Dell complaints

techguy317

So, the video RAM on my XPS m1710 failed, leaving me with a strange green pattern on the screen during bootup, and either a complete freeze while loading windows or limited functionality if the nVidia drivers are removed.

I talked to Dell XPS support (Canada) September 15th & 16th. They processed an exchange for me, deciding it would be best to replace my m1710 with an m1730. The agent advised me it would take 7-10 business days for the system to arrive. The Dell Order Status page showed an estimated delivery date of September 25th.

It is now November 8th, over 7 weeks since the order was processed. I've contacted Dell several times, but nobody can tell me when the system will actually ship. I filed an Unresolved Issue form on the website last tuesday, but haven't heard anything back yet. The Order Status page STILL shows an estimated delivery of September 25th!

I've also emailed the Canadian Executive Support Team via an email address listed on the Better Business Bureau website. Despite an auto-reply telling my my issue would be actioned within 24-48 hours, it's been over two business days with no response. There is an actual person listed on the auto-reply as a contact point for 'emergency escalations', whatever those are. I'm thinking I'll try hitting that one if I still haven't gotten a response Monday.

Any idea what else I can do to actually get this thing shipped? I've been pretty patient, but 7 weeks is insane! I'd rather not file a Better Business Bureau complaint, but considering that I'm being ignored by the Unresolved Issues department, the Executive Support Team AND unable to get help from tech support, I don't see many other options!

Rocke_T_Sinetist · Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 5:25 pm Post subject:

The process by which Dell ignores or responds is not readily definable. From experiences posted here, two patterns emerge. One is that Dell often ignores customer problems, hoping the customer will just give up and go away.

The other is that they do respond, if belatedly, when the customer is persistent. You have used the escalation path. If you get no response from that after what you consider a reasonable time, go ahead and file the BBB complaint.

Dell has had difficulty even shipping new orders for their high-end laptops. At least 3 issues bear upon that. One is, they routinely mistreat their vendors, so if there is a shortage of LCD displays for example, the supplier will serve Dell last. Two is, Dell serves large institutional orders first, and consumer and replacement orders last. Third is, the products have become so unreliable that assembly and shipping are often shut down because NONE of them work. This is attributable to slipshod offshored engineering. Dell no longer employs engineers, they outsource that to Chinese who frankly don't know what the fxxk they're doing, nor do they seem to care as the products continue getting worse.

They've got your money, that's all they wanted in the first place. They acknowledge that they still owe you a working product under the terms of their own warranty. They will probably fulfill their obligation, when they get around to it. Meanwhile, pardon the expression, but their attitude is fxck you.

Your most decisive recourse is, when contemplating your next purchase, consider their attitude toward you and return it in kind.
_________________
Rocke T Sinetist
as in, 'it doesn't take a...'

techguy317 · Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 11:45 am Post subject:

Well, I figure that since Monday is the next business day after their 24-48 hour 'promise', I'll email the guy listed as the emergency escalation point if I haven't heard anything by monday afternoon. If he doesn't reply by tuesday afternoon, it'll be BBB time.

Strangely enough, I was playing around with the BBB complain system last night...and even though Dell Canada is headquartered in North York Ontario, and even though the Kichner BBB office is listed as handling them, attempting to process a complaint routes you through the Texas Bureau and starts a complaint for Dell Inc. On the other hand, that BBB complain form flat out asks if you're in the military or work for DND, so maybe that will work in my favour a bit? (If things go that far.)

Rocke_T_Sinetist · Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 1:18 pm Post subject:

Dell is much more responsive to customers connected with large institutions. That's where 85% of their income originates. While they will readily blow off individuals, they genuinely can't afford to piss off institutional customers. So if you are associated with a Dell institutional customer, by all means put that down on the form.
_________________
Rocke T Sinetist
as in, 'it doesn't take a...'

techguy317 · Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 1:26 pm Post subject:

OK, I've now emailed the person listed as the 'Emergency escalation point' in the executive support team auto-reply email. He has until close of business tomorrow to reply or I'll file the complaint. I haven't gotten any kind of bounce-back report yet, so hopefully that means he still actually works there...

