Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!columbia!rutgers!ames!ucbcad!ucbvax!ulysses!eric From: eric@ulysses.homer.nj.att.com (Eric Lavitsky) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Caveat Emptor (and a netnews flame!) Message-ID: <1535@ulysses.homer.nj.att.com> Date: Wed, 17-Dec-86 14:40:17 EST Article-I.D.: ulysses.1535 Posted: Wed Dec 17 14:40:17 1986 Date-Received: Thu, 18-Dec-86 03:15:50 EST Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill Lines: 94 I tried an I tried, but bloody netnews screwed me over anyway. What follows is the text from my original article... Eric ------------ Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Hippo Software woes (WARNING: FLAMING LETTER) Summary: forwarded message (and a flame!) References: <1524@druhi.UUCP> Reply-To: eric@ulysses.UUCP (Eric Lavitsky) Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill Keywords: DON'T BUY ANYTHING FROM HIPPOPOTAMUS SOFTWARE! In article <1524@druhi.UUCP> med@druhi.UUCP writes: > >For those of you who like to see the punch line before you start: > > DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, PURCHASE ANY PIECE OF SOFTWARE > OR HARDWARE FROM HIPPOPOTAMUS SOFTWARE OF LOS GATOS, CA. > >Now for the reasons why: > > On August 1, this year, I was foolish enough to purchase an EPROM >programmer from Hippopotamus Software from a very reputable mail order >company. After receiving it a week later, I discovered that the only >operation that this programmer could do was to verify that EPROMS were >erased (really functional, huh :-( ). So, I called up Hippopotamus and >asked what the policy was. They indicated that they had discovered some >hardware and software problems with the programmer recently, and asked if >I would send both back to them for repair. So I did. > And now, for the sake of inews: - He goes on to say how after 8 weeks, he got it back and it did the exact same thing.. he calls the developer who calimed they found yet another problem and that he should send the unit in again... > Well, call me a fool, I sent it back to them again. And I am waiting >again. So after a few more weeks, I called to see what the #$%^ is going on. >The phone rings about 20 times, and I finally get ahold of an answering service. >They politely talk my message, and indicate that I should receive a call the >next day. Well, I didn't. Another call Monday, a lot more persistent with a >threat of legal action, again no call. Today I called, and the answering >service has been transformed into a mechanical answering machine that >indicates that your message will be delivered in one day (sure, and I was >born yesterday). > > I think that you could probably read between the lines and suspect >that Hippopotamus Software is out of business (or showing really bad signs >of being there soon). My advice is to not purchase ANY of their products, >PERIOD. If they owe you money or product, it may already be too late. > > I don't really know what my options are now, and would appreciate any >help that those of you in Netland might provide. I feel a lot better just >getting this off my chest, and if it helps even one person out there, I will >consider this a success. > > Myron I've posted this to comp.sys.amiga 'cos Hippo folks have advertised for the Amiga or appeared in Amiga buyers guides. Of course, if you ever looked at what they offered and for what price, you probably would have laughed anyway :-) This is a definite problem though, there have been several companies who have cashed checks and credit payments without any product to ship - caveat emptor! Gee, I bet netnews is gonna try and barf on this since we just got 2.11 up on ulysses, so why don't I add something else useful at the end of this message? But then again, why should I? Just because some lousy piece of software wants to impose some god-awfull arbitary limit on the amount of "included" text I can have in a message? This silly rule obviously doesn't apply in this instance, since the message is being forwarded from one group to another for it's relevant subject matter... (sigh). Oh well, guess I'll have to ask someone to locally comment out the code that does this... Eric Gillian: What's with netnews? Kirk: It's done too much LDS... Will Someone Please Fix inews !!! -- ARPA: Lavitsky@RED.RUTGERS.EDU UUCP: ...ulysses!eric ...caip!topaz!eric ...hplabs!well!lavitsky