I am not amending or deleting my review of yesterday regarding my call with this business. Rather,…read moreI am posting this as a supplement based on my long call with the same business today and to inform the public about their business changes.
In the response to my original review, "Will" (who I understood to be the owner of the business, as represented on Yelp) suggested that I cool off and call them back to let them explain what is going on with their services and prices. After thinking about that, and based on my long very good relationship with Will over the years, I decided to take him up on the offer. Today I called ComputerUSA again. The woman I spoke with yesterday answered the phone. I asked to speak with Will, the owner. She told me Will was not available and that he is no longer the owner of the company, that she is now the owner. I expressed surprised because, during our call yesterday, she confirmed that Will was the owner and that she would become the owner "very soon". [I would note that, at least twice during our conversation today, she said she was "not happy to have to say that she is the owner of the business". What???] When I noted that discrepancy, she simply responded that she is the owner. We then had a call that lasted about an hour. That call was, at times, confusing, challenging, enlightening and very disappointing. But, it was very valuable at the end.
We first discussed my question from yesterday about the planned future of the company. After again noting is was their initial intention to close the business, she said they decided to restructure the business and make it profitable. Without rehashing most of what was said, the bottom line is they are COMPLETELY changing the business model for ComputerUSA and the company we have used for years no longer exists. If she had made that more clear yesterday, we would have had a shorter and less antagonistic call. [I think that this is one of the best uses of Yelp - to let others know that a business they have been using is changing dramatically.]
Yesterday we discussed 4 different services I currently get from ComputerUSA: security, remote access, Microsoft program support (for me, Office 365) and backup services. Yesterday she seemed to confirm they would continue those 4 services, but for substantially increased costs: $110 a month versus my current payment of $25.99 per month (an increase of 400%). Today that changed. Today she said they have decided to no longer offer back-up services to individuals. She claimed that doing back-up in accordance with the current legal requirements is MUCH more complicated and expensive than what ComputerUSA had been doing (she had a few serious criticisms of Will). Thus, they will not offer it going forward. Today she also said they have decided that they will not offer support services from Microsoft programs - she really dislikes Microsoft and doesn't want to deal with them. She did say that would continue to offer the security and remote access services to individuals (at a significantly increased cost), but very clearly "WARNED" me that they will likely discontinue the remote services in the next 6 months. That leaves only one service going forward. Thus, as she recommended, I need to research an alternative provider for the services (and she claimed there are many out there).
So the bottom line is they are significantly changing the business model, which they of course have every right to do. It would have been good if they had been more clear about that.
Looking at some of the earlier Yelp reviews for ComputerUSA I see many people who had the same very successful relationship with the former ComputerUSA as I did. I and my husband used their services for MANY years. I really enjoyed working with Will, Chris and all of the staff. They were friendly, helpful, very capable, responsive, etc., but that no longer exists.
At the end of our call she noted that she does not want to do business with me as a client going forward. And she suggested I probably don't want to be doing business with her. On that we were in complete agreement.
So, for those of you that have used ComputerUSA in the past, know going forward that company and their services no longer exists. Caveat emptor.