EDIT: Well, he replied really quickly, but all he said was 'There's a backorder on the LCD panel, more should be in Nov 28th'. AARRGHHH!!! Anyway, I replied back, saying yes, I see the backorder for the grey and blue LCD panels, could I pretty-please get a red one?

techguy317 · Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 12:42 pm Post subject:

So, he said he'd get a 'refresh quote' on a Crimson Red system.

Can anybody tell me what a refresh quote is???

Rocke_T_Sinetist · Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 12:55 pm Post subject:

It only brings to mind quoting a new delivery date.

I don't know if the panels come preassembled into colored plastic. If they are short on panels as they were late last year, the color won't matter. But if they have preassembled red ones, it could advance the date.
_________________
Rocke T Sinetist
as in, 'it doesn't take a...'

techguy317 · Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 1:37 pm Post subject:

I'm thinking they must have pre-assembled ones. Why else would the website list back orders for some colours but not others?

Also, there have been people posting on notebookforums and notebookreviews that changing the colour has speeded up their delivery time.

I have my fingers crossed...

techguy317 · Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 12:42 pm Post subject:

OK,

So a new order was put through for me for a red system. Things looked normal the first couple of days, now this is turning up as of this morning:

Delivery date of your product might have been changed.
This could have been prompted by the following circumstances:

* Mismatch between billing and credit card information.
* A system issue that interrupted the order entry flow

If the above occurred as a result of mismatched billing information, you will be contacted directly by one of our representatives within the next 2-3 business days.
If this does not happen, feel free to contact us at Ca_canadacs@dell.com or at 1(800)847-4096

Can't imagine it's a billing/credit card mismatch, as it's a warranty replacement system. I gave no credit card number. So I'm guessing it's a system issue? I guess I'll see if this is still showing up Monday.

Rocke_T_Sinetist · Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 2:42 pm Post subject:

Dell's error messages are about as clear as Windows'. "Your order has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down." (And you've got nothing to say about it, suckah.)
_________________
Rocke T Sinetist
as in, 'it doesn't take a...'

techguy317 · Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 5:57 pm Post subject:

Yeah, well.

I'm trying to get XPS Support to tell me what the problem is. Been on 'mute' (not hold, no hold music) for ages, but if she thinks I'm gonna hang up just to save her call time, screw her!

I guess I'll just have to email the other guy on Monday if the agent can't tell me anything.

EDIT: The agent couldn't tell me anything. What a surprise.

Aarrrghhh!!! I've been waiting since MID-SEPTEMBER for this laptop! Now, just when I FINALLY get somebody to listen to me and switch me to something that isn't back-ordered, something like THIS has to happen!

techguy317 · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 6:37 pm Post subject:

The headache continues:

One guy called me this morning with the new service tag and said the unit was built and ready to ship.

Another guy calls and leaves me with a Purolator PIN number for an order that was shipped to Ottawa.

I call back, and find out that wasn't my order. He then tells me that they just got the request for my system exchange and that it would be built and shipped this week.

Conflicting stories. Nothing new for Dell, apparently.

Rocke_T_Sinetist · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 6:48 pm Post subject:

Nothing new, indeed. But they're still talking to you, which puts you between 1/3 and 2/3 ahead of the pack waiting for resolution.
_________________
Rocke T Sinetist
as in, 'it doesn't take a...'

techguy317 · Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 5:13 pm Post subject:

Yeah. And the part of the story that didn't change was that it would be shipping this week.

Oddly enough, I'm now seriously considering purchasing a tablet PC to use in class. Lord knows it won't be from Dell. I'm eying an HP at the moment...maybe not a lot better, but I'm waiting until the next semester anyway.

techguy317 · Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 12:19 pm Post subject:

So the order for my Crimson Red was canceled. Dell gave me a service tag Monday, but XPS Support now claims that's for the old order with the Smoke Gray. I'm really wondering what the f**k is going on though, because looking up my tag under 'Product Support' shows the unit was shipped yesterday, but the order status still says 'In Production!'

ARRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THAT is IT! Dell is on my f**king list! Never again will I have ANYTHING favorable to say about them when somebody asks me what kind of laptop they should buy! I've never in my life been so completely disgusted with a company!