Gateway to Hell is still open

Quick update – after thinking my whole mousy hell had ended, I returned home yesterday to find a message on my answering machine telling me to return the old mouse or be charged. UPS reports the return shipment accepted by them days ago, but in accordance with Gateway’s 100% Customer Dissatisfaction Guarantee, they have decided to extend the experience a little longer. The real problem is that total incompetence is fast becoming the standard for most companies, so the only thing one needs to consider before buying is “Will using this product or service force me to call their bank of customer service morons?” The next computer I buy will probably be from some store like OfficeMax. If anything goes wrong I can just take the broken part to the store and get an exchange or refund.