Dell Computer

I don’t MIND having a problem– as long as we can work it out. With Dell, NO problems are minor and it’s VERY hard to solve them.
If you buy a Dell product and have a problem (and you will) you will have to get online for HOURS with technicians from India who do not ask good disgnostic questions, don’t listen to your answers, and respond with comments or questions that don’t make sense. They repeat the same things over and over (I am sorry for your problem, ma’am, please hold one moment) and NEVER actually get down to business and solve a problem.
The company has created a barrier-​layer of protection between themselves and customers. Even if you call the local phone number in Texas, you can’t reach anyone unless you have a (secret) inside extension for that person.
All the techs are in India. If you ask a technician on the phone to transfer you to a manager, they will tell you repeatedly that they can not. If you do reach a manager (or anyone else) they will ask you the same questions that go no where again, and again.
I think this company is interested in wearing people down on their technical and service issues. They make it impossible to have straight forward solutions to problems. But then Dell offers «great» pricing for us to sign up for the same mess again.
If you HAVE to call tech support, get the names and operator numbers of everyone you speak to BEFORE you speak to them. This is the only chance you have of having your call taken seriously. Otherwise, when the techs get frustrated, they just hang up on you.
Oh, and even if you record everyones name, operator number and conversation, don’t count on getting your issues resolved. My laptop has been to the repair depot repeatedly and they DIDN’T fix the issues we discussed.
Also note: the standard message from the repair depot seems to be «your warranty doesn’t cover that» and they need to collect money for the repairs. If you argue with them long enough, they will admit that the warrantly you have DOES cover all the repairs. Just be ready to argue. And perhaps get the laptop back without needed repairs.
Then you get to start again.. .
Charming.

Shooby Doo Wop Doo Wop, I wanna Love you, Shooby Doo Wop my Computer Love
I love my computer!
Solid computers, Solid customer service, Solid website, Solid overall!
The pricing for some accessories is not as cheap as other vendors. Some of the components may be difficult to upgrade yourself but I am able to add more memory or change the rom drives. You can increase the memory, hard drive space and other items by having Dell do it for you though it may be more expensive.
Shipping is not cheap but very reliable. I find I am able to get a deal as good as some companies get by searching their website.
Strong, fast, agile, smart
Loved you from the very start
Just get in my kart

I hate Dell.
I hate the «customer service» (in quotes because they really don’t get the concept at Dell, therefore using it as a term in this review seems silly).
I hate the silly hidden charges — the «gotchas» — that come with buying their equipment and service plans.
I hate the difficulty that comes with trying to reach live human beings at Dell.
I hate the product «quality» (again, the quotes, due to the lost concept of product quality at Dell).
I hate the way they treat local employees who built this company from day one and then laid them all off to send their jobs for half the pay «over there».
I hate the snarky IT helpdesk people who actually ARE in America.
I’m sure I can think of more things I hate about Dell, but this pretty much touches on the main issues.

I’ve worked in customer service 4+ years, which is one reason I love singing praises about the excellent service I receive at different companies & eateries. However, I felt compelled to share the worst customer service I’ve experienced in my life & vent about the 3+ hours of my life I will never get back. .
Last December, I bought the My Tech Team warranty to get help with my Toshiba laptop since I’m not a techie; however, I do know that the motherboard shouldn’t rattle when you pick up the laptop. The certified technician, who was supposed to help me with this problem, kept trying to pressure me into a confession about how I dropped my laptop or spilled beer on it. FYI I don’t even drink!
When my laptop arrived the motherboard was still rattling & a few months later my mouse refused to work. I used another credit on my warranty in order to fix my mouse & repair the motherboard that was missing pieces & not installed properly according to one of the Super Geeks at Best Buy.
My laptop returned from repair this week & I wasn’t surprised when my mouse still didn’t work. Yesterday I called to cancel my warranty & get a full refund because of DELL’s horrible repair service. I spent 3+ hours of my life talking to 23 different employees working in the following departments: Customer Care, Technical Support, and Warranty & My Tech Team. None of DELL’s employees knew who could cancel & refund my warranty, it was a game of ping pong when they transferred my call from one department to another.
I asked to speak to 3 employees’ managers & each time my call was «mysteriously» dropped. After the 15^th employee I explained my story to, my usual friendly personality disappeared & I hope the last employee heard the sarcasm in my voice when I said, «CONGRATULATIONS! You’re the 23^rd person I’ve talked to in 3+ hours!»
The intention of my post is to inform DELL that their customer service is horrible. I still don’t understand how 23 employees working within the same company can’t answer this simple question, «Which department handles the cancellation of a warranty & issues a refund?»
PS– Whenever my laptop dies, I’m no longer a die-​hard PC; I’m switching teams & investing in a MAC.

