On Thu, 6 Jul 1995, Bob Jankalski wrote:
 
> Our equipment lists simply show response time, model, serial, short
> description, and price. Real simple..huh? Of course we're not trying
> to hide anything.
>
> Bob Jankalski -- Ideal Computer Services
> =======================================================================
>
>
> On Thu, 6 Jul 1995, Rudderow, Evan wrote:
>
> > Hi all,
> >
> > Back in May I wrote to my contracts coordinator asking that a 2684D (i.e. a
> > JamJet 2000) and it's associated usage charges be dropped from support.  In
> > June I received a revised hardware support agreement which I finally got
> > around to reviewing today (look, I'm *busy*, OK?).
> >
> > The good news is that the monthly extended charge has dropped from something
> > like $1344 to something like $989.
> >
> > But what's confusing me is that the 2684D and the usage charges are still
> > listed on the hardware support agreement.  Does anybody know *why* that is?
> >  Better yet, does anybody know *why* I have to ask this question?
> >
> > For all of the bad attributes of the previous support agreements (prior to
> > about 2 - 3 years ago); I could at least tell what I was paying for and what
> > the support start and end dates were.
> >
> > Yes, I know there's something called a "Customer Report" which gives me more
> > info; but why must I cross reference two documents to figure out (1) what
> > I'm paying for, (2) the support cost for each item, and (3) whether or not
> > it bears a close resemblance to reality?
> >
> > I never enjoyed working with support contracts; but with the current format,
> > just the prospect makes me cranky.
> >
> > I feel like Mr. Bill on Saturday Night Live: "Oh Nooooooooooooo! It's an HP
> > Support Agreement!"
> >
> > And I wonder whether some evil person at HP designed the support agreements
> > and the way the revisions are (not) indicated to be intentionally
> > obfuscating -- perhaps hoping that the unfortunate system administrators and
> > department secretaries saddled with managing the support agreements would
> > throw up their hands in resignation and pay whatever HP quotes.
> >
> > Or maybe it's to justify SE's: after all the last time I had an SE, he
> > explained that part of his job was to review my support contracts.  Let me
> > get this express this another way: he told me that I was paying a $9000/year
> > premium in part so that he could tell me how to read my invoices.
> >  Interestingly, he never recommended any changes in coverage like, say,
> > dropping the 400 terminals from same day support, or dropping the Eagles on
> > the development system from support, or reviewing our actual 2680 drum
> > rotations.  Well...you can understand why I don't have an SE any longer.
> >
> > Sorry, dealing with contracts make me so angry.
> >
> >  -- Evan
> >
>