I still don't have a computer

[lnr]

I was hoping it would arrive on Monday (since that's what they told me last week) but now they're saying tomorrow and I believe them a little bit more. We'll see. I'm going to have to work out who to complain to precisely once it has arrived, so I've gathered together all my emails on the subject and worked out the timeline of the whole sorry episode. It's a bit long.

2006-04-18	Computer breaks
2006-04-27	Back from holiday, start looking at replacements
2006-04-28	Consider Dell via university bulk purchase, Stephen
		suggests I wait for new HP agreement, due at beginning
		of June, decide I can wait a month
2006-06-01	Look up details and find agreement due to go live on 12th
2006-06-13	Mail Simon Timms (bulk purchase co-ordinator) and hear
		that date has slipped, should be ready by end of week
		(16th)
2006-06-16	Official message via ucam-itsupport that it's delayed
		until 19th or 20th
2006-06-27	Someone spots a new link to HP on the bulk purchase web
		pages, but having trouble registering
2006-06-28	Simon Timms says they were going to announce it
		today anyway, register with site.
2006-06-29	Poke around site, choose machine, no obvious way to make
		personal purchases.  Some time round here learn it will
		be some time before this is possible.
2006-06-??	Asked to fill in survey about B2B site, mostly irrelvant
		but do so anyway.
2006-07-05	COs in dept suggest geting Paul Bayford to order me one
		via departmental purchasing system
2006-07-07	Create quote of machine I want, and ask Paul if he can
		order it for me, he says yes but will be away for a
		week, do when he gets back
2006-07-18	Machine ordered
2006-07-27	Look on site, see monitor has shipped, but also see
		"planned delivery date: august 16th" express dismay to
		Paul, as this is outside 10 working days contract.
2006-07-31	Monitor arrives
2006-08-14	Return from holiday, nothing more delivered, planned
		delivery date has changed to "date will follow", Paul
		sends email to Clare Robertson
2006-08-17	No reply from HP, so Paul mails account manager Louise
		Delahoussaye
2006-08-21	Ask Paul if there's any news, he's not heard from
		either, mail Simon Timms to enquire, discover he has
		left the university.  Senior Purchasing Officer John
		Last requests more details and offers to investigate.
		He gets back with official contact details, it seems
                Clare Robertson has left and been replaced by Jennifer
                Haining,  and also news there's a delay on some machines
                due to parts constraint, MT not SFF mentioned though.
2006-08-22	List from HP of machines which are delayed, they'd
		previously told Simon Timms rather than individuals that
		there was a  delay, told should know first week in
		September when these are likely to be available
2006-08-29	Notice planned delivery date is now 06/09
2006-08-31	Note from HP saying it's now in transit due 04/09.
		Order status says shipped 29th, invoiced 30th, planned
		delivery 4th
2006-09-01	Email with $10 Amazon.com voucher to say thanks for
		filling in survey.  Reply pointing out that will barely
		cover postage to the UK.
2006-09-04	No sign, order status unchanged since 30th
2006-09-05	No sign, order status unchanged since 30th, find
		shipment tracking page, Despatched to Distribution Hub
		on 30th, nothing since.  Check again late afternoon and
		find it has arrived at distribution hub
2006-09-06	Check tracking service, now showing dispatched to
		consignee at 09:15, delivery planned for 7th
		(tomorrow).  This will be 37 working days after being
		ordered.

Comments

[j4.livejournal.com]

This may not be relevant but there seem to have been staff changes at HP as well (Clare Robertson replaced with Jennifer Haining):

http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/cam-only/offices/purchasing/groups/it/deals/hardware/current.html (http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/cam-only/offices/purchasing/groups/it/deals/hardware/current.html) [access from within cam.ac.uk only]

[lnr]

True, That was made clear on 21st too. Should add it in.

[lnr]

And thanks for pointing out the contact details are on there too, I'd never really scrolled down that far :-)

[aardvark179.livejournal.com]

It's like the Apple delivery tortoise crossed with a vogon.

What odds would you give on them having shipped the wrong thing?

[stephdairy.livejournal.com]

I had been vaguely thinking of buying a laptop for myself through the bulk purchase scheme, but the sheer faff makes me wonder whether it's worth the bother.

(S)

[lnr]

Someone suggested that yesterday, and also this morning that they might try ship it to the wrong department. I'd cry.

[filecoreinuse.livejournal.com]

I thought CUED mostly bought through WOC? Or is that only Signal Processing?

[lnr]

All the new desktops for admin people have been Dells recently, from the last bulk purchase agreement. By and large most people seem to be deciding to keep buying from Dell instead now they've seen HPs offering and how useless they are. Certainly all the machines for the DPO refit are Dells.