My Dell hell (part 1,254)
In February my Dell computer burnt itself out. I have been seeking some satisfactory solution to this ever since.
The latest episode in the saga is Dell’s offer, gratefully accepted by me, to take back their shoddy equipment and reimburse me the money I paid for it originally.
Straightforward, you might think. But no. To get my money back I must first return the goods (though what they plan to do with computer equipment which is not fit for purpose is a matter for Dell).
I agreed, against my better judgment, to accept their offer to collect this stuff between 8am and 6pm on a Friday. As there are builders at home it was not necessary for me to stay in all day.
This was just as well because the courier only turned up late in the afternoon. He refused to take the two PCs, the printer, screen, speaker, keyboards etc because they were not boxed up.
It seems Dell expects its customers to retain the boxes their equipment comes in against the day when they have to be sent back because they are shoddy.
I called them and announced the goods had not been taken away. They said they would deliver boxes on Monday and collect said boxes on Tuesday.
On Monday they rang to say the couriers could not be contacted over the weekend so the boxes wouldn’t arrive until Tuesday nor would they be collected until Wednesday.
Later on Monday the couriers turned up again to collect the equipment, took one look at their un-packed state and left empty-handed.
Later still that very same day, someone from Dell’s disembodied call centre in Bangalore called me asking me to confirm that the equipment had, indeed, now been removed once and for all and that the matter was closed.
I was unable to give her this reassurance and, indeed, may have mentioned a little tetchily that this saga seemed never-ending.
On Tuesday, three flat pieces of cardboard arrived. Unfolded, they turned into the raw materials for boxes.
I put them together and they were a bit flimsy. I put tape around them to make them sturdier. I even packed them with computer equipment.
I did this against my strong desire to tell Dell to go to hell and pack their own stuff if they want it so much.
So the Wednesday arrives and, gloriously, so does a courier. At last, it seems, I shall be rid of Dell and all its Microsoft works.
The courier takes another look at the three boxes stuffed with computer equipment and leaves empty-handed yet again.
The reason, this time, is that the boxes are apparently over-full. They are not tall enough to accommodate a PC unit.
Its top sticks out and you can’t cover it up with cardboard. Thus the boxes are not, apparently, fit for purpose.
The equipment has now been consigned to the garage where it will probably grow old and die long before a Dell operative finally gets his act together sufficiently to remove any item of their shoddy goods.
I have abandoned hope of getting my money back. I am saving up for a new computer. I have no idea what it will be. I just know it won’t be a Dell even though, alas, my lap-top is also a Dell.
The lap-top has two advantages over the PC, however.
The first is that the entire innards died on me some time ago (thank you, Dell) and I got an expert to rebuild it properly so it works well now.
The second is that it uses Windows XP. Windows Vista is definitely part of the problem not part of the solution.
The point of this blog is mainly because I was told by one of Dell's operatives that he actually reads what his customers say about the company on the internet.
If someone from Dell is reading this now, please note that when we clean out our garage in a few weeks’ time, your equipment will be thrown in a skip unless you care to collect it in the meantime.
Having done everything you asked of me in terms of providing a reception for your couriers, boxing the stuff and awaiting collection, I shall do no more.
I’d still like my money back but realise the chances of that happening are zero.
Up-date: After I wrote this Dell called asking to deliver new, more suitable boxes. That was a week ago. Nothing and nobody so far.
The latest episode in the saga is Dell’s offer, gratefully accepted by me, to take back their shoddy equipment and reimburse me the money I paid for it originally.
Straightforward, you might think. But no. To get my money back I must first return the goods (though what they plan to do with computer equipment which is not fit for purpose is a matter for Dell).
I agreed, against my better judgment, to accept their offer to collect this stuff between 8am and 6pm on a Friday. As there are builders at home it was not necessary for me to stay in all day.
This was just as well because the courier only turned up late in the afternoon. He refused to take the two PCs, the printer, screen, speaker, keyboards etc because they were not boxed up.
