Dell complaints

gabi37avsfan

The title pretty much sums it up. I need to get access to a computer I can download pictures to, in order to upload a picture of the burned wreckage, but I should be able to get that done in a week or so.

Sunday night we were sleeping and the fire alarm went off, there was smoke in my apartment and I went into the living room to discover that my laptop, closed and plugged in on the coffee table was on fire. There were 1-2 inch flames coming off of a corner of the battery pack in the back of the laptop.

Note: the battery that burned? NOT RECALLED. I had checked when they did the initial recall and when they updated the recall, and my spare battery was recalled the second time. I got a replacement for my spare and sent the spare in, but my main battery was NOT RECALLED.

Once I put it out, I called Dell. 5-7 days they told me. I called back to check on the status of my new system. Now its 7-8 days. I argue with the guy and he agrees to get it ready to be shipped by today. I called back yesterday and the window was now 7-15 days.

Their excuse was that the fact that they no longer made 700ms meant that they had to figure out what would be an equal or better substitute. Considering that if I ordered an equal or better substitute on the website in five minutes, I would have had it in 3-5 days this makes zero sense.

I have exams in less than two weeks, and I need a laptop for my exams, but I guess that's just too much to hope for. I even asked if they would give me a refund since they were incapable of getting me a laptop, but that was a no-go as well. (I sort of figured, but since they were incompetent, I thought I'd try.)

Even though my laptop CAUGHT ON FIRE.

I realize I'm preaching to the choir here, but try not to buy Dell's laptops. They catch on fire even when the battery hasn't been recalled.

Also, if your battery is one of the kind that Dell has recalled but it specifically has not been recalled, I recommend that you call Dell and say that you're afraid your laptop will also catch on fire and see if you can get a replacement. I doubt it, but its worth a shot, and it's some evidence that you tried to correct the problem if it does catch on fire.

Also, plug in your fire alarms. If we hadn't been woken up by the fire alarm, I'm assuming we would have been toast as a result of Dell's defective product.

KE7EHA · Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:56 am Post subject:

This backs up what I have been saying all along: WATCH THE DAMN BATTERY WHILE IT IS PLUGGED IN!!!

LiPoly batteries can rupture and catch fire while charging and discharging, and this is goverened by the yields in the manufacturing process. Thus, some batteries can fail, others can last forever. However, if these batteries are ever shocked too much [have you ever dropped the laptop?] the chances for failure can increase.

Come on, people. This is just common sense. You don't leave a iron on when you are not using it, or at least monitoring it. You shouldn't leave batteries that have been known to catch fire plugged in while unattended.
_________________
"The art of Engineering is knowing what you can safely ignore." -Dr. H. Hess

gabi37avsfan · Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 10:06 am Post subject:

Since all I heard about this recall was that it was an extremely low chance of catching fire, combined with the fact that my battery hadn't been recalled...I don't think that it was so unreasonable for me to do so. I'll admit I'll never do so again, I value my life.

More importantly, your iron analogy is flawed because the iron isn't "charging" it's presumably being used, or at least being used in the next several minutes after being plugged in to heat up. Additionally, an iron's entire purpose is to heat up. I thought my battery's entire purpose was to supply power to my laptop and to charge, not catch on fire.

gabi37avsfan · Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 10:49 am Post subject:

Update to the main post:

I called today and it has now become 15-21 days. Fuckers.

paul_dellcc · Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 12:05 pm Post subject:

Nooooooo

I'd sue Dell if I were you Exclamation

_________________
I see DELL people!!

If we don't remember our past, we can't understand our present and we can put in danger our future...

Short_DELL · Hates with a Vengance Joined: 15 Jan 2006 Posts: 50

Time to switch to Plan-B.

YOU DO NOT WANT TO EXCHANGE THIS LAPTOP! You want to start a blog and start posting pictures of it everywhere. You should send some analysts the pictures and the blog and offer to keep them updated if they use your information in any articles or recommendations.

Also post links to your blog at the Yahoo financial forums for Dell and HP and Gateway.

They will start chasing you to get this thing out of your possession. DO NOT GIVE IT TO THEM UNTIL THEY MAKE IT ***MORE*** THAN WORTH WHILE FOR YOU.

This is not something they want. But the problem is the whole company is organized to wear down the consumer. So you need to escalate it to get it at a level where they will do any thing to make you happy!

You should be able to get two high end laptops for your self destructing one. Especially if you agree to stop posting bad things.

But first, you need to show that you can do some harm, so start unloading every where, and get those pictures posted!

Have fun!!!

david (aka dvdpiddy) · Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 7:12 pm Post subject:

KE7EHA · Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 1:02 am Post subject:

use my 8KV flyback and see if you can get an arc [spark] froming from ball to ball

d*** that would hurt
_________________
"The art of Engineering is knowing what you can safely ignore." -Dr. H. Hess

david (aka dvdpiddy) · Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 9:27 am Post subject:

KE7EHA · Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 10:32 am Post subject:

lets see...

Assuming a 2mm separation with air in between, it would take approximately 6000 volts to breakdown the air and form what we call a spark. Now I haven't measured resistance of that portion of the body, but I will guess about 1 megohm. Solving for current: 8A.

Oh yeah, that'll cause destruction of some sensative parts Smile

_________________
"The art of Engineering is knowing what you can safely ignore." -Dr. H. Hess

david (aka dvdpiddy) · Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 4:34 pm Post subject:

gabi37avsfan · Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 6:02 pm Post subject:

So lost by the detour in conversation...

I'm a 'she' btw...anyone want to help a newbie out as to where things should be posted to try and get some action? Or at least dull the apathy from Dell? Maybe a url or two?

Thanks

david (aka dvdpiddy) · Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 7:38 pm Post subject:

gabi37avsfan · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 11:44 am Post subject:

Now with photos:

http://uchicago.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2023058&l=6a4a5&id=2907484

saximus81 · Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 5:13 pm Post subject: Bollocks! I should be careful!

Damnit - didn't know these things would actually catch fire!! Anyways - anyone having trouble with their laptop overheating should check out this innovation of mine. I'm sure I could sell it to dell for a nice sum - it may however; be a bit too advanced for them.. check it out:
http://www.ihatedell.net/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=30106#30106

Cheers!
-saximus