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Rant

Dell fixes something but not my problems -won't refund

Jan 16, 2013 10:43PM PST

Seven years ago I got my Dell Inspiron 1521 laptop with an embedded Dell/Sprint Mobile Broadband Minicard for internet connection (we live in a rural area with few options). It worked pretty well till last fall. Sprint said it was a Dell software problem. When I contacted Dell, it was difficult to get the technician to understand what my device was. Finally, he said to ship it to the Texas Repair Depot. About 3 weeks later they said they had replaced some parts and it was fixed. When I got it back - still no internet connection (nor ability to print - a secondary problem I reported). I got a new Sprint device - a USB connect stick. It didn't work. Finally, I uninstalled McAfee and voila - I had internet and printing back!

I figured that Dell owed me a refund of $179. After much discussion, they said no because they did replace two things that were faulty - some memory and the WLAN wireless network card. Now, I don't have a network nor a router - just the laptop, the connect device and a printer. But Dell insisted the WLAN card contributed to my USB connect stick working right. I'm not that computer savvy so I don't know.

It's like my car wasn't running and I brought it in for repair and they fixed a crack in the windshield but the car still didn't run. They're charging me for fixing the problems I reported to them when they did not fix them. In retrospect, I would not have sent the laptop to the Dell Repair Depot.

Discussion is locked

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Dell
Jan 16, 2013 11:07PM PST

So if the brakes on your 7 year old car fail because of lack of maintenance, the manufacturer is supposed to cover the cost? From what I read about you L/T it likely had nothing to do with Dell the culprit was likely the load of Mcafee, since after uninstallation it worked. Welcome to the real world, any computer shop, not just Dell, would have charged for their time and any components installed, after all this is/was a 7 year old system.

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Dell still seems in the wrong
Jan 17, 2013 6:06AM PST

I still think Dell misrepresented what they could do for me at the Texas Repair Depot. After exhaustive discussion on the phone, they said to send it there and they would fix it. I believed they would fix it for $179 or else refund me the money - that is what they told me on the phone. They "fixed" something else - the laptop was returned still having the same problems. Windows Help clued me in about the possible McAfee problem - no one at Dell ever mentioned the possibility. The fault I see with Dell is that they talked me into the $179 fee to send to the Depot and then they did not fulfill their verbal promise of fix or refund.

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Sounds like a good run.
Jan 17, 2013 2:49AM PST

McAfee is classic for such issues. As Dell does not own McAfee but is a maker of hardware and some software your complaint is well known.

And why some get an Apple next time because of the support.

Bob

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Thanks!
Jan 17, 2013 6:09AM PST

Obviously I'll need to replace the Dell laptop someday - probably should have done that before now. I'll be considering something other than Dell, if possible. But I'm really used to Dell, having used their products at work before retiring a couple of years ago.

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At the office, the land of Dell.
Jan 17, 2013 6:12AM PST

We have almost all Dells at the office with some other names. When it comes to phones and tablets (we are working on apps) the names are diverse but since we are a group of programmers we never call dell on a software issue. And this sounds like a software issue.

Will get more Dells. No HPs due to a loss of an in-warranty unit. Can't figure out why HP failed that one. A mystery.
Bob