Dell Computers Ripoff, Poor Customer Service, Defective Product Colorado Springs Colorado

On Monday, May 16, 2005 I picked up my Dell computer from the UPS facility at 8:15pm, took it to the house and set it up. When I turned it on it said it had a hard drive failure. I immediately called Dell where I set on hold over 20 minutes.

I spoke with a technical representative that assured me she was going to fix the problem. She had me do some troubleshooting. She then had me take the side cover of the computer case and told me to look for some cables going to the hard drive. I advised her the ones that she had described are connected.

I advised her that I was extremely frustrated about my computer not working and another cable that she was saying to plug in didn't fit the connectors and I adv her that I wasn't going to force anything for fear that something would get broke.

When she realized that she couldn't fix my problem, she said she had a supervisor waiting to speak to me. A man then cam on the line said his name was Reggie (ID # 464627). I asked him if he was a Supervisor and he said he was a Manager.

I explained to Reggie that I had saved for a long time to be able to afford the Dell computer for my girlfriend because her computer was poor and always locking up, so I bought this as a surprise for her and it doesn't even work.

Reggie assured me that he would fix my problem as well. I told him that I rushed home to catch UPS open to pick my Dell Computer up before they closed so I could start setting it up for my girlfriend and finish the set-up on Tuesday (5/17/05) before she got off work as Tuesday is the only time I have to get the set-up done because I work 10 hours a day.

Reggie determined that it was a bad hard drive after he had me perform a test with the computer. He said that he would have to ship a hard drive to me but it would be a few days because everything has to be factory installed on it.

I told Reggie that I didn't care if everything was factory installed, as long as I could put an operating system on it I didn't care if everything was installed, I can install the OS and everything else I need.

I then told Reggie that I had always talked Dell up and had in the past purchased a $2500.00 Dell lap top that I really liked, but I couldn't believe that a company with Dell's reputation has made such mistakes and then reassure me they will fix something when they couldn't as well as ship me failed hard drive and then make me wait for a hard drive.

I explained to Reggie that I was very disappointed with Dell for doing this and then not having a solution that would take care of the matter to my satisfaction. I asked him if he could make it right and send me an 80 GB hard drive to upgrade the 40 GB hard drive I ordered to help ease the situation.

Reggie said he is just technical support and cannot do that. I told him that I am so unhappy about this whole matter and the dealings with Dell that he can send someone like FedEx out tomorrow to pick up the computer if this is the way Dell is going to handle my issue.

I then asked Reggie why he couldn't just send me a new computer overnight by 10am FedEx and I would have the failed hard drive computer boxed up and FedEx can pick it up when they deliver a new computer that will work.

Reggie told me to hold on then I didn't hear anything for a few minutes. I had to ask if he was still there, he said he was and told me to hold on again. He then came back on the line and told me that he has requested an overnight shipment for me. I asked him if it was a new computer and he said no, he has sent me a hard drive.

I then was confused because of him not telling me what he had done before he said he had done it. I asked him if it was going to be overnight by 10am and he said that he would make it priority.

I had to ask him the details (he didn't offer to tell me how that all worked and my part in what I would need to do). After I asked, he told me that he was sending the hard drive to the technician and the technician would contact my on Tuesday (5/17/05) to set up a time on Tuesday when the new hard drive he has sent can be installed.

Reggie then gave me a case # (101551837) and a Dispatch # (058071705) and a telephone # (866-401-3640). I asked Reggie if I was supposed to call the telephone # and speak with the technician and he said I should call the #, to make sure to set the time on Tuesday that the technician can install my new hard drive.

On Tuesday, May 17, 2005 I called the telephone # that Reggie gave me and spoke to a very unfriendly representative that told me Dell hasn't shipped the hard drive out yet and the earliest that it looks like a technician can come by is on Wednesday.

Of course I was immediately upset but remained calm and told the lady that I wished to complain about this because Manager, Reggie assured me that the hard drive would arrive on Tuesday and I told her that I wanted to complain about this matter. She came at me in a very unfriendly tone and stated, We ain't Dell.

After I spoke to her, I called Dell immediately to speak to Customer Care on the matter and was told by the recording that the hold time shouldn't be over 10 minutes and I was on hold for 1 hr and 34 minutes and I wasn't going to hold any longer and should never have been on hold that long at all (I have the phone bill details to prove it).


NOTE: I had problems with Dell from the beginning on ordering a computer. I had ordered a Dell computer then due to not thinking I had the money to get it yet, I tried to cancel the order a day or two after I placed the order.

I tried to call Dell only to find out I couldn't speak with anyone live, so I got online to try and cancel the order on Dell's web site, but couldn't, so I attempted to use the Live chat for a Representative and after several attempts of that not working, I pulled up the confirmation of my order email I received from Dell and sent a request to cancel my order immediately with a complaint letter about the process I had to go through to get my order canceled (this process took me around 1 hour to get my order canceled).

This should not have happened. I should have been able to cancel my order over the automated system or easily through the Dell web site with out all the inconvenience, confusion and frustration.

NOTE: Ever time I call Dell, I am told by the automated system that my hold time my be up to 10 minutes. This has never been the case, as I have never had a Dell Representative answer the phone in less then 20 minutes and on Tuesday May 17, 2005 I was on hold for 1 hr and 34 minutes and I wasn't going to hold any longer and should never have been on hold that long at all (I have the phone bill details to prove it).

(I have to tell you this alone makes your Customer Service extremely poor and a far cry from professional or word class.). Maybe the CEO or the owners of Dell should try to call Dell to speak to a Representative and take a real hard look as to why it takes so long for Representative. See my issues, that is why! Also all the escalated calls that Dell is taking over poor products and poor Customer Service is tying up the Dell phone lines.

(Dell you need to get this under control, because long hold times cause escalated calls when the call wouldn't have otherwise been escalated). NOTE: I wasn't even sent the correct invoice, I was sent an invoice which described another computer with someone else's name on it.

Tony
Colorado Springs, Colorado
U.S.A.

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