Tech support tells one reader that her PC isn't a Gateway “I have a gripe,” says Claudia. “I bought a Gateway tower because the price was right, and it came with a $150 gift card and a free upgrade to Windows 7. I set it up immediately when I got it home and tried to play Second Life on it.”But, reports Claudia, things went very wrong right from the start. The game constantly crashed her new computer, which should have been able to handle it. “I loaded Second Life on my laptop and a friend’s netbook and everything worked fine, so I concluded the problem lay with the new tower,” she says.[ Previously on Gripe Line, a Microsoft customer went through a similar ordeal: “Is this XP user a thief or a customer?” | Frustrated by your tech support? You’re not alone. Get answers in InfoWorld’s Gripe Line newsletter. ] Claudia called Gateway tech support, registered her new computer, and waited for someone to help her straighten out whatever was wrong. “But the technician came back on the line and told me my computer wasn’t a Gateway but an eMachine.”She was stunned. “It had Gateway logos all over the tower and box it came in, so I wasn’t aware it was a rebranded machine.” But Claudia barely had time to react to this bit of news before worse news arrived. The technician informed her he couldn’t help her. She would have to call eMachines for help at another phone number — at a cost of $59 per half hour.“Naturally, I refused,” says Claudia. She packed up the computer and returned it to the retailer for a full refund. “Has anyone else complained about an eMachine that masqueraded as a more expensive Gateway?” she asks. “I think it is ridiculous that they even suggested I pay $59 per half hour to resolve a problem with a brand-new tower.” I contacted Gateway to find out if eMachines are now being branded as Gateway PCs. This sounded unlikely to me, though Gateway purchased eMachines in 2004. “We checked our records,” a spokesperson told me. “The product Claudia purchased was indeed a Gateway DX4200. If someone in tech support told her it was an eMachine, that person was mistaken. I can assure you that we would never ship an eMachines product in Gateway packaging.”Claudia returned the computer and received a full refund — though she says she will never buy another Gateway or eMachine as a result of this mix-up. As for the $59 for 30 minutes of phone support? That’s true. I guess high charges for phone support helps the bargain brands keep prices down to $299 for a new tower (without display). But support via e-mail and chat is, fortunately, still free.Got gripes? Send them to christina_tynan-wood@infoworld.com. Technology Industry