Worst computer buying experience of my life. Terrible support. They had to send me 3 units before one worked properly. 6 weeks late on delivery.
I really liked my old Dell unit and support. This company has taken huge steps downhill. I will never buy anything from them again. Now my 3^rd replacement unit will not play certain youtube clips and Dell wants to charge me for tech support. I informed Dell that most if not all the world can watch Youtube clips except me and my Dell Studio 14. They really don’t seem to care.

*** Cmon Dell, you’ve disappointed me in just 1 year? ***
I read my 5-​star review of just over a year ago and I cringe.
I cringe now b/​c I realize how Dell can offer such low pricing:
HIDDEN COSTS
Almost exactly after 1 year (warranty period), my laptop battery
began to fade; it rapidly began to lose its ability to hold a charge.
Now with a full charge, I am lucky to operate my laptop for 30mins
before it needs to be plugged into an electrical outlet. 30 mins!?!
There’s even a message that appears «Need to replace battery».
That’s laughable. Primary battery costs about $ 150 nowadays!
So Dell, what did you do … cut corners to save costs by buying
low quality batteries a year ago on new laptops? Batteries do
die over time, but I must say, I have never had to buy one after
just one lousy year! You have failed me, Dell. You failed me.
*** $ 150 is about 25% of the original laptop’s cost. (urg) ***

Purchased the XPS 430 a couple years ago. Less than 1 year after, a VERY horrible thing occurred.
I turned on the computer and instantly, the Blue Screen Of Death came up. I tried for hours to revive the machine, beofre finally calling Dell. We ran some tests and they broke the news: Your hard drive died.
Pictures, an almost finished novel, and work stuff were on the drive, all lost. Dell said they would replace the drive but NOT pay to get the data pulled from the old hard drive because it was not their hardware.
There was no way around it. I needed that data back. I spent $ 2000 for a company in California to pull everything off of it. 3 months later, I got everything back. I also purchased a external drive at that point.
I was thinking I just had a lemon of a hard drive but now there are other problems popping up, like programs just shutting down for no reason. Luckily its all backed up now on the external hard drive every minute but still, what a piece of shit system. We have Dell at work and they ALWAYS crash, every week. No wonder the IT department staff is so burned out.
Should have bought a MAC.

I have been neglecting my duty to identify BAD businesses and take them to task for it. This is causing writer’s block via mental constipation. Therefore I will devote this weekend to nailing all the bastids that deserved it but were spared for one reason or another.
My sister is a «starving actress» in NY. Previously I ordered her a desktop system from Dell. Thinking it had been a few years, I decided my sister needed a laptop for her occupational, educational and social pursuits. I call Dell after picking a laptop and the first thing that happens is they try to upsell you. GO TO COSTCO. DO NOT BUY FROM DELL. ‘Cuz here’s what happened next. When I receive the invoice, there’s an additional charge for a memory stick with a copy of «Tranformer’s II» on it. I call them up and say I didn’t order that and they tell me it’s free but I tell them I don’t want it anyway. Lo and behold a few weeks later I get a invoice/​bill for «free» memory stick. I call Dell and I email Dell a complaint and get absolutely no response at all.
Dell will put things in your order then ignore your inquiries about why that was included and why you are getting invoiced for it. They are counting on Attention Deficit Diseased Americans to not have the wherewithall to spend hours trying to track them down to reverse something that wasn’t ordered. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dell notes that a laptop is being sent as a gift so you likely will not request the gift recipient to return the memory stick or other things that were sent along with the gift.
Ordering from Dell is a big mistake. You will be upsold BIG TIME and you will, based on my experience, have things sent along with your order that you did not order and then Dell will conveniently ignore your inquiries as to why they did that. GO TO COSTCO or anywhere else but Dell.

This is a the tale of good service gone bad.
At-​home service has resuscitated my laptop twice: once with a new hard drive, and this time with new memory cards. «Technical support» phone service took quite a while, perhaps 45 minutes, to talk me through a series of diagnostic tests before actually agreeing to arrange at-​home service. Since my warranty is nearing expiration, I thought it was fine to give me a menu of options and prices to extend service. The laptop was repaired within a few days, and I’d give a good review of the local tech who responded. After missing several calls from Dell to check in on my service, I placed a call to let them know that service had been completed, and that I was ready to purchase a two-​year extended warranty.
This is where the shift comes.
The Customer Service Representative said that there were special discounts he could offer, placed me on hold, and came back a few minutes later with prices that were slightly less than previously offered. He said that I should buy the three-​year warranty. I said that I understood a three-​year warranty would offer a better price per unit of service, but that I preferred the two-​year warranty. The CST then told me that I didn’t understand, and offered an additional rationale about why I should buy the three-​year warranty. Here I was, with credit card in hand, ready to purchase, with limited time and energy, and this guy simply would not honor my choice. I told him that HE didn’t understand that in two years the useful life of this laptop would be complete, at which time I would be purchasing a product from his competitor, and that our call and service relationship were OVER.

