Watch out for 'Transferring Ownership'

Be very cautious when transferring ownership of your DELL system to another name or country, it is likely that you are voiding any opportunity to get a refund or even servicing. Look what I was told as one of the many excuses as to why I couldn't get my money back:

                                     _      _       _      _       _      _        _       _        _        _

Dear Mr. C*****y,

First of all kindly  accept my apologies for the delay as I have been in touch with my team regarding your request for a refund.

As the refund involves cross geographical locations, a refund can be arranged only if this is approved by the concerned authorities.

Please find below a screen shot of the Dell terms regarding refunds when a system tag or ownership is transferred.

The above screen shot can be  accessed from the  following link for your own verification.

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/change_order/tag_transfer?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=anavml

Beware of Replacement Parts and Systems!

Well even after being given multiple replacement parts and now a replacement system, components are still failing, and Dell is still ignoring me. 

My second attempt to liberate myself from them is as follows:

Dear Michael Dell

I am so very frustrated that I have to write you again. I doubt you remember my letter from last year as I am sure you are very busy and get complaints. I have attached a copy of the last letter.

After writing that letter I was put in touch with a Corporate Rep called Saroj who would eventually end up getting me some results and a replacement system. 

This was about 6 months ago and I thought that for once Dell had done what it said it would. 

But low and behold about 4 months after having the new 1564 system, I start getting blue screens. I hoped they were one-off problems, but they kept happening. I updated all the drives, the BIOS, everything. Nothing was working. I called up customer service, not to complain but just to get the darn thing to work as it should. After a few days of running tests and wizards sent by the Dell Rep, she informed me that it was a fault with the Hard Drive and it would need to be replace. I COULDN'T Believe it!! I had only just my system back to where it was before the first issue with the 1525 and re-downloading purchased software that I didn't have discs for. I couldn't keep leaving my professional and personal digital life in the hands of an inconstant and proven-to-be faulty company, Dell 

SO! I contacted customer service for compensation. After all I have spent AT LEAST 100 hours with Dell services, tests, or technicians in the last 2 years - AND still having FAULTY components! 

I was told that I could qualify for a refund of the original system that had been collected 6 months prior. That made me somewhat satisfied since I was told over the phone that I would keep the 1564 system as well. After all, Saroj had told me that the 1564 would be a compensation unit - implying that it was more of a 'please don't sue us' gift rather than a straight transfer. 

So then Dell cant find the 1525 system they collected. So my refund was pending. I wanted to continue to get the 1564 fixed since it was BSD more frequently. 

Today I get told that I can get a refund if I also send back the 'replacement' 1564 system also.

THAT IS ABSURD! There comes a point where you screw up someone's life so much that you shouldn't be thinking about how much money you can squeeze out of them, you just need to make this issue right. 

I said I wouldn't give the 1564 back - because firstly what I paid 2 years ago cant nearly buy me the same computer that I have now, and secondly I JUST DONT TRUST DELL!!! 

They want me to give up my only working system, purchase a large enough external hard drive to back-up all my information, and then let me wait and hope that it all goes over smoothly and I get any money at all?!?!?! YEAH RIGHT!

I have had nothing but problems with Dell - I wanted a refund of the original system so that I would have enough money to buy a new one from a more reliable company, and still have something to use. I dont want to be ripped off and forgotten about after 2 years of useless Dell already. 

Below I have provided a list of all the logged problems and people that I have been passed onto. 

THIS LIST DOES NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE COUNTLESS HOURS I SPENT TRYING TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM MYSELF FIRST OR TALKING ON THE PHONE TO SOMEONE IN NEW DELHI WHO DOESN'T SPEAK A SENTENCE OF ENGLISH!

