[NTLUG:Discuss] Dell nightmare

[Neil Aggarwal]

Thomas:

I am really sorry to hear your plight and have had similar experiences
in the past.

The unfortunate conclusion I have come to is that no laptop company
is any better.  They all suck.  Once they have your money for the
unit, they do not want to support it.

I hope you have better luck than me in finding an alternate.

For now, I buy Dell as the lesser to many evil companies.

	Neil

--
Neil Aggarwal, JAMM Consulting, (972)612-6056, www.JAMMConsulting.com
FREE! Valuable info on how your business can reduce operating costs by 
17% or more in 6 months or less! => http://newsletter.JAMMConsulting.com


> -----Original Message-----
> From: discuss-bounces at ntlug.org 
> [mailto:discuss-bounces at ntlug.org] On Behalf Of Thomas Cameron
> Sent: Sunday, October 19, 2003 5:26 PM
> To: NTLUG Discussion List
> Subject: [NTLUG:Discuss] Dell nightmare
> 
> 
> I was a HUGE Dell fan from probably '91 or '92 until the last 
> few weeks.  I
> currently have an Inspiron 5100.  I will *never* buy another 
> Dell again.
> Let me make this clear - I would sooner eat worms than spend 
> another penny
> on anything from Dell.  Dell has gone to the dogs.
> 
> The built-in Ethernet controller broke - the weak plastic 
> retainer that
> holds the RJ-45 plug in place sheared off and the cable 
> wouldn't seat.  I
> called Dell support, spent 10 minutes getting through the 
> menu and then on
> hold, and got someone in India who obviously had not done 
> well in English
> class.  It took over 5 minutes for her to just get my name entered
> correctly.  Then - and I am not kidding here, folks - when 
> she asked me what
> OS I was running, SHE ASKED ME TO SPELL WINDOWS!  I just hung 
> up and called
> back in.
> 
> Again 10 or more minutes to wade through the menus and then 
> wait in the
> queue.  The next support tech I got was again in India and hard to
> understand, and he told me that in order to replace a broken 
> integrated
> Ethernet controller, I would have to pay for it because it 
> was "accidental
> damage."  Just to ship it to them for diagnostics it would be 
> $269.00, and
> if the motherboard needed to be replaced (which I knew it 
> would) it would be
> an additional $699!  Heck, the same model was on Dell Factory 
> Outlet for
> that much!  I tried to explain that the unit had not been 
> abused or damaged,
> but I am a consultant who plugs into different networks 2-3 
> times a day or
> more, but he wouldn't budge.  I wound up hanging up, figuring 
> I'd just use a
> PCMCIA Ethernet card.
> 
> Then I got mad and called back in.  10 more minutes getting 
> my information
> entered and waiting in queue.  I got a tech here in the 
> States, explained my
> problem, and he said "no sweat, I'll ship a box to you to send in for
> warranty work."  I was stunned, and I specifically said "How 
> much is this
> going to cost me?"  He said it was under warranty, so nothing at all.
> 
> I called several times over the next FOUR WEEKS checking 
> status - each time
> wasting 10-15 minutes on hold.  All I got was that repairs were "in
> progress."  I finally got the laptop back with photocopied 
> letter stuck in
> it saying the laptop had been on "billing hold," and that 
> they had "made
> several attempts to reach me," and they were returning the laptop
> unrepaired!  That was total bull - I had called them two to 
> three times a
> week and they never said anything about it being on hold.  They also
> confirmed my freaking phone number every time I called in 
> checking status.
> No one from Dell ever tried to call me.  Turns out they 
> wanted to bill me
> the $269 + $699 after all.
> 
> I called in absolutely livid, and after doing the menu/hold 
> dance for 10
> minutes, tech support transferred be to customer care - where 
> I waited on
> hold for another 10 minutes.  Customer care told me they 
> couldn't help me,
> that I needed to talk to tech support!!!  After literally half an hour
> getting transferred back and forth and waiting in queue, I 
> got a tech here
> in the States who was as puzzled as I was as to why it had not been
> repaired.  I told him I was an IT consultant, that I really needed the
> laptop fixed ASAP, and he wound up overnighting me a new 
> motherboard for
> free.  I had the laptop fixed and happy in about 4 hours that 
> evening, and
> sent the old board back.
> 
> So, after four and a half weeks of screwing with those 
> idiots, I finally had
> to fix the damned thing myself.  Never again.  Dell will not 
> get another
> penny from me or any of my clients again if I can help it.
> 
> --
> Thomas Cameron, RHCE, CNE, MCSE, MCT
> Cameron Technical Services, Inc.
> http://www.camerontech.com/
> (512) 454-3200
> 
> 
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