I’ve been using Dell (desktops) since 1992, and was very impressed with their speed of delivery. In Oct ’09, I placed a phone order and was scammed (bait and switch). Complained to the BBB in Austin, and the issue was resolved and I reordered the computer I originally wanted. It arrived (it was put on fast track by the Dell Rep) and works great.
In early Feb ’10, I ordered another (without speaking to a person) and it is still «in production». How long can it take to build a computer…10−20 minutes?
Whatever you do, do not call Dell to order a computer. They will send you something off the shelf that you did not order and cause a bunch of headaches.
Order off the internet and build your own and plan to wait and wait.

First off, I’m a former employee of Dell. I’ve also owned many of their systems (including a 286 made in the mid-80’s) and purchased more for friends. While there are certainly a lot of valid complaints for Dell, I tend to believe most of them are unfounded.
When I worked there, it was as support for Enterprise customers, doing a very specific line of business hardware. In greater than 95% of the calls, the problem had nothing to do with the hardware, but about how it was being used. In my long history of fixing computer related issues the overwhelming majority of «technical problems» are due to lack of education or misuse of the product.
Now, this gets frustrating if you’re a person who actually has a legitimate problem-​and they certainly exist. But remember, if you are one of these people, the folks at the other end of the phone have to work with the lowest common denominator. Don’t be mad if they’re asking you to go through the motions.
To put it another way, if you buy a stove from Sears and then ruin dinner because you don’t know how to cook-don’t go to Sears and complain. For that matter, don’t go to Kenmore either. Do go to them if something is legitimately broken.
All that being said, the times I’ve bought from Dell have been good experiences. I know what I’m getting (because when I pay for no support, no warranty and get the cheapest price available, I know what to expect) and it frequently exceeds my expectations.

Here are the details. I woke up this morning, had breakfast, showered and then decided to check the computer for the usual suspects (email, complaints from my car club, Boston sports team scores, DOH!).
I turned the computer on and during boot, it froze. Wouldn’t let me into ANY of the bios settings. I pride myself on not needing the support people, cause I’m «in the business». Yeah, couldn’t fix this one.
Fired up the laptop (cause everyone has a backup computer or 3, right… ok, 2 work laptops, and a backup desktop) and started hunting around for this issue on Dell’s support forums, remember, I should be able to fix this.
After about an hour trying different sites, and different ideas on the issue, I bit the bullet and called Dell Support, because my system has another 18 months on it’s warranty.
Took about 10 min to get to through to a person. That first person I spoke with, just took my info and the issue, and then shipped me off to the 2^nd level support person. Another 5 – 10 minutes on hold.
The tech comes online, hears the issue and then starts me through the routine. Found out things I didn’t know (unplugging the power doesn’t drain all power for at least 30 seconds) and that if you plug in a USB drive, the computer may change the boot settings to try to boot from it.
That was my issue, a quick hit into the bios (which now worked) allowed me to change the problem and as you can see this review, the computer is back up and running.
For some reason the 2^nd level tech transferred me to his «floor supervisor» who really didn’t add much… not sure what that’s about.
They were close to 5 stars here, but the double bouncing on the phone sounds like they wanted to try to sell me stuff, which I wasn’t going to buy.
Glad I was smart enough to purchase a system with a real warranty behind it. Cause there wasn’t anything about this on the support forum… at least not until I post it there later today. ;)

Adventures in Dell Hell: A Horror Story
My laptop sounds like a time bomb. No, I’m not exaggerating. For the past month, it has started making a really loud «click-​click-​click» sound that reminds me of some action movie where the hero has only minutes to defuse the bomb. Happily, my laptop likes to make the noise in the middle of class, which causes everyone sitting around me to stare and then laugh.
I have a full warranty and have been talking with tech «support» (ha) for over a month. The first call was helpful and they replaced my hard drive. Didn’t fix the noise though. The last 10 contacts have been awful. I won’t bore you with the details. Let’s just say that the last tech gal told me patronizingly, «Sometimes the fan sounds louder when the computer is hot.» Yes, that ticking-​time-​bomb sound that forces me to turn off my computer in the middle of class isn’t a problem, it’s a feature! I have resorted to videotaping the sound so when I call tech support for the 11^th time, I can prove I’m not making this up. (Did I mention their online chat support no longer works on my computer? Probably because my computer is slowly melting on the inside or something.)
Well, one good thing has come out of this. My computer is now a walking-​talking anti-​Dell advertisement to all my classmates. At least I’m saving some of them from tech hell. :)

