> > > On the other hand, at my last business I had nothing but problems with
> > > Dell and their shitty tech "support". I had the same problem others have
> > > described--needing them to send a replacement part for defective hardware
> > > and being asked to send in the entire unit so that it could be repaired
> > > there, otherwise they would want a credit card number to secure the
> > > replacement part! What kind of shit is that? Of course, this is after
> > > you have to go through all the asinine motions with their support drones
> > > that you've already done.
> >
> > Okay, let me get this straight. You bought a system without
> > onsite warranty, so when they ask you to send the entire
> > system in to be repaired (which is the usual business practice
> > I've seen from Sony and Compaq, too), you get upset? You then
>
> Well, aside from making lame assumptions about my experience, I don't know
> what incident you are referring to.
They way you described the incident implied you didn't have on-site coverage.
> We DID have onsite repair for the desktop. The hard drive was shot. It
> was dead. Since this hard drive had important data on it, and the last
> backup was a week prior, we needed to see if we could have the data
> recovered so we sent it off to a local data recovery house. In the
> meantime, we asked Dell to send out a tech with a new hard drive. But
> they wouldn't do so after we explained we'd already sent off the hard
> drive for data recovery. THEIR stupid tech support procedures were more
> important than their customer's business operations.
You did things your own way, which weren't compatible with the
rules covering on-site repairs. That's why all the policies
are laid out in advance, so you can't create your own and hold
Dell to them.
If you want special treatment, you need to negotiate this ahead
of time.
> > ask to get the replacement part sent to you as an advance
> > replacement and you don't want to give them a credit card
> > number for a deposit (which is the way most vendors handle
> > advance replacement), so you get upset at that, too? I find
>
> Bullshit. We'd been doing business with Dell for about 6 months by then
> and had several orders. If they couldn't trust us by that time then screw
> them. I've never had that kind of treatment from any other hardware
> vendor.
Six whole months! Wow, they sure had a lot of history with your
company to base this one.
> > it entirely reasonable that Dell ask for a credit card number
> > as a deposit to secure the transaction to insure you send the
> > faulty part back. Most people would just trash the bad part
> > and not bother with returning it once they got the good part
> > if there wasn't a financial incentive.
>
> So you've run a survey and have analyzed the results and have concluded
> scientifically that this is what "people" would do? Or you're just trying
> to defend Dell for the sake of nothing else to stick up for today and are
> coming up with these silly arguments?
You are the one with silly arguments. You expect a company to bend
over and kiss your ass just because you've been dealing with them
for six months?
I don't need to run a survey. I'm basing this on what I've seen
and what other people have described to me.
> > It sounds like the problem is in not understanding the warranty
> > and the difference between on-site and mail-in repair coverage.
> > I paid extra for the on-site coverage so I don't have to worry
> > about mailing my system in or providing a credit card number as
> > a deposit on an advance replacement.
>
> It sounds like someone would rather argue for the sake of arguing. I
> won't doubt you had a good experience. I, on the other hand, and many
> other people (a not insignificant number), have had terrible experiences
> with them and that makes the company suspect on a broad level. If you
> want to be Dell's cheerleader then go ahead and don the mini-skirt and
> pompoms for them. Rah rah sis boom bah.
No, I'm not Dell's cheerleader, but I am offering alternate opinions.
>From what you've described above, it sounds like your problems with
Dell are due to your attitude.
And since you brought up surveys, did you run one to find a not
insignificant number of people with problems, or are you arguing
just for the sake of arguing.
--
Eric Dittman
dittman_at_dittman.net
Check out the DEC Enthusiasts Club at http://www.dittman.net/
Received on Thu Jan 10 2002 - 12:19:39 GMT