rapidsigns
New Member
A word to the wise about Gerber upgrades.
I want to share with this forum my recent experience with Gerber. Before anyone gets the wrong opinion, I have owned Gerber software for 20 years. I have a HS 15s, Gerber Edge and a Gerber router along with 4 Gerber software workstations. My problem started the in Mid April the day I purchased a new computer, my old one was on its last leg. I installed Gerber 3.0 on it but it would not cut. I spoke with Midwest Sign and Screen service department for two weeks but they finally thru up their hands. On May 1st, I called Gerber Tech Support, they said I needed to upgrade to Omega 5.0. Ok, I thought, I'll spend $545.00 to solve this problem. I understand where they are coming from.
Installed software March 9th. Still will not cut, called Tech support, over the next 2-3 days they had me install, reinstall, wipe clean, reinstall, still does not work. They then said it was my communication cord, so we took a cord off another computer that works and cuts on the HS 15. It did not work on the new computer. They then said I need the USB cord, so $100 dollars later I got a USB cord. (Tony at Gerber guaranteed that would work). BUT it still did not work, so they had me uninstall software, wipe clean, re-install software. Next they said it was the card in my new computer, go get a Siig card and it will be just fine. Another $150.00 later we have a new card in our new computer. And you guessed it, it still does not cut. They had me uninstall the software and re-install it. Still did not work, ok Gerber says, plug the HS 15 into the same power strip as the computer, that should work. Nope that doesn't work. Well then uninstall the software and reinstall it, that should help. Nope that didn't help. Each time I called Gerber I got a different tech and they kept trying the same thing, none of them would read the last service reports and start from scratch so I spend the first 10 minutes of every phone call bringing them up to date on what we had done.
By May 28th I am losing my patience (and my mind) and request to deal with one person only at Gerber. At this point we have over 50+ hours trying to solve the problem to no avail.
On June 4th I got a call from Tony who said it was my computer. I needed to buy a Dell computer model x for $650.00. That would solve the problem because that is what they are running. I told them we have 3 Dell computers in our office and 5.0 did not work on any of them as they had us install it on these computers earlier. I asked Tony if Gerber was going to pay for the new Dell computer if it did not work. He said no, just send it back. On June 5th Tony called back and said, do not buy Dell model x, buy model y for $950. It will solve all my problems, GUARANTEED.
On June 7th, Tony again call, did I buy the new computer, no, ok hold off we are checking something. On June 8th Tony called back, Sorry, Gerber Omega 5.0 does not work with a Gerber HS15s. We (meaning Gerber) did not know this (how the !@#$ do they not know this).
I suggested to them that all they had to do was copy the old code into the new Omega code. Their reply, no that’s not going to happen. How are you going to solve my problem I ask. It's not our problem they reply. You can buy a new plotter, they suggest. But my old plotter works just fine I reply, in fact a few years ago I sent it to you and had it refurbished for $xxxx.00. Sorry nothing we can do.
Tony calls back a week later and says Gerber is going to give me a hell of a deal on a new plotter to compensate me for my time and trouble. Week 1 passes, then week 2. Week 3 I call Gerber regional mgr. He says the local Midwest Rep has a great price. Week 4, the rep gives me the new price, it is less than 10% off retail. What a joke. I then spend the next 4 weeks going back and forth with them trying to get the "hell of a deal" Tony promised me. But it looks like they just told me to go to H E DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS.
As of this date I can not cut on my HS 15 with Omega 5.0 Every job we cut we must save the file to an older version, copy it on to a flash drive, walk into our router room and unplug the router, plug the HS 15 into that computer and then send the job over. This extra little step takes us about 3-4 minutes. Multiply that times the number of jobs we do per day and you have a losing proposition.
So be very careful when you upgrade your software, because it may not work with your cutter AND Gerber may not have any idea it does not work and they will not stand behind their product.
P.S. Omega 5.0 works just fine on my 20 year old Ioline cutter.
