>>>Here it is, 1100hr the next day, and still not a word from this person!
>>>
>>>Do you wonder why my instinct was to NOT call!?!?!?!
>>>
>>>Patience - the primary requirement of people dealing with MS Canada.
>
>UPDATE:
>
>At around 1400hr today I had to go out to do some banking. As luck would have it, Mr. Xxxx called back then.
>
>He left me a message telling me that in both US and Canada VFP7 was released July 26 and has been available since then. (he obviously didn't listen to my message).
>
>So I called back, got his voice-mail again, and left a message asking him to stop spouting theory and start stating facts, and I told him the facts again.
>
>He called back in about 2 hours. He told me that he had done some checking around and that, indeed, it was not going to be available until AUGUST 24, 2001. I asked him why Canada was going to be late when he had earlier said (his message) that it was POLICY for MS Canada and MS US to release at the SAME TIME. Oh, he said, that date (Aug.24) was for the US too.
>So I told him many US customers already have it, and REPEATED that Programmers' Paradise has had it in the US since Mon. but weren't allowed to ship here by agreement with MS. He said he'd look into it.
>
>Finally, I asked if he could transfer me to someone who could listen to my complaint and actually DO something about it. He told me HE *IS* that guy.
>
>I said good bye.

Jim;

Somehow I feel that all customer support/customer service calls go to the same person or office somewhere in a cave deep within the ground in Colorado. You will either be told which number to press for what reason, the result of which is to bring you back to the same voice telling you to press the same numbers all over again

The other option is a man or woman will ask you what you want and attempt to solve your problem by reading a script. These folks take care of everything from brain surgery to how to turn on your flashlight. The end result is once again frustration on the callers behalf as the “expert” has no concept of reality let alone the ability to represent a solution to the caller.

A recent call to my then ISP (earthlink) about a month ago had three recorded voices. 1. “One moment please”. 2. “All of our customer service representatives are busy at this time with customer calls. There will be a wait of:” 3. “One hundred and twenty seven minutes”. After twenty minutes of waiting I hung up – they won again! After finally getting through I canceled my account and went to AT&T@Home. I am a happy puppy and so far have had no need to call those folks in that Colorado cave for any reason.

Good luck to us all!

Tom