Couple Encounters Hard Time Deleting Computer Problem

For Jim Wells, playing solitaire on his computer is a powerful solace.

He has emphysema and is completely homebound, barely able to move. He says computer games, along with e-mailing his children and grandchildren, are about the only things that keep his mind off the pain.

So when his year-and-a-half old computer went out last November, he and his wife, Dorothy, were glad they had opted for the extended warranty the Circuit City salesman offered when they bought the computer. That is, until they actually started using it.

In the five months that followed, the Wells spent hours on the phone with technical support representatives. They had almost a half-dozen visits from repair people, all trying to fix the problem.

"The first time, they replaced the motherboard, which wasn't the problem. Then the power supply. That didn't correct it either," Dorothy says. "We're wondering if they know what they're doing."

They also replaced parts and restored the hard drive twice. When it still would not work right, the Wells decided something had to be done, so they contacted Five On Your Side.

When Five On Your Side called Circuit City, Consumer manager Karen Bland said that under its extended warranty policy, when a product has three documented defects, the company will replace it.

Bland also said the incident could have been avoided. She said that had Wells called the store manager after the third repair instead of continuing to deal with the warranty company, she would have been told to return the computer for store credit.

The Wells now have a new computer and they say that they are having a good time with it.