Tom,
I've often found this to be the case anymore with some of the major 
corporations. mine was not unpleasent though when it came to a broken 
motherboard under warrantee from the company in taiwan (BTC). they were 
clearly more concerned with customer satisfaction than others I have dealt 
with.

perhaps, you should submit a bill to DELL for your time spent on the phone, 
plus the frustration and false billing. also, submit a BBB report on the 
matter (always helps to have a paper trail)..

I was, until recently, a customer of BofA. I had the most unpleasent 
expereince of talking to one of their CSR's (and you can guess it, he was in 
idia!). my account got some fubared that I pulled up stakes and moved to 
desert schools FCU (that was 7 years ago). I've been happy there ever since.

The move of CSR's to india is not a new one. however, I dare say, I am 
reluctant to give personal info over the phone to someone on the far since of 
a 12,000 mile telcom circuit.


Mage

On Sunday 19 October 2003 03:26 pm, Thomas Cameron wrote:
> I was a HUGE Dell fan from probably '91 or '92 until the last few weeks.  I
> currently have an Inspiron 5100.  I will *never* buy another Dell again.
> Let me make this clear - I would sooner eat worms than spend another penny
> on anything from Dell.  Dell has gone to the dogs.
>
> The built-in Ethernet controller broke - the weak plastic retainer that
> holds the RJ-45 plug in place sheared off and the cable wouldn't seat.  I
> called Dell support, spent 10 minutes getting through the menu and then on
> hold, and got someone in India who obviously had not done well in English
> class.  It took over 5 minutes for her to just get my name entered
> correctly.  Then - and I am not kidding here, folks - when she asked me
> what OS I was running, SHE ASKED ME TO SPELL WINDOWS!  I just hung up and
> called back in.
>
> Again 10 or more minutes to wade through the menus and then wait in the
> queue.  The next support tech I got was again in India and hard to
> understand, and he told me that in order to replace a broken integrated
> Ethernet controller, I would have to pay for it because it was "accidental
> damage."  Just to ship it to them for diagnostics it would be $269.00, and
> if the motherboard needed to be replaced (which I knew it would) it would
> be an additional $699!  Heck, the same model was on Dell Factory Outlet for
> that much!  I tried to explain that the unit had not been abused or
> damaged, but I am a consultant who plugs into different networks 2-3 times
> a day or more, but he wouldn't budge.  I wound up hanging up, figuring I'd
> just use a PCMCIA Ethernet card.
>
> Then I got mad and called back in.  10 more minutes getting my information
> entered and waiting in queue.  I got a tech here in the States, explained
> my problem, and he said "no sweat, I'll ship a box to you to send in for
> warranty work."  I was stunned, and I specifically said "How much is this
> going to cost me?"  He said it was under warranty, so nothing at all.
>
> I called several times over the next FOUR WEEKS checking status - each time
> wasting 10-15 minutes on hold.  All I got was that repairs were "in
> progress."  I finally got the laptop back with photocopied letter stuck in
> it saying the laptop had been on "billing hold," and that they had "made
> several attempts to reach me," and they were returning the laptop
> unrepaired!  That was total bull - I had called them two to three times a
> week and they never said anything about it being on hold.  They also
> confirmed my freaking phone number every time I called in checking status.
> No one from Dell ever tried to call me.  Turns out they wanted to bill me
> the $269 + $699 after all.
>
> I called in absolutely livid, and after doing the menu/hold dance for 10
> minutes, tech support transferred be to customer care - where I waited on
> hold for another 10 minutes.  Customer care told me they couldn't help me,
> that I needed to talk to tech support!!!  After literally half an hour
> getting transferred back and forth and waiting in queue, I got a tech here
> in the States who was as puzzled as I was as to why it had not been
> repaired.  I told him I was an IT consultant, that I really needed the
> laptop fixed ASAP, and he wound up overnighting me a new motherboard for
> free.  I had the laptop fixed and happy in about 4 hours that evening, and
> sent the old board back.
>
> So, after four and a half weeks of screwing with those idiots, I finally
> had to fix the damned thing myself.  Never again.  Dell will not get
> another penny from me or any of my clients again if I can help it.
>
> --
> Thomas Cameron, RHCE, CNE, MCSE, MCT
> Cameron Technical Services, Inc.
> http://www.camerontech.com/
> (512) 454-3200
>
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