CASE NUMBERS

Service Request Reference - 8******85

Case Reference - 65*****97

Dell Case Number - 64*****44

Incident number - 23****18

Incident ID - 2******9

Incident ID - 233****7

DELL REPRESENTATIVES

Ellen Layug

Saroj Lanong

Aditi_141051

Prabhleen_105605

Satya_188812

Sourabh_188841

Rohit_126143

Vishal_183204

Jayant _166767

Stanley Dennis

George Jimseln

Sunil K Kumar

Michael, or whoever is reading this, I am sick and I am tired of trying with Dell. 

I want a refund, or I am going after compensation with legal aid. 

In addition, I want to keep the current system (1564) I have in hopes that I can get fixed. 

Please no more excuses, no more greedy decisions, just give me what I paid and let me go somewhere else.

If you have forgotten what others think of your company this year - check it here. 

http://www.laptopmag.com/mobile-life/scores-by-brand-best-brands.aspx#axzz155AK8T00

you are 7 out of 10. 

Please fix this so it doesn't have to escalate. 

Ben Cundy

The Beginning of the End.

This was the first email that I sent to Dell Corporate Office after many failed attempts to get Dell's Indian Technicians to hear me out.




As a result I was given a corporate rep to deal with my issues, and eventually lead to a replacement system. 


If you too are struggling, try writing a letter like this:




To whomever has been given the joyful and self-destructive job of reading these emails for Michael Dell:

I have spent (wasted) the last year and half of my life using a Dell Inspiron 1525 to (attempt) to meet all of my DAILY computer needs. I wish the webcam on this laptop actually worked (even being able to access it would be nice) so that I could show you just how frustrating it is every morning when I wake up and press that stupid little button in the middle of this slab of crap. This thing that I am typing to you on seems to control itself....when I click on something INSPIRON decides when to follow the command (whether its10 seconds or 14 minutes) when I am finished clicking on something, INSPIRON decides when to get rid of all the last highlighted text 'ghosts'. When INSPIRON turns on, it decides to make loads of noise (and the fan and processor continually do so) until I finally remove the juice of life from its metallic veins. 

As if you don't have bad enough press as it is (and severely mind-numbing commercials) I'd like to remind you how viral your business is. The more you continue to fail at creating half-decent computing systems, providing half-decent customer service (they can at least have their native language be the same language that 83% of your consumers speak, DUH!!) then the more you will continue to receive those crappy red reports from Brian (not so) Gladden about how you can't keep any customers. 

Like I said I have been having problems with my system ever since I received it a year and a half ago. Please spent a minute and hear what I have experienced. I have had to reinstall windows 4, count 'em, FOUR times in the past 12 months. Now being the president of a super huge computer company, you of all people should understand that that is a PROBLEM. In case it hasn't happened to you yet, (which if you used any of your own products I'm sure it will have) when the system fails and you have to reinstall, you lose ALL OF YOUR DATA! ----photos, memories, conversations, movies, music, PROGRAMS, settings, documents, confidence, patience, EVERYTHING. --- Imagine experiencing that once every 3 months. 

Imagine having to have your hard drive replace on the last time. Imagine having to call flippin New Delhi and explain to Muhammed (or George as he goes by..) OH WAIT, he doesnt speak English. Or understand it. So he passed you onto to HOLD where you wait 19 minutes for another guy, who says he is a 'Manager' (shift manager of a call center in India..wow I feel cared for...) He puts on a very English sounding accent for the first few words and as soon and his memorized speach is over its back to 'bery bery bad engliss' 

By the way, this is the 1st time in 7 calls that you have gotten through to someone who will attempt to help. So he says he will replace your hard drive. Great, you think. "When will that be?" ....."umm 4 days from now, Sir" .."but I have paid for the next business day guarantee..?"   "Yes Sir, but no one is available tomorrow in your area." ---btw he had to ask what area I lived in, and when I told him he severely mispronounced it. Good one.

To cut a long story short (although it wasted hours and hours of my life, why shouldn't it waste yours?) I had to spend 4 1/2 WEEKS waiting for my ownership to be transfer to my new address before someone came to me. 

