Same thing happened to a friend of mine. Dell's Customer Service is
pretty abysmal compared to a couple of years ago.
As far as the laptop, the ethernet port is still broken. She tapes her
ethernet cable to the laptop since Dell said that they would charge her
for it.
The thing is that when you get so big, it's a numbers game. I'm sure
bad publicity would fix the problem but getting the publicity would be
more work than it's monetarily worth.
thomas.cameron@camerontech.com 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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