Homer R. and Barbara J. Gardner
a.k.a
Golden Wattle Refuge
Restoration Ministry
425 21st Ct
Vero Beach, Fl 32962
772.564.2437
(the above is all public information)
March 15, 2007 was my first conversation with "Roy", in which he asked me if I would take his laptop and remove Vista to install Windows XP.
I enquired as to why. He told me that Microsoft Money 2004 wouldn't install and he couldn’t find anyone to install his Microsoft Office, and that the computer was slow, had games on it and that they only used it for business. I told him I'd be glad to check it out if he supplied me with all the software CDs etc. He told me he had a Microsoft mouse and keyboard and he could never get the keyboard to work. I told him it should work just fine. He asked how much I charged and I told him $95 per hour. He said fine, telling me he only had an "Upgrade to XP disc". I told him that should not be a problem, as he was a legitimate owner. He then explained he wanted me to come to his home and take all the documents and information off his desktop and put on the laptop. I told him, I'd be glad to assist in anyway he needed. He told me I could pick up the laptop at the Women's Refuge in Vero where his wife worked. I told him OK and that I would pick it up the following day, yet to give me a couple of days to look into his requests. He said no problem as he wasn't in a hurry.
I picked up the Laptop as agreed late the next day on Friday March, 16th (he had already called me and Computer Connection to see if I had picked it up).
Over that weekend, I searched through the Microsoft online “Knowledge Base” finding that Microsoft Money 2004 would indeed work with Vista. Upon opening the box with the equipment, I discovered he had not enclosed the upgrade XP disk as he said he had. There was Microsoft Money 2004 and Microsoft Office XP 2002 CDs as well as Microsoft wireless keyboard and mouse
As I turned the computer on finding the normal tryouts, third party games, etc. I removed them, installing his Microsoft Money 2004 as outlined per the Microsoft web site. I then installed his Microsoft Office XP 2002 calling Microsoft on the telephone to activate it. I updated all the Microsoft Updates from the web and checked all for proper operating functions.
I attempted to make arrangements to return the equipment to “Roy” on Tuesday the 20th and was told by him, that wasn't convenient although I could come any time Wednesday after 4:00 PM. I told him, "I'll see what I can do, yet couldn't make any promises as I never know what my schedule is". He called Computer Connection several times on Wednesday in which I was on a service call that I could not brake away from although I called his home number twice to get a busy signal.
Thursday I called the cell phone number to speak with his wife Barbara who informed me that “Roy” was at the beach with his grandchildren and that she would relay the information to him and he call me later after he returned home. I heard from him at 1:41 pm telling me that anytime after 3pm would be fine. At 3:14 I received a call from Computer Connection asking me if I was going to make it to his house. I informed them I was going to yet it would be when I finished what I was doing.
I arrived at "Roy's" home at 3:41pm greeting him
and his wife Barbara with the Laptop. He proceeded to tell me that he wanted
everything from the one desktop put over to the laptop and he wanted the
address book also transfer to his 2nd desktop as the first was more up to date.
I setup the laptop hooking up the Microsoft wireless mouse and keyboard,
explaining to him how to make it "connect" if it were to fail. He
then proceeded to lead me though all the stuff on the desktop that he wanted to
move to the laptop. I attempted to setup sharing of one folder to make the job
a one step process. He had out dated Norton Security Suite on it as well as
error messages that kept popping up. He asked me what he could do about that. I
explained it was easy to remove through "Add and Remove" programs in
the Control Panel. He said the "Bellsouth technician didn't know how or
couldn't" and asked me if I would do it for him. I told him that the first
thing I'd like to do is to back up his data as I like to proceed with one thing
at a time. He kept interrupting me, asking questions and wanting more problems
repaired. After approximately 10 minutes I was not able to share between
computers do to all the corruption of files and previous firewalls of his one
desktop. I told him I would go to my van and get an external USB hard drive. He
said he had a 4gig. Checking the amount of data included over that amount and I
informed him as to the amount of music and pictures, etc it would be better for
me to get mine. He proceeded to tell me there was no music on his desktop. I
showed him the "Download" folder in his "My Documents"
folder pointing out at least 6 albums of music. He told me to delete them as
well as other items he proceeded to view that he didn't want. I informed him of
the extra time consumption to do so and he could easily remove them after
transfer yet he as insistent that he didn't want "any of that" and
other certain things on the laptop. I proceeded to remove what he asked (all
the while he kept interrupting me to "look at pictures" he had taken
on his many journeys through Japan, Africa, etc. I tried to ignore this and kept
working. As I was copying the files onto his 4gig, the computer went into a
blue screen stating the drive could not be found. I shut down and restarted the process in which after the second attempt, I found that each folder had to be copied
individually as something was causing a caching error. After succeeding with
the transfer onto his 4gig USB drive, I installed the data onto the laptop and
the address book onto his desktop. He examined the laptop having me customize
it some. He then wanted to confirm all the data and programs worked well
although he was not used to the Vista operating system and did not understand
that things were different than XP. I proceeded to show him as requested. As
screens popped up asking questions Barbara came in and wanted the desktop
cleaner than it was and wanted me to remove of some icons. She questioned the
location of her pictures. I explained to her that Vista keeps them in a
different location and proceeded to show her where. I was asked to remove the
Trend Micro Firewall software as we all agreed that when the popups arise, the
normal person doesn't know how to handle them (what to except and what not to).
