RE: IBM Supportline Woes! -- MIDRANGE-L

I'm sure you're ready to tell someone at IBM to prepare a certain body
cavity to receive a bunch of returned Supportline invoices !   :-)

Tell them you're not paying, these were all IBM problems (as evidenced
by the PTF's received in each case), and ask them what the hell they are
doing sending invoices out over a year after the event - especially for
issues where YOU told THEM what the solution was !!!

And tell them if you don't get a satisfactory answer & resolution within
2 weeks this issue will be raised at SoundOff at COMMON in New Orleans.

(Should you not be attending COMMON I will be please to present faxed
copies of your invoices to the distinguished representative on the panel
from IBM responsible for support at SoundOff and ask just what the hell
is going on).

It's long past the time that IBM should have straightened out this
Supportline nonsense.

Anyone else have any Supportline horror stories re billing ?



FYI: 
Here's the APAR that references SF23392 (which was a V3R1 HIPER PTF):



Item SA43410 

  APAR Identifier ...... SA43410       Last Changed..96/09/16  
  CA400WIN-SBCS-UPDATE ENABLE MIGRATION TO A NEW RELEASE
 
 
  Symptom ...... IN INCORROUT         Status ........... CLOSED  PER
  Severity ................... 2      Date Closed ......... 95/05/12
  Component .......... 5763XC100      Duplicate of ........
  Reported Release ......... 310      Fixed Release ............ 311
  Component Name 5763 C/A400 WIN      Special Notice           HIPER
  Current Target Date ..              Flags
  SCP ...................
  Platform ............
 
  Status Detail: SHIPMENT - Packaged solution is available for
                            shipment.
 
  PE PTF List:
 
  PTF List:
  Release 310   : SF23392 available 95/05/31 (5157 )
  Release 311   : PTF not available yet
 
 
  Parent APAR:
  Child APAR list:
 
 
  ERROR DESCRIPTION:
  New function is added to the Update function to be able to
  migrate to new releases of Client Access/400 for Windows 3.1
 
 
  LOCAL FIX:
 
 
  PROBLEM SUMMARY:
  *************************************************************
  *  PROBLEM: (SA43410) Licensed Program = 5763XC1            *
  *           After using the Update function to update from  *
  *           Version 3 Release 1.0 of Client Access/400 for  *
  *           Windows 3.1 to a later release, some functions  *
  *           of Client Access/400 for Windows 3.1 will have  *
  *           unpredictable results and subsequent updates    *
  *           will fail.                                      *
  *************************************************************
  *  USERS AFFECTED: All Client Access/400 for Windows 3.1    *
  *                  users.                                   *
  *************************************************************
  *  RECOMMENDATION: Apply PTF SF23392 BEFORE installing a    *
  *                  release of Client Access/400 for         *
  *                  Windows 3.1 that is later than Version 3 *
  *                  Release 1.0.                             *
  *************************************************************
   After using the Update function to update from
   Version 3 Release 1.0 of Client Access/400 for
   Windows 3.1 to a later release, some functions
   of Client Access/400 for Windows 3.1 will have
   unpredictable results and subsequent updates
   will fail.
 
    Some of the symptoms seen may be unpredictable
   results from Administration, Message, Error Log,
   and Update Function.
    Users of Administration function may see error
   msg6731 when creating install diskettes.  Users
   of Update function may see errors indicating
   invalid paths, package files, or update entries.
 
 
 
 
  PROBLEM CONCLUSION:
  THIS FIX IS FOR THE SBCS VERSION OF CLIENT ACCESS/400 FOR
  WINDOWS 3.1 (QPWXCWN).
 
  The Update function was changed to enable users working with
  Client Access/400 for Windows 3.1 R310 to migrate to Client
  Access/400 for Windows 3.1 V3R1M1.  An exit routine for Update
  will run from the QPWXCWN folder when Client Access/400 for
  Windows 3.1 R310 is installed on the AS400.
 
 
 
  TEMPORARY FIX:
                          *********
                          * HIPER *
                          *********
 
 
  COMMENTS:
 
 
  MODULES/MACROS:   CAUPDT   PCSUPDTE
 
 
  SRLS:      NONE
 
 
  RTN CODES:
 
 
  CIRCUMVENTION:
  If this PTF is not applied before installing Client Access/400
  for Windows 3.1 R310 on the host, the following steps are
  required to migrate the attached PCs:
 
  1.  Edit the NSD.INI file in the WINDOWS subdirectory and add
     RTMS=systemNamefile in the CONFIGURATION section, where
     systemName is the name of the AS400 that you connect to for
     updates and have Client Access/400 for Windows 3.1 R310
     installed.
 