J D Morrissey
Rapid Graphics & Signs
Omaha NE
I want to share with this forum my recent experience with Gerber. Before anyone gets the wrong opinion, I have owned Gerber software for 20 years. I have a HS 15s, Gerber Edge and a Gerber router along with 4 Gerber software workstations. My problem started the in Mid April the day I purchased a new computer, my old one was on its last leg. I installed Gerber 3.0 on it but it would not cut. I spoke with Midwest Sign and Screen service department for two weeks but they finally thru up their hands. On May 1st, I called Gerber Tech Support, they said I needed to upgrade to Omega 5.0. Ok, I thought, I'll spend $545.00 to solve this problem. I understand where they are coming from.
Installed software March 9th. Still will not cut, called Tech support, over the next 2-3 days they had me install, reinstall, wipe clean, reinstall, still does not work. They then said it was my communication cord, so we took a cord off another computer that works and cuts on the HS 15. It did not work on the new computer. They then said I need the USB cord, so $100 dollars later I got a USB cord. (Tony at Gerber guaranteed that would work). BUT it still did not work, so they had me uninstall software, wipe clean, re-install software. Next they said it was the card in my new computer, go get a Siig card and it will be just fine. Another $150.00 later we have a new card in our new computer. And you guessed it, it still does not cut. They had me uninstall the software and re-install it. Still did not work, ok Gerber says, plug the HS 15 into the same power strip as the computer, that should work. Nope that doesn't work. Well then uninstall the software and reinstall it, that should help. Nope that didn't help. Each time I called Gerber I got a different tech and they kept trying the same thing, none of them would read the last service reports and start from scratch so I spend the first 10 minutes of every phone call bringing them up to date on what we had done.
By May 28th I am losing my patience (and my mind) and request to deal with one person only at Gerber. At this point we have over 50+ hours trying to solve the problem to no avail.
On June 4th I got a call from Tony who said it was my computer. I needed to buy a Dell computer model x for $650.00. That would solve the problem because that is what they are running. I told them we have 3 Dell computers in our office and 5.0 did not work on any of them as they had us install it on these computers earlier. I asked Tony if Gerber was going to pay for the new Dell computer if it did not work. He said no, just send it back. On June 5th Tony called back and said, do not buy Dell model x, buy model y for $950. It will solve all my problems, GUARANTEED.
On June 7th, Tony again call, did I buy the new computer, no, ok hold off we are checking something. On June 8th Tony called back, Sorry, Gerber Omega 5.0 does not work with a Gerber HS15s. We (meaning Gerber) did not know this (how the !@#$ do they not know this).
I suggested to them that all they had to do was copy the old code into the new Omega code. Their reply, no that’s not going to happen. How are you going to solve my problem I ask. It's not our problem they reply. You can buy a new plotter, they suggest. But my old plotter works just fine I reply, in fact a few years ago I sent it to you and had it refurbished for $xxxx.00. Sorry nothing we can do.
Tony calls back a week later and says Gerber is going to give me a hell of a deal on a new plotter to compensate me for my time and trouble. Week 1 passes, then week 2. Week 3 I call Gerber regional mgr. He says the local Midwest Rep has a great price. Week 4, the rep gives me the new price, it is less than 10% off retail. What a joke. I then spend the next 4 weeks going back and forth with them trying to get the "hell of a deal" Tony promised me. But it looks like they just told me to go to H E DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS.
As of this date I can not cut on my HS 15 with Omega 5.0 Every job we cut we must save the file to an older version, copy it on to a flash drive, walk into our router room and unplug the router, plug the HS 15 into that computer and then send the job over. This extra little step takes us about 3-4 minutes. Multiply that times the number of jobs we do per day and you have a losing proposition.
So be very careful when you upgrade your software, because it may not work with your cutter AND Gerber may not have any idea it does not work and they will not stand behind their product.
P.S. Omega 5.0 works just fine on my 20 year old Ioline cutter.
J D Morrissey
Rapid Graphics & Signs
Omaha NE
