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Is this unreasonable?

D

David Brent

Banned
I built a computer system for a married couple who are friends with my dad a couple months ago. They take it to their new house in bombay beach, ca. Computer survived the trip, works fine at their house, but they can't get the internet working. Something about "remote access isn't configured" according to a message she left on my phone. Then she asks in the message if I could come over to fix it.

- Is this "remote access not configured" thing my fault in any way? Or is this something that their ISP should be able to fix/walk them through over the phone? (they got dial up internet. dsl isn't available in their area and they say cable isn't either. i recommended satellite internet but they thought it would be too expensive, which may be true)

i live in arcadia, 158 miles away according to mapquest

am i obligated in any way to make this long ass trip? i'll try my best to walk them through fixing it over the phone before making a special trip, of course.

what to do?
 
Absolutely not. Explain to them that's something that their ISP has to deal with, if you're required to make a 150 mile trip then you'll have to charge for it.
 
yea i thought that was a pretty lame thing to ask of me...

does anyone know the nature of this "remote access not configured" thing? i already told them once to call their ISP about it, dunno if they have yet, but then they tell me this. it sounds like something the isp would be able to walk them through.
 
No. You didn't give them any support with their computer. Unless you promised tech support tell them to STFU. They have a parts warranties. And their ISP can help them.
 
Tell them to call their ISP. (n/m, I see you already told them that... Tell them again.) That's their job and they get paid for stuff like that.

Otehrwise tell them you charge $35/hr and it's a 3 hour drive each way plus a couple more to fix it...

 
That's why you don't build computers for people other than close friends or immediate family - and sometimes not even then.
 
No way should you make the trip, unless you charge them for it.

Remote access shouldn't even be needed. Tell them to get on the phone with their ISP and get someone to configure it.

The hardware is working fine, it's a piece of third party software that isn't working right, in which case no manufacturer would be held responsible. Dell wouldn't help a customer set up their internet, so why should you?
 
Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Tell them to call their ISP. (n/m, I see you already told them that... Tell them again.) That's their job and they get paid for stuff like that.

Otehrwise tell them you charge $35/hr and it's a 3 hour drive each way plus a couple more to fix it...
Click to expand...

If they insist on you making the long drive, than definately tell them it's going to cost them :thumbsup:
 
well i DID tell them i'd help them out if they had any questions about the computer... but i think this is overstepping the bounds of that. i actually strongly advised NOT to get dial up and get satellite.
 
Originally posted by: Gurck
That's why you don't build computers for people other than close friends or immediate family - and sometimes not even then.
Click to expand...

yeah for real.

i would rather tell them i had a stroke,and can't recall anything anymore.

I told a person at work,that asked for help that I would give him
$10 towards his buying a Dell.🙂
 
i don't see how people have to balls to ask a friend to waste an entire day and drive for 300+ miles (both ways) to fix their computer, when it's their own responsibility and they should either take it to a local repair shop or drive it down to you to fix it.
 
they have an external 56k modem which the "sbc yahoo whatever dialup" software cd doesn't recognize. that's the other problem they have
 
i'm calling them now, will ask what their isp told them about this error. will do my best to be nice as possible lol

voice mail. i don't feel like leaving a message
 
Originally posted by: Gurck
That's why you don't build computers for people other than close friends or immediate family - and sometimes not even then.
Click to expand...

This is the correct answer. I flat out absolutely refuse to do it.
 
Unless they have software for the modem windoze won't see it either. Go buy them a cheapie internal modem and ship it to them. Don't forget to put a bill for $30 or so in the box too. 😉


Er, I'm assuming external modem connected to serial port
 
Originally posted by: David Brent
they have an external 56k modem which the "sbc yahoo whatever dialup" software cd doesn't recognize. that's the other problem they have
Click to expand...

externals are as close to bulletproof as you can get.
Get the dialup numbers manually, and talk them through, skipping the major A$$-like yahoo chunk blowing application/software/bloat unit.
All they need is a phone number, a username and a password. That ISP crap is teh debil, I tell you!
 
Originally posted by: Astaroth33
Originally posted by: Gurck
That's why you don't build computers for people other than close friends or immediate family - and sometimes not even then.
Click to expand...

This is the correct answer. I flat out absolutely refuse to do it.
Click to expand...

Same here. I build computers for my dad, that's it (and he's a EE, so I know that he can do his own tech support 90+% of the time)
 
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