  2.  Change the Administration icon properties to run the
     WCAADM.EXE file instead of PCSWADM.PIF.
 
  3.  Edit PCS.INI file in the CAWIN directory (or your directory
     where Client Access/400 for Windows 3.1 is installed),
     and add the following entries in the PCS section:
 
     ASYNC=INS
     LAN=INS
     TWINAX=INS
 
     If the PCS.INI file contains the AddFunc=INS entry in the
     PCS section, add the following entries:
     VPRT=INS
     WTFR=INS
     Startup=INS
     ADMN=INS
     DTAQ=INS
     UPDT=INS
     ErrorLog=INS
 
  4.  Copy the STARTUP.PKG file from the QPWXCWN folder to the
     CAWIN subdirectory on the PC. If the AddFunc=INS entry in
     the PCS section is in the PCS.INI file, copy
     the DQDDE.PKG file too.
 
 
  MESSAGE TO SUBMITTER: UPDATED 05/26/95


Neil Palmer                                AS/400~~~~~      
NxTrend Technology - Canada   ____________          ___  ~     
Thornhill, Ontario,  Canada   |OOOOOOOOOO| ________  o|__||=   
Phone: (905) 731-9000  x238   |__________|_|______|_|______)   
Cell.: (416) 565-1682  x238    oo      oo   oo  oo   OOOo=o\   
Fax:   (905) 731-9202       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
mailto:NPalmer@NxTrend.com    AS/400  The Ultimate Business Server      
http://www.NxTrend.com

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jeff Crosby [SMTP:jlcrosby@fwi.com]
> Sent: Thursday, March 26, 1998 1:49 PM
> To:   Midrange List Server (David Gibbs)
> Subject:      IBM Supportline Woes!
> 
> Wow!  Did I just get blasted by IBM Supportline!
> 
> I've been on an hourly supportline contract for probably 18 mos. or
> so. 
> During all that time, every problem I reported resulted in 1 or more
> PTFs meaning I wasn't billed.  Or so I thought.  Today I got the
> following 7 (!) invoices, all dated March 23, 1998:
> 
> ==========
>   
> Inv#38F5809 - PMR 10492, Opened 19961226, Prime minutes 439, $1243.83
> 
> The verbeage says "CAWIN95 DATA TRANSFER HANGS AFTER 118 RE".  This
> was
> _15_ months ago!  I remember this one because I never got an answer
> until April, 4 months later.  I gave _them_ the answer because I read
> it
> on the Midrange mailing list.
> 
> ==========
> 
> Inv#38F5810 - PMR 35157, Opened 19970616, Prime minutes 30, $85.00
> 
> This was _9_ months ago.  This was an RPG problem on READE for which I
> received some PTF, but I can no longer find the paperwork.
> 
> ==========
> 
> Inv#38F5811 - PMR 35515, Opened 19970616, Prime minutes 315, $892.50
> 
> This _also_ was 9 months ago.  This was a PC5250 SDLC printing problem
> for which I received PTFs for Host Print Transform: SF41242, SF40122,
> SF38929, SF25960 and for PC5250: SF40414.  Five PTFs and I get billed?
> 
> And the person I was working with at IBM, "Linda", got fired during
> this
> episode. 
> 
> ==========
>   
> Inv#38F5812 - PMR 64509, Opened 19970929, Prime minutes 36, $102.00
> 
> This was "only" 6 months ago.  I don't remember this one at all and
> there is no explanation on the invoice whatsoever explaining what it
> is
> about.
> 
> ==========
> 
> Inv#38F5813 - PMR 24417, Opened 19970320, Prime minutes 30, $85.00
> 
> This was opened a _year_ ago.  The verbeage says "QUESTION ON
> SF23392". 
> I'm at V3R2 and there is no PTF by that number on my system, so I have
> no idea what it's about.  I am assuming this has to do with V3R1!
> 
> ==========
> 
> Inv#38F5814 - PMR 54176, Opened 19970830, Offshift mins 40, $153.00
> 
> This was 8 months ago.  The verbeage says "LING V3R2 GETAUTOMATIC
> INSTA".  I have no idea what it is about.
> 
> ==========
> 
> Inv#38F5815 - PMR 02898, Opened 1997122, Prime minutess 30, $85.00
> 
> Hey, this one was only last quarter!  The verbeage says "5763SS100".
> I
> have no idea what it is about.
> 
> ==========
> 
> I called the IBM 800 number on the first invoice.  They could not help
> me. (So why is the number on the invoice?).  I was referred to
> "accounting".  Of course I got Vmail.  So then I naturally got a
> return
> call at Noon local time while out to lunch.  When I called back in and
> tried to get an explaination, I was told it was a "services" problem
> so
> I have to talk to the "services" people who are supposed to call me.
> I
> start a week's vacation tomorrow.
> 
> Anybody want to help me explain these to my boss?  Anybody want to
> hazard a guess how many weeks (or months) it will take to straighten
> this out?  Every one of these (that I can remember) resulted in PTFs. 
> Why should I pay for those?  You know I could have had a monthly
> 8am-5pm
> Supportline contract for less than the total of these bills?
> 
> Am I missing something here?  Do I have a leg to stand on?  
> 
> -- 
> -Jeff
> 
> jlcrosby@fwi.com
> 
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