I explained that AVG was my favorite anti-virus and that Microsoft Vista had
its own firewall and was designed for better protection. I was told to
"get rid of it" and do it as I thought best. Once again I told “Roy” that this may take awhile longer and it was getting late”. I un-installed it and
installed the free version of AVG for the home user. “Roy” kept being asking me
to do more work having all kinds of questions. Explaining it was after 7pm and
it would be much better to take the computers into the office of Computer
Connection than pay me to do it there and I had to get home to my family.
He said "I dread knowing but what do I owe you?" I explained it was
$125 for the work on the laptop prior to brining it to his home and as it was
7:14pm now I would charge him for the agreed $95 per hour for 3.5 hours, so
it’s $457.50. He then asked "do I have to pay for the time you couldn't
make it work"? I said, "how about just $425 then. He said ok and
wrote out a check for the said amount made out to Computer Connection on an
account from Golden Wattle Refuge. Afterwards, I quickly showed him he could
adjust the Performance level under "System Properties" on his XP
machines. He asked me if I’d do the “other one too” I did both, showing him
how. We shook hands as I let him know he could call me if he had any
problems or questions what so ever, and there was never a charge for telephone
support.
March 23rd I emailed my invoice to Computer Connection for payment and upon going into the store later that day, I was told that I had had a complaint and that Mr. Gardner was threatening to call the Better Business Bureau as well as cancel payment on the check for the services rendered. I questioned as to why, as was told that he was very angry and I had not spent much time at all out there, and that all I did was transfer data from one machine to another using his device to do it with.
I immediately called Barbara on her cell phone trying to explain the situation and asking what was the problem. She claimed she was in a meeting and suggested I wait till after 3pm when she had time to speak with her husband. I asked if she would give me a return call and let me know what transpired and she assured me she would.
As of now March 27, I have not heard from her as promised, nor Roy.
Roy has called Computer Connection offering to make a fair $100 check for the services rendered while complaining that I yelled at his wife when I spoke to her on the phone. Mike and Vivian of Computer Connection bore witness as the overheard the conversation while I was in their presence.
Summary of time:
1.5 hours of research for installing Microsoft Money 2004 on Vista
0.5 hours installing Microsoft Money 2004 on Vista
1.5 hours installing Microsoft Office 2002 and Activating with Microsoft via phone
(Student and Teacher Edition)
2.0 hours removing 3rd party games and updating all Microsoft updates.
3.5 hours on location at his residence.
32.50 discount per request.
April 16th, 2007
The drama continues.
Still I have not heard from either of the above mentioned people yet Computer Connection did this morning when “Roy” comes in the store to retrieve a copy of the invoice and claiming I did not know what I was doing by installing AVG onto his laptop as “it is does not work with Vista”. He evidentially did not bother going to the AVG website .
Bearing false witness? Lies? Defamation of character, slander?
I ask myself, what does this person ministers and to whom? Is he confused, sinister or just vindictive by nature?
It’s been more than 30 years since I’ve met such a person!
This is posted on the World Wide Web so that when a question arises from the “Better Business Bureau”, they may reference it here.
Posted April 18th, 2007