The guy who did come was ok. but left me with an UNFORMATTED computer cause he had another job to go to AND IF THAT WASN'T BAD ENOUGH he damaged my computer in replacing the drive. 

Noticing this 3 weeks later I called the Customer Service team and told them I wanted the casing fixed that their guy had broken, but I could not get it fixed because I had to leave the country for personal reasons and if I wanted it fixed I would have to transfer my ownership back to the US team (which also goes to INDIA). I did not want to take that road again SO I waited the 2 months until I came back, but which time when I called them up again they said it was too late to claim. 

I could seriously go on for another 2000 words, but I want to just make my point. I told this guy that the service was appalling and for me to be getting so many errors and problems on a system that is less that 2 years old, a system that YOU PERSONALLY WOULD PUT YOUR NAME ON, is pathetic. I also informed him that I run an IT training suite as part of my job where we have 12 Dell laptops - and if the service was going to remain this poor then I would not return to Dell when said systems needed upgrading, I still got no response. Great Business model Michael!!!! 

I desire I response from you. In fact I desire a return on my money, my hard earned $800 that my dad worked his ass off for to buy me this hunk of junk. AT THE MINIMUM offer me a new system to renew my faith in your name and your company, as well as keeping my business for the dozen systems I will be upgrading. 

I intend to write to you or to any dell email address that I can get a hold of until i get an honest, thought out, and non-automated response to discuss resolving this massive problem. If I am not contacted, I WILL FIND EVERY NERD BLOG, EVERY NEWSPAPER (INCLUDING SAN FRANCISCO'S) THAT WILL LISTEN, EVERY FREE MEDIA SOURCE I CAN, AND POST THIS EMAIL TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO EVERYONE THAT THIS COMPANY HAS ZERO CREDIBILITY. 

To prove all of this I will provide you with my computer's ID (i've even memorized it from all the Indians asking for it) 1****H*. 

I await your (hopefully) vindicating solution, 

  

Brand Ratings for 2010

by Anna Attkisson, K.T. Bradford, Mark Spoonauer on April 13, 2010

Read the Full Review on LaptopMag.com here!

Apple: Best Laptop Brand 2010 Winner

Out of our eight categories, Apple brings home the gold in four, with one—Performance & Reviews—carrying the heaviest weight of all the criteria. Plus, the company ranked second in the keyboard and touchpad category. There’s no question about it: Apple is the best notebook manufacturer and brand around. With every new product release, we eagerly anticipate its arrival, as do hordes of consumers who routinely flock to Apple Stores. Additionally, its support is second to none. We look forward to a bright future for this top brand, as its introduction of the iPad seeks to pioneer a whole new category of mobilecomputing. Read more.

Performance  & Reviews	Design	Keyboard & Touchpad	Tech Support	Value & Selection	Software	Customer Satisfaction	Innovation	Total Points
15*	13*	13	15*	9	9*	3	3	80*

Lenovo: Best Brand 2010 Runner-Up

Not only did Lenovo have a very good year, but things are looking even brighter with the expected arrival of its breathtaking Skylight smartbook and innovative U1 Hybrid tablet-notebook.  Read more.

Performance  & Reviews	Design	Keyboard & Touchpad	Tech Support	Value & Selection	Software	Customer Satisfaction	Innovation	Total Points
12	10	14*	13	11	8	4	3	75

Sony

Strong support and top-notch designs make Sony’s products well worth the premium. Read more.

Performance  & Reviews	Design	Keyboard & Touchpad	Tech Support	Value & Selection	Software	Customer Satisfaction	Innovation	Total Points
11	12	11	13	10	7	5*	3	72

Toshiba

An emphasis on delivering compelling industrial designs and innovative features at affordable prices make this brand one of our favorites. Read more.

Performance  & Reviews	Design	Keyboard & Touchpad	Tech Support	Value & Selection	Software	Customer Satisfaction	Innovation	Total Points
9	11	12	12	12	8	4	4	72

ASUS

Once known only for its netbooks, ASUS has evolved into an innovative notebook maker, keeping the likes of HP and Dell on their toes. Read more.

