadly illness'. Defamation or Libel is also something you want to avoid like a deadly illness. Its also dangerous to your career if you cause problems between companies and your employer, you can end up looking like the bad guy; uncooperative and awkward.

 

To be fair to Coniston Computers, I'm sure this was an isolated incident and not representative of their service as a whole. They have been around since 1982 which means there are a very mature computer company.

 

I find working closely with suppliers and account managers helps enormously. It always pays to be a good customer. I'm not saying you should accept poor service, but you shouldn't act unprofessionally in reporting that poor service.

 

-Kev

[pshuttle]

Kev,

 

Sound advice. However, I believe that you should have a right to post whether a company has acted poorly or behaved inappropriately.

 

If it is going to save another school alot of hassle or money by avoiding that particular supplier then I think that is part and parcel of business.

 

Pete

[russdev]

sorry kev disagree with you if he had poor service then he is not liable...

 

I am always a good customer but i think i have had poor service and the company has not provided with me with answer to why that i accept then i will say publicly what bad service i have had.

 

Been proven in uk courts (i forget the case now) that as long as you stick to facts this company said they would do this and they did this etc etc then you are not liable as you telling your experience oh what happened.

 

On that note we at edugeek have never been much to back away (heck we angered some high ranking people in 6 months) why because we believe only way forward for ICT support is for us to work in interest of our members and not commercial companies or other orgs.

 

if a member has had bad time with a company then they can post there views as long as they stick to facts and dont not make it up it is fine.

 

Russ

[pshuttle]

"if a member has had bad time with a company then they can post there views as long as they stick to facts and dont not make it up it is fine."

 

Russ

 

 

 

HERE HERE!

 

Pete

[russdev]

ts also dangerous to your career if you cause problems between companies and your employer, you can end up looking like the bad guy; uncooperative and awkward.

 

-Kev

 

heck i made my career by causing problems between companies and school..

 

we had someone who promised us back up tapes 3 weeks later not turned up after many phone call left a message saying get them here by 4 oclock today by post, personnel delivery or carrier pigeon get them here.

 

He then tried going to my boss who said well your not doing your job do it and there will be no problem.

 

The said person and I get on like house on fire now he knows I wont stand for rubbish.

 

 

Russ

[kevinmcaleer]

Russ,

you can end up looking like the bad guy

 

'Can' being the operative word!

 

I guess I'm just a nice guy, I hate being 'funny' with suppliers; I just put it to them in plain English, If they don't deliever the goods, I don't use them again. Simple really. They usually comply. Those that don't, don't get business. It also helps to explain how much positive 'influence' you have over other schools and customers.

 

-Kev

[penguinpowered]

i find that even the threat of posting to a forum like edugeek or to a tv show like watchdog will have most companies bending over backward to solve your problem. Most often this is because they don't want one small incident/arrogant staff member to ruin their reputation. Sometimes however it is because they are a lame-dog of a company and they don't want the world to know they are a bunch of scammers and con-artists.

 

Coniston computers sound like they would fall into the first category - a reputable company who made a bit of a mistake and would quite happily rectify if you spoke to the right person.

V****N however! Hmmm, what's behind door number 2 again....

 

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Disclaimer: Views expressed are my own and do not represent the views of MPHS or the LEA.

[john]

To give a small amount more info, I tried working with them for a week when the incorrect goods had been delivered to me (they were HP but not matching the specification on the official order), worked with them for 1 week (last full week of holiday) to try and resolve it, they did come up with a solution, but due to some of our policies, it couldnt be done without huge cost to us, in the end we accepted the machines (quite decreased spec as well they were) we have them, and use them, and have told HP never to mention them again to us, we tried hard with them, they made promisses, were slightly "restricitive" on the information they passed from HP to us, which caused more issues, so we are avoiding them. Others may have a better deal with them, but us and a lot of other schools that we are in touch with are avoiding them just to be sure. I only just manged to start the term with PCs on desks in the IT suites, and a huge mountain of older machines to be rolled out to classroom, offices etc sat in my office and server room due to the huge delays caused.

 

Admins, feel free to edit this or my 1st post, I don't want to get on the wrong side of the law with this issue, I wanted people to know my experiance with them, and thats it

[russdev]

no that is fine john you have said what had happened and what you did to try and sort it now issues

 

russ