#AT/SMG announcement
3 messages in this thread
That an official distributor has finally been named is good news- however, my
local dealer expressed some misgivings about it being SMG. He said he and
several other dealers around the country were upset about their handling of
warranty reimbursement right after CBM died.
As I understand it, dealers were being charged for parts that were to be
supplied free. When he refused to pay, they put his account up for collection.
He then called the collection agency and explained the situation to them, and
was told of similar stories country-wide. The agency then said some sort of
investigation was being made of the situation.
My apologies if I have any of the facts wrong, but my friend is a credible,
bend-over-backwards-to-help-you kind of guy who has a very good reputation
among his clients.
Let us hope that a different regime (AT), and different times will provide a
different response if the above is true-and if the Amiga can survive in spite
of everything, maybe the new corporate logo should be the Phoenix!
>>As I understand it, dealers were being charged for parts that were to be
supplied free. When he refused to pay, they put his account up for collection.
This may sound scary, but it tells me something about SMG that may not be
totally negative. You may see this as a sign they are creepy, but I see
possible signs they are: serious, aggressive, and have strong financial and
business skills, even if they're mean.
Microsoft is a dominant company because they are pushy aggressive a**h*les, not
because they have always said "don't worry, we understand" whenever an
intercompany dispute arose. Whatever SMG's reasons were, they may have
involved deep concern over the future of the Amiga: I would want to collect
any money owed to me by Amiga dealers ASAP too, because they could go belly up
etc. So even if a little rude, maybe they also have a little piss and vinegar
we need.
CBM had patents they could have sued to protect. SMG is the type of company
that might sue to protect them. Which sounds more like Microsoft, Intel, or
IBM? Who will win….
Dave,
SMG is like any other company…they like to get paid for their work
and/or parts. CBM had been paying them to handle the warranty work, but when
CBM went under…the warranties went with them. Therefore, SMG had to start
charging for the parts and or repair work since CBM was no longer paying.
The loser was the customer…but it wasn't SMG's fault.
Don