CompuServe Thread

Mark, I'd seriously doubt that. Especially in light of the fact that they've already announced an 800 (toll FREE) number for user support and the "Commodore Express" service package. Commodore Express is FREE pickup and delivery by Federal Express of a defective A500. (No idea if it'll also apply to the 2000/3000 series). As to developer phone support. The only folks who get that now are those that paid a $450/year fee for the privledge. If you think they'll put up with an additional fee on top of that…no way! Tell me…where did you hear that rumor? Did the person you heard it from have any reasonable way of getting "inside" information from Commodore (since no such thing has been announced…or talked about in public that I'm aware…thus, IF it were true, it must be inside information)? While I have no inside information myself, based on the things that Commodore has already instituted in the way of FREE support…I think I can safely say…that your rumor is NOT TRUE. Don

Commodore used to have 800 numbers for customer support. Do you know why they dropped it? The then-president of Commodore was reading his newspaper in his living room one night, and overheard his teen-ager talking on the phone about the weather and rock music for nearly an hour. When he asked "Who was that?" he learned that his kid had called Commodore tech support for a question about his C=64. The order to discontinue the service went out the next day. Maybe we are becomming more Japanese-style in our approach to quality in this country. My friends in Tokyo cannot find a discount price on a Nintendo cartridge, but the different identically-priced stores compete on who can deliver it to your home fastest. It's been at least ten years, maybe twenty, since directory assistance (411) was a free call from home. I remember it was phased in with "three free calls per month," so there'd be a cruddy little thirty cent credit on the bill if you never used it. Maybe the standard for customer support will go way, way up once folks start paying-by-use. Directory assistance is a lot faster now.

Perhaps you're confusing the SAS with Commodore? SAS phone support will be $2 per minute via 900 number. I doubt Commodore would do that, though – if they're willing to pay Fed Ex for a 500, I doubt they'd charge you for phone support!!!

Would you share the source of that rumor? It could be pretty damaging for such a rumor to get around if it is not true, and it just does not match with the other things Commodore is doing these days. Also – there has been no announcement of it, and this is the first time I've heard of it on any of the networks and boards I read. Sure would like to know where it came from.