Re: MIDRANGE-L Digest V4 #679

[Joe Lewis <joelewis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello All;

Starting in Fall of 1999, IBM changed the way they were handling "Pay Per Call 
Support."  Before, if you called in and it turned out to be a IBM problem, you 
were not charge.  Now, if you call you get charged no matter why you called.  
IBM wants everybody on Annual Support Contracts.  I am on the Pay Per Call Plan.
I don't have my contact in front of me, but I believe it's $250 per hour with a 
minimum of 1 hour.  I was just quoted for $1,400 a year for support contract 
for our little shop (one 170 - P5 Group).  We have called the support line only 
once in the last 5 years (2 hours charged for an IBM problem).  So far I am
$6,500 ahead of the game.  The down side is that we have ran into many 
"problems," and most of them we had to do some lame work around or move the 
project off the AS/400.  I have complained for the past 3 years at Common, and 
answer has always been the same: get the Annual Support or look it up on the 
Web site.
None of those projects warranted sending the money.

Example:  We were never able to get the HTTP Server Admin to work.  As soon as 
we try to access http://"ip-addy":2001, all the batch jobs for the admin end 
with no errors.  The idea of calling IBM and paying a fee to get something to 
work that should work out of the box is ludicrous.  I have all the latest PTFs
installed (v4r4 if anyone cares).  I have been hoping someone else has the same 
problem and IBM puts some type of documentation out there, but, so far, nothing.

Joe Lewis
I. Spiewak & Sons

>
> Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2001 09:14:17 -0500
> From: "Stone, Brad V (TC)" <bvstone@taylorcorp.com>
> Subject: RE: IBM, Is this a ripoff or what?
>
> I always heard and assumed that they do bill for every call.  But, if that
> call turns out to be a software bug resulting in a PTF, the cost of that
> call is refunded.  Of course, this is only if you dispute it.
>
> This is VERY odd.  Maybe you're just not dealing with the right people at
> IBM?  Keep asking for superiors until you get it resolved.  And don't do
> something like this via Email.  Then you never know who you're dealing with,
> the janitor or the CEO.
>
> Brad
>

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