It seems Dell expects its customers to retain the boxes their equipment comes in against the day when they have to be sent back because they are shoddy.
I called them and announced the goods had not been taken away. They said they would deliver boxes on Monday and collect said boxes on Tuesday.
On Monday they rang to say the couriers could not be contacted over the weekend so the boxes wouldn’t arrive until Tuesday nor would they be collected until Wednesday.
Later on Monday the couriers turned up again to collect the equipment, took one look at their un-packed state and left empty-handed.
Later still that very same day, someone from Dell’s disembodied call centre in Bangalore called me asking me to confirm that the equipment had, indeed, now been removed once and for all and that the matter was closed.
I was unable to give her this reassurance and, indeed, may have mentioned a little tetchily that this saga seemed never-ending.
On Tuesday, three flat pieces of cardboard arrived. Unfolded, they turned into the raw materials for boxes.
I put them together and they were a bit flimsy. I put tape around them to make them sturdier. I even packed them with computer equipment.
I did this against my strong desire to tell Dell to go to hell and pack their own stuff if they want it so much.
So the Wednesday arrives and, gloriously, so does a courier. At last, it seems, I shall be rid of Dell and all its Microsoft works.
The courier takes another look at the three boxes stuffed with computer equipment and leaves empty-handed yet again.
The reason, this time, is that the boxes are apparently over-full. They are not tall enough to accommodate a PC unit.
Its top sticks out and you can’t cover it up with cardboard. Thus the boxes are not, apparently, fit for purpose.
The equipment has now been consigned to the garage where it will probably grow old and die long before a Dell operative finally gets his act together sufficiently to remove any item of their shoddy goods.
I have abandoned hope of getting my money back. I am saving up for a new computer. I have no idea what it will be. I just know it won’t be a Dell even though, alas, my lap-top is also a Dell.
The lap-top has two advantages over the PC, however.
The first is that the entire innards died on me some time ago (thank you, Dell) and I got an expert to rebuild it properly so it works well now.
The second is that it uses Windows XP. Windows Vista is definitely part of the problem not part of the solution.
The point of this blog is mainly because I was told by one of Dell's operatives that he actually reads what his customers say about the company on the internet.
If someone from Dell is reading this now, please note that when we clean out our garage in a few weeks’ time, your equipment will be thrown in a skip unless you care to collect it in the meantime.
Having done everything you asked of me in terms of providing a reception for your couriers, boxing the stuff and awaiting collection, I shall do no more.
I’d still like my money back but realise the chances of that happening are zero.
Up-date: After I wrote this Dell called asking to deliver new, more suitable boxes. That was a week ago. Nothing and nobody so far.
posted by nigel hastilow at 3:06 AM
4 Comments:
It must have been those full-colour political leaflets that burnt your computer out. They break folding machines too, you know :-)
I share your Dell hatred. They're marketing is excellent but God help anybody that has a technical problem. A Dell Media Projector (£1200) failed after less than 100hours use by my company. I thought it was bulb failure which was supposed to last in excess of 2000hours so I was pretty annoyed at having to spend £175 on a new bulb. However it still would not work with a new bulb. After several discussions with their customer service department (based on a distant continent) one technician admitted that there was a known hardware fault with that model! However it was just over 1 year old and out of warranty. They refused to do anything. They would not even try and repair it. They would not even refund the cost of the replacement bulb.
Are you aware that there is a website for frustrated Dell customers?
www.ihatedell.net
I registered and found comfort in knowing that I was not alone...
You will have to go over to the dark side and buy an Apple.
My last PC with Vista (not Dell, I don't think that matters) stopped working after a six months and that was that. I couldn't even be bothered to ask for my money back. Not even a clod such as I can break an Apple, they are seemingly bomb proof.
PS, get an external hard drive to put actual files on, then when your computer breaks, you can chuck it in the bin and just plug your hard drive into the new one (hence my nonchalant attitude towards changing computers).
Another interesting Dell story - but why am I not surprised!!
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