Vayn

I posted this on the Dell forums and told Dell I'd post this here and at my former guild's website so I'm just making good. Sorry for the long read (if anyone bothers), but here it is in all it's tedium:

First, I apologize if this isn't the appropriate venue for this, but I'm at the end of my rope here.

In late June I ordered an XPS 720. It arrive about 12 days later (I could check the date, but that's a generous estimate). From the first day I had the computer I had problems with random rebooting. I went to tech chat and was told to run the nv4 loop fix. Did it. Didn't help. I went back to online chat and was told to reset to Factory defaults. Then I was told to run some diagnostics. I did and the vid card failed. Okay, fine. It will just be hours of reinstalling game/patching. They sent a tech to replace the video card the next day at my home. Great! It had taken a few hours of my time but, hey, things happen.

The tech left and I happily logged into AoC to play with some friends. Reboot. hrmm. No blue screen. Reboot again... etc. I called tech support again and went through a variety of diagnostics. It all tested clean. I was told to do a factory restore. Fine. Did that and lost all my data (again) and... reboot reboot reboot. (by the way, this may not be a totally accurate timeline as I've actually spent over 20 hours of my time on the phone and chat with tech support and it's a bit of a blur now).

Then I called and was told to wipe the hard drive and reinstall the operating system. /sigh. Fine. I spent a couple hours with a nice gentleman from Dell in the Phillipines while we did a complete (not fast -- I'm getting smarter!) reinstall of the operating system. After it finished he dialed into my system to finish the install and the computer immediately restarted on him. He escalated my case and they sent a tech out to replace the mb and ps. Now, mind you -- I may be a gamer but I'm also a 44 yr old female and I now had to haul this 80 lb tower to work so the tech could do this because my boss was out of town and I couldn't leave the office unattended.

The tech came to my office (rather disruptive, but okay) and replaced the mb and ps. He left the system up and left. Not 20 minutes had passed when I saw that the system was in a rebooting loop. Just desktop, reboot, desktop, reboot (repeat).

So now I call Dell and (for about the 10th time) tell them I need a new system. After an hour or so I get to a manager who tells me to do more diagnostics. Oh! And in the middle of this story somewhere is a tech who told me to get rid of my striped array (wrong) and also a tech who instructed me to open the case (wrong again - I know the warranty). Anyway, this manager tells me to open the drive bays and put in the diagnostics disk. Can't. They won't open. And, because of the instruction to wipe the hard drive there are no diagnostics there, either.

Did I mention I called for a refund/return and was told it was outside of the 21 day return policy? I hadn't actually had it for 21 days, mind you. But I was informed their policy was to go by the invoice date. How convenient. I asked what would happen if it took 21 days to receive it and was told, "well, then you would call us and we'd change it". I said, "I'm calling you now!" and she replied, "yes, but it's more than 21 days now".

Anyway, the manager tells me he's going to authorize a replacement computer be sent. Okay, fine. Once again I'm optimistic. Then 2 days later I look at the "my order" status and see they're sending me a refurbished computer with the wrong OS. I call the manager again and he tells me he's sure that's not the case but he'll get back to me within 24 hours and let me know. I wait 24 hours... no word. I call again and get somebody else who doesn't know the status. I give up.

The next day he calls me and apologizes for not getting back to me in 24 hours because he was sick. Okay, cool. He tells me that they don't make XPS 720 anymore and that's why they were sending a refurbished one. Not cool. He then tells me they'll send me an XPS 730 and apologizes that it doesn't come with the OS I prefer. Still cool... I can always change it from Vista if it's too unstable for gaming. Yay minor upgrade! Thanks!

I did Dell financing, btw, so I've been paying $200 a month for nothing for a couple months now. And that game I bought the system for? Most of my guild has quit by now. :\

So, my new system has shipped. Yay!! Finally. And it's being sent by DHL to my home in Redding CA. Waitaminute... DHL closed it's branch here. Well, I'm sure Dell knows that. They fedex'd the defective system. But I wait and I track and I track and it's still on DHL. I call DHL and they tell me it will be delivered on the 13th. Okay. I leave a note on the tracking slip to just leave it on my doorstep. 13th comes and nothing. 14th business day goes by and nothing. I call DHL and they tell me my computer is in their San Francisco warehouse because Dell (who supposedly knew they don't deliver to my area) told them to hand it off to the US Postal Service. The US Postal Service has a 70 lb limit. The tower is just shy of 80 lbs. So today my computer went to the postal service and back to the DHL warehouse in SF.