Performance  & Reviews	Design	Keyboard & Touchpad	Tech Support	Value & Selection	Software	Customer Satisfaction	Innovation	Total Points
12	10	9	11	11	6	5*	5*	69

HP

HP continues to offer slick designs and good performance for the money, but its lackluster support and customer satisfaction among readers dragged its overall rating down. Read more.

Performance  & Reviews	Design	Keyboard & Touchpad	Tech Support	Value & Selection	Software	Customer Satisfaction	Innovation	Total Points
11	11	8	7	13	9*	2	2	63

Dell

Despite lukewarm reviews and some ergonomic complaints, Dell’s overall designs have improved a great deal. Read more.

Performance  & Reviews	Design	Keyboard & Touchpad	Tech Support	Value & Selection	Software	Customer Satisfaction	Innovation	Total Points
8	10	8	7	14*	7	4	3	61

Samsung

We’re a bit underwhelmed by Samsung’s offerings of late, but we hope the company can turn things around. Read more.

Performance  & Reviews	Design	Keyboard & Touchpad	Tech Support	Value & Selection	Software	Customer Satisfaction	Innovation	Total Points
10	8	11	12	8	5	4	1	59

Acer

Although we were disappointed with Acer’s tech support, the company generally offers the best value in most categories. Read more.

Performance  & Reviews	Design	Keyboard & Touchpad	Tech Support	Value & Selection	Software	Customer Satisfaction	Innovation	Total Points
10	7	10	6	12	5	3	4	57

Gateway

While we’re not exactly sure why Acer is keeping this brand around, Gateway does provide good design and performance for your buck. Read more.

Performance  & Reviews	Design	Keyboard & Touchpad	Tech Support	Value & Selection	Software	Customer Satisfaction	Innovation	Total Points
9	10	9	11	9	4	3	1	56

MSI

Lukewarm reviews and poor tech support cancelled out our positive feelings about this brand’s strong ultraportable line. Read more.

Performance  & Reviews	Design	Keyboard & Touchpad	Tech Support	Value & Selection	Software	Customer Satisfaction	Innovation	Total Points
6	6	9	5	9	5	3	2	45

Fujitsu

Bringing up the rear, a varied selection of Tablet PCs and relatively good tech support are the only real positives about
this brand. Read more.

Performance  & Reviews	Design	Keyboard & Touchpad	Tech Support	Value & Selection	Software	Customer Satisfaction	Innovation	Total Points
4	5	8	11	7	4	3	1	43

Read more: http://www.laptopmag.com/mobile-life/scores-by-brand-best-brands.aspx#ixzz17fN7DlG2

The Crime Scene

We've all seen CSI.

Crime scene's are not pretty...and usually they involve some crazy set of circumstances that have arisen from a seemingly normal situation. Well there are no sneaky drug dealers or jealous club promoters in this story that I know of but it's a travesty non the less.

Two years ago my kind and loving father purchased me a laptop for my birthday. I didn't want to go all out and ask for an extremely pricey Macbook (although my Dad probably woulda got for me if I had, he's nice like that) and so after 10 minutes of research, I found a nice new shiny Dell Inspiron 1525 online with a big tag saying **$350 Rebate!** . I customized it a little, added some upgrades and I was on my way.

The honeymoon period with Dell for me was short-lived. Within the first 4 months of having the computer I had to do a factory reset twice. Not happy making....especially because some of my software takes so many steps to install. As I am sure you could understand I wasn't much pleased - and it gets 10 times worse.

To cut a very very long story short, I have spent my life since October '08 fighting with Dell Representatives by day and a Dell Laptop by night. I have seen the in's and out's of abandoned efforts @ answers.yahoo.com and I have heard just about every New Delhi accent there is.

I am here now to share my knowledge with you, to warn you about buying from Dell...and to hopefully shed a little hope on your situation if you are in my boat.

Read on!

Thegoodcrust