Your letters
Your opinions on Business stories
By Times Staff
Published November 11, 2007
Wild West for PCs Nov. 2
Similar treatment from Circuit City
I had to laugh when I read your article. I went through the same thing with Circuit City. I took my PC there several years ago to have a virus removed. They had just started this type of service at the time. They promised it would take only two or three days. It took three weeks and three trips back to the store. They also erased some files that I asked them to keep. They gave me a disc and said the files were on that, which turned out to be wrong.
Also, when I went to pick up the PC, they could not find mine. There were two units exactly the same and they did not know which was mine. I went to the room in back and found it for them, as I had written my name on the bottom of the PC. Since then I think they have tagged them in some way. I was so mad I spoke with the manager, and he was no help at all. I told him I would never be back. The funniest part was that the technician who worked on my PC kept telling me how good he was at these repairs. He was the one who erased everything. So I can relate to the ladies' experiences in your article.
Tim Adams, Dunedin
Rather than fixing PC, just buy a new one
I am the former owner of a small computer repair shop in Crawfordville. Here are some things you may have missed. The Geek Squad is being sued by Winternals for unlicensed use of their software. It is also being sued by some customers because "personal porn" has been posted on the Internet. If you check the message boards, you will find that the best place to open a small computer repair shop is next door to Best Buy or Circuit City. You get all their screwups. We had one customer who traveled, and her PC was in one of those places for six months. She finally picked it up and brought it to us. They told her it needed a new DVD drive. I opened the case and immediately backed-up from the machine and called the customer over to have a look.
I asked her if she could tell me what was wrong with the machine. Even she could see the DVD-ROM wasn't even hooked up. I plugged it in and everything worked just fine.
What happened to these two women is a breach of trust, and Circuit City should be made accountable for the lion's share of the damages. Computers have become disposable. The average cost of repair is $150-250, and Wal-Mart has up-to-date machines from $300. Why fix them anymore?
Tim Chanda, Hudson
Social Security
Treat it as an insurance policy
I may have the solution to Social Security's problems. Let's think of Social Security as an insurance policy because that's what it really is. It's there if you need it. Most people pay for fire insurance on their home and never "collect" on it. They never have a fire. Social Security could work the same way. If you never need it, you never collect. But it's there if you need it.
This way, Social Security payroll deductions would be way down for everyone: employees and employers.
Donald F. Kelly, St. Petersburg
Companies bolster doctors Nov. 3
We should reward success
Give me a break (knee or hip). So, two fine doctors help improve implants and then use these devices for their patients (with knowledge and consent). Really.
Since when does society not recognize success with benefits, financial or other?
Maureen Sullivan-Krumholtz, St. Petersburg
Homebuilders
Ryland Homes shows high level of integrity
In times like these, when so many people are complaining about home builders, we thought it would be refreshing to hear a complimentary story.
My wife, Lenore, and I are having a beautiful home built for us in Ellenton by Ryland Homes. Neither my wife nor I are employees of Ryland, or affiliated with any company they employ. We are just ordinary home buyers, no different from you or anyone else. The only difference is that this is our 12th home, three of which we had built from scratch. So you might say we're educated consumers when it comes to the housing market.
The building industry is always being maligned about in the press and in casual conversations with new-home buyers. We have found Ryland is a home builder with integrity and wanted to share our story with you.
Steven and Lenore Good, Bradenton
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