In the meantime I'm getting mail from Dell reminding me that I only have 10 days to return the old system or they'll charge me for both. And with that mail is a waybill to return the old system in the replacement system's box. Guess who the waybill's for? yep - DHL. Who doesn't service my area.

This has been the worst customer service experience of my life. I'm a nice person. I am a service person. I get good service wherever I go because I treat people nicely unless they're completely out of line (er, that would refer to the tech who told me to get rid of the striped array on a gaming computer - wasn't too nice there).

I sent an online message to the returns department telling them I can't return the computer via DHL. I have no idea when my replacement will be arriving. I'm out money, time, stress, bruises from trying to get that GD tower in and out of my home... Gee, thanks for the upgrade (that's in a warehouse in SF). How about a nice widescreen monitor? Did I mention I've been paying for 2 months (3rd's due!) for something that was defective from day 1?

(signature removed)

Lyxson

Wow, sucky computer nightmare. I've had problems with computers, but nothing like this... Hope you get it all worked out.

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Vayn

And this from a "non Dell employee"
Login - Dell Community Forum
1.) This is a user to user forum, not a place to get official Dell responses. Sometimes a moderator will jump in, but there is no guarantee. I certainly would not expect a Dell employee response with hours of your first post.

2.) You post title violates the forum's Terms of Service, so the thread may be deleted.

3.) Expecting consumers to reinstall the OS is within the law. Dell's warranty does not even cover software, nor does any major computer maker I am aware of. Consumers doing OS reinstalls is NOT what the New York suit is about.

4.) I don't envy your situation, but hopefully when the new machine comes, you'll be happy about things. Since the new machine is already on the way, I am not sure what else they can / will do for you.
• hrova
• Gold
• Posts: 2467
• Registered: 11-15-2003

My reply:

1) I don't expect a Dell representative to respond to me in any sort of timely manner. It's never happened before and, since I don't see any pigs flying, it's unlikely to happen anytime soon.

2) I would be shocked if this thread wasn't deleted due to my heinious HE double toothpicks title. That is why I posted this conversation on several other EQ2 message boards as well as those devoted to newer game titles. Dell Heckarooni just doesn't have a ring to it.

3) Dell warranties the hardware 100% but not the software. I'm aware of this. That is why I performed, at their instruction, 2 factory resets and a full OS reinstall, the last of which resulted in a system that was completely non-functioning.

4) I appreciate your sympathy. Did you read the part where I said I've been paying for a $2k door stop for 2 months? Did you read the part where my replacement computer hasn't arrived and is stuck in a warehouse 300 miles away? Did you read the part where I have had to haul this 80 lb door stop to work to have service done on it and back into my home? Did you read the part where Dell is threatening to charge me for 2 systems if I don't return the defective one in 10 days via a carrier that doesn't operate in my area?

I do think they can do more for me. I've never asked for "more" in my life from any company but this has been the most incredibly bad customer service experience in my life. I've had it. Give me the best dang monitor you've got, Dell. There! I'm standing up for myself after countless hours of dealing with some nice/ some incompetant staff.

serum321

Bummer.

I've always had fairly decent customer service with dell, much more than expected, and certainly more than I would have gotten from anyone else.

drychnath

"dude, you're gettin the shaft"

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EQ2: Avenger Drychnath Malcherion -AB

Everything is on a great scale upon this continent, the rivers are immense, the climate violent in heat and cold, the prospects magnificent, the thunder and lightning tremendous, the disorders incident to the country make every constitution tremble. Our own blunders here, our misconduct, our losses, our disgraces, our ruin Are On a Great Scale.
-Lord Carlisle

sloppy

why would anyone buy a dell?

Laalon

Cuz they're good PC's with pretty good customer service....usually.

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Yurtin

Build your own FTW!

We had a similar thing happen with Dell for work PCs at one of the software developers I worked for. The ten quad core xeons we ordered showed up about fourty days later and were not what we ordered. Right before we shipped the title Dell got all the correct PCs to us...

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sloppy

with about 100%-200% price markup of the acctual parts cost just for the super special Dell logo on the front of the case!