Before buying a Dell computer, read this...

credit card company and challenge the charge. They will take balance back until it's resolved. No biggy. I ordered a Dell from them and have talked to their support people on a couple of occasions and have always been satisfied. I guess it just depends who you talk to. Sorry you had the trouble.

and life goes on...

Jack

Sorry to hear your experience was not a good one, however. I, on the other hand, had a very good experience. Of course it took 4 or 5 calls to different departments, but once I reached the correct department I received excellent service. They followed up via e-mails and phone calls and promptly refunded ALL of my money. They even paid to have the PC shipped back. Didn't cost me a dime.

Good luck with that.

I bought a Dell in 2003 and had a Dell before that. I ordered them online and never spoke to a Dell person. After nine years of owning a Dell I still haven't spoken to a Dell person. Never had a problem. My computer has always worked,never a blue screen yet and it all just works. I have also never had to do a reinstall. My computer was always delivered BEFORE it was promised.

I just wish some of the other stuff I have were as reliable as my Dell, such as my stereo (Sony) my car,my air conditioning etc.

If all my other stuff were as reliable as my computer I would be one happy camper.

I feel for you man, I really do. You should never buy anything from Dell only because they provide garbage service. They are overrated and make the most crapiest systems ever. That is why I buy products from Alienware, only because they provide true service and customer support. I even have a small time job there (advertising, at least I get free stuff). At least we all know not to get stuff from Dell, overrated and they just want your money.

vacation?

I have a Dell Laptop and now just recived 3 more desktops, which are all performing perfectly... Sorry for your troubles. Though if I was getting one of those XPSs' I would wait to the end of the world for it.. . Have fun with it.

sells more PCs than anyone else, and therefore is likely to have a problem fall through the cracks now and then. You sure had your share of prioblems with them.

I too had problems with my new Dell PC, but Dell bent over backwards to help me. I live a few miles from one of their assembly and shipping points, and our company has an employee purchase plan with Dell, so I placed an order over their web site for a custom designed system. A bright and shiny new PC desktop, printer, and flat panel monitor was at my house in two days, but regretfully the motherboard was fried. After spending a couple hours on the phone with the Dell reps, running multiple tests on the PC and actually disassembling most of it, they agreed that the motherboard was fried. Within four days, Dell had a tech rep at my house with a new motherboard. He replaced the board, reassembled the unit, and tested it. It has been fine since. Later I also had a bit of a problem with a software conflict, but again the Dell telephone support was great and helped me work it out.

In short, I had the beginning of a nightmare story like yours, but Dell came through for me. When it comes time to upgrade, I'll be going back to Dell.

I got some memory from Dell, as they (a guy in India)looked it up and recommended it. They couldn't get it right. I got transferred all over the world, and they're all telling me a different story. I don't need to bore everyone with the details, but it was one of the most incredible runarounds I've ever experienced. I returned their wrong part and ordered from zipzoomfly.com and got it right the first time. My brother is constantly telling me about his nightmares with Dell.

Having ordered at least a dozen Dell computers over the past ten years (for myself and others), I have never once had any problems with their shipping department. On the other hand, after reading your post, you seem to think that they are the problem in this case when if fact it is you who messed up. Let me explain.

You ordered a computer two weeks before leaving on vacation. Not smart. The shipping window is clearly stated and that usually falls smack dab in the 2-3 week time frame (in other words the week you were going to be gone). You could have arranged it with Fedex to have it delivered without a signature, had it delivered to your place of employment, or had it delivered to a friend's or relative's house.

You say you received an email on the 15th that it would be delivered in 3-5 days and you assumed it would be there by the 21st. That's 3-5 BUSINESS days my friend. The 17th and 18th were a weekend. The 21st and 22nd fall within the 3-5 day delivery period. Also, calling the day before you leave for vacation and stopping a shipment that was probably in a truck in the middle of who knows where is laughable. What do you think could be done at this point? The computer has shipped and you aren't going to be there to take delivery - end of story. The semi driver hauling your computer across the country isn't going to give a damn if you aren't going to be home for delivery - that's your screwup. Sorry, but it's people like you who make it a pain in the *** for the working people of this world who have to deal with your lack of planning and attention to detail, and when things don't fall into place you post a message like this. What is a customer support person at Dell going to do for you when the computer has already shipped, is on a truck somewhere, and you aren't going to be there during the 3-5 day delivery window? Try the novel concept of taking responsibility for your mistake, not Dells. They built and shipped your computer according to schedule and you call the day before you leave on vacation to hault the delivery? Give me a ****ing break!

As far as your refund situation is concerned, I've never had any experience with that but it does sound like Dell is taking too long to refund your account.

Your last line of "Dell truly sucks" is revealing. Blame someone else for your lack of planning and attention to detail. You aren't from New Orleans by any chance?

numbers game.

http://news.com.com/Dell+earnings+gets+dinged+by+PC+problems/2100-1003-5945015.html?part=dht&tag=ntop&tag=nl.e703#talkback

JDM

Well I finally received a reply to the letter I wrote to the VP of Customer Support at Dell HQ in Round Rock TX. The reply was an email from one of Dell's Customer Support Managers from the ''Customer Experience Team''. In the short email, the manager simply apologizes for my experience and she states that what I experienced was not indicative of Dell service. I also recieved my last refund installment.

I still think Dell missed the mark. At the end of the day when it comes to spending my hard earned after-tax dollars to buy a computer, will I consider a Dell product? No. Will this effect Dell, probably not. But if you have hundreds of folks like me...

I've worked in both sale and customer service in the past and the number one rule is, lost customers is lost sales is lost revenues. Obviously no one told Dell that.

Good luck to all and thanks for your comments.
Chafe99

I also had the same issue with Dell. I bought a desktop this past summer. As soon as I got the computor we had problems with it. I can't tell you the countless hours spent (mainly on hold) trying to resove the problem. Dell has no customer support. I gave up and started calling the sales line because you will get a person. Finaly gave up and returned the computor. Went out and bought an HP because when you call their support you get someone right away.

Here's the scary part-it's now December and I still have not resolved the issue. Dell arranged the shipping for the return. I bought the computor with my Dell card and started getting calls from them that my payment was late (even though I sent a note with the first bill explaining the return). When they would call they wanted the tracking number for the return but I never had it, Fed Ex just came and picked it up. I kept explaing that Dell had arranged the return and all they needed to do was contact their return department. Well apparently they cannot do that because they are seperate divsions. I now have a collection agency calling me even though I have the return confirmation email. I was having dinner with some freinds last Saturday when the collection agency called my cell phone. I agian explained to the guy that the computor was returned, his comment " ya that's what we allways hear from deadbeats like you"

I decided it had to end. I called the sales line and explained the situation. Now this jerk was insulted that I would say bad things about Dells support and just to prove to me that they have great servise he would stay on the line until we could get someone to help. He did say that for a few minutes I would hear music while he got someone, well after about half an hour a recorded message comes on that says that I have to call later as they were now closed and the phone hangs up.

I'm giving you the short version. There where hours on hold and countless phone calls not returned. As a side note when I called Fed Ex to see if I could get the tracking number (only the shipper can get it) the woman told me I would have to call the company that arranged the shipping to get the tracking number, I metioned it was Dell and she was so sorry because she also had a bad experiance with Dell's help line. If you are going to buy Dell forget any hope of getting servise, it simply isn't there. It's to late for me but save yourself.