OMG, Dell has the absolute worst crappiest customer service ever!
After one and a half months they still have not delivered my order. I’ve spent countless hours talking to phone reps and being put on hold for long periods of time. The phone reps are located in India and are a complete clusterfvck. One time a rep instructed me to call back later because their entire network was «down». Imagine that. A company that specializes in computers has a very large computer that they can’t get working properly during normal business hours?
The only way to get an American Dell employee to call you back and «pretend» they care, is to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. It’s super easy. I recommend doing this if you get no satisfaction from the 2-​cent India reps. Simply go to the BBB in Austin TX website and file a complaint (link is posted below). Dell HQ is located in Round Rock, TX. Most likely somebody from Dell HQ will call you back in a few days.
Michael Dell should be ashamed of what his company has become. It was once founded on good service, but apparently that has all gone to hell in a hand basket.
Link to Better Business Bureau:

Dell cheated me out of $ 75 and lost a customer (or many) for life. Sad, since so many of my friends work there.
Short version is that I found a really good deal by waiting until the last day of the quarter. Then it never shipped. I had a friend tell me that it was in limbo (not the technical term) and I should call. I did and they said the computer wasn’t available. They offered me a similar, but slightly superior model for the same price. OK, so it came a week late and I had no computer, but at least I got a better one.
Surprise! They charged me an extra $ 75. Multiple calls and emails got the same response. I received a better computer, so they were charging me more. I had already set it up, which as they well know requires an enormous amount of time. Returning it was not a reasonable option.
I don’t know any consumer who has had a good experience with Dell support, either.

Bill Gates=Pimp
Michael Dell=Whore
DELL XPS M1530 with Windows Vista=POS (Piece of Shit)
DELL Customer Service/​Tech Support=EGPOS (Even Greater…)
CAVEAT EMPTOR=Need I say more?

Dear Dell:
I like your products and the great pricing deals you offer, but we need to have a little chat about what you call customer service! I’ll break it down for you:
1) I should not have to call 6 times for 1 issue; getting transferred multiple times, disconnected and eventually put on hold for in excess of 1 hour — twice! This is not an isolated incident, but the norm in my experience. At least have the decency to spring for some hold music so I know I’m still connected to one of your techs.
2) Teach your reps to listen for christsakes! I understand that sometimes your reps deal with people who have the technical knowledge of a doorstop, but I am not one of them. When I go through the trouble to explain the steps I’ve taken, I don’t enjoy re-​trying or re-​explaining them for kicks!
3) Not everything can be accomplished by modifying my startup programs. Please realize when you tell me to disable all, but about 2 items you f*ck my computer up royally and never resolve the actual problem. The only reason I let it go is for the sake of my own sanity and the safety of those around me in the zone of danger.
4) Under no circumstances should you try and sell a customer seeking tech support a new machine when they’ve just explained they’ve been disconnected, hung up on and put on hold for an eternity. Seriously, you have some balls!
5) If you ask for a call back number in the event we get «disconnected» kindly use it. It would preclude me from repeating the same story 5 times in a row.
6) Fix your f-​ing chat site. Maybe if it wasn’t stuck on the idea that my warranty has expired, something we all agree is untrue, I wouldn’t have to waste my entire night thinking up how to fashion a Dell voodoo doll while I stew on hold.
Don’t get me wrong I love Nell (aka my laptop), but dealing with your «customer service» people via phone makes me want to burn my laptop in effigy!
Suck it,
Mary
PS if you want to extend an olive branch, replacing my f*cking adapter would be a start. The thought of explaining its state of brokenness yet again is raising my blood pressure.

Living in Austin and using a Sony Vaio is almost akin to driving a foreign car on the streets of Detroit. The more I look around and see what PC’s Austinites are using, there are more non Dell’s then even a few years ago. You want to use the product that supports the company town, but the price and quality are what keeps me away. I have owned two Dell’s in the past ten years, but have been happier with the with other PC’s from other manufacturers (No comments from you Apple users please, I can’t use my required software for my work with the Apple.)
I understand that Dell is working on issues like customer service/​tech support and quality in an effort to boost their brand. I hope they succeed and one day in the future I will return to Dell.

Today Sony announces a new slimmer cheaper and better PS3. I call Dell to ask about their return policy.
In the end I get stuck with the older, fatter more expensive model.
I vow to never purchase from Dell ever again.

This review is for Dell’s customer service, which really eased my concerns regarding a recent PC purchase that resulted in a faulty unit. My PC worked fine for about a week, then out of nowhere it stopped working. Unable to figure out the problem myself, I contacted Dell’s customer service via their website, and they tried to diagnose the problem right then and there after explaining the best I could the problem.
After the suggestions they gave me went for not, they opted to send me a replacement PC. I was happy they were doing something about this dilemma, but at the same time frustrated because I didn’t expect to get the replacement till early August. Sure enough my PC was already here when I walked in from work today, and is up and running. They even upgrated me from the Inspiron to the Studio.
So after panicing a little about an expensive piece of equipment malfunctioning, Dell’s customer service helped make this system exchange hassle free.